Chapter 28: The Truth Comes Out
Deep within the Nie Mansion in Luoshui City, seven or eight people were seated in a magnificent room. Kneeling on the floor before them was a disheveled young man.
"Speak. Why exactly did you injure Nie Chao? I want to hear every last detail!"
A young man of seventeen or eighteen occupied the seat at the very center of the room. He spoke indifferently, lightly toying with a teal thumb ring.
His tone was not forceful, yet it held an undeniable authority. To defy his words, it seemed, was to invite unstoppable retribution.
"Reporting to Young Master Nie Qiang… Nie Chao and I went to the Nie Tian Branch to collect a fine. After they handed over the money, Nie Chao was overcome with greed. He wanted to take the fine for himself and launched a sneak attack on me. I was forced to use my ultimate move to defend myself, and he was injured in the process. I know I have sinned. I beg you, Young Master, please be merciful…"
The disheveled young man, still kneeling on the floor, pleaded loudly.
The Law Enforcement Descendant, Nie Chaoxing!
Threatened by Nie Yun's Meridian Bone Grinding Force, Nie Chaoxing had no choice but to follow the script he'd been given and shoulder all the blame.
'Just thinking about the Meridian Bone Grinding Force makes me break out in a cold sweat. I wish I could just die!'
'Just as that boy promised, the pain strikes precisely at midnight and noon each day. It feels like countless steel files are grinding away inside the seams of my bones, a torment that makes life worse than death!'
It was because of this terrifying pain that he had gritted his teeth through three interrogations by the Law Enforcement Team without daring to reveal the truth.
'Anyway, from the sounds of it, Nie Chao is never going to wake up. As long as I grit my teeth and stick to the story that he got greedy and I only acted in self-defense, the worst that can happen under clan rules is that they'll cripple my cultivation and kick me out of the Inner Sect. At least I'll be alive. But if I have to endure this Meridian Bone Grinding Force forever... I'd rather just die!'
He had endured repeated torture, gritting his teeth the whole time, and had thought the case would be settled quickly. He never imagined that Young Master Nie Qiang himself would conduct the interrogation today!
Young Master Nie Qiang was the son of the Clan Leader. His talent was unmatched among the younger generation, making him the undisputed first-in-line successor of the family. The Law Enforcement Team was now under his command!
"Listening to you, you managed to injure Nie Chao with just a Mid-Stage Qi Nourishing Realm cultivation. That ultimate move of yours must be quite powerful. Nie Changlin, your strength is the same as Nie Chao's, both at the Peak of the Qi Nourishing Realm. Go and test this 'master' who is two whole levels beneath you!"
Nie Qiang tapped his fingers on the armrest—TAP, TAP—and gave the order casually.
"As you command!" A young man rose from his seat. He glanced at the kneeling Nie Chaoxing and let out a sinister chuckle. "Young Master, I have an impudent request!"
"Speak!" Nie Qiang said flatly.
"I tend to be heavy-handed. If I happen to kill this brat, I hope the Young Master won't hold it against me!" Nie Changlin smacked his lips, clenching his fists until they cracked. CRACKLE.
"Permitted," Nie Qiang said. "If you kill him, it will just prove his 'ultimate move' isn't so powerful after all, and that everything he's said is a lie. In that case, not only will he die, but his entire branch will be punished!"
"Heh heh, perfect!" Nie Changlin laughed again. He reached out with his right hand and snatched Nie Chaoxing up as easily as if he were grabbing a chick. "Alright, brat, let's see this ultimate move of yours. Show me just how powerful it is!"
"I…" Nie Chaoxing's face instantly turned a deathly pale. He never imagined Nie Qiang would just order someone to attack him.
'What ultimate move? I don't have one! Nie Yun was the one who injured Nie Chao. If I have to fight this Nie Changlin, I'm as good as dead!'
"What's wrong? Afraid you might kill me?" Nie Changlin taunted. "Since you're so confident, I'll make the first move!"
Seeing the panic in his eyes, Nie Changlin let out a battle cry and struck without hesitation!
CRACK!
Before Nie Chaoxing could even react, he screamed in agony as the bones in his right arm shattered, leaving it to hang limply at his side.
"Oh? Where is this ultimate move of yours? If you don't use it soon, I'll crush all four of your limbs and then kill you slowly. Besides, the Young Master already said he doesn't care if I kill you!"
After shattering Nie Chaoxing's arm with a single strike, a smirk played on Nie Changlin's lips. He raised his hand, poised to strike again.
"Young Master, I was wrong! Please, spare me…"
Faced with this, Nie Chaoxing knew it was over. Without another moment of hesitation, he dropped to his knees with a THUD and began to kowtow desperately.
'He had thought Nie Yun was ruthless, but the first-in-line successor, Nie Qiang, was clearly on another level. As unbearable as the Meridian Bone Grinding Force was, he could at least grit his teeth and survive it. But death… death was final.'
"You were wrong? What could you possibly have done wrong? You acted out of Great Righteousness to prevent clan assets from being embezzled. You're a shining example for our Law Enforcement Team! A true role model! Nie Changlin, you'd better be careful. Nie Chaoxing just wasn't ready. Once he is, you're in for it!"
A mocking smile played on Nie Qiang's face.
"Yes, Young Master. I will use my full strength… heh heh!" Nie Changlin chuckled again as he approached.
"Young Master, it was me! I was wrong, I lied! This is what really happened. Young Master Nie Chao and I went to the Nie Tian Branch to announce the punishment order…"
No longer daring to hide the truth, Nie Chaoxing recounted everything in detail: how Nie Yun had attacked, how he had been afflicted with the Meridian Bone Grinding Force, and how he had been forced to take the blame.
"Meridian Bone Grinding Force? Interesting, very interesting." After hearing Nie Chaoxing's story, Nie Qiang gave a faint smile and rose from his seat. He looked around at the others. "I never expected a disgraced branch of wastes to possess such a curious technique! What do you all think about this?"
"This Nie Yun didn't just defy the clan's punishment order; he dared to injure an Inner Sect disciple and threaten a Law Enforcement Officer! He has severely violated the clan rules and should be executed immediately!" a young man in gray robes said viciously as he stood up.
It was Nie Hen, a Deputy Captain and a hawk within the Law Enforcement Team, a Peak Powerhouse of the Qi Sea Fourth Layer!
"A direct execution would be letting him off easy. A brat who so openly defies the clan's authority should be captured, hung on the Punishment Platform, and whipped by every single member of the clan as a warning to others!"
Another young man stood up, a sinister laugh escaping his lips.
Deputy Captain Nie Liao, the Law Enforcement Team's executioner for punishments.
Nie Hen and Nie Liao were both radicals, known for their ruthlessness. Hearing them pronounce what was essentially a death sentence made Nie Chaoxing tremble, too terrified to even breathe.
"No matter what, the Nie Tian Branch did win the honor of the Luoshui Golden Shield for our clan. If we punish them so directly, won't it dishearten the other branches?"
"Dishearten them? Why would they be disheartened?" Nie Liao cut off the member of the conservative faction who had just spoken. "Nie Xiaotian gave up on himself and has become a disgrace to the clan! This Nie Yun is audacious enough to completely disregard our rules—he must be killed! Otherwise, what dignity will the Law Enforcement Team have left? What will our clan rules even mean?"
"Alright, that's enough arguing," Nie Qiang said, waving his hand. "Nie Hen, Nie Liao, I'll leave this to you. This Nie Yun not only defied the clan's punishment order, but he also dared to harm disciples of the Inner Sect and the Law Enforcement Team. His crimes are heinous, and he deserves immediate execution! However, he is the inheritor of the Luoshui Golden Shield and possesses the clan's immunity. So, when you go, feel free to cause some trouble. It would be best to provoke him into doing something drastic. When that happens, not even the Luoshui Golden Shield will be able to save him!"
Nie Qiang waved his hand dismissively, as if discussing some trivial matter.
"Yes, Young Master!" Hearing him so casually lay out a strategy that made the matter so simple, an irrepressible excitement flashed in the eyes of both Nie Hen and Nie Liao.