Mo Jiuye appeared calm on the surface, but he was actually nervous.
From Xue Fan's account, it was clear that his purpose in coming to the northwest was indeed related to the Mo Family, which was almost entirely different from what he had speculated.
What worried him now was that before the Mo Family had fully prepared to deal with external threats, Xue Fan had already gathered some information about the Mo Family.
Once this information reached the capital and was known to Emperor Shunwu, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't take any actions detrimental to the Mo Family.
Xue Fan shook his head vigorously, "After I arrived in the northwest, I was busy with the opening of Jingxian Building. I just freed up some time to think about using Boss Tang's hiring of a killer to force you to show up voluntarily. Before the matter had any results, you found out about it. I can only count myself unlucky."
His words were not untrue at all.
Xue Fan was accustomed to being self-righteous in his actions, and everyone in the capital knew that Mo Jiuye was the only male descendant of the Mo Family.
He also understood Mo Jiuye's martial arts skills well; if they were to truly face each other, he would definitely not be his opponent.
Therefore, after arriving in the northwest, he did not immediately send someone to take action but instead opened Jingxian Building.
In this way, having a place for himself and his men was one aspect; the most important thing was for his true purpose in coming to the northwest.
At the same time, he hoped that Mo Jiuye wouldn't overthink things and assume that he was simply doing business.
After all, Jingxian Building had branches all over the north and south of the Great River, so it wasn't unreasonable to open one in the northwest.
Unexpectedly, he underestimated Mo Jiuye's intelligence, thinking that as a mere martial artist, he wouldn't have so many thoughts.
Never in a million years did he expect that despite his best efforts, he would be discovered so quickly.
Not only that, but he might even lose his life here.
The more Xue Fan thought about it, the more he regretted it. He shouldn't have tried to show off in front of the Empress just to get this job.
If Mo Jiuye knew what he was thinking, he would probably laugh for a while.
Was there no one left in the Xue Family? They actually sent someone so brainless and self-righteous to deal with the Mo Family.
Indeed, they treated the Mo Family like fools...
But this was also good; it was better than if the Xue Family had sent a cunning person here. If that were the case, the first thing they would do upon arrival would be to investigate the situation of the Mo Family.
Xue Fan considered himself clever; he even set a trap using Chen Wu and Wang Lin.
Little did he know, these petty tricks couldn't withstand close scrutiny at all.
Xue Fan was afraid that Mo Jiuye would sprinkle that dreadful powder on his wound again, so he hurriedly assured, "I didn't gain anything here. There's no way I would send any messages to the capital. You must believe me."
As he spoke, he kept his eyes on Mo Jiuye's hands, afraid that if something went wrong, he would open that small paper package...
Seeing this, Mo Jiuye deliberately waved the small paper package in front of him.
"Besides sending you to the northwest, does the Xue Family have any other plans?"
"No, there aren't any. I came to the northwest only to find out about the whereabouts of Prince Heng from you, and nothing else," Xue Fan spoke rapidly, afraid that if he spoke slowly, Mo Jiuye would make another move.
All the necessary inquiries had been made, and as for Xue Fan sending people to capture Wang Lin's family as a threat, Meng Huaining, the official in charge, had taken care of it, and Mo Jiuye couldn't be bothered to say more.
Mo Jiuye looked at Mo Chuhan and said, "Elder Brother Mo, this man can be handed over directly to the yamen."
Mo Chuhan nodded. "I understand."
Though he didn't have the scheming mind of his other brothers, he understood one thing very well: even if Xue Fan were handed over to the authorities, he wouldn't be leaving alive. With the amount he knew, if it weren't for Ninth Brother's need for the case, Xue Fan would likely have met his end right here.
Dealing with someone like Xue Fan wasn't difficult for Mo Chuhan. Once Meng Huaining finalized the case, it would be Xue Fan's death sentence.
Wang Lin's mother had gone to report to the authorities in Yun City, and it would take some time for the officials to arrive from the prefectural capital.
Until the officials from the yamen arrived, the Mo brothers couldn't leave. Mo Jiuye took advantage of this time to thoroughly search both branches of the Jingxian Building.
And thus, he found a temporary peace of mind.
While searching Xue Fan's living quarters, he discovered several letters exchanged between him and contacts in the capital. All correspondence was with his father, Xue Jinchuan, and all related to capturing Mo Jiuye.
Xue Jinchuan's intention was for Xue Fan to first investigate the specifics of the Mo family's situation in the northwest before devising a plan to capture Mo Jiuye.
Furthermore, Xue Jinchuan urged Xue Fan to report back on what he learned in the northwest. The tone of Xue Jinchuan's letters suggested he wasn't very trusting of his son, reminding him constantly to listen to his orders and not act presumptuously.
From this, it could be deduced that Xue Fan hadn't followed Xue Jinchuan's instructions, instead acting according to his own ideas.
Presumably, he was eager to make a name for himself, thinking he had come up with a brilliant plan by using Tang Mingrui to disrupt the Mo family's income. Little did he know, this method seemed utterly ludicrous to Mo Jiuye.
The Xue family truly was something, sending someone so lacking in intelligence to handle affairs. Not only did they fail, but their intentions were exposed so quickly...
Whether it was because Wang Lin's mother was slow to act or because Meng Huaining had other matters to attend to, when the officials from Yun City yamen arrived to apprehend Xue Fan, it was nearing dusk.
Jingxian Building suddenly fell silent, becoming the talk of the town for the afternoon.
The townsfolk discussed how both branches of Jingxian Building had ceased business almost simultaneously, a coincidence that caught the attention of a passing yamen official.
The official reported the matter to the magistrate.
This magistrate had heard rumors that Jingxian Building had a powerful backer.
With such a powerful backing, how could a business just shut down at will?
Though Xue Fan's opening of Jingxian Building in the northwest hadn't involved the magistrate, he was concerned that something unfavorable might happen to Jingxian Building on his turf. Therefore, upon hearing of this, he personally brought along a few men to investigate.
This investigation coincidentally brought him face to face with Meng Huaining, who was leading the officials to arrest someone.
Meng Huaining's immediate superior was the magistrate, so he naturally had to explain the purpose of this trip in detail. After all, he was responsible for handling this case under the magistrate's orders. If he didn't address it now, he would have to explain everything in detail when the case was concluded.
The magistrate simply wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, especially considering Tang Mingrui was from Yun City. That's why he handed the case over to Meng Huaining for handling.
Little did he know, this matter was also connected to the Jingxian Building.
At this moment, the magistrate couldn't help but feel relieved that he had delegated the case to Meng Huaining. If the evidence turned out to be solid, the people from the Jingxian Building would be prosecuted, indirectly offending the powerful figures behind them.
