Chapter 126: A Steep Price

Ignoring the furious Murong Fu entirely, Fang Xu simply sipped his wine with a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Meanwhile, Old Wu and the others had already stepped forward to form a protective perimeter. Old Wu had no doubt that Murong Fu might resort to violence at any moment. After all, although Old Wu had previously neutralized the elite assassins sent by Murong Fu, there was no guarantee that others were not still lurking nearby. To ensure Fang Xu's absolute safety, Old Wu and his men had to be exceptionally vigilant.

Seeing Old Wu and his guards position themselves in front of Fang Xu, Murong Fu furrowed his brow slightly. It was clear that he had by now guessed that the assassins he dispatched had not only failed to return but had also vanished without a trace, evaporating into thin air as if they had never existed. This realization naturally aroused Murong Fu's suspicion. Moreover, judging by the formidable aura emanating from Old Wu and the guards, Murong Fu concluded that his assassins had undoubtedly been eliminated by them.

At this thought, Murong Fu clenched his fists in mounting frustration. Yet, there was nothing he could do. Why? Because if he were to expose himself here, wouldn't it simply hand Fang Xu a legitimate excuse to kill him? Regardless of circumstances, Fang Xu's high status meant that striking from the shadows was one thing, but making an overt move in broad daylight would place Qin Suwen and the Great Qin Empire in an awkward position. How could anyone easily brush off the crime of defying imperial majesty?

Furthermore, Fang Xu's complex background, coupled with his close ties to Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian, meant Murong Fu could not act against him too recklessly. Even so, in Murong Fu's eyes, no one would be able to save Fang Xu's life today.

Why was he so certain? Because the moment Fang Xu and his party arrived in Danyang, Murong Fu had already tracked their movements. Instead of showing himself immediately, he had sent his cousin, Murong Bai, to cause trouble for Fang Xu.

Little did Murong Fu know that his own cousin had already been won over by Fang Xu. In truth, such an outcome was inevitable; within powerful aristocratic families, how could genuine kinship truly exist?

Nonetheless, Murong Fu was unbothered by his cousin's failure. His original intention was never for Murong Bai to accomplish any grand feat, but merely to buy time. Murong Fu needed a brief delay to await the arrival of a priceless night-shining pearl being transported from the Murong estate.

That very pearl was the one Old Wu had previously discovered hidden inside a doll—a precious treasure the Murong family had intended to present as a birthday tribute to the reigning monarch, Qin Suwen. If such an item were found in Fang Xu's possession, wouldn't his crime be unforgivable, leaving him with a thousand deaths to atone for?

This was the core of Murong Fu's scheme. He understood that if he wanted to move against Fang Xu, he needed a foolproof pretext, and the night-shining pearl would provide it. Unfortunately, Murong Fu could never have imagined that the pearl had already vanished into thin air.

"I can't be bothered to waste any more breath on you!" Murong Fu said, composing himself before casting a disdainful look at Fang Xu.

"If you have nothing better to say, then Old Wu, show our guest out," Fang Xu replied as he stood up, preparing to leave.

Old Wu stepped directly in front of Murong Fu and made a polite yet firm gesture indicating the exit. This gesture struck Murong Fu as an intolerable humiliation.

"Fang Xu! Don't push your luck!" Murong Fu snapped viciously at Fang Xu's retreating figure. Hearing this, Fang Xu could not help but chuckle.

"Murong Fu, are you confused about something? Just who is pushing their luck here? Did you really come all this way just to spout nonsense?" Fang Xu turned around, looking at Murong Fu with an amused yet mocking smile.

"Hmph! Of course not! It's just that a night-shining pearl has gone missing from my estate. I wonder if you happen to have seen it, Fang Xu?" Murong Fu twirled the folding fan in his hand and asked with a feigned smile.

It had to be admitted that Murong Fu possessed impressive emotional control. At the very least, judging by Fang Xu's estimation, Murong Fu had come dangerously close to losing his temper just moments before.

Yet, upon hearing these words, the corners of Fang Xu's mouth curved upward once more.

Had he not learned about the matter earlier from Old Wu, Fang Xu might actually have been caught off-guard by Murong Fu's accusation.

"Oh? Is that so? But since it vanished from your own estate, why come to me? Could it be that you suspect I stole your precious pearl?" Fang Xu asked with a theatrical expression of shock, prompting Murong Fu to smile triumphantly.

"If it wasn't you, why else would I be here?" Convinced that Fang Xu knew nothing about the pearl, Murong Fu felt he had seized the upper hand.

Meanwhile, Murong Bai, who had been standing quietly to the side, turned pale with shock upon hearing Murong Fu's words. Murong Bai was well aware of the astronomical value of the pearl Murong Fu was talking about. If it were truly discovered in Fang Xu's possession, Murong Bai knew for certain that Murong Fu would never let Fang Xu go, and that Murong Fu would hold the unquestionable moral high ground. This realization filled Murong Bai with deep anxiety.

From Murong Bai's perspective, he and Fang Xu were now grasshoppers tied to the same rope; if Fang Xu died, he himself would undoubtedly perish as well. The thought caused him to clench his fists so tightly that his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

"Absurd! Don't spread baseless accusations! I've never even laid eyes on a night-shining pearl! Besides, if I wanted one, do you really think I couldn't afford to buy it?" A trace of panic flickered across Fang Xu's face.

"Hah! I'm afraid you couldn't afford this one! You must understand that the pearl I lost is a peerless heirloom, the only one of its kind in the entire world!" Murong Fu declared proudly. Yet, upon hearing this, Fang Xu genuinely froze.

Not only Fang Xu, but Old Wu standing by the door also froze, while the surrounding guards cast complex, sideways glances at Old Wu.

"Um... is it really that expensive?" Fang Xu swallowed hard, asking out of sheer instinct.

Murong Fu nodded triumphantly. "Expensive doesn't even begin to cover it! It is a rare treasure unmatched beneath the heavens! Well? Speechless now, aren't you?"

Noticing that Fang Xu's complexion turned even paler after his declaration, Murong Fu assumed he had successfully terrified his opponent. In truth, Murong Fu was not exaggerating in the slightest; that night-shining pearl was indeed worth a king's ransom.