In an instant, the entire street exploded into chaos.
What had been a lively, orderly avenue only moments ago turned into a scene of sudden panic. Pedestrians cried out in alarm and scattered in all directions, retreating as far as they could, pressing themselves beneath shop eaves and behind wooden stalls, afraid that the violence might spill over onto them at any moment.
Almost simultaneously, dozens of guards from the Prince of Qin's estate surged out from every direction. Their movements were swift, coordinated, and clearly well-practiced. In the blink of an eye, Lao Huihui found himself surrounded, front and back, left and right, with no obvious path of retreat.
He swept his gaze across the encirclement, and a chill crept up his spine.
One guard leapt onto the Kulinan in a single bound, placing himself squarely in front of Zhu Cunji like a human shield. His voice rang out sharply, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"Who are you?" the guard demanded. "Why did you assault His Highness, the Prince's Heir?"
Lao Huihui frowned, his lips pressed tightly together, choosing silence instead of a reply.
Zhu Cunji, still half inside the vehicle, waved his hand impatiently. "Subdue him first. We can question him slowly later."
The guards answered in unison, their voices crisp and resolute. "As you command!"
With that single order, several guards lunged forward at the same time.
Lao Huihui reacted instantly. He tilted his head just enough to let a punch whistle past his ear, then swung his arm back in a sharp arc, gripping the attacker's forearm. With a sudden burst of strength, he twisted his waist and flung the man outward. The guard was sent flying, crashing straight into two others who had been rushing in from behind.
With a heavy thud, all three fell into a tangled heap on the ground.
Before Lao Huihui could even catch his breath, two more guards attacked from opposite sides. He answered with a left hook that forced one man back and followed with a powerful right kick that sent the other staggering several steps away.
The guards' shouts grew louder and more urgent.
"An expert!"
"He's a true master!"
"A rare expert indeed!"
"More men, hurry and help!"
At once, the remaining princely guards surged forward together, no longer testing him one by one.
Lao Huihui clenched his teeth, feeling a strange heat rise in his chest. His fighting spirit was fully ignited. He parried incoming blows, blocked strikes with his forearms, ducked beneath swinging fists, and leapt over sweeping legs. His movements were fluid and explosive, almost theatrical, like a martial arts star leaping across the screen of an old film. Facing dozens of guards alone, he fought fiercely, turning the entire street into utter pandemonium.
Such a massive disturbance could not remain contained for long.
Some bystanders ran off to alert the authorities.
Others rushed away to summon the local militia.
The government yamen runners happened to be stationed on a nearby street and arrived quickly, but the moment they recognized the guards of the Prince of Qin's mansion, they exchanged glances and immediately retreated, pretending they had seen nothing. None of them dared interfere.
The militia, stationed farther away, arrived more slowly.
However, when they did arrive, the person leading them was no ordinary figure.
Inspector Fang Wushang.
Although Li Daoxuan had not paid much attention to Fang Wushang in recent times, Fang Wushang himself had been steadily climbing the ranks. As Dao Xuan Tianzun's territory expanded, the Gao Family Village Inspectorate naturally could not remain limited to the small confines of Chengcheng County.
The Inspectorate expanded, and with expansion came promotion.
Old members rose step by step. Small squad leaders became major chiefs, major chiefs advanced to higher authority, and eventually reached the very top.
Fang Wushang had been promoted to General Director, now overseeing all branch inspectorates across the entire Dao Xuan Tianzun Liberated Zone.
By coincidence, he happened to be in Xi'an that day, inspecting the local branch of the Inspectorate, when he received reports of a violent street brawl.
He led the charge personally and was the first to arrive at the scene.
The moment Fang Wushang laid eyes on the situation, he quickly took stock of it. The guards of the Prince of Qin's estate were clearly surrounding a single man. That man wore strange attire and, most importantly, did not have Dao Xuan Tianzun's image embroidered on his chest.
There was no need for further deliberation.
Anyone without the embroidered image was, by definition, an outsider. The Prince of Qin's guards were clearly insiders.
When insiders and outsiders clashed, regardless of who was right or wrong, the first priority was always to subdue the outsider. Only after that could the truth be investigated.
Without hesitation, Fang Wushang surged forward toward Lao Huihui.
Lao Huihui had just kicked one guard to the ground when he suddenly sensed danger. He turned sharply, only to see a fist hurtling toward him at terrifying speed.
His heart jolted.
Another expert had arrived.
He arched his back dramatically, bending backward just enough for the fist to skim past his face. He thought he had narrowly avoided it, but Fang Wushang's movements did not stop there. In one seamless motion, Fang Wushang shifted his stance and brought his elbow crashing downward.
Lao Huihui's pupils contracted violently.
If that elbow strike landed, whether it hit his chest or abdomen, no vital area could withstand such force.
In sheer desperation, Lao Huihui twisted his body and spun mid-air, executing an Iron Bridge maneuver. His body rotated fully before he flipped away, narrowly escaping the blow.
Fang Wushang's elbow missed, and a flicker of surprise flashed across his eyes.
An expert.
The two men sprang backward at the same time, instantly creating distance between them. Then, without a word, they charged again.
Their fists collided with dull, heavy thuds, each punch landing squarely on the other's chest. The impact sent both of them flying backward, knocking over two unlucky guards in the process.
Fang Wushang hit the ground, but in the next instant he sprang back up with a clean carp flip, landing firmly on his feet.
Lao Huihui was not so fortunate.
He fell hard and failed to recover in time. Two princely guards lunged forward, pinning his arms. Before he could shake them off, more guards piled on, one after another, pressing him down with overwhelming force.
Soon, Lao Huihui was completely immobilized beneath their weight.
"We've got the assassin!"
"Haha, we've got him!"
The princely guards cheered loudly, their faces filled with triumph.
Fang Wushang also let out a long breath. "What a formidable opponent," he said honestly. "If we hadn't had the advantage in numbers, I might not have been able to take him down."
Several guards hauled Lao Huihui up, gripping him from all sides.
Unable to move, Lao Huihui let out a rough laugh. "Fine, you've caught me. Do as you wish. Death or torture, take your pick."
"There's no need to talk about death or torture so lightly," Fang Wushang replied calmly. "First, we need to find out exactly what happened here."
Lao Huihui sneered. "Why bother? I'm just a commoner who assaulted the Prince's Heir. Just execute me. Wouldn't that be simpler?"
Fang Wushang's expression hardened. "Silence. If justice were handled that way, where would heavenly principles be? Where would the law be? Before the law, all are equal. Whether you are a commoner or a prince's heir, reason must come first."
Those words struck Lao Huihui like a hammer.
For a moment, he was completely stunned.
Fang Wushang turned toward Zhu Cunji. "Your Highness, what exactly happened?"
Zhu Cunji leaned out from beside the Kulinan and said casually, "I was talking to him quite politely. Then he suddenly reached out and tried to grab my throat. That's when my guards intervened."
Fang Wushang nodded and turned back to Lao Huihui. "Why did you suddenly attack him without provocation?"
Lao Huihui opened his mouth. "He… he…"
His words caught in his throat.
How could he say, "He recognized me," in front of so many people?
Before he could respond, Zhu Cunji chuckled softly. "I was puzzled at first too, but after thinking it over, I understand now. General Director, let's not interrogate him here on the street. Let's move somewhere private and talk."
Fang Wushang raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Zhu Cunji leaned closer and whispered into his ear, lowering his voice. "This man looks very much like the great bandit leader, Lao Huihui."
Fang Wushang's heart skipped a beat.
He straightened at once. "Very well. Take him to the building next door."
Soon, the three of them entered the adjacent building, a shop belonging to Gao Family Village. When the shopkeeper realized who needed the space, he hurriedly invited them inside, closing doors and windows while the princely guards secured the outside.
Inside, Fang Wushang's tense expression finally relaxed. Zhu Cunji, on the other hand, broke into a broad smile.
"So," Zhu Cunji said cheerfully, "it really was Lao Huihui all along."
Lao Huihui stared at him, utterly bewildered. "You recognized me, and instead of turning me over, you bring me into a back room to chat?"
Zhu Cunji scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? Anyone with a bit of standing on our side, anyone who has access to internal information, knows that you're one of us, an ally."
Lao Huihui's eyes widened in shock.
He instinctively glanced at Zhu Cunji's chest.
The image of Dao Xuan Tianzun was embroidered there, stitched in gleaming gold thread.
Zhu Cunji continued, his tone apologetic. "This one's on me. I shouldn't have said those things out on the street. Anyone would have panicked in your position."
Fang Wushang nodded solemnly. "Indeed, Your Highness. You must be more careful in the future. Lao Huihui's identity cannot be exposed in public."
Lao Huihui muttered weakly, "Huh?"
Zhu Cunji turned back to him and gave a conspiratorial wink. "I know why you're in Xi'an. You're here for a little trip, right? Wanting to see the wider world. I get that feeling completely."
Lao Huihui felt even more confused.
What trip? What nonsense was this profligate middle-aged man talking about?
He had come to see the truth behind Dao Xuan Tianzun's Liberated Zone.
But as things stood now, it seemed he was already beginning to glimpse that truth, whether he wanted to or not.