Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72: The Confrontation at the Paradise Terrace
All attention slowly gathered around three people...Yue Yue, Lin En, and the lackey girl Mei Lian. The other females formed a circle, whispering among themselves, but no one dared to step forward.
Soon, several temple attendants arrived, their robes brushing softly across the floor.
Among them was the same male servant who had earlier escorted Yue Yue into the palace.
His name was Wei Han, and the moment his eyes landed on her, his scalp tingled with dread.
Earlier, he had thought she was a gentle, quiet girl, soft as a flower petal, but now he remembered her sharp tongue and quick wit. He suddenly felt that his peaceful days inside the temple might be ending very soon.
Still, he kept a respectful tone and bowed slightly.
"Honored females, what has happened here? Is someone dissatisfied with anything?" he asked carefully.
Yue Yue lifted Lin En’s arm, and a faint smear of blood stained her fingertips. Her expression was calm, but her voice carried a cold weight as she spoke.
"You said this place is the safest in the temple for females. Then tell me...how did a female bleed here?"
Wei Han froze. His eyes widened as he finally noticed the torn fabric on Lin En’s clothes and the thin line of blood across her back.
A female being injured inside this protected part of the temple was no small matter. His gaze shifted to the pale and nervous Mei Lian, and in that moment, he understood...this was a dispute between females that had escalated.
Inside his heart, Wei Han cursed his terrible luck.
Since morning, problems had kept appearing one after another, and now he was trapped in a situation where any wrong move could offend someone important.
Worse still, every person involved was a female, and upsetting even one of them could cost him dearly.
Just as he was trying to think of how to handle the situation, he suddenly felt a heavy gaze on him.
He turned and saw Princess Shao Yuyan of the Sand Empire seated elegantly nearby, watching everything in silence. Her eyes were proud, cold, and full of irritation, yet there was also curiosity there.
Wei Han’s throat went dry. If this matter involved a princess, the situation was far more dangerous than he wished to handle.
Before he could speak, Mei Lian stepped forward with a stiff and defensive expression.
"I did nothing wrong! She fell on her own. I only asked her to move aside," she snapped.
Lin En’s face paled, but she did not back away. Her voice was soft but steady as she said, "You pushed me. I did not fall myself."
Yue Yue’s gaze darkened. Even without raising her voice, her presence grew heavy and dangerous, making several nearby females subconsciously step back.
Wei Han could feel sweat forming along his forehead. He tried to mediate carefully, saying, "Let us resolve this peacefully. I will first examine the injury and..."
Yue Yue cut him off calmly. "There is nothing to examine. My friend was injured because another female shoved her." She looked directly at Mei Lian, eyes unwavering. "I want accountability."
Mei Lian’s face twisted with anger as she glared back. "How dare a low-ranking nobody accuse me? You should be grateful the princess even allows you to stand near her!"
Her voice was sharp and filled with contempt.
Meanwhile, Princess Shao Yuyan leaned back in silent amusement, choosing not to interfere. She clearly wanted to see how things would unfold.
Wei Han felt his heart sink deeper. Things were getting worse by the second.
Yue Yue took one step forward. Her tone remained calm, but the firmness in her voice made it impossible to ignore. "If she speaks the truth, we will apologize. But if she lies," she paused, eyes turning even colder, "she must accept punishment."
Silence spread across the entire place. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
The confrontation did not calm...instead, it only grew heavier with every passing breath.
The air around the suspended courtyard seemed to become heavier, and Wei Han felt his heart thundering against his ribs.
Neither side was willing to step back. Each word only deepened the tension. He was only a humble servant of the temple, yet the females standing before him all held positions higher than his. He had no authority to judge them and no courage to offend them.
On one side stood Yue Yue, sharp-tongued, fearless, and frightening in her straightforwardness. Her beast husband was still guarding outside the palace gates, and everyone in the temple had already heard of his overprotective nature.
If he heard even a whisper that his female had been wronged inside the so-called "safest sanctuary," Wei Han could already imagine his own fate...skinned to the bone, scattered into the stars, never to have his remains found again.
On the other side was Princess Shao Ruoyang of the Sand Empire... the only female born into the imperial bloodline of her empire in the past hundred years.
If he offended her, even unintentionally, then the Sand Empire would ensure that he was buried beneath their golden dunes, nameless and forgotten.
His lips trembled as he glanced left and right, desperately searching for any escape.
Solving this conflict was less important than surviving it because no matter what decision he made, disaster awaited him.
His palms grew slick with sweat. His mind spun. He did not know whether to cry or faint. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Just when he thought fate could not become crueler... a voice whispered behind him.
"Bow down... His Highness, the High Priest, has arrived."
Wei Han froze for a heartbeat. Then relief washed through him so fast his knees nearly gave out. His savior had descended from the heavens.
Without hesitation, he fell to his knees, forehead nearly touching the floor.
Around him, all the females also knelt... Princess Shao Ruoyang, the trembling Lin En, and even the previously arrogant Mei Lian
Only Yue Yue stood stunned for a moment. Before she could react, Lin En tugged at her sleeve in panic. Yue Yue sighed and knelt too, lowering her head even though confusion lingered in her heart.
"What...the High Priest is here, but why?"
