Chapter 636: All In One Moment
Helian Wei Wei noticed that something was wrong the moment she entered the palace.
The Elder Compound had dispatched too many necromancers and they had not left the compound since the beginning. It was as if they were searching for someone.
“It seems like something has happened in the palace.” Yuan Ming’s devilish voice sounded from behind her, “What an immense aura of resentment, perhaps someone has fallen to the Demonic Path?”
Helian Wei Wei turned her head slightly as she listened to him. Immediately, she dragged a palace maid over and asked, “What’s going on here?”
“Third Princess Consort!” The palace maid jumped in surprise and went down on her knees immediately to greet Helian Wei Wei, “Please accept my greetings, Third Princess Consort.”
Helian Wei Wei extended her arm to lift her up. Then, she asked, “There’s no need to kneel. Just tell me, what on earth is happening? Why are there so many necromancers here?”
“You… You didn’t know?” The palace maid was surprised. Then, she glanced at her and stammered, “Apparently, the Little Seventh Prince is actually a demon. The Emperor has given orders to capture him.”
“A demon?” Helian Wei Wei furrowed her brows tightly and asked, “Who said that?”
The palace maid was startled by her tone, replying, “I’m not too sure either, but the news seems to have spread from the Palace of Heavenly Purity. It claims that the people that were recently killed in the palace had their blood sucked dry by the Little Seventh Prince.”
“The Palace of Heavenly Purity?” Helian Wei Wei’s eyes darkened. Isn’t that where the Retired Emperor is staying? She also recalled that Yuan Ming once mentioned that something was uncanny in there…
“We found him, we found the Seventh Prince!”
A ruckus rang out from afar all of a sudden.
Helian Wei Wei’s heart sank. Without any hesitation, she followed hurriedly after the necromancers.
Around a hundred imperial guards were surrounding a small woodshed in the yard of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
The Emperor and a number of ministers from the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs stood outside the circle of guards.
“Break in!” the Emperor ordered with a heavy tone.
The ministers of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs looked at one another with uncertainty. Eventually, unable to contain themselves any longer, the ministers asked, “Your Majesty, could there be a mistake? The Seventh Prince is still so young, how could he kill anyone?”
The Emperor remained silent.
The elder next to him snickered, snarking, “Lord Zhang, you must be getting old! The Seventh Prince is a demon, so he is certainly capable of slaughtering people. This has nothing to do with age.” Then, he turned toward the Emperor with his hands clasped together and said, “Your Majesty, I think we should set the place on fire to force him out. Then, we can let the ministers see it clearly for themselves.”
The ministers from the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs were unprepared for this. They were also not as eloquent and quick-witted as the elder. Not to mention, the Emperor’s att.i.tude about it was very clear.
There is nothing we can do!
We can’t possibly stand here and watch the Seventh Prince being forced out by fire, can we?
Judging from His Highness’ character, none of them would be spared alive if he found out about this in the future.
There was truly nothing they could do at the moment…
“Set fire!” The elder rose his voice, flecks of fire were reflected within his eyes as he announced roaringly, “Listen carefully! The demon is to be captured alive!”
“Understood!” The necromancers readied their formation and began starting the fire.
Suddenly, a clear resounding voice echoed through the air, heavily layered with a domineering aura, asking, “Who are you calling a demon?”
The atmosphere died down instantly. The sepulchral aura of an impending death gripped their hearts like an invisible fist.
It was as if a mere twist would instantly splatter blood and reduce life to ashes.
Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, dazzling enough to make one’s pupils constrict instantly.
At that moment, the crowd could clearly witness the features of a face with unparalleled exquisiteness being brightly illuminated.
It was Helian Wei Wei’s face. She strode over menacingly and coldly like a ghost. At the same time, she suddenly moved her palm!
Snow dust whirled from the ground like a tornado and swallowed the flames instantly.
The elder stood amidst the tornado, his face stinging from the gusting wind. He raised his arms to block out the wind and squinted, shouting, “Helian Wei Wei! It’s you again! Do you know what you are doing?!”
Helian Wei Wei slowly stepped forward, her sleeves that were fluttering from the wind made her seem like an amba.s.sador from h.e.l.l. She fixed her cold stare on the elder and asked, “I was about to ask you, elder, do you know what you are doing? Little Seven carries royal blood. For you to disregard his status like this and set fire without thinking twice, what intentions are you harboring!”
The elder was rendered speechless for a moment.
The little eunuch standing by the Emperor saw his master nodded slightly before exclaiming, “Third Princess Consort, we all know you wish to protect the Seventh Prince, but this is not how you should protect him! Now that the Seventh Prince has become a demon and killed so many people in the palace, how can you turn on the elder and question his intentions! You are clearly trying to s.h.i.+eld a murderer!”
“Is that your opinion, or are you representing the Emperor?” Helian Wei Wei slowly looked toward the Emperor.
The Emperor frowned.
The little eunuch was cunning enough not to tattle on his master. He said loudly, “I was only speaking for all the palace maids who were murdered!”
Crunch!
The sound of breaking wood sounded abruptly as a few blazing pieces fell at the little eunuch’s feet!
The little eunuch jumped in fright and when he raised his head, he saw Helian Wei Wei staring at him. Her ink-black eyes seemed like a depthless ocean, though her voice was eerily calm as she murmured, “Say that again.”
The little eunuch stiffened. He then screamed sharply, “Can’t a man speak the truth!? The Seventh Prince is indeed a demon… ”
Before he could finish his sentence, his entire body was slammed onto the ground!
Helian Wei Wei stepped on his wrist. Meanwhile, the wind blowing around her had heated up for some reason too. It became so hot that the little eunuch felt as if holes were being constantly burned through him!
It was even more frightening as he could not even make a single sound. He could only gape and writhe in silence as if he was being asphyxiated by Death himself.
“Who told you those palace maids were killed by Little Seven?” Helian Wei Wei asked coldly, “A mere eunuch dares accuse a prince? You deserve to be executed!”
The Emperor never expected Helian Wei Wei to have the courage to use violence before him. He could no longer maintain his calmness on his face and his voice sounded forced as he groaned, “Helian Wei Wei…”
Yet, Helian Wei Wei did not give him a chance to speak. She immediately bowed before him and interrupted, appearing as loyal as could be, roaring, “Your majesty! I have cleared the treacherous lot who accused the Seventh Prince for you! I hope you do not blame me for my actions!”
The Emperor’s face twitched in fury, but there was nothing he could do to Helian Wei Wei.
It would have been too obvious if he had done anything.
That would surely create suspicion.
Therefore, he could only remain expressionless as he said, “You may stand.”
“I thank your majesty for your grace.” Helian Wei Wei straightened her back.
The elder sneered, “It doesn’t matter how sharp-tongued one could be, some things must be investigated clearly. As to whether or not the Seventh Highness is a demon, we can only be certain of it after we are able to see him! Someone! Keep knocking! Set fire if no response is given!”
However, right at that moment…