Entrapment

The upheaval in Huaijiu Lane occurred very abruptly. In the standoff, surging waves of air billowed outward in all directions, as if a pause button had been pressed on everything. The pressure Xu Mengxi unleashed without restraint practically enveloped the entire street. Although Di'an City was a gathering place of noble elites, ordinary folk rarely had the chance to witness an expert of this caliber. After a brief silence, some people simply gathered their female kin and beat a hasty retreat. These were the experienced ones. When gods clashed, whether the gods died or not was uncertain, but the mortals nearby were sure to suffer. Yet others, upon noticing the Secret Investigation Bureau uniform worn by the woman holding the saber, chose to stay at a distance to watch the spectacle. Watching the excitement was human nature—and besides, didn't they see that woman was wearing a Secret Investigation Bureau uniform? Born and raised in Di'an, they knew little about the prefectures and counties out in the provinces, but here at the foot of the Son of Heaven, the state apparatus of force within Di'an City enjoyed deep trust among the common people. Especially this Secret Investigation Bureau inspector named Xu Mengxi—she was an imperial official bold enough to arrest and investigate even the Chancellor's progeny! Following that brief lull in the lane, a woman's voice drifted languidly out from within the carriage. It was not Qin Weishu, but presumably the female companion inside his carriage. "My young master asks... C-Commandant Xu... does this... this behavior of yours, mnh~ have any evidence?" Her tone was cool, yet in her halting breaths, anyone listening could catch the underlying coquetry. Withdrawing his hand from Xiao Bai's bosom, Xu Yuan gently rubbed his chin, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. This brat sure knows how to have fun. "Xiao Bai..." Thinking this, Xu Yuan slowly looked back. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze froze. Beneath the woman's half-undone garments, skin like congealed fat outshone frost and ice. Her disheveled lapels revealed a vast swath of snowy white, and a deep cleavage seemed like an abyss swallowing the viewer's gaze. "Ah!" With a soft gasp, a distinct flicker of fluster crossed Bai Muxi's eyes. She raised her lotus-root-like snowy arms to shield her chest, but precisely because of this action, the pressed abyss deformed at once, its alluring contours appearing even more enticing. Inside the elegant carriage, silence fell for a moment. Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh, tapped between the woman's brows, and said: "All right, drop the act." Seeing her performance seen through, Bai Muxi pursed her lips, making one last effort: "Young Master, this carriage has array formations that block sound and conceal souls..." Xu Yuan raised a hand and rapped on the wooden carriage wall, producing a dull thump-thump, his tone teasing: "The build quality of our Xuanping carriage isn't that great. If a fight breaks out over there in a moment, the aftershocks alone could tear this thing apart. Do you want to protect this young master while completely naked?" Bai Muxi was quiet for a moment, then nodded with a hint of disappointment: "Oh." Seeing her expression, an odd glint flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes: "The night is long. What's the rush?" "..." Bai Muxi pursed her lips and said nothing. The reason she had never managed to secure an intimate standing was that there were always other experts by the Young Master's side. This trip outside was a rare chance for her and the Young Master to be alone together; she had to seize the moment. If she left this matter until tonight, she always felt uneasy that unexpected complications would arise. After all, there were far too many experts inside the Prime Minister's Manor; by comparison, this carriage was actually safer. "All right." Reaching out to pull up the strap of Bai Muxi's clothing that had slipped off her shoulder, Xu Yuan instructed in an even tone: "Put your clothes back on. We have proper business to attend to." With that, he paid Bai Muxi no further mind, turning sideways to lean against the windowsill, leisurely preparing to watch the fine show unfolding outside. Xu Yuan's gaze drifted out and unconsciously lingered on Xu Mengxi's figure for a moment. A purplish-red official robe tied with a black jade sash. He recalled that this seemed to be the uniform of a Secret Investigation Bureau commander. This woman had actually been promoted. Still, it made sense on second thought. Her master was the Chief Director of the Secret Investigation Bureau. After risking her life on an arduous trial out in the field, she was bound to receive a promotion upon returning. Shifting his gaze past Xu Mengxi to the carriage, Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. From within the Jiugui carriage, the cold female voice continued to convey words haltingly, yet the soft moans and gasps interspersed throughout could not help but ignite the imagination. Anyone with eyes and ears would know what was currently going on inside that stationary luxury carriage. Openly teasing and humiliating Xu Mengxi? A faint smile curled Xu Yuan's lips. He had realized that when faced with an upright, beautiful female constable, pampered playboys always seemed fond of playing this kind of game. Seeing bashful shock and indignation flush her exquisite face gave them an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. However, Qin Weishu had clearly miscalculated. The midday sunlight cascaded down like a waterfall. Xu Mengxi, standing with her saber drawn before the carriage, did not change her expression in the slightest; her gaze merely grew a touch colder and more disgusted. This was only natural. Because this exact tactic was something Xu Yuan had already worn out. One might feel embarrassed the first time, or even the second, but after experiencing it enough, anyone would become acclimated. Xu Mengxi rested her hand on the hilt of the saber at her waist as her frigid voice rang out: "Qin Weishu, if you don't want to be paraded naked through the streets, get out here this instant." As she spoke, Xiao Bai, having already tidied her clothes, quietly came up beside Xu Yuan. Glancing out at the woman who had ruined her good fortune, she murmured: "That woman's cultivation technique has already been pushed to its peak. If the person inside still refuses to come out, she will likely strike right here in the street." Would Xu Mengxi strike in the street? Of course she would. After all, this woman was bold enough to beat even him, a son of the Chancellor. Just certainly not right now. Xu Yuan glanced back at Xiao Bai and said with a chuckle: "I know that. She's an old acquaintance of mine." "..." Hearing this, Bai Muxi immediately examined the woman's face intently. Seeing that her facial features were exceptionally exquisite, marking her as an ethereal beauty, she blinked and probed: "An acquaintance?" Xu Yuan looked deeply at Xiao Bai and gave a meaningful smile: "Care that much?" Under his pointed gaze, Bai Muxi lowered her eyelids and said: "If she is Young Master's confidante, Muxi should prepare in advance, lest I unknowingly offend her..." "Not a confidante." Cutting her off, Xu Yuan shook his head and said with a leisurely smile: "If I had to describe our relationship, we're basically enemies. She despises me." At this point, his tone shifted: "All right, instead of thinking about that, why don't you guess whether Qin Weishu will back down, Muxi?" Hearing this, Bai Muxi redirected her attention to the silent carriage, her words slightly hesitant: "The woman who spoke from the carriage earlier had a calm, long breath, which suggests a Grandmaster cultivation, and the middle-aged coachman driving the carriage possesses an aura that is even less to be trifled with. However, that woman represents the imperial court and stands on righteous authority. Therefore, Qin Weishu shouldn't argue right now; he will probably pull some strings afterward and quickly be acquitted." "Mm, good analysis." A current of thought ran through Xu Yuan's eyes as he gently tapped the windowsill: "Though it might not turn out that way." "Hm?" A flicker of surprise showed in Bai Muxi's eyes. "Young Master thinks he will resist?" Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment before suddenly remarking in a subdued voice: "The Qin family of Jiangnan has some bad blood with me. If he is thrown into prison, whether he can ever walk out alive is a complete unknown." Xu Mengxi was a good blade. Although the edge of this blade was pointed toward the Chancellor's Manor most of the time, her upright and unbending nature also dictated that under certain circumstances, she could be used by the Prime Minister's Manor. Xu Mengxi cornering him might not have been orchestrated by the Prime Minister's Manor, but once the deed was done, the Chancellor's Manor certainly wouldn't mind lending a hand. Bai Muxi knitted her willowy brows, sensing something amiss, and asked softly: "But if a fight breaks out and experts from the City Defense Bureau arrive, won't Qin Weishu still end up in the Imperial Prison awaiting trial?" Xu Yuan gave a cold sneer: "You're right. That's why he needs to stall. It's not as though the sects have no allies within the imperial court. Once a high-ranking official arrives on the scene, they can suppress Xu Mengxi." While Xu Yuan and Bai Muxi were conversing, the situation in the street had already shifted. From inside the Jiugui carriage, that cold female voice still carried flirtatious undertones, seeming not to care about Xu Mengxi's warning at all: "C-Commander Xu... attempting to arrest, mnh, my young master without an arrest warrant... isn't that overstepping your authority a bit too much?" "..." Xu Mengxi narrowed her fine eyes into slits, dangerous glints flashing within them. Sensing the surging qi dynamic outside, Bai Muxi immediately whispered a warning: "Young Master, that woman is about to make a move." "Wrong." Xu Yuan refuted her without a second thought: "Xu Mengxi cares more about procedural justice than substantive justice. "Qin Weishu comes from a prominent sect family. Arresting him requires an arrest warrant issued by the Celestial Chancellery, and the Celestial Chancellery is packed with sect people. How could they possibly grant her a warrant? Therefore, she definitely won't strike first." Bai Muxi had not expected someone so rigid to exist in this world. A bit hesitant, she asked: "If she cannot arrest him, why is she blocking the way here?" Sensing the surging Source Qi outside with spiritual vision, Xu Yuan recalled his own experiences and chuckled ambiguously under his breath: "Entrapment, of course. As long as Qin Weishu's side makes a move to attack her, according to the law, he can be thrown straight into prison." "But how could Qin Weishu attack a court martial officer in broad daylight on the street?" Bai Muxi asked with a frown. "Lock him down with her qi dynamic." Xu Yuan said as if it were obvious, "Is locking someone down with a qi dynamic against the law? Not in the slightest." "..." As his words fell, Bai Muxi's Source Qi surged forth instantly. A multicolored five-elements light barrier quietly enveloped the carriage, shielding the entire vehicle within. Because just as Xu Yuan had said, the instant Xu Mengxi's qi dynamic penetrated the Jiugui carriage and locked onto Qin Weishu, the middle-aged coachman on the carriage box turned grim and drew the scimitar slung across his back with a sharp clang. Slashing toward the sky, the surging blade wind instantly shattered the qi dynamic that had locked onto his young master. Seeing this, Xu Yuan grinned and let out a laugh. This profligate Qin Weishu was still too wet behind the ears after all. To jump straight into a trap like this.