Chapter 33: Ambushed

"I firmly believe that my sister could never have taken any banned substances. The truth of this matter remains to be investigated; surely the Patriarch would not resort to abusing family law without any inquiry whatsoever? Would that not be profoundly unjust?"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Tianxing’s face turned deathly pale, blue veins throbbing violently on his forehead. He had never imagined that these two siblings would dare to openly defy him before the eyes of numerous guests and the other three great families.

Especially on such an important occasion, with all four great families gathered, if he failed to swiftly quell this disturbance and assert his authority, his reputation as the head of the Ouyang family would be a laughingstock by tomorrow morning.

At this thought, a flash of cruelty crossed Ouyang Tianxing’s eyes. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "Do you not hear the accusations of so many people? Or do you take me for a fool who can be easily deceived?"

"When one is bent on framing someone, one can always find a pretext," Ouyang Xiaofeng replied coldly. His voice was low, yet it carried clearly to the ears of everyone present.

He stood tall, his gaze resolute and fearless, showing not the slightest tremor in the face of the situation.

At that very moment, he reached out and quietly traced two characters onto the back of Ouyang Xiaoyue’s hand: *Do not fear.*

Ouyang Xiaoyue looked up, her eyes meeting his. For a fleeting second, a brilliant, dazzling light seemed to bloom within her pupils, breathtakingly radiant.

Yet, the light vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She soon returned to her normal state, offering only a slight nod to show she understood her brother's intent.

"You! Good! Very good! Why are you still standing there? Get up here! Seize this pair of siblings and drag them away to face family discipline!"

Standing on the high platform, Ouyang Tianxing was flushed with rage, the veins on his forehead bulging. He pointed a trembling finger at Ouyang Xiaofeng and Ouyang Xiaoyue, bellowing at the guards below.

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd as the onlookers began to whisper amongst themselves.

The guards, startled by the command, snapped to attention and rushed forward. Clutching ropes, they approached Ouyang Xiaofeng and Ouyang Xiaoyue with menacing intent.

Seeing this, Ouyang Xiaofeng did not hesitate to step in front of his sister, shielding her tightly behind him. He watched the approaching guards, his mind racing to devise a countermeasure. Just as he was about to speak, a dazzling white light suddenly shot out from nowhere.

The light was swift as lightning, cutting across the sky and striking directly toward Ouyang Xiaoyue.

In the blink of an eye, it was upon her—it was about to hit!

With a sharp *crack*, the light struck an object, sending a spray of blood into the air.

It was Ouyang Xiaofeng; he had reacted just in time, using his own body to block the lethal blow.

The spiritual whip tore through his sapphire-blue tunic, shredding the fabric. The wound on his back reached deep into the bone, the flesh splitting open as blood splattered everywhere.

"Hiss!" A sharp intake of breath echoed through the air. Ouyang Xiaofeng felt a surge of agony shoot from his spine straight to his brain, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

His body swayed violently, his footsteps faltering as if he were on the verge of collapsing.

At that moment, Ouyang Xiaoyue acted with keen reflexes, reaching out to firmly support her brother’s tottering frame. She pulled him close, bracing her shoulder against his arm to prevent him from losing his balance and falling to the ground.