"The Alliance is not welcome here!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
A chorus of voices echoed behind Wu Zhenhai, every Enforcer answering his call.
Thunder rolled across the sky, black clouds pressing low over the city. A heartbeat later, rain began to fall—hard and cold, drumming against armor, slicking the stone at their feet.
The storm mirrored the tension at the gates of ICEB headquarters.
The Enforcers stood in a tight formation behind Wu Zhenhai, weapons drawn, bodies coiled for violence. They waited silently, ready to attack the moment Wu Zhenhai gave the order.
Opposite them stood Yan Shujin, Jian Wushuan's first disciple, holding the Imperial Edict high. Behind him, a hundred Lingxu disciples fanned out, swords and talismans raised, faces set for battle.
Yan Shujin sneered, "This is the Imperial Edict. Don't tell me you want to defy His Majesty?"
He was standing toe-to-toe with Wu Zhenhai, but he was a bit shorter, forced to look up—and he hated it. Yan Shujin was not someone who liked to look up to anyone. He was extremely arrogant and believed others were beneath him. Only his Shizun and Xu Ming Shengzun were worthy of him looking up to.
Now, facing Wu Zhenhai—a nobody—he had to look up, and he couldn't stand it.
Wu Zhenhai didn't blink. "How do we know the Alliance didn't forge it?"
He said 'the Alliance' with clear disdain in his voice, making the Enforcers behind him laugh.
Yan Shujin's eyes narrowed. He circulated his spirit energy without hiding it, then suddenly attacked Wu Zhenhai with a spirit energy sword.
Wu Zhenhai, who was still recovering, dodged with difficulty, but he wasn't fast enough. He was struck on his left upper arm and staggered back a few steps.
"Captain!" The Enforcers shouted and were about to move, but Wu Zhenhai lifted a hand, stopping them.
"Stop!" Wu Zhenhai tried to stand tall and walked back to his original position. "I'm okay. A sneak attack can never beat me."
Yan Shujin clenched his jaw and his fists until his knuckles were white. He knew Wu Zhenhai was wounded—he could detect it from his breathing—but he didn't expect Wu Zhenhai to stay standing. It showed Yan Shujin one thing: even though they had the same level of cultivation, Wu Zhenhai was considerably stronger.
I need to ask Shizun for Shengtian Pills later. I have to break through to High Immortal 1!
Wu Zhenhai sneered at Yan Shujin. "You're wearing a Lingxu uniform, and your pendant shows you're Jiang Wushuan's disciple."
He scoffed. "Your Shizun is said to be one of the strongest in Lingxu."
Wu Zhenhai leaned in close to Yan Shujin's ear and whispered, "But you're nothing like your Shizun. You're weak."
Yan Shujin couldn't hold his temper anymore. He circulated his spirit energy to the fullest, took a step back, and unsheathed his sword, pointing its tip at Wu Zhenhai.
He shouted, "ICEB is refusing to accept an Imperial Edict—this is treason! Arrest all Enforcers and put them in the Imperial prison!"
The people behind him shouted back, "Yes!"
Both groups of cultivators, fueled by hatred, moved at the same time. The clash of weapons and shouts was deafening.
Wu Zhenhai and Yan Shujin were immediately tangled with each other, each eager to defeat his opponent.
Fights between two powerful cultivators could easily destroy their surroundings when they weren't careful. Now imagine what a battle between more than a hundred unleashed.
The ICEB headquarters sat at the center of one of the capital's busiest districts, surrounded by shops, market stalls, and throngs of ordinary people.
The market dissolved into screaming chaos. Stalls exploded into splinters, carts overturned, horses broke loose and trampled the crowds. A stray blast of spirit energy tore through a row of houses, sending tiles and wooden beams crashing down.
Worst of all, ordinary people—shopkeepers, children, beggars—were caught in the storm, running, falling, crying for help, blood bright against the rain-slicked stones.
The Imperial Guards rushed in to stop the fight, but they were only Warriors—powerless against cultivators. They were swallowed up by the chaos within seconds.
Suddenly, a powerful burst of aura split the chaos. In a flash, a cultivator dropped between Wu Zhenhai and Yan Shujin—one hand grabbing Yan Shujin and shoving him aside, the other striking at Wu Zhenhai without hesitation.
Wu Zhenhai was no match for the newcomer. He crashed backward, barely conscious.
The cultivator didn't stop. He tore through the Enforcers, leaving broken bodies in his wake, and ignored everyone else in the market. The chaos only deepened as his attacks focused entirely on ICEB's men—blood and shouts rising above the storm, with no sign of stopping.
The Alliance cultivators were cheering, they knew who it was, Jian Wushuan.
The newcomer was indeed Jian Wushuan. He had been watching everything unfold from a teahouse across from the ICEB gates. He hadn't moved until he saw that the Alliance was losing. All of the Alliance cultivators were Lingxu disciples. There were never any members from other sects. Lingxu used 'the Alliance' as a front for their movements in the Court.
Half of the cultivators present were Jian Wushuan's inner and outer disciples. When he sent Yan Shujin to ICEB, he also sent a hundred disciples with him. Numbers alone meant the Enforcers were outnumbered two to one. He hadn't expected to see the 'Alliance' losing.
Jian Wushuan was about to strike an Enforcer when he felt a menacing aura approaching him fast. He flew backwards to a safe distance. His strike would've killed the Enforcer. When he looked to see who had interrupted him, he was shocked.
It was Han Zhaofeng, sitting in a wheelchair.
Wheelchair? What happened to him?
Han Zhaofeng smirked. He could guess what Jian Wushuan was thinking.
He was 'standing' between Jian Wushuan and the fortunate Enforcer. Luo Heng was behind him. His face was taut, like he wanted to swallow Jian Wushuan whole.
You've wrecked and killed Enforcers. I will never forgive you!
Han Zhaofeng's feelings weren't that much different from Luo Heng's. But he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to redirect his anger and remember the plan he had made with Xuan Tian.
When he opened his eyes again, his expression was controlled and his aura returned to normal. He bowed his head and saluted Jian Wushuan.
"Jian Wushuan Shengzun, I apologize for interrupting. But you were about to decimate ICEB."
Jian Wushuan flicked his sleeves. "Hmph! So what if I decimate ICEB? They refused to accept an Imperial Edict. It is treason! I have every right to execute every single one of you for treason!"
Han Zhaofeng was still saluting. "Of course, Jian Shengzun. Not accepting Imperial Edicts is treason. I am sure ICEB Enforcers know about that. They wouldn't be so stupid as to refuse it. I am sure all of this is just a misunderstanding."
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Hello everyone,
After experimenting with different release schedules, I've realized that the best way to keep His Little Chaos, Her Iron Wall going strong is to pace myself. Starting next week, chapters will release every Tuesday and Friday.
This isn't a slowdown so much as me locking into a rhythm that I can sustain long-term. I want to make sure every chapter keeps the same quality, and that Xuan Tian and Ling Yu's story reaches its full end without interruption.
Thank you so much for your patience and for walking this journey with me. Your support means the world, and I promise this story is far from over.
N. Xuanli