The air in the Yellow Spring Guild lobby turned thick, as if the mana itself had stilled in anticipation. The crowd's murmuring faded until only the steady hum of the glowing Essence orb on the counter could be heard.
Yun Ting stood completely still, her gaze locked on the hornet spider , knuckles pale from how tightly her fists clenched. Her breathing stayed measured, but the tension in her shoulders betrayed the storm building inside her.
Without resistance, she let the nearest enforcer clasp a restriction cuff around her right wrist. A soft pulse of magic surged through it—a subtle chime that signaled the sealing of her internal energy.
"Wait!" the older front-desk clerk barked, stepping forward with his brows knotted in frustration. "Officer Charles, that young woman came through proper channels. She registered legally under public registration and anyone who does so, the yellow spring association welcomes him or her. "
"Protocol," Charles said smoothly, cutting him off without a glance. "The suspect is in possession of a contested Essence. That means City Law Enforcement must conduct a full investigation."
Yun Ting's eyes narrowed, fire flashing in their depths. "You're arresting me based on his word?"
She jerked her chin toward the boy behind Charles—robe torn, one cheek bruised from a fight, yet a triumphant grin spread across his face. He gave her a a smug smile like he cared less.
Yun Ting's teeth ground together, rage biting at her insides, but she said nothing.
Then a voice sliced through the tension like a blade.
"Wait a damn minute."
The sound wasn't loud, but it commanded the entire room.
Li zhengzhou stepped forward. His long coat swept behind him like a banner, revealing the bronze crest of a senior elder on his shoulder which wasn't seen earlier. His movements were calm, confident. He looked ordinary like an accountant who'd wandered into the wrong job.
But the way everyone stiffened around him said otherwise.
Even Charles flinched.
"Li Zhengzhou," Charles muttered, irritation flashing across his face before he could catch it. "This doesn't concern you old man."
Li's gaze flicked to Yun Ting, then back to the enforcer. "It concerned me the moment I saw you slap restriction cuffs on a warrior in the middle of Yellow Spring without a proper field inquiry. What are we doing, dragging licensed fighters out of my yellow spring like street thieves?"
"She's a suspect," Charles said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Standard procedure. She's carrying a contested Essence, and we've received a formal claim—"
"Don't quote procedure at me." Li stepped closer, his tone still calm, but colder now.
"Protocol also says both parties should be questioned before detainment. And I know damn well warriors like her fight in the wild zones so our streets don't flood with rampaging monsters. You think those beasts wait for paperwork?"
His voice dropped a notch, tight with suppressed anger. "She's earned better than this."
Charles's jaw flexed. He raised a hand in partial surrender. "Fine. She'll be taken respectfully. Interrogation under observation."
"And the boy?" Li asked, turning to glance at the young accuser.
The teen flinched. His smirk wilted, just slightly.
"We'll verify his claim as well," Charles muttered. "But the law applies equally."
Yun Ting was still cuffed, her pulse quickening. Her heart thudded in her chest, but her face remained expressionless.
Two officers approached her again—this time more gently, no longer gripping her like a threat. As they led her past the boy, he leaned back, letting his fake bravado return. But Yun Ting turned just enough to lock eyes with him.
Cold and calm
Li Zhengzhou matched her pace for a few steps as she was led away. He didn't speak, but a brief glance passed between.
And just like that, Yun Ting walked the wide marble halls of Bright Moon City—not as a warrior but as a suspect.
---
The police station was nothing like the sleek, mana-infused guild buildings. Here, the walls were dull steel-gray, lined with suppression seals that pulsed faintly with containment magic. The lights above flickered with an unnatural rhythm—off-beat and slightly distorted, like the heartbeat of something broken.
Yun Ting sat alone in a holding chamber, no larger than a closet, barely furnished with a metal bench. The restriction cuff on her wrist continued to hum softly, dulling her internal energy to the level of a civilian. Her back was straight, posture proud despite the circumstances.
Beyond the one-way mirror, muffled voices clashed in frustration.
"She's clearly hiding something!"
"No ID beyond the public registry,sir ."
"But she had an Essence!"
"Maybe she's new to Taixu."
Their words bled through the wall.
Yun Ting didn't blink.
They had no idea who they were dealing with.
Back on the mainland—across oceans and continents, her name had once echoed across auction halls, her face printed in elite magazines. Heiress to the Virelle Conglomerate. Daughter of the Black-ranked powerhouse who vanished mysteriously from the world stage.
She had walked away from all of it.
And now? Arrested like some street criminal by a boy playing victim and a system that couldn't see past ID numbers.
If she wanted, she could crush this entire room with a flick of her will. Her aura alone would buckle the walls. The only reason she hadn't done so yet was because this wasn't about pride. It was about staying on Taixu, the land of beasts, monsters, and power—where even her family's legacy meant nothing.
She exhaled, long and steady.
She had expected this. Poor people like her—outsiders without backing were always the first to be blamed.
The door hissed open.
Officer Charles stepped inside, his expression unreadable. He had shed his overcoat and now wore a tight-fitting enforcement uniform lined with dull-gray armor. The thin mana-woven plating marked him as mid-rank not elite, but not easily pushed aside either.
He carried a stack of folders, set them down on the table, and studied her.
For a second, his brows furrowed. A flicker of doubt, maybe even unease. Something about her didn't add up, and it itched at the edge of his instincts.
"We've reviewed your entrance data," he said after a pause, voice neutral. "You're listed in the public registry, but there's no association affiliation, no private citizen record. No formal ID. That makes your presence on Taixu... unofficial."
Yun Ting said nothing.
Charles waited, but when no answer came, he continued. "Under city regulations, that leaves us two options. One, you stay here until the guild or government verifies your entry. That could take weeks. Or two... you register with a Prisoner's ID card."
He looked her in the eye. "It's a temporary status. You'd be tagged for restricted movement and under constant surveillance, but... you'd be free to go."
Yun Ting tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "So your version of justice is... coercion with a smile?"
Charles's jaw tightened. "It's the only option I can give you, Miss Yun. Without an ID or a backing guild, you're technically here illegally even if the boy's story is false."
She leaned forward slightly, resting her cuffed wrist on her knee. "And you gave my Wisdom Essence to that lying brat already, didn't you? Because that's about the limit of your critical thinking."
The jab landed hard. Charles didn't flinch, but his nostrils flared.
"I'm trying to help you, believe it or not," he said, voice lower now. "You're powerful. That's clear. But I have laws I have to follow."
Yun Ting's eyes flashed. "And what about when those laws are twisted into weapons for spoiled brats to use against people like me?"
Silence fell.
Then she added, voice quiet but sharp, "Sometimes... it's safer to walk among sheep when wolves are hungry."
That made him pause.
He stood slowly, gathering the files. "Alright, Miss Yun Ting. No more questions tonight. You'll stay here while we conduct a deeper investigation."
Yun Ting didn't respond.
Charles hesitated at the door, his hand on the panel. His back straightened.
"I don't think you're the criminal type," he said without turning. "But I also don't think you're just some lone traveler. You carry too much... presence."
He opened the door, paused, then added, "Just don't give me a reason to make this harder than it already is."
The door hissed shut behind him.
Yun Ting remained seated, her body still, but her mind whirling. Everything had gone according to her expectations looks like the poor have no say in the world of money and poor and clearly now she knew what it meant to be poor
But she wasn't planning to wait in this cell for long.