372: The Peng family was humiliated and the prince was whipped in public!

Chapter 366: The Peng Family Humiliated, a Prince Flogged in Public!

Outside the Sky Prison, the scorching sun baked the bluestone slabs, emanating twisting heatwaves.

An old general, clad in golden armor, slowly approached the Peng Family members with several hundred elites.

He was built like a mountain, his armor gleaming blindingly under the sunlight.

Every step he took carried the unique killing aura of a veteran on the battlefield.

“Madam…”

The old general cupped his fists in salute, a rare look of difficulty appearing on his stern face.

He looked at the Peng Old Madam, the matriarch of the Peng Family, kneeling at the very front.

Her hair was silver, but her back was ramrod straight, and his voice involuntarily softened.

“Your Ladyship, please return.”

The old general’s subordinates exchanged glances, none daring to step forward and drive them away.

These battle-hardened warriors were now treading on thin ice.

Behind these seemingly frail women, children, and elders stood the current Crown Prince!

“General, there’s no need to make things difficult.”

Peng Old Madam slowly raised her head, her wrinkled face filled with resolve: “This old woman only seeks justice.”

Her withered fingers pointed towards the Sky Prison: “My husband rendered great service to the Wenjing Empire, but now…”

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden sound of orderly footsteps came from afar.

A squad of black-armored Imperial Guard marched in with a 肅殺 killing aura, led by none other than Ninth Prince Lu Xuyang!

The old general’s expression changed drastically, his body under the golden armor instantly tensing.

He knew too well what the appearance of this Prince at this moment meant—a greater storm was about to arrive!

“Chen Denglou! How dare you!”

“How dare you make Peng Old Madam kneel before you!”

Ninth Prince Lu Xuyang’s chilling voice carried from afar, his condescending tone sending shivers down everyone’s spines even before he arrived.

A squad of black-armored Imperial Guard parted like a tide, and Lu Xuyang, clad in a dark yellow python robe with jade pendants clinking at his waist, slowly walked forward.

Chen Denglou’s face under the golden helmet instantly turned ashen, a stampede of horses galloping through his mind, a thousand grass-mud horses passing by!

This Ninth Prince Lu Xuyang was clearly speaking nonsense with his eyes wide open!

When did he make Peng Old Madam kneel?

Peng Old Madam clearly knelt on her own accord to plead!

“Your humble subordinate greets Your Highness, the Ninth Prince.”

Chen Denglou, cursing Lu Xuyang silently, knelt on one knee without changing his expression.

After a polite greeting, his voice turned as cold and hard as iron, “Your Highness, the Ninth Prince, please be clear, how would your humble subordinate dare… make the Madam kneel.”

“Even if your humble subordinate had ten thousand guts, I would not dare to do such a deranged thing.”

“How dare?”

Lu Xuyang suddenly raised his voice, his folding fan snapping open with a ‘swish,’ covering half of his handsome face, “Then why is Peng Old Madam kneeling here?”

“Hmm?”

Lu Xuyang drew out the last “hmm” for a very long time, a malicious glint in his eyes.

This behavior, even a fool could see through.

Ninth Prince Lu Xuyang was clearly seizing the opportunity to deliberately humiliate the Peng Family!

Peng Old Madam’s wrinkled face twitched slightly, and a sharp glint flashed deep within her cloudy eyes.

Her withered fingers clenched her clothes, veins clearly visible on the back of her hand.

Just as she was about to retort—

“Mother!”

Her daughter-in-law beside her suddenly gripped Peng Old Madam’s sleeve tightly, with such force that it almost tore the fabric.

Tears welled in the young daughter-in-law’s eyes, and she subtly shook her head, urgently whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Father is still in their hands… Big Brother Tiansheng has also been taken away…”

These words were like a basin of ice water poured over Peng Old Madam’s head.

She suddenly sobered up.

Any improper remark at this moment could be conveyed through the omnipresent Imperial Guard to the Emperor, whose temperament had drastically changed, deep within the palace.

The old madam took a deep breath, her straight back slightly hunching.

She stared intently at the patterns on the bluestone slab, as if trying to engrave them into her eyes.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, drawing drops of blood, yet she seemed oblivious.

The kneeling Peng Family members around her also lowered their heads, their breathing barely audible.

They were all too aware of their current predicament.

Their patriarch had been accused of treason, and Peng Tiansheng, the East Palace guard captain, had also been secretly detained.

If the Ninth Prince were to seize another handle at this moment… and then exaggerate it, it would be extremely detrimental to their patriarch.

Seeing this, Lu Xuyang’s eyes flashed with disappointment.

He had intended to provoke these Peng Family members to give them another charge of “disrespect.”

He hadn’t expected this old woman to be so composed.

If these Peng Family members had quarreled with him outside the Sky Prison.

Then his ruthless imperial father would surely become suspicious.

If these matters reached his imperial father’s ears, wouldn’t it confirm the Peng Family’s crime of “disregarding the sovereign”?

Thinking of this, a sinister glint flashed in Lu Xuyang’s eyes.

His meticulously designed scheme was meant to force the Peng Family to lose their composure, so how could he allow it to fail?

As long as these Peng Family members dared to show even a hint of disrespect, tomorrow in the imperial court, he could impeach them for “gathering a crowd to cause trouble and despising imperial authority.”

By then, not only would that old scoundrel Peng Lie surely die, but the entire Peng Family would be uprooted!

And even… it could implicate his good elder brother—His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!

At this moment, a twisted, sinister arc formed at the corner of Lu Xuyang’s mouth, his eyes glinting with malice.

He suddenly raised his voice, his tone sharp and piercing: “Are you, the Peng Family, publicly defying the imperial decree?”

Lu Xuyang no longer held back, raising his right hand and pointing directly at the kneeling Peng Old Madam.

“His Majesty has explicitly forbidden anyone from pleading for Peng Lie, yet you Peng Family members gather to surround the Sky Prison. What are your intentions?”

Saying this, he suddenly turned to Chen Denglou, a cold light flashing in his eyes: “General Chen, as the deputy general of the Sky Prison,”

“Not only do you not disperse these rebellious traitors, but you also condone their clamor here…”

Lu Xuyang’s voice suddenly lowered, carrying a seductive malice: “Could it be… you also think His Majesty’s decree is inappropriate?”

These words were like a venomous snake spitting poison, each word striking at the heart.

The faces of the kneeling Peng Family members turned pale, and several young children were already trembling with fear.

Chen Denglou’s face under the golden helmet was ashen, his fists clenching, cracking, but he dared not act out.

This was clearly forcing them into a dead end!

“Your Highness, the Ninth Prince!”

Peng Old Madam suddenly looked up, her aged voice filled with determination, “This old woman is merely…”

“Merely what?”

Lu Xuyang interrupted sharply, his eyes gleaming with triumph, “Is the Imperial Father’s decree just child’s play in the eyes of your Peng Family?”

He deliberately surveyed the surroundings, looking at the Imperial Guard and officials who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, his voice growing more unrestrained: “Today you dare to surround the Sky Prison, tomorrow will you not…?”

“Lead troops to kill into the imperial palace and usurp the throne!”

Chen Denglou trembled all over, his golden armor making faint metallic rubbing sounds with his heavy breathing.

His eyes were bloodshot, staring intently at his distorted reflection on the bluestone slab.

Crack… crack, crack…

The golden bracers he wore let out a mournful groan under Chen Denglou’s immense pressure.

The refined gold plates even began to slightly deform.

This veteran general, at this moment, was like an enraged lion, his killing aura almost solidifying.

“General Chen… please calm down.”

The adjutant beside him, seeing Chen Denglou almost lose control, reminded him in a terrified whisper.

He was afraid that his commander might lose control and truly smash the Ninth Prince’s hateful face to pieces.

That would be a crime punishable by extermination of the nine generations of one's family!

After being reminded by his own men, Chen Denglou took a deep breath, forcing himself to look at the ground.

On the bluestone slab, several large drops of sweat slowly seeped into the cracks—proof of his suppressed anger.

As a veteran general who had guarded the border for over a decade, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

But for the lives of the thousands of soldiers guarding the Sky Prison behind him, he had to… endure!

“What? General Chen, do you have an opinion of this Prince?”

“Or rather, have your rebellious ambitions been exposed by this Prince!”

Lu Xuyang’s condescending voice came again, he even deliberately walked in front of Chen Denglou, swinging the hem of his python robe into the old general’s lowered line of sight.

This humiliating gesture made the surrounding soldiers involuntarily grip their sword handles.

Chen Denglou suddenly looked up, his bloodshot eyes staring directly at Lu Xuyang.

Just as Ninth Prince Lu Xuyang was startled and took half a step back from this gaze—

“Your humble subordinate… would not dare.”

Chen Denglou’s voice was terribly hoarse, each word squeezed out through gritted teeth.

He slowly loosened his fist, and five deep indentations were clearly left on the golden bracer!

This scene made everyone present gasp in cold air.

You bastard!

The smile on Lu Xuyang’s face finally froze at this moment, his handsome face contorted almost grotesquely.

He stared intently at Chen Denglou’s open palm.

The five deep indentations on the golden bracer seemed to silently mock his incompetence.

Damn… all of them should die!

These damned bastards!

Lu Xuyang roared wildly in his heart, his temples throbbing.

His meticulously designed scheme had been repeatedly endured by these old fellows!

Chen Denglou, that old scoundrel, was clearly enraged to the extreme, yet he could still suppress his anger and submit.

These women and children of the Peng Family were even more impervious, leaving him no handle whatsoever!

“You… very good…”

Lu Xuyang squeezed these few words through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot. He suddenly turned and scanned the entire area,

Wherever his gaze fell, everyone lowered their heads to avoid it.

That feeling of being completely ignored almost snapped his rational composure.

“Your Highness…”

The accompanying strategist cautiously approached, but Lu Xuyang pushed him away.

This Ninth Prince, who was always known for his composure, now looked like a gambler who had lost his mind, unable to maintain even the most basic decorum.

A hint of crazed ruthlessness flashed in Lu Xuyang’s eyes, his cold gaze, like a venomous snake, slithered among the Peng Family members.

Finally, it locked onto the several young daughters-in-law.

These women were dressed extremely lavishly, and their demeanor as ladies from prominent families could not be hidden.

Only now, they were trembling and hiding behind Peng Old Madam.

“Peng Old Madam…”

Lu Xuyang’s tone suddenly shifted, taking on a chillingly gentle quality, as he lightly tapped his folding fan towards the young daughters-in-law of the Peng Family.

“Don’t worry, old lady. If one day the entire Peng Family is executed…”

He deliberately drew out his words, “This Prince will surely ‘take good care’ of your several beautiful daughters-in-law.”

Whoa—

Upon hearing this, the entire scene erupted in an uproar.

Even the Imperial Guard Lu Xuyang brought were startled and took half a step back, several generals looking at their master in disbelief.

How could such vulgar words be uttered by a noble Prince?

“Lu Xuyang! You… you…”

Peng Old Madam trembled with rage, her walking stick snapping into two with a “crack.”

But a more intense reaction came from the young disciples of the Peng Family—

“Beast!”

“I’ll kill you!”

Three young men from the Peng Family, upon hearing their wives being so insulted, could no longer restrain themselves. With bloodshot eyes, the three of them charged out.

The eldest among them had even drawn his personal short sword, its blade gleaming with a chilling cold light under the scorching sun.

Seeing this, a triumphant, sinister smile curled at Lu Xuyang’s lips.

This was the effect he wanted—both to humiliate the Peng Family and to embarrass that old stubborn Chen Denglou.

As long as the Peng Family dared to make a move, he could justifiably…

Just as Lu Xuyang was about to add fuel to the fire, a piercing dragon’s roar suddenly echoed from the sky!

Everyone looked up in unison.

Only to see a golden streak of light cut through the sky, flying towards the Sky Prison at an astonishing speed…

Lu Xuyang’s face instantly turned pale, he was too familiar with that golden light.

It was clearly the Nine Dragons Body Protection, a national secret technique that only core imperial bloodlines were qualified to cultivate.

“Nine Dragons Body Protection!”

Boom…

The golden streak of light, like a meteorite, heavily crashed onto the plaza in front of the Sky Prison.

A terrifying wave of air overturned dozens of Imperial Guard, and amidst the flying sand and stones,

A slender figure slowly emerged…

Everyone’s hearts trembled—that faintly discernible crimson-purple figure was none other than… His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Lu Xuan!

Lu Xuyang froze, slowly turning around!

Unbeknownst to him, Lu Xuan was already standing three steps behind him.

Those golden pupils, containing the shadow of a dragon, were coldly staring at him, as if looking at a dead man…

“Ninth Brother, you seem to be quite eloquent!”

This cold voice, like a spring from the Nine Netherworlds, instantly froze the entire scene.

Lu Xuyang’s body stiffened, his pupils suddenly constricted, his voice caught in his throat.

“Big… Big Brother, Cr… Crown Prince…”

Lu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his crimson-purple dragon robe moving without wind, and his golden-eyed gaze seemed capable of piercing through people’s hearts.

Even more terrifyingly, Lu Xuyang distinctly felt an unprecedented pressure, making his knees uncontrollably soften.

“Brother… greets Big Brother…”

Lu Xuyang forced himself to salute, his voice as dry as sandpaper rubbing together.

At this moment, he only wanted to escape this terrifying place as quickly as possible: “Your humble brother… will take his leave now…”

Saying this, Lu Xuyang was about to turn and board his carriage.

“When did I allow you to leave?”

This light, airy sentence, however, plunged Lu Xuyang into an ice cellar.

He was horrified to find that his legs were disobedient, as if nailed to the spot by an invisible force!

Lu Xuan slowly stepped forward, each step like stepping on Lu Xuyang’s heartstrings.

When the distance between them was only three steps, Lu Xuyang finally saw the scene in Lu Xuan’s eyes.

Those were not human pupils at all, but… vertical, golden dragon eyes!

Lu Xuan ignored Lu Xuyang’s terror, slowly raising his right hand.

Above his palm, brilliant golden spiritual light suddenly condensed, gradually forming a long whip in the shape of a dragon tail.

The intricate dragon scale patterns on the whip were clearly visible, and the whip’s tip flickered with a chilling golden light.

“Big… Big Brother!” Lu Xuyang’s face turned ashen, his voice changing pitch, “Your humble brother knows his mistake!”

Lu Xuan ignored him, and the dragon-tail whip gently flicked—

Crack!

The first whip struck Lu Xuyang’s right leg, a crisp sound of bone breaking accompanied by a heart-wrenching scream that echoed outside the Sky Prison.

The Ninth Prince instantly fell to his knees, his right leg twisted at a grotesque angle.

“Ah!!! Imperial Father save—”

Crack! Crack! Crack, crack…

Over a dozen whips mercilessly struck his left leg, and Lu Xuyang’s screams abruptly ceased, as he directly fainted from the pain.

But Lu Xuan flicked his fingertip, and a golden light entered his glabella, forcibly waking him up again.

For the next half an hour, chilling wails echoed on the open ground outside the Sky Prison.