Chapter 26
Chapter 26: A Slap to the Mouth, A Stab to the Heart
As soon as Jiang Yi Zhu finished reporting him directly to His Highness Chong Ming, the whole scene froze like someone had hit pause and fell into silence.
The school leaders’ hearts thudded, a chill rising from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads, cold sweat pouring like it was free. [Is Jiang Yi Zhu crazy?] As a student of the Royal Military Academy, she had no sense of rules at all. She had skipped past eight hundred levels of hierarchy to report straight to His Highness Chong Ming. Did she take all of them as dead?
All the students around them turned their eyes to Jiang Tea Tea, mouths falling open, more shocked than when they saw a level 10 Aberrant Beast transform.
They could not believe how big a bubble Jiang Tea Tea must have in her head to actually try to murder their idol, their heartthrob idol, the strongest beastman in the entire M31 Star System.
Chong Ming acted like he had not just heard someone accuse another person of plotting to murder him. His expression did not change as he stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze slid past Jiang Yi Zhu and landed on Jiang Tea Tea’s face.
Ai the deputy officer and Da Ma Zi and the others were glad they were fully armed. Otherwise, every one of them would have lost it laughing. How could the Empire have such a stupid female?
Facing all the eyes on her, Jiang Tea Tea chuckled and broke the silence: “Roommate, I suddenly feel like the history books of the Zhenlin Empire should set aside five lines just for me.”
Sui Xuan Chu, his face covered in blood and his hair singed from being struck, laughed loudly and nodded like a pecking chick as he said: “Yes, yes, yes, roommate, if you now, in front of all of us, go and take out Big Dog Huang’s idol, our Empire’s Commander in Chief of the Three Armies and regent Prince of the Blood, His Highness Chong Ming, then in a ten-line entry in the history books, you will get five of those lines.”
Sui Xuan Chu kept going as he laughed: “From then on, no one will be able to compete with you. You will be the most amazingly awesome female from ancient times till now.”
He waved his hands for effect and added: “People of later generations, when they see your name, will have to give you a thumbs up and point their pinkies down at Commander in Chief Chong Ming. Then you can die without regrets!”
Huang Da Zhuang was completely speechless, only able to let out: “…”
He thought Sister Tea and Sui Xuan Chu were incredibly brave. He wondered, [Would it be too abrupt if I cheered for them?]
Jiang Yi Zhu finally opened her mouth and scolded him: “Sui Xuan Chu, you are a dragon clan member. How can you go along with her just because Jiang Tea Tea is your roommate? Are you worthy of the nation, of its common citizens, and of His Highness Chong Ming who works for the country and the people?”
His Highness Chong Ming stayed silent for a long time. Jiang Yi Zhu did not dare to look straight at him, but she had the courage to go against Jiang Tea Tea and Sui Xuan Chu. She was determined to splash dirty water to the very end, every word cloaked in righteous talk about serving the country and the people.
She raised her voice and declared: “Jiang Tea Tea, you are my elder sister, the daughter my parents adopted. You cannot twist your mind just because our parents do not love you, you did not awaken supernatural powers, and your fiancé does not like you. You cannot secretly buy forbidden drugs, secretly inject forbidden drugs, develop an anti-human personality, want to take revenge on society, and plot to murder His Highness.”
She pressed on, sounding full of good intentions: “Listen, what you are doing is wrong. I reported you to His Highness for your own good. Do not keep being stubborn and refusing to wake up!”
Jiang Tea Tea had a fiery temper and could not endure this at all. She moved Sui Xuan Chu’s supporting hand off her arm and shifted it onto Huang Da Zhuang.
She took a big step forward, raised her hand, and slapped Jiang Yi Zhu right across the mouth. That little mouth was so good at talking; it would be a pity not to hit it.
With a loud smack, the slap echoed. The timid people present all trembled inside and stepped back without thinking, afraid of getting dragged in.
Jiang Yi Zhu was knocked over by the slap and fell to the ground. She spat out a mouthful of blood with two teeth in it.
Jiang Tea Tea swung her leg back and kicked, sending her flying straight toward Chong Ming.
Chong Ming did not move at all. Deputy Officer Ai stretched out a leg and blocked Jiang Yi Zhu.
Hit by the kick, Jiang Yi Zhu clutched her chest and spat out another big mouthful of blood.
Jiang Tea Tea walked up to her and said: “Jiang Yi Zhu, when you catch a thief you bring the stolen goods, and when you catch an adulterer you go to the bed. You only have your mouth, no proof at all, and yet you come to wrong me. Who gave you the guts?”
Jiang Yi Zhu felt like her organs had all shifted out of place and were burning with pain. At this point, she had no way out.
She knew she had to drag Jiang Tea Tea down. Only then could she get her own parents, Chu Ming older brother, and Chu Ming’s parents out of the Central Public Security Bureau.
She gritted her teeth and shouted: “Who says I do not have evidence? Jiang Tea Tea, the vial from the forbidden drug you injected is in your dorm. As long as His Highness Chong Ming sends people to check, they will find it.”
She added loudly: “Your light-brain wrist terminal also has the record of you buying the drug. Even if you have deleted it, His Highness Chong Ming only needs to find an information expert to check and it will all come out.”
Every three sentences she had to bring up Chong Ming, this big golden dragon. Did she really think this wily big golden dragon would be so easy to fool?
Jiang Tea Tea unfastened the light-brain wrist terminal from her wrist and casually tossed it toward Chong Ming: “Here, my light-brain wrist terminal. Take it and check whatever you want. You can also search the dorm however you like.”
Chong Ming raised his hand and caught the light-brain wrist terminal that Jiang Tea Tea threw over. The strap still held her body heat.
He lowered his eyes to look at Jiang Yi Zhu and said: “Jiang Yi Zhu, even if the investigation shows that schoolmate Jiang Tea Tea used a forbidden drug and tried to murder me, your parents and the family of the Chu Ming you like will still not be released from the Central Public Security Bureau. Their crimes are already a fact.”
He asked her softly: “Think this through carefully, hmm?”
Jiang Yi Zhu’s pupils shook, and her face turned as white as snow.
[His Highness Chong Ming knows about the case of my parents and Chu Ming older brother? No, no, no, that is impossible. His Highness Chong Ming handles affairs all day long, commands the Three Armies, and acts as regent. How could he know about such a small case?]
Chong Ming did not seem to care whether she answered. He said calmly: “It does not matter if you do not think it through. As a legal resident of the Empire, the Empire’s law code gives you the right to report.”
Seeing that Jiang Yi Zhu did not speak, his deep voice spilled out, slow and unhurried, but full of pressure: “Of course, the law code also requires you to bear the crime of framing and wronging others.”
Jiang Yi Zhu shivered and said: “Your Highness Chong Ming, I…”
But Chong Ming’s deep voice covered hers as he called out: “Deputy Officer Ai, go investigate.”
Deputy Officer Ai snapped off a salute and answered: “Yes, Your Highness!” He quickly left with two people.
His Highness Chong Ming stayed where he was. No one present moved. They were all waiting.
Jiang Tea Tea’s stomach ache had just barely eased, but because she had just beaten Jiang Yi Zhu, the pain came back again.
She looked around, stepped back to the flower bed, and sat down, one hand on her stomach and the other braced on the soil along the edge of the flower bed. Her fingernails dug into the dirt and turned into countless roots that burrowed into the soil, stretching deep underground to absorb the essence and nutrients of Mother Earth.
Seeing her sit down, Sui Xuan Chu slung an arm over Huang Da Zhuang’s shoulder, dragged him over, and sat down beside her. He asked: “Are you okay, roommate?”
Jiang Tea Tea replied: “I am fine. My stomach just got kicked once and has not recovered yet.” She glanced at Chong Ming holding her light-brain wrist terminal. He stood there looking every bit the proper person, yet all he did was shamelessly sneak attack people.
Sui Xuan Chu patted her shoulder to comfort her: “We should be thankful that Commander in Chief Chong Ming held back with his kicks.”
Jiang Tea Tea shot him a sharp look and snapped: “What do you mean? If he had not held back, would I still be standing here today?” She thought, [What part of that was holding back? He had almost wanted to kick me to death, okay?]
Sui Xuan Chu grinned, the blood on his face charred a bit from the lightning, making his teeth look especially white when he bared them. He said: “Roommate, you really know nothing about his combat power. Let me tell you, if he wanted to, the seventy to eighty thousand people in our Academy would not be enough for him to slaughter.”