Chapter 479: I Am a Criminal

Chapter 479: I Am a Criminal

Upon seeing Li Chengfeng appear in such a state, Xue Muyu's face immediately darkened. "Oh, isn't this lovely? I'm on duty tonight, and you sneak out here for a drink?"

"I only drank a bit..." Li Chengfeng quickly explained, rushing forward to grab Xue Muyu's hand and gesturing toward Chu Liang. "Look, we've got a new member! It's a tradition to welcome him, isn't it?"

"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.

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."