Chapter 18 (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“If you’re willing to risk the lives of the Rens to kill me, then why does it matter if I die? But I must say that I have belittled you in the past, Ren Jie. I don’t care if you’re really a spoilt child or have gone crazy after Gao Fei beat you up. What you did today has angered me. Don’t think that just because you’re from the Rens that nobody dares to offend you. You’re dead meat to me, you got that? If I want your life, then you’ll die even if the entire Ren family is backing you. Do you think only the Rens have reached their peak? You’ve only had a glorious phase for the last 20 years, but the Gaos have been at our peak for the last 200 years, and even now you’re not much better than us.” Gao Peng used his divine sense to send the words to Ren Jie’s mind.

“Right now I’m not the one in a spot, it’s you. I don’t care if you’re really crazy or just acting like a spoilt child, but you’ve dug your grave today. You’re dead meat, dead meat for sure.” Gao Peng was someone who could endure hardship and he was a person of many secrets, but at the same time, he was also an arrogant man who could not believe that he was being humiliated by a good-for-nothing like Ren Jie.

He was not afraid of death. Hence, he was not afraid of angering Ren Jie further. If his death could allow the Rens to be wiped out and for the Gaos to regain power, then it would not be in vain. But if he were to live, then he would never forgive Ren Jie and would have him killed.

He suddenly recalled what he said when he was lecturing Gao Fei, that if Ren Jie was acting crazy then he must be killed. If he had really gone insane after being beaten up, then all the more he would not forgive Ren Jie since he had just been humiliated by a lunatic.

“Ren Jie, a life for a life. This is the palace. Even if the Rens are above the law, if you dare touch Peng-er, nobody will be able to protect you. The Gaos will not spare you, either. So you better release him immediately.” Just as Gao Peng threatened him using his divine sense, Gao Zhanyuan shouted from the side as well.

Ren Jie could see his urge to kill from Gao Peng’s eyes, but he did not mind it, especially after he had heard a Sage preach. The urge to kill in Gao Peng’s eyes meant nothing to him after that.

“Of course I will not go against the law, but a life for a life? Rubbish! Look at this.” Ren Jie held out a jade tablet after he finished speaking.

It was a token tablet of pure jade, and the large words “Death Exemption” were written on it with a line of fine print at the back. There was an abundance of gold and silver in the Clear Jade Dynasty. Thus, they were not particularly precious. Even a slightly more well-to-do family could afford a token tablet made of gold for their guards. What was truly precious was a jade tablet that had an Artifact Spirit. And the one in the Ren Jie’s hands was even more precious.

“Look at this. This is the Death exemption jade tablet. It would be considered a personal feud even if I killed your whole family, much less just him. I will not be charged for any crime as long as I do not commit treason.

“The Patriarch of the Ren Family obtained a Death Exemption jade tablet when he helped to start the Clear Jade Dynasty, and I have an impressive father who managed to obtain another two of these Death exemption jade tablets in 20 years. The Clear Jade Dynasty has only had five Death Exemption jade tablets in its 1,000-year history, and the Rens have three of them. Besides treason, I can do anything else I want with this. And since I have so many Death Exemption jade tablets, I might as well try using it to see what it’s like, or else it will just be like excess cash lying around.”

“Dang…” Ren Jie threw the Death Exemption jade tablet on the ground as he spoke. This was not ordinary jade and thus, it did not shatter easily, only making a crisp noise as it fell on the ground. The sound reverberated in everybody’s ears, including Gao Peng’s, who had been smiling even as he was being beaten up and confident even as a knife was placed on his neck.

There was only silence at that moment.

Nobody would have thought that Ren Jie would pull such a stunt. Even Ren Junyang was stunned as he did not expect Ren Jie to have this, much less use it…

Some of the people suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Death Exemption jade tablet. This was something that they had only heard about but few saw. Yet, Ren Jie was about to… use it.

Gao Zhanyuan originally wanted to continue threatening him to make Ren Jie release Gao Peng, but now, his words were stuck in his throat as he had lost his voice. With the Death Exemption jade tablet, Ren Jie could kill Gao Peng if he wanted today and would not get into much trouble either. How could this be? What was he going to do?

How could anyone use this before committing a crime, this was too… too…

Too exhilarating! Gao Ren felt his breathing hasten as he did not think that Ren Jie would escalate the matter to such a scale at all. He had thought that it would merely be verbal arguments as he had been pondering how was he going to help Ren Jie humiliate this Gao Peng who had crafty and unsettling laughter. To think that it would come to this, it was all too exhilarating.

Tie Ta clenched his fists. This was too exciting, no wonder his dad always talked about how it was when he served the old family head…

Fang Yan, Wen Zihao, and the Second Prince were all shocked as they looked on. This was all beyond their expectation. This Ren Jie was really out of his mind, why else would he be carrying a Death Exemption jade tablet around? Could he already have planned to use it on somebody?

Crazy, he was really crazy. Ren Junyang, Ren Hanlin, and Ren Wenxu, who were stopped by the personal guards after they alighted from their carriage, also stood still in shock.

Was this really the kid who acted like he was dying when his allowance was docked and would continuously fawn over them all for another ten thousand taels of silver a month?

“On the count of three, you better kneel down and cry, or else I shall use this Death Exemption jade tablet on you.” Ren Jie raised the knife in his hand as everybody remained in shock. “One…”