Ji Bozai’s face was cold as he pushed forward one of his followers. The follower pointed at the doorway of the Sun mansion and said, “It’s here. I saw with my own eyes Miss Ming being taken inside.”
Master Sun was startled. “What young lady? My good man, please don’t speak nonsense.”
“My concubine, the Golden Hairpin Warrior bestowed by the Grand Minister, has been detained by you lot in broad daylight. I wasn’t aware that Muxing City had changed its name to Sun,” Ji Bozai raised his hand, and a massive black Netherworld Domain enveloped the entire Sun mansion.
This display was terrifying. Master Sun’s legs went weak. “Your Excellency, please be discerning. I haven’t seen any young lady. There are no strange women in our mansion.”
Ji Bozai ignored him and strode inside.
Master Sun called out repeatedly from behind and signaled to his servants with his eyes.
Understanding the message, a servant quickly ran out. This Ji Bozai was truly overbearing and unreasonable. They needed to find a few familiar noble families to come as witnesses.
The black Netherworld Domain shimmered faintly with gold, like a giant cover, blocking even the sunlight above the Sun mansion.
The people inside the mansion, not understanding what was happening, scattered in panic. Ming Yi glanced out the window and, surprised by the situation, immediately reached up to undo the male hairstyle on her head.
Ji Bozai walked very slowly, step by step, scrutinizing his surroundings as if treading on ants.
Master Sun watched from a distance, secretly pleased. This was buying time for witnesses to arrive.
As they were about to search the guest rooms, a servant hurriedly came to report, “Master, people have arrived outside!”
Without even looking, he said, “Quick, invite them all in!”
“Yes, sir!”
Sun Liao, wrapped in bandages, was supported by several servants as he came to block Ji Bozai’s path.
“I don’t know how we’ve offended Your Excellency to suffer such humiliation today,” he coughed, appearing extremely weak. “This is, after all, an official residence.”
“You stole my concubine, which is an even greater humiliation to me,” Ji Bozai said coldly. “Hand her over, and I might leave you with an intact corpse.”
These words carried intense killing intent, leaving Sun Liao momentarily stunned.
Did he dare to kill? Impossible. He was now the only Artificer. How could Ji Bozai kill him as he pleased, unless he didn’t care about his reputation anymore?
However, since these words had been spoken, Sun Liao’s eyes darted. He immediately let out a miserable cry and fell to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth.
“Young Master! Young Master!” The servants beside him were frightened and hurried to support him, glaring hatefully at Ji Bozai. “Someone’s come to kill in our mansion. Is there no law in this capital?”
Ji Bozai looked down at him. This person was prepared early? Interesting.
Just as he was about to reach out and send him on his way, the door of the guest room behind suddenly opened. A graceful figure rushed out, throwing herself into his arms with a sob, “Your Excellency!”
The familiar scent, the soft waist—Ji Bozai’s heart trembled. The Yuan Power in his hand dissipated as he hurriedly reached out to catch her.
Ming Yi, with her hair loose and wearing a plain outer robe, cried softly, “Your humble servant was just passing by when this Sun Liao harassed me, saying he wanted to take me into his household as a slave. When I said I belonged to Your Excellency’s household, he started cursing Your Excellency with vulgar and offensive words. He even went so far as to insult the Grand Minister. He’s a madman! I was so frightened!”
She spoke pitifully but loudly. Sun Liao, pretending to be dead on the ground, was so angered by her words that his fingers twitched.
What nonsense was she spouting? When did he ever forcibly take a young lady into his household, let alone insult the Grand Minister? She was pinning false charges on him.
Unfortunately, it was useless. The people invited from outside were all their people. As long as they testified for him later…
“How can such an outrageous thing happen in broad daylight!” Situ Ling shouted angrily. Fu Yue immediately stepped forward and forcefully pressed down on the person pretending to be dead on the ground.
His knee pressed against Sun Liao’s ribs, causing intense pain. Sun Liao couldn’t keep up the act and opened his eyes with a miserable cry.
It would have been better if he hadn’t looked. When he did, his legs went weak.
The Grand Minister was standing at the moon gate with Qin Shangwu and Situ Ling, looking at the scene with shock.
“No… you!” He glared fiercely at Ji Bozai, then hurriedly waved his hands. “I didn’t insult the Grand Minister. How could I dare? This person is talking nonsense.”
“She is the Golden Hairpin Warrior appointed by the Grand Minister. If she’s talking nonsense, how did she end up in your mansion?”
Only then did Sun Liao turn to look at Ming Yi.
Just a moment ago, she had been a shrewd poor boy, and in the blink of an eye, she had become a delicate young lady, crying breathlessly against Ji Bozai’s chest, looking utterly wronged.
Sun Liao was bewildered. He didn’t know when this person had come to his mansion. The guest room had been holding…
Wait, those clothes? Although the way of wearing them had changed, looking neither male nor female, it was the same ash-gray robe that Master Ming had been wearing earlier.
“I know now! She was invited to my mansion,” Sun Liao slapped his thigh. “She was originally in male form!”
Everyone: “…”
In front of Ming Yi’s extremely beautiful features, these words sounded like the ravings of a madman.
Ji Bozai stepped on his head. “You forcibly took my person and now you’re trying to lie?”
“No, I didn’t… Master Qin, save me!” He wailed repeatedly.
Qin Shangwu had originally been touring the Yuan Shi Academy with the Grand Minister when Situ Ling dragged him over. He had no idea what had happened and looked at Sun Liao with sympathy. “Bozai, don’t use lethal force. He’s an Artificer after all.”
“It’s precisely because I’m an Artificer that he harbors resentment towards me, fearing I’ll overshadow him, so he’s framing me at every turn!” Sun Liao said through gritted teeth. “If you all hadn’t come today, he probably would have beaten me to death. After all, I’m no match for him. At worst, Muxing City would be left without a new Artificer, and next year they’d have to bring old man Weng to admit defeat—Ah!”
“Bozai!” Qin Shangwu came forward to grab his arm. “You mustn’t!”
Feeling the angry rise and fall of his chest, Ming Yi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and suddenly asked, “This person claims to be an Artificer, yet why are his hands as smooth as cream, without a trace of roughness?”
Sun Liao lowered his eyes, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. “My craftsmanship in forging divine weapons is superb.”
With just this one sentence, the looks in Qin Shangwu and the Grand Minister’s eyes changed.
They had all seen She Tianlun, the most skilled Artificer in the Azure Cloud Realm, but when he extended his hands, they were covered in calluses accumulated over the years.
How could an Artificer’s hands be smooth and clean?
Seeing the atmosphere turn unfavorable, Master Sun hurriedly signaled to Sun Liao with his eyes. Sun Liao understood and coughed up another mouthful of blood before fainting on the ground.
“Young Master!” Two servants wept, “This person dares to kill in front of the Grand Minister. How can others in Muxing City sleep peacefully!”
“Please, Grand Minister, seek justice for our young master!”
Ming Yi wiped the corner of her eye, tears flowing naturally. She burst into loud sobs and stumbled forward. “This humble girl went out today knowing that Lord Ji would be in special training at the Yuan Shi Academy for a long time, intending to pray for talismans for him. Unexpectedly, my Yuan Power was no match for the guards of this mansion, and I was forcibly captured and imprisoned. They threatened to make me a concubine to this gravely injured scoundrel Sun to bring him good fortune.”
“Although this humble girl lacks talent and virtue, I was personally assigned to Lord Ji by the Grand Minister. How could I suffer such great humiliation? I beg the Grand Minister to right this wrong for me!”