Grief, injustice, heartbreak overwhelming.
Tang Fei’s eyes widened as he looked toward Xuanyuan Mingjing, his expression one of incredulity, and he said, "Master, I never thought you would think so lowly of me... How could I possibly scheme against my own master?"
"Even if I dared to poison the Eldest Prince, I would never plot against my master... Master, you accepted me as your disciple, it’s as though you gave me a second life, how could I commit such an inhumane act?"
"Besides, master should know about my past; I came from the Old Land, and I haven’t even been here at New Star for a full year... Where could I have possibly come into contact with Lu Ban’s Book of Death? And how could I have cast the Dead Water Curse?"
Tang Fei’s eyes turned red, his smile bitter, and tinged with a hint of scorn.
This wasn’t ridiculing others, but self-mockery.
He said in a low voice, "Master, I truly didn’t do it... As a rootless refugee from the Old Land, I had only just managed to settle down in New Star. My brother and I got a house to live in, food to eat, and now I’ve even entered the White Crane Academy and been taken in as your disciple. Life was just starting to get better... How could I dare to offend the Eldest Prince, a man with towering influence?"
"The only reason I could come to New Star was thanks to the help from the Royal Family... They brought me here and they could send me back at any moment. Don’t you think I’m not frightened?"
"Why do I fight so desperately? Why am I ceaselessly seeking to break through to new realms? It’s because I wake up from nightmares countless times, thinking that my brother and I have offended some important personage here at New Star, or that we’ve done something wrong, and we are going to be sent back..."
"I know I can only secure a foothold for myself by fiercely improving myself, only then can I live here steadily and peacefully... How could I take such a risk? Why would I do something so foolish?"
Xuanyuan Mingjing’s gaze was profound, and he looked at Tang Fei thoughtfully. He even began to doubt himself—was he wrong? Was this really not Tang Fei’s doing?
But if not him, then who?
Who else could humiliate a member of the Royal Family under his very nose...
"He asked you to serve tea, and you felt no resentment?"
"Resentment?" Tang Fei shook his head and said, "It’s not resentment, just a bit of discomfort. By doing that, he clearly aimed to win over my senior brother... And my senior brother and I had some past grievances..."
"What grievances do you have with Xing Lan?"
"It’s not really a grievance, my senior brother and I never truly considered it important. Master, you too heard about the saying that Phoenix had fallen at Mount Xiqi before I arrived at New Star, didn’t you? I heard that the Princess and senior brother were childhood friends, very close... having grown up together."
"But when the Princess went to the Old Land for archaeological excavations, she was attacked by villains, and it was by chance that I saved her... Because I was the Princess’ savior, she was somewhat more kind to me..."
"And so, many people started spreading rumors about us... saying we... saying we were in a romantic relationship, some even said we had a child, that it was a girl..."
"A beauty bringing disaster?"
"I dare not say nor want to say such things... The Princess is a friend to me and treats me exceedingly well... It’s just that, there are some misunderstandings about our relationship from others, and I don’t know how to explain it..."
"So, the Eldest Prince humiliated you in public to win over Xing Lan..."
"Perhaps the Eldest Prince didn’t mean it that way, he just simply thought... I truly was the suitable person to serve his tea."
"Royal Family members don’t act so simply," Xuanyuan Mingjing said.
"Master speaks the truth," Tang Fei agreed.
Xuanyuan Mingjing then realized he had been played by this youngster.
The Eldest Prince and the Princess, he wouldn’t say a bad word about them, yet it was he himself who had spoken what was in the boy’s heart.
Xuanyuan Mingjing took a sip of the cool tea in front of him, feeling he needed to slow down the pace, not to rush and fall into the boy’s trap.
"Master, the tea has gone cold, I’ll brew a fresh pot for you," Tang Fei offered earnestly.
"No need," Xuanyuan Mingjing waved his hand and said, "Cool tea quenches thirst."
"The Eldest Prince humiliates you to win over Xing Lan, and you have no thoughts about it? No thoughts of revenge?"
"Master, you see that the Eldest Prince doesn’t like me, and senior brother also sees it; he’s so clever, nothing can be hidden from him... even Dean Si saw it, he gave me a few long looks before he left...."
"I know that you all suspect me, including the Eldest Prince... Master, if I were to poison someone, I would have made sure to do it without notice, how could I have left so many flaws?"
"Knowing it would come to this, knowing that after the deed, everyone would first suspect me... why would I still do such a thing? Just because the Eldest Prince had me serve a cup of tea?"
"To say something that might wound my self-esteem, being able to serve the Eldest Prince tea, isn’t that an honor for me? How many people envy the task I was given? Many are eager to serve the Eldest Prince tea but never have the chance... Just to pour a cup of tea, isn’t that a hundred, a thousand times better than my days in the Old Land?"
"It seems it truly wasn’t you."
"Master, it indeed wasn’t me," Tang Fei said emphatically.