Masks covered every face!
Judging by their attire, they were actually men from the Northern Prefecture Prince's Estate!
Ye Tian slowly turned his head to look at them.
Because of the bamboo hats they wore, these men did not recognize his identity.
"Who are you people, and why are you impersonating men from the Prince's Estate!"
"Ha, impersonating? We are the Young Prince's men. Aren't you Phoenix Sect members taking things a bit too lightly by trying to kill our Young Prince?"
"Today, I am going to uproot the Phoenix Sect completely!"
Ye Tian sneered, "Playing ghosts in broad daylight! Speak, who on earth sent you here!"
The masked leader froze for a moment, then waved his hand, "Fall back!"
With a rustle, the men actually did not attack, and instead retreated!
Ye Tian understood!
What a brilliant frame-up!
If they had attacked and completely eradicated the Phoenix Sect, then today's conspiracy would lose its meaning!
That was why they had left the Sect Leader and Black Widow behind!
Their purpose was to let these women spread the word about what happened today!
Ye Tian turned to give chase, but with a sudden thud, Black Widow had already grabbed his wrist!
"Keep acting! Go on, keep acting!"
"I really never expected you, Ye Tian, to be so vicious. Not only did you violate them, but you even want to silence them all by killing them!"
With a sudden flash, Black Widow pressed her blade against Ye Tian's neck.
"I did no such thing!"
Ye Tian shouted loudly, "This is a conspiracy! Those men are not mine! And as for them, I never touched them!"
"Ha! Death is at your doorstep and you're still stubborn. Even if you talk until the cows come home today, I am going to kill you!"
With that, Black Widow flicked her wrist!
At that very moment, someone suddenly shouted, "Black Widow, stop!"
Swish!
A flash of sword light stabbed toward Black Widow!
Black Widow instinctively deflected it with her saber—bang!
Both of them stumbled back a few steps!
"Brother-in-law, run!"
Su Xiaotang cried out anxiously as she hurried over.
Although she loathed Ye Tian, she did not want him to die here!
"Su Xiaotang, take a look for yourself! All of these people were killed by Ye Tian's men! And you're still defending him!"
Black Widow pointed at the ground!
"What?"
Su Xiaotang's expression changed drastically!
She turned her head to look at the tragic corpses of the women, the veins on her forehead throbbing violently!
Abruptly, she reached out and grabbed Ye Tian by the collar, "Speak! Why? Why?!"
"Don't think that just because my sister shields you, I wouldn't dare kill you! I'm going to avenge these innocent sisters of mine!"
As she spoke, tears rolled down Su Xiaotang's face!
Earlier, she had only wanted to save people and had overlooked the corpses inside the temple.
Now, the more she looked, the more horrified she felt!
Were these even human beings?!
They were absolute beasts!
Ye Tian originally wanted to get angry, but then he thought better of it—forget it, they were only doing this for these wronged women!
"If I tell you their deaths have nothing to do with me, would you believe it?"
Ye Tian said calmly!
Su Xiaotang shook her head repeatedly, the look she gave Ye Tian filled with utter disappointment!
Black Widow looked at her coldly, "Su Xiaotang, are you trying to pull a bitter-mercy act? Don't even think about taking him away from right under my nose!"
Su Xiaotang glanced sideways at Black Widow. "You think I'm acting? Do you have any idea that, just like you, I want nothing more than to kill him!"
Ye Tian closed his eyes, wondering who on earth was trying to plunge him into a situation from which he could never recover!
A frame-up, a textbook frame-up!
Mastermind, who the hell are you?
To be able to spend money to buy off so many women!
Your methods are truly ruthless!
Slowly opening his eyes, Ye Tian looked at Su Xiaotang, Black Widow, and the Sect Leader!
"You keep shouting that you want to kill me, but tell me, when have I ever bullied any of you, or did any of you actually see me violate them with your own eyes?"
Ye Tian's words left all three of them stunned.
"Cut the crap! Do you have to see such things with your own eyes to know? Just the thought of it disgusts us!"
"Spare us your smooth talk! I am going to avenge my sisters today!"
Black Widow brandished her saber!
"Wait!"
The Sect Leader suddenly remembered something. "Black sister, help me up!"
"Sect Leader, your injuries are too severe, you should stay lying down!"
"It's fine, I've already taken the medicinal pill, I won't die!"
Ye Tian noticed that the Sect Leader's breathing had indeed stabilized a great deal!
Then he saw the Sect Leader fish a brocade box from her bosom, walk over to one of the corpses, take out a pinch of vermilion-like substance, and smear it on the corpse's arm.
After a long moment, the vermilion color did not fade!
The Sect Leader was slightly startled, and then proceeded to test more than a dozen other girls in succession!
None of the vermilion marks faded!
"What he said is true—these girls are all maidens who were never defiled!"
"What?"
Black Widow and Su Xiaotang were dumbfounded!
"Sect Leader, is this method of yours accurate? They're already dead!"
"Though they are dead, their vital breath has not yet cooled. I just channeled some Qi into them to make their blood circulate, yet the vermilion didn't fade! That proves they are all pure maidens!"
With that, the Sect Leader looked up at Ye Tian. "Why?"
Ye Tian sighed, "Someone is trying to frame me! They spent money to buy them off!"
Ye Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, walking around with the label of a depraved beast was thoroughly unpleasant!
Not to mention, everywhere he went, he encountered unfriendly gazes!
It was deeply uncomfortable!
"My apologies. Phoenix Sect members have repeatedly brought harm to the Young Prince lately, and as the Sect Leader, I failed to supervise properly. Lian Wushuang apologizes to you!"
With that, Lian Wushuang slowly bowed.
"Brother-in-law, I... I seem to have wronged you!"
Su Xiaotang said!
Black Widow bit her lip and nodded toward Ye Tian as well.
Ye Tian waved his hand, "Very well, they were victims too. Look, they've even been silenced by the murderer!"
"What? Are you saying those people from earlier were the masterminds?"
Clearly, Black Widow was not foolish enough to still believe those men belonged to Ye Tian.
Ye Tian said calmly, "I'm guessing they were directed by the mastermind behind the scenes!"
"And to fan the flames and frame me further, they came back to silence the witnesses!"
"This way, it not only pushes me into eternal damnation, but also seals the mouths of these sect members so the truth won't leak out!"
Lian Wushuang slowly nodded, "What a sinister scheme!"
She couldn't help glancing over at Ye Tian, deep in thought.
Ye Tian looked at her and said, "Are you thinking that since rumor has it I'm an unlearned good-for-nothing, how could I possibly see through all this?"
Lian Wushuang's face flushed slightly, "I wouldn't dare slander the Young Prince, but that is indeed what the outside world says!"
Ye Tian clenched his fists slightly and did not answer Lian Wushuang's question.
"The three of you, I hope you will keep your mouths shut about tonight's events. Once this leaks out, it will alert the enemy. On the surface, you can still put on an act of targeting me, playing a role for the villains behind the scenes!"
"And as for me, I will slowly drag this mastermind out into the light!"
"Framing me? You're courting death!"
"Black Widow, please—chase me out for a distance. Xiaotang, you put on an act of hating me yet being forced to save me!"
With that, Ye Tian bolted outside.
Black Widow was momentarily stunned, then brandished her saber and gave chase, "Wicked villain, where do you think you're escaping to? Today, even if you flee all the way back to the Prince's Estate, I will kill you!"
Blade lights flashed wildly, and waves of energy relentlessly battered the ground right behind Ye Tian's heels.
A series of deep trenches tore open in their wake!
The pacing was timed to absolute perfection—just a hair's breadth away from lopping off my heels!
Su Xiaotang leaped forward in a flying dash, "Black Widow! No matter what, he is my brother-in-law. If you kill him, how am I supposed to face my sister? Stop this at once!"
The sounds of clashing steel rang out, and amidst the clamor of ringing blades, Ye Tian sped far away!