356: Chapter 356 He's Taken a Flirt with the Princess

After a moment, the murmurs gradually died down. Only then did Xun Luoyuan slowly look up at King Haoyue and part her vermilion lips. "Your Majesty."

King Haoyue nodded, his expression calm. His entire being exuded the aura of a high-ranking ruler, imposing without needing to show anger.

"Luoyuan, tell me, what exactly is going on?"

Xun Luoyuan glanced at Feng Ming and spoke slowly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, while I was resting last night, someone laced my room with an aphrodisiac poison. This poison is known as Entangling Love Threads."

Everyone present was shocked to hear this. Almost everyone had heard of the infamous Entangling Love Threads.

However, no one expected that someone would dare use such a thing at this kind of banquet, and that the target would be the Xun Luoyuan.

Xun Luoyuan continued, "To tell you the truth, Feng Ming found me a few days ago and told me about this matter. He even gave me a Medicinal Pill that could suppress this aphrodisiac. I thought I could pass the night safely, but I didn't expect that someone would actually deliver Feng Ming into my room."

At this point, the crowd wasn't just stunned; they were completely bewildered. Who could be so bold? Furthermore, the Xun Luoyuan and Feng Ming had still attended the banquet despite knowing a plot was being laid against them, yet they still couldn't avoid it. This was truly terrifying.

Lu Qianqian had always been worried about Feng Ming. Hearing the Xun Luoyuan's explanation, her concern for him grew even deeper. She had originally thought that Feng Ming had taken a fancy to the Xun Luoyuan.

She thought the two of them were mutually attracted and had been like dry wood meeting a blazing fire, but she never expected they were being framed.

Zhang Bai was completely dazed. Just moments ago when Feng Ming appeared, he had been full of fury, feeling that Feng Ming had betrayed him.

Feng Ming had clearly said he would help him pursue his wife, yet he ended up being the one involved.

Only now did he realize that Feng Ming was also forced. Instantly, the bitterness in Zhang Bai's heart dissipated.

King Haoyue looked toward Feng Ming. "Is this truly the case?"

Feng Ming quickly cupped his hands. "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is indeed so. After I was affected by the aphrodisiac, I was knocked unconscious and delivered to the Xun Luoyuan's room."

"Nonsense! How is that possible? I was personally standing guard. How could anyone knock you out under my very nose and take you away without me knowing?"

Feng Ming let out a soft chuckle upon hearing Deputy Commander Yang's words. "Since the Deputy Commander mentioned it, I'd like to ask as well. Everyone says you are a powerful expert at the Peak of the Immortal King Realm, yet I was taken away right under your nose without you noticing. Instead, you're turning around and making false accusations against me. You really are quite shameless."

"You..." Yang Chenyu was about to speak.

King Haoyue raised his palm slightly to stop him, then looked back at Xun Luoyuan to continue his inquiry. "Did you see or sense who it was that delivered Feng Ming to your room last night?"

Xun Luoyuan shook her head. "No. I was being controlled by the drug and was focusing all my strength on suppressing the toxin. I only saw Feng Ming being thrown in; I don't know who the perpetrator was. Furthermore, that person's strength is not below mine."

Yang Chenyu spoke up, "That is absolutely impossible. Within the Imperial City, all registered Ninth-Rank experts are at their posts. Moreover, this is the Imperial City; how could a Ninth-Rank expert move around and hide it from His Majesty?"

"Besides, with me personally standing guard, such a situation could not have occurred."

Seeing him stubbornly refusing to believe it, Feng Ming couldn't help but laugh. "Deputy Commander Yang, is it your comprehension that's lacking or your hearing? From beginning to end, we never said the opponent was Ninth-Rank. We said they must be at least at the Peak of the Eighth-Rank. So, how did you exclude the Peak of the Eighth-Rank Immortal King Realm?"

"Or perhaps... I recall you are a powerful expert at the Peak of the Eighth-Rank Immortal King Realm, aren't you? Could it be..."

Yang Chenyu roared in anger, "Presumptuous! You dare to suspect me of ambushing you? It was clearly you who, in your lustful boldness, had designs on the Xun Luoyuan, yet you're trying to pin the blame on me. Where is the evidence?"

Feng Ming smiled. "Deputy Commander Yang, that's not right. I only said someone ambushed me; I didn't say it was you. Besides, I also want to know who that person was last night. As for evidence, I do have some. After all, before attending the banquet, I knew someone was setting a trap for me and the Xun Luoyuan, so naturally, I wouldn't be completely unprepared."

"It's just that I've only recently arrived in this Imperial City and didn't want to offend anyone. But now that things have come to this, if I continue to be submissive, I'd be acting like a fool."

"Enough talk, just bring out the evidence," Yang Chenyu said directly.

At this moment, King Haoyue also spoke, "Since there is evidence, bring it out. If you can prove you were framed, this King will naturally seek justice for you."

Feng Ming quickly cupped his hands.

"I leave everything to Your Majesty's judgment! Let us settle this one step at a time. First, let us prove whether the Xun Luoyuan and I were affected by Entangling Love Threads."

He pointed to himself and Xun Luoyuan.

"Your Majesty can send someone to verify. The effects of Entangling Love Threads still remain in our bodies; they are merely being suppressed by Medicinal Pills. One investigation will make it clear."

Yang Chenyu's brow furrowed slightly. King Haoyue had already waved his hand, and a guard stepped forward to probe with True Qi. A moment later, the guard bowed and reported:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there are indeed residues of Entangling Love Threads in both their bodies, currently suppressed by medicinal power."

The crowd broke into an uproar.

"Entangling Love Threads is unique to the Imperial City; outsiders can't get their hands on it at all!"

"So someone really did deliberately drug them!"

Yang Chenyu's face instantly turned ugly.

King Haoyue looked at Feng Ming. "This King believes the Xun Luoyuan would not take this drug of her own accord. This is indeed a frame-up. Continue."

Feng Ming nodded with a smile.

"Next, I will prove that I was delivered into the Xun Luoyuan's room. Before that, I want to ask Deputy Commander Yang, who was the first to discover I was missing from my room?"

"It was my subordinates," Yang Chenyu said in a low voice. "At dawn, a maid reported that there was a seal outside the Xun Luoyuan's room. I brought men over and never entered your room."

"Very good."

Feng Ming raised his hand to manipulate the water in a courtyard vat. The water splashed onto the Xun Luoyuan's door and the ground. In an instant, a clear handprint appeared on the door, and several footprints emerged on the ground.

"These are the marks left by the attacker," Feng Ming said calmly. "This person knocked me out, put me into a storage ring, and brought me all the way here."

Yang Chenyu immediately questioned, "You say they were left by an attacker, but are they? What if you made them yourself? And where did these marks come from?"

"It's just some Water-Glow Powder. This substance reveals itself upon contact with water and doesn't dissipate for a long time," Feng Ming laughed. "I had already sprinkled this powder all over my room last night. Since you said no one entered my room, then who else could these marks belong to but the attacker?"

After speaking, to prove his innocence, Feng Ming stepped forward and compared the handprints and footprints one by one. Clearly, the other person's hands and feet were larger than his.

Feng Ming looked at Yang Chenyu and smiled. "Look, Deputy Commander Yang, these aren't my sizes. I couldn't have possibly grown an extra pair of hands and feet out of thin air, could I?"

Yang Chenyu was at a loss for words and snorted coldly. "This only proves you were delivered here. As for the ambush, do you have more evidence?"

"Naturally." Feng Ming used the water to wash his body and turned around. A clear mark from a hand-chop was visible on his neck.

The crowd gasped.

"My god, it really is a mark from being chopped unconscious by a palm!"

"To dare commit such an act within the Imperial Palace, how bold. This Deputy Commander Yang is also quite irresponsible."

Yang Chenyu suddenly panicked. "Your Majesty, I..."