“Patriarch!!!”
Seeing the patriarch collapse, the members of the Chu Heavenly Clan were filled with panic.
“Insolent Chu Feng! How dare you poison the patriarch!!!”
“Seize him!!!”
Chu Hanqing pointed at Chu Feng, roaring with fury.
At that moment, those unaware of the truth were still dazed, struggling to accept that Chu Feng had poisoned the patriarch.
But Chu Hanqing’s accomplices, primed and ready, sprang into action at his command, charging toward Chu Feng.
*Boom—*
Yet as they closed in, a deafening explosion rang out. Chu Feng appeared to self-destruct, dissolving into a cloud of black mist that scattered in all directions.
The sight stunned the crowd once more.
They knew this wasn’t Chu Feng’s death—it was an escape.
But they couldn’t fathom how he’d managed to flee under the watch of so many experts, leaving them powerless to stop him or even track where he’d gone.
“He can’t have gone far! Activate the sealing barrier, block all exits, and search for him—he must be found!” Chu Hanqing shouted.
The group dispersed immediately, leaving only Chu Hanpeng, Chu Xuanzhengfa, and others unaware of the plot behind. They rushed to the patriarch’s side, carefully examining his condition.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng had no idea what had transpired. He was in his residence, hosting some guests.
These were younger members of the Chu Heavenly Clan, most of whom he wasn’t close to. The only familiar face was Chu Yue.
Though Chu Feng no longer held a grudge over past events, Chu Yue still felt guilty and wanted to talk things out.
After hearing of Chu Feng’s return, many juniors had come to visit, but he’d turned them away. Today, however, when Chu Yue arrived, he opened his doors. The shy ones waited outside, while the bolder ones followed her in.
Though Chu Feng didn’t want to engage too much, he still treated them courteously. They’d been chatting for a while when—
*Bang—*
A loud crash interrupted them as his hall’s doors were blasted apart.
A figure rushed in, landing behind Chu Feng.
It was Chu Hanqing.
“Supreme Elder?”
The juniors gasped at the sight of the Supreme Elder.
Before they could react further, Chu Hanqing vanished, taking Chu Feng with him.
Chu Hanqing had seized Chu Feng.
Instead of dealing with him privately, Chu Hanqing brought Chu Feng straight back to the scene where the patriarch had been poisoned.
“Let me go! Why are you seizing me?” Chu Feng demanded, struggling with anger.
“Why? Look at what you’ve done!” Chu Hanqing sneered, flinging Chu Feng toward the patriarch with a wave of his sleeve.
The crowd surrounding the patriarch parted instantly.
Chu Feng finally saw the patriarch, ravaged by poison.
“Senior!!!” Chu Feng’s face paled in shock. One glance told him the poison afflicting the patriarch was lethal.
“What happened? Who did this?” Chu Feng scanned the crowd, his voice low and intense.
His words left those unaware of the truth bewildered.
They’d all seen Chu Feng poison the patriarch—why was he asking such a question now?
“Chu Feng, you have the nerve to ask? Isn’t this your doing?”
“Despite how well the patriarch treated you, you harmed him. Chu Feng, pay with your life!” Chu Hanqing roared, unleashing a palm strike. A surge of martial power roared toward Chu Feng, its force so immense that it would shatter his soul if it hit.
He intended to kill Chu Feng.
But before the strike could land, the energy dissipated. A figure stepped in front of Chu Feng—Chu Xuanzhengfa.
“Chu Xuanzhengfa, are you protecting this criminal who harmed the patriarch? Are you his accomplice?” Chu Hanqing pointed at Chu Xuanzhengfa, bellowing in accusation.
“I’m not protecting Chu Feng—I just think something’s off,” Chu Xuanzhengfa replied.
“What’s off? We all saw Chu Feng poison the patriarch with our own eyes. What more is there to question? Are you going to believe him if he denies it with a few clever words?” Chu Hanqing pressed.
“Don nas’t it strike you as strange?”
“If Chu Feng wanted to harm the patriarch, he could’ve done it discreetly while they were out together. Why wait until he returned to the clan and do it in front of everyone? And if he escaped, how did you catch him so quickly? Where did you find him?” Chu Xuanzhengfa countered.
“Wait.” Chu Feng suddenly spoke up, turning to Chu Xuanzhengfa. “Senior, you’re saying *I* poisoned the patriarch?”
“Chu Feng, didn’t someone identical to you just poison the patriarch here? Wasn’t that you?” Chu Xuanzhengfa asked.
“If it wasn’t him, then who? Are you suggesting someone impersonated him?”
“If someone impersonated Chu Feng, wouldn’t we have noticed? Wouldn’t the patriarch have seen through it? Chu Xuanzhengfa, wouldn’t *you* have?” Chu Hanqing interjected aggressively before Chu Feng could respond.
“Chu Xuanzhengfa, there’s no need to defend Chu Feng. We all witnessed it—there’s no washing this away,” Chu Hanyouyou added.
Chu Feng’s heart sank. He was beginning to piece together what had happened.
He’d been framed!!!
And the ones behind it were likely the two Supreme Elders standing before him.
