Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Calamity of a Ruined Nest

“Whatever the circumstances, we have to get out first.” With members of the Xiang family nearby, Yu Youwei said no more, and led the way into the teleportation array in the adjoining room.

Yu Shiyu herded the Xiang family youths into the array like a flock of ducks; the slowest of them he simply kicked in with a sweep of his foot.

A flash of white light passed through the teleportation circle, and their figures vanished at once.

A grim, murderous stillness hung over Tianqian Square outside the imperial palace. The disciples who had come out first returned to their own places, while the heads and acting stewards of each family sat in the front of their respective lines as custom required. Before each of them stood a black-lacquered desk, and only before Elder Ning the Second was there a storage pouch laid upon the surface.

The disciples who had emerged first had already described what had happened inside. The head of the Yu family, with no one left behind him, was ashen-faced; Elder Ning the Second, having learned that his two legitimate grandsons were dead, looked equally devastated. The black-faced elder seated in the Xiang family’s place had a countenance as dark as the bottom of a pot. The old foxes of the remaining great families likewise could not keep their expressions calm.

White light flickered on the white jade platform in the center of the square, and the figures of the Yu siblings and the Xiang family youths appeared. A ripple of commotion rose through the square, then quickly died away, until even the wind seemed to stop.

Tall and slender, Yu Youwei looked frail and delicate, still wearing the pale apricot-colored magic robe gifted to her by the Water Ancestor. Its luster had dimmed, and it was far less dignified and noble than the icy-white robe on Xiang Bingfeng, which shone with a faint radiance. At once, everyone’s gaze settled on her.

Emperor Qian stood with his hands clasped behind his back before the white jade platform, his face dark as water. His eyes lingered on Yu Youwei for a moment, then shifted unobtrusively to Yu Shiyu, who had appeared last. His expression abruptly turned sharp, and he thundered coldly, “Yu Shiyu, you truly have a lot of nerve.”

Like a wolf preparing to bite into its prey, Yu Shiyu licked his lips. A savage glint flashed in his eyes, and he said in a voice neither warm nor cold, “Your Majesty is wise. Surely you did not expect me to stand there and wait to be slaughtered.”

No one had expected Yu Shiyu to answer so directly. Emperor Qian had never encountered such insolence before, and fury made his beard and hair bristle. Yet as the light of the teleportation array faded, the Xiang family youths still stood there without moving. He knew full well that these people were all under Yu Shiyu’s control. Afraid to provoke consequences by acting rashly, even if he wanted to skin Yu Shiyu alive, he could only suppress his rage and say, “Yu Shiyu, do not do anything foolish.”

“Your Majesty, if the Yu family is wiped out, then these Xiang family youths will be the first to go down with us.” A crazed light rose in Yu Shiyu’s handsome face. Licking his lips, he said with the excitement common to madmen, “Bingfeng’s suggestion was excellent. They signed a contract with me. If I die, not one of them survives.”

The square erupted in uproar. Though Yu Shiyu did not state what kind of contract it was, everyone understood at once that it must have been a master-servant blood pact. None of the disciples from the ten houses taking part in the battle contest had expected things to come to this. Yu Youwei had likewise not anticipated that Yu Shiyu, by delaying that brief stretch of time behind them, would actually force all the Xiang family youths to sign a master-servant contract.

The Xiang family youths were a tangle of emotions. Their proud heads lowered, they wished they could crawl into a hole. Xiang Bingfeng, in particular, seemed on the verge of collapse. Only she had not signed a contract with Yu Shiyu. He had said it was beneath him, but she knew this sinister, isolated wolf was merely trying to push her into utter ruin.

“Bingfeng, for Yu Shiyu, you really are willing to give up anything!” Emperor Qian laughed in fury, but that laughter sent chills through Xiang Bingfeng from head to toe.

“Grandfather…”

Xiang Bingfeng had only just let out a sorrowful cry, trying to explain, when her elder brother Xiang Cunze seized the chance to speak first.

“Grandfather, Xiang Bingfeng colluded with Ling Yanfeng in an attempt to frame Yu Shiyu. When the scheme failed, she became greedy for life and afraid of death. When Yu Shiyu blocked the entrance to the teleportation array, she actively begged him for mercy and asked to sign the blood pact. She has disgraced the honor of the imperial house. Please permit your grandson to strike her down before he takes his own life.”

Horrified, Xiang Bingfeng turned to her brother, tears streaming down her face. “Brother, it was clearly Yu Shiyu who coerced me. Why are you slandering me? Even if he has controlled you, I am your own sister. How can you hate me like this?”

Xiang Cunze said coldly, “There has never been any precedent for a woman to hold power in the Xiang family. Even if all of us brothers were dead, with the help of the Ling family and the Wu family, your ambitions still would not succeed. Stop dreaming.”

Emperor Qian trembled with rage. Though reason told him that Xiang Cunze was under Yu Shiyu’s control, and that these words were very likely guided by Yu Shiyu, he still could not help believing them. Moreover, the Xiang family youths’ disgust and hatred toward Xiang Bingfeng, including Xiang Cunze’s, proved that the granddaughter who had always behaved so obediently before him had truly done things her brothers could not tolerate.

“Grandfather, my brothers have been controlled by Yu Shiyu. What they are saying is not true. They are slandering me!” Xiang Bingfeng cried.

“Bingfeng, you have truly disappointed me beyond words! For the sake of your own life, you show not the slightest sense of honor as a member of the imperial house!” Xiang Cunze barked sharply. In the illusion realm earlier, she had single-mindedly tried to kill the Yu siblings, paying no heed at all to his being held hostage. He had always doted on this younger sister, yet at that moment what he hated most was no longer Yu Shiyu, but his own sister.

Led by Xiang Cunze, the other Xiang family youths also began cursing Xiang Bingfeng in turn, leaving her with no defense and no way to answer. In desperation, she shouted, “You all want to slander me! This is Yu Shiyu’s conspiracy. You are nothing but a pack of fools!”

One of the Xiang family youths cried out, “Inside the illusion realm, we were the ones who made the first move. Yu Shiyu only took Brother Cunze hostage because he wanted to negotiate with us. It was you who insisted on killing Brother Cunze as well!”

“Please let Grandfather allow Cunze to kill Bingfeng, and then let me take my own life!” Xiang Cunze knelt before Emperor Qian.

Aside from Xiang Bingfeng, every Xiang family youth who had entered the illusion realm dropped to their knees.

Outside the square, the uproar was deafening, and most of it was schadenfreude.

“Grandfather, I do not want to die! It was Yu Shiyu’s scheme, not mine!” Xiang Bingfeng was terrified, more frightened than she had ever been in her life. Panicked, she ran to Emperor Qian’s feet and fell prostrate before him, weeping bitterly.

“Get out! You disgraceful thing!” Emperor Qian could no longer endure it, and with one kick he sent Xiang Bingfeng flying.

She let out a shrill scream and was sent hurtling backward. Just as she was about to crash into the pillar at the corner of the square, the black-faced Xiang family ancestor flashed forward and caught her. The old man shouted at Emperor Qian, “This is all that Yu family boy’s conspiracy. Cunze and the others have been controlled by him. Their accusations against Bingfeng cannot be trusted.”

Emperor Qian also understood that publicly dealing with Xiang Bingfeng at this moment would only tarnish the imperial house. Even if he believed Xiang Cunze and the others were telling the truth, he no longer insisted on punishing her. Turning to Yu Shiyu, he said, “Until now I truly did not see it, but the Yu family has actually produced an extraordinary figure. Your methods are even more ruthless than your fourth uncle’s were back then.”

“It cannot be helped. A blade is already at my throat; Yu Shiyu has simply been forced into a corner.” With a grin baring his teeth, Yu Shiyu asked lazily, “A rabbit, when driven to desperation, will bite too. What does Your Majesty think?”