The whole family was brutally murdered? The ruthless heiress's eldest daughter went berserk aft

“Your Highness has been frightened,” he said in a deep voice. “Go and properly care for the wounded first. Leave this matter to me.”

The prince wanted to say something more, but seeing the high priest's gaze, he finally nodded.

On a distant rooftop, Ning Feng watched this scene, her face expressionless. Xiao Cui whispered beside her, "Holy Maiden, this fire..."

“I didn’t order it to be released,” Ning Feng said calmly. “It seems there are still some people who can’t sit still.”

Xiao Cui was taken aback: "Who could it be...?"

“Investigate.” Ning Feng turned around. “Since some people want to play with fire, then let’s play with them.” Her gaze then fell on the High Priest. “Let’s see how long you can protect him.”

As night deepened, the firelight gradually died down. The high priest stood before the ruins of the prince's palace, remaining silent for a long time.

Inside the Holy Maiden's residence, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Ning Feng sat on a soft couch, toying with a jade pendant in her hand, her expression cold and sinister.

"This is truly unexpected for this saint," she murmured to herself. "This high priest actually dared to ruin my plans."

Xiao Cui came in and reported, "Holy Maiden, the investigation is complete. The person who set the fire was indeed someone else. It was..."

“No need to say more,” Ning Feng interrupted her. “This holy maiden already guessed who it was.” She stood up and walked to the window. “It’s the High Priest, though, who’s really troubling me.”

"Should we...?" Xiao Cui tentatively asked.

Ning Feng turned around, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Send people to keep an eye on the movements of everyone in the High Priest's mansion. Also," she paused, "investigate the disciples the High Priest has taken in over the years."

"What the saint means is..."

"A mere high priest dares to oppose this holy maiden?" Ning Feng sneered. "Since he won't obey, then we'll find a way to make him obey."

"Yes." Xiao Cui accepted the order and withdrew.

Late at night, the high priest was chanting scriptures. Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

"High Priest!" a disciple rushed in, "Something terrible has happened! Xiao Yuan... he's in trouble!"

The high priest's hands trembled as he held the scriptures: "What's going on?"

"Xiao Yuan went to gather herbs outside the city and was injured!" the disciple said anxiously. "He's already been taken to the clinic, and his condition isn't good..."

The high priest immediately stood up: "Prepare the horses."

Inside the clinic, Xiao Yuan lay on the bed, his face pale. The high priest looked at his wounds with a solemn expression.

"Master..." Xiao Yuan said weakly, "I'm sorry, I..."

“No need to speak,” the high priest reassured. “Just focus on recovering.”

Stepping out of the clinic, Minister Du was waiting outside: "How did it go?"

“This is no ordinary injury,” the high priest said in a deep voice. “It was specifically aimed at a vital point.”

Minister Du gasped, "The Holy Maiden...!"

“It won’t be that simple.” The high priest looked into the distance. “This is just the beginning.”

Sure enough, in the following days, the high priest's disciples encountered a series of misfortunes. They were either injured or framed. Although none of the incidents were fatal, each one was a close call.

Inside the Holy Maiden's residence, Ning Feng listened to Xiao Cui's report, a cold smile playing on her lips: "High Priest, aren't you very concerned about these disciples? Let's see how many you can protect."

Just then, a commotion arose outside. Xiao Cui rushed in: "Holy Maiden! The High Priest...!"

"What's wrong?" Ning Feng frowned.

"The High Priest, along with all his disciples, has gone to the palace to meet His Majesty!"

Ning Feng abruptly stood up, her eyes flashing with cold light: "Fine, you dare to go directly to see the Emperor. Since you want to play this game..." She sneered, "Then this Holy Maiden will play along to the very end!"

She strode towards the door: "Prepare the sedan chair, this holy maiden is also going to the palace!"

The Golden Palace was solemn and dignified.

The high priest, accompanied by his wounded disciples, knelt before the hall: "Your Majesty, please grant justice for my disciples."

The emperor looked at the young men kneeling on the ground, covered in wounds, and frowned: "What happened?"

"Your Majesty," the High Priest said in a deep voice, "these disciples have recently been targeted for assassination. Someone deliberately chose to strike when they were alone, and the methods were ruthless."

"Has anyone been identified as the perpetrator?"

Just as the high priest was about to speak, a clear, cold voice suddenly came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty."

Ning Feng, dressed in the robes of a saintess, slowly entered the main hall. She first bowed to the emperor, then turned to the high priest, a cold glint in her eyes: "What is the high priest doing?"

“Holy Maiden,” the High Priest said, his expression unchanged, “is pleading for the lives of these innocent disciples.”

Ning Feng sneered, "Innocent? " She turned to the emperor, "Your Majesty, you are wise enough to know that these so-called disciples are nothing more than henchmen kept by the High Priest."

"What do you mean by that, Holy Maiden?" The High Priest frowned slightly.

“The High Priest is not unaware,” Ning Feng said slowly. “These disciples have been running rampant among the common people, extorting money and property under the High Priest’s name. Now that they are injured in the internal strife, they are trying to deceive His Majesty.”

“Nonsense!” a young disciple couldn’t help but shout, but was immediately stopped by the high priest.

The high priest looked up, his gaze sharp: "The Holy Maiden is probably mistaken. The character of these disciples is plain for all to see in Nanzhao. But why has someone been specifically targeting them these past few days?"

"What does the High Priest mean by that?" Ning Feng narrowed her eyes.

“It's nothing special.” The high priest took something from his sleeve. “I just wonder if this saintess recognizes her?”

It was a token with the character "圣" (Saint) engraved on it.

Ning Feng's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure: "This token does indeed belong to the Holy Maiden's Mansion, but it could also have been stolen." She sneered, "Perhaps the High Priest orchestrated this whole thing to slander this Holy Maiden."

“If it was all staged,” the High Priest suddenly said, “then why are the methods used by the perpetrators always exactly the same? And these methods…” He gave Ning Feng a meaningful look, “are precisely the grappling techniques secretly passed down in Nanzhao.”

The hall fell silent.

Ning Feng's gaze turned cold: "High Priest, are you accusing this Holy Maiden?"

“This old monk wouldn’t dare,” the high priest said calmly, “I’m simply telling the truth.”

"What a 'truth'!" Ning Feng said coldly. "As the head of a temple, the High Priest doesn't think of serving the country, but instead stirs up trouble here. Does he think his position is enough to rival the Holy Maiden's Palace?"

“Holy Maiden, you misunderstand,” the High Priest said neither humbly nor arrogantly. “This old monk merely wishes to seek justice for these disciples.”

"Enough!" the Emperor suddenly spoke. "I will send people to thoroughly investigate this matter. High Priest, you may take your disciples to recuperate. Ning Feng, you may also leave."

"Yes." The two responded simultaneously.

The moon rose high above the treetops, and the High Priest's residence was completely silent.

The high priest was bandaging his disciples' wounds in the courtyard when a young novice monk came running in frantically: "Master! Something terrible has happened! Xiao Qin... Xiao Qin is missing!"

The high priest paused abruptly in his hand, holding the medicine bowl: "When did this happen?"

"It was right after dinner," the young novice said anxiously. "Xiao Qin said she was going to gather herbs in the back mountain, but she hasn't come back yet..."

Before the words were finished, a man in black silently landed in the courtyard and handed over a letter. The high priest unfolded it and his expression changed drastically.