Despite the interrogation, Song Hui and his men remained indifferent.
Chu Xuan could not help but sneer. "I have always believed in courtesy before force. If today’s talk proves fruitless, then you parasites will end up just like the Zhao and Wei families—you will all be buried with my Chu Family!"
A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes, as if he were prepared to embark on a new slaughter.
Although Chu Keke’s legs were trembling with fear, she gathered her courage and said firmly, "That's right! Over a hundred lives in the Chu Family were lost for nothing. Where was the Inspection Department then? Where was the Martial Administration? Now that you’ve come to arrest us, doesn’t your conscience ache?"
Her voice was choked with tears, yet every word struck like a dagger.
Song Hui folded his arms, looking at Chu Xuan and Chu Keke as if they were merely ants. A look of utter contempt curled his lips. "You want to convict people based on empty words? Do you think the laws of the Martial Administration are a joke?"
"The files regarding the Chu Family’s case are still in our archives. They clearly state it was an accidental fire. How did it become premeditated murder in your mouths?" He smoothed the stripes on his sleeve, his tone dripping with mockery.
"If you truly suffered a grievance, why not file an appeal according to the rules? Now, relying on a bit of brute force, you dare to wreak havoc in Jinling? Do you fancy yourselves as righteous messengers acting on behalf of heaven?"
He suddenly stepped forward. The pressure of his Internal Force Great Success radiated like a physical weight against Chu Xuan, each word sharp as a blade. "Martial artists are under the jurisdiction of the Martial Administration. This is the ironclad law of the Dragon Country."
"As a captain of the Jinling Martial Administration, I now order you—drop your weapons immediately and submit to capture!"
Shifting his tone, he glanced at the shivering Chu Keke and let out a hypocritical sigh. "Of course, considering you are just trying to protect your sister, I can make an exception. As long as you cripple your own cultivation and discard your True Qi, the Inspection Department might show leniency. Otherwise..."
He abruptly raised his hand, and the firearms of the inspectors behind him were cocked in unison.
"...don't blame me for enforcing the law!"
Hearing this blatant distortion of the truth, Chu Xuan laughed in pure rage. Murderous intent churned in his eyes, and the memories of the burning Chu residence gnawed at him like a venomous snake.
"An accidental fire?" Chu Xuan’s voice was chillingly cold. "Captain Song, you certainly have an inflated sense of authority. A fire that claimed a hundred lives, yet not a single person escaped? If you had truly handled it impartially, why didn't you even examine the scorch marks on the bodies?"
"Today, you protect these villains. Is that truly 'impartiality,' or is it a guilty conscience?"
Song Hui’s face flushed a deep liver color, and the veins in his neck bulged like twisted earthworms. He roared at Chu Xuan, "Enough nonsense! If you don't submit today, the Martial Administration will hunt you and your sister down! There is no way out for you, no matter where you go!"
He snatched the Martial Administration token from his waist; its cold metallic glint shimmered with lethal intent amidst the bloodstains.
Chu Xuan scoffed, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. "Spare me your bureaucratic posturing. Xiong Langgou’s head is still rolling on the ground. You, a mere Internal Force Great Success, think you’re better than him?"
"Strong?" Song Hui slammed the token against his chest, causing the sword-patterned emblem on his uniform to rattle. "So what if I am Internal Force Great Success? Our Martial Administration Governor is a master of Transformation Force! In all of Jinling, who dares to act wantonly under his pressure?"
A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. "Furthermore, attacking the Martial Administration violates Dragon Law. Do you truly think you can fight the entire Dragon Law on your own?"
Song Si leaned in toward Song Hui, looking at Chu Xuan with his nose held high. "Hey, you Chu guy, I advise you not to court death. If you anger my father, neither you nor your sister will even have a body left to bury!"
"The channels the Martial Administration has to the Hua Mansion are beyond what a savage like you can imagine! Surrendering is your only path to survival!"
"You are nothing more than dogs kept by the Hua Mansion. Do you think you’re qualified to talk to me about survival?" Chu Xuan dismissed them with contempt, a Dragon Shadow faintly manifesting behind him. "Even if the head of the Hua Mansion stood here today, if he blocked my path to vengeance, I would kill him all the same!"
Before the words faded, his figure turned into a blur. His fist, carrying a pungent, bloody gale, instantly pierced through Song Hui’s forehead.
*Boom!*
The dull impact sounded like a thunderclap. Song Hui’s head exploded like a watermelon, spraying red and white gore onto the face of Lin Dehua, who stood nearby.
*Gurgle!*
The Inspection Department Chief froze in place, his throat emitting a rattling sound. The handgun in his grip clattered to the ground.
Song Si remained in a state of shock, watching his father’s headless corpse slam into the wall, blood trailing down the masonry.
"..."
The room was deathly silent. Chu Xuan slowly withdrew his blood-stained fist. The guests collapsed to the floor in tremors; someone’s involuntary urine mixed with the blood spreading across the ground.
"It’s over... In this world, no one can stop him now..."
In the eyes of everyone present, the Martial Administration had been a sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of all martial artists. And now, that sword had been snapped in two.
Song Si stumbled toward his father’s mangled corpse, his knees slamming into the gore and blood with a heavy thud.
"Father! My father!" His wailing was shrill and piercing, echoing through the blood-drenched hall. His face was a mask of snot, tears, and blood—a gruesome and terrifying sight.
"Bastard!!!"
Song Si whipped his head around, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Chu Xuan like an enraged beast. He roared through gritted teeth, "How dare you kill my father! You are dead! The Martial Administration and the Hua Mansion will never let you go! I will make you wish you were dead!"
Song Si had always relied on his father’s power to bully others and act recklessly in Jinling. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? Now that his pillar of support was gone, he panicked, turning his rage toward Lin Dehua and the inspectors like a trapped animal.
"Lin Dehua! Are you all blind?" Song Si shrieked, rushing forward to grab Lin Dehua by the collar, dragging his face close and spitting on him. "Why aren't you shooting? Turn this bastard into a sieve! If you don't kill him today, none of you are leaving this place alive!"
His voice was so sharp it cracked, his eyes full of madness.
However, Lin Dehua was struggling to breathe under the immense pressure radiating from Chu Xuan, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He knew clearly that he was just a small-time Inspection Chief with a wife and children waiting for him at home. Why should he throw away his family's lives for this pair of father and son who had always looked down on him?
The other inspectors were equally pale, their hands shaking as they gripped their weapons, their eyes filled with fear and hesitation. They had seen Chu Xuan kill Song Hui in a heartbeat; they knew that before such a powerhouse, they were nothing but ants. They were just workers trying to get by—why should they sacrifice their lives?
Seeing Lin Dehua and the others remain unmoved, Song Si lost his mind completely. "You useless trash! Cowards! You take the Dragon Country’s salary, yet you don't dare to move against a murderer?"
"I see, you're all in league with him! If you don't finish off Chu Xuan today, I’ll make sure you all pay the price! I’ll make you know how miserable it is to offend the Martial Administration!"
His language was filthy, utilizing every possible insult, each word dripping with threats.
Chu Xuan’s gaze was cold, his body exuding a terrifying murderous intent. He said to Lin Dehua in a calm tone, "Lin Dehua, you had better think clearly. I have no past grievances with you. You even had ties to the Chu Family back in the day, and your men have no enmity with me."
"As long as you leave now, I can let the past be buried. But if you insist on standing against me..." He paused, his presence shaking the very air. "...I will make you regret ever being born."
The icy words sounded like a sentencing from the underworld, crushing the air out of Lin Dehua’s lungs and forcing him to step back. Back when the Chu Family was massacred, although he hadn't directly participated, he hadn't fulfilled his duty to seek justice either. Now, facing a reborn Chu Xuan—though he didn't know what suffering had forged such power and ruthlessness—he knew he was no match for him and could not afford to be his enemy.
Seeing Lin Dehua’s cowardice, Song Si shrieked, "Lin Dehua! I’m counting to three! If you don't shoot—"
Before he could finish, Lin Dehua suddenly bent down, snatched a gun from the floor, and in one fluid motion, aimed it steadily at Song Si, his eyes filled with long-suppressed rage.
"If you're so capable, do it yourself! All you ever do is threaten me. I’ve had enough!"
*Bang!*
A gunshot rang out, and Song Si’s head instantly bloomed with blood. His body slumped backward, his face still frozen in an expression of disbelief; he hadn't expected Lin Dehua to strike him down.
The sudden change left everyone stunned. The hall plunged into absolute silence, save for Lin Dehua’s ragged breathing.
After a long while, Lin Dehua’s trusted subordinate approached tremblingly. "Chief, this..."
Lin Dehua wiped cold sweat from his forehead. A flash of resolve passed through his eyes, mixed with a hint of relief. He spoke loudly, "This father and son have ridden on our backs for too long. I’ve had enough! We’re at a life-or-death moment, and he still wanted me to go die for him? I won't have it! Everyone, put your weapons down!"
After ordering his men, Lin Dehua holstered his gun and feigned composure, turning to Chu Xuan with a ingratiating smile. "Young Master Chu, I am sorry. I failed the Chu Family... I truly wanted to investigate the case back then, but the pressure from above was too great, and I have a family to feed. My hands were tied..."
His eyes were filled with guilt. "Now, I will tell you the truth: the disaster that befell the Chu Family was orchestrated by the Martial Administration and the Lingzhou Governor!"
"As an Inspection Chief, my power is limited, and I cannot help you much. But rest assured, as long as you are in Jinling, I guarantee I will turn a blind eye. I won't cause you any trouble!"
With that, Lin Dehua led his men away, leaving behind the wreckage and the shell-shocked crowd.
On the way back to the Inspection Department, the atmosphere in the car was tense and suffocating. The air felt frozen. Lin Dehua’s men were all pale, trembling uncontrollably, their eyes full of fear and worry.
Finally, a young inspector spoke up, his voice trembling so much it was barely audible, "Chief, if... if the superiors find out about what we did, what will happen? Song Hui was a Martial Administration captain! If they investigate, we... we’re finished!"
Lin Dehua’s hand trembled slightly. He wiped the cold sweat from his face and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes before his reason returned. He gritted his teeth and said, "Investigate? Hmph, they’d need the ability to do so first!"
"They didn't investigate the Chu Family case properly back then, leading to today’s situation. They are the ones at fault!"
He paused, the image of Chu Xuan’s overwhelming presence flashing through his mind. With lingering fear, he continued, "Look at Chu Xuan. Is he someone you can mess with? That presence, that strength—it’s unfathomable!"
"The current situation is like gods fighting. We mortals can only survive in the cracks."
"Do you want to die at Chu Xuan’s hands, or do you want to be the scapegoats for the Martial Administration?"
Seeing his men lower their heads in silence, Lin Dehua’s tone softened slightly. "If you don't want to die, keep your mouths shut!"
"Remember, I didn't kill Song Si—Chu Xuan did. At most, we failed to protect him."
"When the superiors investigate, I will take full responsibility. You just need to keep your mouths shut."
Lin Dehua leaned back in his seat, his eyes revealing a glimmer of anticipation and hatred. "I actually hope Chu Xuan wreaks havoc and cleans up all those bastards who spend their days riding on our backs!"
"Especially that Lingzhou Governor. We’ve seen all the dirty things he’s done over the years. He’s done enough evil; he deserves to die!"