Into Prison

Silence fell amid the smoke and dust. Having abruptly lost both arms and taken a kick to the rear, Nalan You tumbled to the ground completely off balance. Blood geysered from his severed shoulders, staining the earth red. Disbelief flickered in his eyes, his breathing trembling from the agony. "Haha... My... my hands... My arms! I—I'm going to slaughter every last one of you! You bastards!" "......" At that moment, Wang Chengping and Gong Yuanzeng, who had been on the receiving end of a beating for quite a while, snapped out of their daze. They ambled over to Xu Yuan's side, wearing peculiar expressions. "Changtian, what in the world..." Xu Yuan smiled and waved them off. "All right, go find Junwu. I just finished explaining it to her." Hearing that, Gong Yuanzeng glanced at the Dachao prince, knowing this was not the time for long explanations. "Fine, but you'd better give us the full story later." "You got it," Xu Yuan replied with a nod and a chuckle. As the two walked away, Xu Yuan fixed his gaze on the Dachao prince. The man possessed somewhat exotic features: a high-bridged nose, curly hair, and a decorative goatee on his chin. Yet at this moment, not a shred of his former dignity remained. Deprived of his arms, he scrambled backward by kicking against the ground, spewing toothless threats like "I'll slaughter you!" and "You're a dead man!" After watching him for a while, Xu Yuan suddenly spoke up. "All right, quit howling. Nobody else can hear you." Nalan You froze, the venom in his eyes practically overflowing. "Judging by your demeanor, your family must wield serious power. But you truly picked the wrong time to lay a hand on me." He bared his teeth in a malicious grin. "I was personally invited by your Emperor! For this outrage, he will undoubtedly give me an explanation!" "What kind of explanation?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, staying rooted where he stood, and let out an easy, low chuckle. "Enough, enough. Don't bother trying to provoke me with cheap talk. I'm not coming over there, so you can forget about ambushing me." "......" Nalan You fell silent. A moment later, Nalan You channeled his qi to completely staunch the blood pouring from his shoulders. He slowly pushed himself up from the ground, squinting at the fine-robed youth before him. "Who are you?" Watching Nalan You suddenly regain his composure, Xu Yuan sighed internally with affirmation. Since this visit was meant for negotiating state affairs, the steppe lords would hardly send a useless fop. Moreover, while Xu Yuan did not understand the cultivation arts of the desert nomads, the Saint's remnant soul possessed some knowledge of them. In his pursuit of immortality, Old Man Luo had studied nearly every cultivation method under heaven. To cultivators below the second rank, having one's arms lopped off in battle was a mortal wound. Yet things seemed different out in the desert. No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than Xu Yuan watched the ropy muscles across Nalan You's chest ripple violently. With a wet, squelching thud, two brand-new arms burst forth from his shoulders. Nalan You's expression returned to one of breezy confidence. "I don't recall anyone like you among the younger generation of the Imperial Capital." "......" Confronted with this eerie sight, Xu Yuan ignored him entirely and asked in his mind, "Old Man Luo, do these desert arts really regenerate severed limbs so effortlessly? It couldn't be connected to aberrant ghosts, could it?" Such an ability looked virtually impossible to counter. Old Man Luo scoffed. "How could it be? Their trick for regrowing limbs comes from a bizarre bloodline they obtained from who-knows-where. Aberrant ghosts don't even die when their heads are severed. You can try chopping his head off to test it." Xu Yuan grew somewhat intrigued. "So that's it. Is this what the desert nomads call the blood of the divine beast?" Old Man Luo sounded somewhat uncertain as well. "Back when the aberrant ghosts invaded, I took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the desert royal court, hoping to steal one of their divine beasts. In the end, I didn't even find a stray hair. My guess is this 'blood of the divine beast' is just some potion brewed through specific materials and techniques to mimic blood." Xu Yuan jabbed back, "A world-ending crisis was unfolding, and all you did was underhanded mischief." The Saint's remnant soul replied nonchalantly, "What does a brat like you know? It's just a shame I never uncovered the recipe for their divine beast's blood." Xu Yuan did not pursue the topic, though he found it rather amusing. A divine beast did indeed exist in the desert, known as the Linlang. In *Cangyuan*, it had appeared once as a final boss. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan glanced at the Dachao prince, a thoughtful look surfacing in his eyes. If the storyline had not deviated on the steppe, the desert should currently be witnessing the rise of a divine maiden—one inextricably bound to that divine beast. One of the heroines of *Cangyuan*. And that was one of the prime reasons the desert tribes dared stage a massive invasion of the Central Plains. "......" Seeing Xu Yuan staring at his newly grown arms, Nalan You calmly clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "The desert environment is brutally harsh. We Dachao people must forge our flesh from childhood simply to survive..." "Did this young master ask you?" "......" Nalan You stopped short. Xu Yuan exhaled, gripping his sword as he walked forward at an unhurried pace. "I don't know why you deliberately stirred up trouble in the Imperial Capital, but since you pissed me off, consider it your rotten luck. "I'll give you two choices, you mongrel. First, kneel and apologize to me. "As for the second... I'd like to see whether this forged flesh of yours can grow a new head once I sever it." As Xu Yuan advanced, the sleeves of his robe billowed without any wind. "......" Nalan You fixed his eyes on Xu Yuan, backing away as a glimmer of fighting intent gradually surfaced in his gaze. "I do not know how you managed to appear behind me without making a sound. But to challenge a higher realm head-on shows tremendous courage. I will respect you for that." Hearing this, Xu Yuan burst out laughing. "Cut the grand posturing. With your perspective, Prince, you ought to be able to tell this isn't my own cultivation, right?" As he spoke, Xu Yuan lifted his eyes toward the sky. "You're just betting that the high-ranking cultivators of the City Defense Bureau are about to arrive, aren't you? Besides, the city-protecting array has already been activated; the powers that be won't sit by and watch you get butchered." The commotion had long alerted the City Defense Bureau. High above, beneath the full moon suspended in the night sky, a faint membrane of light now coated the heavens. A section of the Imperial Capital's city-protecting array was online. Pausing, Xu Yuan brought his gaze back down to Nalan You. "I wasted all this breath on you just to confirm a few things. Now that I have, let me tell you straight: if I want you dead, even the Crown Prince himself couldn't save you if he showed up right now." Nalan You's expression remained tranquil as he sneered dismissively. "By your word alone?" With that, Nalan You spun on his heel and bolted. "......" Xu Yuan fell silent. On the other side, Li Junwu watched the two scoundrels rush over. Before either could open their mouths, surprise flickered across her gorgeous eyes. "Where's Changtian?" Gong Yuanzeng asked curiously, "Still back there. Junwu, Changtian said he already explained things to you..." "Are you two idiots?!" Li Junwu stomped her foot and glared at them. "You just left Changtian there by himself?!" Wang Chengping chuckled. "Relax, the aura Changtian is radiating almost rivals a Grandmaster. That barbarian is no match for him—both of his hands were already hacked off." Li Junwu took a deep breath. "Those wolf cubs can regrow severed limbs. But it's not Changtian I'm worried about." "......" Wang Chengping froze for a second, then hesitated before asking, "Hey... You don't mean to say Changtian intends to slaughter that Dachao prince right then and there, do you?" "......" Silence fell over the three of them. That was indeed something Xu Yuan would do. They were thoroughly done for. Now that he had cultivation, that bastard's nerve was getting out of hand. In the past, he had beaten up sons of noble clans or sects at most. Now he dared commit murder against a diplomatic envoy tied to the war effort! Li Junwu bit her lip, rage flashing across her delicate, androgynous face. "That boy has been like this since childhood—whenever trouble strikes, he always insists on shouldering it alone. Can he really shoulder something like this by himself?!" "Enough, save your breath. Let's hurry over!" With that, the three rushed back toward the battleground where Xu Yuan and Nalan You were. Yet before they could reach it, a furious roar exploded across the sky: "All of you, stand down!" A second-rank Origin Realm cultivator! Barely ten minutes had passed since the fight broke out, and the experts of the Imperial Capital's City Defense Bureau had already arrived. A howling gale instantly blew away the thick veil of dust raised by the collapse of Qingyu Pavilion, laying bare the shattered rubble beneath. Naturally, this sudden arrival also affected the duel between Xu Yuan and Nalan You. Owing to their differing cultivation systems, Nalan You's strength hovered between fourth-rank Body Integration and a third-rank Grandmaster, meaning his fleeing speed was by no means slow. Seeing him run, Xu Yuan did not personally intervene; instead, he handed direct control of his body over to the Saint's remnant soul. Because Xu Yuan had never practiced Old Man Luo's specific techniques, the old man could not maneuver his body with the effortless precision he had used with Qin Mo's. Yet that did not hinder the outcome in the slightest. From the very beginning, the fight was an utterly one-sided rout. A disparity as insurmountable as a mountain left the Dachao prince with no hope of escape. Just as the City Defense Bureau expert arrived, Old Man Luo unleashed three ghostly sword shadows that pierced Nalan You's heart simultaneously from three different angles. "Shall I leave the rest to you?" Old Man Luo asked leisurely. "Yeah." The three sword phantoms converged into one. Xu Yuan gripped the hilt of the blade buried deep within Nalan You's chest and asked, "Do you have anything left to say now, Prince?" "Who... who are you?" Blood seeped from the corners of Nalan You's lips. "I imagine you've already guessed." Xu Yuan leisurely twisted the Qingyu sword in his grip and smiled. "My father is Xu Yinhe." Writhing in agony, Nalan You clutched Qingyu's crossguard with arms that had fully shifted into wolflike claws. "You... you intended to kill me from the very start?!" Xu Yuan shook his head gently, driving more force into the hilt. "Not quite. If you hadn't ordered your dog to hurl that rockery at me, I would have happily sat back and enjoyed the show. But seeing your wolf transformation suddenly reminded me of something, Nalan You." Nalan You coughed up a thick mouthful of blood, but as it sprayed toward Xu Yuan, an invisible barrier caught and deflected it. "Wh-what?" "It reminded me of a young bitch currently wrestling with a pack of old dogs for a golden bone," Xu Yuan replied via voice transmission. "......" Nalan You froze upon hearing those words, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Y-you..." Then, Nalan You abruptly laughed. "You seem to know quite a lot. But you shouldn't talk so much." "Xu Changtian, halt this instant!" A colossal wave of pressure descended, aiming to blast Xu Yuan away. Yet Xu Yuan did not even spare the newcomer a glance; he simply dissolved the Saint's soul power cloaking his body. Seeing this, the rushing second-rank powerhouse's eyes nearly split with horror. He frantically jerked his aura to swerve aside. In the very next instant— *Boom!* Just as the titanic pressure was about to slam into Xu Yuan, it was forcibly diverted, striking the Longping River beside Qingyu Pavilion and throwing up a towering surge of waves. Only after the blast dissipated did the Saint's soul power surge forth once more. Xu Yuan whipped the blade of Qingyu upward. Before Nalan You's astounded eyes, his head went flying. Xu Yuan gave a calm, effortless chuckle. "Honestly, whatever made you think the City Defense Bureau would dare lay a hand on me?" "You reckless bastard!" Accompanied by a voice quivering with suppressed fury, an iron-tower of a figure appeared behind Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan slowly turned his head and gave a mock French salute. "Commander Tang, two years since we last met, and your temper is as explosive as ever." Commander Tang clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked loudly, glaring at the profligate before him. "This man was the Sixth Prince of the steppe's royal court, personally invited by His Majesty! And you just butchered him like that?!" Composing his expression, Xu Yuan stared at the towering man, genuine shock slowly blooming in his eyes as he parted his lips. "Say what?" "......" Commander Tang raised a hand, and with a booming crack right beside Xu Yuan, the resulting shockwave nearly knocked Xu Yuan off his feet now that he had dismissed the Saint's soul power. "Xu Changtian, do you truly believe no one dares to kill you?!" Xu Yuan stepped back and pointed at Nalan You's severed head. "Oh, someone dared all right. He did." With that, Xu Yuan exaggerated shamelessly: "A third-rank Grandmaster under his command hurled a boulder tens of yards wide to crush an Iron Body cultivator like me! If my bodyguards hadn't reacted swiftly to shield me, Commander Tang, you probably wouldn't even be seeing me alive right now." Commander Tang's hulking frame trembled with sheer fury. "Xu Changtian, I will investigate this matter to the absolute bottom!" Xu Yuan nodded and grinned. "So, will you be escorting me back to my manor today, Commander Tang?" "Back to your manor?" Just then, a crisp, sharp shout rang down from the sky. "Xu Changtian, after causing such massive destruction, come with me to the Imperial Prison instead!" Xu Yuan looked up at the sky. A woman clad in the red qilin uniform of the Secret Investigation Bureau descended from above, landing lightly before him. The phoenix eyes glaring at him were coated in frosty light. The Secret Investigation Bureau was tasked with resolving incidents involving cultivators across Great Yan. Given the massive damage caused tonight, the matter naturally fell under their jurisdiction. Xu Yuan appraised the woman, only to realize she was another old acquaintance. A prized darling of the Imperial Capital's Secret Investigation Bureau, a prodigy risen from humble roots. Upright and incorruptible, she had always wanted to throw this profligate into chains, yet had never managed to pin anything on him. As memories of the past surfaced, Xu Yuan smiled. "Xu Mengxi, it's been two years, and you've actually reached the third rank?" Xu Mengxi swept a chilling glance over him. "Wipe that smirk off your face." Xu Yuan spread his hands. "A routine greeting counts as smirking?" Xu Mengxi drew a pair of iron cuffs resembling bracelets from the pouch on her back. "Shut up. You'll have plenty of time to talk once we're in the Imperial Prison." Xu Yuan sighed. "Come now, Mengxi. We share the same family name, after all. Do you really have to arrest me every single time we meet?" Xu Mengxi gripped the saber at her waist, glaring at him. Xu Yuan glanced at Commander Tang beside him; Commander Tang was glaring back with equal frost. Then Xu Yuan looked up at the sky. A second-rank Origin Realm expert from the Imperial Capital's Secret Investigation Bureau had arrived as well, accompanied by six or seven top masters from both the City Defense Bureau and the Secret Investigation Bureau. At this moment, the seven bodyguards clashing high above had already been subdued. Tonight's commotion had truly grown too vast. Xu Yuan held out his wrists, and as the iron cuffs locked around them, the Source Qi within his body instantly ground to a halt. These devices could impede the flow of Source Qi to a considerable degree and were exorbitantly expensive to manufacture. "Move." Xu Mengxi cast a cold look over Xu Yuan. "Executing a foreign envoy without authorization... Xu Changtian, you have brought disaster upon yourself this time." Xu Yuan appraised the cuffs for a moment, then turned his head toward Xu Mengxi with an easy chuckle. "It won't matter. "Xu Mengxi, care to bet that in a few days, the Lord Minister of your Imperial Prison will personally escort me out the front door?"