70: Chapter 70 The Three Confucian Dragons Slay the Core Formation, Blade Light Tears Through the Sky and Shakes the Mortal Realm

Yang Qianjue pressed his single arm onto the hilt of his blade, his brow furrowing slightly.

He had clearly felt an obscure yet powerful aura flash within Gu Han's body just now.

"Lord Zhou, Commandant Gu is a member of my Zhenwu Division. Even if he has committed a fault, it should be handled by my division."

Yang Qianjue's tone turned cold.

"Your unauthorized entry into the Heavenly Prison is already an overstepping of authority. Do you intend to seize someone right in front of me?"

"If there is no imperial decree, Lord Zhou, please return!"

Zhou Yongchang's expression flickered between light and dark before he suddenly pulled a golden command medallion from his robes.

"The Second Prince's handwritten order: thoroughly investigate the remnants of the Blood God Cult."

"Commander Yang, do you intend to defy orders?"

Yang Qianjue's pupils constricted slightly, and veins bulged on his single arm.

The Zhenwu Division had historically never associated with any prince, obeying only Emperor Yuanwu.

Zhou Yongchang was clearly using this as a pretext.

"Little Beast."

Zhou Yongchang looked at Gu Han coldly.

"This official gives you two choices."

"Either surrender and follow me to the Ministry of Justice's prison..."

"...or this official will kill you on the spot."

Before Gu Han could respond, Yang Qianjue spoke with a grim face and an icy tone.

"The Second Prince's handwritten order?"

"Lord Zhou, have you perhaps forgotten where this is?"

"The Zhenwu Division only follows imperial orders, obeying the decrees of the current Emperor."

"Does Lord Zhou believe the Second Prince's handwritten order is equivalent to an imperial decree?"

"Yang Qianjue!"

"You dare to disparage the Second Prince's order?"

Zhou Yongchang was fuming with rage; the jade pendant at his waist shattered into powder as the pressure of the Peak Mortal Transformation Realm erupted.

The beams of the barracks creaked, and the blue bricks on the floor cracked inch by inch.

Yang Qianjue's single arm jolted, and his scabbard slammed heavily onto the ground.

Boom!

The two pressures collided, and the resulting airwave flipped the tiles off the roof.

Gu Han's robes fluttered wildly, yet he stood firm like a reef, a bloody-gold light flashing briefly in his eyes.

"Very well!"

Zhou Yongchang grinned sinisterly.

"This official wants to see today just how long you, a cripple, can protect him."

Before his voice finished echoing, three streaks of green light suddenly shot from his sleeve.

The light expanded in the wind, transforming into three ferocious flood dragons pouncing straight for Gu Han's face—it was the Confucian secret technique 'Finishing Touch'.

"Presumptuous!"

Yang Qianjue's blade emerged half an inch, its snow-bright light like the Milky Way cascading backward.

Before the three flood dragons could even get close, they were slashed into a spray of ink, drenching Zhou Yongchang's head and face.

"Yang Qianjue!"

Zhou Yongchang wiped his face, shaking with rage.

"You would truly make an enemy of the Second Prince for the sake of a mere pawn?"

"The Second Prince?"

Cold light flared in Yang Qianjue's eyes as his scabbard slammed heavily onto the ground, the blue bricks instantly cracking into a spiderweb pattern.

"Zhou Yongchang, your ability to treat a chicken feather as an imperial command has certainly improved."

"Don't come to me with that sour scholar nonsense."

"I don't buy your act."

"I am loyal only to His Majesty and to Great Chu."

"Good, very good!"

"What a loyal Commander you are."

"I shall report this matter truthfully to the Second Prince."

Zhou Yongchang was shaking with anger, the sleeves of his Confucian robes fluttering without any wind.

He violently flicked his sleeves, and three streaks of green light shot out like venomous snakes, transforming in mid-air into three shimmering Confucian Flying Swords.

"Yang Qianjue, today I shall teach you, this ignorant cripple, a lesson on behalf of the Second Prince."

"I will let you know that we are both subjects..."

"...and how to properly fulfill the duties of a subject."

The three Flying Swords attacked in a triangular formation, their edges wrapped in green literary aura, actually writing out the character for 'Slay' in the air.

This was the Confucian secret technique 'Words of Heart-Piercing'; every stroke contained the Killing Intent of the Peak Mortal Transformation Realm.

At this moment, Gu Han was also momentarily stunned by the scene.

He hadn't expected a high-ranking court official to possess such cultivation.

Moreover, Zhou Yongchang seemed to be using Zhou Kang's death to kill two birds with one stone.

On one hand, he would capture Gu Han to avenge his nephew, a move no one could criticize.

On the other hand, he was testing the attitude of the Zhenwu Division for the Second Prince.

At the same time, Zhou Yongchang was certain that Yang Qianjue would never dare to kill him.

He saw Yang Qianjue's single arm jolt as the long blade at his waist finally left its scabbard completely.

"Zheng!"

The blade's cry was like a dragon's roar, and the snow-bright blade light cut through the sky.

The character for 'Slay' was cut in two before it could even fully form, and the three Flying Swords snapped upon contact, falling to the ground with a series of clatters.

"Zhou Yongchang, you seek death."

"Do not think This Envoy dares not do anything to you."

"Do you believe that even if This Envoy kills you now, His Majesty will not blame me?"

"The Second Prince won't be able to do anything to me either."

Cold light flared in Yang Qianjue's eyes as he took a step forward with his blade in his single hand, Killing Intent flooding the entire barracks.

Though he had lost an arm, the entire barracks trembled with that single step, as if a prehistoric beast had awakened.

Zhou Yongchang's face changed drastically, and he retreated three steps before steadying himself.

He hadn't expected that Yang Qianjue, who had not yet recovered from his heavy injuries, still possessed such strength.

"You... you dare..."

"Get out."

Yang Qianjue barked, his blade pointing directly at Zhou Yongchang's throat.

"If you dare set foot in the Heavenly Prison again, I'll cut off your dog head."

"I shall not see you out."

With that, Yang Qianjue sheathed his blade.

Zhou Yongchang's face was ashen, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

As the Vice Minister of Revenue, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

But looking at Yang Qianjue's murderous eyes, he ultimately did not dare to strike again.

"Fine, Yang Qianjue, you just wait."

"Don't think you can truly protect this little mongrel."

Zhou Yongchang turned away with a flick of his sleeves, gnashing his teeth, and gave Gu Han a poisonous glare before leaving.

"Little Beast, this isn't over."

The corners of Gu Han's mouth curled slightly, and a bloody-gold light flashed in his eyes.

"Take care on your way out, Lord Zhou. Watch your step."

As soon as he spoke...

...the blue brick beneath Zhou Yongchang's foot suddenly shattered. He stumbled and nearly fell, exiting the barracks in a pathetic state.

After Zhou Yongchang left, Yang Qianjue scrutinized Gu Han.

"Kid, you've got quite the nerve."

"Not bad. To remain fearless and composed in the face of Zhou Yongchang..."

"...you can be considered both brave and resourceful."

Gu Han cupped his hands in a respectful salute.

"Thank you for your protection, My Lord."

"If My Lord hadn't been here, This subordinate would likely have been scared witless."

"All of this was thanks to the courage My Lord gave me."

Gu Han couldn't help but start flattering him.

Through that encounter, Gu Han had roughly gauged Yang Qianjue's temperament.

Yang Qianjue was definitely one to protect his own.

Furthermore, he was a 'single-minded' individual.

He was not involved in the messy affairs of the princes' struggle for the throne.

Yang Qianjue gave a cold snort.

"Don't flatter yourself. I am upholding the rules of the Zhenwu Division."

With a wave of Yang Qianjue's single arm, the doors and windows of the barracks slammed shut, sealing them off from the outside.

His eyes were like lightning as he stared fixedly at Gu Han, suddenly breaking into a grin.

"Kid, you're hiding quite a lot!"

Gu Han's heart jumped, but he remained calm on the surface.

"What do you mean by that, My Lord?"

Yang Qianjue didn't speak, but instead directly released his Mortal Transformation Realm pressure.

"A Meridian Connecting Realm can slay Zhou Kang with one blow?"

"Can remain motionless under that Old Churl Zhou Yongchang's pressure?"

Under Yang Qianjue's pressure, the Heavenly Prison True Qi within Gu Han's body began to circulate automatically.

The thirty-six chains within his Dantian rattled loudly.

Seeing this, Gu Han secretly suppressed his True Qi.

He revealed the Peak of the ninth level of the Origin Core Realm.

Yang Qianjue's gaze was like lightning.

"As I thought, the ninth level of the Origin Core."

Of course, Gu Han had exposed this intentionally.

If he wanted to rise in rank, he had to demonstrate a certain level of value.

Otherwise, who would give him the opportunity?

Gu Han couldn't help but flatter him again.

"As expected of My Lord."

"This subordinate's little tricks hold no secrets before My Lord."

"My Lord has a Wisdom Eye."

Yang Qianjue suddenly burst into laughter, the sound shaking dust from the roof.

"Good! Good!"

"My Zhenwu Division has finally produced another decent sprout."

"The ninth level of the Origin Core at sixteen years old."

"You are already no weaker than the Disciples of first-rate noble families."

"Though you can't compare to the world's Prodigies, you can still be considered a Genius."