Chapter 286: Placed on the Stage
Hua Changxi did not heed Department Head Gu’s words. Instead, she increased her Spiritual Pressure, making the atmosphere in the plaza even more somber.
Seeing that Xue Xian was about to be forced to his knees, a squad of Holy Guards approached.
“No fighting in the plaza!”
Hua Changxi had no intention of truly harming these Imperial Guards. Seeing the Holy Guards come to stop her, she feigned hesitation for a moment before retracting her Spiritual Pressure.
As the Spiritual Pressure was withdrawn, Xue Xian lost his balance and fell directly to the ground, while the other Imperial Guards lay on the ground, gasping for breath with lingering fear.
Upon seeing this, the expressions of the people in the plaza and the onlookers became extremely solemn.
This was Hua Changxi’s first public display of Strength, and it was far stronger than anyone had anticipated!
Hua Changxi ignored the Imperial Guards and looked at the group of Holy Guards before her, addressing the one in the lead: “Are you a Centurion from Qingyao Peak?”
Leng Yan did not expect Hua Changxi to be so obedient and directly withdraw her Spiritual Pressure. He had already prepared to ‘suppress by force’ so that the cultivators of the Human World could see how formidable they, the Holy Guards, were.
Unfortunately, Hua Changxi did not give them that opportunity.
Upon hearing Hua Changxi’s question, Leng Yan was surprised for a moment. Considering Hua Changxi’s identity, he cupped his fist and said, “Centurion Leng Yan greets Peak Master Hua.”
Hua Changxi looked at him: “Did you come to maintain order in the plaza on your own initiative, or did you come because you received orders?”
Leng Yan clearly did not expect Hua Changxi to ask him this question, and his eyes flickered.
Of course, he had not come on his own. He had been watching from afar, and it was Meng Qingyao who had given him the order, which was why he had brought his subordinates.
Hua Changxi did not care whether he responded or not and continued on her own: “If you are maintaining the plaza’s order on your own initiative, which is outside your scope of duty, then your Protector Saint Token is not worn in vain.”
“But if you came because you received orders, then you will have to think carefully about whether you can continue to stay in Dan Sheng Hall.”
“Dan Sheng Hall is still in a dormant phase, and its rules are not yet clear, but the Sacred Land will not remain dormant forever.”
“You must remember that the Holy Guards exist to maintain the stability of the Sacred Land, not for any individual. Centurion of Qingyao Peak, you would do well to consider your actions.”
Listening to Hua Changxi’s words that cut to the heart of the matter, Leng Yan’s already indifferent expression became even more so.
He understood Hua Changxi’s double warning: the Holy Guards were the guardians of the Sacred Land, and their duty was to maintain its stability, not to be Meng Qingyao’s personal guards.
Furthermore, his duty was to patrol Qingyao Peak, not the plaza. Coming to the plaza to issue orders was actually him overstepping his bounds.
Leng Yan wanted to retort to Hua Changxi a few times, but thinking about what he still had to do, he could only suppress his inner frustration and say indifferently, “Thank you for your guidance, Peak Master Hua. However, this subordinate must also say that by fighting in the plaza, Peak Master Hua, you have also violated the rules of the Sacred Land.”
Hua Changxi looked at him, and a green light flashed in her right hand, revealing a Saint Pill the size of a thumb.
As soon as the Saint Pill appeared, a suppressive force that directly acted on the Divine Soul emanated from it. Leng Yan and the Holy Guards behind him shivered simultaneously, then quickly knelt on one knee.
Hua Changxi looked coldly at the kneeling Holy Guards: “I believe I should have the right to proactively eliminate potential threats that could cause chaos in the plaza.”
Leng Yan was shocked. Hua Changxi actually possessed a high-grade Saint Pill.
Saint Pills were powerful Soul Artifacts and had a natural suppressive effect on Holy Guards who wore the Protector Saint Token.
Clearly, the Saint Pill Hua Changxi obtained was much more advanced than those obtained by Meng Qingyao, Gu Xing, and Yan Qianying.
Leng Yan was shocked, and everyone else was even more so.
No one had expected that Hua Changxi would also have a means to control the Holy Guards.
Looking at the kneeling and submissive Holy Guards, Xia Zhen’s expression became even more grim. Did this not mean that even if Hua Changxi could not recruit Holy Guards from the Nine Passes, she could still control the Sacred Land by controlling the Holy Guards recruited by Qingyao and others?
Department Head Gu’s eyes also flickered intensely. This Hua Changxi was indeed worthy of being the vanguard that the Minister valued for stirring up trouble.
This action was equivalent to slapping the faces of both the Royal Family and the Guardian Families simultaneously!
Seeing that the Holy Guards had become obedient, Hua Changxi put away the Saint Pill and looked at Leng Yan: “Centurion Leng, you and your subordinates were the first to be stationed in the Sacred Land after the Spiritual Energy Revival. This is your opportunity, and if I were you, I would cherish it.”
“This place does not require you to maintain order. Take your subordinates and withdraw.” After speaking, she looked at Xue Xian, whose expression had recovered.
Hua Changxi was not someone who liked to be in the spotlight. In a dangerous Cultivation World, she even less wanted to reveal the cards she held.
However, her repeated low-key approach had resulted in repeated harassment and obstruction from various parties, and she was truly fed up.
Xue Xian’s expression was grim, but thinking about how he had been suppressed by Hua Changxi with no ability to fight back, he dared not say anything extreme at this moment, fearing that he would anger Hua Changxi and be suppressed by her Spiritual Pressure again, which would truly be a complete embarrassment.
Hua Changxi looked at Xue Xian: “Lord Xue, the influx of cultivators from various regions into the Capital City will pose a threat to the Capital City’s public order. This is something I did not consider before, and I do bear some responsibility for it.”
“Tell me, what is the purpose of your grand arrival to find me this time?”
Xue Xian looked up and saw that Hua Changxi was calmly discussing the matter of cultivators entering the Capital with him again. He felt like spitting blood.
At this moment, how could he not know that the scene Hua Changxi had just created was intended to establish her authority in front of everyone, including himself and his subordinates, and the Holy Guards?
The purpose was to tell the Royal Family, the Guardian Families, and all other forces that she, Hua Changxi, was not to be trifled with.
Xue Xian suppressed his shame and anger: “Peak Master Hua, it is good that you acknowledge that the influx of cultivators into the Capital City will threaten its public order.”
“My purpose in coming here today is singular: to maintain the stability of the Capital City.”
Hua Changxi was too lazy to listen to his nonsense and directly interrupted: “Just tell me directly, what do you want me to do?”
Xue Xian: “After cultivators from various regions begin to enter the Capital City, if any cultivator disputes occur, Peak Master Hua will be responsible for them.”
Hua Changxi found it laughable. Seven or eight tenths of the cultivators in the Capital City were cultivated by the Royal Family and the Nobles. After cultivators from various regions entered the Capital, would the disputes that broke out necessarily be among the cultivators who came to register?
The words were so ambiguous, attempting to make her bear the responsibility for all cultivator disputes. These people still naively thought she was easy to bully!
Hua Changxi was angry in her heart, but her expression was calm: “How do you want me to be responsible?”
Xue Xian looked at Hua Changxi, who showed no emotional fluctuation: “If cultivator disputes affect the common people, all losses will be borne by Peak Master Hua.”
As for whether the cultivators were from out of town, the extent of the affected area, and the determination of losses, that would naturally be decided by the Imperial Court.
“Furthermore, to prevent cultivators from causing chaos in the Capital City, it would be best for Peak Master Hua to patrol the streets of the Capital City with the Imperial Guards to preemptively stop disputes.”
Fearing that Hua Changxi would disagree, Xue Xian uttered a few provocative words: “With Peak Master Hua’s immense Strength, your presence will surely deter all cultivators.”
“As long as the cultivators do not cause trouble, and the Capital City remains stable and peaceful, you will not delay your recruitment of Apprentices, and the common people will be able to live and work in peace. In this way, the people of the Capital City will be grateful to you.”
Hua Changxi was too lazy to guess what schemes the Royal Family had. She had only one thought: if she agreed, she would not only have to bleed money but also expend energy. Where would she find the time to refine pills, refine her body, and practice swordsmanship!
Hua Changxi looked indifferently at Xue Xian: “If I understand correctly, you want me to maintain the public order of the Capital City?”
Xue Xian’s expression changed: “It is not wrong for Peak Master Hua to understand it this way.” Seeing Hua Changxi’s face darken, he smiled, “What, Peak Master Hua is unwilling?”
With so many people watching, Hua Changxi had no choice but to agree, even if she was unwilling.
Department Head Gu also sighed. Hua Changxi had been put on the spot.
Hua Changxi suddenly smiled: “Which brilliant mind came up with this plan? You, no, it should be your master behind you, are you sure you want me to maintain the public order of the Capital City?”
Seeing her reaction, Xue Xian instinctively frowned.
Even Department Head Gu beside him looked at Hua Changxi with confusion. This reaction was not right.
Hua Changxi looked at Xue Xian: “Go back and ask your master if they are sure they want me to step forward and maintain the public order of the Capital City?”
She paused, a look of disgust on her face.
“You people, you just love to stir up trouble for no reason. Relying on your power, you not only like to control the destinies of others but also like to stir up all sorts of incidents.”
“However, you can decide the beginning of an incident, but the direction and outcome of the matter are not something you can decide.”
“It’s easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away. If I truly take on the responsibility of maintaining public order in the Capital City, then many things will change.”
Upon hearing this, Xue Xian and Department Head Gu’s expressions changed.
Both of them understood the hidden meaning in Hua Changxi’s words and were shaken inwardly.
It was not for any other reason than that they could feel Hua Changxi was not joking. However, they could not understand where she got the confidence to speak like this.
Could it be that she held some power they were unaware of?
Xue Xian, at this moment, was truly wavering and did not dare to immediately agree to anything.
Before coming, although he had attached great importance to this task, he had not felt that it would be impossible to complete. The direction of events was completely beyond his control.
Seeing that he remained silent, Hua Changxi continued: “Go back and ask properly. I will await your reply. If you still want me to maintain the public order of the Capital City, then I will accept it.”
Although she did not want to deploy the Vermilion Bird Army, she could not truly stand by and watch the cultivators from various regions entering the Capital bring danger to ordinary people.
“If you change your minds, then gather the people from the Four Great Sacred Lands and discuss properly how to resolve the potential unrest caused by cultivators entering the Capital from various regions.”
