Free Web NovelChapter 389: Chapter 389: The Frame-Up
"What’s going on?"
Just then, the squad of Celestial Dragon Guards who had shouted earlier quickly arrived on the scene.
"Young Master Ye, it’s you! Are you all right?"
Seeing Ye Xuan lying on the ground, the leader immediately cried out in alarm. He rushed to Ye Xuan’s side, his face tense with anxiety.
The Celestial Dragon Guard captain was none other than Shao Jun, whom he had just seen that very morning.
"Patriarch Luo Min, what exactly happened? Who injured Young Master Ye?"
Shao Jun’s face was a mixture of shock and fury.
This morning, Shao Jun had been brought to the Luo family estate by Commander Jia, his heart filled with apprehension. He was certain he would be stripped of his position as a City Guard captain. To his surprise, Ye Xuan had shown the Celestial Dragon Guard incredible respect. Not only had he avoided punishment, but he had also been allowed to keep his post.
Compared to the fate of Captain Huang from the City Construction Department, Shao Jun was filled with immense gratitude toward Ye Xuan.
Now, seeing Ye Xuan so grievously injured, Shao Jun’s heart leaped into his throat with a mix of terror and rage.
Such a major incident had occurred on his watch; he couldn’t possibly shirk his responsibility.
After listening to Luo Min recount what had happened, Shao Jun’s face contorted with anger.
"The absolute nerve! What kind of scoundrels would dare to commit such an atrocity in the market district? You lot, track them down immediately! And you two, hurry to the Celestial Dragon Guard and notify the commanders."
Shao Jun hastily issued his orders. An incident of this magnitude was far beyond what a mere captain like him could handle. The commanders had to be involved.
"Alas, those two assassins were a bit too weak. After all that commotion, they couldn’t even kill a single boy. Tsk, tsk. What useless trash. I’m so disappointed."
At the entrance of the Qin family Medicine Pavilion, Qin Yu saw that despite all the chaos, Ye Xuan hadn’t died. He couldn’t help but sneer, his face filled with unconcealed glee.
Hearing this, a flash of fury appeared in Ye Xuan’s eyes. Lying on the ground, he coughed up another mouthful of blood and glared coldly at Qin Yu. "Qin Yu," he said through gritted teeth, "I thought you were just talking big. I never imagined you’d be so bold as to make a move in the market district. You’re ruthless."
"What’s this, Young Master Ye? Is Young Master Qin connected to the assassins who attacked you?" Shao Jun frowned.
Looking gravely injured, Ye Xuan gritted his teeth. "Connected? He’s the one who sent them! Just now in the Medicine Pavilion, he said it himself—that he would make a move on me as soon as I left. I thought he was just bluffing, but who knew he’d actually go through with it."
SWISH!
In an instant, every eye in the crowd swiveled to land on Qin Yu.
The Martial Artists who had witnessed the conflict between Ye Xuan and Qin Yu in the Medicine Pavilion, in particular, showed expressions of shock and deep contemplation.
Qin Yu was stunned. Feeling everyone’s gazes on him, he instantly understood and roared in anger, "You brat, don’t you dare slander me! The people who tried to kill you weren’t sent by me! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too arrogant and offending too many people. There are people who want you dead everywhere you go."
Feigning rage, Ye Xuan retorted, "Qin Yu, still trying to deny it at a time like this? If you did it, then own up to it. You’re supposed to be a man, so why are you acting like a woman, too scared to admit what you’ve done?"
"Qin Yu, you have some nerve!"
Luo Min roared in fury, his eyes practically shooting flames.
The surrounding crowd all looked at Qin Yu with strange expressions.
"Damn it, I really didn’t do it! If I had, why wouldn’t I admit it? You dare to frame me, you brat!" Qin Yu shouted, a sense of urgency rising in his heart.
He had only meant to taunt Ye Xuan, not to take the blame for this. Making a move in the market district was too great a crime. If the accusation stuck, even a young master of the Qin family like him would have a hard time getting out of it.
But everyone’s eyes were clearly filled with suspicion.
It was just too much of a coincidence. Qin Yu had just been in the Medicine Pavilion threatening to deal with Ye Xuan, and the next moment, after leaving the pavilion, Ye Xuan was ambushed by two assassins. No one, not even an idiot, would believe that Qin Yu had nothing to do with it.
Shao Jun’s expression grew grim.
Recalling how Qin Yu and the people from the City Construction Department had gone looking for trouble with Ye Xuan yesterday, he began to believe it was possible.
Shao Jun immediately stood up. With a wave of his hand, several Celestial Dragon Guards surrounded Qin Yu. "Sir, you are now a suspect in an assassination case. Please cooperate with our investigation."
"Investigate my ass! I said I didn’t do it, and I mean it! Why don’t you believe me?" Qin Yu was exasperated with Shao Jun.
"It’s not a matter of whether we believe you or not. All the evidence currently points to your involvement. Please cooperate with our investigation. If you are innocent, we, the Celestial Dragon Guard, will handle this impartially and clear your name," Shao Jun said coldly.
The last time, just having a corner of the Luo family’s shop blown off had enraged the Artifact Refining Workshop and caused a huge incident. Now that Ye Xuan was this injured, Shao Jun couldn’t even begin to imagine how the Workshop would react. freewebnøvel.com
"I’m a young master of the Qin family! Let’s see who dares to touch me!"
Seeing that he was getting nowhere with Shao Jun, Qin Yu roared in anger. A large group of guards immediately emerged from the Medicine Pavilion and surrounded the Celestial Dragon Guard members.
Shao Jun’s gaze turned icy. "Young Master Qin Yu, are you preparing to defy the Celestial Dragon Guard?"
Qin Yu’s repeated obstruction of the Celestial Dragon Guard’s duties was now making Shao Jun truly believe that he might actually be the one behind this.
The Celestial Dragon Guard’s attitude, treating him like a criminal, made Qin Yu’s blood boil. "Shao Jun, how many times do I have to tell you? I didn’t call those assassins!"
"Whether you did or not, the Celestial Dragon Guard is currently on official business. I must ask for Young Master Qin Yu’s cooperation. Men, take Young Master Qin Yu back to the Celestial Dragon Guard headquarters. If anyone dares to interfere, they will be considered an enemy of the Guard and dealt with lethally."
"You..." Qin Yu began to curse. "Shao Jun, believe it or not, if you lay a finger on me, I’ll have your hide!"
"Whether you have my hide or not is your business. Right now, I’m carrying out my duty. You dare make a move?"
Shao Jun was furious now. He unleashed the power of a Tier Six Martial Venerable, his gaze chillingly cold.
He was a captain of the Celestial Dragon Guard, representing the authority of the Imperial family. The Qin family might be a great clan, but for them to show him such disrespect in the middle of the market district—how could he maintain his authority in the future?
"Shao Jun, with your level of strength, you dare act so arrogantly before my Qin family?!"
Qin Yu’s face was ashen. With a cold shout, another large group of Martial Artists rushed out of the Medicine Pavilion. The Qin family Medicine Pavilion was a crucial asset, so it was naturally well-guarded. In an instant, nearly a hundred men had completely surrounded Shao Jun and his squad.
’This is absolute rebellion.’ Shao Jun’s face was livid with rage. Ever since becoming a Celestial Dragon Guard captain, this was the first time he had ever been shown such blatant disrespect.
"Master Xuan Ye, what happened? Who injured you?"
Just then, a shocked voice rang out from the side as Master Xuli hurried over.
He had just heard the commotion from the upper floors of the Artifact Refining Workshop and decided to come out and see, never expecting to witness such a scene.
Luo Min quickly explained what had transpired.
"Qin Yu, you have some nerve! How dare you lay a hand on Master Xuan Ye!" Xuli was trembling with rage. "Captain Shao, what are you doing? This murderer—why haven’t you taken him into custody yet?"
Xuli knew exactly how important Ye Xuan was to his own master. If his master found out that Ye Xuan had been so seriously injured here, he couldn’t imagine how furious he would be.
Hearing Xuli’s words, Shao Jun gritted his teeth and stepped forward coldly.
"Shao Jun, you dare take another step!"
The general manager of the Qin family Medicine Pavilion also shouted furiously.
The atmosphere between the two sides immediately became heavy and tense.
"It seems some people have grown so arrogant they no longer care for the laws of the empire." Seeing the imposing formation of the Qin family guards, Xuli’s eyes glinted coldly. "Captain Shao, is someone daring to defy the orders of the Celestial Dragon Guard? Rest assured, the Artifact Refining Workshop, as a power of the empire, will not allow such a thing to happen. Men! Assist the Celestial Dragon Guard and apprehend this criminal!"
"Yes, sir!"
As soon as Xuli finished speaking, a large contingent of guards rushed out from the Artifact Refining Workshop’s building, completely surrounding the Qin family Medicine Pavilion.
For a moment, the guards from both sides glared at each other, and a massive battle seemed ready to erupt at any second.
Seeing Xuli’s shocked and furious expression, the countless onlookers in the crowd burst into an uproar.
It looked like the Artifact Refining Workshop was about to go head-to-head with the Qin family. Just who was this young man, that Master Xuli of the Artifact Refining Workshop would stand up for him so fiercely?
This clash between two major powers made the crowd both excited and nervous.
"Everyone, stand down!"
Just as a conflict was about to break out, a furious shout echoed from a distance.
Immediately after, a large group of armored Celestial Dragon Guards arrived swiftly on the street, bringing everyone under control.
The one in the lead was none other than Commander Jia.
He too had rushed over the moment he received the news.
After Jia Fang arrived, the first thing he did was inquire about the specific situation.
And after learning the whole story, Commander Jia immediately went to Qin Yu. His gaze was cold as he said, "Young Master Qin Yu, regardless of whether you did this or not, you will cooperate with the Celestial Dragon Guard. We will not wrong an innocent man, nor will we let a guilty one go free. If you intend to continue this farce, I guarantee that no one will be able to protect you."
The situation had escalated to a point where it was no longer just a simple ambush. It had become a power play, a battle for the reputations of several major factions.
If the Celestial Dragon Guard failed to take Qin Yu in today, then by tomorrow, rumors would spread throughout the entire Imperial Capital that the Guard was afraid of the Qin family’s power, that they were cowardly and incompetent. Jia Fang could not bear that responsibility, nor would he ever allow such a thing to happen.
