The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 274 Qinghuang Falls from Grace

These words caused an uproar. Chang Li was the first to angrily say, "Qinghuang, you have gone too far! You actually conspired with outsiders to murder the manor lord. Your wolfish ambitions deserve to be punished!"

Qinghuang was furious and pointed at Chu Fenghua with trembling eyes, "You've been plotting for so long, all for the position of the manor lord! Guards, seize her and stop her from spouting nonsense here."

Chu Fenghua looked innocent. "Did I touch on Elder Qinghuang's sore spot? Why are you so angry?" Qinghuang's weakness was her inability to hold her temper. The man behind her stopped Qinghuang and stepped forward. "Elders, please calm down. We are all trying to find the real culprit. However, since entering this dungeon, it has been Senior Sister Chu Fenghua who has been giving her testimony, and the only witness is her maid. This is unfair. In my opinion, we should wake up the Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley first and see what he has to say."

Xiahou Ying stepped forward. "I also have some medical knowledge. Why don't I take his pulse?" Chu Fenghua hurriedly replied, "How can we trouble our esteemed guest? Wouldn't it make people laugh at our Qifeng Manor for not even having a doctor?"

Chang Li gave a signal to the maid beside her, and a middle-aged woman soon entered with a medicine box and fed Chongyang a pill. Chongyang slowly woke up, glanced around at the people, and frowned when he saw Yin Quan.

Yin Quan shook his head frantically, afraid that he would identify him and threaten Xiahou Ying's safety. Qinghuang said to the man behind her, "Tao Ran, ask this Valley Master of Hundred Flowers what his purpose is in coming to our Qifeng Manor."

Before Chongyang could speak, Chu Fenghua preemptively said, "We have already found the letters in which you conspired with Elder Qinghuang. If you obediently confess your crimes, you can suffer less. My maid has already confessed, so you'd better not put up any futile resistance."

Chongyang sneered. When did he, the Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley, fall to the point of being interrogated? This woman was desperately trying to give him hints. Could it be that Chu Fenghua had something on him? If it were him, he would never explain and would fight his way out. But seeing Yin Quan's pleading eyes, he suddenly lost his impulse.

"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?" Chongyang's words were ambiguous, and Chu Fenghua didn't know how to respond for a moment. Tao Ran, however, cupped his hands towards Chongyang and said, "I have long heard of the Valley Master's true character. Today I am fortunate enough to witness it firsthand. You have never had any grudges with Qifeng Manor, so why did you frame Elder Qinghuang?"

“Framed? That’s not a question. I don’t want to get involved in this mess at Qifeng Manor. If it weren’t for… I wouldn’t have bothered telling you.” Yin Quan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Chongyang didn’t confess, at least he didn’t expose her.

Seeing the Ghost-Faced God following closely behind Xiahou Ying, Yin Quan's heart was in her throat.

"The Valley of a Hundred Flowers has been coveting the Ancient Spirit Pearl in our manor for a long time. Don't think we don't know. If it weren't for Qinghuang's promise to give you the artifact, how could you have colluded with her?"

"You're right. I came here for the Ancient Spirit Pearl. If you can hand it over readily, I might just confess in a good mood." Elder Chang Li was of a fiery temperament and had no liking for the heretical sects in the martial arts world. Upon hearing that Chongyang was from Hundred Flowers Valley, he felt even more disgusted with him.

"Bah! You members of this cult deserve to be killed by everyone. Since you dared to step into Qifeng Manor, don't even think about leaving alive." Chu Fenghua naturally didn't want to leave him alive either, and together with Elder Changli and Elder Caifeng, they surrounded Chongyang in the center.

Everyone drew their weapons, but Chongyang didn't care. Tao Ran, however, calmly blocked Chongyang's path. "Senior Sister Chu is our only witness at the scene. Are you in such a hurry to kill her to silence her? Do you have some unspeakable secret? I think there are still many doubts in this matter that need further investigation. Why don't we hand it over to Elder Caifeng? She is always fair and honest, and I'm sure she will give us the result we want."

Cai Feng was surprised that Tao Ran had passed this hot potato to her. Qing Huang said somewhat unhappily, "Both of them are on Chu Feng Hua's side and wish they could bring me and Elder Ling down. Why should I believe her?" Cai Feng flicked her whisk, "Don't worry about that. This elder will definitely enforce the law impartially. I naturally dare not be careless when it comes to the manor lord."

Tao Ran stared intently at Chu Fenghua. Chu Fenghua suddenly realized that this man was no longer the pitiful wretch who would only cry and hide behind others. Tao Ran's current appearance was hostile, and he must be here to avenge the grudge from back then.

"Tao Ran, what gives you the right to point fingers here? If I remember correctly, you were kicked out of Qifeng Manor when you were six years old." A hint of anger flashed in Tao Ran's eyes, but it was quickly suppressed.

“Senior Sister Chu is already married, and she’s no longer considered a member of Qifeng Manor.” Chu Fenghua was speechless, “You…” Watching their back-and-forth verbal sparring, Chongyang moved closer to Yin Quan, “What’s wrong with you? Is there something that woman has on you?”

Yin Quan nodded, looking at Xiahou Ying with some helplessness. Upon looking at Xiahou Ying, Chongyang saw the Ghost-Faced God behind him. He was a man who always sought revenge. Now that things had come to this, the Ancient Spirit Pearl was probably out of the question, but he would never let this villain succeed.

Just as Chongyang was about to rush towards the Ghost-Faced God, Yin Quan stopped him. Yin Quan shook his head desperately. Chongyang turned to look at Xiahou Ying and saw that the silver needle in the Ghost-Faced God's mouth was half an inch closer to Xiahou Ying.

Chongyang finally understood what leverage this woman had over someone else. Thinking back on everything Xiahou Ying had done to him these past few days, Chongyang gave a strange smile and addressed the still-arguing crowd, "How come the prestigious Qifeng Manor is in such chaos now, all because of that old nun Yunshang?"

Chu Fenghua exchanged a glance with the Ghost-Faced God and said, "Now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to speak. Do you elders know why my master is bedridden? It's because my master has been poisoned by a rare poison called the Fusion Poison. Anyone who is poisoned by this will lose all their cultivation and fall into a deep sleep, becoming a living dead."

As soon as Chu Fenghua said this, Elder Ling, who was standing behind, began to break out in a cold sweat, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Chu Fenghua took in everyone's expressions.

"After many days of investigation, Feng Hua has finally made a discovery. Very few people in the martial arts world know about this poison. Only Hundred Flowers Valley has it. Am I right, Valley Master Chongyang?" Chongyang nodded. "I didn't expect Miss Chu to be such a knowledgeable person."

Chu Fenghua suddenly turned her gaze to Elder Ling and said, "A few days ago, Elder Ling went down the mountain to help the Pingyao Sect stabilize the disaster victims, but I heard that Elder Ling also went to Hundred Flowers Valley?" Chongyang raised his eyebrows and looked at Elder Ling.

Looking at the increasingly complicated relationships in the room, Yin Quan regretted that she couldn't speak up at this moment. She turned her head and met Gu Lounan's gaze. He was looking at her with a smile, which had a meaningful meaning to it. "Feng Hua is right. Elder Ling did go to Hundred Flowers Valley. I have a letter to prove it."

Gu Lounan took out a piece of paper from his pocket. It was a letter between Qinghuang and Elder Ling, with every word and sentence clearly visible.

Qinghuang's expression immediately changed, and even Tao Ran lost her composure. Chang Li and Cai Feng angrily said, "You, Qinghuang, you actually harbored the intention to betray your master and ancestors! Let's see if my junior sisters will not clean up this mess today!" Chang Li and Cai Feng attacked Qinghuang together, and Tao Ran's eyes flickered as she hid behind her. Chongyang seized the opportunity and hurriedly flew towards the dungeon exit.

Standing aloof at the entrance, he left everyone with a dashing silhouette. "This Valley Master will not play with you any longer. I will come back to Qifeng Manor!" The echo of his voice was still lingering when he disappeared. Tao Ran followed closely behind. Qinghuang was subdued by Chang Li, Caifeng, and Chu Fenghua, and almost frantically roared at Tao Ran.

"Save me! Save me! You can't abandon me. I brought her back. If it weren't for me, you can forget about revenge!" Tao Ran didn't care at all. Her figure flew away as swiftly as an eagle soaring in the night. Qinghuang's eyes were bloodshot as she struggled and screamed pitifully, but only the lonely echoes in the dungeon answered her.

Qinghuang's conspiracy was exposed, and the position of manor lord was temporarily vacant. With Gu Lounan's support, Chu Fenghua took over the Qifeng Manor as the head disciple of the sect leader.

Elders Chang Li and Cai Feng were appointed as council elders, while Elder Ling was imprisoned as an accomplice. However, after that night, Tao Ran and Chong Yang seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Yin Quan was once again confined to Chu Fenghua's side, and Chu Fenghua was even more wary of her, not letting her leave even for a moment. "I'm telling you, once I officially take over as sect leader, I can release you. So as long as you behave well and don't interfere with my affairs during this time, I might consider not harming your beloved Xiahou Ying."

Yin Quan snorted coldly and kicked over the incense burner in front of her. In the past few days, she had also noticed that Chu Fenghua did not seem to intend to take her life. Although she did not know what her scheme was, Yin Quan was no longer as afraid of her as before.

Unable to speak, Yin Quan could only glare at her fiercely. "Three days from now will be the day I officially take over as sect leader. I know that Senior Brother Gu came here for the Ancient Spirit Pearl. Only after I have received the sect leader's baptism will I be qualified to open the seal of the Ancient Spirit Pearl. At that time..." Chu Fenghua actually showed a bit of infatuation.

Yin Quan was waiting to hear what she would say next when she suddenly realized that she had said something too much, and her face turned cold.

Yin Quan turned her head away, pretending not to care, but she had a vague feeling that Chu Fenghua keeping her around seemed to be related to the sealing ceremony.

Three days later, a small path behind the main peak of Qifeng Manor was opened, and it is said that behind it lies the mountain peak that seals the ancient spirit pearl.

Yin Quan was lifted up early in the morning by two maids and taken to the backyard. As soon as she entered the backyard and saw the solid wood coffin lying on the ground, Yin Quan's mind went blank.

Without a word, the two little girls stuffed her into the coffin and hammered a row of nails tightly around it.