Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 151 Entering Beijing
Yong Kingdom.

Fengxiang Prefecture.

Inside the city, next to a tea stall on the street.

A richly dressed man, holding a guqin in his arms, pointed at the old farmer in front of him and cursed, "You old geezer, you startled my horse and broke this guqin. You can't pay for it even with ten of your worthless lives!"

The old farmer knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "Young master, spare my life! Young master, spare my life! I didn't mean to! Your horse suddenly charged at me, and I couldn't dodge it..."

The man in brocade inspected the zither and, seeing it was undamaged, breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that the zither still dared to talk back, he became furious and waved his hand, saying, "You almost ruined my precious zither! And you still dare to talk back? Beat him!"

Upon hearing this, the officials standing beside him immediately began punching and kicking the old farmer kneeling on the ground, and the man in brocade also angrily stepped forward to add a few more kicks.

"Young master, spare my life! Young master, spare my life!"

The old farmer could only cover his head and beg for mercy, but the man in brocade and the officials showed no sign of stopping.

The people standing by the tea stall looked indignant, but none of them dared to speak out.

Riding horses freely within the city was not permitted in the first place.

He trampled the old farmer's vegetable stall first, but then turned around and blamed the old farmer. It's truly a case of the wicked accusing the guilty first.

However, this young man in brocade robes was the only son of Magistrate Zhou of this county. He was greatly favored by Magistrate Zhou and usually acted arrogantly in the village, with no one daring to provoke him.

At this moment, anyone who dares to say a word will soon become the next target of his and the officials' attacks.

In another corner of the tea stall sat several figures carrying knives and swords.

One of the women, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and with a heroic air, raised her eyebrows and immediately placed her slender hand on the hilt of her sword, about to get up.

"Hongling, you mustn't!" An old man in gray beside her hurriedly pressed down on her wrist and whispered, "That's the magistrate's son. We, the people of the martial world, cannot afford to antagonize the government. If we offend the imperial court and bring disaster upon our sect, no one can bear the responsibility..."

The woman in red bit her red lips tightly, and said unwillingly, "Are we just going to stand by and watch them bully people?"

The old man in gray shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "When you're out and about, mind your own business!"

The woman in red took a deep breath, could only release the sword hilt, gritted her teeth, and slowly closed her eyes, though her chest was still rising and falling slightly.

Just then, a clear voice came from behind the young man in brocade: "Excuse me, please make way."

A fair hand gently patted his shoulder and squeezed in from behind. Caught off guard, the young man in brocade robes flinched, and the guqin in his arms fell to the ground. Several strings snapped immediately, and a mark appeared on the corner of the guqin.

The young man in brocade stared blankly at the broken zither on the ground. He remained stunned for a long while before finally snapping out of it. His face flushed red, he pointed at the young man and cursed angrily, "You son of a bitch..."

Snapped!
The young man slapped him across the face and said calmly, "Watch your mouth. Didn't your parents teach you not to swear at people?"

After that resounding slap, the room immediately fell silent.

The customers who were just sitting at the tea stall quietly got up and slipped into the crowd.

In an instant, only a few martial arts practitioners were sitting at the table.

The girl in red stared at the young man, her beautiful eyes wide open.

Where did this hothead come from?

Although that slap made her feel better, didn't he consider the consequences?
The young man in brocade robes covered his burning face and stood there stunned for a long time. No one had ever slapped him before.

After realizing what had happened, extreme shame and anger surged into his heart. He no longer cared about the old farmer. Trembling, he pointed at the young man and almost roared, "Give me, break his hand, no, both of his hands!"

Upon hearing this, several officers immediately rushed towards the young man.

The young man didn't move, but with a casual wave of his sleeve, an invisible force surged out, and the officers at the front were struck as if by a heavy blow, screaming as they flew backward and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

In a corner of the tea stall, several martial arts practitioners looked surprised.

True Qi leaves the body!

It's hard to believe that this young man is actually a sixth-rank expert.

Judging from the distance from which he repelled those officials, his cultivation level was at least at the mid-stage of the sixth rank.

The woman in red looked even more surprised. Judging from his clothes and the Miao sword at his waist, he should also be a martial artist. In the martial arts world, someone who can reach the mid-stage of the sixth rank at this age is generally not an unknown person.

Several officials were knocked back with a single blow. The young man in brocade was stunned for a moment, realizing he had encountered a master. He immediately took a few steps back and shouted, "You, you dare to beat up officials? Don't you dare run away, just wait here!"

After saying that, he ran away quickly without looking back.

The old farmer also got up from the ground and quickly left the crowd.

Lin Xuan, of course, wouldn't leave. He walked to an empty table, untied the bundle from his back, placed the long sword at his waist on the table, looked at the tea stall owner, and said, "Boss, a pot of tea, the best tea I want..."

An old man ran over anxiously, saying, "Young hero, why are you still drinking tea? Hurry up and leave! That man is the magistrate's son. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave later..."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "If I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of? Hurry up and bring some tea. We've been traveling for so long, we're dying of thirst..."

The tea stall owner had no choice but to serve him a pot of tea.

Seeing this, the onlookers moved further away from the tea stall, fearing they might be affected.

Seeing Lin Xuan still leisurely sipping his tea, the woman in red couldn't help but remind him, "The boss is right, you'd better leave quickly. Once the magistrate arrives with his men, you won't be able to leave even if you want to..."

Lin Xuan glanced at the beautiful woman who had reminded him, and simply nodded and smiled in a friendly manner.

He had promised Qingluan that he wouldn't talk to strange women.

Then he began to drink his tea by himself.

Bozhou is 5,000 li away from Chang'an. Although it would only take a few days to fly there, his mental strength level must not be revealed.

Throughout his journey, he traveled via post stations, occasionally stopping briefly in large cities.

He has witnessed too many things along the way.

The officialdom of the Great Yong Dynasty was corrupt to its very core, and the situation outside the southwest was not much better.

Before Lin Xuan could finish his cup of tea, a large group of people rushed over.

A well-to-do man dressed in the robes of a seventh-rank official walked at the front of the crowd. When the young man in brocade saw that Lin Xuan was still there, he immediately pointed at him and shouted, "Father, it's him! He's the one who smashed my zither and beat up the officials!"

Magistrate Zhou's face darkened, and he roared, "Who is this madman who dares to run wild in this county, destroying people's property and assaulting government officials? Seize him at once!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the constables behind him swarmed forward.

The constables brought by the magistrate were clearly much stronger than the officials from before. The weakest among them was a ninth-rank officer, and there were four eighth-rank officers and one seventh-rank officer.

Six months ago, Lin Xuan might have had to avoid the limelight.

But at that moment, he only glanced back.

Except for the seventh-rank constable, all the constables instantly rolled their eyes back and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

The constable was also in bad shape, collapsing to his knees, clutching his head, his head throbbing with pain.

The martial arts practitioners in the corner, including the woman in red, all showed expressions of surprise.

Warlock!

They hadn't expected that this young man was not only outstanding in martial arts, but also a high-ranking sorcerer. The wide-range mental attack he had just unleashed was at least the power of a fifth-rank sorcerer.

This bizarre scene terrified Magistrate Zhou, who turned ashen-faced and staggered backward, pointing at Lin Xuan with a trembling voice: "You, you...you dare to defy the imperial court! No matter who you are, I advise you to surrender. The Jingye Division's Thousand-Household Office is nearby; you can't escape..."

Lin Xuan put down his teacup, glanced at him, and said indifferently, "You dare to call yourself an official of the imperial court?"

Magistrate Zhou had already spotted a group of people not far away. He immediately put his hands on his hips and sneered, "Whether I am worthy of being called an official of the imperial court is not for you to decide, you audacious madman! The people from the Jingye Division are here. You'd better still be as arrogant as you are now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man with a sharp and capable appearance arrived quickly with a group of men.

The Jingye Division was only a few hundred feet away from here, so what happened at their doorstep naturally could not escape the notice of the division's eyes and ears.

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Magistrate Zhou rushed over as if he had seen a savior, crying out, "Commander Xu, you've finally arrived! This scoundrel is extremely vicious. He not only beats up the common people and officials, but also openly defies the imperial court, which is tantamount to rebellion. Please, Your Excellency, bring him to justice immediately!"

The onlookers all looked at the young man with pity.

Even the Jingye Division has intervened; with officials protecting each other, this person is likely doomed. The woman in red looked at Lin Xuan with worry; she really didn't want to see such a chivalrous person end up with a tragic fate.

However, what happened next left everyone speechless.

When the commander of the Jingye Division's thousand-man division saw his gaze fall on the young man, he was first slightly taken aback, and then his expression changed drastically.

He strode forward and stopped five steps away from the young man. Then, in full view of everyone, he bowed deeply and said respectfully, "Xu Hong, commander of the Fengxiang Thousand-Household Office of the Jingye Division, greets Lord Chen. I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"

"Lord Chen?"

Upon seeing this, Magistrate Zhou's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

When he heard even Commander Xu address this man respectfully as "Sir," he knew he was finished, utterly finished.

The onlookers were also surprised. The commander of the Jingye Division was already at the pinnacle of power in the entire Fengxiang Prefecture. Even the prefect had to give him some face.

For someone to address him so respectfully as "Master," what exactly is this young man's identity?

The woman in red stared wide-eyed at the young man who was still leisurely sipping his tea.

Just who is this person?
Lin Xuan looked at the middle-aged man and recognized him. When the Jingye Division gathered a group of experts to attack Longya Mountain, this Commander Xu was also among them.

Magistrate Zhou jumped in surprise and immediately trotted over, his face full of obsequiousness: "Lord Chen, I was blind to your greatness, please forgive me!"

Lin Xuan didn't even look at him. He put down his teacup, slowly stood up, and smiled, "Commander Xu, it's been a long time."

Xu Hong clasped his hands in greeting and asked, "Lord Chen, what instructions do you have for coming to Fengxiang this time?"

Lin Xuan waved his hand and said, "There were no instructions. The commander summoned me back to the capital. On my way here, I happened to see the local magistrate letting his son commit violence and oppress the people. He even accused me of rebellion and wanted to execute me on the spot..."

He glanced at Magistrate Zhou and said indifferently, "This man has a weasel-like face and is clearly not a good official. You should investigate him thoroughly."

Commander Xu replied respectfully, "Yes."

Magistrate Zhou's legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground.

His anxiety finally died.

The Jingye Division has extensive intelligence network, possessing incriminating evidence against almost every official; the only question is whether or not they choose to use it.

Once his past actions are exposed, his career in government will be over.

Two guards helped Magistrate Zhou to his feet, and a captain said, "Lord Zhou, please come with us..."

The young man in brocade robes was left standing there, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

Commander Xu bowed again to Lin Xuan and said, "Lord Chen, please come to the Fengxiang Commander's Office first. Tonight, I will host a banquet at the restaurant to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey..."

Lin Xuan waved his hand and said, "No need. The Commandery is urging me to hurry up. I have to leave after having a cup of tea. You go ahead with your business and don't worry about me."

"But……"

"This is an order."

Wherever Lin Xuan went, the local officials of the Jingye Division were very enthusiastic, wishing they could arrange everything perfectly. Lin Xuan had already set off late and didn't have time to get too involved with them, so he basically refused every time. After many times, he had already learned how to refuse them.

"Then I will not disturb you any longer, sir."

Upon hearing this, Commander Xu could only clasp his hands in a fist salute and turn to leave.

These important figures each have their own temperaments; all they need to do is follow them.

Lin Xuan sat at the tea stall, finished his pot of tea, and then said to the owner, "Check, please."

The old man immediately ran over, his face flushed, and said, "Sir, it is my honor that you can have tea here. How could I possibly accept payment for your tea? Not only will I not accept your money, but I will also treat all the tea for all the guests today..."

Lin Xuan didn't say much, left a piece of silver, and got up to leave.

Only after he disappeared from sight did a murmur ripple through the crowd.

"Just who is this person? Even Commander Qianhu treats him with utmost respect!"

"It must be a big shot from the Jingye Division. So young, could he be one of the legendary Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends or Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals?"

"Impossible. Even the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals don't have that kind of influence. In my opinion, he must be at least one of the Sixteen Guards. The Jingye Division promotes based on military merit. For him to have such a position at such a young age, he must either have an extremely powerful background or be exceptionally capable..."

In a corner of the tea stall, the woman in red stared blankly in the direction where the young man had disappeared for a long time.

At such a young age, he commands such awe from the commander of the Jingye Division.

A single, casual remark can determine the fate of a local magistrate.

Is this power?

Although it was only a brief encounter, that figure had already left an indelible mark on her mind.

……

Beijing.

At a city gate.

The young man leading the horse followed the massive crowd slowly into the city.

The crowd queuing at the city gate was dressed in all sorts of colorful clothes, and many of them had exotic faces.

As you enter the city, you are greeted by a bluestone avenue that can accommodate several carriages side by side, with buildings standing on both sides, featuring flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted rafters.

Along the straight, arrow-shaped bluestone avenue, shops lined up one after another, their banners fluttering in the wind. Silk shops, jewelry stores, restaurants, teahouses, pawnshops, money exchanges... a dazzling array of signs.

Looking out over the long road, at the end of the avenue, one can vaguely see a magnificent palace complex.

Most of the people on the street had rosy complexions and were dressed well. Even ordinary passersby walked with a sense of ease befitting the emperor.

Occasionally, ornately decorated carriages would speed by under the escort of guards, and passersby would give way, but they were used to it and did not show much panic.

Lin Xuan thought to himself, Bozhou, as the most prosperous city in the southwest, is like a poor and desolate countryside compared to the capital.

After a brief moment of reflection, Lin Xuan didn't linger. He asked a passerby for directions, then led his horse straight towards the Jingye Division Commandery located within the inner city.

The further into the inner city you go, the cleaner and quieter the streets become, the fewer pedestrians there are, the more grand mansions and courtyards appear, and the more intense the invisible sense of oppression in the air grows.

The Commandery was not hard to find; it was a vast complex of black buildings with high walls and deep courtyards. In front of the gate stood two enormous Bixie statues with wide-open, fierce eyes, so lifelike that they inspired awe.

The main gate, a deep black color, was tightly shut, with only the side gate open. Above the gate hung a plaque with three gilded characters, “Jingye Si”, written with powerful strokes, exuding a chilling aura.

Two rows of guards stood at the entrance, all clad in black armor, with standard long swords at their waists. Their eyes were sharp as eagles, and their auras were calm. Lin Xuan sensed them slightly and discovered that they all possessed the strength of the seventh rank.

Lin Xuan stepped forward, took out the Sixteen Guards token representing his identity, and said calmly, "Chen Yu of the Azure Dragon Guard is here to report to the capital on orders from the Commander's Office. Please convey my message."

After the leading guard verified the token and confirmed its authenticity, the murderous aura on his face instantly turned into respect, and he clasped his hands in a salute: "Lord Chen, please follow me!"

Upon entering the Jingye Division's office, one finds an entirely different world inside.

The corridors were winding and the courtyards were deep. People came and went in a hurry, their expressions cold and stern. The entire Jingye Division was shrouded in a repressive atmosphere.

After passing through several courtyards, the guard led Lin Xuan to a simply furnished hall.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Xuan and said, "Lord Chen, please wait here for a moment. I will go and inform him immediately."

Lin Xuan sat on a chair in the hall. Before long, a figure strode in and said with a smile, "Brother Lin, we meet again!"

Lin Xuan stood up, a smile on his face, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Commander Lu."

Lu Feng waved his hand and said, "No need to be so polite, just call me Brother Lu. The Commandery summoned you back to the capital a long time ago, why are you only arriving now..."

Lin Xuan explained, "Brother Lu, as you know, the An family and the Song family, even after losing their imperial merchant status, are still up to no good. Before I leave, I need to make some arrangements."

Lu Feng patted him on the shoulder and said, "That's more like your style. Alright, enough chit-chat, I'll take you to see the Commander. He's been talking about you for ages..."

(End of this chapter)