Chapter 18: Defying Chu

“Where is Sima Lingkong? I, Chen Nan, have come to crash the bridal chamber!” Rolling sound waves rumbled like thunder above the Sima residence.

Emperor Chu Han and the eldest princess Chu Yue’s faces changed instantly. What they had feared had finally come to pass—Chen Nan was truly rebelling against Chu. Regret and resentment churned within them.

All the wedding guests were elites of the capital, well aware of the entanglement between Chen Nan, Sima Lingkong, and Nalan Ruoshui. They now understood clearly: Chen Nan had come to disrupt the wedding and was likely to defect from Chu altogether.

The wedding could no longer proceed. By now, Chen Nan had fought his way from the main gate all the way to the hall. In his hand was a long blade, its body radiating a dazzling light. Wherever the golden blade-light passed, spears snapped, and halberds shattered, broken fragments flying in all directions. Sword qi surged and clashed violently, with waves of powerful energy roiling through the courtyard centered on him. The warriors of the Sima residence swayed like duckweed in a raging tide; rows upon rows of men were thrown to the ground. Not a single person within the estate could withstand his edge.

Sima Lingkong gnashed his teeth in fury, wishing he could devour Chen Nan alive. He tore off the red ceremonial flower from his chest and strode outside.

The guests in the hall, including the Chu emperor, also filed into the courtyard.

Nalan Ruoshui’s delicate frame trembled. She hesitated for a moment, then pulled off her red veil and followed them outside.

By now, Chu Yue had ordered the Sima residence sealed off. Countless guards surrounded the estate. The talents of the Qishi Mansion were deployed to guard the emperor’s left and right. The little princess Chu Yu was held close by the empress’s side, standing together beside Chu Han.

Sima Lingkong pointed at Chen Nan and demanded, “Why are you disrupting my wedding?”

Chen Nan replied, “Don’t bother putting on a false front. Everyone here knows why.”

Sima Lingkong’s face turned ashen. “What do you want?”

At this moment, a tall, slender middle-aged man stepped forward from the crowd. “Chen Nan, why are you doing this? My daughter is already married. You should not disturb her anymore.”

Chen Nan realized this was Nalan Ruoshui’s father, the Left Chancellor of Chu, Nalan Wencheng. He clasped his hands in salute. “Ruoshui has no feelings for Sima Lingkong. If she truly marries him, she will only suffer for the rest of her life. Can you bear to push her into a pit of fire…”

Before Chen Nan could finish, another man interrupted. A dignified middle-aged man strode out of the crowd. “Guardian of the Nation, do you understand what you are doing? My son’s marriage was decreed by His Majesty. Are you dissatisfied with the emperor?”

“So it’s General Sima. A fine hat you’re trying to put on me. Heh heh. Why not just say outright that I’ve drawn a weapon before the emperor and committed the crime of alarming His Majesty?” Chen Nan turned to face Chu Han and declared loudly, “If it weren’t for me, Chen Nan, fighting those Dragon Knights that day in the training grounds, Chu would have suffered a humiliating defeat and become a laughingstock among the vassal states. What did I get in return for risking my life? Why did Your Majesty betroth Lady Nalan to Sima Lingkong? Why treat me this way?”

A minister nearby rebuked, “How dare you, Chen Nan! You presume to question His Majesty? You have committed the crime of defying the sovereign!”

“Defying the sovereign? Heh heh. Respect me, and I respect you tenfold. Wrong me, and when I can take it no longer—even if you were the Jade Emperor himself, I’d drag him down!” As he spoke, he raised his long blade to the sky. A dazzling beam of blade-light shot upward, illuminating the entire courtyard like a flash of lightning, exuding a bone-chilling cold. Every person present felt an oppressive pressure; all faces changed color.

Chu Han said, “Chen Nan, I know you are deeply resentful. But the Sima family proposed the marriage first…”

Chen Nan cut him off with a cold laugh. “Heh heh. Do marriages require queuing now?”

Seeing Chen Nan show no respect for the emperor, Chu Yue snapped angrily, “Chen Nan, you have gone too far! Do not forget—you are a subject of Chu. Is this how a subject speaks to his sovereign?”

When Chen Nan first met Chu Yue, he had been captivated by her beauty. Later, on the road, her solicitous care had made him feel warm and spring-like, deepening his fondness. But the recent series of events had caused her standing in his heart to plummet. She was a woman of political machinations who would stop at nothing for the sake of imperial interests—her schemes ran deep and frightening.

“Then I shall cease to be a subject of Chu!”

“You… you were born a citizen of Chu. Would you rebel against your own country? Will your conscience be at peace?”

“I do not belong to any country. I am merely a passerby in Chu. Chu has never risen to the status of ‘motherland’ in my heart, so my conscience is clear.” Speaking thus, Chen Nan saw himself as a man from ten thousand years ago, leaving everyone present bewildered. “But I wonder if some people can be at peace—sacrificing a friend’s happiness on the altar of political gain.”

Chu Yue’s expression shifted. “No matter your reasons, you should not rebel against Chu!”

Chen Nan had been scanning the crowd. Finally, he spotted Nalan Ruoshui in her bright red wedding gown. Her once-clear features were now pale and haggard. Shifting his long blade to his left hand, he swung his right arm. A fierce gale stirred, light surged, and a giant golden hand materialized before him. The golden hand swept toward Nalan Ruoshui, enveloping her and pulling her back in a gust of wind, causing the uninitiated civil officials nearby to stagger.

Experts in the crowd couldn’t help crying out in shock: “Dragon Capturing Hand… It’s the lost Dragon Capturing Hand!” Every cultivator present paled. A lost ultimate technique had reappeared in Chen Nan’s hands.

Nalan Ruoshui landed before Chen Nan. Suddenly, she felt a sense of estrangement. The Chen Nan of the past and the Chen Nan of now seemed worlds apart.

Chen Nan looked into her eyes. “Ruoshui, I’m taking you away.”

“No. I cannot go with you.” Nalan Ruoshui shook her head.

“Why?”

“Watch out!” she cried.

Though inwardly shocked by the divine technique Chen Nan had just displayed, Sima Lingkong was consumed by rage. This man had not only disrupted his wedding but treated him as if he didn’t exist, daring to take the bride right before his eyes—it drove him to madness. Snatching a sword from a nearby guard, he swung it at Chen Nan. Dark green fighting aura hissed through the air.

Chen Nan pulled Nalan Ruoshui behind him. With his left hand, he swept his long blade in a reverse arc. A blazing blade-light shot forward, its radiant brilliance stirring up tremendous energy waves, carrying a fierce gale and emitting an eerie howl.

“Hahaha… If you want to fight, then fight! Today, I, Chen Nan, will raise hell in the capital!”