Chapter 159: Zheng Qian, Who Can Protect Himself
"Then why did you destroy the protective formation around the Isle of Nalan?" Nalan Feng asked coldly.
He suddenly realized that Mr. Qin had fallen for Xiao Nanfeng's trap, but there was nothing he could do now. To continue arguing this point would only make matters worse.
"Mr. Qin attacked me from within the protective formation, forming spiritual cranes with his guqin. If not for my own spiritual treasures, I may well have died to him. I was acting in self-defense to prevent his continued assault," Xiao Nanfeng replied easily.
"Self-defense? You were trying to kill me!" Nalan Feng asserted coldly.
"Nalan Feng, we're both disciples of the Taiqing sect. I hope you won't malign me like this—the elders and division leader are all present; there's no need to air our grievances in front of outsiders," Xiao Nanfeng replied, shaking his head.
The cultivators goggled at Xiao Nanfeng. To Nalan Feng, Xiao Nanfeng was the outsider!
"Mr. Qin is my subordinate, not an outsider," Nalan Feng replied coldly.
"Then did he secretly kidnap my friends and even my fellow Taiqing disciples on your orders?!" Xiao Nanfeng countered.
"Mr. Qin abducted Taiqing disciples?" The elders all shot sharp glances at him.
"To contextualize matters, the reason I requested to meet with Nalan Feng tonight was in order to ask why his subordinate had kidnapped my friends and fellow Taiqing disciples. Was Nalan Feng responsible, or was it an independent ploy by Mr. Qin? In the end, Mr. Qin struck at me out of guilt before I was able to meet with Nalan Feng. I had no choice but to counterattack in self-defense," Xiao Nanfeng explained.
"Is that true?" The elders looked toward Nalan Feng.
"Of course not! It's all nonsense. I've never kidnapped Taiqing disciples, nor his friends!" Mr. Qin denied the claim categorically.
Nalan Feng didn't speak. He felt discomfited by the events that had transpired. Everything seemed to be going according to Xiao Nanfeng's plan...
"We can find out whether it's true or not with a cursory check," Zhao Yuanjiao suggested, continuing to support Xiao Nanfeng.
"This is the Isle of Nalan, property of Emperor Tianshu! Who dares infringe on his domain?!" Mr. Qin yelled out.
Everyone turned to Nalan Feng.
Nalan Feng could clearly sense that something was amiss. Although he had the ability to invoke his father's authority and prevent this investigation, he might very well fall into Xiao Nanfeng's trap again as a result.
"Investigate, then," Nalan Feng replied coldly.
"Your Highness? How could you..." Mr. Qin was momentarily flustered.
"Zhao Yuanjiao, you'd better search the island thoroughly," Nalan Feng continued.
He didn't prohibit Zhao Yuanjiao from carrying out his search because he had carefully hidden away Ye Dafu, Zheng Qian, and the other Taiqing disciples. He was certain that no one would find any trace of anything in the short term, and he had no intention of letting Zhao Yuanjiao search the island for too long.
"If you can't find anything, I'll make sure to report this incident to Emperor Tianshu, claiming that elders of the Taiqing sect have been deliberately making things difficult for the third prince," Mr. Qin replied coldly.
Despite the momentary surprise, he wasn't scared, either. He too was confident that Zhao Yuanjiao wouldn't be able to uncover where Ye Dafu and the others were located.
Zhao Yuanjiao ignored him and prepared to begin his search.
"Senior Brother, let me accompany you. I saw Mr. Qin glancing at a certain direction just now, so let's head that way!" Xiao Nanfeng jumped down from the ship.
Mr. Qin frowned. He hadn't done so—what nonsense was Xiao Nanfeng talking about?
Nalan Feng brought Zhao Yuanjiao toward a series of thatched huts. There was nothing else present in that direction but lumps of grass.
The elders frowned, not understanding what Xiao Nanfeng was trying to accomplish, but Nalan Feng and Mr. Qin's eyes were both twitching. Xiao Nanfeng was headed right in the direction of the hostages! Nalan Feng glared at Mr. Qin, as though to berate him for giving away crucial information, at least according to Xiao Nanfeng. Mr. Qin's lips twitched—he had hardly been looking in that direction!
Xiao Nanfeng walked up to the thatched huts, at the mark that You Jiu had left behind. His eyes brightened.
"Here? There's nothing here. I've already inspected this area with my spiritual power, and there's no underground cellar either." Zhao Yuanjiao frowned.
"Don't be so certain," Xiao Nanfeng replied confidently.
"Oh?" Zhao Yuanjiao focused on the scene before him. He waved a hand, scattering the piles of grass and revealing... nothing.
Xiao Nanfeng slammed down with a palm, causing mysterious golden runes to emerge from the ground.
"A formation? Could it have tricked my spiritual senses?" Zhao Yuanjiao was taken aback.
Zhao Yuanjiao struck the formation, shattering it and cratering the ground. A tunnel was revealed, brightly lit within, and cries of help could be heard from where they were standing.
"Outrageous!" Zhao Yuanjiao roared.
Ye Dafu and the others had all been gagged, silenced by a group of cultivators in purple. The moment the tunnel was revealed, the cultivators shied back, aware that something had gone badly wrong.
"Bring my friends and disciples out, will you?" Xiao Nanfeng asked calmly.
Zhao Yuanjiao's fearsome aura brooked no resistance from the cultivators, who were forced to march out with Ye Dafu and the others.
"Senior Brother, you've finally come to save us! If you were any slower, they would have beaten us to death!" Ye Dafu howled, the moment he was released.
"Look at how badly they beat us!" Ye Dafu's lackeys cried out.
Whereas Ye Dafu and his lackeys had been badly whipped and beaten, Zheng Qian was completely and strangely unhurt, as though he hadn't been tortured at all.
When the elders saw the wounds on Ye Dafu and the other disciples' bodies, their faces all turned dark as they looked toward Mr. Qin. The only reason they hadn't made an overt move was because of Nalan Feng's presence.
"Do you see that, Nalan Feng? This is how your subordinate has been behaving in your absence. He must have lied to you and secretly kidnapped and tortured these Taiqing disciples, tarnishing your name and that of Emperor Tianshu! If not for the fact that he glanced over here, I would never have noticed the discrepancy. He's not worthy of your trust," Xiao Nanfeng advised.
Mr. Qin was frowning in anger. He hadn't ever glanced in that direction, and Xiao Nanfeng was clearly trying to defame him. However, none would believe him if he tried to argue that point.
Nalan Feng glared at Mr. Qin, but he didn't criticize him. He narrowed his eyes at Xiao Nanfeng. "I had him kidnap them all."
"Oh?" Everyone turned to Nalan Feng.
"Mr. Qin was only trying to defend me, and he's not to blame for this. Ye Dafu and the others were responsible for kidnapping my subordinates, causing them to die. As the seniormost disciple of the Mortal division, I have the right to interrogate and discipline them. They've only suffered a few superficial injuries, whereas my subordinates have died. You, Xiao Nanfeng, killed my subordinates and instigated this dispute. How dare you criticize me?"
The elders turned to Xiao Nanfeng, frowning at the accusations that Nalan Feng had heaped on him.
"Nalan Feng, what proof do you have that I killed your subordinates?" Xiao Nanfeng retorted.
"Proof? Mr. Zheng told me everything last night. Ask him if you don't believe me," Nalan Feng replied coldly.
Everyone looked toward Zheng Qian, including Ye Dafu and the others.
"Senior Brother, we didn't say anything despite being half-beaten to death! On the other hand, Zheng Qian revealed everything the moment they interrogated him. He's not a loyal subordinate—he's an opportunist, and he even claimed that he was going to serve Nalan Feng!" Ye Dafu shouted shamelessly.
Ye Dafu's lackeys all heckled Zheng Qian.
"Mr. Zheng, is that true?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.
Zheng Qian bowed toward Xiao Nanfeng. "I did."
Xiao Nanfeng turned toward Nalan Feng. "Your subordinates were the ones at fault. They snuck into the Isle of Xiao and crippled those on my territory. Ten days ago, they even threatened Zheng Qian and made things difficult for him on the Taiqing Island proper. Many disciples can attest to my claim. Are you aware of this?"
"I just learned of it. I will certainly punish my subordinates who have been in the wrong and make just recompense for what they've done. You, however, had no right to kill them," Nalan Feng replied.
"They chopped off the arms of those under my employ. Do you intend to punish them similarly?" Xiao Nanfeng asked coldly.
"Do you doubt my word?" Nalan Feng replied imperiously.
"I eagerly await it, in fact." Xiao Nanfeng smiled. He turned toward the ship behind him and called out, "Ye Sanshui, bring out those men in the cabin!"
"Ah? Yes!" Ye Sanshui replied from above deck.
Nalan Feng's heart thumped. Unease suffused him.
A group of detainees were brought down from the ship, the purple-clad cultivators that Xiao Nanfeng had caught.
"What? They haven't died? Zheng Qian, you lied to us!" Mr. Qin shouted.
Nalan Feng glared at Zheng Qian in disbelief. Zheng Qian had been lying deliberately in order to protect himself and delay until Xiao Nanfeng arrived with a plan in mind.
Ye Dafu and the others also gaped at Zheng Qian. Had Zheng Qian been lying all this time? He hadn't betrayed Xiao Nanfeng, after all?
"Your Highness, please save us!"
"Your Highness, they tortured us. We had no choice but to confess!"
The cultivators in purple were overjoyed, thinking that they were about to be saved, not realizing how dark Nalan Feng's face had become.
"Nalan Feng, I hereby return your subordinates to you. None perished; I was only carrying out my investigation as to the truth of the incident, which has since been made clear. I have written testimony of their confessions. Do you wish to have a look? I eagerly await your brand of justice," Xiao Nanfeng continued, smiling.
The tables had turned; this was a complete victory for Xiao Nanfeng.
Nalan Feng glared at Zheng Qian and Xiao Nanfeng. He was now certain that Zheng Qian had lied to him in his confession last night. He had had no opportunity to come up with a plan with Xiao Nanfeng—to think that they were so in sync that they could still have trapped him regardless!
The elders gazed at Xiao Nanfeng appraisingly. Some even murmured, "As expected of Xiao Hongye's son..."
Mr. Qin walked forward, his face contorted with displeasure. "Your Highness, I failed to discipline these subordinates of mine. They failed to listen to your command, took matters into their own hands, and acted recklessly in trespassing on the Isle of Xiao and brutalizing the people there. Allow me to discipline them on your behalf."
Taking responsibility for all the misdeeds, Mr. Qin drew his blade and cut off each of the prisoners' arms in a spray of blood and agonized screams.
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