Chapter 294: Troublemaker

The people at the very front saw it clearly. Just as the three Martial Artists from Mo Country rushed forward, Lu Bai, who stood nearby, suddenly struck.

In an instant, it was as if Lu Bai had grown several extra arms. He seized the joints of the three True Master Martial Dao from Mo Country, then followed up with a backhand punch, a palm strike, and an elbow.

Normally, the Blood Qi of a True Master Martial Dao possesses extremely strong defensive and obstructive capabilities.

With insufficient strength, one could not even break through the Blood Qi emitted by a True Master Martial Dao.

But the Blood Qi surrounding these three True Master Martial Dao seemed to be made of paper. Lu Bai’s arms blurred into a series of afterimages, driving straight through and striking at their very core!

Mo Yuanting’s expression changed, his shock evident at the sight.

Lu Bai had killed his Snake Demon, so he must have the combat prowess of the Golden Core Realm.

That was why, when coming to confront him this time, he had specifically brought several True Master Martial Dao along.

A moment ago, three True Master Martial Dao had attacked simultaneously. In reality, two of them were already prepared to secretly defend against Lu Bai.

But he never expected the outcome to be decided in a single exchange.

"What’s going on?"

"What just happened?!"

A commotion rippled through the crowd.

It all happened too fast, in the blink of an eye.

Aside from those in the front row who had a clear view, the people in the back were completely lost. They craned their necks, trying to see what was happening, and kept asking questions.

"Lu Bai sent those three from Mo Country flying!"

"Good!"

"That’ll teach them to be so arrogant!"

The crowd immediately erupted in cheers.

The crowd of onlookers had long since grown tired of the smug attitude of the Mo Country group.

"What a joke. Coming all the way to our Wu Dynasty to demand justice. Who the hell does he think he is?!"

"Judging by Mo Yuanting’s status, he’s clearly a powerful figure in Mo Country. He must be used to acting like a tyrant back home and thinks everyone will just put up with his behavior out here."

Hearing the crowd’s jeers, Mo Yuanting’s face darkened, and a wisp of black mist flashed in his eyes.

’Hm?’

No one else noticed, but Lu Bai caught a vaguely familiar scent from Mo Yuanting, and his gaze sharpened.

’The Demon Sect? The Corpse Refining Sect?’

Lu Bai stared at Mo Yuanting for a moment but found no other suspicious signs. The aura from before had vanished in a flash, as if it had never been there.

"Young Master, Yuan Yu and the others..."

A few Mo Country Martial Artists carried the three True Master Martial Dao before Mo Yuanting, their expressions resentful as they hesitated to speak.

The onlookers all craned their necks to look at the three men, gasping in shock.

The three True Master Martial Dao lay on the ground, pale and barely breathing.

One had a caved-in chest, another’s face was beaten beyond recognition, and the third was continuously coughing up blood...

Even if their lives were saved, they would likely be crippled.

"I heard that just six months ago, this man was only an Innate Martial Artist. Has he already stepped into the Alchemy Dao?"

"This Lu Bai is ruthless."

"No wonder they call him Black Hand Yama. His methods are truly vicious."

"Heh heh, it’s about time these Mo Country people got a taste of our dynasty’s ’Black Hand’!"

In the Wu Dynasty, where a martial culture prevailed, a scene like this was nothing unusual.

Especially since the Mo Country Martial Artists had been the ones to attack first.

In the eyes of the crowd, Lu Bai’s counterattack was perfectly justified.

"What’s happening here?"

The commotion had already attracted the Capital City’s patrolling guards.

The one in charge was the Captain responsible for this district, Zhu Tong.

Mo Yuanting said slowly, "Lord Zhu, this man assaulted people in the middle of the street, and with such vicious force. What crime does that warrant?"

"Bullshit! It was clearly your people who attacked first!"

"That’s right! We saw it with our own eyes!"

Before Lu Bai could even speak, the surrounding crowd was already explaining on his behalf.

Mo Yuanting sneered. "So this is the way of your Wu Country? Ganging up to bully others? We are guests of the Wu Dynasty. Is this how the Wu Country treats its guests?"

"Stop your fucking bullshit! What’s with the act?"

"He’s just spouting nonsense, twisting the truth."

The crowd shouted him down.

"It’s too chaotic! Everyone, quiet down!"

Zhu Tong suddenly bellowed. He waited for the clamor to die down before turning to Mo Yuanting. "Mr. Mo, you first. Tell me what happened."

Mo Yuanting said, "This man’s name is Lu Bai. He killed a Demon Beast I was raising at the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground. I came to demand an explanation, and he attacked my men."

"And what do you have to say?"

Zhu Tong turned to look at Lu Bai.

Worried that Lu Bai would be impulsive, speak bluntly, and end up clashing with the authorities, Luo Qing stepped forward to explain. "Officer, please look at the facts. My fellow students from Jingwu Academy and I were hunting at the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground when we were suddenly attacked by a Snake Demon. Several of my classmates were brutally killed. Xiaolu had no choice but to slay the Snake Demon to save the rest of us.

Furthermore, we had no idea this Snake Demon was being raised by him.

As for the fight on the street just now, he was the one who ordered his men to attack first. Xiaolu was only forced to defend himself."

Luo Qing concisely explained the entire sequence of events.

"Alright, I understand."

Zhu Tong waved his hand, pointing at Mo Yuanting, Lu Bai, and their groups. "All of you, come with me to the Government Office. The Prefect himself will rule on this matter. The rest of you, don’t block the street. Disperse!"

Lu Bai frowned slightly, a sense of caution rising within him.

After all, he had no connections in the Capital City.

’If I really go to the Government Office, without this crowd of onlookers speaking up for me, I might not get out of this unscathed.’

But then, a thought struck Lu Bai, and he recalled what Chen Shihu had told him.

"After you get to the Capital City, just do as you please. Even if you cause some monumental trouble, someone will have your back."

’Could it be that the Capital Prefect is one of Brother Chen’s people?’

Lu Bai hesitated for a moment, exchanged a look with Luo Qing, and then followed Zhu Tong toward the Capital City Government Office.

-----------------

「Royal Palace.」

「Audience Hall.」

Qin Shiyue propped her elbows on the desk, her long, slender fingers gently massaging her temples. A faint look of worry clouded her features.

"Is Your Highness still worried about the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion, about our dynasty having no one to send?"

From the shadows beside Qin Shiyue, a slender, towering figure emerged. His eyes were exceptionally bright, like two balls of fire. It was the commander of the Royal Palace Guard, the Duke of Wei, Li Qingtian.

Qin Shiyue said, "Duke Chen said in his letter that he has arranged for someone to participate in the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion on my behalf."

"Oh?"

Duke Wei asked, "Who is it?"

Qin Shiyue smiled faintly. "It is someone you have met before: Lu Bai of Jing State."

A flash of surprise crossed Duke Wei’s eyes. "Him? That troublemaker?"

"Pfft!"

Qin Shiyue couldn’t help but let out a laugh, and much of the worry on her face dissipated. "That’s an interesting nickname you’ve given him, Duke Wei."

"Hmph."

Duke Wei snorted. "There’s something uncanny about that boy. Back in Jing State, I don’t know what he was messing around with, but he nearly summoned a powerful Ghostly Creature!"

After a pause, Duke Wei added, "He’s not just a troublemaker, he’s also incredibly thick-skinned."

At this, Duke Wei suddenly put two and two together. "To participate in the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion... has the boy already stepped into the Alchemy Dao?"

Qin Shiyue replied, "Since Duke Chen says so, it must be true."

"Six months... to cultivate that fast..."

Duke Wei murmured, frowning to himself. "He couldn’t have cultivated a Demon Technique, could he?"

"I doubt it."

Qin Shiyue shook her head. "After all, he’s been with Duke Chen for the past six months."

Duke Wei said, "Even if he has entered the Alchemy Dao and is qualified for the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion, there’s no way he can stand against Shi Ang and Mo Yuanting. The gap in their power is just too great."

"Report—"

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.