Chapter 31

The thought solidified in her mind. She had long suspected that An Ning wasn’t the upright person she pretended to be. But An Ning had always been meticulous in her pretense, leaving no obvious flaws.

If there really was a man in the wardrobe, Yu Zhengzheng  wouldn’t need to waste any more effort catching An Ning’s little tricks. She doubted even Xiang Feng would remain infatuated with such a two-faced woman in the face of undeniable proof.

Yu Zhengzheng  rose from her seat unhurriedly and approached An Ning. “Do you like Protector Xiang?”

An Ning started to deny it, but midway through, she paused and stiffly corrected herself. “And if I do? Protector Xiang saved my life. He’s unmarried. Why shouldn’t I like him?”

Yu Zhengzheng  chuckled derisively. The audacity of An Ning’s words was truly shameless.

If her feelings for Xiang Feng were genuine, Yu Zhengzheng  might have left it at that. But it was clear An Ning had ulterior motives. From the moment she appeared in front of Xiang Feng wearing the face of the Lingbi Palace Mistress, her intentions had been obvious.

Yu Zhengzheng ’s questions weren’t to argue with An Ning; she knew it would be pointless. No matter how they argued, An Ning would still cling shamelessly to Xiang Feng.

What Yu Zhengzheng  wanted was to divert An Ning’s attention and make the man hiding in the wardrobe drop his guard. Only by catching them off guard could she expose the truth.

Before coming here, Yu Zhengzheng  had made some preparations.

Although An Ning appeared delicate and weak, Yu Zhengzheng  wasn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t an act. If An Ning was hiding her true strength, Yu Zhengzheng —who had only just begun cultivating—would likely be at a disadvantage if she acted rashly.

She had asked Shanshui to wait outside. If anything seemed amiss, all she had to do was call for help, and Shanshui would rush in to assist her.

The wardrobe was to An Ning’s left. Pretending to be casual, Yu Zhengzheng  slowly inched closer to it. “You say you like him, but have you considered that he might not feel the same way about you?”

An Ning’s voice was firm. “What happens between Xiang Feng and me is our business. Miss Yu, you’re overstepping.”

Yu Zhengzheng  nodded indifferently, then suddenly took two quick steps forward.

She reached out and grabbed the wardrobe’s handle, but before she could pull it open, a pair of icy hands clamped down hard on hers.

The hands were frigid, devoid of warmth, yet they gripped her like iron, refusing to let go no matter how she struggled.

She froze momentarily, startled. How could a supposedly frail woman like An Ning have such strength?

So it was true—her meekness had all been an act!

An Ning tilted her head, her expression still innocent, but her hands tightened their grip. “What exactly are you trying to do, Miss Yu?”

Yu Zhengzheng  let out a cold laugh. “I should be asking you that.”

With that, she lifted her foot and stomped on An Ning’s knee. An Ning reflexively stepped back in pain, her grip loosening just enough.

Seizing the opportunity, Yu Zhengzheng  shouted for Shanshui while yanking the wardrobe door open.

Inside, a man was crouched with his back to her. In an instant, he smashed through the wardrobe and wall, decisively fleeing the bamboo hut.

Yu Zhengzheng  only managed to tear off a piece of his robe before he vanished.

When Shanshui finally burst in, the man was long gone.

Shanshui stared at the disheveled An Ning and the gaping hole in the wardrobe and wall. Her expression was bewildered. “Miss Zhengzheng, did you smash her head into the wardrobe and wall to do this?”

Yu Zhengzheng : “…”

She held up the torn piece of black fabric and explained, “An Ning was hiding a man in the wardrobe, but he escaped through there.”

Shanshui froze, her expression darkening.

She trusted that Yu Zhengzheng  wouldn’t lie to her. If this was true, then Master would undoubtedly be heartbroken upon finding out.

She had always noticed that Master treated An Ning differently. Although women often surrounded him—many sent as sacrifices—Master’s kindness was fleeting. By the next day, their lifeless bodies would always be sent away without exception.

An Ning was different. The Master would worry about her safety, apply medicine to her wounds, and even smile at her.

Thinking of this, Shanshui lowered her lashes lightly, her gaze dimming slightly.

Hearing the commotion coming from An Ning’s room, people arrived one after another.

The first to arrive was Xiang Feng. His ink-black hair, usually tied neatly, was now disheveled, cascading down his back. A thin layer of cold sweat glistened on his forehead, giving him the appearance of someone in great haste.

Yu Zhengzheng narrowed her eyes, glancing at Xiang Feng’s black attire before lowering her gaze to the black cloth fragment in her hand.

Among the men confined within the formation, the Ghost King always wore white; Xiao Yuqing typically favored lighter colors; Hengwu Immortal Lord donned red robes; only Xiang Feng preferred black clothing.

The Ghost King was unlikely to be involved—he wouldn’t sneak into An Ning’s room, and his arrogant demeanor didn’t match the behavior of the man who had fled in such a panic.

This incident was probably not the doing of Hengwu Immortal Lord either. After all, his leg tendons had been severed, and the swift, agile movements of the fleeing man didn’t align with someone supposedly crippled.

That said, it wasn’t impossible Hengwu Immortal Lord was merely feigning his injury.

As for Xiao Yuqing and Xiang Feng, she couldn’t easily decide.

Xiao Yuqing wasn’t close to An Ning. The two hardly exchanged more than three sentences on a typical day. Moreover, Xiao Yuqing was always gentlemanly and courteous toward women. It was difficult to imagine him suddenly losing control in such a way overnight.

As for Xiang Feng—if it were him, he wouldn’t need to hide. An Ning wouldn’t have reacted with such panic either; if anything, An Ning would welcome others discovering their relationship.

These thoughts flashed through her mind as Yu Jiangjiang and Xiao Yuqing arrived at An Ning’s room.

Earlier, An Ning had been standing, but now she was collapsed on the ground, clutching her knee weakly. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

Her lower lip trembled as she bit down hard, her delicate brows slightly furrowed as if enduring tremendous pain.

Xiang Feng strode toward An Ning, lifting her up as his voice quivered slightly. “What happened to your knee? Are you hurt somewhere?”

An Ning tilted her chin gently, her tear-filled eyes looking at him. “I’m sorry… I’m so clumsy, always causing trouble. It’s only right for Miss Yu to dislike me. Xiang Feng, please don’t blame her.”

With that one sentence, An Ning subtly shifted the blame onto Yu Zhengzheng.

Yu Zhengzheng couldn’t help but laugh at An Ning’s antics. Even though she hadn’t managed to catch the man in the act, An Ning couldn’t seriously think the matter would just blow over.

She still had the cloth fragment from that man in her hand, and the gaping hole left in the wardrobe and wall was undeniable evidence. Anyone with common sense could deduce An Ning’s guilt. She was curious to see how far Xiang Feng would go to shield her.

Xiang Feng’s face turned cold. “What did you do to An Ning?”

Yu Zhengzheng pointed at the wardrobe. “Shouldn’t you be asking her that? Early in the morning, she was in her room meeting privately with a man. I caught them red-handed. See that hole in the wall? He smashed through it while escaping…”

Before she could finish, An Ning interrupted her. “Miss Yu may dislike me, but she cannot slander my reputation. Look closely—where is this supposed hole in the wall?”

Yu Zhengzheng froze and turned to the wardrobe. It was completely intact. There wasn’t a hole in sight—not even a trace of damage.

She stiffened, instinctively rubbing her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to adjust her vision, the wardrobe remained pristine.

Shanshui, eager to prevent any misunderstandings about Yu Zhengzheng, immediately chimed in. “What Miss Zhengzheng said is true. I also saw the hole earlier.”

Xiang Feng hesitated. Shanshui had never been one to lie. While he could doubt Yu Zhengzheng’s words, Shanshui wouldn’t deceive him.

Sensing his doubt, An Ning’s tears flowed even more profusely. “Why are you all ganging up on me?”

“Miss Yu barged in early in the morning, demanding to know what Xiang Feng and I were doing last night. I tried to explain, but she wouldn’t listen. She even kicked me several times.”

Her sobs grew more intense. “Then Miss Shanshui came in and said my presence caused Xiang Feng to neglect her…”

Shanshui frantically shook her head. “No! I didn’t say that…”

Xiang Feng fell silent for a moment before lifting his dark eyes. “Shanshui, you never used to lie.”

Shanshui froze.

He said she never used to lie.

But he had never doubted her before either.

Latecomers Hengwu Immortal Lord and Rong Shang entered the room. Hengwu, smiling broadly, looked at Xiang Feng. “Well, well, Xiang Feng, you’re quite the catch. Three women fighting over you.”

Rong Shang corrected him calmly. “Two.”

Yu Zhengzheng’s confidence had wavered, but she still clutched the black cloth fragment in her hand. If what had just happened was an illusion, then how could she explain this piece of fabric?

She glanced at Rong Shang and inexplicably regained some composure. “There’s something strange about this formation. Shanshui and I weren’t lying. Look at this black cloth. I tore it off that man as he fled.”

Hengwu Immortal Lord chuckled. “You’ve got a sharp eye, little girl. Everything within this formation has regenerative properties. No matter how damaged, it restores itself in moments.”

At his words, Xiang Feng fell silent again.

If Hengwu’s statement was true, then perhaps the hole Shanshui mentioned really had existed. Yet moments ago, he had publicly accused her of lying…

He looked up at Shanshui, who stood motionless, her expression blank as if frozen in place.

Shanshui wouldn’t dwell on it; she was naturally carefree. In a few days, she would likely forget the incident entirely. By then, he could buy her some treats, and she would return to her usual cheerful, carefree self.

But An Ning was different. He was sure there was more to the story. If she were disgraced in front of everyone today, she might not be able to go on.

Xiang Feng tightened his arm muscles as if convincing himself of something.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense, with each individual silently arriving at their own conclusions.

An Ning felt things were spiraling out of control. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the presence of the men in the room, raised her sleeve, and revealed the Shougong Sand on her arm.

Years ago, when Xiang Feng developed inner demons toward Xuexi and attempted to force himself on her, Xuexi escaped his confinement and ended her life at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain, her purity intact. Thus, the Shougong Sand on her arm remained as proof.

An Ning said no more. This mark was the clearest evidence.

“Now my reputation is ruined, and I have no face left to live in this world. Let this Shougong Sand prove that I am still innocent!”

With those words, An Ning swiftly grabbed Xiang Feng’s Chixiao Sword from his waist and slashed it toward her own neck.

Xiang Feng managed to summon the Chixiao Sword back in the nick of time. He glared at her with cold fury. “The one who deserves to die isn’t you.”

The Chixiao Sword hovered in the air, humming as it split into countless blades, each one pointing directly at Yu Zhengzheng.

“You’ve never gotten along with An Ning. Why is it that today, of all days, you came to her so early?”

His expression was icy, his voice cutting like frost. “Shanshui didn’t lie. It was you who entered the room and fabricated stories, sowing discord between Shanshui and An Ning, misleading Shanshui into thinking An Ning was involved with someone!”

“Now that An Ning’s innocence has been proven, what more excuses do you have?”