C8 Great Empress Was Furious!

"The wedding must be stopped!"

A thunderous bellow cut through the buzz of conversation, silencing everyone present.

Lan Zheng emerged from the crowd, his face twisted with fury.

Since last night, he had been anticipating this moment—the moment Ye Yun would fall.

"Lan Zheng, you've crossed the line! When did you start making decisions for me?" Leng Wuyan's voice was icy, tinged with a spark of rage. She now stood facing the grand entrance of the Asura Palace, radiating an air of command.

Lan Zheng dropped to his knees, "I wouldn't dare."

A hush fell over the hall.

Leng Wuyan's gaze dropped, and she let out a soft sigh. Lan Zheng was known for his caution; she was puzzled by his recent rashness.

Her brow furrowed, her eyes glinting sharply.

"Sect Master, please, we implore you to be merciful."

Seeing Leng Wuyan's temper flare, the disciples prostrated themselves, pleading for her to calm her wrath.

Although the majority opposed the marriage, none wished to provoke Leng Wuyan's ire.

The kneeling assembly quickly divided into factions. One camp backed Leng Wuyan's every decree without question, while the other, led by Lan Zheng, stood firmly against the nuptials.

Opposition was the dominant sentiment. Envy of Ye Yun ran deep, with many wishing it was they who could wed Leng Wuyan.

A smirk played on Lan Zheng's lips, bolstered by the overwhelming support he received.

Leng Wuyan's anger mattered little to him now; he was resolute in his mission to halt the wedding.

Despite the risks, his disdain for Ye Yun fueled his determination to see the wedding fail.

Lan Zheng's defiance was anchored in his stature within the Wicked Sky Sect and his years of service.

A memory of Ye Yun winking at her flashed in Leng Wuyan's mind, and she instantly grasped his intent.

With a voice as cold as winter's heart, Leng Wuyan interrogated Lan Zheng, "Is this your doing?"

Without a flicker of doubt, Lan Zheng confirmed, "Yes."

Convinced that Ye Yun had succumbed to his poison, Lan Zheng saw no reason to deny his actions. In his mind, his objective was already met.

"Sect Master, your status is exalted. He is beneath you," Lan Zheng asserted with conviction.

"How dare you poison Ye Yun?" Leng Wuyan's words were barely out before she launched Lan Zheng out of the hall with a forceful blow.

It was evident that Leng Wuyan had unleashed her full power in the attack.

Lan Zheng was hurled hundreds of meters, slamming into a pillar at the entrance before collapsing heavily to the ground, coughing up blood.

Fortunately, Lan Zheng's cultivation was substantial, allowing him to survive Leng Wuyan's formidable strike. Anyone else might have been killed instantly.

"Sect Master, we implore you to calm your wrath!" The disciples fell to their knees, pleading with Leng Wuyan.

None had anticipated the Sect Master's fury over Ye Yun, and they were too terrified to even lift their gaze to her.

"Sect Master, Lan Zheng may have erred, but his intentions were for the future of our sect. Please spare him," implored a disciple clad in blue.

"That's not your place to say. The Sect Master acts with her own justifications. Lan Zheng's arrogance has gone too far."

"Indeed, his actions were clearly misguided."

Witnessing the Great Empress's rage, those disciples who had initially sided with Lan Zheng swiftly reversed their positions.

"Anyone who intercedes on his behalf will be immediately expelled from the sect!" Leng Wuyan declared.

With that, a hush fell over the crowd; no one dared to utter another word.

This was the first time they had seen the Great Empress so incensed.

Despite knowing that Ye Yun hadn't been poisoned, Leng Wuyan struggled to rein in her fury.

She was secretly relieved that Ye Yun had detected the plot early on, saving her intricate plans from ruin.

"I must ensure my plans remain intact. My anger isn't solely because of Ye Yun," she reassured herself.

With that thought, Leng Wuyan lifted her head, her composure returning slightly.

She couldn't fathom the shift in her attitude towards Ye Yun since their first encounter.

Yet, Leng Wuyan was far from ready to acknowledge this change.

"The Sect Master would have been wasted as an actress. Had she chosen that path, she'd surely be the unrivaled leading lady."

Ye Yun lay on the ground, his ears picking up every sound with clarity. Leng Wuyan was in a rage, lashing out at the disciples, and had even meted out punishment to Lan Zheng.

Something felt off to Ye Yun, prompting him to crack open his eyes for a stealthy glance.

Disciples were kneeling in rows before him, heads bowed, bodies shivering from more than just the cold.

Leng Wuyan's face was a mask of indifference, but her eyes blazed with fury, as if flames were about to leap from them.

She, the Great Empress, was actually angered on behalf of someone as insignificant as him!

Ye Yun's emotions surged beyond his control, and he silently vowed to protect Leng Wuyan at all costs.

Outside, Lan Zheng refused to concede defeat. With Ye Yun motionless for so long, he was convinced that his rival must have perished.

If he just held on, surely the Sect Master would reconsider.

Wiping the blood from his lips, Lan Zheng pushed himself up with the support of a pillar and staggered into the Asura Palace.

His voice shook as he called out, "Sect Master, I've acted in your interest, for the good of the sect. I will accept any punishment you deem fit, but with Ye Yun on death's door, perhaps it's time to consider another for the role of groom?"

"Senior Brother, please, no more," one disciple whispered.

"Don't provoke the Sect Master further," cautioned another.

As Lan Zheng entered the hall, his fellow disciples tried to silence him with hushed tones, to no avail.

Hatred clouded his judgment, fueled by his defeat at Ye Yun's hands, and his anger was palpable.

A successful wedding would not only undermine his status but elevate Ye Yun to the most influential figure in the sect, stripping Lan Zheng of his dignity.

The other disciples, though also opposed to the wedding, feared the Great Empress even more.

Convinced of Ye Yun's demise, Lan Zheng believed the wedding was doomed, regardless of Leng Wuyan's resolve.

He scanned the room, gesturing for the others to join him in solidarity.

But the disciples kept their gazes to the floor, unwilling to meet his eye.

In their hearts, they sided with Lan Zheng, yet none dared to show defiance to the Great Empress.

Their reluctance only fueled Lan Zheng's fury. Ignored by Leng Wuyan, he began to rant wildly.

"What's so special about Ye Yun? You're the Great Empress, yet you've fallen under the spell of some handsome face. If word of this gets out, how will the Wicked Sky Sect ever maintain its standing in the world?"

Someone at Lan Zheng's side reached to tug at his sleeve, only to be briskly shaken off.

"Besides his looks, what else does Ye Yun have going for him?"

"He's nothing but a nobody stuck at the first layer of Body Tempering. Surely, I'm far superior to him?"

Blinded by rage, Lan Zheng lost all composure and began to hurl insults, even in the presence of Leng Wuyan.