Ji Bozhai's face was icy as he pushed forward a servant, who pointed at the gate of the Sun residence and said, "Right here, my lord. I saw with my own eyes that Ming Guniang was taken inside."
Old Master Sun was startled. "What lady? Young man, you mustn't speak nonsense."
"My concubine, a Golden Hairpin Fighter personally conferred by Da Si, was detained by you in broad daylight. I didn't know Star Yearn City had changed its surname to Sun." Ji Bozhai raised his hand, and a vast black Nether Domain enveloped the entire Sun residence.
The scene was terrifying. Old Master Sun's legs went weak. "My lord, please be just! I haven't seen any lady. No unfamiliar lady has come to our residence."
Ji Bozhai ignored him and strode inside.
Old Master Sun shouted repeatedly from behind, then signaled to his servants with his eyes.
Understanding his meaning, the servants hurried out. Ji Bozhai was truly overbearing and unreasonable—they needed to call upon a few noble families they were acquainted with to serve as witnesses.
The black Nether Domain shimmered faintly with gold, like a massive dome blocking the sunlight above the Sun residence.
The people inside, confused and panicked, scattered in all directions. Mingyi glanced out the window, surprised, and immediately reached up to undo the male hairstyle she had tied her hair into.
Ji Bozhai walked step by step, slowly, as if crushing ants while surveying his surroundings.
Old Master Sun watched from a distance, secretly pleased—this was buying time for the witnesses to arrive.
Just as the search was about to reach the guest quarters, a servant rushed in anxiously to report, "Master, someone's arrived outside!"
Without even looking, Old Master Sun said, "Quick, bring them all in!"
"Yes!"
Sun Liao, wrapped in bandages, was supported by several servants as he intercepted Ji Bozhai.
"I don't know where I've offended you, my lord, to deserve such humiliation today," he coughed, feigning extreme weakness. "This is still an official residence."
"You stole my concubine, which is an even greater humiliation to me," Ji Bozhai said coolly. "Hand her over, and I'll leave your corpse intact."
The words carried such lethal intent that Sun Liao was momentarily stunned.
Did he really dare to kill?
Impossible. Sun Liao was now the only Artifact Smith—he couldn't just be killed at will unless Ji Bozhai cared nothing for his reputation.
But since the words had already been spoken, Sun Liao's eyes darted, and he immediately let out a pained cry, collapsing to the ground with blood trickling from his mouth.
"Young master! Young master!" The servants beside him hurried to help him up, then glared hatefully at Ji Bozhai. "To come to someone's residence and commit murder—is there no law left in this city?"
Ji Bozhai looked down at him. So he had prepared this in advance? Interesting.
Just as he was about to reach out and finish him off, the door to the guest quarters suddenly opened. A graceful figure rushed out and threw herself into his arms with a sob. "My lord!"
The familiar scent, the soft waist—Ji Bozhai's heart trembled, the Essence Power in his hand dissipating as he hurriedly reached out to catch her.
Mingyi, her hair loose and wearing a plain outer robe, wept pitifully, her voice loud. "I was just passing by this place when this Sun Liao harassed me, saying he wanted to take me into his residence as a servant. I told him I belonged to you, my lord, but he started cursing you—his words were vile and unbearable! Later, he even insulted Da Si! He's a madman, and I was so scared!"
Her words were both heart-wrenching and loud enough that even Sun Liao, pretending to be dead on the ground, twitched his fingers in anger.
What nonsense! When had he ever abducted a lady into his residence or insulted Da Si? She was really piling accusations on him.Unfortunately, it was of no use. The people invited from outside were all their own, just there to testify when the time came...
"How could such an absurd thing happen in broad daylight!" Situ Ling roared angrily. Behind him, Fu Yue immediately stepped forward and forcefully subdued the man pretending to be dead on the ground.
His knee pressed against Sun Liao's ribs, causing excruciating pain. Sun Liao could no longer keep up the act and let out a scream as he opened his eyes.
It would have been better if he hadn’t looked. At the sight before him, his legs went weak.
Da Si stood at the moon gate, accompanied by Qin Shangwu and Situ Ling, all staring at the scene in shock.
"No... you!" He glared fiercely at Ji Bozhai before hurriedly waving his hands. "I never insulted Da Si! How would I dare? This man is spouting nonsense!"
"She is the Golden Hairpin Fighter personally appointed by Da Si. If she’s spouting nonsense, why would she be in your residence?"
Only then did Sun Liao turn to look at Mingyi.
Just moments ago, she had been a shrewd, impoverished young man. Now, in the blink of an eye, she had transformed into a delicate young woman, leaning against Ji Bozhai’s chest and sobbing uncontrollably, looking utterly wronged.
Sun Liao was bewildered. He had no idea when this person had entered his residence. The guest room had clearly been occupied by...
Wait, those clothes? Though the style had been altered to appear unisex, the long grayish-blue robe was unmistakably the same one Master Ming had been wearing earlier.
"I’ve got it! She was invited here by me," Sun Liao exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "She was originally a man!"
Everyone: "..."
In the face of Mingyi’s strikingly beautiful features, his words sounded utterly insane.
Ji Bozhai stepped on his head. "You dare to kidnap my person and then lie about it?"
"No, I didn’t... Headmaster Qin, save me!" Sun Liao wailed pitifully.
Qin Shangwu had originally been accompanying Da Si on a tour of the Academicians' Court when Situ Ling dragged him over. He had no idea what was happening. Seeing Sun Liao in such a state, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy. "Bozhai, don’t go too far. He’s an Artifact Smith."
"Exactly because I’m an Artifact Smith, he resents me! He’s afraid I’ll overshadow him, so he’s been scheming against me at every turn!" Sun Liao gritted his teeth. "If you all hadn’t arrived today, he would’ve beaten me to death! I can’t fight him anyway. At worst, Star Yearn City will have no new Artifact Smiths, and next year we’ll have to send the elderly Old Weng to admit defeat—Ah!"
"Bozhai!" Qin Shangwu rushed forward to grab his arm. "Stop this!"
Feeling the anger radiating from Ji Bozhai’s chest, Mingyi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and suddenly spoke up. "This man claims to be an Artifact Smith, yet his hands are smooth as cream, without a single callus. Why is that?"
Sun Liao lowered his gaze, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "My Divine Tool crafting skills are unparalleled."
With just that one sentence, the expressions of both Qin Shangwu and Da Si shifted.
They had both seen She Tianlin, the most skilled Artifact Smith in the Azure Cloud Realm. Yet when he extended his hands, they were covered in years of hardened calluses.
How could an Artifact Smith’s hands be smooth and unblemished?
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Sun Liao’s father quickly signaled him with his eyes. Understanding, Sun Liao spat out another mouthful of blood and feigned unconsciousness on the ground.
"Young Master!" Two servants wailed, tears streaming down their faces. "This man dares to commit murder even in Da Si’s presence! How can the people of Star Yearn City sleep peacefully?"
"Da Si, please seek justice for our young master!"Mingyi wiped the corners of her eyes, tears streaming down. She burst into loud sobs and stumbled forward, crying out, "I went out today knowing that Lord Ji would be undergoing special training at the Academicians' Court for a long time, so I went to seek a blessing talisman for him. Never did I expect my Essence Power would be no match for the guards of this residence, who forcibly captured and imprisoned me, declaring they'd make me a concubine to this severely injured scoundrel Sun for a luck-bringing wedding!"
"Though I may lack talent and virtue, I was personally assigned to Lord Ji by Da Si. How can I endure such humiliation? I beg Da Si to grant me justice!"
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