Douluo Continent: Steadily Growing Stronger in Shrek Academy

Chapter 229 Imprisonment?

Lin Chen whistled as he wandered aimlessly down the street.

When they arrived at a place set up by the Heavenly Soul Empire in this small town for the awakening of martial souls, they were stopped by a group of soldiers.

"Halt! We are the enforcement team of the Heavenly Soul Empire. You have a murder case on your record. Please come with us." The captain in charge said.

After saying that, the captain walked up to Lin Chen, took out a soul tool that resembled handcuffs, and locked Lin Chen's hands. The other two team members quickly moved behind Lin Chen to prevent him from escaping.

"Go! Keep up!" A team member standing behind Lin Chen gave him a hard shove.

Lin Chen: ? I was walking along just fine, not doing anything, so why did they suddenly come looking for me? I'd like to see what tricks they're up to.

Thinking of this, Lin Chen followed.

"This Heavenly Soul Empire is really ridiculous, arresting people without even asking questions," Qian Renxue said from within her spiritual sea.

"Why don't you kill them?" Qian Renxue asked again. With Lin Chen's strength, killing these soldiers would be as easy as blowing a breath or moving a finger, but Lin Chen didn't want to do that right now.

"Don't rush, let's see what they're up to first," Lin Chen said calmly.

Having just entered the mortal world, he didn't want to kill anyone right away.

The squad escorted Lin Chen to the Hall of Affairs. Inside, a balding man with a mustache and wearing an official's hat sat in the main seat, looking down at him with a disdainful expression.

"Lord Li, the person has been brought here." The captain bowed and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Yes, go down!" The person sitting in the main seat said to the captain in a tone befitting an eunuch.

"Yes, sir." After saying that, he immediately waved his hand and withdrew with his brothers.

After the small group had completely left, an elderly man standing below Lord Li in the main seat shouted, "Kneel down!"

Lin Chen asked, puzzled, "Why should I kneel?"

"Hmph! When you see the magistrate (I don't know if he actually is, so let's just assume he is! I want to write more dialogue and original plot!), why don't you kneel! Kneel down!" After saying that, the old man winked at the people behind Lin Chen, and immediately a leather whip lashed out at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen unleashed an acting skill he hadn't used in a long time, letting out a cry of pain as his legs naturally dropped to his knees.

To everyone present, there was nothing amiss, and the old man above, who had been giving them a meaningful look, wore a smug expression.

"Someone must have knelt down half an hour ago too." Lin Chen thought to himself, looking at the few drops of undried blood on the ground.

With Lin Chen's current strength, he could naturally see the bloodstains and smell the blood.

At this moment, Magistrate Li, seated at the head of the table, spoke again in a voice like that of an eunuch, stroking his mustache with his thumb and forefinger, and asked contemptuously, "Do you know your crime?"

Lin Chen looked bewildered and asked, "Sir, I was just wandering the streets, I don't know what crime I've committed?"

"snort!"

Magistrate Li picked up a paperweight and slammed it heavily on the table, angrily shouting, "Still not admitting your guilt? Last night in the meadow outside the city, someone witnessed you killing someone. Do you still intend to deny it?!"

Lin Chen feigned panic, his voice frantic, and said, "My lord! I'm innocent! I really didn't kill anyone!"

"Hmph!" The effeminate voice echoed throughout the hall once again.

"Bring the person up!" said the old man who had spoken earlier.

Two minutes later, a young woman, her face streaked with tears, was brought in. Upon seeing Lin Chen, she pointed at him and angrily cried out, "It's him! He not only raped my daughter, but he also killed her afterwards! Please, Your Honor, do justice for me!"

After saying that, the woman squatted on the ground and cried incessantly.

Seeing that the woman shed only a few tears, Lin Chen secretly sneered in his heart.

This acting is truly clumsy.

"The witnesses are here, search them!" Magistrate Li ordered.

The soldiers in the deacon hall stepped forward one after another. Two soldiers pulled Lin Chen up, while the other two soldiers opened the baggage that Lin Chen had piled on the ground when he came in.

He roughly tore the outer layer of cloth from the bag, and dozens of copper soul coins fell to the ground, making a metallic clanging sound.

The two soldiers who searched Lin Chen thoroughly but found nothing, so they reported truthfully, "Magistrate, there is nothing on him."

With Lin Chen's abilities, hiding his soul tool was not difficult at all, especially since the strongest person here was only a three-ring Soul Master.

Looking at the copper soul coins on the ground, Magistrate Li's eyes flashed with disdain. The poor are just poor.

"Yes, yes! I remember, my daughter took some copper coins with her when she went out last night." The young woman exclaimed again after seeing the copper soul coins on the ground.

"With witnesses and physical evidence, what else do you have to say to argue?" Magistrate Li continued to interrogate Lin Chen in his eunuch-like voice.

Lin Chen repeatedly said, "Magistrate Li, I'm truly innocent! I really didn't kill anyone!"

No matter how Lin Chen explained, the woman wouldn't let go of him.

Lin Chen himself knew that if someone wanted to find fault, there would be no shortage of accusations, and it seemed that he would have to be punished today.

"This magistrate offers you two solutions: First, settle the matter with the girl's mother yourself, and you will pay her 10 gold soul coins; second, serve my Heavenly Soul Empire, and you can atone for your sins after twenty years."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen realized that this was the situation.

"The Heavenly Soul Empire really goes to any lengths to conscript men. I suppose they saw my clothes and were sure I didn't have much money, so they wanted to use this opportunity to frame me and make me a conscript," Lin Chen pondered.

"Your Excellency, may I ask where you serve the Heavenly Soul Empire?" Lin Chen asked, his eyes filled with tears.

Magistrate Li smiled and said, "Seeing how thoughtful you are, I can ask my superiors for permission to send you to the capital of my Heavenly Soul Empire to serve my country."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen thought, "The capital? Tian Dou City? This is perfect, I can hitch a ride!" So he feigned gratitude and said, "Thank you so much, Magistrate! I am deeply grateful!"

Magistrate Li nodded in satisfaction and said, "Guards, take him to the jail!"

"yes!"

Several soldiers stepped forward and threw Lin Chen's belongings into the prison. The only difference was that the copper coins in Lin Chen's bundle were nowhere to be found; not a single one remained.

"The internal affairs of the Heavenly Soul Empire are truly rotten to the core!" Qian Renxue said angrily.

Lin Chen was also deeply moved. Although he lost both his parents at a young age, he had always lived in the world as a Soul Master. He never expected that ordinary people in the world would suffer so much.

(End of this chapter)