Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Undercurrents Surging
The captain walked up to Ye Xuan. "Sir, a life has been lost. The truth of the matter cannot be determined by your word alone. This incident involves many parties, so please come with us to the Royal City Public Security Office. If, as you claim, the other party were the aggressors, you will naturally be released once our investigation is complete. If not... then I’m afraid you will have to pay for a life with your own."
After speaking, the captain immediately gave a look to two of his men. The two guards took out a set of shackles and cautiously approached.
Ye Xuan’s brow furrowed. "I believe I’m the victim here. Why are you putting me in shackles?"
The captain explained, "Right now, you are a suspect. Until your innocence is proven, we must ask you to bear with this inconvenience. Please cooperate and don’t make our jobs difficult."
"What are you lot waiting for?! Seize him and throw him in prison!" Chen Ming roared, furious at the City Guard’s dawdling. The rage was too much for him; he spat out another mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.
"This is bad! Quick, get a physician to treat him!"
A group of City Guard soldiers grew tense and shouted in a panic.
"Young Master Xuan, what happened? Huh? Why is it this punk!"
Just then, Chen Xing and his two companions rushed over. When Ye Xuan had left abruptly earlier, they’d felt something was amiss and followed him, never expecting to stumble upon such a scene.
"Who are you three?" a few City Guards asked, surrounding them with cold expressions.
"We’re students from the Profound Spirit Academy and we’re his friends," Chen Xing said hurriedly. "What’s going on here?"
"This man committed murder on the street, a violation of the kingdom’s laws. All uninvolved parties, stand back immediately."
"Bullshit! Young Master Xuan, commit murder? What a joke! I recognize these worthless bastards. Aren’t they just the sons of some Marquis, always throwing their weight around? They must have been the ones to attack Young Master Xuan first, forcing him to defend himself! Otherwise, why would he even bother dirtying his hands on trash like them?" Chen Xing cursed.
The expressions on the faces of the City Guard flickered. This fatty kept spouting ’Young Master’ this and ’Young Master’ that, and even though he recognized the son of Marquis Tianqi, he was still this arrogant. ’Could this youth also be some young noble from the Royal City?’
’It made sense. Who but the son of a noble would dare to cause such a scene in the Royal City?’
But even if he was a noble, they couldn’t just let Ye Xuan go. Chen Ming and Qin Tian were gravely injured. If Marquis Tianqi and Marquis Zhenjun decided to place blame, a few City Guards like them would be facing dire consequences.
"Sir, please come with us," the City Guard captain said, his face grave as he stood before Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. "I have no problem coming with you, but I am not a criminal, and I will not be put in shackles. Also, allow me to say a few words first."
Ye Xuan knew that after causing such a major incident and injuring Chen Ming’s group, the City Guard wouldn’t dare let him go, not even if they had ten times the courage. Openly resisting arrest would only lead to a greater conflict.
He currently had reason on his side, so there was no need to escalate the situation.
Seeing that Ye Xuan remained composed and dignified from start to finish, the City Guard captain didn’t dare to offend him and simply nodded.
Ye Xuan walked over to Chen Xing. "Chen Xing, this was a case of self-defense. A trip to the Public Security Office shouldn’t be a problem. But those two have powerful backgrounds, and they’ll surely try to cause trouble for me. I need you to go to the Alchemist Association in the Royal City and find Hua Luoxuan. After that, find the Eighth Prince, Zhao Wei, and tell him what happened. With their help, there shouldn’t be any issues."
Ye Xuan knew perfectly well that while Chen Ming and Qin Tian might have been acting on their own volition, the Sixth Prince, Zhao Gang, was undoubtedly pulling the strings.
Hua Luoxuan was, after all, only an elder of the Alchemist Association; his intervention alone might not be enough. But if Zhao Wei also got involved, then there shouldn’t be a problem.
Even though he was in the right and had plenty of witnesses, it wouldn’t be difficult for people with their kind of background to twist the truth.
But if he had powerful people backing him as well, everything would be fine.
Having said all this, Ye Xuan calmly went with the City Guard to the Public Security Office.
The crowd murmured for a few more moments before gradually dispersing.
"Chen Xing, Ye Xuan... he’ll be all right, won’t he?" Leng Yingying and Feng Rouyi asked, their faces etched with worry.
"Don’t worry. Young Master Xuan will definitely be fine."
Chen Xing nodded, his tone firm.
「Meanwhile, in a magnificent, gilded hall within the royal palace.」
The Sixth Prince, Zhao Gang, took out the Dragon Bone Yang Grass with an excited expression and carefully swallowed it.
GULP!
The moment the Dragon Bone Yang Grass, which was suffused with dense Yang Qi, entered his stomach, a scorching heat began to radiate from his body.
Zhao Gang felt a searing current of energy flow slowly to his lower abdomen. A comfortable warmth spread through the area, and to his surprise, he felt a stirring in his lower body.
’It’s working!’
A look of ecstasy appeared on Zhao Gang’s face. In his excitement, his lower body instantly shot up, ramrod straight.
He couldn’t be bothered to find another woman. He dragged a maid from his bedchamber and, ignoring her terrified, tear-filled eyes, ripped her clothes off in a few swift motions. With a savage laugh, he moved to commit his beastly act.
But before he could enter her, he suddenly convulsed. His body trembled a few times as a liquid spurted from below. Immediately after, his erection, once so firm, went completely limp.
At the same time, the medicinal effects of the Dragon Bone Yang Grass vanished completely. No matter how hard he tried, his lower half remained utterly unresponsive.
"No!" Zhao Gang roared, kicking the maid away. She landed in a heap, half-dead.
"Your Highness... an urgent report."
Just then, a guard called out from outside the room.
"Come in," Zhao Gang said, his face dark, his gaze murderous.
The guard entered respectfully, knelt on one knee, and whispered his report.
"What? That punk Ye Xuan killed all four of Chen Ming and Qin Tian’s guards on the street? And he beat Chen Ming and Qin Tian so badly they’re seriously injured?" The Sixth Prince, Zhao Gang, looked both shocked and enraged, as if he couldn’t believe it.
But then he recalled Ye Xuan’s performance in the Wind-Thunder Grotto. His expression returned to normal, twisting into a savage sneer. "A pair of useless fools. They can’t even handle one simple task. So, where are they and Ye Xuan now?"
"Your Highness, Ye Xuan and the two young masters were all taken to the Public Security Office by the City Guard."
"Good." A cold, sinister smile spread across Zhao Gang’s furious face. "Since he’s gone in, he can forget about ever coming out. The Public Security Office will be his tomb."
「At the same time, in another hall of the royal palace.」
"I didn’t think Sixth Brother would be so impatient, sending Chen Ming and Qin Tian to deal with Ye Xuan in the middle of the street. What an idiot." The First Prince, Zhao Feng, sat on his chair with a faint smile playing on his lips.
Below him, Wang Dao stood with a respectful bow. "Your Highness is wise. Now that Ye Xuan, Chen Ming, and Qin Tian have all been taken to the Public Security Office, what should be our course of action?"
"This was originally Sixth Brother’s affair, but since that Ye Xuan has provoked our Crown Prince Alliance, we can’t just let such a golden opportunity pass."
A wild smile spread across Zhao Feng’s lips. "With Sixth Brother’s incompetence, it’ll be difficult for him to keep Ye Xuan locked up. After all, Eighth Brother is backing him. Besides, the Public Security Office isn’t a convenient place for us to make a move. However, since two young marquises are involved, our Iron Blood Guard can naturally intervene."
"Here’s what you’ll do..."
Zhao Feng gave Wang Dao a series of orders.
Wang Dao’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. "Your Highness, this subordinate understands."
"Excellent. You are dismissed."
"Yes, Your Highness. Rest assured, I will see this matter through to the end," Wang Dao said with a sinister smile.
The last time, he had been defeated by the Eighth Prince, Zhao Wei, and he still harbored deep resentment. Given his status, he didn’t dare to confront Zhao Wei directly, so he had transferred all of his hatred onto Ye Xuan.
Now that he had a chance to take Ye Xuan down, Wang Dao was naturally thrilled.
After Wang Dao left, Zhao Feng picked up an almond and popped it into his mouth. "Oh, Eighth Brother, Eighth Brother... if you had just kept your head down, I wouldn’t have had to do anything. But you just had to follow in my footsteps and Fourth Brother’s, graduating from the Profound Spirit Academy at the top of the Wind and Cloud List. Whether you have ambitions for the throne or not, I, this Prince, cannot afford to give you any chances. This time, I’ll start by clipping one of your wings. Consider it a warning."
「In a luxurious mansion somewhere in the Royal City.」
A man in magnificent robes was reclining on a chair, resting with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, a subordinate entered and whispered a few words in his ear. The robed man’s expression changed drastically.
"What?!" The robed man shot to his feet, his face ferocious, his expression so dark it looked as if he wanted to devour someone. "What did you say? Say it again!"
The subordinate’s face went pale with fright. He stammered, "A message... a message just came from the Public Security Office. The Young Marquis and the son of Marquis Zhenjun got into a conflict with a youth on the street. In the end... not only did the youth kill the Young Marquis’s two guards, but he also gravely injured the Young Marquis himself."
"Outrageous! How could this have happened?" The robed man’s face was grim. "How is Ming’er? Where are they now? And what about the son of Marquis Zhenjun? Who is this youth, and how did this conflict even start? Tell me everything, in detail."
The subordinate quickly tried to compose himself. "This subordinate doesn’t have all the details. It seems that..."
The subordinate then recounted everything he had heard.
Marquis Tianqi slammed his palm down, shattering the table. "That rebellious son! Why did he have to go and provoke someone like that? Anyone who dares to challenge the Sixth Prince is no ordinary person! And that Celestial Cauldron Commerce Association... daring to make my son apologize in public? They clearly have no respect for me, Marquis Tianqi! But no matter who he is, he dared to harm my son. If I, Marquis Tianqi, allow him to walk out of that Public Security Office unharmed, how could I ever show my face again?"
