Chapter 142 - Is It Funny That the Reincarnated Senior Sister Is Also Being Pursued?

Bai Lian endured her inner unrest and took a deep breath before speaking, "I think the mastermind behind spreading the rumors of your possession by a demon is to make the Emperor suspicious of you. "But there's one thing I can't understand. Even if the Emperor does become suspicious of you, it would just mean a decrease in his favor towards you. As a princess, your treatment would definitely not diminish. "You, being the youngest daughter of the Emperor, shouldn't even be in danger even if it involves the struggle for the throne. "But if my older brothers and sisters are no longer a threat to the mastermind?" Xiao Wei Yang said. "That's impossible..." Lian blurted out. For any faction, the heir was of utmost importance, especially in a dynasty like Da Xia, with a royal lineage stretching back thousands of years. The heir was an inviolable existence. Daring to harm the prince or princess of Da Xia was tantamount to challenging the authority of the entire nation. The reason for the longevity of Da Xia's royal lineage was not solely due to the diligence of its rulers, but also because of the seven Qianyuan cultivators and the two Ancestor-less Elders. They were the real reasons for Da Xia's dominance in the cultivation world. In the face of such formidable strength, who would dare to harm Da Xia's heir? Besides, as Xiao Wei Yang mentioned, it seemed like all the heirs, except her, had been targeted. No, perhaps she was thinking wrong. In reality, in the struggle for the throne throughout history, killing other heirs outright was the least likely option. Perhaps the so-called mastermind behind the scenes was simply one of Xiao Wei Yang's older brothers or sisters. Otherwise, rumors about Xiao Wei Yang wouldn't have spread so quickly. But this still couldn't explain why the other party was only targeting Xiao Wei Yang. Bai Lian fell into contemplation. The various signs suggested that these matters were most likely an extension of the power struggle within the court. After all, in the game's plot, the Esoteric Sect, in order to vie for the position of the State Religion, had transformed into the Maitreya Sect and carefully laid out their plans in the capital for nearly a hundred years. If she hadn't noticed the existence of the Esoteric Sect during her time in the capital, perhaps this plan would have continued, and the State Religion wouldn't have even realized it had been replaced, showing the depth of the Esoteric Sect's plans. Back when she was playing the game, she had been too engrossed and hadn't paid attention to the depth of the plot. Now, looking back, she could discern the loopholes— Even if the Esoteric Sect took the place of the State Religion, so what? No matter how they disguised themselves, they couldn't change the fact that they were a heretical sect. Even if they had initially deceived everyone, they couldn't have hidden it from the two Ancestor-less Elders in the Xiao Family Ancestral Hall. The present Esoteric Sect was no longer the heretical sect that even the Da Xia Court had to keep at arm's length before the Battle of Exorcising Demons. Once discovered by the ancestors of the Xiao Family, they would undoubtedly face devastating consequences. Could they continue pretending and eventually reform themselves, completely whitewashing their history? Planning for a hundred years just to cast themselves as a mundane sect seemed too much like child's play. It completely contradicted the core values of a heretical sect! Especially with everything that had occurred in the capital and Xiao Wei Yang's statements, it seemed that the plot of the so-called struggle for the State Religion in the game was probably not as simple as it had seemed. Behind the nearly hundred-year planning of the Esoteric Sect after the Battle of Exorcising Demons, there might be other hidden purposes. Bai Lian anxiously bit her finger. No, why complicate this broken buttery plot like this? She had noticed it when she accompanied Jian Li to Gu Su City and now in the capital, this feeling had become even more pronounced. It was as if everything she had experienced in the game was just a facade. Regardless of the event, there were deeper secrets hidden behind it. They might as well think she was playing a reasoning game. Are they not going to let her enjoy the game properly? It's really— Clearly, this is just a game world. In theory, as long as she doesn't play, the world in the game should come to a standstill. But in reality, even if she died, the game world would continue to function until the female leads were reborn in various timelines in the game. What did Wei Yang go through during that time? Bai Lian looked up at Xiao Wei Yang and found her staring back aggressively. The invasive look in her eyes made her feel a little embarrassed. She could only turn her face slightly and ask, "Does the princess know something?" Yet Xiao Wei Yang shook her head and said, "I'm not sure. "It's just speculation, and I'm not sure if my speculations are correct." As she spoke, she lowered her eyes, lost in thought. In her previous life, after Bai Lian's death, Xiao Wei Yang did indeed experience some minor changes. For instance, she transformed from a carefree princess into a formidable empress, surveying the world coldly. Perhaps Bai Lian's death had made her indifferent, allowing her to reflect coldly on the memories of her past life. However, it was this introspection that made her notice the anomalies. The struggle for the State Religion not only affected the Xia Family and the Esoteric Sect but also entangled the entire Xia Dynasty. It was from that moment that natural disasters and demonic influences proliferated across the Xia Dynasty, causing untold suffering and shaking the foundation of the nation. At that critical juncture, the Emperor suddenly died, followed by uprisings among the noble families and the rise of warlords across the country. Subsequently, even the tribes lurking in the frigid northern wilderness began frequently harassing the borders and eventually launched a full-scale invasion, with even the Qianyuan cultivators stationed at the border succumbing to the fight. She watched helplessly as this once peaceful and beautiful country descended into a hellish state of war and displacement for its people. It was as if at some point, this nation had been forsaken by the heavens. And her older brothers, who could have taken charge and steered the nation through the troubled times, were all immersed in pleasures and hedonism, seemingly unaffected by the tragedies befalling their surroundings. She had even implored the Ancestor-less Elders, hoping they would intervene and use their supreme powers to quell the turmoil within the nation. However, their response was that doing so would disrupt the cosmic order and anger the heavens; they dared not act and could only watch events unfold. Watch events unfold? The nation was on the verge of collapse, and the Xia Family was on the brink of extinction, and the answers she received were that they dared not act? From that moment, her beliefs were shattered. From that moment, she realized that the Ancestor-less Elders were not invincible beings. They were also fearful of something. She couldn't accept such an outcome, but she could only rely on herself. She began to ponder: what would her teacher do if he were still alive? So she decided to become the Empress, the one who could turn the tide. However, Da Xia had never had a female Emperor before, especially not the youngest daughter of the deceased Emperor. Even if her father had suddenly died, it wouldn't be her turn to ascend to the throne. Her wish to ascend would be tantamount to defying the ancestors, and she would surely face obstacles from all sides. Including her older brothers and sisters, who once doted on her. Therefore, she had to use any means necessary, even if... it meant becoming the person her teacher would detest the most.