“Your Majesty, we confess our crimes!” Qingwu’s expression was as calm as her voice at this moment.
Cangyan’s departing footsteps paused slightly, a cold smile curling at the corners of his lips. After a brief hesitation, he continued walking outward.
“Wu’er! What nonsense are you spouting?!” Qing Yuan glared furiously at his eldest daughter. Though he knew in his heart that even if he stubbornly denied everything, death would still be inevitable, at least refusal left a sliver of hope. But confessing? That would only give Cangyan a legitimate reason to kill them!
Qing Yuan couldn’t understand why his usually sharp-witted eldest daughter would act so foolishly at such a critical moment. Did she naively believe that confessing would earn them leniency from His Majesty?!
“Sister, what are you saying? We’ve done nothing wrong! What crime is there to confess?!” Qing Mei’er shot a venomous glare at Qingwu. If this foolish woman wanted to die quickly, she didn’t have to drag her and their father down with her!
Qingwu calmly met Qing Mei’er and Qing Yuan’s gazes. “Father, younger sister. At this point, His Majesty already knows everything you’ve done. It’s better to admit it openly than to keep denying!”
“You—!” Qing Yuan’s face darkened as he stared at his eldest daughter. What a traitorous child!
“I’ve done nothing! Qingwu, have you lost your mind?! I’m innocent!!!” Qing Mei’er screamed hysterically, her eyes filled with hatred. She didn’t want to die!
Watching the three on the ground, Qingyan smirked coldly. “Since you’ve confessed, then—”
He made a gesture, and the surrounding guards immediately stepped forward to seize the kneeling trio.
“I didn’t confess! I’m innocent!” Seeing the guards approach, Qing Mei’er suddenly scrambled to her feet, gathering magic in her hands to attack them.
“Audacious Qing Mei’er! Seize her!” Qingyan’s palm glowed faintly as he struck mercilessly at her.
“Ugh—!” Facing the attack from Cangyan’s top guard, Qing Mei’er had no chance to dodge. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she collapsed weakly to the ground.
Seeing his second daughter half-dead from Qingyan’s ruthless strike, Qing Yuan’s ashen face twisted with madness.
If Cangyan was determined to kill him, he might as well fight to the death rather than submit meekly!
“Father!” Qingwu saw his intent and immediately called out.
Qing Yuan turned to her, raising his hand to strike. “You traitorous wretch!”
“Father!” Qingwu didn’t flinch, meeting his gaze calmly.
Under her steady look, Qing Yuan’s raised hand froze mid-air.
He didn’t strike. Qingwu then turned her gaze toward Cangyan, who was nearly out of sight. “Your Majesty! My father did play a role in the Flower King’s disappearance, but I am willing to atone for his crimes!”
Cangyan’s footsteps didn’t pause for even a second.
Hah! That woman—both useful and beloved—was gone. What could they possibly offer to make up for it?!
And… he didn’t care for their atonement. At this point, he wanted their miserable fate to serve as a warning to all those self-important “meritorious subjects.”
He would make it clear: even if they had helped him ascend to the Beast Clan’s throne, as the king, he would not tolerate their arrogance!
Those who dared plant spies around him, those who dared interfere with his plans—they had better prepare for the consequences!
“Wu’er believes Your Majesty knows better than anyone that many in the Xuanling Continent desire the Flower King, not just you—”
A streak of light shot toward her.
Before Qingwu could finish, the light struck her, forcing a pained groan from her lips.
Cangyan stopped, turning back with icy blue eyes. His lips curled dangerously. “Who did you call a ‘waste,’ hmm?”
A wave of bitterness surged in Qingwu’s heart. She hadn’t expected His Majesty to defend that infamous fool of the Xuanling Continent so fiercely!
Just because she called the Flower King a “waste,” he had personally struck her down!
“And you—what are you?” Cangyan’s disdain was palpable as he looked at her like she was nothing more than an insignificant ant.
Qingwu’s heart twisted further. At this moment, she realized she had been wrong about something.
She had naively assumed His Majesty only married that foolish Flower King to indirectly control the Flora Clan. She thought his earlier defense of her was merely due to her beauty.
But now, seeing how fiercely he shielded her from even the slightest insult—how could it just be superficial attraction?
“Your Majesty, forgive my offense!” Qingwu pleaded softly. Despite her heartache, survival was at stake, and she had to act.
Cangyan coldly averted his gaze as Qingwu continued, “With so many coveting the Flower King, even if Your Majesty finds her, bringing her back to the Beast Clan will be fraught with difficulties…”
She paused deliberately, glancing at his stern expression.
He stood there, impatience flickering in his eyes.
“Thus… this guilty woman is willing to search for the Flower King. Once found, I can infiltrate her side and coordinate with Your Majesty to bring her back—atonement for my father and sister’s crimes!” Qingwu bowed deeply.
Cangyan let out a cold laugh, his icy gaze devoid of warmth. “A fine plan. But… what makes you think you’re fit for this task?”
“I trust Your Majesty’s judgment in all things. If you insist on executing us, as subjects, we dare not refuse death.” Qingwu endured her pain, kowtowing humbly.
Cangyan exhaled slowly, his cold eyes calculating as he reassessed the situation.
===============
The Flower King’s disappearance cast a shadow over the entire Beast Clan. Cangyan executed countless guards and maids in the Beast Palace with ruthless efficiency.
Every one of them had been spies planted by various Beast Clan factions. Using Yun Qingxue’s disappearance as an opportunity, Cangyan purged the palace of all infiltrators.
The Fox Elder was stripped of his position and confined to his estate, while the entire Fox Clan fell from grace.
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