Une aura glaçante

Chapitre 60

Seeing him glaring at her, Xiao Dao pretended to be clueless, "Aren't you Fang Tongli?"

Fang Tongli was taken aback and looked at her. "Yes, it is me..."

"That's right. Everyone says you want to seize the position of gang leader and have an affair with Xue Beihai's wife, your future master's wife. I heard it from people in your Beihai faction."

"What did you say?!" Fang Tongli was furious and embarrassed, while the diners in the restaurant watched him with amusement. Fang Tongli, the eldest disciple of the Beihai Sect, was a popular candidate for the sect's successor. No wonder he would do something so immoral and rebellious. No wonder Xue Beihai died suddenly. Could he really have been assassinated?

Fang Tongli, seeing people pointing and whispering about her, blushed and slammed her hand on the table. "You brat, don't talk nonsense! Who's spreading rumors and framing me?!"

"Many people in the Beihai Sect say that!" Xiao Dao said innocently. "If it's true, then you deserve it. Who told you to be so shameless? If it's false, then why are you asking who harmed you? Aren't you stupid? Of course, it's the people who want to take your position in the Beihai Sect." After saying that, he turned back to continue eating the remaining half bowl of noodles. Fang Tongli stood there feeling ashamed and embarrassed, her mind in turmoil, her ears ringing, both angry and ashamed.

Xue Beifan sighed helplessly. This little devil saw through Fang Tongli's paranoia at a glance and deliberately tried to sow discord between him and Xue Xing. That's a ruthless move. Believe it or not, it's up to you.

Xiao Dao glanced at Xue Beifan.

Xue Beifan shook his head, seemingly unconvinced, "You meddlesome girl."

Xiao Dao frowned and stomped on his foot, "I won't stand up for you next time, you idiot!"

Xue Beifan couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth again—Oh? It's because he stood up for him, not because he was told he hadn't grown up and wasn't as good-looking as others.

Seeing Xiaodao reach out to tear off a piece of mutton, Xue Beifan helped her tear off a piece and whispered in her ear, "You're much prettier than Feng Wuyou and Qin Ke, don't listen to his nonsense."

Xiao Dao's eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and he said with a touch of smugness, "Exactly!"

On the other side, Chonghua and Hao Jinfeng exchanged a glance, completely ignoring the three of them.

Xiaoyue, however, was more interested in something else. "Xiaodao, what's the point of choosing the Ghost King?"

38

[Siblings are the same]

“The Ghost King selection ceremony is the same as the Ghost Mother Clan Queen's selection of a husband,” Chonghua answered Xiaoyue for Xiaodao. “However, this queen is very domineering and has high standards. The Ghost King selection ceremony is held every year, but no one has ever been chosen.”

"How do we choose?" Xiao Dao asked curiously. "Is it like a martial arts contest to find a husband?"

“No, it seems there are quite a few competition rounds, and in the end it depends on whether the Queen likes it or not. Speaking of which…” Xue Beifan suddenly looked at Xiao Dao, “You probably get along very well with her.”

"Why?" Xiao Dao didn't understand.

“She hates men, just like you.” Xue Beifan took a bite of the red candied fruit that the waiter had just brought over, found it delicious, and then popped one into Xiao Dao’s mouth.

Xiao Dao chewed a couple of times; it tasted sweet and sour. He leaned closer and asked, "What's so delicious?"

"The guy brought it over. He said it's a specialty of the Ghost City, something like Goddess Fruit or Goddess Fruit."

"Hmm." Xiao Dao took the plate and examined it, then ate two more.

Xue Beifan suddenly interjected, "I heard that eating too much can lead to pregnancy."

"puff……"

When Xue Beifan finally realized what was happening, Xiao Dao sprayed red fruit all over his face.

Chonghua and Xiaoyue across from him exchanged a helpless glance, while Hao Jinfeng slurped down his third bowl of noodles.

Xiao Dao wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, glanced at Xue Beifan, and muttered, "Serves you right for being so cheeky."

After finishing their meal, just as everyone was preparing to pay the bill and leave, a commotion seemed to break out downstairs. Xiao Dao and the others looked down and saw a group of people approaching in the distance. Directly in front was a horse, on which sat a female general in armor. A chain was attached to the saddle, and at the other end of the chain was a woman in shackles and chains. This woman had disheveled hair and was covered in mud and blood. She was stumbling and falling behind, occasionally tripping and being dragged along by the horse, looking quite pitiful.

"What are they doing?" Xiao Dao asked angrily. "What crime did she commit to deserve this torture?"

The female general riding ahead was shouting something, seemingly announcing the woman's crimes to the crowd.

Xiao Dao didn't understand; it didn't sound like the language of people from the Central Plains.

Hao Jinfeng looked displeased. "What kind of talk is this? If this woman has committed a crime, she should be punished according to the law, either by being beaten, imprisoned, or exiled. Why resort to vigilante justice and such humiliation?"

Xiaoyue asked Xiaodao, "Could it be something like a secret affair? I've heard that in some places, the local customs are so fierce that they punish people like this."

“Probably not.” Chonghua shook his head as he leaned against the window. “The Ghost City area is very civilized. The Ghost Mother Queen has long since issued a decree that not only can men divorce women, but women can also divorce men. In the Ghost Mother tribe, women have a higher status.”

"Really?" Xiao Dao thought this was pretty good, and then noticed that the female general on horseback was talking, so he wondered what she was saying.

“It’s a common language in the Western Regions.” Xue Beifan seemed to be able to see through Xiao Dao’s thoughts. “She’s saying that this woman is a traitor to the Ghost Mother Clan and is being punished.”

“Traitor…” Xiao Dao crossed his arms, then saw the punished woman shouting something, so he nudged Xue Beifan, “Second, what did she say?”

Xue Beifan looked up at the sky. Now even the "Xue" in her name was omitted. Was it some kind of nickname? After carefully observing the woman's lip movements, Xue Beifan whispered, "She said she was innocent."

Xiao Dao stroked his chin, considering whether or not to go save her, when Hao Jinfeng's face instantly darkened. "Injustice?!"

Hearing something amiss in his voice, everyone turned to look and was immediately startled. Hao Jinfeng seemed completely different; his eyes were narrowed, his usual honesty gone, replaced by a sinister expression. He said angrily, "As expected, there are scoundrels everywhere who frame others, bully the honest, and commit evil!"

Everyone's hearts sank—oh no! Hao Jinfeng's madness had relapsed. They'd almost forgotten that he became less sharp-witted upon hearing the word "wrongfully accused"...or rather, he was usually not very sharp-witted, but upon hearing the word "wrongfully accused," he would instantly become sharp. [ ]

Sure enough, Hao Jinfeng jumped directly from the private room on the second floor, a move that startled everyone upstairs and downstairs.

"Hey!" Xiao Dao stamped his foot, about to chase after him, but Xue Beifan stopped him. "What's the rush? It's quite fun."

Xiao Dao was furious. Not far away, Qin Ke saw Xue Beifan constantly pulling and tugging at Yan Xiao Dao, and subconsciously bit her lip, her face becoming even more unpleasant.

After Hao Jinfeng went down, he stepped forward, drew his golden knife, and severed the chains with a single stroke. Compared to his usual righteous aura, this time he exuded an aura of domineering power. His series of actions left everyone dumbfounded.

Xiao Dao sensed something was amiss and turned to run downstairs. Xue Beifan followed, and as they passed the stairwell, they saw the three members of the Beihai Sect watching him. Xue Beifan suddenly curled his lips slightly, a gesture that was both provocative and disdainful. Xue Xing and Fang Tongli's faces paled, while Qin Ke's face turned even redder.