But he was merely a junior disciple of the Wei Familyās direct vessel, standing alone with little power. How could he possibly face this situation?
He looked utterly ashen, and with a voice full of despair, he said, "Old Ancestor, Uncle Donglai. It was my fault, entirely my fault. I shouldnāt have carelessly taken a path for the sake of face, causing the entire Wei Kingās Mansion to be humiliated."
"Where did you get that blood demon pill?" Wei Donglai rebuked angrily.
"I-I... I unknowingly bought it from an independent cultivator, who said it could temporarily boost combat power," Wei Yuansheng replied, his face filled with panic and innocence. "I-I didnāt know it was the horrifying blood demon pill."
The people of Wei Kingās Mansion were quick-witted, adept at shirking responsibility, each absolving themselves cleanly.
However, they were not fools; who wouldnāt recognize such common tactics used by prominent families?
The young Duke, Chen Taiching, even poked his head out from the crowd, loudly mocking, "Wei Yuansheng, where did you encounter that independent cultivator? Introduce him to me; Iād like to buy a bunch of blood demon pills so I can risk my life when encountering crises on the battlefield beyond."
Under his lead, the ridicule from disciples of various families overwhelmed Wei Yuansheng.
This kid usually relied on his good talent and strong skills, often looking down on others, and many had long been displeased with him.
As the saying goes, "When the wall falls, everyone pushes." Usually, when the Wei Family was powerful, they naturally didnāt dare to say anything. Now that there was finally a chance to hit the drowning dog, how could they miss it?
"Someone, take Wei Yuansheng away and keep him under strict guard. Be sure to interrogate the source of his blood demon pill," the Emperor Yuanping commanded with a wave of his hand, issuing a decree.
After making the decision, he looked regretfully at the Wei King Wei Boyu, saying, "Boyu, itās not that Iām criticizing you, but you should indulge less in fantasies usually. If you have free time, spend more of it on the education of the familyās children. After all, children are the future of a family, the foundation of Da Zhou. Once the foundation is rotten, no matter how splendid the building is, it might collapse."
Under the veiled criticism of Emperor Yuanping, Wei Boyu could only grit his teeth and continue, "Your Majestyās admonishment is correct. After this, Boyu will certainly rectify the family traditions."
This battle was a loss for Wei Kingās Mansion, and as the incident gradually fermented, it would inevitably cause a sustained blow to the reputation of Wei Kingās Mansion.
"Since thatās the case," Emperor Yuanping concluded, "cancel Wei Yuanshengās first place ranking on the Celestial Being Elites List, and let the others compete again. No matter who achieves the top three, I will have corresponding rewards. As for the first in the Purple Abode Leaderboard..."
As he spoke, Emperor Yuanping looked at Wei Donglai.
Wei Donglai hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Donglai is willing to undergo a drug test to prove my innocence."
"Thereās no need for a drug test; I trust you," Emperor Yuanping said kindly, "Donglai, your first place in the Purple Abode Leaderboard is indeed deserved."
Wei Donglai almost spat out blood in frustration.
If the Emperor arranged a drug test for him, it would naturally restore some āinnocenceā to the Wei Kingās Mansion and silence public opinion, turning the Wei Yuansheng incident into an isolated case.
However, the Emperorās ātrustā and āprotectionā instead deprived him of the best opportunity to prove his innocence.
He didnāt need to think to know that after this, there would undoubtedly be various discussions, saying that his āPurple Abode Elites List first placeā was acquired through cheating.
However, at this moment, he dared not go against the will of Emperor Yuanping.
Immediately, he rolled his eyes and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. However, I am not worthy of the first place in the Purple Abode Elites List, Donglai dares not assume it."
"Why would Donglai say such a thing?" Wei King Wei Boyu said, helping him out. "The matter of Yuansheng is an isolated case; you have been famous for a long time. Among the young elites in the Purple Abode Realm from Da Zhou and various national delegations, who could be your match?"
"Old Ancestor, you must have forgotten," Wei Donglai raised his head and unexpectedly cast his gaze towards Wang Shouye. "With Brother Shouye here, how could Donglai dare to claim this āfirst placeā?"
Everyone suddenly understood.
The Wei King and Wei Donglai, in their duet, clearly wanted to point the spearhead at Wang Shouye.
As long as Wei Donglai could suppress Wang Shouye, they could both vent their anger and divert some of the publicās attention.
Although it would be difficult to completely reverse the negative impact brought by Wei Yuansheng, it could at least regain some ground and reduce the reputation damage of Wei Kingās Mansion.
Upon hearing this, everyoneās attention immediately shifted to Wang Shouye.
The world is like this; people have always loved to watch the excitement. Representatives from various prominent families all expressed their great interest.
"Young Master Shouye," the Duchess of Luo Jia transmitted her voice, "I know you are naturally reserved and love peace. If you donāt want to fight, Ling Xiao can go and deal with him on your behalf."
"Miss Ling Xiao, thank you for your kindness," Wang Shouye replied calmly through a voice transmission, "Since I have involved myself in this matter, I anticipated this step. Whether to instill fear in the Wei Kingās Mansion or for the sake of Da Qian and the Wang familyās face, I, Wang Shouye, cannot avoid this battle."
"If thatās the case, Young Master Shouye, please be careful. I know he is not your match, but Wei Donglai has always been deeply scheming. You must be wary of his tricks," the Duchess of Luo Jia continued her concern.
"Rest assured, Miss."
Wang Shouye nodded and then stepped forward calmly, saying loudly, "Since Brother Donglai is interested, letās spar a bit, stopping at the point."
One party challenges, the other accepts the challenge.
The Purple Abode stage of Qiu Huang Tower would naturally open for them.