When Zhou Bai came to, he found the streets still being cleared of wreckage. Soldiers from the city garrison were carrying the bodies of their fallen comrades, covered in white sheets. Their footsteps were heavy, and every face was clouded with gloom. The air reeked not only of blood but of profound sorrow.
Zhou Bai was sitting in a corner of the street, surrounded by several of his constables, who stood guard over him.
"I’m not dead?"
The memories from before he lost consciousness slowly returned. He had been struck by Chen Xiao’s Five Poisons Palm. The toxin had seeped into his body, and having exhausted his internal energy, he had been unable to fend it off, eventually collapsing in a mix of grief and indignation.
Yes, indignation. Had the Consort from the Prince’s estate put in any real effort, the two of them could have easily taken Chen Xiao down given his condition at the time. Chen Xiao was now at the Xiantian Mid-stage; once he recovered, there would never be another opportunity as perfect as today’s.
Zhou Bai seethed with silent resentment toward Yu Xian’s cowardice, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
"Someone! Where is that Consort Yu from the Prince’s estate? Has he fled?"
"Are you looking for me, Chief Constable Zhou?"
A voice drifted eerily from behind him.
Zhou Bai’s skin crawled. He turned his head as if he had seen a ghost, only to find a pale face staring back. The man’s hair was matted with sweat and plastered against his forehead, looking utterly exhausted.
"Consort Yu! Why are you here?"
Yu Xian wore an expression of feigned innocence. "Chief Constable Zhou, why shouldn't I be here? I did my best to save your life just now, you know. Why can’t I get a civil look from you?"
"You saved me? And the poison in my body?"
Only then did it dawn on Zhou Bai that his paralyzed body had returned to normal. All the toxins had been forced into the palm of his right hand, currently bound by a powerful force. Once he regained his internal energy, it would only be a matter of time before he could expel the poison from his body.
He realized now that it must have been Consort Yu who had channeled his energy to treat him, explaining why he looked so worn out.
Zhou Bai’s face cycled through shades of green and white. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Consort Yu, you saved my life, and I am deeply grateful. However, I must report your cowardice during the battle to the Prince. Whatever punishment the Prince deems fit, I am willing to bear it alongside you."
"Punishment? Why would we be punished?"
Yu Xian suppressed a laugh, pretending to be puzzled. "And when did I ever show cowardice? Didn't we catch the man? The Prince should be rewarding us."
"Eh?"
Zhou Bai stood there, stunned. His gaze followed as Yu Xian gestured toward the side.
There lay Chen Xiao, covered in wounds and half-charred, currently unconscious and bound tightly.
A surge of blood rushed to Zhou Bai’s head, and his face turned beet red. Not only had the man saved his life, he had also managed to capture the target. And here he was, not only failing to show any gratitude but actually intending to lodge a complaint with the Prince.
This was... this was just incredibly humiliating! He wanted nothing more than to find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
Seeing Zhou Bai’s expression, Yu Xian pinched his own thigh to keep from laughing out loud.
"Chief Constable Zhou, now that you’re awake, I can rest easy. Since Chen Xiao is the assassin who attempted to kill the Prince, I must take him to the Prince’s Estate to await his fate. I trust you have no objections?"
Zhou Bai, who had been hoping to take Chen Xiao back to the magistrate’s office for interrogation, couldn't bring himself to say a word. He could only nod awkwardly.
"That is only right."
"Many thanks for your cooperation, Chief Constable."
Yu Xian cupped his hands in gratitude, stood up, walked over to Chen Xiao, hoisted him up, and left.
He had stayed behind to play this little charade for two reasons. First, he considered Zhou Bai a decent man; helping out such a person was worth it, especially since it cost him nothing. Second, he intended to spend his retirement at Prince Fu’s Estate, and if word got out that he had shirked his duty in battle, he wouldn't be able to stay.
Now, with Chen Xiao captured and Zhou Bai in his debt, he had an explanation for the Prince’s Estate, and the magistrate’s office would be in his favor. All it had cost him was a weakened Fireball spell.
He had truly won big.
Zhou Bai felt a vague sense that something wasn't quite right, but the debt of a life saved was heavier than heaven. Even if he suspected Yu Xian had merely picked up the scraps, he had no choice but to swallow it. Besides, Changning Prefecture was the Prince’s fiefdom; for the Prince’s Estate to step in and handle law enforcement was, at the very least, defensible.
"Make sure the list of dead and wounded is compiled; I will write the report myself. And see to it that no one touches their pension funds. I will deliver them personally."
Zhou Bai stood up with the help of his subordinates, deep in thought, making sure to give these orders. The price paid for capturing Chen Xiao today had been steep, but fortunately, the Prince’s Estate had promised to cover all expenses and pensions. Without that, no matter how much personal charisma he had, he wouldn't be able to get his men to risk their lives again without silver.
***
At the Yunlai Inn.
Chen Xiao slowly regained consciousness. His wounds had been crudely bandaged, but he still felt as if his body were being torn apart. He tried to muster his internal energy to heal, only to find his body limp and unable to exert any force.
"It’s useless. That’s Soft-Sinew Powder, specifically developed by the Imperial Ministry of Justice to suppress martial arts experts. Even a Xiantian warrior won't be able to cultivate energy for three days and three nights after consuming it."
A calm voice echoed in the room.
Chen Xiao turned his head to see that he was lying on a bed in a guest room. A scholar in green robes sat at the table in front of him, sipping tea at a leisurely pace.
"It’s you!"
Chen Xiao remembered. This bastard was the one who had ambushed him at the very end, mocking his Five Poisons Palm as nothing special.
"Attacking from behind? What kind of hero are you!"
Yu Xian looked genuinely surprised. "When did I ever say I was a hero?"
While Chen Xiao stared at him in disbelief, Yu Xian pulled out two white crystals, each the size of a quail egg. They were angular and faceted—the common currency of the Immortal Cultivation World: spirit stones.
White ones were low-grade spirit stones.
"Enough nonsense. Where did you get this stuff?"
Looting the dead was a good habit. It was only because he had found these spirit stones on Chen Xiao that Yu Xian hadn't immediately hauled him back to the Prince’s Estate, opting instead to squeeze him for information first.
Back in the Immortal Cultivation World, when he had been farming for high-level cultivators, his annual income was only three low-grade spirit stones; usually, he could only afford spirit sand, a grade below that. This explained how Chen Xiao had reached the Xiantian Mid-stage in a place like the Mortal Realm, where spiritual energy was so thin. With enough spirit stones, the lack of ambient energy mattered much less.
Thinking of how many spirit stones Chen Xiao had likely wasted just to cultivate his martial arts, Yu Xian felt his heart ache.
That could have been his!
"So, you recognize spirit stones as well?" Chen Xiao sneered, his eyes filled with contempt. "But do you think I’ll tell you? Or perhaps you could try begging me; who knows, if I’m in a good mood, I might just tell you."
Yu Xian was neither angry nor irritated. He simply sighed. "Actually, I don't like using the old or the weak to threaten others; it makes me look uncouth. But since you won't cooperate, I have no choice."
"Bring her in."
The door pushed open, and two guards from the estate led a young girl inside.
"You may leave."
Yu Xian dismissed the guards and pointed to the girl. "With your martial arts, no one could have stopped you from leaving Changning City. But you didn't leave—it was for her, wasn't it? The city gates are under strict lockdown, and with your injuries, it wouldn't have been easy to get a fragile girl out. You were smart, trying to draw the guards away yourself and having her pose as a guest to slip out. It's a shame you don't understand the mindset of those in power; they would rather execute three thousand innocent people than let one guilty one go. In fact, you should thank me; I saved her life."
The girl was about eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a plain white gown. Her eyes were gentle, and as she looked at the heavily injured Chen Xiao on the bed, tears fell silently.
Seeing the girl captured, Chen Xiao was overcome with emotion. He roared, "You damn bastard, if you have the guts, come at me! What kind of man bullies a girl!"
Yu Xian stepped slowly toward the girl and gently lifted her chin, revealing a face streaked with tears.
"You shouldn't anger me. Because when I'm unhappy, she’s the one who suffers."
Chen Xiao’s eyes were bloodshot; he found it difficult even to breathe.
"Let her go! I’ll tell you... just let her go..."
Yu Xian smiled faintly and released the girl. "Pleasure doing business with you."