In the Imperial Capital, a meeting was underway.
In addition to the four Champions, the Elites were also present. However, only nine Elites had made an appearance. Two were dead, and another, Xie Yulan, hadn't come at all.
Xie Yulan held the status of an Acting Elite Four member. She rarely fulfilled the duties of the rank, maintaining the position in name only.
Aside from the Champions and Elites, several power players from the Pokémon Council were in attendance.
"Zhu An and Shen Tai are dead."
Jiang Yuan spoke with blunt finality the moment everyone had arrived. This meeting had been called by him; as a Champion, he had the authority to convene such a gathering.
"How did they die?" someone asked immediately upon hearing that two Elites had perished.
"My son killed them," Jiang Yuan replied, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. "Now, let me ask you: which of you participated in this matter? Who was pulling the strings behind my son's back?"
"Jiang Yuan, your son is truly acting with reckless abandon!"
A leader from the Pokémon Council stood up, his face ashen with rage as he glared at Jiang Yuan.
"Shut up and let me finish."
Jiang Yuan's gaze was so terrifying that the man was startled into stumbling back into his seat.
"Whether you want to talk or not doesn't matter to me. I won't force a confession. But that boy of mine said this: anyone who makes an enemy of him will die along with their entire family."
"Hahaha! Now that kid has a temper I can get behind," Ling Zhan remarked, suddenly breaking into laughter.
"Are you threatening us?"
Unlike the laughing Ling Zhan, others in the room looked pale with fury.
"A threat? I have no need to threaten dead men," Jiang Yuan said calmly. "Regardless, I'm washing my hands of this. I'll let that kid run wild as he pleases."
"I called this meeting simply to tell you that a lot of people are about to die. We're going to be busy. To avoid triggering a total panic, try your best to suppress the news of what happens next."
Jiang Yuan was eerily calm, his previous burning rage having vanished completely. He knew that those who had played tricks in the shadows were about to regret it.
"Presumptuous! Do you really think he can act with such impunity? As his father, you indulge his lawlessness do you even deserve to be called a Champion?" an Elite shouted, standing up to point a finger at Jiang Yuan.
"Qi Jingyi, it seems you were involved," Jiang Yuan said with a thin smile, looking toward the Elite who had just stood up.
"Nonsense! Don't you dare talk such rot!"
"Forget it. Mew can read memories. Don't think you can hide anything."
Jiang Chen didn't have the patience for useless words. As long as someone was involved, he could find out.
Yesterday, Ling Wanqiu, Ning Ya, and the others thought Jiang Chen had locked himself in his room all day. In reality, he hadn't been there at all. He had spent the entire day with Mew, using the Legendary Pokémon to read memories directly. He didn't need to interrogate anyone.
He knew exactly who had conspired against him.
"Oh, quite the gathering of important people we have here."
The silhouettes of Jiang Chen, Mew, and Gardevoir suddenly materialized within the meeting room.
"It seems I've interrupted you. Don't worry, I'll be gone as soon as I've finished my business."
Facing the stunned expressions of the crowd, Jiang Chen smiled. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he hurled three flying daggers. Three bodies fell silently to the floor.
One was Qi Jingyi, the Elite who had just stood up in a fit of rage. The other two were Directors from the Pokémon Council.
"The killing is done. I won't disturb you further. Please, continue your meeting," Jiang Chen said cheerfully, preparing to take his leave.
"Wait!"
One of the Council leaders stood up, stopping Jiang Chen with an angry shout.
"Do you have any idea who you just killed? To act so recklessly right in front of us... do you think having Legendary Pokémon makes you above the law?"
"My apologies. I actually do think I'm above the law."
Jiang Chen lashed out, delivering a stinging slap across the man's face.
At that moment, though a smile hung on Jiang Chen's face, his aura was horrifying. The killing intent radiating from him made it hard for many in the room to even breathe.
The Champions and Elites fared better they had faced many powerful Pokémon and could withstand the pressure but even their complexions changed.
"I've already killed quite a few people; I don't mind adding one more. Everyone else had the sense to stay quiet, yet you had to show off. So, die. In your next life, don't be the one who sticks his neck out."
A flying dagger pierced straight through the man's head. Jiang Chen didn't even know his name.
The man was simply unlucky. If he had kept his mouth shut, it would have been fine, but since he dared to speak up, Jiang Chen didn't mind using him as an example to establish his authority.
As for whether it was too cruel, Jiang Chen felt he was being quite merciful within Xia Country. If they looked abroad, they would see that no one could withstand the combined bombardment of Zapdos and Articuno.
"Does anyone else want to stick their neck out?" Jiang Chen's cold gaze swept over the crowd.
It wasn't their imagination it felt as though Jiang Chen's eyes were glowing with a faint red light, looking at everyone as if they were already corpses.
"It seems there are many smart people in this world after all. Just remember, don't provoke me again."
Jiang Chen signaled Mew to take him away.
Only after he had left did the people in the meeting room finally exhale. The pressure Jiang Chen had exerted was staggering.
"I'm a little worried about that kid," Ling Zhan said to Jiang Yuan.
He wasn't the only one; Jiang Yuan was deeply concerned as well. He was worried about Jiang Chen's mental state. In Jiang Chen's eyes, Jiang Yuan hadn't seen even a glimmer of humanity.
He truly feared his son was succumbing to his inner demons.
"Jiang Yuan, you should talk to your son," someone said, their voice now strangely kind. Jiang Chen had truly terrified them; they had seen a complete disregard for life in his gaze.
The way he looked at them wasn't the way one looks at a human being, but rather at livestock. He simply didn't view them as his equals.
A person who was mentally unstable yet possessed such terrifying power was the truest form of danger. Such a man was capable of anything. Evil men weren't the scariest madmen were. Madmen acted without regard for consequences, and in their eyes, Jiang Chen looked very much like a madman.
"I will relay one more thing to you," Jiang Yuan said. "My son does not want to see any news or messages slandering him on the Xia Country internet. They must vanish by tomorrow morning at the latest."
"If you can't manage that, I don't know what he'll do. You might all die. And I am not joking."
Having said his piece, Jiang Yuan released his Dragonite, climbed onto its back, and flew away. He was done wasting words on these people. He needed to check on Jiang Chen.
After Jiang Yuan left, the people in the meeting room wasted no time. They scrambled to issue orders.
Previously, they would have dismissed Jiang Yuan's words, refusing to believe Jiang Chen would actually kill them. But Jiang Chen had just committed murder right before their eyes.
They finally understood that in the face of absolute power, political influence was worthless.
The people who had just died were part of the elite few at the pinnacle of society, and yet they were dead all the same. Jiang Chen hadn't even blinked when he ended them.
At least half the people sitting in that room were now scared witless by Jiang Chen.
Jiang Yuan rode his Dragonite and returned quickly to Tianhai City.
"Is Jiang Chen back?" Jiang Yuan immediately asked Ning Ya.
"The Young Master? Did he go out?" Ning Ya was completely unaware. She had assumed he was still in his room.
Jiang Yuan didn't answer and went straight to Jiang Chen's room. The door wasn't locked, but when he pushed it open, Jiang Chen was nowhere to be seen.
"Uncle, where did Jiang Chen go?" Ling Wanqiu asked nervously.
"Yeah, Uncle Jiang, where did he run off to?" Xiao Luoxue asked with equal concern.
Though Gu Shuangyue didn't speak, the worry in her eyes was unmistakable. Seeing Jiang Yuan's frantic expression, they knew something was wrong.
"Don't worry, he's fine."
Jiang Yuan shook his head slightly. Physically, Jiang Chen was certainly safe. With Mew and his other Pokémon by his side, only another Legendary could possibly threaten him. Even then, Mew could use Teleport to escape at any moment.
What Jiang Yuan feared was Jiang Chen's psyche. There was definitely something wrong with his mental state those eyes were completely void of emotion.
Though he knew Jiang Chen's current condition was off, Jiang Yuan didn't tell the girls. Even if he did, it would only make them worry more without changing a thing.
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