Retracting his gaze, Chen Chao stopped looking at that man who was already lifeless. Instead, he sat back down. After putting the cuffs back on his hands anew, he sat on the ground and closed his eyes to rest.
Very soon, a series of hasty footsteps sounded out, they similarly approached from afar. The footsteps quickly disappeared not far away in front of Chen Chao. Everything seemed to have quietened down again.
Only then, did Chen Chao slowly open his eyes. He discovered that the feudal troops who had once disappeared had returned to their rightful places. Only then, did he lift his head.
There was redness in front of him.
That was an extremely large red-colored official robe. It was currently being worn on a thin middle-aged man, as if he was bathed in fresh blood, giving people a very icy-cold feeling. His complexion was fair without any beard. Yet, he had a pair of slender eyes that inclined upwards, which gave him a different feel.
A special smell was teeming the entire prison cell.
Chen Chao was incredibly familiar with it; that was the smell of blood.
The blood of demons might not be red, but it was hot like human blood and the smell was the same too.
This man in front of him must have killed a lot of people.
Right, as the Court of Judicial Review's high official, he had naturally dealt with many guilty officials before.
He was called Han Pu; someone that many people were not willing to mention. Many people would often dream of him when they were sleeping at night.
"You're not the first person who dared to kill someone in my Court of Judicial Review, but you're the weakest one."
Han Pu talked, he opened his mouth and spoke without any indication. His voice was akin to the coldest wind on the mountains; piercing cold and lonely, without any warmth. When the wind blew, it carried the scent of death. No matter who, they would feel as if they were in hell when they heard his voice.
This was Han Pu, the man with an inauspicious outside reputation in the Great Liang Dynasty.
While talking, he looked at Chen Chao who was seated on the ground. Then, he glanced extremely casually at the man who had already turned into a limp sack of meat. After that, he retracted his gaze before saying that sentence.
Unexpectedly, that youth who had presently already set off a storm in the Divine Capital did not show any fear. He also did not seem very serious to explain this matter. He just smiled innocently and raised both hands. The clanking sound of the shackles made people feel a little irritated, "Your Excellency, I'm a felon, there are cuffs on my hands and legs. How could I have killed him?"
This was what he said.
Hearing this, Han Pu's lips moved slightly, "Do you know whose hands your life is in right now?"
Chen Chao pointed at the corpse over there and said, "He once thought that my life was in his hands. In the end, he himself became a corpse."
Chen Chao did not answer his question, but instead, he said such a sentence. Coupled with what he said before, this made Han Pu become a little more interested in him.
Han Pu narrowed his eyes and said, "You're saying that if this official had the same idea, I'll end up like that too?"
"Your Excellency is naturally different, I know that Your Excellency came to protect me."
Chen Chao looked at Han Pu with a faint smile. He laughed lightly as he said, "It's just that Your Excellency seemed to have wittingly or unwittingly came a step late. If I really died here, what will Your Excellency do?"
Han Pu opened his mouth and laughed silently. Then, he waved his hand and the feudal troops behind him withdrew expressionlessly, like they never came. Soon, there were only the two of them remaining here.
"Ordinary people can't bear the Xie Family's fury, but it doesn't mean that this official is scared. Moreover, you have to believe that when you're alive, they might have anger. But once you're dead, then you'll have no value. Since it's gone, how great can the Xie Family's wrath be?"
Han Pu said, "This official won't say the reason why this official came late. But if you couldn't hold on until this official came, then you're also not worthy of this official expending effort to protect you."
"You big shots all like to do this sort of thing. Looking here and there, if you find them an eyesore, then even if that person did nothing wrong, they will be dead."
Chen Chao shook his head and sneered coldly.
Han Pu smiled and said, "Do you know that human life is a very worthless thing in this world?"
"Talk, how did you tell that something was amiss with this person?"
The killing intent and iciness on Han Pu's body instantly evaporated into thin air when he finished saying this sentence. The current him became very ordinary and also very warm, just like an ordinary scholar.
If Chen Chao had met Wei Xu before, he would notice that there were actually many similarities between the two of them.
Chen Chao thought about it and did not hide it either, saying straightforwardly, "He said that my life was saved by someone and he was taking me away. Although he didn't reveal any killing intent when he was talking, I still didn't believe him."
"Because things happened too quickly and it was also too simple. Furthermore, he did not even take out an item for me to trust him from start to end."
"Most importantly, he was actually just an Initial Realm cultivator..."
"He was tricking me out of the prison cell, then directly kill me with the crime of prison break?"
Glancing at Han Pu, Chen Chao said with a slight smile, "Even if I misjudged, when I asked him that question, I was also destined to be right because of his reaction."
Han Pu praised, "Indeed not bad. Where on earth did a youth like you come from?"
Chen Chao smiled and did not speak.
"Now that this official is here, you won't die here. You can feel rest assured about this. It's just that half a month later, the Three Streams Manor, South Heaven Sect, and Liu Shui Mountain, these three groups of cultivators, will be coming to try you with the Court of Judicial Review and the three judicial chief ministries. What will you do?"
Han Pu said, "Everything that you've done has been excellent. But do you know what's the most important thing?"
Chen Chao nodded his head, of course he knew. Even if he was successful in not being instantly killed by those few cultivators, even if he could come to the Divine Capital and blow this matter up, force the imperial court to trial him openly, what he needed to walk out of this prison in the end was naturally proof.
A proof that could prove that he was justified in killing those cultivators.
Han Pu shook his head and said, "What this official can think of is that back then, those few qi refiners must have wanted to kill you first. Then, you counter-killed them in order to protect yourself. But even if that's the case, so what? It's a felon for you to kill qi refiners without authorization. Now, there's only proof of you murdering people and nothing else. How can this official help you?"
Yes, so much had been done, but the most important factor was still here.
That was how to prove that his unauthorized killing of the qi refiners was not an unauthorized killing.
Chen Chao did not tell anyone the whole story. Because he was still waiting, waiting for a possible turning point.
"I once said that this case involves Commandery Qingshan's warden. I wonder where is he currently?" Chen Chao looked at Han Pu. The impression that this Court of Judicial Review's high official gave him was still pretty good.
Han Pu said calmly, "Dead."
Chen Chao frowned, "Dead..."
What did this mean?
What in the world did that Warden Li knew?
Along the way, he had actually been thinking the entire time. Did that Warden Li really think that those few qi refiners went to the quarry just to look for a profound vein? Or did he also knew about the dragon vein? If it was the latter, then he might still have other hope.
But at this moment, Han Pu said that he was already dead.
"Died at the hands of foreign cultivators."
Han Pu glanced at Chen Chao and said with a slight smile, "He wasn't as smart as you, to know that you have to do some things to keep yourself alive when something happens. Therefore, he died."
Han Pu said, "If you have any insider information, best to tell this official. There are still a few days and I can still think of some solutions for you. But if you really wait until those three sects are trying you together with the three judicial chief ministries half a month later, even if this official wants to help you, it will be too late as well."
Chen Chao shook his head and just asked with a smile, "Your Excellency, can I see a friend?"
Han Pu furrowed his brows, "That Xie Family's girl?"
Chen Chao hurriedly nodded and said in disbelief, "Could it be that Your Excellency is the fat worm in my stomach?!"
……
……
The news only needed a short 15 minutes to be sent to the academy from the Court of Judicial Review.
If Han Pu was willing, this time would have been shorter.
Xie Nandu who received the news bowed and bade farewell to Wei Xu.
Wei Xu nodded with a smile and instructed, "Junior Sister, do remember, you're Teacher's final disciple now. You have to pay attention at all times when you're outside."
Xie Nandu nodded and said, "Many thanks, Senior Brother, I'll definitely proceed with caution and not damage our teacher's reputation."
Wei Xu shook his head and said with a smile, "Junior Sister has probably misunderstood what I meant. I'm saying that since junior sister has joined our academy and become Teacher's disciple, then... you can be appropriately... more arrogant."
Xie Nandu was taken aback, "Senior Brother..."
"Teacher is naturally the person who knows how to reason things out best in the Great Liang Dynasty. So if anyone is being unreasonable, just let him reason it out with Teacher."
Wei Xu dropped these words, turned around, and left coolly without stopping for a moment.
Xie Nandu looked at the back view of this senior brother and was deep in thought.
Soon, a horse carriage set off from the bank of South Lake and quickly left the academy. Passing through a good section of the Divine Capital, it arrived outside of the Court of Judicial Review's office.
A young girl wearing green walked out of the cabin and entered the Court of Judicial Review.
She seemed like a pear blossom that arrived with the wind.
Before long, a chair was already placed outside of the cell.
"Looks like you're doing well here." Xie Nandu sat down on the chair. Looking at the youth through the cell doors, there was a faint smile on her face.
At this moment, Chen Chao who already had his shackles removed rubbed his wrists and said with a smile, "I finally understand now that saving you back then was definitely the most correct choice that I've made in this life. Luckily, I'm a warm-hearted and compassionate person. Otherwise, you'd have been a goner."
In the first place, sitting on the chair made her remember the time in Tianqing County back then. Seeing this fellow who was still like this again, Xie Nandu suddenly felt as if she had returned to that small courtyard.
"Where's that stove?" She could not help but ask.
"An old hag wanted to kill me, my courtyard was demolished by her. But it's fine, I'll make her pay the price sooner or later." A hint of dejection flashed across Chen Chao's eyes, but it immediately dissipated. He said with a smile, "I still have to congratulate you. I heard that you're already that whatever dean's final disciple now."
This news was not told by Xie Nandu in the letter. In reality, she would not take the initiative to mention this sort of thing either.
Xie Nandu raised her brows and said, "In your letter, you said that you won't laugh at me even if I didn't become his disciple. But, there was nothing I wanted to do in these few years that I've failed in."
She rarely talked to someone in such a tone. In reality, she had always appeared very indifferent and did not show many emotions. She was also very cavalier about other things.
It was just that she seemed a little more excited when in front of this boy.
Chen Chao blinked and rubbed his hands excitedly. Some thoughts flashed through his mind, but he did not utter them.
"Roasted sweet potato is good, right? Especially the roasted sweet potato in Tianqing County."
Chen Chao suddenly opened his mouth and said with some pain, "I probably can't eat it anymore in this lifetime. Remember to eat a few more for me, count it as helping me to remember its taste."
Xie Nandu looked at the boy in front of her, pondered for a bit, and said with a nod, "No problem. The Divine Capital's sweet potatoes aren't as delicious as Tianqing County's, I remember its taste."
Chen Chao said, "I have some skygold currency. If I die, I'll give it all to you."
Xie Nandu said, "I don't lack money, so you'd best keep this bit of money for yourself."
Chen Chao frowned and said, "You know what I'm trying to say."
Xie Nandu said in all seriousness, "You want to bribe people with your modest purse? Do you know that your problem is too big? Even the most renowned ministers in court won't dare to get involved. No matter how much money you have, you can't spend it too."
Hearing this, Chen Chao lowered his head in pain and mumbled, "But I really don't want to die here just like this. I haven't lived enough."
Xie Nandu said with a slight smile, "If you're not fated to die, then you definitely won't die."
Chen Chao said with vicissitudes of emotion, "You really are a fat worm in my stomach."
Xie Nandu frowned and said, "Tapeworm?"
Chen Chao said seriously, "Fat worm!"
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