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Chen Yuan looked towards the other side of the street and understood.

In worldly conflicts, only the government can check and balance other governments.

It is neither reasonable nor legal for a family's private army to openly confront the imperial law enforcement team.

The Chen family supported Chen Guohai's ascension to the position of Grand Master of the Wuxiang Sect precisely so that they could maintain a balance of power at this moment.

You have connections in the government, and so do I!

Therefore, Chen Guoshan almost became the prefect but was assassinated because the court was wary of the Chen family's excessive power and deliberately suppressed them.

"stop!"

At the critical moment, Chen Guohai led dozens of Wuxiang Sect cultivators to the scene.

Most of these Wuxiang Sect cultivators were direct descendants of the Chen family.

The crowd stared at the mess on the ground, instinctively taking a deep breath, only to be met with a stench that filled their nostrils, their expressions turning strange.

"Those little brats..."

The Chen family members shook their heads with bitter smiles.

Chen Guohai's expression was even more complex and difficult to describe.

"Lord Chen, it seems that this matter is none of the Wuxiang Sect's business to interfere, isn't it?"

Sun Chengzong spoke in a cold and somber tone.

He had thought that the prefect's deliberate invitation to Chen Guohai for a meeting would keep him occupied, but he hadn't expected that the other party would still come.

Chen Guohai immediately led his men to block the Chen family members, confronting hundreds of law enforcement guards across the distance. The atmosphere was extremely tense, with both sides ready to draw their swords.

There must be some misunderstanding in this matter.

Chen Guohai spoke coldly, then turned to look at Chen Yuan on horseback, feigning anger:

"You brats, what exactly are you trying to do, causing trouble and fighting in the street?"

Chen Yuan looked innocent, shrugged, and said frankly, "I heard that Brother Jianming was surrounded after a fight, so I brought my brothers from the clan to come and help him."

My second uncle also knew that the Chen family had always been united, and that they could not stand idly by while their clansmen were being bullied.

After speaking in a serious tone, he feigned surprise and looked at the Lu family members: "Oh, does that mean that if a member of the Lu family loses a fight, they have to call in the law enforcement officer to bully others?"

Upon hearing this, everyone watching on the street was stunned.

So in your eyes, this is just young people arranging a fight in private?

"That's right, it was just a private duel."

Li Wei echoed loudly, raising his voice to Sun Chengzong, "Does Your Excellency intend to discipline the younger generation for their playful antics?"

Sun Chengzong was speechless for a moment and had no words to reply.

Li Wei, his face full of arrogance, turned to look at Lu Zhiyuan, who had just been treated and was now awake, with utter disdain:

"Young Master Lu lost the martial arts competition, and now he's resorting to the government for support? That's incredibly petty and a disgrace to the aristocratic families!"

These words nearly made Lu Zhiyuan faint on the spot.

He was about to curse when his mouth was filled with excrement and urine, and he couldn't help but bend over and vomit violently.

"He's clearly spewing nonsense, yet he has the nerve to accuse others first!"

Li Wei shouted angrily.

Looking at Lu Zhiyuan, who was vomiting incessantly, and hearing these words, everyone felt they were incredibly apt.

Many people couldn't help but chuckle to themselves.

Sun Chengzong's face darkened, and even Sun Wu almost lost his composure.

The Chen family members became even more unrestrained, bursting into loud laughter.

"Hahahaha! That's right, you dare to slander others with your foul mouth!"

My Chen family has been practicing alchemy for generations; why would we risk everything because we lack the necessary elixirs?

"Exactly! The Lu family can't accept defeat, so they deliberately framed someone; it's utterly despicable!"

……

The Chen family members all made sarcastic remarks.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Sun Chengzong roared angrily, his immense pressure sweeping across the entire venue, instantly silencing all the noise.

"Lord Sun, there is indeed something fishy about this matter."

Chen Guohai stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "My Chen family is a family of alchemists with abundant reserves of elixirs. Why would we risk stealing elixirs from others?"

He turned to look at the badly injured Chen Jianming and asked in a deep voice, "Jianming, did you steal Sun Tzu's elixir?"

"Second Uncle, your nephew absolutely did not do such a thing!"

Chen Jianming's gaze was firm, and his tone was resolute.

He knew that his answer concerned the safety of all the Chen family members, and he could not afford to make the slightest mistake.

"Um."

Chen Guohai nodded slightly and looked at Sun Chengzong again, "Lord Sun, you heard it too."

Jianyuan is an honest and kind-hearted child. I've watched him grow up since he was a child, and he would never lie. This must be a misunderstanding.

"Furthermore, although both sides fought in large numbers, no one died; all suffered only minor injuries."

My Chen family is willing to cover all medical expenses, and let this matter rest. What do you say?

These words left everyone speechless. Such blatant favoritism and protection were far too obvious!

Moreover, although everyone only suffered superficial injuries, they were humiliated by being smeared with feces and urinated on in public!

The psychological trauma is far more serious than physical injuries.

The onlookers looked on with strange expressions, secretly despising Chen Guohai for openly abusing his power.

Chen Yuan's lips curled slightly, and he sighed inwardly.

This is the source of confidence that comes from having connections in the court.

If you don't have any connections in the government, they won't even give you a chance to speak; they'll just arrest you and use a memory-restoring technique to make you confess.

"Of course he won't admit it!"

Lu Zhiyuan's face was contorted with rage, his anger barely contained.

"Young Master Lu, everything must be based on solid evidence."

Chen Guohai narrowed his eyes and glanced at Lu Zhiyuan indifferently.

"The evidence is there, of course!"

Lu Zhiyuan spoke in a deep voice, subconsciously reaching for the storage bag in his arms, only to find it suddenly empty.

Everyone frowned.

The crucial physical evidence has vanished into thin air?

The Chen family members secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, Chen Yuan's voice rang out leisurely: "You're looking for this?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and waved the black storage bag in his hand.

In the chaos just now, he had already taken this item from Lu Zhiyuan.

Upon seeing this, the Chen family's higher-ups frowned, secretly puzzled.

Why would Chen Yuan voluntarily produce physical evidence?

This is the key to convicting Chen Jianming!

Even Chen Jianming was taken aback, but he knew that Chen Yuan must have a plan, so he could only suppress his emotions and wait and see.

"That's right! It's this storage bag!"

Lu Zhiyuan pointed at the object in Chen Yuan's hand and roared, "Lord Sun, this is Chen Jianming's storage bag, and it has his personal mark on it!"

It must contain the low-grade black pill that Young Master Sun Wu lost. Moreover, all pills bestowed by Lord Wangdong have unique secret marks; a simple examination will reveal the truth!

All eyes were focused on the storage bag in Chen Yuan's hand.

"hehe."

Chen Yuan sneered, his tone suddenly turning serious, "Young Master Lu, I can take out all the items inside in public. Do you dare to make a life-or-death bet on your previous framing words?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Guohai's eyes sharpened, and he immediately rebuked him in a deep voice:

"Lu Zhiyuan! You framed a scion of a powerful family out of thin air, instigating a conflict between two great clans. Do you know what your crime is?!"

Lu Zhiyuan was taken aback. Looking at Chen Yuan's calm and confident expression, a hint of suspicion arose in his heart.

Could it be that Chen Yuan had already secretly switched the pills?

He subconsciously sniffed the air and could still smell the rich fragrance of the pills in the storage bag, confirming that the pills were still inside.

He immediately gritted his teeth and shouted, "If I, Lu Zhiyuan, have uttered even the slightest lie, I am willing to pay with ten thousand lives!"

The Lu family members all looked worried, feeling that things were too abnormal.

Lu Hong recalled Chen Yuan's decisive and ruthless manner that day, and knew that this man was deep in thought. He wanted to say something to dissuade him, but it was too late. Lu Zhiyuan had already made a solemn vow.

"Alright. Then I will take out the contents in front of everyone so that everyone can judge its authenticity."

Chen Yuan's lips curled into a mocking smile, and he made a gesture as if to reach into his storage bag.

"Wait a minute!"

Lu Hong quickly spoke up, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and said in a deep voice, "We absolutely mustn't let him take it out himself!"

He looked at Sun Chengzong, cupped his hands, and said:

"We urge Lord Sun to personally inspect and retrieve the elixir to ensure fairness and prevent any underhanded dealings!"

"Very well, then I will personally inspect it."

Sun Chengzong immediately agreed and looked at Sun Wu beside him: "Carefully examine them later to see if there is the Earth-grade Black Pill that you lost and hoped the Lord of the Eastern Prefecture would bestow upon you."

"I understand."

Sun Wu bowed in response, his face grim and unpleasant. He had originally intended to use the power of the law enforcement guards to take down the Chen family members, but he hadn't expected the situation to spiral out of control step by step.

A profound look flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes, and he smiled faintly, "I hope the contents inside won't startle Lord Sun."

I also hope that Lord Sun will not be too surprised later. After all, my Chen family is a family of alchemists, and we have our own heaven-defying alchemy methods that are beyond the comprehension of others. This is nothing to be astonished about.

Chen Yuan's calm hint caused Sun Chengzong to frown slightly, and then he said coldly:

"Hmph, I hold a high position and have seen countless rare treasures."

I myself have consumed several of these lowly elixir-grade pills.

As for alchemy, I am extremely knowledgeable in it. In the capital, I even have a close friend who is a top-ranking alchemist!

These self-satisfied words aroused envy among everyone present.

"That would be perfect."

Chen Yuan's smile deepened, and he casually tossed the storage bag into the air towards Sun Chengzong.

Sun Chengzong caught it, glanced at Sun Wu, and then opened the storage bag in front of everyone.

In an instant, a rich and mellow fragrance of elixir spread out, its intensity far exceeding that of ordinary elixirs.

Sun Wu's expression hardened, then he looked puzzled. There was indeed the scent of his black pill in the storage bag, but the fragrance and spiritual power of this pill were far superior to the original pill's grade.

The crowd gathered on the street instantly became agitated, with many cultivators skilled in alchemy exclaiming in surprise:

"Heavens! This elixir's fragrance is incredibly rich, and its spiritual energy fluctuations are extremely strong!"

"The Chen family can only refine four grades of pills: Mortal, Spirit, Yellow, and Profound. Even if they were piled high with Profound-grade pills, they could never possess such a profound and powerful aura!"

"Unless... it contains a low-grade elixir!"

"That's right! Only a low-grade elixir can emit such a domineering fragrance!"

……

Discussions erupted, and the scene instantly became abuzz.

Upon seeing this, Lu Zhiyuan became extremely excited and roared with a ferocious expression:

"Lord Sun! Quickly bring out the pills and inspect them in public, so that the Chen family will completely give up on them!"

Sun Chengzong gave him a cold glance: "You're instructing me on how to do things."

Lu Zhiyuan felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously swallowed another mouthful of remaining excrement and urine, looking utterly disheveled.