Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot-Chapter 356 - 331 Joy

Bai Yuwei leaned closer, her eyes wide as she said, "Are you sure this is evidence of his crimes? Why do I find it so hard to believe? That wily old fox, the Prime Minister, would never let us succeed so easily!"

As soon as her voice fell, everyone looked at her with complicated expressions.

Even Meng Qianqian’s gaze was indescribable.

Little sister, have you heard yourself? Do you even know what you’re saying?

You’re calling getting through a hundred and eight mechanisms ’easy’?

You’re calling that deranged Poetry Lock ’easy’?

If it weren’t for Chen Long clearing the traps ahead, we’d all be dead eight hundred times over.

And as for this Poetry Lock, even reciting all of Chu Ci backward isn’t enough; you have to chop and rearrange—it’s that hard!

But from another perspective, this also means one thing: we’re strong enough to take on the Prime Minister head-on.

"Keep searching, see if there’s anything else?"

Chen Long said.

Lu Yuan replied, "We’ve finished searching this chamber; let’s move to the next one."

Bai Yuwei was stunned. "There’s more?"

Lu Yuan sneered, flipping through the booklet in his hand. "My foster father’s crimes wouldn’t fit on ten thousand bamboo strips to list them all. This is nowhere near enough."

Meng Qianqian thought for a moment and suggested, "We’ve been in this secret passage for a while; who knows how much time has passed? I’m not sure if Grandfather and Mother are holding up outside. Let’s split up to save time."

"Good," Chen Long said. "I’ll go with you."

Lu Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Earlier, he had already been ignored. If it happens again now—

Meng Qianqian could feel someone’s death glare boring into her, but her older brother’s glare was equally as terrifying—

Meng Qianqian blinked. "Or how about this—you two go together, and the three of us go together."

Bai Yuwei and Tan’er eagerly nodded in agreement!

The two men, who couldn’t stand each other: "..."

Lu Yuan gave Meng Qianqian an icy stare and said, "Meng Xiaojiu, I’ll give you one more chance to rephrase that."

Chen Long said, "Stop scaring her."

"Woof!"

The little wolf pup barked toward the doorway.

Meng Qianqian exclaimed, "Someone’s here!"

Chen Long stepped out of the chamber, standing at the doorway and looking into the dark, inky secret passage. "You all go first."

He lowered the sword box from his back with a clink, opened it, and took out the Azure Dragon Sword forged from black iron.

They had long lost all sense of direction within the secret passage.

But having already searched the path they came in by, there was no choice but to move forward.

"These booklets are enough to convict the Prime Minister,"

Meng Qianqian told Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan grunted in acknowledgment, holding Meng Qianqian’s hand and leading her toward the other end of the passage.

Tan’er scooped up the little wolf pup while Bai Yuwei followed behind them.

Chen Long began exchanging blows with the masked man.

Noticing Meng Qianqian’s curiosity, Lu Yuan explained, "He’s one of the Prime Minister’s trusted aides. Earlier, he’s the one who led Chen Long and me into the passage. I’ve tested his reactions—he knows Luo San is the Prime Minister’s biological son."

Meng Qianqian mused thoughtfully, "Even you foster sons didn’t know this. The Prime Minister must truly trust him."

Lu Yuan continued, "Moreover, this man knows the Gu Technique—he’s the one who extracted the Gu from Chen Long’s body."

Meng Qianqian asked, "Miaojiang people?"

"Hard to say," Lu Yuan replied.

Bai Yuwei interjected, "Impossible! If he’s from Miaojiang, why don’t I recognize him?"

Tan’er hugged the little wolf pup. "He’s wearing a mask!"

Bai Yuwei turned back. "His techniques are unfamiliar to me! It must be someone who stole our Gu Techniques from Miaojiang!"

Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan exchanged a glance.

A tacit understanding silently passed between them.

Meng Qianqian asked, "Chen Long will be alright, won’t he?"

Lu Yuan said flatly, "You’re the one who knows his martial arts best."

Meng Qianqian pondered aloud, "Since he was thirteen, he hasn’t met a worthy opponent."

Lu Yuan raised an almost imperceptible eyebrow.

"Woof!"

The little wolf pup barked again.

An arrow shot toward them.

Just as Lu Yuan raised his hand to parry it, Meng Qianqian drew her Brocade Spring Saber and unhesitatingly stepped in front of him, slicing the arrow in one clean stroke!

But more arrows rained down like shooting stars toward the group.

Lu Yuan pulled Meng Qianqian into his arms, shielding her behind him with one arm while hurling a few stolen throwing knives from the secret room with his other hand, knocking down the incoming arrows.

Meng Qianqian had been protecting him for so long that she’d forgotten how formidable he was.

Now that she finally saw it, formidable didn’t even begin to cover it.

She looked at him in astonishment.

Without glancing at her, Lu Yuan kept his focus ahead, though his words were directed at her. "Meng Xiaojiu, stop jumping in front of me every time."

While dueling, Chen Long turned to glance at Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan.

Earlier, while clearing traps, Lu Yuan had shamelessly hidden behind him time and time again, using him as a human shield.

Thank goodness he wasn’t pulling such stunts in front of his sister.

Otherwise, Chen Long would have killed him by now.

Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan’s group gradually moved further away, leaving Chen Long until he could no longer see them.

Now, he could finally unleash his full strength without restraint.

Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan found another hidden chamber and uncovered correspondence showing collusion with various officials.

Not just from their current dynasty—even authorities in Beiliang were implicated.

What an unexpected discovery.

Meng Qianqian packed the letters away. "This should be enough. Let’s head out."

"Sister, sister! There’s wind!"

Tan’er pressed her ear to the floor of the passage. "Here!"

A glimmer of excitement flashed in Meng Qianqian’s eyes. "This must be the exit."

Tan’er, sitting on the ground, wedged her dagger into a seam. "I’ll pry it! I’ll pry! Prying—pry—won’t budge—"

Lu Yuan found the mechanism and gently turned it. With a rumbling sound, a stone door opened, letting in faint chirping of birds.

He said, "The exit is above."

Tan’er leapt up. "I’ll go first!"

"Hey, be careful of traps!"

Bai Yuwei chased after Tan’er.

Tan’er’s voice echoed back. "There’s a ladder!"

"I’ll go first. If it’s safe, then you can come up."

It was Bai Yuwei speaking.

"I’ll go instead—"

Meng Qianqian was about to take the lead, but before she could step forward, Lu Yuan yanked her back, pinning her against a wall with both arms, as if he were trapping her in his embrace.

"There’s no danger up there,"

Lu Yuan said.

He was confident the two young ladies could safely exit.

Meng Qianqian stared at him blankly. "Then, this is...?"

"I’m angry,"

Lu Yuan said. "Didn’t you notice?"

"I noticed."

Meng Qianqian answered honestly.

Lu Yuan didn’t say another word, simply staring her down. His gaze was cold but smoldered with an undercurrent of fire, making her heart race.

Meng Qianqian blinked. "I was wrong."

"Oh?"

Lu Yuan didn’t seem particularly satisfied.

Meng Qianqian deliberated, then stretched onto her tiptoes and quickly pecked him on the cheek.

This move had always worked before.

And yet, today, Lu Yuan simply asked coldly, "Meng Xiaojiu, are you brushing me off?"

Meng Qianqian stammered, "Xiaojiu wouldn’t dare."

Lu Yuan snorted, "Seems to me you dare plenty."

What was going on?

He wasn’t satisfied?

Meng Qianqian kissed his other cheek.

That should do it, right?

Lu Yuan, however, remained as aloof as ever.

Still not enough?

Could it be—

Summoning her courage, Meng Qianqian bit her lip and gave him a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth.

As her feet touched the ground again, Lu Yuan suddenly cupped her face, lowering his head to kiss her deeply.

In that moment, the world went silent. Meng Qianqian’s mind went blank once more. The bird calls faded, leaving only the sound of their breaths and pounding hearts.

The kiss was both domineering and tenderly consuming.

Meng Qianqian felt dizzy, surrounded entirely by his presence—his breath on her lips, his warmth claiming her space.

Her cheeks flushed as red as ripe summer peaches.

Lu Yuan released her lips, his thumb brushing her dewy, plump lips. His deep, magnetic voice carried a note of husky warning:

"From now on, this is the standard for an apology. Understood?"