Chapter 156 The Answer Fang Lansheng sneered inwardly, even if Lu Qing didn't…
Fang Lansheng sneered inwardly. So what if Lu Qing wasn't a spirit-connecting fruit? So what if Wu Chen had him in his grasp? Everyone in the hall now knew he had the blood of the "spirit-connecting clan," and no one would stand by and watch Wu Chen use him as a scapegoat.
Wu Chen said calmly, "You'll tell me sooner or later. Now for the third question. Are you also aware of the backgrounds of the second and third young ladies of the Fang family?"
Chief Fang looked up in astonishment. What? What was Wu Chen asking? What happened to Lan Yue? Wasn't Lan Yue in Lu Qing's hands? He looked at Lu Qing, who was watching him with a cold smile. Chief Fang felt a chill in his heart. If Wu Chen and his wife had already seen through everything, what good would Lan Yue do in their hands? Chief Fang gasped and collapsed to the ground.
Fang Lansheng was also taken aback, and frowned, "What do you want to ask?"
Wu Chen's gaze lingered on his face. "These are the three questions I want to ask. During her search, my wife unexpectedly encountered the Third Miss, who had been placed in a nunnery on an island in the middle of the lake by the Fang family. The Third Miss is the eldest daughter of the Fang clan chief, but for so many years, she has only had a maidservant left on the isolated island to keep her company, almost as if she were left to fend for herself, which immediately arouses suspicion. However, after my wife investigated carefully, she discovered something strange. Whenever the clan chief's wife mentioned this daughter, she would secretly shed tears, but in her words, she mentioned that for the sake of her daughter and the family's 'great wealth' and future, she had to be so ruthless."
Fang Lansheng and the Fang clan chief were both taken aback. The clan chief's wife was usually very cautious and wouldn't easily mention Fang Lanyue's affairs. How could Lu Qing know?
Lu Qing scoffed, "Do you think I agreed to move into the Fang residence for no reason? Do you really think I can't see through your tricks?"
Everyone suddenly realized, "No wonder! Having seen so many beautiful women, how could they be captivated by the wildflowers by the lake?" It turned out that the young priestess had already sensed something was amiss.
Wu Chen nodded approvingly at Lu Qing, then continued, "You've deliberately created this illusion to make us believe that this Third Miss is a descendant of the Spirit Clan. And that's just a covert trick. There's an even more obvious one: your arrogant and domineering Second Miss. I'm very curious, you claim to be a descendant of the Spirit Clan, and based on the clues you've deliberately revealed, that Third Miss is also a descendant of the Spirit Clan. But that arrogant and domineering Second Miss is even more likely."
Wu Chen leaned back slightly, picking up a teacup and toying with it in his hand. "Gentlemen, which one is the true descendant of the Spirit Communication Clan? Or perhaps, many members of your Fang family actually possess the blood of the Spirit Communication Clan?"
Chief Fang was sweating profusely.
Fang Lan, stubborn as a duck, was about to speak.
Wu Chen loosened his grip, and the teacup suddenly fell from his hand, shattering into pieces. "Fang Lansheng, I advise you to think carefully before you speak. Words spoken in anger are hard to take back."
The sound of the porcelain shattering rang in Fang Lansheng's ears like a thunderclap. He suddenly realized that while he was feeling smug, he had already fallen into Wu Chen's trap.
Wu Chen first asked him who was behind it all, which was essentially a presumption of guilt. Then he asked him how he could prove his lineage as a member of the Spirit Clan, deliberately giving him a seemingly escape route. When he insisted on confirming his lineage, Wu Chen posed a third question.
You claim to be the third young lady, the Fang family says so, and our investigation suggests the second young lady might also be. So, who in your Fang family is she? Or are they all?
If he denies Lan Yue and Lan Xi, then his admission becomes unbelievable. But if he admits they are both… Fang Lansheng looked at Wu Chen in horror. He was confident he could escape with his silver tongue and cultivation, but what about the rest of the Fang family? Once news of the descendants of the Spirit Fruit being in the Fang family leaked out, countless evil sects and even demons would flock to them. Could the Fang clan truly withstand the suffering Nan Bei had endured back then?
Fang Lansheng seemed stunned by the sound of shattering porcelain. He stared blankly at Wu Chen, finally realizing just how terrifying this seemingly calm man was. How could someone with only appearance and cultivation have stood out from the Four Divine Attendants and become the final victor in the struggle for divine office?
Fang Lansheng opened and closed his mouth, but he didn't know what answer to give.
The gazes of everyone in the hall fell upon him and Clan Chief Fang, like burning daggers, causing a sharp, visceral pain.
A moment of silence fell over the hall. Old Hei silently stepped forward, clearing away the broken porcelain shards in front of Wu Shen's seat, and then discreetly handed some items to Wu Shen.
Wu Chen unfolded it for a glance, then silently put it away. He looked up at Fang Lansheng.
Fang Lansheng struggled internally for a long time. If he told the truth, the Divine Palace would settle accounts with him today, and the Fang family would also suffer; if he insisted that he was a descendant of the Spirit Communication Clan, although it would affect the weaker members of the clan, he could protect some of them if he received the protection of the Flame-Slaying Platform. As long as he was safe, it would all be worth it.
Fang Lansheng clenched his fist. "I am." He thought for a moment, then added, "Only I am."
“No…” a woman cried out from outside the door, “No, he’s not him.”
Everyone was startled by the mournful sound. A woman stumbled and crawled into the room, collapsing to the ground and kowtowing repeatedly to the Wu couple. "Your Excellency, Your Excellency, we were wrong. We were wrong. We were only trying to avoid disaster. We did not mean to deceive you."
Fang Lansheng panicked, "Auntie, what did you say?"
Wu Chen pointed at Fang Lansheng, and the disciples of the Divine Palace immediately dragged him away and placed a restriction on him. Fang Lansheng was immediately speechless, his eyes wide with anxiety.
Wu Chen asked in a gentle voice, "Who are you?"
The woman said sadly, "I am the wife of the Fang family patriarch."
"Why have you come here?"
"I am willing to tell the truth about this matter, I only ask that Your Excellency spare my daughter."
Lu Qing didn't know why the Fang family patriarch's wife had suddenly come here. At this moment, Lao Hei suddenly spoke up, "When Madam was looking for someone that day, she encountered this third young lady of the Fang family. The maidservant beside the third young lady repeatedly hinted that our Fang family was deliberately bullying this cold and indifferent third young lady. Madam was kind-hearted and took her away to settle her elsewhere. But she didn't expect that they were all liars."
“No.” The clan chief’s wife waved her hands repeatedly. “My son knows nothing at all. She is the most innocent one.”
Wu Chen frowned. "Then explain this matter clearly from beginning to end. We'll then make a decision."
The clan chief's wife wiped away her tears. "A thousand years ago, there was a man in the Fang family named Fang Haiyi. His father died early, and he and his mother depended on each other for survival. Later, he had a conflict with the main branch of the family, and they were irreconcilable. After reaching adulthood, he left the Fang family. But later, he returned to Fuxian Lake and brought back a wife named Nan Bei. Because of the previous estrangement, the two families had no contact. However, later, the then-Priest Zou sent someone to deliver a message, saying that Fang Haiyi had stolen the Spirit Fruit. Your Excellency, you know that the Fang family is just an ordinary family of cultivators. How could they dare to disobey the orders of the Divine Palace? So the main branch of the family devised a plan to trap Fang Haiyi, but during the struggle, they killed him. Nan Bei was also captured, but before the Divine Palace sent people to take her away, she revealed a secret. The Spirit Fruit is not a spiritual fruit. She herself is the Spirit Fruit. Although she has been captured now, the Spirit Clan will come to find her child sooner or later and avenge her."
The clan chief's wife also felt wronged. Why should her child bear the consequences of the mistakes the Fang family made back then? "The grave mistake had already been made. The Fang family was afraid that the Spirit Clan would come to their door to seek revenge, so they dared not mistreat the child and sent her to be raised elsewhere. But they kept an eye on her. Fearing that she would become estranged from the Fang family, they married her descendant back into the Fang family. And if you look closely, this year is the year when the Spirit Fruit will be born again, so my husband married her descendant more than 20 years ago, and they had a daughter, who is the second young lady of the Fang family, Fang Lanxi."
"So, Fang Lansheng?" Wu Chen asked.
The clan chief's wife shook her head firmly. "He is not. In the entire Fang family, only Fang Lanxi is a descendant of his bloodline. This year is the year that the Spirit Fruit will be born again. Once this matter is spread, the Spirit Clan will come knocking on our door sooner or later. Who is true and who is false will eventually come to light. I dare not utter a single lie."
Looking at Fang Lansheng, who was covered in cold sweat, Wu Chen couldn't help but shake his head. "It's a pity that he didn't hesitate to drag the entire Fang family down with him in order to protect himself."
The chieftain's wife pleaded, "My husband and I were blinded by greed. We only thought that if the Spirit Clan came knocking one day, the person they took would have to be on our side for them to have any protection. So we thought that if they took my daughters, we would be connected by blood and they could protect us. That's why we left our three daughters to live on this deserted island..."
Lu Qing suddenly interrupted, "That's not right. You just said that the Spirit Clan will come knocking sooner or later, and the truth will come out eventually. But since your daughter isn't of the Spirit Clan's bloodline, why do you think she can impersonate them?"
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