Chapter 126

「Qu Jiang, don't say it anymore; I think my sister definitely didn't do it on purpose—she probably just wanted too badly to get first place, to prove herself…」

Ye Qingran lifted her eyelids and looked at Ye Huanhuan.

Speaking, truly is an art.

Ye Huanhuan seemed to be defending her on the surface, but was actually misleading others; Ye Qingran indeed cheated, and the motive for cheating was to get first place, thereby proving she wasn't a waste!

But the more this happens, the more everyone will compare her to that waste!

"A waste is a waste, what's there to prove?"

"Exactly! Just be an honest person, isn't that good?"

"The mindset of a waste is truly twisted!"

……

Indeed, after Ye Huanhuan finished speaking, the crowd's gaze toward Ye Qingran grew more contemptuous; many even whispered to each other, saying particularly harsh words.

Ye Huanhuan slightly lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting pride at the bottom of her gaze.

She just wants to see Ye Qingran lose all face, best if she ends up ruined and disgraced!

In the whole Xiliang City, having her Ye Huanhuan, this genius beauty, is enough; as for Ye Qingran, she can go to hell!

……

Even though people spoke so rudely to her, Ye Qingran in the center of the crowd never showed a trace of anger or sadness or similar emotion from start to finish.

She has always been calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant, even with a faint arc at the corner of her lips.

Ye Huanhuan couldn't stand Ye Qingran's demeanor the most.

Every time she saw her—calm and fearless, serene as water—she would flare up, wishing to rush forward and slash her face, to break her pretense!

Ye Qingran, I'm watching you—how will you explain this time!

As for Xia Meng beside her, she had endured for a long time and finally could bear it no longer!

"Who are you saying cheated? This is clearly something we ourselves hunted; we have a clear conscience!"

"Oh? Evidence?"

"Evidence?"

Xia Meng frowned; where would she get any evidence? Does this kind of thing even need evidence?!

Truly bullying others to an extreme!

Ye Qingran stopped Xia Meng's words about to burst out, turned her head, and looked toward the viewing platform where Consort Gu was watching the spectacle.

"May I ask, Your Majesty the Empress, does slander require paying a price?"

Consort Gu seemed not to have expected Ye Qingran to ask her that; she was momentarily stunned. After reacting, she maintained her gentle demeanor and said, "Slander naturally requires paying a price, but if one states the facts, then naturally there is none."

Ye Qingran ignored the implication in Consort Gu's words and continued asking, "Then may I ask again, Your Majesty the Empress, what price must be paid?"

Consort Gu's eyes turned colder by a few degrees: "Cancel the results! As for cheating, it's the same!"

"Oh, that's how it is!"

Ye Qingran raised her eyebrows, a hint of slyness rippling in her beautiful eyes.

"Esteemed examiners, you are all experienced seniors; determining the cause and time of death of spirit beasts from their wounds shouldn't be difficult, right?"

Seeing Ye Qingran calm and unhurried, as if she had everything under control, everyone couldn't help but wonder: could these ten spirit beasts really have been hunted by her?

"As expected, you won't cry until you see the coffin! Ye Qingran, since you insist so much, please trouble the examiners to inspect these spirit beasts!"

Mu Qingrou naturally wouldn't believe that Ye Qingran had such strong ability to hunt a four-star bloodline lord-rank spirit beast.

In her view, Ye Qingran's saying this is nothing more than trying to cover up and make things worse.

"Not bad, then let's inspect them. Ye Qingran, don't blame me for not warning you—if these spirit beasts weren't hunted by you, then your score in this hunting grand gathering will be wiped clean!"

Qu Jiang shouted loudly.

"I also remind you all: if you slander, your scores will be the same!"

Qu Jiang and the others were all left speechless.

After the examiners conferred, one of them stepped forward as a representative, first bowing to the Empress, then announcing loudly: "Your Majesty the Empress, we can indeed determine the cause and approximate time of death of spirit beasts from their wounds."

Consort Gu fell silent for a moment, then said: "If that's the case, then please go ahead and inspect them."

She actually wanted to see whether these spirit beasts could really all have been hunted by Ye Qingran and those few wastes.

The examiners received the order, then dispersed, each beginning inspection from a different spirit beast.

After about half an hour, all spirit beasts had been examined; the examiners gathered to discuss, and the representative reported again to the Empress: "Your Majesty the Empress, the time of death of these spirit beasts is indeed these two days, and their cause of death is…"

The examiner representative said up to this point, then paused.

"What are they?"

Consort Gu slightly straightened her posture, her beautiful eyes gradually narrowing, and her aura suddenly sank.

The examiner representative, somewhat dazed, continued: "They are all… one arrow shattering the spirit beast's spirit core."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's faces changed.

"One arrow shattering a spirit beast's spirit core?"

You see, a spirit beast's spirit core is its life crystal; once the spirit core shatters, the spirit beast dies. Therefore, the spirit core is extremely well protected, almost the hardest part of its body.

What kind of domineering strength would it take to pierce the spirit cores of ten four-star bloodline lord-rank spirit beasts with a single arrow?

At the same time, they also thought of Ye Qingran's archery skill, which surpasses Ling Shaoyang's, worthy of being called a divine archer!

Could it be that these spirit beasts were really shot dead by Ye Qingran?

The examiner's words made Consort Gu's face sink slightly.

Qu Jiang and Mu Qingrou, along with the others, also had faces that were gloomy and uncertain.

"Although Ye Qingran's archery skill is evident to all, shattering a spirit core with a single arrow—especially for a four-star bloodline lord-rank spirit beast—is somewhat… unimaginable, isn't it?"

Just as everyone remained silent, a clear voice rang out. Following the sound, they looked over—it was none other than the Donggong Crown Prince, Dongfang Qingxuan, seated below Consort Gu's seat.

The Crown Prince's words sounded fair, but many present had a clear mirror in their hearts.

Besides, the matter of Ye Qingran once divorcing the current crown prince caused a great stir; Donglin Country's handsome and talented Crown Prince was publicly abandoned by the worthless Ye Qingran, losing all dignity.

Now, the Crown Prince intends to marry Ye Huanhuan as his consort, thereby binding the two together. If Ye Huanhuan loses today, it will also be a loss of face for the Crown Prince.

Therefore, from the Crown Prince's perspective, he hopes the winner is Ye Huanhuan, not Ye Qingran.

The Crown Prince has spoken; for a moment, no one dared to say more.

However, in the vast crowd, there are inevitably some troublemakers.

"Your Highness, you are mistaken. If archery skill reaches the pinnacle, even without mysterious force, one could pierce the spirit core of a beast emperor, let alone a mere lord tier."

Everyone looked shocked at this brave warrior.

"How dare he, to the Crown Prince's face, defy his dignity—truly a heroic figure!"

However, upon learning that this person was Ling Shaoyang, they felt it was normal.

After all, Ling Shaoyang, one of the three oddities of Xiliang City, known as a world‑troubling tyrant, even dares to deny the present emperor face, let alone a mere crown prince.

Dongfang Qingxuan also didn't expect anyone to dare oppose him. For a moment, his expression turned grim. If it weren't Ling Shaoyang, he would have given him a piece of his mind.

However, Ling Shaoyang, as the reigning champion of the archery contest at the past five years' hunting gala, naturally carries great authority in his words.

"I think what Crown Prince Ling said makes perfect sense! My teacher said the same!" Gu Dongliu unfolded his folding fan with a swish, smiling freely and unrestrained.

Everyone looked at Gu Dongliu in surprise.

As the son of the Grand Tutor and nephew of the Empress, Gu Dongliu has always stood on the Donggong's side; in the past, there has never been a case of him defecting.

Upon hearing this, even the expression of the Empress Gu seated above turned grim.

Gu Dongliu, however, acted as if he hadn't heard, his smile undiminished.

"What Shaoyang said is not wrong; it is my palace that failed to consider enough." Dongfang Qingxuan wore a faint smile, his tone giving no hint of joy or anger.

"Damn, are we just going to let her get away with this?" Ye Sisi stomped her foot unwillingly.

"Sister, quickly think of a way; these spirit beasts definitely weren't hunted by Ye Qingran! She, a waste with no spiritual root, how could she have such ability?"

Ye Sisi kept shaking Ye Huanhuan's arm, acting coquettishly.

"Exactly, I don't believe Ye Qingran has this ability! She must have been helped by someone else!" Zhao Yan said resentfully from the side.

Upon hearing this, Ye Huanhuan's eyes lit up. After a moment's thought, she raised her head and took a few steps forward.

"I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should."