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Chapter 479: I Am a Criminal

"What about our house rules? Have I not told you before—no drinking allowed!" Xue Muyu scolded, sounding very unhappy.

"Let's discuss this outside, shall we?" Li Chengfeng grinned awkwardly, attempting to usher her out.

The citizens of Yu's capital would never have imagined that the elegant, dashing White-Robed Sword-Wielding Immortal was, in fact, a wife-fearing man who'd be scolded for sneaking a mouthful of wine.

Beside them, Jiang Yuebai cast a stern look at Chu Liang. "So, this is how you’ve been spending your time here? Drinking and making merry?"

"Just a few drinks..." Chu Liang scrambled forward, whispering hurriedly, "I didn't want to, but the others insisted it's tradition here..."

"Hmph." Jiang Yuebai furrowed her brows.

She had been worried that Chu Liang wasn't doing well here, but now it seemed he was living a little too comfortably.

For some reason, anger welled up inside her.

Here she was, running back and forth, worrying for his sake, while he was sitting here eating, drinking, and having fun. The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt...

"Let's talk outside, let's talk outside," Chu Liang muttered, quickly pushing Jiang Yuebai toward the door, doing exactly what Li Chengfeng had done.

Now, only Ji Zidian and a few of the seal officers were left at the table, chuckling as they watched the two men being dragged off by their women.

"No authority at home, huh?" Ji Zidian teased. "Can't even drink in peace."

"We're the lucky ones," another seal officer grinned. "No wives to scold us for drinking; we're free men."

The moment those words left his mouth, the laughter around the table faded.

"Yeah, really great..."

"Mm..."

"Right?"

For some reason, the wine in their cups suddenly didn't taste quite as sweet.

...

Chu Liang led Jiang Yuebai along the narrow path behind the main courtyard of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, away from the bustling guest hall. Here, the night was quiet and still, the air filled with a serene calmness.

"You've had a rough time these days," Chu Liang began softly, his voice tinged with concern. "Running back and forth because of me."

"Fortunately, it wasn't all in vain," Jiang Yuebai replied.

When she had managed to calm herself down, she then started sharing with Chu Liang what had happened at the Red River Sect and the Black Pine Ridge, detailing every encounter and discovery.

"The Black Pine Ridge got annihilated?" Chu Liang muttered, furrowing his brows in deep thought.

This was far more serious than the issue with the Red River Sect.

Although there was no concrete evidence linking this to the Red River Sect's case, the timing was too suspicious to ignore. It was hard not to draw connections between the two incidents.

And that little butterfly he had saved... could it have been deceiving him all along?

A butterfly species native to the East Sea, claiming it came from Butterfly Fairy Valley—it was all a ploy to gain his trust and lead him straight to the Jade Pot Celestial Plant.

If so, this seemed more like a premeditated framing.

"Celestial Official Xue mentioned that the vicious beast Qiongqi has been on Wugen Island in the East Sea for years now, closely monitored by Penglai. It shouldn't have had the chance to cause chaos in the land of the nine provinces," Jiang Yuebai explained. "They plan to investigate the East Sea tomorrow. Even if we can't directly link this to the Red River Sect's case, it points to other hidden factors at play. Just wait a few more days, and the truth will surely surface."

Chu Liang looked at Jiang Yuebai. "It's all thanks to you..."

He was clearly touched by her effort and dedication. A great deal of effort must have been invested to uncover so much in such a short time.

He was about to say something when a sudden uproar broke out outside. A large group of people rushed in chaotically, clad in armor and wielding sabers. If it weren't for the guards from the residence of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau accompanying them, he would have thought they had come to raid the bureau.

"Where are the celestial officials?" the leading armored soldier bellowed, his voice urgent and strained. "Please, you must help save my brother!"

Chu Liang's gaze shifted to the group, where they were carrying another armored soldier. His entire body had turned an ominous shade of black. He was trembling violently and had lost consciousness.

As the chaos unfolded, a flash of lightning cut through the air, and Ji Zidian appeared beside the injured man in an instant.

He grasped the injured man's wrist as he asked, "What happened? Where are you soldiers from?"

"I am Banner Hoister Zhou Li of the city patrol guards," the soldier replied hurriedly. "We were out patrolling the area when my brothers and I spotted a strange shadow. We went after the shadowy figure, but to our shock, it—though human-like—fought with the ferocity of a wild beast. That shadowy figure bit my brother, and he ended up like this! In our panic, we rushed here for help. Celestial Official, please help us!"

After he finished speaking, Ji Zidian's expression darkened further, a deep frown creasing his brow.

"This doesn't seem like an injury from an evil entity. He has been poisoned," Ji Zidian remarked. "I can suppress his meridians to keep the poison from spreading for now, but Celestial Official Fang, the one most skilled in detoxification, isn't here. We'll need to find another physician capable of clearing the toxins."

Before he could finish speaking, the injured man suddenly convulsed violently. His eyes turned blood-red, and he let out a guttural howl, thrashing about as if desperately searching for something to sink his teeth into.

However, Ji Zidian was there. With a swift jab of his finger, something resembling a golden dragon seemed to swirl within the man's body. As it did, the man could no longer move. Yet, despite this, the toxins in his body had yet to be cleared.

"Poisoned?" The leading armored soldier blurted out in panic. "Considering his appearance and behavior, the poison has likely reached his heart. How can he possibly hold on until the physician arrives?"

Even if a physician arrived, they would first have to recognize the poison. If not, they would still need time to analyze it. In this situation, could this man even survive that long? But every trade has its specialty, and poison treatment was not within the Imperial Supervisory Bureau's expertise.

At that moment, Xue Muyu rushed over. With a swift motion, she cast a spell, and a divine light enveloped the injured man, seeping into his body. Instantly, his condition seemed to stabilize temporarily.

Still, Xue Muyu's face remained tense. "I can only sustain his life for a short while," she said gravely. "The poison has infiltrated deep within his body. If the toxins aren't cleared soon, he will not survive."

Her divine technique could heal injuries, but detoxifying was an entirely different matter from healing wounds.

In the midst of the chaos, a young man in brocade suddenly spoke up, "How about I give it a try?"

Everyone turned to look, only to find it was none other than Chu Liang, who had been silently observing the commotion from the sidelines.

...

Originally, if the Imperial Supervisory Bureau had the means to save the man, he would have preferred not to intervene. But seeing that no one present was proficient in detoxification, he realized he had no choice but to step forward and give it a try.

After all, time meant everything for the injured; every passing second could mean the difference between life and death.

"You can detoxify?" Ji Zidian asked.

"I can try; there's always a chance," Chu Liang replied, gesturing for the others to lay the injured man down. Then, he pulled out the Poison-Expulsion Whip. Since acquiring this treasure, he hadn't had the opportunity to use it in practice, so he was not very confident. Whether it would work or not now depended on the injured man's fate.

Snap—

Though a flicker of hesitation crossed his mind, his hands moved with practiced skill, lashing the whip onto the injured man.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—" The poisoned armored soldier let out a gut-wrenching howl of pain

"You—!" The leading banner hoister cried out in panic.

Weren't you supposed to save him? Why are you punishing him instead? he thought frantically.

But he had only managed to utter that single word when he suddenly froze.

Because, in the very next second, a wisp of black mist spewed out of the injured man's mouth!

"Spread out!" Ji Zidian commanded, prompting the crowd to dodge out of the way.

Seeing that it was effective, Chu Liang wasted no time. With a flick of his wrist, he lashed out with the whip a second time, striking like lightning!

Snap! Snap, snap, snap!

In an instant, five lightning-fast whips struck the poisoned man consecutively and black mist billowed around him. Yet, as the mist dissipated, the blackness on his skin had been completely cleared.

By the time the sixth whip landed, no more black mist emerged—only the soldier's agonized cries filled the air. Seeing this, Chu Liang stopped his movement.

The poisoned man on the ground, after enduring the beating, began to show signs of recovery. His once darkened complexion had returned to normal, and his breathing grew steady and smooth.

"Is he really cured?" The banner hoister of the city patrol exclaimed with joy as he stepped forward. "Your detoxification technique is truly remarkable! Brother, what is your rank and name? When my brother wakes up, I'll have him personally come to the Imperial Supervisory Bureau to thank you for saving his life! We might even have to craft a silk banner and report your merits to our superiors!"

"No need for a silk banner; it was hardly any trouble," Chu Liang replied with a smile. "I don't hold any official rank."

"You're not a member of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau?" The Banner Hoister asked in surprise.

From the banner hoister's point of view, Chu Liang was both young and remarkably skilled, possessing a high cultivation level and extraordinary divine abilities. Naturally, he assumed Chu Liang was a rising young talent of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, currently at the stage of his career where building fame and achievements was needed.

"For now, you could say I'm part of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau," Chu Liang replied with a faint smile, "but... I am a criminal."