Crushed

The disruption came so suddenly that the crowd in the main hall was still laughing unabashedly at the ignorant Dachao barbarian who didn't know his place. Seated in the hall's private booth, Xu Yuan was visibly taken aback for a second. He couldn't make sense of it. As far as he remembered, all he had done was raise the bid once. After speaking, he had sat right back down in his booth to drink wine and watch the show. Hooting and egging things on was human nature; so many people had jacked up the price just now, yet this distinguished guest from the desert had bestowed such a grand greeting exclusively on him. Had the man recognized him? Yet if he recognized him, anyone in their right mind wouldn't dare act like this, would they? Would someone who dared curse the Second Prince's mother care about a prince from the desert? The indoor rockery hurtling through the air with a whistling screech did not pause for Xu Yuan's confusion; in the blink of an eye, it was about to crash right into him. Xu Yuan, however, did not flinch. Beside him, his three fair-weather friends almost spat out their wine at the sight. In less than two years, someone actually dared pick a fight with this master? Was there no imperial law left in this Imperial Capital? Was there no justice at all? The very next instant— *Bang!* A slender, graceful figure materialized before Xu Yuan, sweeping an armored gauntlet across a corner of the rockery. It was Ying'er, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. After Xu Yuan's return to the capital, she and Si Ziyu had resumed their duties as his bodyguards. As for Zhou Chen... Zhou Chen had been miserably transferred to the Northern Border to fight for his life. Under Ying'er's deft deflection, the entire decorative rockery flew straight back into the third-floor private suite with a deafening crash! And alongside that crash, Xu Yuan suddenly grasped what the Dachao barbarian had been thinking. The attack on him likely wasn't for some convoluted reason—it was purely because he was the only person sitting down in the main hall who had dared to bid. Those in the third-floor private suites were rich or noble, whereas the main hall was mostly filled with wealthy merchants posturing as connoisseurs of culture, or scholars hoping to rub shoulders with prominent patrons. Pick on the soft persimmon. Stirring up trouble and asserting dominance followed the same logic: pick on someone meek. With a sigh, Xu Yuan leaned back against the plush couch behind him. At this moment, the commotion naturally drew the eyes of nearly everyone in the hall. Under the dim lamps, the onlookers finally caught a clear look at the victim's face. Though two years had passed, his notorious reputation remained. "Xu... Xu Changtian?" "When did he return to the Imperial Capital?" "Didn't they say the Emperor banished him to the frontier?" "You guys didn't know? Rumors were going around recently that he was back, but who knew it was actually true!" "I think I saw that Dachao man earlier today. His status is supposed to be quite high." "I saw him too! Dammit, a mere barbarian actually dared harass the carriage of Lady Zhou in the street." "Tsk, tsk, there's a show to watch now! That Dachao barbarian crossed Xu Changtian, that crazy d—*cough*, crossing Third Young Master Xu means he's in serious trouble." "Watch a show, my ass! Run, hurry! If a fight breaks out and we get caught in it, we're done for!" "..." Amid the buzz of chatter, the sensible patrons in the hall scrambled to their feet and bolted for the exit. Xu Yuan looked up at the gaping hole on the third floor and slowly voiced a question: "Just now, which bastard told his dog to throw that?" "..." Silence fell. After a long pause, no one attacked. Instead, a gruff voice called out from the hole: "Heh, and where did you crawl out from? Do you know that not even the Emperor of your Yan Dynasty would dare address my master like that?" "Oho, quite the airs you've got. Too bad a dog like you isn't worthy of knowing who I am." With that, Xu Yuan glanced sideways toward the private suite where the Third Prince was sitting. "This young master just had his temper stirred. If whoever's in charge here doesn't get their ass out here right now, I'm having my people tear this building down." "..." No voice answered from that third-floor suite. The Third Prince raised a hand and vigorously rubbed his brow. Originally, he had only intended to use the others to drive up the price—peace and harmony bring wealth, after all. He wanted to use the status of the high officials and nobles on the third floor to deflect the Dachao prince. Yet who would have thought this jinx Xu Changtian would show up too? Worse, who could have guessed this jinx preferred sitting down in the main hall? It was over. This brothel would probably be demolished. Suddenly, a knock sounded and the door was pushed open. Eunuch Hou entered, asking in a soft voice, "Your Highness, how shall we handle this? Should this servant step forward?" The Third Prince rolled his eyes. "Step forward? Step forward for what?" Eunuch Hou hesitated slightly. "Revealing your identity might turn hostility into harmony." The Third Prince leaned back against the couch, propping both legs directly onto the tea table. "Give me a break. When he clashed with Second Brother back then, this Xu Changtian dared curse the Empress right in the middle of the street! He's calling for the manager because he clearly intends to drag whoever's running the place into the beating. Do you want to go out there and get thrashed?" Eunuch Hou hesitated. "With this servant's cultivation..." "Xu Changtian usually has two or three Grandmasters trailing him whenever he goes out. And look at the three sitting next to him: one is the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenxi, another is the son of the capital's Imperial Guard commander, and the last is the son of the Vice Chancellor." "..." Eunuch Hou was at a loss for words. With that, the Third Prince waved his hand in utter resignation. "Let them do whatever the hell they want. That Nalan You came looking for trouble anyway. Since Xu Changtian is here, let dog bite dog. Worst case, I lose this brothel. Hurry up and get everyone evacuated—and remember to take those valuable antiques with you!" Having said that, the Third Prince felt his heart bleeding. As one of the Imperial Capital's premier pleasure houses, the debut ceremony for the top courtesan at Qingyu Pavilion was actually quite elaborate. The earlier dancing girls performing with flowing sleeves were just to warm up the room. Once night fell and all the dignitaries and nobles arrived, there would be various atmosphere-building events like poetry gatherings, each subsequent stage bringing in thousands of taels of silver. That was tens of thousands of taels in revenue! And once its reputation was established tonight, it would rake in gold every single day. Now with this mess, he would even lose the cost of renovation. Eunuch Hou was sharp-eyed. Seeing Li Junqing's expression, he ventured, "Your Highness, we could actually go to the Chancellor's Manor to demand compensation." The Third Prince grew more pained the more he spoke. "Like hell they'll pay! Even when Xu Changtian is in the wrong, he can stall for six months or a year. This time he's completely in the right! It would be a miracle if you could pry a single copper out of that old bastard Hua Hong!" "..." Eunuch Hou fell silent. The Third Prince adjusted his mindset quite quickly and asked, "Right, did you look into that Zhou Chen I told you to investigate earlier?" At this, Eunuch Hou nodded. "I did." The Third Prince grinned. "That newly acknowledged brother of mine actually managed to provoke a Second Rank Origin Realm master—his background can't be simple, right?" Eunuch Hou smacked his lips and said cautiously, "Your Highness, that man was likely using an alias." "An alias?" The Third Prince frowned. Eunuch Hou explained in a low voice, "The real Zhou Chen is a retained elder of the Chancellor's Manor at the Grandmaster level, and he should currently be stationed at the Northern Border." "..." The Third Prince's brow knitted tighter and tighter. While the conversation took place inside the private suite, a momentary silence fell over the hall below. "Not coming out, huh?" Xu Yuan muttered under his breath and glanced at Ying'er in front of him. Reviewing the usual procedure for demolishing an establishment in his memories: Generally, he would throw a tantrum and charge in first; the opponent would strike back, and only then would his bodyguards reluctantly step in. He figured that if he simply ordered Ying'er around, she wouldn't pay him any mind. With that in mind, Xu Yuan slowly got to his feet. Just as he was about to walk toward Ying'er, he felt his wrist suddenly grabbed. Wang Chengping cautioned in a low voice, "Changtian, the Crown Prince takes this Dachao prince's visit very seriously." Xu Yuan shrugged, responding nonchalantly, "They assigned you to handle their security—how could he not take it seriously?" Gong Yuanzeng chimed in at this point, "The Crown Prince is most likely acting on the Emperor's intent as well. Just have that Dachao prince apologize and make amends, and let it go." Given their family backgrounds, all of them could roughly guess that the Dachao prince had come to the capital regarding the war on the Northern Border. A distinguished guest of the Court of State Ceremonial was best not provoked into a major incident over petty spite. Xu Yuan said nothing, though he understood. These two friends held official posts now, after all; they could no longer view things with the same reckless disregard as before. After a beat, Xu Yuan glanced sideways at Li Junwu. Li Junwu crossed her slender, shapely legs. The moment her gaze met Xu Yuan's, both smiled. Xu Yuan and Li Junwu curled their lips. The Marquis of Zhenxi had fought in the desert for so many years; out of family heritage, she disliked these grassland barbarians intensely—bordering on disgust. Seeing their expressions, Wang Chengping knew further persuasion was futile. With a sigh, he stripped off his uniform. Gong Yuanzeng rubbed his brow. "You two... motherfucker, really." Wang Chengping tossed his armor as an Imperial Defense Guard company commander onto the ground, grinning with his square-jawed face. "If we all strike together, any punishment from the Emperor will be lighter when it falls." Xu Yuan stepped forward, came up behind Ying'er, and raised his hand to land a crisp smack on her shapely rear. This time, just like before, she did not dodge. The impact sent a slight jiggle through the firm curve. "Go throw that barking dog and his bastard master down here for me." "..." Ying'er winced and frowned in pain. After a long silence, she glanced toward Si Ziyu, who was hidden in the shadows. The very next instant, two figures vaulted straight toward the third-floor private suite. Beside them, Li Junwu and Gong Yuanzeng subtly waved their hands toward two bodyguards hidden in the dark. An instant later, a third and fourth figure leapt toward the third floor as well. Wang Chengping and Gong Yuanzeng had already entered the imperial forces, and while on duty their families no longer assigned personal guards to them, but their own cultivation was not weak either. Barely had the four leapt up when a streak of sword qi slashed out from the third-floor private suite. The battle was joined. Viewed from the sky, that beam of sword qi swept across Qingyu Pavilion's exterior like a laser, splitting a crack dozens of meters long into the stone masonry. Yet this was only the beginning. With a wolf-like snarl from the burly Dachao warrior, a gust of fist wind slammed out, blasting a massive five-foot hole through the specially reinforced stone wall! The fierce clash inside the pavilion raged for a dozen breaths. *BOOM!!!* It collapsed. Beside the gently rippling Longping River, amidst the glow of lanterns and wine, a deafening roar erupted as the thirteen-story Qingyu Pavilion was shattered by a violent surge of Source Qi! More accurately, the load-bearing pillars above the third floor were pulverized by the shockwaves, toppling the structure sideways onto the banks of the Longping River under unbearable strain. The gale thrown up nearly capsized several pleasure barges drifting smoothly along the Longping River, and the billowing plumes of dust engulfed the surrounding area for dozens of yards. Qingyu Pavilion was built in the inner city, where flight was not banned. Several young masters in brocade robes escaped from the pavilion and hovered in midair alongside their protectors, watching the spectacle below with amused grins. The "Four Young Masters of the Imperial Capital" was a derogatory moniker; true scions of nobility like Xu Changge and the Young Marquis Mu Zhisheng sneered at it, but that had never dampened the reckless swagger of these four in the Imperial Capital. Amid the billowing dust in the wake of the collapse, Wang Chengping channeled his blood and qi, glaring toward the sky. "That fucking barbarian actually brought three Grandmasters! Junwu, Changtian has no cultivation, so keep an eye on him. Yuanzeng and I will take care of that bastard." With that, he dashed into the haze. Li Junwu didn't hesitate. She reached out to grab Xu Yuan, who was still standing in place, only to discover a bloody glow flickering in his narrow, upward-slanting phoenix eyes. Stunned for a moment, Li Junwu asked in surprise, "Hey, Changtian, you—" Before she could finish, Xu Yuan had already produced a longsword gleaming with faint, chilly radiance from who knew where. "Fuck!" Li Junwu didn't even bother disguising her voice anymore, blurting out a curse in her natural female register. "You brat can cultivate now?! And when the hell did you get a Sumeru ring?!" Xu Yuan glanced at this "good bro" of his. "My family is loaded. What can I say?" "..." Li Junwu rolled her eyes and seized Xu Yuan's wrist. "Cut the crap. You're strutting around like a peacock with Sixth Rank cultivation? Come with me." Saying this, she tried to drag Xu Yuan out. Xu Yuan didn't budge, nearly pulling Li Junwu off balance instead. Li Junwu looked back in astonishment. Even though she practiced military arrays, she was still at the Fifth Rank—yet she couldn't pull this mere Sixth Rank? By now, a bloody light shimmered across Xu Yuan's sword, harboring a chill-inducing might as the aura around him surged higher with every passing moment. Her red lips parted, Li Junwu stammered, "Y-You... you..." Amid the dust, Xu Yuan was enveloped in radiant, surging crimson Source Qi. He smiled and retorted, "Me what?" Li Junwu took a deep breath, stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and clamped Xu Yuan's neck in a headlock, yanking him downward. Her voice overflowed with genuine joy: "Weren't you born with a crippled constitution, brat? When did your cultivation get so high? It's only been two years!" With his head locked against his "bro's" chest, Xu Yuan could faintly feel the softness hidden beneath her taut demeanor. He said solemnly, "Li Junwu, I'm warning you, don't take advantage of me. You're not my type." "Tsk, tsk." Amusement dancing in her eyes, Li Junwu teased, "I still remember how you used to stare at my legs. You've got some real skill now—how about seriously considering marrying into my family?" "Alright, alright. I treat you like a brother, so stop dreaming about sleeping with me." Xu Yuan cleared his throat, fixing his gaze into the depths of the haze. "Let go of me first. Those two idiots are no match for the Dachao prince; I have to go help." Li Junwu blinked, loosening her grip. "No way, really? My guard said that wolf cub is only at the Fourth Rank." Xu Yuan said helplessly, "Yuanzeng lacks real combat experience, and Chengping also trains in military arrays without knowing how to coordinate. It'd be a miracle if they could beat a Dachao barbarian who's been killing since childhood." With that, Xu Yuan vanished like an afterimage, leaving Li Junwu to sigh softly. By the time Xu Yuan arrived at the third-floor private suite, the battle was almost entirely one-sided. Amid dull thuds of clashing flesh, a handsome young man draped in black wolf skin effortlessly parried the pincer attack of Gong Yuanzeng and Wang Chengping as if strolling through a garden. "Are you Central Plains people all this pitifully weak? You're far worse than your border army." As he spoke, Nalan You chuckled and swiped his wolf-clawed arms, forcing Gong Yuanzeng and Wang Chengping into steady retreat. "If you want to make me kneel and apologize, you'd better hurry. The high-level cultivators from your Imperial City Bureau are almost here, heheh..." Cultivation in the desert differed from that of the Central Plains. Through special methods, they could fuse their tribe's divine beast totems into their own bodies. This was the first time Xu Yuan had encountered a cultivation system entirely distinct from Great Yan's. Lost in thought, Xu Yuan abruptly materialized behind Nalan You, lightly flicking the sword Qingyu. *Thud.* An arm hit the floor. Still seemingly oblivious, Nalan You continued sneering, "You useless trash who rely on family prestige had better give this prince—MY ARM—AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" *Thud.* Another arm hit the floor.