Chapter 65: Investigating Chu Yang

There are countless professional pawnshops in this world, but I am just a half-baked fisherman. This shop is merely a facade to attract attention and add to my own weight. Once the goal is achieved, I will close it down.

Surprisingly, since opening, I haven't done a single transaction, yet someone is rushing to pawn something at such a late hour? And it's such a fine sword?

This is too strange. It's too unusual. Could there be something fishy going on?

Late at night, in the Crown Prince's residence.

The towering Wu Kuangyun walked away in a wretched state.

He came to see Tie Butian, but before he could even say a word, Tie Butian cut him off: "No need to explain, I know it must be you."

Then he left him standing there. He was left standing there stiffly for the entire afternoon and half the night. This great general, who had achieved remarkable feats in the Tieyun Kingdom, who was invincible on the battlefield, and who was revered by his subordinates, spent the entire afternoon and half the night wiping cold sweat.

Tie Butian continuously approved documents and arranged matters. People came and went in waves, all in a hurry. Only Wu Kuangyun stood in the middle of the hall like a wooden stake, motionless.

This was a huge embarrassment. Wu Kuangyun, seeing the curious, surprised, and mocking gazes, felt utterly humiliated, almost wanting to find a hole to hide in. Especially those few familiar faces who looked at him as if he were a monkey.

Wu Kuangyun repeatedly looked at Tie Butian with pleading eyes, "Little ancestor, even if you cut off my head, don't let me stand here anymore..."

But Tie Butian didn't even look at him, avoiding his gaze and not speaking to him.

Since Tie Butian didn't speak, he naturally didn't dare to speak either. The young crown prince's authority was secondary; the key was the respect he had earned over the years, which made Wu Kuangyun revere him! Because of this respect, he was also afraid.

If it were anyone else, this general, known for his explosive temper, would have already slammed the table and cursed. But in front of Tie Butian, he even hesitated to breathe loudly.

Tie Butian's final words rescued him from his predicament. Without looking up from the documents on the table, he said, "Go to the military law department and take a hundred lashes. Your salary will be docked for a year, and all those involved will be treated the same." He continued, "I believe you won't cheat. Get out."

Tie Butian didn't show anger, his voice was calm. But this calmness made Wu Kuangyun's heart tremble even more. It meant that Tie Butian was truly angry. If not for the current crisis in the Tieyun Kingdom, his head would probably already be on a pole...

Sigh, if not for the crisis, I wouldn't have done such a thing...

Hearing Tie Butian's punishment, Wu Kuangyun felt as if he had been granted a reprieve. He thanked him repeatedly, turned around, and ran out of the Crown Prince's residence like a rabbit chased by a hound. He finally let out a long breath, plopped down on the ground, and sighed, "My dear mother, I'm finally out. This is worse than being beaten..."

As for cheating... Wu Kuangyun never even considered it. A hundred lashes, though many, he could endure. But if he cheated, the next time it wouldn't just be a hundred lashes...

There were many precedents for this, and Wu Kuangyun absolutely dared not defy the Crown Prince.

"Report to the Crown Prince, we have found that person."

"Oh? Where is he?" Tie Butian was looking at a mountain of memorials on the table, holding a wolf-hair brush and quickly approving several without hesitation.

His speed was fast, but each one was clear and well-considered. Every approval was to the point, hitting the core! This insight was admirable.

"Today in the morning, on the main street of the Tieyun capital, there was a rumor that someone was scared insane. When we heard the news and went to check, we unexpectedly found that the person the Crown Prince was looking for was the shopkeeper of a store." The person's expression was somewhat strange, as if trying to suppress a laugh.

"Shop? Shopkeeper?" Tie Butian couldn't help but tremble, smearing a blot on the memorial in front of him.

It was too unexpected. How could such a wolf-like person be a shopkeeper in the Tieyun capital?

"However, he runs... the Heavenly Soldier Pavilion!" The black-clad guard described the Heavenly Soldier Pavilion, saying, "It seems to sell divine weapons, but the arrogance and grandeur are unprecedented!"

"Divine weapons? Very arrogant?" Tie Butian gently put down his brush, his beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed. After a moment, he said thoughtfully, "I will go and see tomorrow."

"Also, according to the rumors, the person who went insane was punished by the divine weapons. But according to my investigation, that person was likely frightened by Chu Yang's aura, causing his soul to leave his body and leading to insanity!"

"Oh?" Tie Butian's eyes flashed, asking, "If someone is frightened insane by just an aura... what level of cultivation is needed?"

"This... it's hard to say." The green-clad person hesitated, saying, "Generally, a strong person below the Martial Venerable level cannot scare an ordinary person unconscious. After all, aura is an intangible thing. And only a strong person of the same level can keenly sense a strong person's aura. However, there are always exceptions..."

"What kind of exceptions?"

"If the person emitting the aura is a ruthless killer with countless blood debts and hands stained with blood, or a battle-hardened general who has killed countless people, once they release their aura, the murderous and fierce energy could scare someone to death. But looking at Chu Yang, who is so young... well, this seems a bit absurd." The green-clad person frowned, feeling that applying this to a teenager was too far-fetched. How could someone so young have killed countless people?

"Oh..." Tie Butian let out a long "oh."

"We wanted to go in and check, but we were stopped by the military department. The military department secretly sealed off the Heavenly Soldier Pavilion, not allowing anyone to enter."

"The military department?" Tie Butian suddenly smiled, "Is it Uncle Longcheng's people?"

"Yes."

"It seems Uncle is about to make a move?" Tie Butian smiled easily, "I didn't expect that a Heavenly Soldier Pavilion would make Uncle, who has been reclusive for years and is hard to see, appear. This Chu Yang is truly my lucky star."

"Also, three of the seven branches of our Butian Pavilion in the Great Zhao have suddenly lost contact. Crown Prince, I fear that Wu Diqing has made a move."

Tie Butian frowned, thinking for a long time before slowly saying, "It's not Wu Diqing. Wu Diqing isn't that impatient." He didn't explain why it wasn't Wu Diqing, just made a conclusion that couldn't be argued.

"Is there any other news?"

"The Great Zhao's southeastern region is mobilizing troops. Three major armies are moving towards the Ghost Wailing Valley. However, this seems to be aimed at the Wuji Kingdom, not our Tieyun."

Tieyun is located in the north of the Great Zhao, and the southeastern mobilization is thousands of miles away.

But when the green-clad person said this, Tie Butian's expression suddenly became serious. He murmured, "Southeastern region?" His eyes suddenly sharpened, and he asked again, "Southeastern region? Three major armies?"