Thrown into Prison, His Highness the Crown Prince, They're Bullying Me~

"That is not my fault; blame your nephew for his crooked intentions."

Ye Yunxi watched Prince Xue Xing's eyes bulge with rage, her smile nonchalant.

"Tell me, if Xue Qinghe finds out he's still causing trouble in the dungeon, do you think he'll just increase the sentence?"

"You are insolent! Ye Yunxi!"

Prince Xue Xing's face turned livid with fury, his finger trembling as he pointed at her.

"A woman of unknown origin, daring to be so arrogant in Tiandou City! The Crown Prince has truly been bewitched by you!"

"Tsk tsk, what's the use of losing your temper at me?"

Ye Yunxi arched a brow in mockery.

"If you have the guts, go argue with Xue Qinghe. Bullying a woman like me—what kind of skill is that?"

"Good! Very good!"

Prince Xue Xing laughed out of sheer rage, turning to bark at the soldiers behind him:

"The five of you, take her down! Throw her in the dungeon; I want to interrogate her thoroughly about her collusion with Martial Soul Hall!"

The words fell, yet the five soldiers hesitated, not daring to step forward.

They had seen with their own eyes how the Crown Prince protected Ye Yunxi; how could they dare to act rashly?

"What? Are you defying my orders?"

Prince Xue Xing snapped sharply.

"Arrest her! I will take responsibility for whatever happens! If you refuse, you'll all be demoted to guarding the imperial mausoleum!"

Forced into a corner, the soldiers had no choice but to grit their teeth and surround Ye Yunxi.

Ye Yunxi tapped her toes, her figure flickering like a ghost past the four charging soldiers. Her smoky-pink skirt traced a graceful arc as she offered a playful smile.

"Is this all you've got? You want to capture me?"

Prince Xue Xing was so angry his mustache twitched, and he roared:

"Useless trash! Get her!"

Before the words faded, a burly soldier lunged from behind. Taking advantage of the moment Ye Yunxi dodged, he clamped his hand firmly around her wrist.

Ye Yunxi's heart tightened. Just as she was about to trigger Lingbo Microsteps to break free, the other four swarmed her. Rough hemp ropes instantly bound her hands, the restrictions woven into the fibers suppressing her soul power.

[Ding! Triggered fun 'courting death' mission: Rant in the dungeon, enrage Xue Xing]

[Mission Requirements: Say three things in the dungeon that make Prince Xue Xing jump with rage. No soul power allowed; pure verbal output.]

[Mission Reward: Soul power +1, bonus 'Fox Shadow Escape Talisman' x1 (can silently undo non-soul-power-enhanced ropes)]

[Host, keep it up! You're one step closer to godhood.]

A glint of cunning flashed in Ye Yunxi's eyes. Far from panicking, she laughed even more brightly.

Hu Liena wanted to rush forward to intervene, but was blocked by Prince Xue Xing's guards.

"People from Martial Soul Hall, stay out of the Tiandou Imperial family's business! If you dare interfere again, don't blame us for being impolite!"

Hu Liena bit her lip, watching Ye Yunxi's retreating back as she was dragged away, feeling anxious and helpless.

Pushed and shoved all the way into the dark, damp dungeon, the cold floor bruised her knees, yet Ye Yunxi straightened her back and shouted at Prince Xue Xing, who was following close behind:

"Prince Xue Xing! You have some nerve! Daring to detain a guest of the Crown Prince's Mansion without authorization! Aren't you afraid Xue Qinghe will come to settle the score with you?"

Prince Xue Xing let out a cold snort, pacing to the cell door with a look of utter disdain.

"Just someone the Crown Prince took in on a whim, and you dare call yourself a guest? In my eyes, you're no different from the street thugs!"

Ye Yunxi raised a brow, her voice rising so the surrounding jailers could hear her clearly.

"A guest? I am the hero who helped Xue Qinghe root out the hidden threat of Xue Beng! If you dare touch me, Xue Qinghe will surely tear down your Xue Xing Prince's Mansion and turn you into a penniless pauper!"

As soon as these words left her lips, the veins on Prince Xue Xing's forehead bulged, and his hand shook as he pointed at her.

"You! You are insolent!"

Seeing this, Ye Yunxi smiled even more triumphantly, continuing to pour oil on the fire:

"Oh, right, Xue Beng is still waiting in the dungeon. Tell me, if I ask Xue Qinghe to lock you and your nephew together so he can properly 'repay' you as his uncle, wouldn't that be interesting?"

"And you, you old thing—at your age, instead of enjoying your retirement at home, you insist on provoking me. You must be tired of living and want to go keep your good-for-nothing nephew company, right?"

Three sentences struck in succession. Prince Xue Xing was trembling with rage; he kicked the cell door and roared:

"Shut your mouth! If you dare spout any more nonsense, I'll cut out your tongue!"

His chest heaved violently, the fury in his eyes nearly spilling over; he was clearly pushed to his limit.

[Ding! Mission successfully completed! Reward has been issued!]

A warm current surged through her limbs, and her soul power rose steadily by one level.

Feeling the restraint of the hemp rope on her wrists, Ye Yunxi's fingertips quietly hooked the Fox Shadow Escape Talisman provided by the system, a smile curling her lips that no one noticed.

She would be breaking through to a Soul Saint soon.

She leaned against the cold wall, her peach-blossom eyes curving as she looked at the hopping-mad Prince Xue Xing, her voice crisp and provocative:

"If you have the guts, then come and get me! This girl would love to see if you dare lay a single finger on me!"

"Don't think I wouldn't dare!"

Prince Xue Xing's eyes were sinister as he stared fixedly at Ye Yunxi:

"Even if I can't do anything else to you, locking you up for ten or eight years and letting you rot in this dungeon is well within my power!"

He hated Ye Yunxi to the core; if not for her, Xue Beng would not have been captured, and he would not be targeted by Xue Qinghe at every turn.

Today, he was determined to humiliate her thoroughly and vent this pent-up rage.

A ruthless glint flashed in Prince Xue Xing's eyes as he immediately opened the cell door, stepping toward Ye Yunxi:

"Feeling arrogant, are you? Tonight, I'll let you have a taste of what this dungeon is really like!"

Ye Yunxi's face turned pale. She never imagined this old man would truly dare to go this far. She shrank into the corner in sudden fear, her eyes involuntarily welling up with tears:

"Don't come any closer! This is Tiandou City, not a place where you can act lawlessly!"

"Lawless?" Prince Xue Xing laughed wildly. "In this dungeon, I am the law! Even if you scream until your throat tears, no one will come to save you!"

He closed in step by step. Ye Yunxi curled her entire body into the corner, having nowhere left to retreat. Watching Prince Xue Xing draw ever closer, she couldn't stop her body from trembling:

"You lunatic! Get away!"

Just as Prince Xue Xing reached out to grab Ye Yunxi, a figure flashed by like a gale, delivering a fierce kick to Prince Xue Xing's back!

Caught completely off guard, Prince Xue Xing was kicked flying out of the cell, crashing heavily onto the ground and grimacing in pain.

"Who? Who dares to ruin my business!"

Prince Xue Xing struggled to stand up, but when he saw who it was, a chill ran down his spine and his face turned deathly pale.

"Xue... Xue Qinghe? Why are you here?"

"If I hadn't come, I fear my person would have been bullied by you."

Qian Renxue sneered, her gaze sweeping over the curled-up Ye Yunxi in the cell. The fear on her face made her look like a completely different person from the arrogant and domineering girl at the Soul Fighting Arena.

Qian Renxue's original intention to lecture her for running around vanished instantly, replaced only by overflowing rage.

He strode into the cell and slashed the ropes binding Ye Yunxi with a wave of his hand, his tone carrying a hint of helpless reproach:

"I told you not to run around, but you wouldn't listen. Do you know fear now?"

Looking at Qian Renxue before her, Ye Yunxi's eyes reddened. Unable to hold back any longer, she grabbed his sleeve and choked out:

"Wuwu, I was wrong... I won't ever run around again... He bullied me..."

Qian Renxue patted her shoulder, his gaze turning icy as he looked at the collapsed Prince Xue Xing, his tone frigid:

"Prince Xue Xing, you have quite the nerve, daring to lay a hand on my Crown Prince's person."