32. Shocking Shangguan Long
Her words made the official’s face pale.
While other officials might not know about the assassins, she did.
Because she was the one Prince Changning ordered to arrange their entry.
This girl dared to bring this up publicly. Could it be that the assassins were exposed before they could complete their mission?
“What assassins?” The official glanced at the First Prince and decided to play dumb. “There are no assassins in the competition area. There was just a Flame Python acting strangely. You didn’t go to the central area, did you?”
That Flame Python is already dead, lady.
Miss Gong knew she was trying to change the subject. She casually tossed two cloth-wrapped bundles at her feet.
“The others were eaten by the demonic beasts. I kept these two heads as souvenirs. See if you recognize them.”
The freshness of the heads was evident. They had clearly died recently, and the claw marks on them were unmistakable signs of a demonic beast attack.
“How would I know them?” The official feigned composure. “But… were they really assassins?”
Before she could finish, the recorded conversation between the First Prince and the assassins echoed through the air.
—Miss Gong had set it to loop.
Hearing this, the official’s heart sank.
The First Prince was supposed to be cautious and cunning. How did this girl obtain such evidence?
“This doesn’t sound like His Highness’s voice,” the official pretended to listen carefully. “Could someone be impersonating him, trying to frame him?”
Her words immediately resonated with the First Prince’s supporters.
Would the First Prince of the Heartflame Empire really order the assassination of an unknown girl?
That sounded absurd.
“Whether they’re his men or not is irrelevant.” Gong Yiling shrugged. “At least you’ve confirmed that there are assassins in the competition grounds. This threat to the participants’ lives isn’t something you would condone.”
“Or should I spread the word throughout Yanlie City that the Heartflame Empire can’t even secure its own competition grounds, allowing several Return to Origin assassins to infiltrate?”
“If this reaches His Majesty’s ears,” she suddenly raised her voice, “how many heads do you think you have to spare?!”
This hit the mark.
With so many people present, mishandling this could have severe consequences.
After careful consideration, the official finally said, “I can let you leave and retain your scores, but if you don’t have—”
“Clatter.”
Qiu Shui, holding Lu Xinyao, tossed nine cards totaling forty-five points before her. Then, she asked calmly, “Any other problems?”
“…Your team has forty-five points, a perfect score, with a perfect average. I’ll report this to Prince Changning. Please follow me.”
—
—
Perhaps shocked by their perfect score, the other participants, initially wanting to withdraw due to the assassins, no longer mentioned it.
They were handing in a perfect exam paper early. Leaving now, with their failing grades, would be embarrassing.
However, the three perfect scorers didn’t meet Prince Changning as expected, to confront him with the evidence they all knew existed.
As for where the prince was…
—
—
“Dead!?”
Emperor Shangguan Long was utterly shocked.
He had heard a strange roar earlier, seemingly coming from afar, followed by a clear accusation carried by the wind:
“Great One Engineering Sect, I will never forgive you, even in death!”
The only demonic beast capable of such a roar was the Flame Python in the Yanxing Great Forest.
He didn’t know who had sealed it there, but during his first royal hunt, he almost lost his entire army because of it.
After that, he had even issued a bounty, offering a large reward for anyone who could slay the beast.
—Many came seeking the reward, even forming a twenty-person team led by a Heavenly Venerable cultivator.
But they were too weak, lacking the power to even make plain water taste good.
None of them returned alive.
After that, Shangguan Long never mentioned hunting the beast again.
Until today.
Although he had a premonition, it needed confirmation.
And Shangguan Yaochang arrived with the news.
“Your Majesty, the Flame Python is dead.”
“Really dead!?”
“Really dead.” Shangguan Yaochang presented a scale from the python. “After hearing the roar, I arranged the competition and immediately went to the central area. I found its remains near the outer edge.”
Shangguan Long asked, “Did you find out who did it?”
Shangguan Yaochang shook his head. “There was no one else there. The fatal wound was on its neck, a piercing injury at its seventh inch. And its head was missing.”
“Therefore, I suspect someone struck its vital point, then, realizing it wasn’t its heart, severed its head with a second strike.”
Against a Heavenly Venerable demonic beast…
Only two strikes.
One to pierce its vital point, one to decapitate it.
Such precision, such power, could only be achieved by someone above Heavenly Venerable.
Immortal Mansion or Saint Venerable?
This was truly astonishing.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t find anyone else there. Otherwise, I would have recommended them to Your Majesty—”
“It’s fine.”
Shangguan Long suddenly stroked his beard and chuckled. “It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as the Flame Python is dead, that’s a cause for celebration!”
“It must be Your Majesty’s good fortune that brought such an expert to our aid.”
“You always know what to say.” Shangguan Long clapped his brother’s shoulder heartily. “I’m in a good mood today. Let’s drink until we drop, brother!”
“Since Your Majesty insists, I’ll gladly oblige.”
Their conversation was harmonious, but whether they harbored hidden agendas remained unknown.
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