Chapter 1540: Qingyang's Suspicion

The next afternoon, at Miaozhan Temple.

This was the largest Miaozhan Temple in Tianshui City, one-third larger than Xilin Temple, and it was always bustling with worshippers. Every five days, nearly ten thousand devotees would come here to participate in the goddess's worship ceremony, jamming the area from the temple plaza all the way to the four streets outside.

Distinguished guests often attended the worship ceremony, as was the case today.

After the grand ceremony concluded, the worshippers gradually dispersed. Chief Envoy Liang then approached the distinguished guest in the front row:

“State Supervisor Qingyang, please.”

Today, Qingyang wore a brocade robe of goose-yellow; her attire and demeanor were very ceremonial. Attending such occasions first required expressing reverence for the Goddess.

She smiled at Chief Envoy Liang. The attendants and temple staff behind them did not follow, watching the two walk towards a side hall. There were certainly spies sent by the Royal Court among the crowd, but it didn't matter; they couldn't follow them inside anyway.

Behind the main hall was a flower-lined corridor, built around a pond. The water was crystal clear, with no fish swimming in it. At the end of the flower corridor stood an altar, surrounded by fresh flowers and wafting with fragrant incense. Several divine attendants were standing there. Chief Envoy Liang waved his hand, and everyone bowed and withdrew.

Qingyang personally lit an incense stick, placed it on the altar, and murmured a prayer.

Chief Envoy Liang whispered, “State Supervisor Qingyang, what do you think of this worship ceremony?”

“It's livelier than usual, and there are more people.” Qingyang slowly opened her eyes. “Xilin Temple is closed, so the worshippers have all come here.”

Her initiative in bringing up Xilin Temple made it easier to elaborate on the topic.

It seemed that the State Supervisor, sent by Beijia, already knew about the unusual events that occurred yesterday. Chief Envoy Liang sighed. “Yesterday, I had intended to invite you, State Supervisor Qingyang, to the palace with me.”

Why didn't that happen? Qingyang understood perfectly.

“On the very night Xilin Temple was closed, its main hall collapsed.”

Qingyang nodded. “I've heard. That's truly a great loss.”

“He Xiao, who was in charge of the capital's eastward expansion plan for the monarch, immediately dismantled all of Xilin Temple's stone materials, timber, and components, and secretly transported them east to build the new city. Especially the gilded stone from Xilin Temple, which was used for the ornamental pillars of the new city's government office.”

Qingyang exclaimed softly in surprise. “I've seen those ornamental pillars; they were quite grand. Was Xilin Temple's stone actually used for them?”

She understood the temperament of the Heavenly Gods and knew that such matters could be handled as minor or major, depending mainly on how King Yao handled it.

“This morning, as I left Youhu, I saw He Xiao on the road; he was as prominent as ever.” He Xiao's recent displays of pomp were immense; he traveled surrounded by hundreds of guards, making him the most conspicuous person in the crowd. It would have been difficult for Qingyang not to notice him.

“It seems King Yao hasn't dealt with him.”

Chief Envoy Liang scoffed. “He's sharp-tongued. Chief Steward Xiao couldn't argue him down in the Imperial Study.”

The location "Imperial Study" was significant. Qingyang smiled faintly. It seemed King Yao was intentionally indulging He Xiao, allowing him to provoke the Miaozhan Temple officials severely.

This was very unusual. The Yao Kingdom's reverence for the Goddess usually manifested as offerings to her temples and respect for her officials. Even Chief Envoy Liang personally went to the palace, yet King Yao wouldn't grant him this courtesy? He was digging his own grave; he had no one but himself to blame.

“So, was the secret transportation and misappropriation of Xilin Temple's building materials just He Xiao's own idea?”

“That's what he claimed.” Chief Envoy Liang shook his head. “I don't think it's that simple.”

“He Xiao's continued normalcy, his ability to continue swaggering and flaunting his power in his capital project, proves you're right; the truth isn't that simple.” Qingyang chuckled softly. “I've said before that the Yao Kingdom is obsessed with an illusory sense of power, and has long lost its reverence for the gods, only paying lip service. Whether it was the Goddess's previous divine decree that King Yao resisted with various excuses, or the temple that should have been completed two years ago, or even this incident of stealing from Xilin Temple... Ha, it seems now that the collapse of Xilin Temple wasn't that simple either.”

“Indeed, Xilin Temple could have lasted another three to five years. We also suspect that the deep water-seeping hole that mysteriously appeared beneath Xilin Temple might have been man-made. According to the Water Spirit of Incense Seal, it appeared within one or two months, precisely around the time the capital's eastward expansion began.”

Qingyang said slowly, “The Goddess is too benevolent; she has always been unable to harden her heart. However, Chief Envoy Liang, since you've invited me here today, it seems you have good news for me.”

Chief Envoy Liang gestured towards the altar. “Precisely! Our Goddess has agreed to your request!”

Qingyang's gaze sharpened.

Just then, the candlelight on the divine altar flickered and dimmed in unison, and two lily buds in a vase suddenly began to slowly bloom right before Qingyang's eyes! In mere moments, they bloomed to their fullest extent. A fragrant breeze wafted through the air, causing the wind chimes under the eaves to tinkle. It resembled both ethereal music and whispered voices.

Only the two present could understand: This was a divine oracle! A divine oracle personally conveyed by Miaozhan Tian!

Qingyang faced the altar, bowed respectfully, her expression solemn. Not until her skirt stopped fluttering did she lift her head. The breeze had already passed, and the lilies on the divine altar had re-formed into buds, as if nothing had happened.

But Qingyang had indeed received instructions from Miaozhan Tian: This true deity had agreed to her request. All temples, large and small, within Tianshui City—not just those of Miaozhan Tian—would assist her.

This was an earth-shattering decision. Qingyang was rarely so overjoyed. She smiled at Chief Envoy Liang and said, “The Goddess has given her oracle! So, shall we discuss the details?”

It had finally come to this point. Chief Envoy Liang felt a mix of emotions; after all, he was also a person of the Yao Kingdom. But the Goddess's command was unquestionable. He pointed to his study across the pond. “Please come in.”

Their discussion lasted until the sun began to set in the west.

As Qingyang walked out of the temple, her steps were light and cheerful. The most important matter had finally gone smoothly; her many days of lurking had not been in vain. With Miaozhan Tian's support, her scope for future action had finally opened up.

Yuan Xuan had already prepared the carriage and was waiting for her at the entrance. Qingyang paid no mind to the gazes of the secret agents in the crowd, and boarded the carriage to return to Youhu.

Tianshui City remained bustling. Ordinary people were still busy with their lives, oblivious to the crisis lurking within the city.

Outside the East Gate, there was a vast expanse of muddy yellow ground. This was the eastern suburb currently undergoing expansion. No matter how extravagantly the officials boasted, in reality, there was nothing but a main road and a sample street block. Yet, this very muddy land had captivated the entire Yao Kingdom.

This nation was truly gravely ill. From the monarch to the common people, all had fallen into the trap of greed, forgetting that the gods watch from above, forgetting to maintain reverence for the supreme powers. No wonder the Heavenly Gods were deeply disappointed in them.

Yes, disappointed.

The Heavenly Gods wished to recover a large amount of Nightmare Qi from Flashgold Plains, yet the Yao Kingdom repeatedly prevaricated and achieved nothing. Therefore, the Heavenly Gods' dissatisfaction with the Yao Kingdom had long been evident, but Miaozhan Tian, as the principal deity worshipped by the Yao Kingdom, had never made a firm decision. She was one of the thirty-five true deities and an important leader of the Lingxu Divine Assembly. As long as she did not agree, it would be difficult for the Lingxu Holy Venerable to take action against the Yao Kingdom.

Yet King Yao failed to win the Goddess's favor, and recently even caused such a ridiculous mess by misappropriating temple stones. Qingyang saw through his greed at a glance. As the monarch of a nation, his greed had long since overridden his reverence for the Heavenly Gods. Otherwise, how could he possibly let He Xiao, who had committed a grave error, off the hook and allow him to continue to act with impunity? To slight the Heavenly Gods—that was a grave taboo!

However, He Xiao's actions were also very strange. No matter how much stone material the new city construction lacked, he should not have set his sights on the temple. This person was meticulous and clever and handled affairs flawlessly; how could he suddenly cause such a massive blunder? Miaozhan Tian's temple officials believed this was done at King Yao's instruction. But Qingyang didn't think so.

Just like when he suddenly took control of Youhu Villa and opposed her, He Xiao's motives were unfathomable. But his actions regarding Xilin Temple objectively intensified Miaozhan Tian's ill will towards the Yao Kingdom, making Qingyang's persuasion efforts smoother. Thinking of this, Qingyang's heart stirred. Could it be...?

Combining this with He Xiao's various actions in the Yao Kingdom, a strange thought sprouted in her mind: It was as if He Xiao had come to the Yao Kingdom with ill intentions.

At first, King Yao wanted to use him as a tool to humiliate Qingyang. He indeed succeeded, and in his own way, achieving results far beyond King Yao's expectations. Then, he proposed the capital's eastward expansion, which unleashed the Yao Kingdom's current spree of soaring wealth. But in Qingyang's view, this path was a dead end and would lead to endless trouble.

Now, he suddenly directed his subordinate officials and teams to secretly dismantle, transfer, and misappropriate Xilin Temple's gilded stone, once again provoking the Goddess's dissatisfaction with the Yao Kingdom. And Qingyang recalled what Chief Envoy Liang had said earlier: that the water-seeping cave, which led to Xilin Temple's premature collapse, had only appeared in the last one or two months, and even the Water Spirit of Incense Seal couldn't explain its cause. Chief Envoy Liang suspected King Yao had sent people to do it.

But one or two months ago, the capital's eastward expansion project was merely a paper plan and hadn't officially begun yet. Based on her understanding of King Yao, he would have no reason to act against Xilin Temple so early.

Was it He Xiao who persuaded King Yao...?

He Xiao was more convinced than anyone else that the capital's eastward expansion plan could be smoothly implemented. So, did he cause Xilin Temple to collapse by digging it? Thinking of this, a cold sweat broke out on Qingyang's palms. If it was truly He Xiao's doing, had he started laying out his scheme so early?

No, that's not right. Digging deeper along this line of thought, what He Xiao had planned in advance was not just the collapse of Xilin Temple, was it? In her opinion, He Xiao's actions had always been somewhat peculiar. Every one of this person's actions seemed to align with the current situation, but in reality, they caused destruction.

Destroying the relationship between King Yao and Qingyang, which was to say, destroying the relationship between the Yao Kingdom and Beijia.

Destroying the relationship between the Yao Kingdom and the divine.

Soon he would also destroy the relationship between the Yao Kingdom's nobility and commoners, which was to say, the relationship between the Yao Court and its people. Conversely, He Xiao had long since set up a scheme. Not only did it involve the monarch and officials of the Yao Kingdom, but it also involved Miaozhan Tian, the Heavenly God, and even included her, the former State Preceptor of Beijia! They all became part of his plan.

The depth of this person's mind and the venom of his strategy—Qingyang, with nearly two centuries of experience, had rarely encountered such a thing. Why, in the Yao Kingdom, thousands of miles away, would she encounter such an adversary?

The wind blowing in from outside was chilly. She casually lowered the curtain.

On another note, none of this was He Xiao's responsibility. Why would he take such immense risks, even risking his life to do it? What if his core objective of destruction, his true purpose, was one and only—

The Yao Kingdom.