Chapter 16

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Nalan Jie’s countenance turned a tad colder. “You’re the first woman who dares to treat me, a prince, with such blatant disrespect! But, you’re to my liking.”

Mu Qianyue lowered her gaze to hide the icy glint in her eyes. The men of this royal family were all so cheap. If one chose to ignore them, they would chase you to your doorstep, but when one replied to them, these men would claim she was unscrupulous in wanting to climb onto their bed…

“My apologies, you’re not my cup of tea. I have something to attend to, so please pardon me for not keeping you company.”

Under the guidance of a palace maid, Mu Qianyue finally found her way to Xuande Hall. The hall was filled with ministers, as well as the offspring of royals and nobility. At her appearance, all sorts of gazes fell upon her—mocking, sympathy, disdain, and also those waiting to watch a good show.

“Father, I don’t care. You must help me find that culprit and have them torn into a thousand pieces! Too bad Xin’er didn’t get a glimpse of that person’s face, but that person’s capabilities were indeed above mine. Moreover, I’m certain that person is a woman!” Standing in Xuande Hall, Nalan Liuxin complained with her arm hooked around the current Emperor of Phoenix Shadow Nation, Nalan Zheng.

Abominable! How dare someone do something so atrocious to her in the palace! Truly hateful!

“Okay! Father will investigate this matter thoroughly and arrest that hateful culprit!” Seeing Nalan Liuxin’s injured face that had swelled up to look like a pig’s head, Nalan Zheng naturally was incredibly furious. Her daughter was attacked in his territory, right under his nose. This was an insult to the royal family’s pride!

Everyone whispered into each other’s ears and fervently discussed the matter. Indeed, who was so bold as to dare to beat up the Emperor’s most beloved Fourth Princess, that person must be tired of living!

However, when they saw Nalan Liuxin’s pig head-like face, everyone was secretly in a great mood. Nalan Liuxin had always flaunted her identity as a princess and disregarded these ministers, behaving barbarically and unreasonably, viewing others’ lives as worthless.

“Yue’er, where did you go to just now? Why are you only here now?” Mu Hong motioned for Mu Qianyue to go over to him.

“I lost my way,” Mu Qianyue replied. Just as she was about to sit down behind Mu Hong, a voice rang out in an untimely fashion.

“Sister, did you run into the Fourth Princess in the Imperial gardens?” Mu Yurou’s words instantly brought everyone’s attention to her.

The voice brought attention to her as Nalan Liuxin looked over. Her brows were creased as she gazed at Mu Qianyue, as though she was pondering something. Even Nalan Zheng looked over with a probing gaze, a deep and complex meaning in his sharp gaze.

“No.” She replied calmly and simply in a resolute tone. Then she turned her head and smiled at Mu Yurou. “On the other hand, your capabilities have enhanced by leaps and bounds lately. You’re the number one genius in Phoenix Shadow Nation right now!”

When Mu Qianyue raised her head, she caught sight of a hint of a smile on Nalan Jie’s face, causing her brows to furrow slightly. Surely he wouldn’t rat her out? Seeing that Nalan Jie kept a quiet expression throughout, her nervous feelings slowly began to ease.

Upon hearing this, Mu Yurou’s countenance changed when Nalan Liuxin glared at her. “Good, so it’s you, Mu Yurou. How dare you attack me? I know you’ve been harboring resentment over what happened previously. Is that why you sought revenge from me, huh?”

Mu Yurou was currently a fifth-stage True Cultivator, whereas Nalan Liuxin was a fourth-stage True Cultivator.

Among the royals and noblewomen, Mu Yurou had the most powerful abilities. Added to the fact that there was a conflict between the two of them previously, it was only natural that Nalan Liuxin suspected her to be the culprit.

Mu Yurou was so startled that her face turned pale. Seeing Nalan Zheng’s gaze turn dark, she quickly got up and walked to the center of the palace, kneeling down before that man of noble status whose blink of an eye could control one’s fate. “Your Majesty, I can swear to the heavens, I wasn’t the one who attacked the Fourth Princess. I have been with the Crown Prince all this time.”

With a brooding gaze, no one could fathom what Nalan Yu was thinking. He got to his feet and walked over to help Mu Yurou up. “Father, I can vouch for her. Earlier on Rou’er was indeed with me.”

“Alright, you may get up.” Nalan Zheng waved a hand dismissively.

Mu Yurou got up with Nalan Yu’s help. However, a layer of cold sweat had formed over her body due to fear. At the same time, the fury in her gaze intensified as she looked towards Mu Qianyue.

“Mu Qianyue, how dare you malign Rou’er! How can a kindhearted person like her, who doesn’t even have the heart to step on an ant, do something so vicious to Fourth Sister?! If you dare to malign Rou’er like this again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Seeing Mu Qianyue’s calm expression, as though she didn’t have any regard for any of this, Nalan Yu couldn’t control the rage in his heart.

Wah!

Everyone let out gasps of shock upon hearing this. Each of them gazed towards Mu Qianyue with sympathy. How pitiful! For a girl to be humiliated in public by her fiancé like this, perhaps she might feel so wretched that she’d want to end her life. But then again, she could only blame herself for being a piece of trash.

Trash was destined to be abandoned by others.

Mu Hong was so furious that his face turned green. “Your Highness, please do not insult my granddaughter like this!”

“Ah that’s right, Sister is truly kind, so kind that she willingly gave up her chastity for you. Eh, although Rou’er isn’t my biological younger sister, she grew up in our Defender Marquis Manor and has been treasured as a pearl by my grandfather. I feel that Your Highness should make things clear to my grandfather, to the Defender Marquis Manor. Don’t you think?” Mu Qianyue’s thin lips were arched in a sarcastic angle, and there was only calm and not a hint of grief or anger in her black pupils.

Everyone froze. Having been humiliated by Nalan Yu like this, if it were the Mu Qianyue of the past, she would long have burst out in tears of anger. Yet now, she was behaving as though nothing had happened? Had Mu Qianyue sorted out her thinking and decided not to cling onto Nalan Yu anymore?

However, what astounded everyone was that last sentence—so it turned out the rumors spreading in the streets of the country were true! The Crown Prince did spend a night at the Defender Marquis Manor and robbed that young lady of her innocence!

All of a sudden, there was contempt in everyone’s eyes as they looked towards Nalan Yu and Mu Yurou. One was a womanizer, and the other was despicable, both were equally shameless! In order to snatch her sister’s fiancé, she even sacrificed her chastity to seduce him. Moreover, one wasn’t enough, and there were even two…

Mu Yurou’s countenance turned pale and incredibly terrible. Her slim figure trembled, as though she was going to collapse to the ground any moment. Facing everyone’s reprimands and condescension, she wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

“You…” Nalan Yu was so incensed that his face turned green. Without waiting for him to speak, Nalan Zheng’s deep and displeased voice thundered, “Enough, Yu’er, when are you going to make a scene until? As the Crown Prince of our nation and my future successor, how could you argue with a woman and behave like a shrew in court? You really disappoint me!”

“Father, forgive me. I know my mistakes!” Nalan Yu quickly knelt down. Next to him, Mu Yurou dropped down on her knees immediately as well.

Nalan Zheng didn’t say a word as his shrewd gaze fell upon Mu Qianyue. His murky eyes slightly narrowed. This young lass truly wasn’t simple—a few words and she could turn the spearhead towards her enemy in an instant. If not for the fact that she was trash born without a martial soul, it would be appropriate for her to be married to Yu’er. What a pity…