Wandering Swordsman |

The deacon Augustine, standing to the side, grinned maliciously and pulled a letter from his pocket.

With a flick of his wrist, the letter spun like a flying knife and landed with a "thud" on the table in the council chamber, the paper still trembling.

"This is the evidence!" Augustine pointed at the letter, his voice shrill. "Someone has reported that your grandson, who just returned, is a heretic! This letter is a secret communication he uses to contact other heretics! Casio, the evidence is here, what else do you have to say?"

Hua Tianyou happened to step into the hall at that moment. Upon hearing these words, his gaze shot towards the letter like lightning.

The letter was not written by him at all; it was clearly fabricated evidence intended to frame him.

But at this moment, the paper was smeared with scarlet paint in several places, creating strange symbols that were forcibly twisted into a "heretic letter".

If you want to add a crime, why worry!

Hua Tianyou felt a surge of anger, a humiliating rage at being mocked by ants.

"This is a complete fabrication!"

Hua Tianyou took a step forward, his voice clear and cold like jade striking each other, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

He walked straight to the desk, flicked his finger, and the letter that was pinned to the wooden table fluttered down like a butterfly, which he casually picked up between his fingers.

His gaze was sharp as he stared directly at Augustine: "How can you prove I wrote this? Based on these few doodles? Or on your baseless accusations?"

Augustine felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze, but relying on Silas's backing, he roared, his voice trembling with fear, "You audacious heretic! How dare you question the judgment of the Holy See! Guards, seize him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of inquisitors pounced on him like hungry wolves. They were clad in black armor, wielding sharp blades, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism and cruelty.

However, they were facing the Heavenly Demon Lord of the Heavenly Demon God Sect.

Hua Tianyou didn't even glance at them. He simply raised his hand, his fingers forming a claw, and an invisible burst of energy suddenly erupted!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The interrogators at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before they were sent flying like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting blood, their fate unknown.

Before the people behind could react, Hua Tianyou's figure had already darted through the crowd like a ghost.

A flash of silver light, accompanied by the crisp sound of bones shattering, and in the blink of an eye, all the dozens of arrogant heretic inquisitors had fallen to the ground, groaning in agony.

The entire council chamber instantly transformed into a battlefield.

Silas suddenly stood up from his chair, and the human bone rosary in his hand scattered on the floor with a "clatter".

He looked at his men rolling on the ground, and finally, undisguised horror appeared in his eyes.

He had thought that with the authority of the Papacy and this group of elite inquisitors, he would be able to turn this small city of Marseille upside down.

But to everyone's surprise, this young man's martial arts skills were so terrifying!

"Very well! What a heretic!" Silas's face was ashen, his voice trembling with fear and rage. "Attacking a Vatican enforcer is an even greater crime! Today, I will personally subdue this fiend!"

Silas roared, striking a pose as if he were about to personally capture the enemy.

Although his martial arts skills weren't particularly high, no one dared to lay a hand on him because of his status as a cardinal of the Holy See. He thought that as long as he revealed his identity, the other party would be so frightened that they would kneel down and beg for mercy.

However, he was wrong.

That's completely wrong.

Hua Tianyou looked at the bluffing Silas and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

There was no respect in that smile, only endless mockery.

"You?"

Before he could finish speaking, Hua Tianyou's figure suddenly vanished.

Silas felt a blur before his eyes, and then a tremendous force slammed into his chest.

"Snap—!"

A clear cracking sound echoed in the hall, making one's teeth ache.

Silas was sent flying backward with a scream, like a rag doll hit by a battering ram, crashing heavily into the wall behind him.

He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, instantly staining his shirt crimson.

Several broken ribs pierced through his flesh, exposed in a grotesque manner, and the excruciating pain made even breathing a luxury.

"You...you actually dared..." Silas collapsed to the ground, his finger pointing at Hua Tianyou trembling like a candle in the wind, his eyes filled with disbelief.

As a cardinal and the highest-ranking official of the Holy See in England, how could he have ever suffered such humiliation?

"Not only do I dare to hit you," Hua Tianyou walked slowly, each step like a countdown to death, "I also dare to kill you."

Hua Tianyou's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He slowly raised his right hand, and a wisp of silver-white true energy condensed at his fingertips, flashing with cold light, enough to pierce Silas's throat in an instant.

Silas finally got scared.

It was a fear that penetrated to the very marrow of his bones. Looking into Hua Tianyou's emotionless eyes, he finally understood that this young man didn't care about the Vatican or divine authority at all! If he wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as crushing an ant!

"You...you can't kill me! I'm a cardinal of the Papacy! If you kill me, His Holiness the Pope will not let you off! The entire English Empire will become your hell!" Silas roared incoherently, trying to use his status to save his life.

Hua Tianyou ignored him. With a slight movement of his wrist, true energy surged from his fingertips, and his killing intent locked onto Silas's throat.

Just as Hua Tianyou was about to swing his hand and completely eliminate this scourge—

"Tianyou! Stop!"

An old but urgent shout rang out like thunder in Hua Tianyou's ears.

Count Casio staggered forward and grabbed Hua Tianyou's wrist, which was holding a sword. The old man's hand trembled violently from the force, his knuckles turned white, and his eyes were filled with anxiety and pleading.

"Grandpa?" Hua Tianyou frowned and paused slightly.

"You can't kill him!" Count Cassio gasped, his voice low but carrying immense weight. "Tianyou, I know you're not afraid of him. But if you kill the cardinal today, you'll be making an enemy of the entire Papacy! Then, not only will Marseille be ostracized, but your mother, your uncle—everyone will be branded as 'heretics' and face the Pope's judgment!"

Count Casio stared intently at Hua Tianyou, his eyes revealing a sense of helplessness in the face of power and wealth, a compromise with reality, and the deepest protection a grandfather could offer to his junior.

"If we spare his life, we can still negotiate. But if we kill him, we'll be putting our whole family on the fire!" The count's voice choked with emotion, and cloudy tears slid down his wrinkles.

Hua Tianyou hesitated slightly as he gripped his sword.

He looked at Silas, who lay on the ground like a dead dog, barely clinging to life, and then at his grandfather, whose head was full of white hair and who had to bow to evil forces to protect his family.

In that instant, the murderous intent surging in his heart subsided slowly, like the receding tide.

Yes, he wasn't afraid. But he couldn't disregard his mother and the family that had just been reunited.

"You're lucky to be alive."

Hua Tianyou glanced coldly at Silas, and the true energy at his fingertips suddenly dissipated.

Silas collapsed to the ground, his crotch warm to the touch; he had lost control of his bladder from fright.

Looking at Hua Tianyou's indifferent, godlike figure, he felt only endless fear. He didn't dare utter a single harsh word, struggled to his feet, and, covered in dust and grime, fled the Duke's mansion in a disheveled state with Augustine's help.