Xia Wuyang avoided several old nannies with considerable Cultivation and slipped into a secret chamber in the Buddhist hall at the back of Cining Palace.
What was enshrined here was not a statue of the Buddha, but a Mutton Fat Jade Guanyin statue about a foot tall.
In the Guanyin’s Purification Bottle, there was not a willow twig, but a small, verdant Bodhi Branch. This was actually a Low Level Spiritual Artifact, effective for focusing the mind, calming the spirit, and resisting Heart Demons.
’As expected of the Empress Dowager. How extravagant.’
In the corner of the secret chamber was an inconspicuous ironwood chest that looked perfectly ordinary.
But upon opening it, he found twelve rare Spirit Stones neatly arranged inside. They contained pure Spiritual Qi, which a True Monarch could use to quickly recover True Qi or aid in Cultivation. Xia Wuyang had never obtained a Spirit Stone before this.
Additionally, there were three ancient Buddhist Scriptures sealed with golden thread. Xia Wuyang briefly skimmed them and discovered that one volume faintly touched upon a Technique for Spirit cultivation. It had actually reached the level of a Low Level Spiritual Technique and would be a valuable reference for him to perfect his Enchanting Heart Scripture.
"What a pleasant surprise! Anything from the Empress Dowager is guaranteed to be of the highest quality!"
Xia Wuyang delightedly put away the Bodhi Branch and Spirit Crystals. As for the Buddhist Scriptures, he quickly memorized them before returning them to their original place.
He didn’t want to alert the enemy. It wasn’t wise to cause too much of a disturbance at the Empress Dowager’s place for now. It was better to leave some things behind for her.
He continued to plunder. He took more than ninety percent of the Empress Dowager’s inventory, leaving behind only about five percent. These were either worthless items or things like books and Cultivation Techniques that he could memorize.
Overnight, over a hundred priceless treasures appeared in Xia Wuyang’s Personal Space, most of which came from the Empress Dowager.
Dozens of them were at the Spirit Object Level, and they included Spirit Materials, Spirit Pills, Spiritual Artifacts, and Spirit Talismans... a complete collection.
These resources were enough for him to improve his strength significantly, and some would also be useful to Yun Liyue, Yan Jiuge, and the others. He could give them away later.
By the time the first light of dawn appeared and Xia Wuyang returned to the Practice Room in Wenhua Hall, the chaos in the Imperial Palace had just reached its peak, and there was no telling when it would subside.
Cries, shouts, the hurried footsteps of Imperial Physicians, the clatter of Armor as the Imperial Guard conducted their search... all mingled together, shattering the usual morning tranquility of the Imperial Palace. The place became more bustling than ever before, beyond anyone’s imagination.
No one could have ever imagined that the Palace of the Great Xia Dynasty, one of the three great Empires in the world, could fall into such a state of utter pandemonium.
Xia Wuyang sat down cross-legged, listening to the faint uproar in the distance. A cold smile played on his lips. As the instigator, he felt that all of this was rather good. ’Emperor Xia must be very happy.’
’Let there be chaos. The more chaotic, the better. The more bustling, the better.’
He was very satisfied with this generous gift from the Southern Barbarians, and he had received it gladly.
Not only did it help him eliminate many unsightly small fry, but it also brought him bountiful spoils. The gains were unexpected.
Although he hadn’t managed to get a Spirit Treasure, the other benefits were substantial.
As for the blame, the Southern Barbarians would naturally take it all. All that mattered was that he got the benefits. Besides, the Southern Barbarians’ losses this time were not light either.
’Emperor Xia’s hatred for the Southern Barbarians must have deepened even more by now, right?’
Perfect. He could add more fuel to the fire and solidify the evidence of the Southern Barbarians’ guilt. Otherwise, with only evidence against the Northern Desert Da Kuo Royal Court, it would feel a bit lonely.
’Emperor Xia has already made such a deduction. I can’t let his speculation come to nothing. If that happened, where would the great Emperor of the Great Xia put his face?’
Xia Wuyang took out a Soul Nourishing Jade Earring he had just obtained and toyed with it at his fingertips. Although he had no use for it himself, he could give it to someone later—to the one who shared his bed, or perhaps, his beloved.
The warm, smooth jade felt cool to the touch and emanated a gentle aura that nourished the Soul. It was very comfortable to handle.
"It’s time to let Zheng Zhicang and Sun Wuyang discover some new evidence. Otherwise, it would make them seem incompetent," he muttered to himself, a calculating glint in his eyes.
’For example, what if a secret letter was found on a captured Southern Barbarian spy, detailing clandestine dealings with certain Princes and Princesses in the palace—especially those who have already been afflicted?’
’Or what if the infiltration route of a Southern Barbarian Poison Master was discovered, and it just so happened to pass through the mansion of an Imperial Merchant who trades with the Southern Border?’
’A mix of truth and lies, reality and illusion—all of these were possible.’
Where this Gu plague, sparked by the Southern Barbarians’ assassination attempt, would ultimately lead, and how large a storm it would stir up... all depended on a single thought from him, all subject to his command.
The Deep Palace was a chessboard, and all its inhabitants were merely pawns.
And he, the player, was idly tapping a chess piece, watching coldly from the sidelines, waiting for the moment of checkmate to claim the most bountiful victory.
Before, he wasn’t even considered a chess piece. Now, he was one of the strongest players.
Outside the window, the sky had brightened completely without him realizing it.
But the gloom and panic hanging over the Imperial Palace were deeper and more terrifying than the night had been.
The morning light could pierce the gloom that had shrouded the Imperial City for days, but it could not disperse the panic and the stench of blood permeating the air, nor could it drive away the Gu Insects still lurking in the Imperial Palace.
On the surface of Taiye Pool, the white bellies of a few dead fish floated. They had been poisoned by Gu Insects that fell into the water, and their carcasses were also highly toxic.
The grass and trees along the bank were mostly withered and yellow, and suspicious egg sacs or trails of slime remained on many leaves and branches. Since the Gu Insects had wreaked havoc on the Imperial Palace, the Eastern Palace was naturally included; otherwise, it would arouse suspicion.
However, the victims in the Eastern Palace were all spies for other Princes and Princesses. Almost none of Xia Wuyang’s own people were harmed.
The flagstones of the Palace Lanes were washed repeatedly, water seeping into every crack and leaving no spot untouched. Yet, it couldn’t wash away the faint, lingering stench—a mix of herbs, rot, and a hint of metallic sweetness.
It was the smell of the Gu-Exorcising Potion, concocted by the Imperial Medical Bureau with all its effort, mingled with the cleared carcasses of Gu Insects and the pus from the festering wounds of some patients. The odor was sickening.
The entire Imperial Palace was like a giant, diseased body that had just survived a bizarre plague, now gasping for breath under the sun, still reeling in shock, with no recovery in sight.
「In Qianqing Palace, within Yangxin Hall.」
The atmosphere was so heavy you could wring water from it. The chill emanating from the blocks of ice did little to quell the rage in the hall that threatened to burn through the roof; instead, it seemed to intensify it.
Emperor Xia sat high on the Throne, his face ashen. His eyes were filled with terrifying bloodshot veins, making him look like a completely enraged beast on the verge of losing control, a towering inferno of flames burning in his chest.
He gripped a freshly submitted joint report, the ink still wet, so tightly that his knuckles cracked, as if he were about to unleash a massacre at any moment.
Veins bulged on the back of his hand, a clear sign of the immense fury raging within him.
The report was jointly submitted by three men: Shadow Guard Chief Zheng Zhicang, Sun Wuyang of the Divine Capture Sect, known for his Celestial Eye, and the Grand General of the Imperial Guard, Tantai Zhan. It was more than enough to deceive all of Emperor Xia’s senses.
The content was horrifically detailed and so logically structured it was irrefutable. It was more than enough to cement the guilt of the Southern Barbarians, making it almost impossible to argue against.
Even if the Clan Leaders of the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races came and claimed they only wanted to kill the Crown Prince, not throw the entire Imperial Palace into chaos and harm so many Princes, Princesses, concubines... and even the Empress Dowager, it’s doubtful anyone would believe them.

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