As they spoke, Xu Yuan and Xu Mengxi arrived beside the crater carved into the ground.
The moment she saw the figure in the pit, Xu Mengxi frowned involuntarily.
Through the gaping hole punched through his right chest, the blood-stained dirt beneath him was plainly visible. Four sword blades pinned his limbs, but the most fatal wound remained the saber strike that had pierced in through his lower back, destroyed his dantian, and punched out through his abdomen.
Qin Weishu seemed to have lost consciousness from excessive blood loss.
Without a second thought, Xu Mengxi flickered forward, drew out the four swords, and swiftly began checking Qin Weishu's vital signs.
Compared to Xu Mengxi's anxiety over the prisoner dying, Xu Yuan felt thoroughly relieved upon seeing Qin Weishu's condition.
In his battle with Qin Weishu earlier, he had used quite a few trump cards, many of which Xu Mengxi would recognize.
If the kid were still conscious, Xu Yuan would have had to stay on guard in case Qin Weishu inadvertently slipped any details about the characteristics of his techniques to the female constable.
Being knocked completely unconscious saved him a world of trouble.
Still, knowing this woman Xu Mengxi, once she took on a case, she wouldn't merely handle the arrest; she would oversee the subsequent interrogation as well.
Although the chances of the two of them discussing the specific traits of his techniques were slim, to minimize any risk of exposure, he would still need to have the Chancellor's faction within the judicial system maneuver Qin Weishu out of the Secret Investigation Bureau's custody as soon as possible.
As he was thinking, the female constable's slightly probing voice reached Xu Yuan's ears:
“You already destroyed his dantian, so why didn't you stop his bleeding?”
“...”
Xu Yuan looked up, meeting Xu Mengxi's sharp gaze once again.
Great, she was suspecting him again.
Then again, Xu Yuan was quite used to this.
Whenever a case was involved, Xu Mengxi became extraordinarily stubborn, obsessive to the point of being possessed.
Yet that was probably an indispensable trait for a master detective—the ability to suspect anyone who could possibly be suspected.
This woman had previously even sent her own direct superior to prison, an incident that nearly dragged her own master into the muck.
Once suspicion arose, she wouldn't hesitate to investigate even her own benefactor.
His answer was crisp and matter-of-fact:
“Because this man's Dao charm is formidable. I wasn't willing to take unnecessary risks.”
Xu Mengxi was left momentarily speechless. She said in a low voice, “If we had arrived just a moment later, he would have died.”
“So, is he dead?”
“...” Xu Mengxi fell silent.
Walking slowly over to her side, Xu Yuan looked down at Qin Weishu, who looked no different from a corpse, and said softly, “Within the soul mist, I can perceive everything clearly. He wasn't going to die.”
At that, Xu Yuan smiled faintly. “However, if you don't stop his bleeding now, he really might die.”
“...”
Hearing this, Xu Mengxi said nothing more and crisply set to work.
As a professional, her technique was exceedingly deft.
Bending down, she channeled qi to her fingertips and tapped several times across Qin Weishu's body with blinding speed, temporarily staunching the gushing blood with an acupoint-sealing secret art.
However, due to the puncture wound through his chest, Qin Weishu's internal organs had already begun failing, and he had lost nearly half the blood in his body. Even with the bleeding stemmed, his life force continued to drain away rapidly.
Realizing this, Xu Mengxi immediately parted the outer hem of her skirt, untied a sachet, and moved to pop a medicinal pill from inside it into Qin Weishu's mouth.
*Snap.*
A hand suddenly caught the wrist holding the pill.
After a brief silence, Xu Mengxi looked up, her dark brows furrowed.
Xu Yuan asked calmly, “Is that a Qi-Reversing Pill?”
A Qi-Reversing Pill was considered quite a common wonder pill on the market.
It was cheap and effective, yet it wasn't a healing medicine—it was a mana potion.
A blue potion in *Cangyuan*.
Put simply, it granted the consumer an extra dose of pure Source Qi.
Cultivators at Body Integration had already taken their first steps beyond mortal flesh. So long as the head was intact, even if the heart shattered, they could use Source Qi as a substitute to stay alive for a considerable period.
It was essentially trading mana for health.
The main reason Qin Weishu's condition had deteriorated to this point was that his dantian was destroyed; using a Qi-Reversing Pill to activate his body's self-preservation mechanism was indeed a viable method.
“Yes,” Xu Mengxi answered, glancing at her seized wrist, and nodded in question. “What's wrong?”
Xu Yuan's voice carried a hint of strange amusement:
“If you use this stuff, aren't you afraid he'll use the medicinal power to launch a surprise attack on you?”
What had been destroyed in Qin Weishu was his dantian, not his meridians; with an external supply of Source Qi, he could still execute techniques as needed.
Hearing this question, Xu Mengxi's lovely eyes stiffened, and she said with an odd expression:
“He is already gravely injured and on the verge of death. How could he ambush me?”
Xu Yuan chuckled softly, speaking in a calm, deliberate tone:
“I advise you not to take any chances. Even an Origin Realm cultivator could be severely wounded by his Dao charm if they let down their guard for an instant.”
The only reason it wasn't an instant kill was that Qin Weishu had yet to master Intent, meaning he couldn't inflict an anti-healing effect.
Pursing her red lips, Xu Mengxi didn't doubt the truth of Xu Yuan's words and quietly put away the Qi-Reversing Pill.
“Then in the young master's opinion, what should we do?”
“Simple. Feed him this Heart-Befuddling Powder along with it.”
Xu Yuan replied with a beaming smile, “That way, his mind will plunge into an illusion, making it naturally impossible for him to launch a sneak attack.”
What a joke. Once the Qi-Reversing Pill went down Qin Weishu's throat, he would wake up without fail, and Xu Yuan had no intention of giving this kid any opportunity to converse with Xu Mengxi.
With those words, regardless of whether Xu Mengxi agreed or not, Xu Yuan tossed a jade vial containing blue powder out from his Sumeru ring.
Catching it instinctively, Xu Mengxi glanced down at the jade vial in her hand and asked hesitantly:
“Isn't this Heart-Befuddling Powder a potent knockout drug... Young Master, why do you have this?”
In the cases she had handled, many profligate scions used this very concoction to rob noble daughters and female martial artists of their chastity.
Xu Yuan's gaze was crystal clear, his tone earnest:
“When traveling away from home, carrying a few extra items is always prudent. Having this isn't against the law, is it?”
“...It is not against the law.”
Muttering softly under her breath, Xu Mengxi lowered her head, her long ponytail swaying behind her head as if expressing her confusion.
Though this brocade-robed young master conducted himself with the poise of a refined gentleman, his methods were bafflingly underhanded.
He was willing to draw his sword to help a stranger in distress, yet his actual actions smacked of a petty scoundrel.
A truly bizarre fellow...
Under Xu Mengxi's professional treatment, Qin Weishu's life was soon preserved.
Yet the moment she finished treating his injuries, she heard the man's voice drift over once more:
“Oh, right. You should have Source-Locking Shackles on you, correct?”
“...”
Hearing this, Xu Mengxi couldn't stop her clear eyes from rolling discreetly.
This young master from an eminent clan was clearly formidable, yet his conduct was excessively cautious.
Thinking this, she still reached into her robes, took out a pair of iron shackles from her inner lining, and locked Qin Weishu's hands behind his back.
Having finished everything, Xu Mengxi stood up and asked involuntarily, “Young Master, do you think this will do now?”
Xu Yuan hesitated slightly, glancing around at the gently undulating soul mist, and said in a low voice, “Qin Weishu still has a guard waiting outside.”
Xu Mengxi recalled the push dagger strike that had nearly pierced her chest and frowned. “That dissolute woman?”
Xu Yuan nodded. “Yes. Although her perception most likely cannot penetrate my soul mist barrier, she is a Grandmaster after all. We had best manufacture some qi dynamics to pretend the battle is still ongoing.”
Xu Mengxi looked at the man's earnestly contemplating expression, then the corners of her lips curved slightly upward.
“Young Master is truly cautious in his conduct... However, there is no need for that now.”
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why?”
Xu Mengxi didn't answer immediately. She merely slipped her slender hand into the outer fold of her uniform skirt without taking out whatever was inside. After several breaths, she said softly:
“Our colleagues from the Secret Investigation Bureau and the City Defense Bureau have arrived.”
“...”
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow.
With the soul mist enveloping the area, how had this woman received an outside message?
The thought flitted across his mind, and without hesitation, Xu Yuan directed his spiritual vision straight beneath the female constable's clothes.
And then,
his gaze suddenly froze.
Xu Mengxi had set up a barrier of intent-soul, but to his spiritual vision, that barrier was practically nonexistent.
Piercing through the soul shroud, a crystal glowing with purple light was trembling faintly.
Hesitating slightly, Xu Yuan channeled his spiritual vision inside to inspect it.
And what he uncovered made his pupils shrink violently.
Although this purple crystal had a different shape, its internal formation patterns were identical to the short-to-medium-range communication artifact on the Big Ice Block!
What did this mean?
Ran Qingmo was the disciple of the Sect Alliance Master, while Xu Mengxi was a core member of the royalist faction. Why would the two of them possess artifacts with the exact same formation patterns?
A coincidence?
Impossible.
His Fourth Sister had once said that magical artifacts were delicate, precision instruments where an error of a hair's breadth led a thousand li astray.
The odds of two people independently developing the exact same formation patterns were roughly equal to getting struck by lightning on a stormy day—multiple times in a row.
Thoughts churned rapidly in his mind, and Xu Yuan's heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
Such communication artifacts ought to be top-secret within the Sect Alliance.
If that completely unguarded idiot of a Big Ice Block hadn't inadvertently exposed the communication artifact, they probably wouldn't even know such an object existed to this day.
Yet now, this top-secret item had appeared in the hands of a core member of the imperial faction.
In other words...
Had the upper echelons of the imperial clan and the sect alliance begun collaborating long ago?
This chance discovery left Xu Yuan's scalp tingling with a chill.
Amidst the silence, Xu Yuan quickly reined in his thoughts, showing not the slightest hint of anomaly, and replied with a soft smile:
“They've already arrived? Then shall I dispel this soul mist?”
Xu Mengxi turned around, her eyes curving in a smile. “Of course. A senior of the Origin Realm from my Secret Investigation Bureau has arrived.”
As she spoke, Xu Mengxi seemed in high spirits, delighted to have sent another outlaw behind bars. Her soft ponytail swayed gently behind her.
“This matter was all thanks to the young master's assistance. Mengxi will remember this favor.”
Xu Yuan shook his head noncommittally. “A favor from you? Heh.”
Hearing this mildly teasing remark, Xu Mengxi instinctively looked back. Her gaze sharpened for a split second like a performer changing masks before she said with a smile:
“The young master seems to believe I won't repay my debts?”
Xu Yuan said without hesitation, “Your reputation isn't exactly sterling. I've heard that you once sent a superior who saved your life straight into the Imperial Prison.”
“...”
Hearing those words, Xu Mengxi visibly froze.
Her eyes slowly dropped, and the cheer on her delicate, pretty face gradually waned into gloom. Looking sideways at the ground, she murmured softly:
“So... it's because of that...”
Seeing this, Xu Yuan smiled faintly to break the awkwardness:
“Still, I'll accept the favor. How about you do something for me?”
Saying that, Xu Yuan paused.
“Mhm... something that doesn't break the law or violate public order and morals.”
Having been reminded of a painful memory, Xu Mengxi still appeared somewhat subdued, but upon hearing this, she managed a smile and replied:
“Very well. What would the young master have me do?”
“Nothing for now. We'll speak of it when the need arises in the future.”
Xu Yuan waved his hand, directly dispelling the soul mist, and said in a low voice:
“For now, I assume I'll need to accompany you to the Secret Investigation Bureau?”
As a great prison passed down through a thousand years, the Imperial Prison covered a vast tract of land, subdivided into numerous zones—immense and intricate.
His reception on this second visit felt remarkably hospitable compared to his first.
The last time he came, Xu Mengxi had dragged him straight into the damp, chilling Punishment Ward. This time, however, she guided him into the administrative yamen of the Secret Investigation Bureau.
Trailing behind Xu Mengxi, Xu Yuan watched the ponytail swaying behind her head for a moment before casting his gaze aside.
The buildings of the Secret Investigation Bureau yamen were grand and imposing. Along the open-air corridors, officials dressed in robes patterned according to their various ranks bustled to and fro, projecting an air of vibrant solemnity.
Most officials of the Secret Investigation Bureau bowed and offered greetings upon seeing Xu Mengxi, yet in their eyes there lingered, to varying degrees, a trace of distaste.
Evidently, Xu Mengxi was not well-liked within the bureau.
Then again, it made sense; with a personality like hers, it would be strange if she were popular in officialdom.
Sending her own superior and benefactor behind bars might have complied with the letter of the law, but it violated human sentiment.
Furthermore, Xu Mengxi had almost certainly meddled with these officials' side income.
As front-line law enforcement officers engaged in life-and-death combat, operatives of the Secret Investigation Bureau often had ample opportunities to reap lucrative windfalls.
With this woman's style, she had in all likelihood clamped down on quite a few of those avenues.
They weren't civil scribes sitting safely at desks; they were putting their lives on the line at the front for the court, so pocketing extra perks was an unspoken rule of the trade.
While these thoughts ran through his mind, Xu Yuan noticed Xu Mengxi halt her steps.
Stopping along with her, Xu Yuan looked up to see a man in his thirties standing before Xu Mengxi.
He stood eight feet tall with a square jaw, sword-like brows, and tiger-like eyes, radiating an imposing aura of upright righteousness at first glance. Yet a savage scar slashing across his brow and through half his face lent a touch of bandit fierceness to that righteous bearing.
His qi dynamic was continuous and deep; he was likely in the Origin Realm.
And what drew Xu Yuan's attention was that
the way other officials looked at this burly man was almost identical to how they looked at Xu Mengxi.
They were all looking at him as though looking at a harbinger of doom.
Xu Mengxi and the burly man stood facing each other, yet no sound came from between them; they were undoubtedly conversing via voice transmission.
Xu Yuan waited quietly to the side, refraining from deploying his Heavenly Yan divine soul to eavesdrop. There were experts within the Secret Investigation Bureau; if he were detected, the loss would far outweigh any gain.
From their expressions, however, Xu Yuan could discern a few clues.
Though the burly man looked stern, there was a softness in his eyes.
And after seeing the man, Xu Mengxi's clear, delicate face wore a faint, sweet smile throughout.
A classic case of huddling together for warmth.
While he was silently disparaging them in his mind, Xu Mengxi suddenly turned around and said:
“Young Master, your matter will be entrusted to Brother Huang for now. I'll head over to the Punishment Ward first to interrogate the Second Young Master of the Qin family.”
Xu Yuan paused at her words and glanced at the burly, righteous-looking Origin Realm cultivator, only to find the man staring intently at him with eyes like torches. Xu Yuan said via voice transmission:
“Commander Xu, didn't you say earlier that this was just going through standard procedure? I don't want to get too deeply entangled in this affair.”
Xu Mengxi was already accustomed to this brocade-robed young master's reluctance to take on responsibility, and sensing his concern, she softly explained:
“Young Master, rest assured. Brother Huang and I were raised together by Master. I've already explained the whole story to him just now; he will not make things difficult for you.”
“...”
Hearing this, Xu Yuan could hardly say more and nodded.
Seeing this, Xu Mengxi smiled faintly, transmitted a few more words to the burly man, bowed to Xu Yuan, and turned to walk briskly away.
It seemed this woman truly trusted this burly fellow.
For a moment, only Xu Yuan and the burly man remained in the corridor.
After meeting his gaze for a second,
just as Xu Yuan was hesitating over whether to offer a greeting, the burly man's voice suddenly resonated inside Xu Yuan's mind, laced with deep reverence:
“Third Young Master, please follow me to a private chamber. According to standard procedure, we must record your statement before you can be released.”
“...” Xu Yuan.
Chapter 559