Analysis

Hearing Xu Yuan's request, the female attendant was not surprised. The garments on the second floor of Hongshang Clothing Pavilion were exorbitantly expensive, easily running into thousands of taels of silver. To a servant like her, they were items she could never afford in a lifetime, yet to young masters from prominent clans, they were mere trifles given away on a whim. After a brief pause, the attendant said respectfully, "Honored Young Master, the runic dresses purchased by those two esteemed guests earlier are being handled by the proprietress herself. This humble servant does not know the exact price, so you may need to wait a moment." Xu Yuan was not surprised either and nodded. "Then wrap this one up first. How much silver is it?" The attendant answered without hesitation, "The Heavenly Purple Qin Skirt is one thousand two hundred taels, Young Master." Hearing this, Xu Yuan showed little reaction, but Xiao Bai's bright eyes went wide, and her gaze toward the dress turned startled and bewildered. *So expensive.* She had gone out a few times; at ordinary cloth shops in the city markets, a cheaper dress cost only a hundred copper coins, and even a better one was merely a few taels. The price here was more than a hundredfold higher. She felt as though her heart were bleeding. Glancing cautiously at her master, Bai Muxi hesitated, words trembling on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to dissuade him, but after all, the clothes were meant for her to wear for him. Then her thoughts drifted back to the decision she had made earlier. If she had to buy such expensive clothes privately, the silver she had on hand probably wouldn't be enough. As if guessing her thoughts, Xu Yuan's voice transmission quietly arrived: "This price actually isn't that expensive for a runic garment. Hongshang Clothing Pavilion mostly sells style; the defensive strength isn't very high and won't do much for you. Once we return to the manor, I'll have Xinyao tailor a practical one for you." "Will the price be even higher, then?" Bai Muxi asked. "The crafting cost will naturally be higher. After all, you're almost at the Origin Realm." "..." Bai Muxi looked hesitant and said no more. Seeing this, Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "If you have something to say, say it. Why hesitate?" "Um..." Bai Muxi pondered for a moment before cautiously probing, "...Can that dress be exchanged for silver instead?" "..." Xu Yuan couldn't hold it together. Taking a deep breath, he asked with amusement, "Hold on. The one bought at Hongshang is at most suitable for someone in the Soul Condensation Realm. If you don't wear runic robes, what happens when your clothes get torn during a battle with someone?" At that, he paused and asked with mild curiosity, "You didn't fight battles in the underground palace wearing ordinary cloth and silk, did you?" Runic robes were a luxury for ordinary mortals, but a necessity for cultivators. When two supreme experts traded spells in fluttering celestial garb, the mere shockwaves could rip ordinary clothes to shreds. Without runic robes, they'd end up fighting bare-assed halfway through—an image so surreal and cursed it was hard to even look at. Bai Muxi replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "We have black death armor, Young Master, did you forget? Whenever aberrant ghosts attacked, we all put on fungal armor." Xu Yuan froze for an instant, then rolled his eyes. "You still have some now?" "Senior Luo shared some with me before. It's barely enough." Speaking of the black death armor, Bai Muxi's eyes lit up again, and she suggested in a low voice, "Actually, Young Master, the people of the Seven Cities Alliance could just use black death armor. It would save a huge amount of silver." Having said that, Xiao Bai blinked her wide eyes, staring expectantly at Xu Yuan. In the Silent Crypt, supplies had been scarce across the board. As the chief administrative officer, she had squeezed every scrap of resources out of frugality. "..." Xu Yuan raised a finger to tap her forehead between the brows, his tone tinged with disdain: "Look at how stingy you are. Black death armor feeds on human life. Burning through cash is always better than burning through lifespans." After acquiring the black death armor, Gewu Academy had already begun researching it, hoping to use the aberrant ghosts' symbiotic fungal carpet to develop a modified standard spirit armor and drive down costs. After all, the defensive strength of black death armor was genuinely quite formidable. Unfortunately, this project had made zero progress to date. Because black death armor absorbed the wearer's Source Qi, it interfered to a degree with the Source Qi resonance required by military array techniques. And if Source Crystals were used to power it, the cost would skyrocket, putting the cart before the horse entirely. With her forehead tapped, Bai Muxi cooperated by stepping back two paces, rubbing the spot. Knowing her master's mind was made up, she murmured softly, "Thank you for your tender consideration, Young Master..." While they chatted, the proprietress of Hongshang, who had gone to see off the Mu siblings, returned to the second floor. Upon hearing the message relayed by the attendant, the mature woman weighed the pros and cons briefly and agreed, truthfully disclosing the price of the dress Mu Zhiyun had custom-ordered to Xu Yuan. A total of forty-six thousand taels. The instant he heard the number, Xu Yuan nearly thought his ears were playing tricks on him. What kind of damn dress cost that much?! In the past, when splashing gold to explore the depths of pretty faces, he would occasionally frequent Hongshang Clothing Pavilion. Based on his past experience, the first floor ranged from tens to hundreds of taels, while the second floor started at a thousand, with six or seven thousand generally capping it out. However, after listening to the proprietress's somewhat flustered explanation, Xu Yuan understood that the dress was indeed worth the price. Whether in its styling and design, its materials, or its inscribed runic arrays, it had reached the caliber of a Body Integration runic robe. After a brief silence, the proprietress tentatively asked if Xu Yuan still wished to cover the payment. This tactless question made Xu Yuan roll his eyes. Pay it? Of course he had to pay it. Not for the sake of saving face, but because if he wanted to investigate Mu Zhiyun, this opportunity was undeniably the best point of entry. If he paid the silver here, Mu Hongli and Mu Zhiyun would definitely hear about it afterward. Right now, Mu Zhiyun might be putting on an act, so Xu Yuan couldn't predict her reaction, but given the Young Marquis's temperament, he would certainly find ways to get in touch with him. This served as bait. When Lou Ji and her network gathered intelligence, they could pour hundreds of thousands into an operation without so much as a splash. Spending forty-six thousand taels of silver to buy a possibility was a great bargain in the grand scheme of things. Having paid the silver and had the dress packaged, Xu Yuan and Bai Muxi stepped out of Hongshang Clothing Pavilion. The street outside was bustling as ever. The Mu siblings, having departed earlier, were already nowhere to be seen, while crowds in lavish attire bustled under the gentle sunlight. Humming a little tune in his head, Xu Yuan walked ahead with a smile, while Bai Muxi followed silently behind carrying the silk bag containing the new dress, biting her red lips beneath her purple veil. Though she knew in her heart that the young master had his own plans and that she had no right to question him, that was forty-six thousand taels of silver! If saved, it could buy more than twenty sets of spirit armor, or an unfathomable mountain of meat and grain... After walking for a dozen breaths or so, Xu Yuan finally noticed Xiao Bai moping behind him. Staring at her for a few moments, an amused, odd expression crept onto his face. "Muxi, you... aren't mad at me for spending silver on a stranger, are you?" Bai Muxi quickly looked up and shook her head. "Muxi wouldn't dare..." Xu Yuan chuckled. "Not daring doesn't mean you aren't." Bai Muxi reflexively started to admit fault, but after a moment's thought, she spoke frankly: "Muxi merely feels that while the young master is actively raising funds, such extravagance is somewhat improper." At her words, Xu Yuan's eyes curved slightly. This was rather unexpected. Prior to today, Xiao Bai would only admit fault and would never have dared offer such an "admonishment." Yet after today's transaction, though she remained a maidservant in name, in reality she could already be considered a concubine—and one backed by "maternal kin" at that. This little green tea's ability to adjust her attitude to her changing status was quite impressive. Thinking this, Xu Yuan still explained, "Those two earlier were the legitimate son and daughter of Marquis Wucheng's Manor. Do you know of the past between me and that little commandery princess?" Bai Muxi hesitated slightly before answering truthfully, "I have heard a little. The young master was once banished to the frontier seemingly because of her, and later there seemed to be a marriage contract, though somehow it ended up being swapped for Princess Wuyuan..." Due to the limitations of her background, if she wanted to rise in standing, she had to work harder than the other women around him. After arriving at the Prime Minister's Manor, she had learned about most of the young master's past affairs. Unfortunately, still limited by her origins, her understanding was far from comprehensive; much of her information came from hearsay and scanning Great Yan's official gazettes. Speaking softly, Bai Muxi paused slightly and probed, "Is there a hidden truth behind it?" Xu Yuan nodded with a smile and gave Bai Muxi a brief summary of the whole affair. After listening carefully, Bai Muxi furrowed her willow brows, pondered for a moment, and asked hesitantly, "The young master suspects that the commandery princess orchestrated the whole thing herself? But for a matter like this, wouldn't handing it over to Duke Xu be better?" Xu Yuan shook his head lightly, a sigh coloring his tone. "My father cannot step in on this. Mu Zhiyun is Marquis Wucheng's biological daughter." At this point, Xu Yuan smiled wryly. "Muxi, if the imperial family presented evidence claiming I was at fault, do you think my father would believe the imperial evidence, or believe me?" Bai Muxi grew thoughtful. "In that case, the official channel won't work; we can only take the covert path." Xu Yuan sighed. "Indeed. Originally I thought about handing it to Lou Ji, but Mu Zhiyun hardly ever leaves Marquis Wucheng's Manor, and you saw the personality she displayed—she keeps strangers at arm's length entirely. Even if Lou Ji wants to investigate her, she has to get close first; otherwise, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice. Even this bait I've cast out requires the other side to bite." "Young Master, rather than taking such a roundabout route, why don't we just scheme to kidnap her directly?" Bai Muxi suggested out of the blue. Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched. What kind of classic reenactment was this? Going for round two? Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan frowned. "The present is not like the past. If exposed, the fallout would be immense. Besides, it's not even confirmed that it was her yet..." "Isn't it already confirmed?" Bai Muxi answered as though it were obvious. Under Xu Yuan's questioning gaze, she spoke softly, "Judging by everything you just mentioned, the commandery princess's actions seem to have perfectly evaded the Prime Minister's Manor's investigation into her." Xu Yuan frowned. "Without tangible evidence, your conclusion is far too certain." Bai Muxi shook her head slightly. "Young Master, the greatest piece of evidence is actually the marriage contract between you and Mu Zhiyun. As you explained earlier, Marquis Wucheng's Manor already knew you were being manipulated. Mu Zhiyun could not have been unaware of this. That means she knew that throughout the entire incident, both you and she were victims." Xu Yuan reminded her, "My reputation is thoroughly tarnished. Marquis Wucheng's Manor might not necessarily believe it." "No, the young master's reputation amounts to nothing more than tyranny and debauchery. Cruelty is common among scions of prominent clans, and as for debauchery, Muxi does not believe someone with your looks would ever need to force yourself on anyone." "..." *Tsk, such exquisitely calibrated flattery.* Listening to Bai Muxi, Xu Yuan realized he seemed to have fallen into a cognitive blind spot. His notoriety had actually been exaggerated by scholars' brushstrokes. With the power of Marquis Wucheng's Manor, a minor probe would have revealed the truth behind such rumors. Which meant Marquis Wucheng's Manor might have already accepted that explanation. His thoughts arrived here, only for a new puzzle to emerge. *Wait, that's not right.* *If Marquis Wucheng's Manor tacitly acknowledged that both sides were victims, why was he still banished to Jingjiang Prefecture?* *Wait.* A scene flashed through his mind—Xu Changge driving a knife-hand strike into Mu Hongli that brought him to his knees—along with the erased records. *Hiss...* *Could his banishment have been taking the blame for that posturing bastard Xu Changge?* Thinking of this, Xu Yuan murmured under his breath, "What you say does seem to make some sense." "That is only the first point." Bai Muxi pursed her lips into a smile, glancing toward the direction the Mu siblings had left: "Once all the misunderstandings were cleared up, why would Mu Zhiyun, with her gentle and docile disposition, threaten death rather than go through with the political marriage? "The marriage contract between you and her was a bond connecting the imperial family and the Prime Minister's Manor. If Mu Zhiyun truly possessed the character she displayed, could she really have withstood the heavy pressure of her family? "Not to mention, that jealous Duchess of Fuguo would most likely have worked on her mind as well. "And finally... "Young Master, now that we know there is something unusual about her, looking back in hindsight, don't you feel that Mu Zhiyun threatening suicide to break the engagement was actually out of fear of entering the Prime Minister's Manor? "Even if you had married into their family, the day would come when you brought her back to visit the Prime Minister's Manor. And once inside the Prime Minister's Manor, whether an investigation took place would no longer be up to her." As her voice faded, the bustling sounds of the surrounding crowd surged back into their ears. Xu Yuan lowered his gaze, pondering Xiao Bai's words. After a long moment, he said gravely, "Once we return to the manor today, I will confirm a few things first. If they all check out... I won't mind going for round two." With that, the gravity vanished from Xu Yuan's face. He smiled cheerfully at Xiao Bai, hooked his arm around her slender waist, and praised, "Not bad at all. I like it." Held around the waist right on the street, Bai Muxi stiffened for an instant, but did not resist. She pursed her lips and smiled. "The young master was caught within the game and couldn't see the whole board. Muxi merely offered a reminder." "Hahaha." Looking around at the various shops in the vicinity, Xu Yuan laughed aloud. Holding Xiao Bai's soft, slender waist, his gaze finally settled on an old shop selling servants and various daily sundries. "Even a reminder deserves a reward... Let's pick up some more things for you."