"You — step forward!" One of the Blue Hawk Guards pointed a finger at Chu Xinghan, his coarse face quivering with contempt. It was clear he didn't take Chu Xinghan seriously in the slightest.
A flash of defiance burned in Chu Xinghan's eyes. He was a man of iron resolve, which was precisely why he had been cast out by the Purple Sun Sect all those years ago for sticking to his principles — and nearly beaten to death by his own people.
After all these years, Chu Xinghan was still the same Chu Xinghan — the Chu Xinghan who believed a scholar could be killed but never humiliated.
One glance at Chu Xinghan's expression, and Jiang Chen knew the man had no intention of submitting. At the very least, he had no plans to surrender meekly and play along.
Sure enough, Chu Xinghan raised his head and fixed the Blue Hawk Guard with a frigid stare.
"I, Chu, may be nothing more than an independent cultivator, but I am no dog — no beast of burden for you to order about at will! You can kill me if you want, but if you think you can humiliate me, you are sorely mistaken."
Chu Xinghan's words rang out like iron striking stone, catching the Blue Hawk Guard off guard.
However, one of Commander Yan's subordinates — the same fierce-looking cultivator who had killed someone earlier — stepped forward with a cold expression. His sleeve flicked, and a streak of chilling light lashed out toward Chu Xinghan's head.
Clearly, this man was brutal by nature and had no interest in exchanging words. One slash — he intended to cleave Chu Xinghan clean in two.
This subordinate of Commander Yan was significantly stronger than Chu Xinghan, a cultivator at the mid-stage of the Heavenly realm. The moment he struck, Chu Xinghan was completely locked down, unable to move.
In the blink of an eye — before Chu Xinghan had even finished speaking — Jiang Chen had already anticipated that the man wouldn't cooperate, and that an attack was coming his way.
Without hesitation, Jiang Chen swept out a wave of magnetostatic force, slamming it directly into the attacker. In the same motion, he exerted a pulling force that yanked Chu Xinghan toward his side.
The push and pull looked like simple gestures, yet they were executed with effortless precision, laid bare for all to see the depth of Jiang Chen's martial mastery.
The sudden turn of events threw the entire scene into chaos.
Every Blue Hawk Guard drew the sabers at their waists, eyes fixed on Jiang Chen like tigers eyeing their prey. They needed only Commander Yan's order to close in and kill.
As for the independent cultivators, seeing someone finally stand up, their hearts surged with wild hope. Especially the ones who had been singled out — they had already resigned themselves to despair, believing that today they would either be humiliated or put to death.
They never imagined that someone would suddenly intervene, throwing the situation into upheaval.
That fierce-looking cultivator, struck by Jiang Chen's magnetostatic storm, stumbled violently and nearly fell flat on his face — the very picture of humiliation.
In an instant, every eye in the scene converged on Jiang Chen. He had been standing in a corner, keeping a low profile, and no one had paid him much notice.
Now that he had made his move, it was impossible for anyone to look away.
The independent cultivator who had previously called out to Jiang Chen was also present. Seeing Jiang Chen, he stared in open-mouthed shock. Earlier, when he had urged Jiang Chen to step forward and Jiang Chen hadn't, he had assumed Jiang Chen was a coward afraid of trouble.
Only now, seeing Jiang Chen act, did he realize he had completely misjudged the man.
Commander Yan's gaze swept over Jiang Chen with a measured, penetrating look. "I've had my eye on you for some time," he said evenly. "For you to intervene at a moment like this — are you merely sticking your nose where it doesn't belong? Or could it be that you're the fugitive we've been tracking?"
Jiang Chen let out a cold laugh. "I've traveled far and wide across this land. The Ten Great Divine Kingdoms — I've set foot in more than a few. But a law-enforcement outfit as brazen as you Blue Hawk Guards? That, I must say, is a first."