Mystique Soul: A Cultivator's Flame
Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Before Feng Jiao Xue could step into the shadowed corridor leading away from the arena, a voice rang out, sharp and laced with authority.

"Hold on a moment, Feng Jiao Xue" A calm voice spoke up from the stands.

The owner of the voice was a beauty to behold. With long lashes that hoods his eyes, high cheekbones that makes him even more regal, thin lips pursed into a scowl as. His green robes embroidered with clear, vivid leaves, not a single fold misplaced.

The crowd looked up at the source of the voice and a hush falling over the arena. All eyes turned to the figure who had risen from his seat in the VIP section. The Third Prince, Liang Xian, stood tall, his expression one of disbelief, a finger pointed accusingly toward Feng Jiao Xue.

Feng Jiao Xue hid her distaste, Amongst the princes, the previous her had despised the third prince very much. He often looks like a proper noble, in terms of manners, presentations and such, the prince was a perfect prince. Helpful, polite, well-bred, and talented.

But feng Jiao Xue knew otherwise. The third prince hides his distain and ridicule behind perfectly arched smiles and his lies and darkness beneath the luster of his eyes.

Only Feng Jiao Xue who have seen nothing but those expressions all her life noticed the peculiarity behind the prince’s smile but timdily, she simply curled in on herself, afraid to speak up.

But the prince was perceptive enough to know, he never managed to fool Feng Jiao Xue and this was a blemish to him and such, whenever they crossed path. He would make sure that her cousins and his admirers amongst the members and servants saw his ’kindness’ towards her, always provoking their jealousy and in turn, troubling Feng Jiao Xue.

Feng Jiao Xue’s gaze met Liang Xian. His bright eyes were filled with suspicion, and though his posture remained poised, there was an unmistakable tension in his every movement. Feng Jiao Xue’s heart hammered, but she kept her breathing steady. What ever these fool is trying to play, she will not allow him to ruin her play, not this one.

This is her stage and this prince will not take it from her. Feng Jiao Xue inwardly smirked infusing one of her needles with magic and Qi.

’I haven’t even remembered you and yet your already barking for my retribution’

Yin Xiao saw the flash of silver within the space ring and immediately used his mist to make sure no one notice or feel it.

"Are you truly going to let this go unnoticed?" Liang Xian’s voice rang out, clear and filled with judgment. His real thoughts flowing out of his mouth before his braincn filter them. "This woman, this ’cultivator’, is nothing but a fraud! A mere day ago, she was considered a good-for-nothing, unable to cultivate or even form the simplest Qi particle. And now, suddenly, she’s able to stand in front of us, battling against a true cultivator with such skill?"

"That’s true."

"You don’t think... a demonic cultivator?’

"No, demonic cultivator’s have a very different qi signatures. I’ve felt it before, in a tribe. They are not as bad as others protray, he was just a kid but it felt cold, creepy, and really unsettling."

"Really? Maybe it’s masked"

"Would Feng Haoyuan’s daughter actually be a cheater?"

"Maybe she was just hiding her strength"

"It could be that she has no choice but to pretend not to be able to cultivate to save herself. Protect herself"

A murmur rippled through the crowd, growing louder by the second. Whispers of disbelief, confusion, and doubt spread like wildfire. Liang Xian’s words cut deep, reaching places. This was not what Feng Jiao Xue wanted but it’s fine. After their doubt settles, they will doubt him for judging her.

"Feng Jiao Xue has no place in this competition!" Liang Xian continued, his voice now seething with contempt. "She must have used unorthodox methods, cheating, perhaps, siphoning the power of others, or worse, using underhanded means to be able to cultivate. How else could she have suddenly risen so fast?"

The air grew thick with tension. The accusation was bold, dangerous even. The crowd seemed to lean in waiting for the response their eyes flicking between Feng Jiao Xue and the prince, as if they too sought an answer to the growing doubt.

Feng Jiao Xue felt the blood in her veins freeze. Her mind raced, trying to calm the fury threatening to rise within her. Every eye in the arena was now on her, some curious, others scornful. The murmurs were relentless, like a wave crashing against her.

Countless ways to refute came to her mind but before she could speak, a firm voice cut through the rising storm.

"Enough, Third Prince."

The crowd turned to the new speaker and Feng Haoyang’s imposing figure stood up from his side, his presence alone silencing the murmurs. His gaze swept over the gathered nobles and commoners alike, and there was no mistaking the power in his words. Feng Haoyang was no mere cultivator, he was a towering figure in the Feng Clan as one of its masters, a man whose authority reached far beyond the boundaries of this arena.

The Third Prince’s eyes narrowed as Feng Haoyang stepped forward. "You have no right to question my niece’s integrity," Feng Haoyang said, his voice cold and unwavering. "And your highness, watch you mouth. Who are to defame one of the young ladies of our clan? Will you be held responsible?"

Liang Xian’s lips curled into a sneer. "And why not? If this is truly a legitimate victory, then why is it that the so called ’good-for-nothing’ b!tch can suddenly started being able to cultivate? It reeks of something unorthodox! She’s just a trash! An ugly embarassment of such a prominent clan!"

The crowed paused and looked at the prince in shock. Even the elders, Feng Haotian, Feng Haoran and even more so for Feng Haoyang did not look good at all. Sure, they look down on Feng Jiao Xue and don’t actually put much importance on her but she is still a member of their clan. They can handle the whispheres and the talks but not in front of their face.

And... the three brothers are still her uncles. Hearing such words did not make them feel good at all.

"You’ve made your accusations, but you will not defame my niece without cause," Feng Haoyang replied, his tone low and dangerous. With an effortless motion, he unfurled a scroll from his robes, the royal seal of the Imperial Healers stamped boldly upon it. "This is a medical record, certified by the Imperial Healers themselves, attesting to Feng Jiao Xue’s condition and cultivation process."

The scroll unraveled with a soft rustle as Feng Haoyang read aloud, each word heavy with authority. "Feng Jiao Xue has undergone a series of rigorous medical examinations. Her cultivation abilities have been examined thoroughly, and there are no external enhancements, no hidden means of obtaining power. Her cultivation is the result of her own effort and talent, untainted and unassisted. The only reason she could not cultivate is because of the poison that was with her since young."

The crowed gasped at that. Even the elders and Feng Haotian and Feng Haoran turned their heads towards him. They did not know that fact.

The place was dead silent, the weight of Feng Haoyang’s words settling over the crowd like a suffocating fog. No one dared to speak, not even Liang Xian, whose face was now a mask of fury. The Third Prince’s grip tightened around the armrest of his chair, his knuckles white.

"You dare challenge the royal healers?" Feng Haoyang’s voice was dangerously calm now, his eyes locked with Liang Xian’s. "You’ve already questioned my niece’s integrity, and now you’ll question the healers themselves? I will not allow it."

The Third Prince’s face flushed with frustration. He wanted to lash out, to shout at the injustice of it all, but the authority of the situation bound him. He turned away sharply, his jaw clenched, but not before casting a venomous glance toward Feng Jiao Xue.

At that, Feng Jiao Xue discretely summoned the needle back from the prince’s shoulder. Liang Xian blinked before pailing realising what he had been spouting.

"I’m sorry, I was just wondering" He smiled awkwardly.

"I’m not the one you should be appologising, your highness" Feng Haoyang sneered.

"Xiao Jiao Xue, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put it that way. I was just concerned for the fareness of the tournament. Of course as an appology, I will sent some gifts later to compensate" He ’sincerely’ appologized.

Feng Jiao Xue’s breath caught in her chest as she processed the exchange. Her hands trembled, not from fear, but from the suffocating laughter at the turn of event. At least, this cheap uncle was reliable. But the tension in the arena was far from gone. A thousand eyes were still fixed on her, and while the truth had been revealed, the doubt lingered.

"it’s fine your highness" She replied.

Feng Haoyang turned toward her, his face softening slightly. "You’ve done well, Jiao Xue. But know this, your fights is far from over. Why don’t you go rest up?."

She nodded, the reality of the situation settling in. The fight had only just begun. She had earned this victory, but there would be more battles ahead. The accusations would not be the last, and the eyes of the empire would always be watching.

But for now, the crowd was silent, and the murmurs that had once threatened to drown her were replaced with something else, a grudging respect. Feng Jiao Xue had proven herself now, it’s time to solidify that.