I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 609 What, you have a problem with that? (Please subscribe, please vote with monthly tickets)

Li Chen's "job" was quite easy. Unlike ordinary soldiers who stood upright at the gate to check each soldier, he was assigned to a rest area with tables and chairs next to the city gate. The place was ostensibly for "coordinating and commanding," but in reality, he was just resting against the back of a chair, watching the soldiers on both sides busy themselves.

His relaxed demeanor contrasted sharply with the other noble sons who, even if they came to "gild their resumes," at least put on a show, immediately drawing sidelong glances and dissatisfaction from the surrounding soldiers and lower-ranking officers.

Especially that tall, thin cadre who disliked Li Chen yesterday, who was now making sarcastic remarks with several of his companions:

"Tsk, see that? This is the old man from the capital! We're here freezing like lambs checking people's identities, while he's here enjoying himself!"

"Shut up, they're lucky, they were born into a good family! If you had a good father, you'd be sitting here too!"

"Hmph! All show and no substance! If something really happened, he'd probably wet his pants in fear! He's like a rotten apple spoiling the whole barrel!"

Amidst these whispers, a commotion suddenly broke out at the south gate!
A richly decorated carriage was stopped by the gate guards, who demanded to inspect a large wooden box inside.

The driver, a well-dressed and arrogant young man, flew into a rage upon hearing this, slapping the soldier who stepped forward to demand the box be opened across the face and shouting angrily:
"Are you blind?! I'm from the Chu family in the capital! I'm giving Han Tie Guan face with a routine check, and you dare to search my personal belongings? You think you're so great?"

That slap instantly ignited a powder keg! The soldier who was hit glared angrily, and the other soldiers around him immediately surrounded him with their weapons drawn, swords half-drawn, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The crowd queuing to enter the city also stopped to watch and discuss the situation, and a conflict seemed imminent!
Because the incident had escalated, several junior officers nearby gathered around, whispering among themselves about whether to simply give the Chu family a break and let them go, or to quickly ask Supervisor Wang or Colonel Zhou to handle the situation.

This Chu family member is so arrogant, daring to slap the guards directly in this important border area. He must have a very powerful backer. Judging from his clothes and demeanor, he must be a nobleman from the capital. This kind of arrogant person is the most difficult to deal with.

Just as the officers hesitated and the soldiers were indignant but hesitant to act, Li Chen, who had been "resting" on the sidelines, finally stood up, stretched lazily, and strolled over unhurriedly as if he had just watched a spectacle.

He was, after all, a captain, so it was perfectly legitimate for him to step forward at this moment.

The young man from the Chu family, named Chu Xiang, saw a younger officer in a captain's uniform approaching. Far from being afraid, he became even more arrogant, pointing at Li Chen's nose and preparing to hurl insults: "So this is where you are!"

However, before the word "de" could be uttered, everyone felt a blur before their eyes!
"Snapped!"

A sharp, resounding slap suddenly rang out!

Li Chen moved with lightning speed, delivering a solid slap to Chu Xiang's face!

The force was so great that it sent Chu Xiang spinning half a circle on the spot before he fell headfirst to the ground. His mouth instantly split open, and blood mixed with saliva spurted out. He saw stars before his eyes, and his ears were ringing. He was unable to react for a long time.

The whole place fell into deathly silence!
Everyone was stunned, including the soldiers and officers who were originally dissatisfied with Li Chen!

No one expected that this seemingly insignificant "Captain Cheng" from the capital would be so ruthless and decisive! And he was even beating up a member of the Chu family from the capital!

The guards Chu Xiang brought were also stunned for a moment before they reacted. They hurriedly drew their weapons and stood in front of their fallen master, glaring at Li Chen with a mixture of shock and anger.

Chu Xiang struggled to lift his head, half of his face swelling up rapidly. He roared incoherently, "You...you dare hit me?! Do you know who I am?! I am from the Chu family of the capital!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Chen's military boots had already ruthlessly stepped on his face, crushing all the harsh words he was about to utter back into his stomach!

Li Chen looked down at him and sneered in a tone ten times more arrogant and a hundred times more conceited than Chu Xiang's earlier: "I never care who someone is when I hit them! I'll hit them if I want to, understand?"

Chu Xiang trembled with humiliation as the soles of military boots pressed against his face, unable to utter a single word, only managing muffled sounds in his throat. Just then, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, with a composed demeanor, stepped down.

He frowned deeply when he saw what was happening before him.

Chu Xiang felt as if he had seen a savior and struggled to shout, "Seventh Uncle! Seventh Uncle, save me!"

This middle-aged man was Chu Xiang's seventh uncle, Chu Pengzhan.

He had overheard the entire conflict outside from inside the car. He thought that revealing the Chu family's name would resolve the situation, but he never expected that the other party would dare to take direct action and humiliate Chu Xiang in such a way.

He quickly calculated in his mind: there are only two possibilities why the other party would dare to use such a ruthless attack knowing that it was the Chu family:

They are either complete naiveté who doesn't know the Chu family at all, or they have equally powerful backgrounds and are not afraid of the Chu family at all.

He carefully observed Li Chen and saw that the other party was young and handsome, and his complexion was not like that of a soldier who had been stationed on the border for many years. He had an indescribable noble and domineering air about him. He immediately understood that the latter was more likely.

Chu Pengzhan suppressed his anger and tried his best to make his tone sound calm: "Sir, I wonder what my nephew has done to offend you so much?"

He tried to reason with the other party first to find out their background.

To everyone's surprise, Li Chen didn't play by the rules at all. He rolled his eyes and said lazily, "I didn't like him, so I hit him. What, you have a problem with that?"

Chu Pengzhan: "..."

He almost choked! What kind of reason is that? They can't even be bothered to make up an excuse?

Li Chen ignored him and waved to the surrounding soldiers: "Men! Seize this troublemaker! Deal with him according to military law! Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

Seeing their captain so defiant, the soldiers, who had been holding back their anger, responded with a roar and pounced forward like wolves and tigers. In a few swift movements, they disarmed Chu Xiang and his guards and forcibly restrained them.

Chu Pengzhan's face turned ashen, but he dared not openly defy the army in this strategically important military location. He could only watch helplessly as his nephew was bound.

"Wait a minute," Li Chen suddenly spoke again.

He walked up to the soldier who had just been slapped by Chu Xiang, pointed at Chu Xiang who was being held captive, and said to the soldier, "How he hit you just now, now, go over there and hit him back tenfold. Don't be afraid, even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up."

The soldier was stunned at first, then his eyes flashed with excitement and satisfaction. Encouraged by his comrades, he strode forward and swung his arm around, "Clap clap clap clap!"

He slapped Chu Xiang hard across the face more than a dozen times, the sound was incredibly loud, and he only stopped when his own hand went numb.

Chu Xiang's face instantly swelled up like a pig's head, completely unrecognizable.

The entire South Gate was completely silent, save for the howling of the cold wind and Chu Xiang's painful groans.

The way everyone looked at Li Chen completely changed.

(End of this chapter)