At these words, Xu Shenzhi turned to Chen Sheng, his brows tightly knit, looking as if he wanted to speak.

"What is it?"

Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow, his tone holding a hint of scrutiny. "Are you about to ask me to save her?"

If Xu Shenzhi had indeed softened at this moment and pleaded for her, Chen Sheng wouldn’t just refuse; he would be utterly disappointed in him.

A man so easily swayed by old flames, so indecisive, was doomed to not get far on the treacherous path of the Martial Dao. He wouldn’t be worthy of Chen Sheng’s dedicated cultivation.

Xu Shenzhi slowly shook his head, his voice perfectly calm. "Whether this woman lives or dies is entirely for the Captain to decide. Whether you take her Yin Yuan to aid your cultivation or not, this subordinate has no objections whatsoever."

Xu Shenzhi hadn’t softened. Instead, he now saw Han Ling’er as nothing more than a resource to be consumed.

Only then did a smile touch Chen Sheng’s lips. He stood and clapped Xu Shenzhi on the shoulder, saying with approval, "Good. It seems you’ve truly matured."

As for Han Ling’er, he had no interest in her whatsoever.

Her so-called "Yin Yuan" might be beneficial to those who practiced unorthodox cultivation techniques, but to him, it was practically useless.

If he could refine all sixteen of the Earth Core Lotus Seeds in his hand, his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. Why would he need to resort to such a meager source of power?

What’s more, even Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil had given no sign regarding her, a clear indication of her limited value.

Since she was of no use, he naturally couldn’t be bothered to waste any more thought on her.

He then glanced at Han Jingyi, who was watching him nervously from the side, and said flatly, "Clan Leader Han, now that the ’stolen goods’ have been recovered, I won’t impose any longer."

A great weight lifted from Han Jingyi’s heart. He quickly bowed. "Allow me to see you out, Captain Chen!"

Han Jingyi breathed a sigh of relief. If Captain Chen had insisted on taking Han Ling’er, the Han Family truly would have been powerless to stop him.

Fortunately, this Captain Chen was a man of firm will, not one to be swayed by a pretty face. At least the Han Family had managed to save a final shred of dignity in handling its own internal affairs.

"There’s no need to see me out."

A smirk played on Chen Sheng’s lips. "I’ll be waiting for your Han Family to run and complain to the Iron Sword Sect."

The color drained from Han Jingyi’s face, and he scrambled to explain.

"Captain Chen, you misunderstand! I would never dream of such a thing..."

But Chen Sheng paid him no further heed. He simply turned, his dark official robes swirling, and strode out of the Han Family’s main hall.

"Captain Chen! Captain Chen...!"

Watching Chen Sheng’s figure vanish without a backward glance, without even a flicker of his eyes in her direction, the last spark of light in Han Ling’er’s eyes died out completely. Endless despair washed over her like ice water. She collapsed to the floor, feeling the world spin as her entire reality crumbled around her.

Xu Shenzhi shot one last glance at the soulless figure collapsed on the ground. His expression was indifferent, without a trace of emotion. He quickly composed himself and hurried to catch up with Chen Sheng.

At that moment, all debts of gratitude and grievances between him and Han Ling’er were settled for good.

’From now on, I have only one path: to follow in Captain Chen’s footsteps and climb ever higher!’

Once all the men from the Jingwu Bureau had departed, the humble expression on Han Jingyi’s face was instantly replaced by an icy coldness. He spun around to face Han Ling’er and roared,

"Take this disgrace to our family, this source of all our misfortune, and lock her away! Punish her severely, in accordance with clan law!"

"Yes!"

The Han Family’s First Elder stepped forward in response. In a flash, he was before Han Ling’er. His hands moved like lightning, instantly sealing the vital points on her body and locking down all her True Qi circulation.

Two Han Family disciples immediately moved forward, roughly hauling the limp and powerless Han Ling’er to her feet and dragging her away.

"Clan Leader... are we... are we really just going to hand over our Han Family’s Hundred-Year Earth Heart Lotus for nothing? I... I just can’t accept this."

After dealing with Han Ling’er, the First Elder returned to Han Jingyi’s side, his face still filled with resentment as he spoke in a hushed voice.

The Hundred-Year Earth Heart Lotus was the Han Family’s most prized treasure, vital to the clan’s legacy. Having it taken away was like severing one of the family’s arms. It wasn’t just him; the entire Han Family was outraged. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Han Jingyi’s gaze was profound as he stared out at the empty courtyard beyond the hall. His voice was low and hard.

"You can’t accept it? Does the Han Family have the luxury of making an enemy of him, of bargaining with him? The weak are prey for the strong, and might makes right. This is the iron law of the world. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s our own Han Family... for not being strong enough!"

But then, his tone shifted abruptly, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

"However, we absolutely cannot let this matter rest. Immediately send someone to report the details of today’s events to the Iron Sword Sect as quickly as possible. The Han Family has made its offerings every year without fail.

After suffering such a great humiliation, if the Iron Sword Sect doesn’t step in to back us up, what other vassal family will be willing to pledge their loyalty in the future? They won’t just stand by and watch."

...

「Meanwhile, at the Jingwu Bureau’s Governor’s Office.」

The first thing Chen Sheng did upon returning to G Camp was to carefully remove and store the sixteen Earth Core Lotus Seeds. Then, carrying the Cold Jade Treasure Box that held the Hundred-Year Earth Heart Lotus, he went directly to request an audience with Governor Nie Xuanfeng.

Ning’an Prefecture was a different beast from Changshan County.

Here, the deeply entrenched martial sects were powerful enough to rival the Government Office, creating a delicate balance of power.

Although he had just cause, using the Han Family’s crimes as leverage to forcibly take the Earth Core Lotus was still a step too far. It was an action that could easily be used against him. Therefore, he needed the explicit support of his superiors.

And this Hundred-Year Earth Heart Lotus—its stalk still brimming with Spiritual Qi even without the seeds—was the "token of goodwill" he would present to Nie Xuanfeng.

He and Nie Xuanfeng had a connection through Nie Yuanliu, but favors eventually run out. The esteem of a superior had to be maintained through a subordinate’s tangible value and deferential attitude. Chen Sheng understood this perfectly.

"You rascal. You really can’t stay out of trouble, can you?"