Chapter 759: Chapter 760: The Murmuring Rain

Xiao Chenglin’s eyelid twitched. "I do not understand what Mr. Fan means."

Fan Chengzhuo stared at him, a blazing hatred practically spilling from his eyes.

"Let me ask you! The matter with Zheng Baosu—did you know all along and deliberately deceive me!?"

Xiao Chenglin’s heart sank.

He had made countless guesses, but he never thought Fan Chengzhuo would come to the palace today over *this*!

But his expression remained perfectly calm. "I am not sure what Mr. Fan is referring to," he said coolly.

"Still playing dumb!" Fan Chengzhuo suddenly erupted. He looked like he wanted to charge forward, but his body was so weak that even the slightest movement was a struggle. "You knew all along! Yet you repeatedly used him as an excuse to threaten and cajole me! You—! Xiao Chenglin! You deserve to die!"

Emperor Muwu’s brow furrowed. Eunuch Li immediately signaled for the guards to step forward and restrain the frenzied Fan Chengzhuo.

Fan Chengzhuo continued to struggle wildly. Blood began to seep from the many wounds on his body. His face was ghostly pale, his expression a mixture of shrill grief and resentment.

Xiao Chenglin remained standing in place, perfectly still.

"Mr. Fan, it seems your illness has addled your mind."

Sensing Emperor Muwu’s scrutinizing gaze, Xiao Chenglin calmly clasped his hands in a salute. "I truly do not understand what he has just said. I rarely leave my residence and have had no dealings with Mr. Fan, let alone a feud. I implore you, Father, to launch a thorough investigation into who instigated him to slander me so suddenly!"

His words were calm and firm, his demeanor forthright. He truly looked as if he had been wrongly accused.

’But... at a time like this, what reason would Fan Chengzhuo have to falsely accuse him?’

Emperor Muwu’s face was unreadable as he spoke, his voice low. "I, too, would like to know. Why does he target you and no one else?"

Xiao Chenglin’s heart skipped a beat.

"Father—"

"Fan Chengzhuo." Emperor Muwu cut him off, looking to the other side. "What, precisely, did you mean by what you just said? You claim Prince Jing threatened and cajoled you... so what did he have you do for him?"

Now Xiao Chenglin was truly desperate. "Father! He is spouting lies! How can you possib—"

Emperor Muwu did not look at him, merely raising a hand.

The rest of Xiao Chenglin’s defense died in his throat.

Fan Chengzhuo’s shoulders trembled slightly. It was hard to tell if he was crying or laughing.

"Heh... Your Majesty, haven’t you been asking who my true ’master’ is?"

He slowly raised his head. His hair was a mess, his expression manic. Every word seemed to be forced through gritted teeth, dripping with profound hatred.

"The one who colluded with the Wazhen, who sold off supplies and weapons for immense profit, who committed treason by consorting with the enemy... is none other than your own dear son—Prince Jing! Xiao Chenglin!"

The raw, hoarse cry echoed through the vast hall, making hearts pound.

In that moment, it seemed as if even the wind had stopped.

After what felt like an eternity, Emperor Muwu finally turned to Xiao Chenglin. His gaze was heavy and his emotions unreadable, yet it carried an indescribable pressure.

"Prince Jing, what do you have to say?" he asked, enunciating each word.

Xiao Chenglin stood with his hands at his sides, his head slightly bowed.

A fierce wind blew outside the doors, bringing with it a sudden, bone-deep chill.

SPLASH—!

Rain began to pour from the sky, quickly blanketing the world.

The palace attendants outside rushed to lower the heavy curtains as rain spattered in.

Inside the hall, everyone stood frozen like a still-life painting, silent and motionless.

Ye Chutang lifted her gaze and looked out the doors.

Rain fell in sheets, the sky hung low, and a fine mist shrouded the ground.

Xiao Chenglin lifted his head, his exquisitely handsome face clear and calm.

"I swear on my life, I have never done such a thing,"

he said.

...

「In a certain alley in the southern part of the city.」

The sudden downpour sent pedestrians on the street running for cover.

But just then, a troop of horsemen burst through the wind and rain!

The thundering of hooves!

Many people looked up at the sound, their faces filled with shock the moment they saw the riders.

"Is that..."

Someone began to whisper, but the sound was immediately swallowed by the downpour.

Awed by the riders’ sharp, imposing presence, the onlookers fell silent. They instinctively slowed their pace, their eyes following the troop.

Soon, they reined in their horses before an unremarkable, dilapidated pharmacy.

A heavy curtain of rain blurred the riders’ figures.

However, the young man at the lead, clad in snow-white robes and sitting tall on his horse, effortlessly drew every eye. Even through the rain, his incomparably handsome features were faintly discernible.

The pharmacy door was ajar.

Basha came to the entrance, intending to close up for the day, but his heart leaped into his throat when he saw the dark, imposing formation of men outside.

’The rain had been so loud just now that he hadn’t even noticed their approach!’

The realization sent a fresh wave of terror through him.

’So many people, arriving on horseback in the middle of a downpour, and he hadn’t heard a thing!’

’Is this... the true power of the Black Cavalry Guard?’

A thousand thoughts raced through Basha’s mind, but his face showed only nervous confusion.

"What brings you all here, sirs?"

Shen Yanchuan, sitting tall on his horse, glanced at him coolly.

"Are you aware that privately imprisoning a Princess is a capital offense?"

Basha’s blood ran cold.

The color drained from his lips, and his expression stiffened. "You... you—I don’t know what you mean, sir?"

Shen Yanchuan didn’t answer. It would have been a waste of time.

He lifted his chin slightly, and a single, sharp word escaped his lips.

"Search!"

"Yes, sir!"

At the command, the men instantly split into three groups. Two flanked the building, surrounding the pharmacy, while the third charged straight through the front door.

Basha was shocked and frantic. ’Something this huge was happening, and no one gave me any warning!’

Of course, he had no way of knowing that the person who could have warned him was currently fighting for his own life, in no position to worry about anyone else.

Basha instinctively tried to block them. "N-No! You can’t—"

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder. The touch seemed light, but it instantly rendered Basha immobile.

He looked over in terror. Lian Zhou gave him a sympathetic blink.

"Shopkeeper, digging graves with your bare hands must give you some nasty calluses, huh?"

Basha’s eyes flew wide!

"You—"

BANG—!

The hidden door leading to the back courtyard was suddenly kicked open!

Basha’s stomach dropped. He whipped his head around, and his heart sank into an icy pit.

Lian Zhou twisted both of Basha’s arms behind his back, dislocating them. The instantaneous agony rendered Basha speechless.

"Watch him."

Lian Zhou handed Basha over to the other guards and walked up to the now-open door, stepping right through.

The courtyard was empty.

But Lian Zhou immediately spotted the drafty window.

And behind it, the flash of a pair of eerie, blue-glowing eyes.

He raised an eyebrow.

’Looks like digging up that grave wasn’t a waste of time after all,’ he thought. ’Talk about an easy find.’

"Open the door!"

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