Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Not Giving Face
"Master," Wang Dao sneered. "Sir, even though you are a steward of the Soul Master Tower, you can’t just spout nonsense. This Ye Xuan is a student of our Profound Spirit Academy. He only joined a year ago. How could he have become a master in your Soul Master Tower?"
"Hmph. Master Ye Xuan is a first-rank Soul Refiner of our Soul Master Tower. Is that something we need to report to you?"
’So the kid is a first-rank Soul Refiner. No wonder the Soul Master Tower got involved. That really gave me a scare.’
Upon hearing that Ye Xuan was a first-rank Soul Refiner, the tension in Wang Dao and the others actually eased.
The students of Profound Spirit Academy were all geniuses from various lands, so it was quite normal for them to display astonishing talent in other areas.
According to incomplete statistics, at least half the students in the entire Profound Spirit Academy had astonishing achievements in other secondary professions. The Eighth Prince, Zhao Wei, for example, was a first-rank Soul Refiner himself.
They had originally thought Ye Xuan had some powerful backer in the Soul Master Tower to have caused such a stir. Now it seemed it was simply because he was a member.
’It’s even possible the Eighth Prince pulled strings to get this so-called elder involved, and it has nothing to do with Ye Xuan himself.’
As soon as the thought emerged, Wang Dao couldn’t help but nod to himself. ’That has to be the most logical explanation.’
At that moment, his heart settled, and he said coldly, "Steward Liu, was it? Let me tell you clearly: Ye Xuan is a major criminal in the custody of my Iron Blood Guard, and this case involves the security of the kingdom. Please go back and tell whatever Elder ’Withered Dust’ or Kuchen who sent you to be understanding. When the Iron Blood Guard handles a case, it’s useless no matter who comes to plead."
"Insolent! How dare you speak of our Elder Kuchen like that!"
Liu Zhiwen was furious.
"My, what an imposing air you have," Wang Dao sneered. "I’ve heard of a few elders from the Soul Master Tower, but who the hell is this Elder Kuchen? Have you lot ever heard of him?"
Commander Xuu, Marquis Tianqi, and Marquis Zhenjun exchanged glances and all shook their heads.
To be honest, none of them knew of any Elder Kuchen in the Soul Master Tower either.
Wang Dao sneered. The reason he dared to be so insolent was precisely that he had never heard of Elder Kuchen.
As a member of the Iron Blood Guard, he was naturally well-informed about the important figures in the Royal City. He was even aware of the few elders who held real power in the Soul Master Tower.
But he’d never heard of this Kuchen before. He figured he must be some unimportant elder, or perhaps one who had just been promoted.
If this were an ordinary case, Wang Dao might have given the other party some face and let it go.
But Ye Xuan was someone the Crown Prince himself had ordered to be taken down, a person to be made an example of for the Eighth Prince.
Moreover, with the Sixth Prince, Marquis Tianqi, and Marquis Zhenjun backing this, the idea that some powerless elder from the Soul Master Tower could just send any old steward to demand the prisoner back was simply laughable.
In Wang Dao’s mind, Elder Kuchen probably wasn’t even that familiar with Ye Xuan. He must have just heard about the case, had someone plead with him, and casually sent a man over.
"Fine. Very fine. So it seems you have no intention of letting me take Master Ye Xuan away? Not only are you showing no respect to me or Elder Kuchen, but you’re also not planning to give any face to my Soul Master Tower, is that it?"
Liu Zhiwen had never imagined the other party would be so arrogant. Not only did they disregard him, but they even dared to mock Elder Kuchen.
"Haha." Hearing this, Wang Dao couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. "You’re just a lowly steward. Don’t try to sow discord here. I never said I wasn’t giving the Soul Master Tower face. It’s just that this Ye Xuan is a major criminal of the Iron Blood Guard who has severely endangered the kingdom’s security. You and your ’whatever’ elder might be able to fool others, but you can’t fool me. Scram, and don’t interfere with the Iron Blood Guard’s investigation."
"How audacious!"
Liu Zhiwen was incensed by his words and roared, "I am acting on Elder Kuchen’s orders and I *must* take Master Ye Xuan back with me! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being discourteous."
"Oho? Well, I, Wang Dao, would love to see just how ’discourteous’ you dare to be. Men!" Wang Dao waved his hand. "This is the garrison, a restricted area. Throw this idler out."
"Yes, sir!"
Several Iron Blood Guards surged forward like a pack of wolves, seized Liu Zhiwen, and began carrying him outside.
Liu Zhiwen, choking with rage, cried out, "Commander Xuu, I am a steward of the Soul Master Tower! Does my word mean nothing?"
Commander Xuu said faintly, "The garrison has already handed this case over to the Iron Blood Guard. I’m afraid my hands are tied."
"You... all of you... I’ll remember this! Fine! Just fine! You and your garrison! You and your Iron Blood Guard! Do you really think a mere commander and a captain can blot out the sky with one hand in this Liuyun Kingdom?" Liu Zhiwen cursed.
Before he could finish, he was carried out.
Wang Dao sneered and shot a mocking glance at Ye Xuan behind him. "Kid, I never would’ve thought. You’ve only been in the Royal City for a year and you’ve already latched onto the Soul Master Tower’s upper echelon. No wonder you’re usually so arrogant. But unfortunately for you, I can tell you this clearly: no matter what tricks you have up your sleeve, you can’t overturn this case. Forget a steward—even if that so-called elder came in person, he wouldn’t be able to save you. You’d better give up all hope, kid."
Ye Xuan acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, showing no reaction whatsoever to Wang Dao’s words.
"Go on, kid, keep pretending. That backer of yours can only cause a stir up to this point. Once we get to the Iron Blood Guard, it won’t matter what prince comes calling. We’ll see if you can still be so calm then."
Wang Dao’s words clearly attributed Steward Liu’s appearance to the Eighth Prince’s meddling.
"So domineering, Captain Wang! If it were me, I might have had to hand the kid over."
Commander Long seized the opportunity to lay on the flattery.
This was only possible because of the Iron Blood Guard’s transcendent status. If it were him, a mere Vice Commander of the garrison, facing a demand from a Soul Master Tower steward, he would never dare to be so arrogant and domineering.
"Let’s go."
Taking Ye Xuan with them, Wang Dao and his group swaggered away.
The disarmed Commander Fan watched all this unfold, sighing for Ye Xuan in his heart.
He knew that the Eighth Prince hadn’t been the one to get the Soul Master Tower elder involved—it had been Ye Xuan’s own connection.
He just hadn’t expected the Iron Blood Guard to get involved personally. Even a request from a Soul Master Tower elder hadn’t been enough to get Ye Xuan out.
It seemed the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince were dead set on making this case against Ye Xuan airtight, a major affair. They were determined to kill him and send a warning to the Eighth Prince.
「Profound Spirit Academy.」
Chen Xing and Feng Rouyi waited for a full day, but there was no news of Ye Xuan’s return.
"Why isn’t Ye Xuan back yet? Something couldn’t have happened, right?" A trace of worry was on Feng Rouyi’s face.
"Yeah." Chen Xing’s brow furrowed as well. "With the Eighth Prince’s status, getting someone out should be simple, right? It’s been a whole day, and Young Master Xuan still isn’t back."
Just then, Leng Yingying walked in from outside.
"This is bad." The moment she entered, her expression was grim.
"Leng Yingying, what did you find out?"
"I pulled out all the stops and managed to find out one thing. Ye Xuan isn’t at the garrison anymore. He’s been taken over by the Iron Blood Guard."
"The Iron Blood Guard? What’s that?"
Leng Yingying said gravely, "The Iron Blood Guard is a branch under the Imperial Guard. They specialize in handling major criminal cases in the Royal City, including treason, rebellion, and the like."
"What? Why would Ye Xuan be transferred there?" Chen Xing and Feng Rouyi were utterly shocked.
"I heard that half of the Iron Blood Guard is controlled by the Crown Prince, Zhao Feng. So I suspect that Ye Xuan being transferred there was the Crown Prince’s idea."
Chen Xing and Feng Rouyi’s faces instantly became incredibly grim.
They all knew about the enmity between the Crown Prince and Ye Xuan. After how Ye Xuan had humiliated the Crown Prince’s Crown Prince Alliance at the academy, being sent to the Iron Blood Guard was like walking into a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair—a place of certain death.
"No, we can’t just sit here and wait to be slaughtered."
The faces of Chen Xing and the other two were all incredibly solemn.
"Alright. Leng Yingying, you know the Royal City best and you have some connections. See if you can find a way into the royal palace and find Hua Luoxuan."
"Feng Rouyi, you go to the Li family’s estate and find Teacher Luo Zhan. Teacher Luo Zhan used to be a Captain in the Golden Lion Corps. Now that his strength has recovered and he’s returned to the Li family, he should have a position in the Royal City. As the kingdom’s foremost military family, the Li family might have a way to help."
"As for me, I’ll go find Teacher Yun Aoxue. Since Young Master Xuan is a student of Profound Spirit Academy, there’s a chance if a teacher from the academy steps in."
Although Chen Xing was usually a slacker, at this critical moment, he immediately revealed his sharp and decisive side.
"Okay. Everyone be careful."
The three of them immediately split up, quickly disappearing into the night.
「The Main Hall of the Royal Palace.」
It was now nighttime, yet the main hall was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
Apparently, a banquet was being held.
Beautifully dressed palace maids in fine silks and satins carried trays of fine wine, dancing gracefully.
The various princes, nobles, and ministers, all clad in brocade robes, held wine cups and chatted with one another in small groups.
"Why did His Majesty suddenly decide to hold a banquet?"
"I don’t know. I was also summoned at the last minute."
"Huh, me too. Has something joyous happened in the kingdom?"
Many of the nobles and ministers discussed it among themselves.
They had received a last-minute summons to the palace and had rushed over to attend the banquet, but they were unclear as to the reason His Majesty was holding it.
On another side, several princes and princesses stood apart, each talking with those they were close to.
"Big Brother, I heard you took that Ye Xuan to your Iron Blood Guard?"
Zhao Wei, holding a wine cup, walked up to the Crown Prince, Zhao Feng.
"Ah, if it isn’t my Eighth Brother. Eighth Brother graduated not long ago at the top of the Windy Cloud List and now holds a portion of the kingdom’s financial power. As your big brother, I am truly happy for you."
The Crown Prince, Zhao Feng, smiled faintly but did not answer Zhao Wei’s question.
