Chapter 328: Scapegoat

Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

After this entire process was over, First Elder opened his eyes, glanced at Huanhuan, and said coldly, “It’s Huanhuan’s turn to defend herself. Huanhuan, if you have anything to say, say it now.”

‘After a while, you wouldn’t be able to say it even if you wanted to.’

Huanhuan heard the unspoken meaning in his words.

She knew there was no way she could clear herself of suspicion.

Huanhuan couldn’t be bothered to waste her breath explaining anymore. She said bluntly, “Even if I killed Mather, he deserved to die!”

First Elder’s expression darkened. “Mather is an envoy. Killing an envoy is equivalent to openly provoking the temple! How dare you say that he deserves to die?!”

Huanhuan asked, “Can he harass a female just because he’s an envoy?”

“As an envoy, Mather was very well-disciplined. How could he have done anything to insult a female? Stop talking nonsense!”

In the face of First Elder’s stern words, Huanhuan was not afraid. Instead, she retorted fearlessly.

“It’s precisely because he was an envoy that he dared to touch me in the temple. That’s why I’m even more surprised. How could an envoy be so bad? I don’t think your temple is any better!”

First Elder shouted angrily, “How dare you?!”

Huanhuan raised her head. “The guards guarding the entrance of the temple must have heard my argument with Mather. They were far away, but I don’t believe they didn’t hear a word. If you don’t believe me, you can call those two guards out and confront them!”

The two guards were also witnesses. They had shown their faces before, so they were definitely still in the lounge.

Huanhuan said that she wanted to confront them. With so many beasts watching outside, the two princes in the gallery took the opportunity to speak. They said that they wanted the two guards to step forward and explain to everyone.

The Elders’ Association had no choice but to get someone to call the two guards out.

Second Elder was about to speak when Huanhuan spoke first.

She said, “Can I question both of them?”

Second Elder was a little hesitant. He glanced at First Elder and saw that First Elder’s expression was dark, but he did not reject Huanhuan. He agreed. “Alright.”

Huanhuan looked at the two guards and smiled. “You still remember me, right?”

The guards nodded. She was the only one left in the pergola that day. She had stepped out twice, and they had seen her.

She continued, “I was arguing with Mather in the pergola the other day. You all heard the noise, right?”

The two guards hesitated before nodding.

“Then can you tell me what you heard?”

One of the guards said cautiously, “We heard you arguing. You were angry and said you wanted him to get lost!”

Huanhuan nodded. “And?”

“Then we also heard Mather scream.”

“What happened after the scream? Didn’t Mather say anything?”

The two guards avoided eye contact. They chose to remain silent.

Huanhuan stared at them. “Why won’t you answer me?”

One of the guards couldn’t help but look at the elders’ seats. Huanhuan followed his gaze and saw that the 10 elders had different expressions. At first glance, they seemed to be normal.

Second Elder coughed lightly. “Why are you all looking over here?!”

The guard retracted his gaze. He seemed to have received a signal just now, and his expression immediately calmed down.

He quickly said, “We heard from Mather that you seduced him, but he didn’t like you. After being rejected, you flew into a rage out of humiliation and killed him.”

As soon as he said this, all the beasts present looked stunned.

First Elder sneered. “This is your motive for killing Mather. Let’s see what else you can say to defend yourself!”

Huanhuan looked at the guard who was faking it, then at the righteous First Elder. Finally, she looked at the surrounding beasts watching the commotion. She suddenly understood.

The real murderer was not important. It did not matter if Mather died.

In any case, she was just a scapegoat from beginning to end.

Huanhuan looked at the guard and asked again, “Did you just say that I killed him because I failed to seduce Mather?”

The guard didn’t understand why she was repeating her question, but he nodded. “Yes.”

Huanhuan laughed out loud.

First Elder frowned and looked at her unhappily. “What are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing at you guys for lying through your teeth.”

“They’re just telling the truth about what happened. If you don’t have any evidence to prove your innocence, don’t waste any more time.” First Elder had already exhausted his last trace of patience. He stood up and looked around. “On behalf of the Elders’ Association, I hereby announce that the female Lin Huanhuan is guilty of killing the envoy, Mather. She will be sentenced to death—”

Huanhuan interrupted him. “What’s the hurry? Can’t you let me finish my last few words?”

“What else do you have to say?!”

Huanhuan looked at the two guards again. She raised her hand to take off the veil on her face, revealing her entire face.

The two guards immediately stared at her.

Huanhuan questioned word by word, “You said that I was angry and committed murder because I failed to seduce Mather. Then let me ask you this. With my face, which male beast do you think I can’t seduce? What male beast is worth me getting angry over?”

The guards had never seen such a beautiful female. For a moment, they were stunned on the spot and could not answer a word.

Due to the angle, the other beasts in the hall could only vaguely see her side profile. When they saw the two guards’ silly looks, they were all curious about what was going on.

Huanhuan stared at the two guards and pressed, “Why aren’t you answering me?”

The two guards blushed at her stare.

They were clearly two burly men, but they actually looked a little shy at this moment.

First Elder was very dissatisfied. “What the hell are you doing?”

Huanhuan put on her veil again and turned to look at First Elder. “I’ve said what I wanted to say. Now, I want these two to consider their conscience and repeat what they just said about me. As long as they can say it, I’ll confess.”

First Elder did not understand what she meant, but he still said to the two guards, “Hurry up and repeat your testimony. The case will be closed after you’re done.”

The two guards stammered, especially when they noticed Huanhuan’s half-smile. Their faces turned even redder, and they couldn’t say a complete sentence for a long time.

First Elder was very angry. “Are you stupid? You can’t even speak clearly?!”

At the same time, the beasts in the gallery and outside the hall were curious about what Huanhuan had done to make the two guards act like this.