Chapter 33 Who is the Evil Spirit?
“Is Prime Minister Wen questioning this Imperial Preceptor’s ability of ‘Heaven’s Knowledge’?”
His clear, low voice, languid yet carrying an undeniable deterrent, made one’s scalp tingle.
Wen Jingshu met his cold, ink-like gaze, and said cautiously, “This Prime Minister certainly has no such intention.”
“However, Jin’An grew up by this Prime Minister’s side, and her mother is a member of the Xie family who was loyal to the monarch and served the country. Your subject believes that Heaven has eyes, and even if there is an evil spirit, it would never be Jin’An.”
Hearing her scoundrel father’s urgent words to protect her stepsister, a mocking gleam flickered in the corner of Wen Xueling’s eye.
The more he used the glorious military achievements and self-sacrificing patriotism of the Xie family to make his case, the deeper the Emperor’s suspicion of Wen Jin’An would become.
After all, among the Xie family, whose entire clan was wiped out, there was still one daughter who survived.
Especially since Xie Siyu, apart from losing her martial arts, only had some superficial injuries. It didn’t seem like something an ordinary person could achieve.
Those words from back then, that the Xie family army was blessed by the spirits in heaven, would now turn into a premonition of evil spirits causing chaos in the Emperor’s mind.
After all......
As the ruler of a nation, he would rather kill an innocent person than allow an evil spirit that could potentially affect the nation’s destiny to live and cause havoc in Rong Kingdom.
Furthermore, blizzards had suddenly struck various parts of Rong Kingdom. In just a few days, the land was covered in vast white snow, crops failed, livestock froze to death, and the common people were unable to withstand the cold.
Urgent reports flowed into the Imperial Study, so how could the Emperor not harbor suspicion and fear?
As expected.
No sooner had her scoundrel father’s words fallen than the Emperor’s sharp, scrutinizing gaze focused tightly on Wen Jin’An, who was kneeling below.
It was like locking onto prey, exceptionally chilling.
The Imperial Preceptor had divined the previous night through his Heaven’s Knowledge that there was an evil spirit causing mischief in the Prime Minister’s residence, and the Emperor believed him implicitly.
“Imperial Preceptor, can you discern who the evil spirit is?”
Everyone’s eyes fell upon the Imperial Preceptor, with anticipation, trepidation, and schadenfreude.
Wen Xueling also looked directly into his eyes.
The mask obscured the man’s expression, but those deep black eyes, like the night sky, met hers from a not-too-far distance, giving her an inexplicable sense of being seen through by him.
Wenren Yi......
She silently repeated his name in her heart.
Just his gaze, that intangible pressure, was no less suffocating than that of the Emperor on his dragon throne.
She avoided his gaze, turning instead to her scoundrel father’s tense body, a faint, imperceptible cold smile playing on her lips.
Heh, so he could get nervous too.
The atmosphere in the Imperial Study was as if solidified, making one afraid to breathe.
Until the Imperial Preceptor, lazily seated in his chair, lightly uttered, “Of course, there's a way.”
He took out a black cloth bag. “This is the Scourge Butterfly, painstakingly cultivated by my late master for decades, finally breeding this one.”
Wenren Yi’s voice was like warm spring water, yet at this moment, it sounded chillingly unsettling.
The moment the black cloth bag was opened, everyone held their breath.
Even Wen Xueling was no exception.
If this Scourge Butterfly landed on her, wouldn’t everything she had done earlier be in vain?
But upon seeing the Scourge Butterfly, a look of surprise flashed in her clear almond-shaped eyes.
The butterfly's wings, translucent and icy, bore intricate and exquisite patterns that were a sight to behold. It briefly rested on the man’s fair knuckles, its wings fluttering lightly, shimmering with golden light in the Imperial Study, and releasing what appeared to be gold dust as it flapped.
This was......Xiaobai?
The Imperial Preceptor......was he truly that masked man from her previous life?
The man keenly caught the undisguised surprise in Wen Xueling’s bright, beautiful eyes. His unfathomable eyes narrowed slightly, as if intending to penetrate the secrets hidden in her heart.
Wenren Yi’s eyes deepened: Did she know him?
Wen Jin’An was also amazed by the appearance of the Scourge Butterfly. It was a butterfly she had never seen before.
As the butterfly flapped its wings, her heart also jumped to her throat.
Her father could blame Wen Xueling for the incident at the Prime Minister’s residence, but now they were in the Imperial Study. If it was really discovered to be her......
She secretly glanced at her father and Fourth Brother, glad she had prepared in advance.
No matter what, the person who died today would definitely not be her!
Just as her scoundrel father and Fourth Brother were on tenterhooks, the Scourge Butterfly flew directly towards Wen Xueling.
Seeing this, both of them simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it didn’t land on Jin’An.
Wen Xueling’s eyes widened. She carefully examined the Scourge Butterfly’s appearance. The closer it flew, the more certain she became that it was Xiaobai, who used to cheer her up in her previous life, and her tension eased accordingly.
Under everyone’s shocked gaze, she extended her finger, forming a gesture she often used to play with Xiaobai in her previous life.
The Scourge Butterfly fluttered its translucent wings twice, happily landing on her fingertip, its antennae gently tapping her, as if greeting her.
A faint smile also curved Wen Xueling’s lips, gentle and captivating.
Behind the silver mask, Wenren Yi’s thin lips were tightly pressed together, a dark, chilling gleam flashing in his clear, cold eyes. He thoughtfully glanced at the hand gesture she made.
Seeing the Scourge Butterfly staying on Wen Xueling for a long time, Wen Jin’An, her scoundrel father, and Fourth Brother’s hearts, which had been suspended in mid-air, largely settled, and their expressions relaxed.
Both of them thought to themselves: Fortunately, it wasn’t Jin’An.
“Sister, so you really are......”
Her feigned surprise, laced with hidden smugness, broke the silence of the Imperial Study.
With the heavy weight lifted from his chest, Wen Jingshu immediately adopted a selfless posture, declaring his loyalty to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, the Imperial Preceptor’s Scourge Butterfly has already identified the evil spirit. I request Your Majesty to issue an order to eradicate the evil spirit!”
Wenren Yi casually glanced at Wen Xueling’s face, a faint, almost mocking smile playing on his lips, “Then, according to Prime Minister Wen, how should the evil spirit be eliminated?”
“This Prime Minister has heard that the Imperial Preceptor’s residence possesses a Heaven-Reaching Alchemy Furnace, capable of refining all evil spirits in the world.”
He raised his hands in a respectful gesture, sincerely addressing the Emperor, “Your Majesty, this subject is willing to uphold righteousness and sacrifice family, personally casting this rebellious daughter into the alchemy furnace, crushing her bones and scattering her ashes, eradicating the evil spirit, and ensuring the Rong Kingdom’s prosperity for centuries to come!”
Compared to her scoundrel father’s ruthlessness, Wen Jinli’s face showed more hesitation.
No matter what, Wen Xueling was his biological sister, with whom he had lived for more than ten years. Although he preferred Jin’An, his pure and lovely stepsister, blood was thicker than water.
Wen Jinli had always worn his emotions on his sleeve. Wen Jin’An immediately noticed his hesitation.
With red eyes, she tugged at his sleeve and said delicately, “Fourth Brother, do you really want Sister to live? Actually, Jin’An can die for Sister too.”
“How could that be! Fourth Brother, of course, wants you to live more!”
He said this slowly and firmly, as if trying to convince himself that if only one could survive, he would unhesitatingly choose Jin’An.
Wen Xueling was not far from them, and the Imperial Study was quiet, so their conversation fell entirely into her ears.
Her cool, moon-like almond eyes disdainfully glanced at them. Was it too early for them to start celebrating?
Catching sight of Wen Xueling’s calm expression and her skillful way of playing with Xiaobai, Wenren Yi’s eyelids lowered in deep thought, making his emotions unreadable.
Just as the Emperor also believed the evil spirit was Wen Xueling and was about to issue an edict, the Scourge Butterfly left Wen Xueling’s fingertip, flapping its wings and landing on Wen Jin’An’s head.
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