When they saw Lin Huanhuan step forward, the crowd, who had originally intended to just watch the drama, was suddenly stunned.
Luye, in particular, was now in a state of utter confusion. Her previous arrogance had vanished, replaced by an anxious pacing.
According to her estimates, Lin Huanhuan should have only had a casual attitude toward Ye Jinxiu. How could there possibly be much real emotion involved? Therefore, once Ye Jinxiu was exposed as a thief, Lin Huanhuan would most likely pretend not to know her to avoid tarnishing her own reputation.
But reality had dealt her a harsh blow.
Not only did Lin Huanhuan stand up for her, but in order to help Ye Jinxiu, she even resorted to being completely unreasonable.
All of this made Luye incredibly envious and hateful.
However, even at this moment, she still maintained confidence in her plan.
‘So what if you do this, Lin Huanhuan? Reason isn’t on your side. Given the relationship between you and Shangguan Muqing, how could she possibly let you get away with being so difficult? She will definitely get angry and arrest Ye Jinxiu soon.’
‘And because you’ve lost your dignity and failed to achieve what you wanted, no matter how deep your feelings are, you’ll inevitably feel guilt or even disgust. That’s when I’ll make my move. It’s perfect!’
Thinking of this, Luye’s heart settled.
But when she heard what Shangguan Muqing said, she panicked instantly.
“Hmph!”
Shangguan Muqing snorted triumphantly and said, “I knew you would be this unreasonable, but if you think I’m out of moves, you’ve underestimated me!”
‘To make Lin Huanhuan admit defeat, I must produce enough powerful evidence to prove the truth. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It absolutely cannot fail!’
Lin Huanhuan raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you actually have evidence? Words are cheap. Bring it out and let’s see.”
Shangguan Muqing smiled with immense pleasure. “I’m not like you. I’m a reasonable person. You think I can’t produce evidence, but I certainly can, just to make you submit!”
“This Water-Stabilizing Bead was refined by my brother. Although it is only a mid-grade dharma tool, it possesses a hint of the mystery found only in high-grade tools. As long as one’s cultivation has not reached the Foundation Building stage and they haven’t prepared in advance, anyone who has touched this Water-Stabilizing Bead will surely be stained with a trace of its aura.”
“For example, like this.”
Shangguan Muqing held out the hand she had used to hold the bead earlier. As she circulated her spiritual energy, a wisp of water vapor instantly floated out.
“As soon as it encounters the spiritual energy in my body, this situation occurs. Since you say Ye Jinxiu didn’t steal it, she should be brave enough to try, right? If you don’t dare let her try, it’s equivalent to proving she stole it. You wouldn’t be that stupid, would you?”
Shangguan Muqing smirked triumphantly.
The crowd nodded repeatedly, also feeling that using this method to verify the truth was very reasonable, fair, and just.
Luye’s pupils shrank suddenly, and her body quietly retreated a few steps. She cursed inwardly, ‘Damn you, Shangguan Muqing. Why are you proving so much? Why not just detain her directly? Dammit.’
Hearing this, Lin Huanhuan felt relieved. It seemed this matter was settled.
However, to prevent Shangguan Muqing from cheating, she nodded and said, “Fine. But since it’s an inspection, let’s start with me first.”
“Fine.”
Shangguan Muqing stepped forward without hesitation, grabbed Lin Huanhuan’s wrist, and injected spiritual energy. As expected, there was no change. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s your turn. You’re not thinking of running, are you?”
Knowing she was innocent, Ye Jinxiu naturally wouldn’t refuse. “Of course not. I’m very grateful that Miss Shangguan is giving me this opportunity.”
“Kind words are useless. Let’s let the facts prove it.”
Shangguan Muqing stepped forward with a cold sneer and grabbed Ye Jinxiu’s wrist. She narrowed her eyes, wanting to see a look of fear on the girl’s face, but she only saw calm.
Shangguan Muqing had an ominous feeling, but she still slowly injected her spiritual energy.
Under everyone’s gaze, there was no movement on Ye Jinxiu’s hand. One second, two seconds, three seconds passed.
Shangguan Muqing finally snapped out of her daze. What followed was a burning pain on her face, as if she had been slapped violently several times. the gazes of the others made her feel like there were needles in her back, causing an unprecedented sense of humiliation.
“Sorry, I misunderstood you.”
Shangguan Muqing forced these few words out. Rage was already surging in her heart. ‘Dammit! I thought this was the best chance to defeat Lin Huanhuan, but I didn’t expect it to actually be a frame-up. How could there be such a coincidence?!’
‘And you actually dared to use me? Fine, fine! Once I find you, I’ll make sure you pay the price!’
“It’s okay. It’s good that it’s been tested.”
Ye Jinxiu nodded, not intending to pursue the matter further. She just quickly ran back and hid behind Lin Huanhuan.
Lin Huanhuan scoffed, crossed her arms, and mocked her shamelessly. “I told you so many times it couldn’t be her, but you refused to believe it. Now you’ve slapped your own face, haven’t you? How truly foolish.”
“Well, if I think about it, it makes sense. The reason that person used you was probably because they saw your foolish nature. Anyone else would have seen through it long ago. Only you would be like this.”
“Forget it. Since you’re so stupid, I forgive you.”
Boom —
Blood rushed to Shangguan Muqing’s head, and her mind felt like it was exploding. Her face turned red with anger. She desperately wanted to refute Lin Huanhuan, but she couldn’t.
If her anger at being used was ten points, then after being mocked so brazenly and forgiven in such a patronizing tone, her anger had now broken through the ceiling!
Her fists creaked as she clenched them. Suppressing her fury, she said, “Only we are in this secret realm right now, and no one has left. Then the real culprit must be one of us here. We’ll check everyone. No problem, right?”
Seeing that Shangguan Muqing was as red and unstable as a bomb that might explode at any second, how could anyone dare to refuse? They all nodded frantically.
Only Luye clenched her fists, her face full of disbelief. ‘How can this be? Dammit, I’m going to be discovered!’
She instinctively looked toward Huyan Yazhi, only to see him staring at the sky. She immediately realized he wouldn’t help.
‘Dammit!’
Luye even felt the urge to turn and run, but she forcibly suppressed the thought. Running now would be no different from a public confession. Staying might offer a slight chance, while fleeing would confirm her identity.
What made her most desperate was that, excluding Ye Jinxiu and Lin Huanhuan, she was actually the first one in line.
Shangguan Muqing’s face was dark as she slowly paced forward. The sound of her Flowing Cloud Boots hitting the ground was incredibly heavy, like hammers striking Luye’s heart.
Luye could no longer withstand the pressure and quickly spoke up, “Is it okay if I go to the restroom first? My stomach suddenly hurts. I’ll be back soon.”