Chapter 85: You're Not Done Dying Yet

  "It wasn't us, it wasn't us..." The six people who were caught shook their heads repeatedly, indicating that they were innocent.

  He made his move quickly and decisively, using the power of wood to bind several people with a swift and violent motion. Just as they were about to resist, their bodies shook violently, rendering them immobile. They could only be dragged onto the stage, crashing into several tables, scattering herbs and medicine everywhere.

  She looked at them in surprise, and in an instant she understood, it must be that man's doing! The thought had not dissipated when her lips were hot again, this time even more so, with the tongue stretched in further. Damn it, cheap man! Bullying her for being blind, huh?!

  One foot trampled on one of them, the ferocious breath couldn't be blocked, "Damn it, I let you be arrogant, dead man, cheap man, sneaking up is it......" One foot after another, a cracking sound, the ribs of the person underfoot were broken.

  Everyone stared at this violently tempered girl, their eyes wide with shock - was this still the goddess in their hearts?

  "Speak! What have you all done? Who sent you?"

  "I'm innocent, you... cough... what right do you have to arrest me..." Even if he knew why, he would never admit it. When he was trained before, he had endured severe torture and now this was just a small matter. But what's going on with his whole body being unable to move? He struggled with all his might, but still couldn't break free.

  "Hey, tough guy! I really like gnawing on hard bones!" He went from table to table, picked up a palm-sized small hammer, and smiled slyly. "You're not inviting me, are you? I'm letting you not invite me! Letting you not invite me!"

  "Ah...... Ah...... My hand......"

  Only to see Qīng Kuáng grab the man's hand and slap it flat on the ground, brutally smashing the man's index finger and middle finger.

  "It hurts, huh! You know the pain of aching hands, but others don't? You've ruined the hands that a pharmacist relies on for survival. Now you should all taste this feeling too. Are you guys born of a mother and father, while others aren't? Haven't you heard of 'the wheel of fortune turns'? Tell me, who is the mastermind behind this?" Ten fingers connected to the heart, disregarding the man's pain as his whole body trembled, Xiao Feng pressed down on those crushed fingers, gradually increasing the force.

  "Ah......ah......so painful......let me go, let me go, I don't even know you, what do you want me to confess......" It's really fucking painful! The pain is so intense that he wants to dig out his heart.

  "Anyway, I have plenty of time, let's take it slow! Do you know what the most painful thing is? I heard that if you put a heavy object on your finger and apply force bit by bit, your finger will eventually give in and 'boom' just explode. Want to try it?" After saying this, he picked up the small hammer and began selecting, clearly looking for a satisfying target.

  "You're ill, you're ill...... Someone come, save me, save me......" The man frantically sought help everywhere, hoping to escape disaster.

  "Miss Lightfoot, this person may be innocent, or else you see..."

  "Shut up! When did I ask you to interrupt?"

  "Who gave you permission to speak to this crown prince like that?"

  "Crown prince? Ha, I'm so scared! Then let's see who laughs last today!" She aimed at the man's left thumb with her small hammer, but she wasn't very skilled and always "accidentally" hit his injured index finger, causing the man to grit his teeth in pain.

  "Save me... Save me..."

  "Don't shout! You said you were all dead men, how can you not have any backbone? Weren't you just pretending to be innocent with me earlier? What are you yelling about now? Don't you know I hate it when people make a racket?" One word at a time, the force in his hand didn't decrease, and the thumb that was being pressed down slowly turned purple and became icy cold, completely numb. Another crisp sound, the bone shattered, and the finger that couldn't withstand the pressure also burst open, blood splattering everywhere, and the person who had been sneering in disdain dodged away.

  "You're a witch... you're a witch! Let me go, let me go!"

  "If you reveal the mastermind behind the scenes, I'll let you off! Oh, right!" He turned his gaze to the Lou Nan Taizi beside him, casually and kindly asking for his opinion, "Your Highness, don't know if there's any law in Lou Nan that can help me out? This guy's mouth is too hard, I need to think of a way to pry it open!"

  "Hmph! I don't know! The crown prince is having a great time with the crazy miss now!" After saying this in a sarcastic tone, Lou Jingyan returned to the upper floor, clearly not intending to intervene anymore.

  "Oh no, never mind then. I'll figure something out anyway. Oh, I remember now, didn't you guys have ten people? How come there are only six of you now? Where did the other four go?"

  "I have no idea what you're talking about!" The man's face turned pale, but he still didn't let up.

  "Still not speaking? It seems I'm too gentle, let me think... How did you do it again? Ah yes, smash first, smashing is the way to go. How could I be so careless and make a mistake?" She picked up the small hammer and went "bang bang bang" with several consecutive hits. The whole crowd was watching this young girl, listening to the man's painful cries.

  Those who were just worshiping are now shrinking their necks, where do they dare to say another word? Even the judges were shocked by this move, this girl is ruthless enough!

  What struck him the most was Lian Cheng, as he heard the knocking sound, his fingers also moved involuntarily. Although it had already passed, why did he still feel a pang of pain? The scene from not long ago reappeared before his eyes, looking at her back, was she now seeking justice for him?

  My hands are sore, so I'll stop and rest for a while. "Don't relax yet, it's my turn to rest, not yours! Let me think again, what was it after smashing?... Ah, I remember now, it's burning with fire! By the way, which one of you came up with this trick? It's really vicious, but I suppose you didn't expect it would be used on yourselves either! What a coincidence, I'm also a fire-type spirit cultivator. Now it's your turn to try this taste!

  "I'm really innocent...... It has nothing to do with me......"

  "Haha! Too late!" She recalled Lian Cheng's charred hands and her anger surged. The flames engulfed his hands, and as the man writhed in agony, her cold, sinister gaze turned to Lou Nan Taizi.

  "You five don't want to recruit either? Then let's keep him company and go together!"

  In an instant, the stage was filled with painful screams and shouts, which made Liang very annoyed. "What are you screaming about? Shut up! If you scream again, do you want to lose your legs too?"

  Forced to swallow the painful cry bursting out of their throats, even if they were dead soldiers, they weren't dead men!

  "I'll ask one last time, who is the mastermind behind the scenes?" Using his own method against him, this move was used with great skill and precision. Just look at those pairs of miserable hands, every stroke a testament to how much better he was than them from the very beginning.

  Anyway, she didn't have much hope for these people either. The severe torture was just to vent her anger! But what she didn't expect was that the expressions of these people suddenly became bewildered and their eyes turned dull.

  "It was His Highness the Crown Prince who sent us..."

  Isn't it not working? What's going on now? Just as she was thinking, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist and someone was kissing her neck. Damn cheap man! Even if she wanted to shake off the hands on her waist now, she had to bear with it, she didn't want to make any strange moves and attract attention from others.

  "Crown Prince?" The two words were spoken with a hint of playfulness, as he gazed lightly at the person on stage who had momentarily panicked.

  "The Crown Prince has sent us, can't let the Imperial Academy sit steadily in first place..."

  "What else?"

  "We originally wanted to kill him, but later someone came over, so we just crippled his hand and wouldn't let him participate."

  "What else is there? Speak out!" This is a great opportunity for a big revelation! A golden opportunity should not be missed, and if it's missed, it will never come again. If you don't take the chance to dig out more information, you'll owe it to yourself.

  "In Death Valley, we were sent to assassinate a man from another country..."

  Everyone looked at them in disbelief, then shifted their gaze to the stage, even the judges and deans of other colleges, all staring at him. They said, "How come this time's college grand gathering has such bizarre requirements?" It turned out that he was behind it all!

  "You're talking nonsense! I don't know these people at all, they must be the ones you've found to frame me!" In his panic, Lou Jing even forgot to use the honorific title "Your Highness".

  "Haha, am I talking nonsense? You and I are neither relatives nor friends, why would I frame you?"

  "You! That's because... it's because you hurt the Crown Prince of Lou Nan, and you're afraid I'll retaliate, so you took advantage of the situation to frame me. It's all because of this!"

  "Did I hurt you, Prince Nan? What are you talking about? Besides, who saw it?" Who can't play dumb? Suddenly, a tingling sensation came from the back of her neck. That dead man dared to bite her!

  "You're quibbling! You obviously..." He must have pulled this guy down, otherwise all the spearheads would be pointing at him.

  "Alright! I don't have time to listen to you talk so much, you want evidence? I'll show it to you!" Summoning Beidong Qimeng to bring over the Yiyuan Mirror, he watched as the expressions of the people from each academy changed. This water had to be stirred up a bit more!

  "Northern Hall, yes, take a look at what these people usually do. As for the Crown Prince, it's not necessary, after all, national affairs are busy, we don't have time to examine each and every one of them."

  "I understand."

  With the exposure of Beidong Qiemo, several black-clad men were seen kneeling on the ground, obeying Lou Jingran's orders, fighting for treasures, burning and killing, assassinating high-ranking officials, ambushing others in the Death Valley, and recently attempting to murder Lian Cheng, among other atrocities, which are simply too heinous to be recorded.

  Everyone couldn't believe their eyes as they stared at Lou, the people of Lou's South were even more embarrassed, is this really the prince of Lou's South? The future ruler of the country? Ah, they all felt ashamed! If there was a ruler like that, they would definitely move away from Lou's South with their whole family and never come back.

  "Prince Lou Nan, please give us a reasonable explanation!" With Shen Junyi taking the lead, all that followed were voices of condemnation. They had come here with great difficulty and before they could achieve anything, they lost their lives to conspiracy. How can this be swallowed?

  "If Prince Nan doesn't give us an explanation, this matter won't be over!"

  "Give us an account!"

  Countless people stared at him, constantly pressing him for answers. Lou Jingyan was somewhat panicked, "Don't listen to her nonsense, they're deceiving you, none of this is true, don't believe her...don't trust..."

  "Is it just because of your ambition that so many people have been buried with you, and so many young men and women are now dead in the Valley of Death? They died with their eyes open, their souls unable to rest. Every midnight, when the dreams return, won't you feel a pang of conscience?"

  Lou Jingyan was startled by Qingkuang's loud and clear questioning, looking at her in a fluster, "It's your fault! It's all your fault! I'm right, I didn't do anything wrong! Not wrong!" Pushing away the people around him, Lou Jingyan trembled with his hand, pointing at Qingkuang without letting go.

  Just at this critical moment, a big fanfare sounded, and then a voice was heard, "The Emperor has arrived!"

  "Father, father! Help me, help me..." Lou Jingyan grasped his arm with a sudden burst of strength, all the previous pride and arrogance gone, now looking like a clumsy madman.

  "Cough, cough, help the prince down..." The handkerchief never left his hand, Emperor Lou Nan coughed violently, and his face turned even paler.

  "It's all the young master's fault, all the consequences... cough, I'll take responsibility for it all..."

  "Your Majesty!"

  "Step down!" Even though Emperor Lou Nan was an old man in his twilight years, the dragon's might still lingered, and Lou Jing directly shut his mouth.

  When it rains, it pours. The building was thought to have escaped the disaster, but heaven didn't give it a chance to escape.

  Looking at the person walking slowly in the crowd, he glanced at him lightly and seriously twice, but it wasn't him! Even if the clothes and masks were the same, that was not him either! But what did "he" come for? Thinking about it, they "were originally from the same root", it shouldn't be that now appeared to give Lou Nan Gongzi a stab in the back, right?!

  The common people whispered among themselves, all wondering who this masked person was.

  "You're out of touch! This is the master of the Kuangsha Pavilion, and as for the Kuangsha Pavilion, it's a newly emerging force in the Gaosheng Empire."

  "I heard that Kuangsha Pavilion has countless elixirs, and they've recruited many talented individuals to risk their lives for them. Moreover, they also have connections with the imperial family and the four major aristocratic families!"

  "What's he doing here then..."

  "Who knows! All I've heard is that the master of this Kuangsha Pavilion is very mysterious, always wearing a mask, and no one knows what he looks like or where he's from..."

  "Lou Yinglan" waved his hand and threw the two people behind him out. Lou Qingran saw it and shouted loudly: "Come on, take him down for me! They are all treacherous officials, take them all down!" No, he absolutely cannot let those two people reveal his secret, or else he will be completely finished!

  "I'll see who dares to move, and those who do will end up like them!" The six people at her feet, who had been tortured beyond recognition, successfully stopped the Imperial Guards from charging forward.

  "Lou Xinglan" looked at the girl on stage with a strange gaze, why would this person help him? But curiosity aside, what needed to be done was still to be done. He raised his head and looked up, clasped his fists and said, "Emperor Lou Nan, I have brought two gifts for you, I hope you will accept them!"

  The servants who followed him helped the two who had fallen to lift their heads, and Emperor Lou Nan frowned, while the eunuch beside him looked at them strangely. Weren't these two alchemists specially invited to treat the emperor's illness? How did they end up being caught?

  "I don't know what you mean? Cough, cough......"

  "Just to curry favor with Your Majesty, can't you even be curious about how your own body has become so weak?" Lou Yinglan looked at the two people kneeling on the ground with a hint of meaning.

  "You mean..."

  "Then please have Your Majesty find someone else to interrogate! Oh~ I do have a lead that can be provided, you can start with the Dreamless herb."

  "Who are you?" Emperor Lou Nan looked at him with confusion.

  "Old friend!"

  Not bad! Lou Xinglan's move is ruthless! Adding insult to injury isn't enough, she also wants to kick a man while he's down. Hmm, does she want to lend a hand again? Just as she was lost in thought, the scorching "thing" behind her was pressing against her, and the shameless man with a black face was being obscene anywhere and everywhere!

  She slammed everything in front of her to the ground and shouted, "You're enough!"

  Everyone's attention was originally on that mysterious man, but suddenly it was drawn to Leng Kuang again. What's going on? Today is really full of surprises!

  Everyone's gaze was on this side, and Qingkuang tidied up her clothes slightly and calmed down. Only then did she speak, "Cough cough, Beidong, have you ever heard of a phrase called 'helping others is the root of happiness'? Why don't we help Emperor Lou Nan clarify things? Let's take a look at what this 'dream' is all about?" Alright, she admitted that she was being intentional. With so many alchemists here, she didn't believe no one knew what "dream" meant. Once it spread out, heh heh, her true intention was for the matter to be blown up as big as possible!

  "Alright, I'll listen." Seeing her look so mischievous, Beidong Qimeng knew she had some wicked idea again.

  Then, what appeared before everyone's eyes was the Prince of Lou Nan secretly discussing with the two people who were kneeling on the ground. Afterwards, he handed them a medicinal herb, and the two alchemists added it to the emperor's medicine. Now, anyone who wasn't an idiot understood what was going on! This is Hong Guo Guo's patricide!

  Even if I don't know what that medicinal herb is, it's probably not a good thing. Emperor Lou Nan was so angry that he coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood. "Guards... come, come and take down this rebellious son! Cough, take him down..."

  "Your Majesty, be careful!" The eunuch beside him looked at him with concern.

  Lou Gong Yan was already frightened, it's all over! All his hard work was destroyed in an instant. His wish to dominate the mainland was shattered, nothing was left! "It's you who ruined me! It's all because of you!"

  "What are you talking about? Which mad dog is barking randomly! You're the one with ambition, you're the one who's dreaming, you're the one who found a poisoner to kill your father, and you're the one who harmed countless people for your own desires! Originally, I didn't want to bother with you, but you're so shameless, harming my Imperial Academy mentor in front of me and plotting against me behind my back. These things aren't something I forced you to do! I warned you long ago not to mess with me, did you take my words as nothing? Since you've done it, when the truth comes out, you'll have to face the consequences! You don't have the guts, so what are you pretending for? In the end, it's just your own stupidity! You're stupid to the point of being shameless!"

  In front of all the heroes, a ruthless scolding, directly sent Lou into the abyss. Stumbling and falling to his knees in front of Emperor Lou Nan, he wailed, "Father, father, I was blinded by evil spirits, it's all my fault, please forgive me! Forgive me! It's all my fault, I deserve to die..."

  "Forgive you? Cough, cough, you don't even treat my life as a life, cough, cough... Why should I consider you as my son? Cough, cough, come and take him away!" In an instant, Emperor Lou Nan seemed to have lost all his strength, with only sorrow in his eyes.

  "I won't go, I won't go, Father Emperor, Father Emperor, forgive me, forgive me..."

  "Still not taking me down?"

  The young master of the Lou family was dragged away like a dog in mourning, and everyone thought it would end like this. But who knew he suddenly went mad? "Really not forgive me?" His scarlet eyes stared at everyone as if they were all his enemies. "You should die! All of you should die!" He continuously hacked at several people around him, Lou Xingyan wanted to escape but fell from mid-air and landed on the ground, bleeding non-stop, and was finally taken away by others.

  Watching this farce, the crowd was still in a daze, but it can be imagined that the scandal of the Lou Nan royal family will spread to every corner of the continent with the wind. The majestic prince not only conspired against people, but also dared to poison his own father, the emperor. This time, Lou Nan has lost face!

  "Your Imperial Majesty, Emperor of the South Building, no matter what happens to the Crown Prince, we, the other academy students who died, still hope that you can give us an explanation."

  "I hope this incident will not lead to war between nations. I believe that the Emperor of Nanshan will give us a satisfactory reply!"

  "Every life is precious, hoping we can get a satisfactory answer."

  One sentence, like a threat or coercion, the Emperor of Lou Nan, who had been hollowed out physically for a long time, coughed incessantly, and with this stimulation, he must have not many days left.

  "Cough, of course, of course... I will certainly give you a satisfactory answer. Cough, please step aside first, we'll discuss the details later... Cough..." The old emperor's legs were trembling as he leaned all his weight on the eunuch beside him.

  When they retreated, the fake "Lou Yinglan" also disappeared. The biggest excitement on the scene was left to the 14-year-old Yaozun who had surprised them earlier. However, Qingkuang didn't plan to be a "monkey" for them to watch here. In the midst of everyone's admiring gaze, he returned to his seat, picked up his son, greeted Ximen Lingfeng and others, and left.

  Seeing her leave, Ximen and the others wouldn't stay any longer, they all followed after her. The rest of the trivial matters weren't for them to handle, but for the principal and the others, right? Now the most important thing was to catch up with Qingkuang and ask him clearly! Lian Cheng looked at his own hands and also followed behind them. Only Shen Jun and other instructors were left behind to receive everyone's flattery.

  He caught up with the little girl in front, and Mo Jiu Yu hugged her and disappeared directly. Thinking of the little girl's methods earlier, he felt uncomfortable all over his body. Originally, it was too troublesome to see her being forced to ask questions, so he helped her out of kindness. But her cruel revenge was actually for another man, how could this be tolerated? Her joys and sorrows should have been his own, when would it be someone else's turn? Little girl, one day without beating is like going up to the roof and uncovering the tiles, he must "punish" her well, and first strip her bare, after being honest with each other, then punish her properly, if he doesn't make her pant continuously, this matter won't be over!

  Digression

  Brother, what did you say? How did Prince of Southern Building die?