My chat group is full of female losers

Chapter 317 Methods to Debunk Rumors

In a private room of a restaurant facing the street in the capital.

Changhong leaned against the window, resting his chin on his hand, looking down with great interest at the street below that was about to burst with crowds.

In just two days, the rumors about the Empress Dowager spread like wildfire throughout the capital. Now, every nook and cranny, teahouses and taverns, was packed with people. They were all spitting and raging, their faces as red as livers, practically ready to revolt on the spot.

"Chop up that bloodsucking old hag!"

"The Emperor should give the order! If she lives another day, how are we common folk supposed to survive!"

The waves of sound grew louder and louder.

Changhong slowly picked up his teacup, blew on the tea leaves floating on top, and a smile appeared on his lips.

She lazily withdrew her gaze and looked at the chat group interface in front of her. Sure enough, it was filled with exclamations of surprise.

Li Tian'er: "My God! Has Beijing gone mad? I just went out to buy a cabbage and almost got squeezed into a meat patty!"

Su Wanqing: "Senior Changhong's methods are truly amazing! He stirred up the world without making a sound. I admire his ability from the bottom of my heart!"

Consort Li: "That's right! That emperor definitely can't bring himself to kill his own mother. Once the public resentment grows even stronger, his reign will be over! We're sure to win this time!"

Seeing all this flattery, Changhong calmly sipped his tea before typing a line: "This is nothing. It's just a little test."

As soon as she said that, the group fell silent.

Changhong continued, "I didn't exert much effort at all, and I didn't expect this little trick to do anything to that emperor. I just wanted to see what he was really capable of, and also to find out the background of that so-called group leader behind him. Even if he himself is a good-for-nothing, surely the guy behind him can handle this little situation?"

The leading ladies then came to their senses, and their enthusiasm for flattery was even greater than before.

Su Lianyue: "Senior Changhong's thinking is so thorough, it's really too prudent!!"

Lin Xuewei: "You're overthinking it. What is that group leader behind him? Could he possibly turn the world upside down with your extraordinary abilities?"

Chang Hong gave a slight nod, then ignored them and closed the chat group interface.

Just as she expected, two days later, earth-shattering news spread like wildfire throughout the capital—His Majesty the Emperor had issued an edict: at noon the next day, in front of the entire city, the wicked empress would be publicly executed at Caishikou! To uphold the law and appease the people!

The news caused an uproar throughout the city. The people were initially shocked, but then erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers, all expressing their determination to witness the demon queen's execution the next day.

Inside the inn, Changhong listened to the news coming from outside, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Oh? That's quite bold of you, knowing the importance of making tough decisions?" she muttered to herself, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. "It's a method, but it's so uninspiring."

However, she still planned to go and see for herself.

The next day, Caishikou was packed with people, a sea of ​​heads.

The execution platform, taller than a person, had already been erected, surrounded by a circle of imperial guards, each wielding a long halberd, who held back the excited civilians who were about to rush forward.

Lark, like a slippery eel, worked hard to clear the way ahead, managing to squeeze Changhong into a prime front-row position.

Changhong looked up and saw Chu Lu on the execution platform, dressed in a dragon robe, his face grim. The Empress Dowager, on the other hand, was bound in a prison cart with iron chains, her hair disheveled, her face haggard, and her clothes stained with blood.

At noon, we arrived.

Chu Lu suddenly stood up, his gaze sharp as he swept over the throng of people below the stage. His voice was both sorrowful and resounding, echoing throughout the entire market area: "My mother, the Empress Dowager, should have been a model for the nation and an example for all people. However, she is morally deficient, acts perversely, and has long since betrayed the teachings of her ancestors!"

He paused, his voice growing increasingly stern: "She is unfaithful, keeping men in the palace and indulging in nightly revelry—this is infidelity! For the sake of her own beauty, she uses evil magic to harm innocent palace maids, drawing their blood to nourish her appearance! This is inhumanity! These things, one after another, are simply appalling! In Cixi Palace, those palace maids who died unjustly weep every night; the water drawn from the well in the laundry department is red! Hearing these things, my heart is torn apart!"

"Such a wicked empress deserves to die a thousand deaths, an outrage against Heaven! For the sake of this world, for the sake of the empire of our ancestors, I will personally eliminate her here today, to give the people an explanation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed the token in his hand to the ground.

The Empress Dowager in the prison cart seemed to be provoked by these words. She suddenly raised her head, her face filled with a maniacal laugh, and roared, "Hahahaha! You bunch of bastards! You all deserve to die! You all deserve to die! When I get out, I will drink all your blood! I will turn you all into human pigs!"

Her eyes were frighteningly red, making her look like a demon crawling out of hell. This appearance sent chills down the spines of the people in the audience, who shrank back in fear, their trembling voices buzzing in terror.

"My God! The rumors are true! This Empress Dowager is a monster!"

"That's terrifying! Kill her! Kill her now!"

Looking at the chaotic scene, Changhong frowned involuntarily, feeling that something was not quite right.

Just then, a burly, shirtless man, who was also the executioner, spat out a mouthful of strong liquor onto the executioner's blade, then picked up the blade and walked step by step onto the stage.

Two imperial guards roughly pulled open the prison cart door, dragged out the still raving empress dowager, and pressed her firmly into the center of the execution platform, forcibly pressing her head against a dark red execution stone.

The executioner strolled over, adjusted himself into a comfortable position, and said in a muffled voice, "Your Majesty, the time has come. On your way to the Yellow Springs... may you have a safe journey."

Having said that, he raised the butcher's knife high, the blade flashing a chilling light under the blazing sun. Just as it was about to strike, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, a thick, impenetrable black mist burst forth from the Empress Dowager's body, forcefully breaking the wrist-thick iron chains! She screamed and lunged at the executioner, her ten fingers long and sharp like hooks.

The hand transformed into a black shadow, making a light swipe in front of the executioner. The burly man's face instantly changed. He instinctively reached out to cover his neck, a hissing sound coming from his throat. Blood gushed out from between his fingers like a fountain. The next second, he fell straight down, twitched twice on the ground, and remained motionless.

Below the execution platform, there was a deathly silence at first, then erupted a cacophony of screams. The common people, as if they'd seen a ghost, surged forward like madmen, crying and screaming, some trampled to the ground, the whole scene a chaotic mess. The officials on the platform were also terrified; some collapsed, others scrambled to escape, while many more screamed for their protection, frantically surrounding Chu Lu in the center.

At this critical moment, a loud voice suddenly rang out.

"You wretched creature! How dare you be so insolent!"

Everyone looked and saw a monk in a kasaya appear on the execution platform. His expression was cold and stern, and he held a string of heavy-looking copper prayer beads in his hand. He faced the mad empress dowager alone.

The Empress Dowager roared again, brandishing the broken iron chain in her hand, and pounced like a wild beast. The monk, however, neither dodged nor flinched. With a slight sway of his body and a flick of his wide robe sleeve, he miraculously avoided the thunderous blow.

"Amitabha!" The monk chanted a Buddhist prayer, and with a sudden flick of his wrist, the string of copper prayer beads began to spin in his hand, creating a terrifying whooshing sound. He anticipated the Empress Dowager's next attack and flung the beads out. Like a short whip that had come to life, the beads struck the Empress Dowager's outstretched arm precisely.

Clang! A crisp sound rang out.

The Empress Dowager cried out in pain, letting out a piercing scream, and her attack slowed down. The monk seized this opportunity, taking a step forward and flashing out a brass vajra about an inch long from his robes. His footwork was so mysterious that the Empress Dowager was dazzled and couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes.

"Om Mani Padme Hum!"

The monk seized an opening, chanted the six-syllable mantra, and suddenly lunged forward, pressing the tip of the vajra firmly against the Empress Dowager's forehead!

The Empress Dowager froze instantly, as if she had been frozen in place. Her whole body trembled violently, making strange hoarse noises, and her eyes rolled upwards.

"what!"

After a long, mournful howl that was completely inhuman, the Empress Dowager suddenly opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of black, foul-smelling liquid. Then her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, completely still.

There was a deathly silence above and below the execution platform.

The common people gradually calmed down, craning their necks and looking at the stage with suspicion. The officials also stopped fleeing and stared at them with uncertainty.

Chu Lu reacted the fastest. He pushed aside the guards blocking his way, strode up to the monk, and bowed, saying, "Master, who are you...?"

"This humble monk is Xuan Chen." The monk clasped his hands together, his face solemn and dignified.

“Master Xuanchen,” Chu Lu asked anxiously, “what happened just now? My mother… what’s wrong with her?”

Master Xuanchen sighed and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is actually innocent. It was a malevolent spirit who secretly cast a vicious possession spell on her, which caused her mind to be thrown into chaos and turned her into this monstrous form. Just now, this humble monk followed the aura of the spell and killed the evil person behind it, and the spell on the Empress Dowager was naturally lifted."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager on the ground slowly woke up. She looked at Chu Lu blankly and asked weakly, "My son... what happened to me? Where am I?"

"Mother!" Chu Lu was overjoyed and rushed forward to support her. "Mother, you're awake! You're finally alright!"

The crowd below the stage erupted in uproar upon seeing this.

"So that's what happened! The Empress Dowager was murdered!"

"How pitiful! Luckily, a divine monk came to their rescue!"

The tense atmosphere immediately eased.

At this moment, the Empress Dowager frowned and said, "My son, I am so tired, I feel unwell all over."

Master Xuanchen immediately explained, "The Empress Dowager has been possessed by evil magic for so many days, and her vital energy has been greatly depleted. This is a sign of physical weakness. As long as she rests properly for a while, she will be fine."

Chu Lu nodded repeatedly and immediately turned to the eunuch, ordering, "Quickly! Escort the Empress Dowager back to the palace so she can rest and recuperate!"

Then, he turned to Master Xuanchen and respectfully invited him, saying, "Master, your magic is profound, and you saved my mother. Please accept my bow. I also beg you to come to the palace with me, so that I may thank you greatly."

Master Xuanchen shook his head: "As a monk, I am detached from worldly desires. Fame and fortune are nothing but fleeting clouds to me. Your Majesty, please take care."

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, and a thick smoke suddenly rose from beneath his feet. When the smoke cleared, there was no trace of the monk left.

"Truly a divine being!" Chu Lu gazed at the empty execution platform, his face filled with emotion. He then hurriedly tidied up the mess and led his men away.

The people below the stage were also very satisfied. They dispersed in twos and threes, chatting excitedly about the amazing spectacle of the gods fighting that they had witnessed that day.

Changhong mingled with the crowd and left. Once back at the inn, she stopped pretending and her face was full of contempt.

"Ha, I thought he was all that capable," she sneered. "After all that, all he's got is this cheap trick. I only put in a little effort and he had to personally step in, pretending to be a bald monk and putting on this lousy show."

She opened the chat group and found that the female protagonists already knew what had just happened and were all comforting her.

Su Lianyue: "Senior Changhong, don't be discouraged. That emperor is cunning. We were just caught off guard for a moment. It's nothing."

Li Tian'er: "Yes, yes! Who would have thought he was so shameless, using such a trick to get away with it! He's so shameless!"

Consort Li: "I've heard it all in the palace. The rumors outside are incredible. They all say that the emperor has invited a living god! What is this? Isn't this just cheating?"

Changhong, getting annoyed, interrupted their chatter with a cold laugh: "Alright, enough nonsense. Didn't I say this already? This was just a test. Now it's clear, this kind of trash is nothing to be afraid of. Now, I'm going to get serious."

At the same time, deep inside the palace.

Chu Lu looked at the respectful Master Xuan Chen in front of him and said calmly, "You did a good job today."

He then asked, "Are you alright?"

"Your Majesty, I am not injured. Thank you for your concern." The monk bowed, his voice filled with obsequiousness.

"Did the mechanisms under the execution platform malfunction?"

"No, Your Majesty. As soon as the smoke bomb went off, the trapdoor under my feet opened, and I fell right under the execution platform and hid perfectly. There was no chance of anything going wrong." The monk explained in detail that the magic trick of the immortal disappearing just now was a magic show arranged by Chu Lu.

"Very good." Chu Lu nodded in satisfaction. "Take these gold and silver for now. Just in case, we might need you in the future. Disguise yourself as a little eunuch and stay in the palace. Remember, don't give yourself away."

"The slave obeys the order."

After the monks left, Chu Lu let out a soft breath, then sent someone to summon Huo Qi, his expression stern: "Investigate immediately. I need to know where this rumor came from!"

Huo Qi clasped his hands in obeisance, his voice firm and resonant: "This humble general obeys the decree!"

(End of this chapter)