The Purple Star City Guard's efficiency was undoubtedly impressive — barely five breaths after Yang Kai had slapped two Third-Order Return Void Realm martial artists flying, someone had already arrived at the scene.
And it was none other than Qu Zheng, one of the eight Vice Commanders of the Purple Star City Guard!
Hearing Qu Zheng's earlier stern shout, all the onlookers assumed Yang Kai was in terrible trouble this time — there was absolutely no way he'd escape punishment.
Fights and brawls were rare occurrences within Purple Star City. The Guard had little to do on most days, so whenever even a minor dispute arose, they were only too eager to blow it out of proportion. Now that someone had the audacity to brawl in the streets, he was surely done for!
Jiang Chao's eyes glistened with tears of excitement when he heard Qu Zheng's voice. Like a wronged young wife finally seeing someone from her husband's family, he stared eagerly in the direction Qu Zheng was approaching, expecting the man to deliver justice on his behalf…
But Qu Zheng's sudden change in attitude gave Jiang Chao an ominous feeling.
The man actually addressed that bastard as "my lord," bowing and scraping in the most sycophantic manner imaginable…
Who on earth was this guy? Jiang Chao was dumbfounded.
"So it's Commander Qu!" Yang Kai recognized the visitor at a glance — it was the same Vice Commander who had delivered the land deed to the Five Directions Trading Company. Though they had never met face to face, Yang Kai had memorized his appearance when his spiritual sense had probed the man earlier.
Qu Zheng, for his part, had been able to identify Yang Kai thanks to his meticulous attention to detail.
Right now, the only man who could be standing alongside Hua Youmeng — and whose strength Qu Zheng could not gauge in the slightest — could only be that lord whom Commander Lu had specifically warned him about.
Hearing Yang Kai's voice now confirmed it beyond any doubt. This was the very person Commander Lu treated with extreme caution!
His attitude grew even more deferential, and he hurriedly waved his hands. "Not at all, not at all. You flatter me, my lord. In your presence, how could I dare call myself a commander?"
He then asked cautiously, "My lord, what happened here?"
"Nothing much," Yang Kai said with a chuckle, pointing at Jiang Chao. "This friend here, relying on his supposedly distinguished identity, tried to swallow President Hua's Five Directions Trading Company. When President Hua refused, he flew into a rage and resorted to force. I couldn't stand by and watch, so I taught them a small lesson."
"What?" Qu Zheng erupted in fury. "Who has the audacity to use force against President Hua? Does he have a death wish?"
As he spoke, his imposing gaze swept toward Jiang Chao. Upon recognizing the man's face, he froze. "Young Master Jiang?"
Once he identified Jiang Chao, Qu Zheng's mood soured immediately…
It was Jiang Chao, that spoiled young master, who had clashed with this lord — how was he supposed to handle this? Jiang Chao was no one of real standing, but he was after all a descendant of Elder Jiang Changfeng, not someone a mere Vice Commander like himself could afford to offend. And this mysterious lord was a figure even Commander Lu treated with extreme wariness. With both of them squeezing him from either side, how was he supposed to navigate this situation?
Qu Zheng wished he had never come to this place…
But regret was useless now. He could only curse Jiang Chao to high heaven in his heart, thinking how the blind fool had picked the worst possible person to offend, dragging Qu Zheng into the mess as well.
"Oh, it's Commander Qu! Commander Qu, please do this young master a favor!" Jiang Chao saw the wariness on Qu Zheng's face and was overjoyed, staring at him pitifully. "Commander Qu, I never used any force against President Hua. I was merely discussing a potential merger of our trading companies — you know how business works, Commander Qu. It's all about mutual consent. But this fellow didn't even ask what was going on and injured two of my guards. Look, Commander Qu — those two guards still haven't gotten up. Their lives are uncertain! They have elderly parents and young children — how will their families survive from now on…"
Growing more emotional by the word, Jiang Chao broke into a tearful tirade, snot and all.
"This…" Cold sweat beaded on Qu Zheng's forehead, and he wiped at it repeatedly. The situation had escalated far beyond what a lowly Vice Commander like himself could handle. No matter what he did, he was bound to offend one side or the other.
"Commander Qu, you yourself just stated that Purple Star City strictly forbids fighting and injuring people within the city walls. Violators are to have their cultivation crippled and thrown into the Cold Prison at the lightest, or executed on the spot at the worst. This man has openly defied Purple Star City's laws — I ask Commander Qu to enforce the law impartially and restore justice to our great city!" Jiang Chao's words grew more impassioned, and he gestured wildly, as though already savoring the sight of Yang Kai being punished. He was practically beside himself with excitement.
Yang Kai stared at him like he was watching a fool.
Qu Zheng's face was twisted with misery, and he wished he could sew Jiang Chao's mouth shut.
Purple Star City did indeed have these rules — but they only applied to certain people. Those with powerful backing could ignore them with impunity, and the lord standing before Qu Zheng was clearly one of those people.
Qu Zheng neither had the nerve to punish Yang Kai nor the ability to do so, yet Jiang Chao's words had backed him into a corner. He felt as though he were being roasted over a fire, utterly wretched, and his hatred for Jiang Chao was reaching a fever pitch.
"Commander Qu, are you going to detain me?" Yang Kai asked with a smile, gazing at Qu Zheng.
"Of course not, my lord — surely you jest!" Qu Zheng's forehead was drenched in sweat, and his face had turned beet red. "There must be more to this matter than meets the eye. I'll need to conduct a thorough investigation before I can make any decision."
Jiang Chao's triangular eyes widened in dissatisfaction. "Commander Qu, don't speak blatant lies! My two guards were injured — that's a fact. What more is there to investigate?"
Damn your ancestors eighteen generations back! Qu Zheng cursed viciously in his mind…