Chapter 174 - Getting Out of the Jaws of Danger
The dark clouds covering Nine-Five Island grew thicker and thicker. The thickness of the dark clouds matched the fury Miao Chen felt. As he approached the Royal Palace of the Great Han, Miao Chen could feel the aura of the Golden Black Tortoise Armor growing fainter and fainter by the minute, and soon it ceased to exist.
The Golden Black Tortoise Armor was filled with Supreme"s endless aura, how much was it being ruthlessly being tarnished that Supreme"s aura has disappeared? Had they refined it into a magical tool?
Miao Chen looked up to the sky, and let out a long roar.
Immediately afterwards, the entire sky was covered in flashes of lightning, which were soon followed by heaven-shaking peals of thunder. This terrifying phenomenon seized the countless citizens of Nine-Five Island with terror.
At Traders City, not too far away from the Royal Palace...
The Brocade Guards Commander, Meng Tai, was in a huge compound within Traders City, interrogating a group of corrupt officials.
All the corrupt officials were tied up, and glaring at Meng Tai.
"Meng Tai, don"t you dare, don"t you freaking dare! My Uncle is the current Director of the Board of Rites, he used to be an Executive and followed His Royal Majesty in conquering the world! If you dare to make a move on me, my Uncle will not let you off!" The leading official, even though he was coughing up a mouthful of blood, still screamed out with defiant eyes.
Meng Tai was holding a booklet in his hand. Next to him stood a team of Brocade Guards, watching Meng Tai together.
"When His Royal Majesty founded the nation, His Royal Majesty proclaimed a general amnesty and relieved all taxes for the next three years. Yet your Traders" City has continued to levy exorbitant taxes! You have been showing nepotism, selling official positions, taking possession of disaster relief, disregarded the suffering of disaster victims, filling your own pockets, and exploiting public offices for private gain! And what"s more is that you have caused eight hundred of the disaster victims of Traders" City to starve to death!" Meng Tai"s eyes flickered with a cold light.
"You… what do you want?" that official asked, his eyes bulging in shock.
Meng Tai"s voice immediately turned colder as he replied, "I have received the decree from His Royal Majesty himself to investigate. I have the right to act first and report later. Execute them!"
"Yes, sir!"
"What? You dare to execute me? My Uncle will not let you go, he will not let you go!" that official roared as his eyes bulged in shock and horror.
"I will not execute just you, but rather your entire family! When the Brocade Guards do things, we don"t leave anyone alive. We tear out the weeds by the roots itself!" Meng Tai stated, calm and poised.
Having said that, Meng Tai turned around and left the small courtyard.
That official, on the other hand, was left gawking. His eyes were filled with shock and horror. Don"t leave anyone alive!? Tear out the weeds by the roots!?
"No, no, no!" that official started crying, finally panic-stricken.
Following Meng Tai"s order, the Brocade Guards quickly started moving.
Some of the officials who hadn"t been investigated were standing in the vicinity, and trembled in fear. Ah, so, these are the Brocade Guards, who have been given the moniker of The Exterminators. Wherever they go, rivers of blood flow!
Meng Tai turned his head around to look at everyone. Under his Meng Tai"s gaze, those onlooking officials suddenly quavered. Lowering their heads, they quickly walked away.
After returning, these officials right away sent off a letter, preparing to stir up the officials of the Royal Court into impeaching the Brocade Guards.
But what would be the use of this impeaching? The Brocade Guards were established by Gu Hai himself, precisely in order to monitor the world. Furthermore, Gu Hai was dictating the entire court; he didn"t allow anyone to challenge his orders. As such, Gu Hai completely ignored them. So, who could challenge the Brocade Guards any more?
Meng Tai took a deep breath. This feeling of controlling someone"s life and death is indeed marvelous. How wonderful it would be if the Great Han Royal Dynasty could join the ranks of true Dynasties of Divine Continent?
BOOM!
Suddenly, the sky was covered in dark clouds as flashes of lightning lit off and peals of thunder followed.
"Hmm?" Meng Tai"s countenance changed as he raised his head to watch.
But the next scene was even more shocking to him. Countless bolts of lightning were gathering towards the Great Han Royal Palace. The lightning and thunder were also like violent shockwaves.
"Who...who can have such a huge imposing manner?" Meng Tai"s face changed momentarily.
Meng Tai soared into the sky and flew towards the Royal Palace at once.
His Royal Majesty has just founded the nation, when did he gain such a strong enemy?
"This.. .this is the imposing aura of a Heavenly Palaces cultivator! The Great Han could not be finished just like that, could it?" Meng Tai"s eyelid twitched madly.
The dense, dark clouds covering the sky were even more dreadful at the Great Han Royal Palace.
The expressions of all the cultivators at the Royal Family Casino changed immediately. They could all feel that monstrous imposing aura from a great distance!
At Shangguan Hen"s residence...
That big Golden Black Tortoise Armor had now been eaten by Shangguan Hen to the point that only the last piece remained.
Suddenly, lightning and thunder shook the sky as a heavy rain came pouring down, making Shangguan Hen"s eyebrow twitch. He immediately looked outside the gate.
"This Black Tortoise aura! Miao Chen!?" Shangguan Hen"s eyebrow momentarily quivered.
He elegantly picked up the last piece of the Golden Black Tortoise Armor and placed it in his mouth, before standing up calmly. Then, he tidied up his clothes before slowly making his way out of the house.
BOOM!
Miao Chen"s figure appeared outside the Great Han Royal Palace. With the abrupt arrival of Miao Chen, the violent storm trailing behind him immediately swept towards the entire Royal Palace as a torrential rain came pouring down.
Standing in the downpour, as Miao Chen closed his eyes, his expression turned uglier and uglier.
"Gone? Gone? The aura of Supreme"s golden armor is gone?" Miao Chen"s face turned hideous immediately.
Right at this moment, at the entrance of the Soaring Heaven Palace...
All the civil and military officials rushed over. Each and every one of them looked horrified.
Gu Qin too had his face distorted with worry. Having obtained Elder Guanqi"s inheritance, he naturally understood that the expert of this terrifying aura could not be stopped by his array at all!
"Your Royal Majesty!" The crowd of officials looked to Gu Hai as he slowly walked out of Soaring Heaven Palace.
Gu Hai, wearing a mingguan and draping dragon robes, slowly walked his way in front of the minister, coldly glaring into the distant sky, glaring at the hideous face drenched in the rain.
"Father Emperor, is the trap laid by Li Shenji?" Gu Qin asked, worried.
Gu Hai nodded his affirmation. "It should have been drawn by that Golden Black Tortoise Armor!"
"What a sinister Li Shenji! This man is a Heavenly Palaces expert! I am worried that our array won"t be able to hold him down!" Gu Qin"s face grew ugly.
"Golden Black Tortoise Armor, where is the Golden Black Tortoise Armor?" the Maio Chen opposite them suddenly roared.
BOOM!
At his roar, a great tornado formed, rolling up towards the Great Han Royal Palace, pulling up all the trees and rocks in its path.
Suddenly, the swirling clouds of the grand array emerged around the Great Han Royal Palace, blocking this dreadful storm.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Immediately, hundreds of lightning bolts rained down from the sky, striking the grand array. Under such dreadful attacks, even the grand array shook momentarily.
"Father Emperor, I will go and inform Shangguan Hen, ask Shangguan Hen to hand the Golden Black Tortoise Armor to him! Otherwise, our grand array would soon give out!" Gu Qin informed him.
"Shut up!" Gu Hai rebuked him in a cold voice.
"Ah!?" Gu Qin was at a loss.
"I have already given the Golden Black Tortoise Armor to Shangguan Hen, we don"t get to call the shots for Shangguan Hen!" Gu Hai stated, calm and poised.
"Yes!" Gu Qin nodded, but his face was still filled with worry.
At this moment, the crowd of officials was in a daze.
"This King, Gu Hai, is the ruler of Great Han Royal Dynasty, I wonder who is Your Excellency? Why is Your Excellency attacking my Great Han?" Gu Hai began speaking in a calm voice.
"Royal Dynasty! f.u.c.k your Royal Dynasty, you don"t even have the Karmic Fate and yet you dare to call it a Royal Dynasty!? Is the Golden Black Tortoise Armor in your hand? Hand it over to me immediately, otherwise, your rubbish Great Han Royal Dynasty will end up like this!" Miao Chen stated as his voice turned colder.
While speaking, he fiercely stomped towards the ground below.
A vast aura immediately appeared underneath his foot, pressing down on the ground with a thunderous boom.
A huge hill on the ground was flattened in the blink of an eye. At the same time, a huge bottomless pit appeared in place of the hill as the waters in the vicinity flooded into it.
At the sight of the thousand-zhang deep chasm, a panic-stricken look took over everyone"s faces.
The crowd of officials was seized with terror. "What should we do!? Your Royal Majesty!"
The cultivators at the resort were also horrified. That stomp...has almost pierced through Nine-Five Island!?
In the distance, when Meng Tai"s eyes fell on the fiendish Miao Chen in the distance, his eyelids started twitching like crazy.
"Where did this freak come from?" Meng Tai mumbled in shock and horror.
Following the stomp, all the officials were shaken up. Only Gu Hai remained unfazed.
As the ruler of a nation, he must be exemplary before the world. He must remain calm at all times!
Gu Hai"s gaze turned colder as he shook his head and said, "Your Excellency, by insulting this King"s Great Han, do you want to declare a war against my Great Han?"
"Declare a war?! Do you think you even have those qualifications?" Meng Tai sneered with disdain.
"Hmph!" Gu Hai let out a cold snort.
And right at this time, Shangguan Hen quickly rushed over from nearby.
"Your Royal Majesty, I am to blame for this matter! I beg Your Royal Majesty to hand this matter to your subordinate, this subordinate will surely give an account to Your Royal Majesty!" Shangguan Hen said, bowing to Gu Hai at once.
"Hmm! Shangguan Hen, you don"t need to act like this, the Great Han has undertaken this matter!" Gu Hai said comfortingly.
Hearing this, a warmth gushed through Shangguan Hen"s heart. He knew that Gu Hai was protecting him, Gu Hai was planning on using the Karmic Fate of the nation to protect him, he who wasn"t willing to pledge allegiance!
"No, Your Royal Majesty, please believe in this subordinate! Your subordinate isn"t taking any risk, rather I can indeed resolve this! I beg Your Royal Majesty to hand this matter to your subordinate!" Shangguan Hen respectfully begged again.
Gu Hai stared at Shangguan Hen for a while, and realizing that Shangguan Hen didn"t seem to be lying, he finally nodded his agreement.
"Thank you, Your Royal Majesty, for trusting me!" Shangguan Hen said respectfully.
Gu Qin and the crowd of officials watched Shangguan Hen in disbelief.
In the distance, even the quickly rus.h.i.+ng Meng Tai looked confused.
In the next moment, Shangguan Hen turned around, walking step by step towards Miao Chen.
"Ha, hahaha, you are really getting overconfident, you dare to send just one man to deal with me!? Hmph, today, believe it or not, this Miao will flatten up your bulls.h.i.+t Royal Dynasty!" Miao Chen shouted aloud.
BOOM! A tyrannical aura emerged once more as a silhouette of an enormous turtle suddenly emerged at his back. Under this dreadful imposing aura, the faces of the crowd of officials twisted madly, as if they were about to fall flat on the ground.
Shangguan Hen"s eyes suddenly widened as he shouted out, "Miao Chen, how dare you!"
"Hmm!? Do you know me?" Miao Chen asked, glaring coldly at Shangguan Hen.
"Look into my eyes!" Shangguan Hen commanded icily.
Miao Chen momentarily turned his gaze towards Shangguan Hen"s eyes. He stretched his hand out, ready to attack, as he coldly chastised, "You ignorant little thing, you have no idea of life and death, you...!"
Having spoken halfway, Miao Chen"s pupils abruptly constricted.
Shangguan Hen kept on walking out, step by step. The heavy rain kept on pouring down on him, but Shangguan Hen didn"t pay any heed to it, but rather kept on staring at Miao Chen.
Staring into Miao Chen"s eyes, when he saw that cruel and unyielding look in Shangguan Hen"s eyes, he was suddenly shaken up. Why does it feel like I have seen these eyes before!?
The unhurriedly walking Shangguan Hen looked incomparably small. But in Miao Chen"s eyes, those steps seemed to weigh tens of thousands of jun, ruthlessly beating on the heavens and the earth, sounding the war drums.
[TLN: 1 Jun= 30 Jin]
"This expression in the eyes… this expression in the eyes!?" Surprise and confusion filled Miao Chen"s eyes before horror came over them, and an extreme shock that could not be any greater. "How...how is this possible?" he blurted out, horrified.
The imposing aura around him suddenly dissipated. Practically instantly, the dark clouds in the sky also scattered away.
"You are...you are… impossible! You are...!" Miao Chen suddenly became frightened.
"You are standing so high, do you want me to wors.h.i.+p you?" Shangguan Hen calmly asked.
A tremor ran through Miao Chen immediately.
"No...no...your sub-!" A terrified Miao Chen rushed down from the sky in ecstasy.
"Presumptuous!" Shangguan Hen"s eyes flared.
Miao Chen had spoken just halfway before he immediately shut his mouth.
"Wait outside the Royal Palace!" Shangguan Hen said emotionlessly.
"Yes!" Miao Chen obliged readily.
Miao Chen, landing outside the Royal Palace, waited quietly by the side.
In the distance, Meng Tai looked at the clear sky, and then at that distant figure, that domineering and arrogant expert who had suddenly turned as docile as a quail, in a daze.
"What is the origin of this Shangguan Hen?" Meng Tai mumbled to himself as his face changed uncontrollably. "Great Han Royal Dynasty! Great Han Royal Dynasty! Your Royal Majesty, where did you recruit this person from?" Tumultuous waves were cras.h.i.+ng in Meng Tai"s heart.
Taking a deep breath, Meng Tai turned around, flying back to the Traders" City.
Today, he still had to finish the duties handed out to him!
Just a few shouts from Shangguan Hen had made such an expert obedient. This also gave a huge blow to the countless cultivators at the resort, to the point that they were nearly in tears. Originally, they were entertaining the idea of grabbing the earth dragon vein if the opportunity presented itself. Although a hundred or so Nascent Soul cultivators had already died, if the opportunity presented itself, why would they not take it?
Only Gu Hai and Gu Qin can arrange the array, who else is there?
But what the h.e.l.l is going on? Can someone tell me what in the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l is going on? How many freaks does the Great Han Royal Dynasty still have!?
At this moment, the crowd of civil and military officials was also staring at Shangguan Hen with dumbstruck eyes.
After Shangguan Hen turned down the offer of becoming an official, many people had sneered in their hearts, treating him like an idiot. But now, having seen everything, they could not help but wonder, Was he stupid... or are we stupid!?
Shangguan Hen, turning around and looking at Gu Hai, respectfully bowed down to him and said, "Your Royal Majesty, this subordinate would like to retire!"
"Mhmm!" Gu Hai nodded his consent.
Immediately afterwards, Shangguan Hen made a beeline to the outside of the Royal Palace. After all, that Miao Chen was still anxiously waiting outside there for him.
"Father Emperor, who is this Shangguan Hen exactly?" Gu Qin"s eyes flickered with a complex look.
"He will tell us when he wants to! Alright, disperse now!" Gu Hai calmly said.
"Yes, Your Royal Majesty!" the crowd of officials obeyed at once.