3699

Chapter 3699: 4.1299 Overwhelmed by Fury

But at this moment, no one knew the extent of Long Qiang's fear.

His dragging leg even felt a faint, dull ache.

He remembered that during the palace banquet, it was the Little Crown Princess who ordered a mechanical puppet to drag him out of the feast and give him a severe beating.

It was her, this hateful woman, who ordered the mechanical puppet to break one of his legs.

So, even to this day, Long Qiang still felt a faint, dull ache in that leg he had once injured.

In fact...

Long Qiang vaguely realized that the moment he saw the Little Crown Princess, his left leg, which had been brutally torn by the mechanical puppet, began to ache intensely.

Long Qiang knew very well that this was a physical defect manifesting as a psychological illness.

It was a conditioned fear response.

Though he hated this feeling intensely, he was utterly helpless against himself.

Long Qiang, outwardly fierce but inwardly timid, roared, "Was I wrong?"

Qiao Mu turned her face, her expression indifferent as she swept her gaze over him.

Long Qiang shouted in anger, "All Long family members, heed my order, take the carriages back to the Long family."

Mo Lian spoke calmly, "Open the other carriages."

No sooner had he spoken than countless figures emerged from the crowd, swiftly surrounding the carriages.

With a sudden series of "thump, thump" and "smash" sounds.

The remaining dozen or so carriage compartments were all cleaved open by the Purple Forest Guards.

The crowd loudly surged backward to avoid them.

From within the carriages, a torrent of clear water gushed out, carrying with it thirty to forty merpeople who tumbled out of the carriages along with the water.

Qiao Mu glanced at them, noting that most of these merpeople were young females, with a few elders and children.

The wounds on the young merpeople appeared more chaotic and severe, clearly indicating more serious abuse.

Among these merpeople, some had torn fish tails, while others had half their tails completely broken off.

Each one looked disheveled and pale. Now, suddenly seeing daylight again, they all appeared visibly terrified and uncertain.

Long Min watched the scene before her with a rather ugly expression. She turned to Mo Lian and said, "Your Royal Highness, isn't what you're doing a bit too overbearing?"

These merpeople were indeed captured by them from the coast.

Since they were prey captured by them, they should rightfully belong to the Long family. For the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to interfere now was naturally extremely excessive.

"Although the Long family's power is diminished, it cannot tolerate such bullying from Your Highness."

"These are spoils acquired by the Long family through hunting. It is justifiable no matter where you argue it."

Long Min spoke coldly, cupping her hands towards the direction of the imperial city and bowing. "Even if it's to face the Emperor in the Golden Hall..."

"Bind her!"

"Yes!" At the Little Crown Princess's command, the Purple Forest Guards immediately surged forward without the slightest hesitation.

Two Purple Forest Guards were the first to jump in front of Long Min, twisting her arms behind her back.

Two long swords were then placed against the neck of the continuously shouting Long Qiang.

Long Min's face drastically changed. Struggling in the guards' grip, she sharply cried out, "The Three States Law has no explicit provision stating that merpeople cannot be hunted!"

"Slap her mouth!!" The Little Crown Princess's sharp command interrupted Long Min's words.

A Purple Forest Guard stepped forward without a word and delivered a heavy "smack" to Long Min's left cheek.