Chapter 108 : Chapter 108
Chapter 108. Regret
After news of the medicinal fields outside the city being plundered by the Bai Family, and the Purple-Gold Eel nearly being stolen, reached the Shangyang Residence headquarters, it immediately caused a huge uproar.
The family’s upper ranks were enraged. That very same day, they urgently summoned Yang Cang back to the residence for questioning and punishment.
Afterward, they even issued orders for a Workshop Master from the Level Three zone to personally lead a force and, with thunderous force, wipe out two of the Bai Family’s streets along the border.
More than thirty Bai Family martial artists were killed before the headquarters’ anger was barely suppressed.
From that point on, the fragile surface balance between the two families was completely shattered.
The fighting grew fiercer and fiercer. Small clashes broke out without end, and news of casualties from the front lines came back one after another.
Everyone understood that the Shangyang Residence and the Bai Family were already close to the point where victory or defeat would be decided.
…
Inside the Chief Overseer’s residence, in a dim room,
Xu Yuan sat cross-legged. On the surface, he appeared to be regulating his breathing, but in truth, his mind was drawn taut as a bowstring, sensing every faint movement beyond the door.
Earlier, Yang Cang had ordered people to search the area around Azure Dragon Lake for three days and three nights, but in the end they found nothing.
Afterward, someone, perhaps unintentionally while giving a report, mentioned the conflict that had existed between Xu Yuan and Yang Caiyu.
On top of that, Xu Yuan truly had an alibi.
When Wang Tao turned toward Yang Caiyu, Xu Yuan had already fled toward the distant forest. Quite a few people had glimpsed that with their own eyes.
And suspicion in the human heart often needed no concrete proof. It only needed a spark to set imagination running.
After a brief moment of thought, Yang Cang’s face had immediately darkened.
So that same evening, Xu Yuan had been summoned to the Chief Overseer’s residence.
Inside the hall, the candlelight flickered. Yang Cang sat in the seat of honor, his expression grim as iron. Though the pressure of a seven-meridian martial artist was not fully unleashed, the air in the room had already turned heavy and still.
He did not shout or berate him. He merely told Xu Yuan to recount, from beginning to end, all of his movements, everything he had seen, and everything he had heard after the battle by Azure Dragon Lake that day.
Xu Yuan stood with his head lowered and his tone steady, then reported his experiences from that day after carefully trimming and arranging them.
The critical details of time, place, and each person’s actions were all stated truthfully.
Only the details involving Yang Caiyu’s final whereabouts were quietly omitted.
As for her ending, he merely said that while fleeing, he had heard the explosion go off. When he looked back, all he saw was smoke and dust filling the air. After that, he had focused entirely on escaping and knew nothing more.
His expression was calm and open, his eyes clear, showing not the slightest trace of guilt.
Yang Cang listened in silence, his gaze fixed on Xu Yuan’s face like that of a hawk, watching every minute change in expression.
The questioning lasted nearly an hour, and Xu Yuan’s answers were watertight.
In the end, Yang Cang waved a hand and ordered someone to take Xu Yuan to this side room to wait. He said clearly that the matter still needed to be verified and investigated.
Xu Yuan knew full well that even though Yang Cang was the Chief Overseer, he still could not punish a five-meridian Chief Guard without cause.
He too needed to go to the scene himself, inspect the traces left behind, and compare them with the testimony.
That was why Xu Yuan did not panic. After all, apart from the part concerning Yang Caiyu, everything else he had said was true.
No matter how suspicious Yang Cang might be, he could find no actual proof.
At most, he might scold Xu Yuan for fleeing before fighting and hand down a minor punishment.
After all, the medicinal fields had suffered grievous losses in this battle. Only four Chief Guards remained, and any replacements would need to be selected again and again, which would still take time.
Before that happened, Xu Yuan’s position was indispensable.
…
Time trickled past in silence.
Outside the window, the sky shifted from inky darkness to pale dawn, then gradually took on a faint golden morning glow.
Xu Yuan sat with his eyes closed and his mind focused, repeatedly reviewing everything he had done that day, confirming whether any flaw had been left behind.
Just as he was thinking it through, a steady set of footsteps sounded.
Xu Yuan immediately opened his eyes, and a sharp gleam flashed through them.
He rose at once, quietly smoothed the slightly wrinkled clothes on his body, and let just the right amount of fatigue and post-disaster daze appear on his face.
The door creaked open.
But the one who stepped inside was not Yang Cang.
It was Chief Guard Zhang Cheng.
Standing in the doorway, Zhang Cheng looked at Xu Yuan with a complicated expression. His lips moved as though he wanted to say something, yet in the end it only became a low sigh.
Xu Yuan lifted his eyes to him. His gaze was calm, and he spoke first in an indifferent voice. “Chief Guard Zhang, has the result come out?”
Zhang Cheng stiffened for a moment, then nodded. His tone was somewhat low.
“Yesterday, the Chief Overseer personally led people to verify everything. They examined the traces at the scene and checked the route and time in your account. Everything matched, so the Chief Overseer sent me here to tell you to return to the Ding Fields.”
He paused, then added,
“Oh, and the Chief Overseer also said that your merit for this matter will definitely be reported on your behalf.”
Xu Yuan cupped his hands, his expression respectful. “Many thanks to the Chief Overseer for his clear judgment, and my thanks as well to Chief Guard Zhang for delivering the message.”
But inwardly, he sneered again and again.
The verification had already been completed yesterday, yet they had dragged it out until nearly noon today before finally coming to release him?
This Chief Overseer clearly had not truly dispelled his suspicions.
As for that merit… it would probably be heavily discounted as well.
Xu Yuan said no more. He gave a slight nod and turned toward the door.
But just as he was about to step over the threshold, Zhang Cheng suddenly spoke behind him, his tone hesitant. “Xu Yuan, I…”
He bit down on his teeth and said in a low voice,
“I… I was not deliberately targeting you. That day, I truly did see Chief Guard Yang’s body fly out. I was anxious at the time, so the words just slipped out…”
After yesterday’s verification results came out, he had only grown more and more regretful.
No matter who Yang Caiyu had truly died by, it no longer mattered.
Since there was no evidence, the matter should have ended there.
Yet because of a moment of temper, he had offended a colleague with great potential, someone who could originally have become a friend.
That truly had been a terrible move.
Xu Yuan did not slow his steps and did not look back. He only smiled faintly.
“Chief Guard Zhang jests. You merely stated what you saw truthfully. How could that be called targeting me? I understand.”
When the words fell, he had already stepped out through the door, his figure moving farther and farther away.
In Xu Yuan’s view, once the other man had made his choice, there was nothing more to say.
After all, among everyone present that day, only Xu Yuan had a clear alibi.
If Yang Caiyu had not died by Wang Tao’s hand, then on whom would the greatest suspicion naturally fall?
When Zhang Cheng said those words, he should already have understood the consequences they might bring.
As for why no one could find any evidence, that was Xu Yuan’s own skill. It had nothing to do with Zhang Cheng’s so-called fairness.
“I…”
Zhang Cheng had just started to speak when he saw that Xu Yuan had already left cleanly and decisively.
The bit of regret in his heart had not yet faded, but now another wave of resentment rose up instead.
You, Xu Yuan, had simply stumbled into outrageous luck and gained great merit. At worst, you had only been locked up for a few days. What have you really lost?
And I fought, bled, and got injured, yet ended up with nothing at all. I have not even complained, and you are the one putting on a cold face first?
You deserved to be suspected!
Who told you to provoke Yang Caiyu in the first place?
Zhang Cheng clenched his teeth to himself, feeling that what he had done had not really been wrong.
He had only spoken the facts of what he saw. What fault was there in that?
After muttering a few curses under his breath, Zhang Cheng took a deep breath and calmed his expression. A bright gleam flashed through his eyes.
Fortunately, because of this matter, he had at least made an impression in front of the Chief Overseer.
If anything happened in the future, then at least he would now have a direct path upward.
“With this, the Sixth Meridian should be within reach.”
At that thought, Zhang Cheng felt rather excited inside.