Chapter 116: No Turning Back
Chapter 116: No Turning Back
Ling Yi looked at Lu Qingming. “I have only one reason for being here. You people are holding my girlfriend captive. I want to get her out!”
“So yeah, this mess? It’s definitely my doing!”
“I admit it!”
Lu Qingming’s expression was icy cold, yet his entire stance remained guarded—
If Ling Yi dared flip the table in public like this, someone powerful must be backing him. Otherwise, he’d never have this kind of nerve!
His own sect members should be arriving here soon too!
Well then, why wait for another day? Once the arrow is shot, there’s no turning back!
Today, Ling Yi and the entire Qin State Diplomatic Mission would be plunged into the abyss!
And the excuses were already lined up!
Any one reason snatched up would be enough to justify war against Qin!
So, what more could he say?
Go ahead. Talk!
“But!” Ling Yi said coldly, “Those two Qingshan Sect disciples were killed by your Chu State people. Trying to pin it on me? I won’t take the blame!”
“You’re spouting nonsense!” someone from Lu Qingming’s side shouted angrily. “It was clearly you who killed them! Those two went to find Luo Xue!”
Ling Yi fired back immediately. “How do you know all this in such detail?”
“I didn’t even know who they were back then! Why would I hurt them?”
“Actually, scratch that. If I had known who they were then? No need for your people to kill them. No need for your frame-up either. I absolutely would have done it myself!”
“Who the hell did they think they were? What business did they have meddling in my woman’s affairs?”
A group from the Qingshan Sect stared daggers at Ling Yi, their eyes cold as ice.
Ling Yi shot them a glance. “Chill out, your turn is coming. Line up! One after another!”
“Sheer madness!” someone near Lu Qingming yelled angrily.
“Ha!” Ling Yi laughed lightly. “See this? This is Great Chu and its power! Framing people is second nature to them!”
“If I did it, I own it. If I didn’t? Not one drop of dirty water lands on me!”
Standing beside Ling Yi, Diwu Qianqian was completely speechless. Didn’t you kill those two guys? She thought inwardly.
“Qianqian,” Ling Yi glanced at Diwu Qianqian, “Where was I last night?”
Without waiting for her answer, he looked around at the crowd. “Do you all know her? A valued guest at the Grand State Preceptor’s Mansion!”
Ling Yi looked back at Lu Qingming. “Grand State Preceptor Lu, will you take her word for it?”
Lu Qingming’s face was stormy. He looked at Diwu Qianqian, desperately hoping his capricious junior sister would take his side.
Diwu Qianqian hesitated for a moment before standing up to speak. “Last night… I was indeed in Young Master Ling’s room, chatting and discussing philosophy with him….”
She still avoided saying who killed the two Qingshan Sect disciples. But she also didn’t mention that she’d been sent to Ling Yi’s place by Lu Qingming himself.
Holy crap!
Another bombshell!
First, the Eldest Princess of Great Chu openly flirts with him without regard for scandal. Now, this revered beauty from the Grand State Preceptor’s own mansion spends the entire night ‘chatting philosophy’ in his room…?
Just how magnetic is this guy?
Is he… some kind of walking heartthrob?
Just as Lu Qingming had once told Diwu Qianqian – everyone, no matter who, found this kind of thing fascinating.
Some spectators suddenly jolted awake to a realization—
When did this start? One minute it was a tense showdown between two nations, the next it’s turned into a scene of a gifted charmer standing up against Great Chu’s unjust power!
Journeying thousands of miles to a treacherous meeting to rescue his girlfriend; so charming in his youth that Great Chu’s finest women vie for his attention…
It was all just too dramatic!
Meanwhile, the Qingshan Sect with its two dead disciples, An Yuan, the top young expert of Wei State, challenging Ling Yi… that stuff was momentarily forgotten.
The faces of the Qingshan Sect group turned ashen grey. Because now even they weren’t entirely sure who had killed those two disciples!
At first glance, it absolutely seemed like Ling Yi – he had the strongest motive.
But seeing this life-or-death feud between Ling Yi and Lu Qingming… the possibility of them getting framed felt very real!
The only witnesses were Diwu Qianqian and Luo Xue, Luo Xue wouldn’t admit to anything, and Diwu Qianqian… hadn’t exposed him either.
So now the Qingshan Sect found itself in an awkward spot.
Of course, very few people were paying them any extra attention right now.
Members from the diplomatic missions of the other five states needed no discussion. Instinctively, they silently agreed: Watch the show. Don’t speak.
Whether Qin State gets carved up? That could wait. Right now, what they most wanted to see was how this farce would end.
How, exactly, would this young man Ling Yi meet his doom?
Ling Yi faced Lu Qingming again. “So, your broken Dragon Veins? What does that have to do with me?”
“If you’re gonna frame someone, at least come up with a decent story! A dignified Grand State Preceptor of a great nation, stooping to such a shoddy, clumsy trick? Utterly ridiculous!“
“And you think you can just splash that dirty water on the Diplomatic Mission too? Get real!”
Lu Qingming’s expression was so dark it seemed like water could drip from it. He’d already judged this kid dangerous and prepared accordingly.
But he’d never dreamed the seemingly weak and pathetic Qin State Diplomatic Mission could pull a stunt like this.
Ling Yi… Ling Yi… Did they all think he was born yesterday?
Moreover, he realized he had still underestimated how destructive Ling Yi could be.
Within barely over a day, first Diwu Qianqian, then Chu Yanyu… Just how much allure did he possess?
He understood the situation with Chu Yanyu, and dismissed it as unimportant.
She was just a sly little woman, not a serious opponent!
But Diwu Qianqian’s actions were a bitter disappointment to Lu Qingming.
Putting aside everything else… Who did she see kill those two Qingshan Sect disciples? If anyone knew, Qianqian, it was you!
Lu Qingming desperately wanted to ask her that very question. But remembering her position, the words remained stuck behind his gritted teeth.
Today, events had passed the point of peaceful resolution.
If he dragged Diwu Qianqian deeper into this mess, and then the sect elders arrived… well, complications would surely follow.
In the eyes of the Carefree Sect, Diwu Qianqian’s worth undoubtedly surpassed his own, Lu Qingming’s!
Lu Qingming regarded Ling Yi chillingly through narrowed eyes. “Quite the skilled orator. But arguing and denying is pointless. You’re not even a member of the Diplomatic Mission. There is nothing more to discuss. You will submit peacefully and await severe justice.”
Ling Yi met his stare. “So now we’ve cast aside all pretense of shame? Hmm? Grand State Preceptor Lu? Why don’t you talk about how your subordinate, Wang Fu, went chasing after me all the way to Spring City?”
“You guys cook up wild stories and twist facts to slander me? Fine, whatever.”
“Me? I always believe in evidence. See here? I have recordings and video footage of Wang Fu’s full confession. Anybody want to take a look?”
“Anyone interested?”
“A respected Golden Body Expert personally trained by the Grand State Preceptor himself, sent after a young lad barely versed in Pressure Point Strikes? Very heroic!”
“Still wanna see that video? Huh?!”
The scene was dead silent.
People watched like they were seeing a drowning man struggling desperately in the water.
No matter how much he said or did, even with shocking, incredible developments, he seemed destined for a terrible fate.
Unless his hidden trump card was truly powerful enough to suppress Lu Qingming, to suppress Great Chu!
But was that possible?
If he really had such a trump card, how could his Adoptive Father have died?
Someone on Lu Qingming’s side angrily shouted, “What Acupoint Opening Realm? You’ve already reached the Golden Body Realm now!”
As soon as these words were spoken, many people were shocked. Their gazes toward Ling Yi once again became doubtful and uncertain.
A Golden Body Realm cultivator that young?
Could it be that he truly had an incredibly powerful backer?
If that was really the case, then Lu Qingming wanting him dead… was completely understandable.
Even a typical Sect prodigy couldn’t possibly reach the Golden Body Realm at this age!
It was incomprehensible, truly incomprehensible!
They had thought it was a situation with certain death, but now, how did it seem like there might still be a chance?
Facing this scene, the members of the various diplomatic missions were completely bewildered.
Ling Yi gave a light laugh. “I’m at the Golden Body Realm now, so what? Is that not allowed?”
That side was immediately left speechless.
That’s right, being at the Golden Body Realm now didn’t mean he was at it back then.
Ling Yi looked at everyone present and sneered coldly. “Didn’t you want me to surrender? Come and arrest me then.”
“Arrest me, and you can force a confession out of me. You can even force the person behind me to show themselves. Come on!”
“Grand State Preceptor Lu, you had the nerve to ambush my Adoptive Father. Surely you don’t mind continuing to shamelessly attack me, right?”
“Come on? In front of the diplomatic mission members from various states, in front of your Chu State’s Eldest Princess, let me see just how impressive you, Grand State Preceptor Lu, really are!”
“If you don’t want to step in personally, then send a Dao Enlightenment cultivator to try!”
“Forget about Golden Body cultivators. They’re no match; coming here would just be sending them to their deaths!”
Ling Yi glared into the distance at Lu Qingming and roared angrily, “Come on! Anyone not afraid of death, come!”
“Enough!” Chu Yanyu finally couldn’t bear it any longer. Her face icy, she shouted, “Since when does our Great Chu need to bully people this way? State Preceptor Lu, I hope you won’t be so hasty. Making such rash judgments without solid evidence is a major taboo, no matter who the person is!”
So you finally spoke up?
Ling Yi sneered inwardly. You want to reap benefits for free without paying anything? What makes you think you deserve that?
Just because you’re beautiful, everyone should immediately fall at your feet? How naive!
Even knowing Chu Yanyu was an untouched maiden, Ling Yi remained extremely wary of her.
Lu Qingming looked at Chu Yanyu and said coldly, “Since when has the Princess developed an interest in meddling in politics?”
Chu Yanyu retorted pointedly, “This isn’t meddling in politics; it’s correcting the mistakes you’ve made! When the Dragon Vein was severed, the most anxious person had the surname Chu! Not Lu! But before the matter is fully investigated, you casually sling mud at others. Since when is our Great Chu so lacking in confidence? Or does State Preceptor Lu harbor some unspeakable secret in his heart?”
The information contained in these words… was massive!
Lu Qingming gave a cold smile, his eyes glinting as he looked at Chu Yanyu. He snorted through his nostrils. “Princess, watch your words.”
Chu Yanyu’s expression was cold and detached. “Watch my words? Has the State Preceptor’s authority now extended to intimidating me? Am I not even allowed to speak a word of justice?”
Lu Qingming looked at her with an indifferent expression. “The Princess has had too much to drink. She should go back and rest now.”
At that moment, a young man seated at the table beside Lu Qingming stood up. He looked at Chu Yanyu and said, “Elder Sister, stop making a scene.”
Chu Yanyu looked at the young man who had stood up and spoken with a disappointed expression. Then she said calmly, “I am here today. No one can take Ling Yi away.”
Lu Qingming said coldly, “That is not for you to decide!”
As he spoke, he looked up toward the outside. His expression solemn, he rose to his feet, clasped his fists, and bowed. “I request my fellow Sect members to enter!”
A group of seven people filed in through the main entrance of the banquet hall.
With this, Lu Qingming had played his trump card.
A royal flush!
A young dragon could stir up some waves, but in the end, it couldn’t overturn rivers and seas.
The Enchantress asked in Ling Yi’s mind, “Start the fight?”
Ling Yi replied, “Wait a little longer.”