Chapter 186

"I. Shi Xin Yao looked at Xiao Wei Yang's resolute appearance, then glanced at Bai Lian, and finally bit her lip lightly. "I, I mean..." Hearing this, Bai Lian’s lips curved slightly. She asked, "First question, when did you enter the Wei Yang Palace?" "Half a year ago." Shi Xin Yao said in a dejected tone, "At that time, I was still in a state of innocence, and I only remember someone handing me over to the palace maids and asking them to take me into the Wei Yang Palace." Bai Lian and Xiao Wei Yang exchanged a glance, knowing that Shi Xin Yao was not lying. The Ming Dynasty had previously investigated the situation of the palace maids and found that several of them had been spending more than their salaries half a year ago. Moreover, shortly after Shi Xin Yao was exposed, those maids were silenced. Evidently, the mastermind behind the attack on Xiao Wei Yang was half a year ago. But Bai Lian couldn't think of anything special about this time. After all, during this period in the game, she was still building a relationship with Jian Li in the city of Gu Su and would not have paid attention to what was happening in the capital. However, all of this could be easily checked. It was not necessary to waste time thinking about it at the moment. She continued, "Second question, what was your purpose in infiltrating the Wei Yang Palace?" This question obviously made Shi Xin Yao hesitate. After all, attempting to harm the princess was a serious crime of deceiving the emperor. If she confessed, she would surely face execution. If she chose to be honest, Xiao Wei Yang might consider sparing her. Shi Xin Yao gritted her teeth and said, "The envoy gave me a task to use the princess as a host, absorb her emotions, and then transform into her appearance to enter the ancestral temple." This was almost exactly what Bai Lian had guessed. Since the other party had chosen to spread those easily debunked rumors in the capital, it was obvious that they had a backup plan. Now that the demonic deeds against people were still unresolved, the rumored news of Xiao Wei Yang being possessed by a demon had spread. Even the court ministers had been affected by the rumors, leading to unrest in the city. At this point, no matter how much the Emperor favored Xiao Wei Yang, he had to take action to appease the people. Hence, the decision to allow Xiao Wei Yang into the ancestral temple. After all, the best way to ascertain the purity of a person's soul was to have the venerable No-Phantom inspect it. However, the No-Phantom of the Da Xia Dynasty would be meditating in seclusion and would not concern himself with outside matters. Hence, the need for the "ancestral worship". In theory, Xiao Wei Yang's soul was pure, albeit with memories from her previous life that might make it more flavorful. But no matter what, she would not be considered as a "stealer of antiquity". But what if it was Shi Xin Yao who would be involved in the ritual? It was widely known that Shi Xin Yao was on the brink of extinction because when she assumed a host, not only did she have no discernible physical differences, she even possessed some of the host's memories. It was like suddenly having two of the same person, and the identity, experiences, everything would be replaced by the other you. But no matter how strong Shi Xin Yao was, she could not deceive the No-Phantom. Her true identity would undoubtedly be exposed. But that didn't matter, for the true purpose of the mastermind behind the scenes was to substantiate the rumor that Xiao Wei Yang was a demon. However... What benefit would the mastermind gain from substantiating that Xiao Wei Yang was a demon? Bai Lian couldn't help but think of the palace maids who were silenced. Clearly, the mastermind hadn’t expected Shi Xin Yao's exposure and had hastily dispatched guards from the Xiao family to clean up the mess. But the mastermind hadn’t expected Xiao Wei Yang to be a reincarnator, someone very familiar with the methods of the Xiao family guards, and had recognized their tactics. Clearly, the mastermind must be a relative of the royal family. But in this world, there was never love without reason, nor hate without reason. Since the mastermind hated the idea of tarnishing Xiao Wei Yang's reputation, there must be a reason. Although Xiao Wei Yang was the most favored princess, she ultimately did not have the right to inherit the throne. So why would the mastermind target her in this way? Furrowing her brow, she said with annoyance, "Don't you know that impersonating a princess in the ancestral temple is a death sentence?" "Do you really think you can deceive the No-Phantom?" Shi Xin Yao recoiled at the rebuke, saying with a wry smile, "The envoy... the envoy said he had a way to safely get me out of the ancestral temple without any harm." Her words carried a deeper meaning. Everyone present changed their expressions. Bai Lian and Wei Yang exchanged a glance, understanding each other’s thoughts. The ancestral temple, the foundation of the Xiao family, was not a place to be trifled with. Even the prince would not dare claim to safely secure Shi Xin Yao's unhindered exit from the ancestral temple. Who exactly was the mastermind? Xiao Wei Yang massaged her temples. Since she had been reborn, she had considered this period a rare respite after enduring the suffering of her past life. Therefore, she hadn’t paid too much attention and had even thought about how to devour her teacher as soon as possible. But what had happened had greatly exceeded her imagination. Baseless rumors in the capital, Shi Xin Yao, who had been lurking in the Wei Yang Palace, and now a relative who had plotted against her. Moreover, the individual held a significant position in the Xiao family. Now, her desire to devour her teacher would have to be postponed. This made her angry. "Speak, who is this envoy in your mouth?" she said calmly, her eyes showing a flicker of suppressed fury. For a moment, Shi Xin Yao felt a pressure she had never experienced before. It was as if she was being observed by the emperor himself, and he could easily end her life with a flick of his fingers. Shi Xin Yao trembled slightly, unable to conjure the courage to lie. She was just a young princess; why... Bai Lian was a pervert, and the previous Tian Shu Shen Que beside Bai Lian was a pervert. Now, even a little princess who had yet to grow up was a pervert. Were they all somehow related?! Shi Xin Yao opened her mouth, smiling bitterly. "I don't know." "I am just a lost soul; I have no access to the envoy." "But the envoy gave me this treasure, saying it could protect my life in times of jeopardy." As she spoke, she clasped her hands, gradually revealing a string of golden prayer beads in her palms. The people in the room immediately reacted the moment the prayer beads appeared. Xiao Cheng Yin looked at Bai Lian's slender figure with a holy expression and suddenly felt that his previous self was truly despicable. How could he covet Bai Lian's body? He was vile! Xiao Wei Yang felt deeply ashamed because she had just been thinking about the best way to push Bai Lian onto the bed. But in the next moment, a chilly aura permeated the room. The Xiao siblings, who were lost in their thoughts, suddenly regained their composure, realizing that they had been affected by the prayer beads. After their scare, they looked at Bai Lian. Bai Lian held a white lotus in her hand, emitting the same cold aura as the prayer beads in Shi Xin Yao's hand. Bai Lian looked at the prayer beads and furrowed her brows slightly. "Bai Miss, is there something wrong with these prayer beads?" Xiao Cheng Yin asked curiously. Bai Lian hesitated for a moment, then structured her words, "These prayer beads..." "They are too divine."