Chapter 1566: The Dug-Up Past

For the past month or so, Qingyang rarely openly opposed King Yao, nor was she as confrontational as when she first arrived. King Yao surmised she couldn't stir up any trouble, thus his surveillance of her greatly relaxed; at most, he had people watch her from a distance.

The shopfront was small, but it was an old, reputable business in Tianshui City, known for its exquisite engraving and hereditary craftsmanship. For weddings, funerals, or any other significant life events, local residents preferred to come here for their jewelry.

Qingyang entered the jewelry shop. Her guards remained outside, and the shop inside was empty.

She walked towards the back of the shop, pulled aside a curtain, and entered an inner partition.

The cubicle, less than five square meters, had no attendant, but a person was sitting there.

When Qingyang entered, the person didn't stand up, but merely nodded in greeting: "Qingyang Imperial Advisor, I trust you've been well?"

"I am not the Imperial Advisor," Qingyang replied, unperturbed by the person's eccentric demeanor. "You're over a month late! Isn't the renowned Master Honglu known for his impeccable reputation?"

By the time this person arrived, the opportunity was long gone!

"I had a major breakthrough in my research recently, and couldn't leave right away," Master Honglu said, stretching. "I came as soon as I finished half of what I was working on. So, I heard the target has moved to Springing Fountain Villa in the eastern suburbs of Tianshui City?"

It seemed he had already scouted the location. Qingyang picked up an unfinished piece of jewelry from the table, idly turning it in her hands. "Since you're already so late, there's no need to rush now."

"Oh, no rush?" Master Honglu frowned. "But you sent urgent messages just a few days ago, hurrying me? It's just killing one or two people; it won't take much effort."

"Did you do your homework beforehand? This person isn't that easy to kill."

"I just arrived, and I haven't taken many jobs in Tianshui City before," Master Honglu shrugged. "Will this target be harder to deal with than Situ He?"

"I think he's even more formidable," Qingyang said frankly. "Situ He didn't know someone was plotting against his life, but He Xiao has always been wary of me. King Yao even assigned him a nine-hundred-strong guard unit, protecting him closely almost twenty-four hours a day."

King Yao's decision to send the guards was, in itself, a warning to Qingyang.

"Close protection?" Master Honglu chuckled. "Even when he's relieving himself?"

Qingyang gave him a look, knowing he possessed many peculiar methods. "He Xiao himself is quite capable in battle. A few months ago, Ghost King Xuanlu ambushed him, but He Xiao ended up eliminating him instead. And when he served as a special envoy in Chiyan State of Beijia, he defeated the second-in-command of the Soulguard of Lingxu City, who is also the second son of the Pan family."

Master Honglu still looked disdainful. "Defeating a ghost and then a mere figurehead is hardly an impressive resume. It's not as good as defeating the leader of the Green Guard under the Imperial Regent."

It was one thing for him to look down on Ghost King Xuanlu, who was capable of terrifying children into silence, given his Beijia arrogance. But for him to disregard even Pan Sheng—the Pan brothers managed the Soulguard in Lingxu City, which proved they were deeply trusted by the Demon Emperor.

This fellow didn't even consider his own standing. There was a reason he was banished to the Shanjing Plains, with that loose tongue of his! Qingyang raised an eyebrow. "If you, Cao Wendao, had arrived on time and completed the mission, how would Heyang have been harmed by He Xiao?"

The words hit home, as Master Honglu truly had been late. He rubbed his nose. "Since you've changed your mind, why did you have me rush over here?"

"Your mission is merely postponed, not canceled!" Qingyang said slowly. "Wait patiently; you'll have your chance to act soon enough."

Her plan was already in motion; success was the only option. At this moment, everything else had to make way for it!

Having endured for so long, she didn't mind letting King Yao and He Xiao be pleased with themselves for another half a month.

"Not touching He Xiao for now?" Master Honglu stroked his chin. "What about the people around him?"

Qingyang sighed inwardly, regretting somewhat having asked Master Honglu to act. Almost everyone in Lingxu City's upper circles knew this fellow was a true troublemaker, the type who stirred up trouble for no reason, or complicated matters unnecessarily. And now he was already haggling with her. "Which person around him?"

"Apparently, it's a reclusive fellow named Wei, who keeps a monkey," Master Honglu replied, having kept this in mind all along. "I heard that during He Xiao's battle with Ghost King Xuanlu, this monkey transformed into a colossal ape with two heads and four arms. A strange bird also appeared in the sky, and He Xiao jumped from it to assault the Ghost King."

"So?" Qingyang asked casually. Then she remembered his identity and research, knowing his focus was on monkeys and strange birds. "Do you think this Wei fellow is a demon puppeteer, like you?"

"I wasn't there, so I didn't witness it myself and can't make a definitive judgment. After all, there are too many types of demonic apes and too many supernatural abilities in this world. However, flying creatures capable of carrying people are extremely rare, and I heard that bird's appearance was particularly strange. These bizarre and fantastical creatures were what interested him most. Anyway, there's still time; I'll observe them closely first."

Qingyang hummed in acknowledgment. "Don't expose yourself."

Master Honglu stood up, flicking his sleeve. "Rest assured, I'm just a law-abiding businessman here."

As he turned to leave, Qingyang called out to him again. "Have you had a breakthrough in your research?"

"Of course!" Master Honglu said confidently. "Several of the demon puppets I created now have forms closer to humans, and one of them successfully survived for over half a year! Before I came to Tianshui City, I also created another demon puppet that was smaller and more stable."

"Is the longest-living humanoid demon puppet you mentioned still alive?"

"No," Master Honglu replied, his smile fading. "It died seven days ago, at the age of one hundred and eighty-three days!"

"If we're only talking about lifespan, the demon puppets made by Qiandu Workshop have been able to live for over seven and a half months for a while now," Qingyang said, casting a sidelong glance at him. "It might be difficult for you to return to Lingxu City based on this achievement."

Master Honglu's expression changed. "When did Qiandu Workshop achieve that?"

"Last winter. The Heavenly Palace was greatly pleased, and even allocated an additional seven million taels. You didn't know?" Qingyang asked calmly. "Oh, right, you've been in the Shanjing Plains."

His information and progress were both lagging.

Master Honglu said angrily, "I lost a crucial experimental subject, otherwise my progress would have been even faster."

Qingyang shrugged.

What was the use of telling her? The higher-ups only cared about results; any reason Master Honglu gave was merely an excuse.

With everything said, the meeting concluded.

Watching Master Honglu's figure disappear out the back door, Qingyang casually picked out a peach blossom hairpin, paid for it at the front, and then took a carriage back to Tranquil Lake Cottage.

"A demon puppeteer?" she mused all the way back.

Master Honglu had deduced that He Xiao had a demon puppeteer by his side.

It wasn't impossible that he was mistaken, but if the inconspicuous Wei Yishan truly was a demon puppeteer, when did he start following He Xiao?

Looking at the timeline, He Xiao eliminated Ghost King Xuanlu not long after arriving in the Shanjing Plains. So, it was possible that Wei Yishan had come with him from the Yangshan Islands.

He Xiao, a demon puppeteer? Hmm...

During the return journey, the carriage curtains remained drawn, and Qingyang didn't bother to open them.

Outside, it was either desolate wilderness or muddy yellow earth. A main road stretched from one end to the other, with constant clanging sounds from both sides.

City dwellers traveling this road found it particularly novel, peering out the windows and gesturing excitedly.

Qingyang traveled it daily, finding it only noisy and dusty.

Another half a month of enduring this, and it would all be over.

Back at Tranquil Lake Cottage, just as she had changed her clothes, Yuan Xuan rushed in to report:

"Palace Mistress, Lingxu City has sent a reply regarding He Xiao."

"Oh?" she said, tucking the newly bought hairpin into her hair bun. "What does it say?"

"He Xiao first appeared in Chiyan State. Our people investigated and found that as soon as he surfaced, he was already by Prince Yue's side. When officials met him, he had already been appointed as the Prince's special envoy," Yuan Xuan continued. "Now Prince Yue is staying in the Yangshan Islands, so we can't question him."

"What about before that? Qingyang frowned. "What did this person do previously, and under what identity did he enter Beijia? When he entered Lingxu City with Bai Ziqi, didn't he say he was from Fu State?"

He Xiao and Bai Ziqi had worked together on the investigation, and as the mastermind, she had naturally conducted a basic background check on He Xiao. However, after He Xiao arrived in Lingxu City, he stopped investigating cases, and Fu Shanyue also entered the capital with him, frequently seeking explanations from the Demon Emperor. Qingyang's attention had been entirely on Fu Shanyue and Bai Ziqi, and she hadn't paid much heed to a minor figure like He Xiao.

Now she knew how misguided she had been then.

"We also sent people to Fu State, but found no record of this person."

Qingyang frowned. "In all of Beijia, can't a single person be found who knows his origins?"

"His past seems to have been erased by some force; it's practically blank."

"Erased?" Qingyang nodded. "It's not impossible."

As long as someone was alive and breathing, they would leave traces in this world. For someone like He Xiao, with a blank past, as if he appeared out of thin air, he most likely had a disreputable past to conceal.

"But we also made another discovery," Yuan Xuan said. "The fluorescent spores that illuminated the main streets of Lingxu City at the time came from the Demon Nest Swamp on the border of Fu State. They were—they were produced by the giant spider queen, Zhu Erniang!"

Why was this information only now being reported back to Qingyang, the Imperial Regent? Because it was time-consuming and laborious; to dig so deeply into He Xiao's background, they had to send people to Fu State for an on-site investigation.

Various fragmented clues had to be collected before they could be submitted to Qingyang.

This piece of information made Qingyang's expression change. "What! Did you say Zhu Erniang?"

Who or rather, what spider was Zhu Erniang?

She was the giant spider queen Qingyang had pursued in Mount Xu!

Qingyang had originally been imprisoned in the back dungeon of Mount Xu, but due to the urgency of the situation, she had been released to manipulate vital energy and pursue the intruder.

At that time, it was this spider queen who had rendezvoused with the masked person who caused chaos in the Heavenly Palace, and then fled frantically, escaping Qingyang and Baizhantian's pursuit.

While fluorescent spores were common in Lingxu City, Qingyang had been extremely busy at the time and had no mind to pay attention to their origin. She had no interest in inquiring about such minor details.

But upon hearing this today, she immediately felt something was wrong.