Chapter 1660: Not Worth One-Tenth of You

The more than two hundred palace guards behind Qingyang were all subordinates of Bai Hengbo, and the sight of his severed head made them tremble with fear. The operation hadn't even begun, and their leader was already dead. What were they to do next?

Should they continue? Could they even continue?

Imperial guards surrounded them, swords glinting and spears casting shadows.

King Yao roared, "You beast, kneel now!"

Having ruled for decades, he exuded an imposing aura when he glared, his beard and hair bristling. Even Bai Hengbo's two lieutenants felt their hearts pound. The situation seemed completely one-sided; the Regent had been exposed. Was there any chance of victory?

The palace guards looked towards the lieutenants. Seeing no signal from them, seven or eight individuals quickly weighed their options and were about to kneel.

These individuals had their backs to Qingyang.

With a few soft sounds, before their knees could touch the ground, blood bloomed from their chests!

The atmosphere in the courtyard froze. The other palace guards who had considered kneeling no longer dared. Qingyang addressed the two lieutenants, "Bai Hengbo is dead. You will take his place. The moment to test your resolve has arrived!"

The current numbers of allies and enemies were not vastly different, and these two lieutenants had also participated in the Bai family's secret discussions, knowing the power supporting their side. Furthermore, rebellion was a crime punishable by extermination of the entire clan; failure meant certain death.

At this juncture, they could only commit to this path to the very end!

They gritted their teeth immediately, declaring, "We swear to follow Your Excellency, the Regent, until death!"

More than half of the men chosen by Bai Hengbo were followers of Miaozhantian and had already sworn oaths beforehand. Hearing the words "test your resolve," their blood surged, and they too cried out, "We swear to follow Your Excellency, the Regent, until death!"

"That old witch, she won't shed a tear until she sees the coffin." King Yao, annoyed, was about to speak but then heard Qingyang ask him, "How did you know we were making our move tonight? Who leaked the information?"

"Who dug up the clue about Shi Songwei?"

King Yao sneered, "Isn't the Regent omniscient? You tell me."

Qingyang could guess it with her eyes closed: "He Xiao?"

A twitch in King Yao's cheek was noticed by Qingyang.

She was right.

As expected. She had felt all along that this series of events tonight seemed orchestrated, as if she was being led by the nose.

Someone was manipulating things from the shadows!

In Flashgold Plain, she couldn't think of anyone else capable of such a feat.

Qingyang sighed, "So He Xiao never even entered the palace. After stirring up trouble, he escaped at the last moment, and you can't find him, can you?"

King Yao sneered.

Qingyang looked at him, her tone filled with disappointment, as if scolding him for being weak: "You truly have been manipulated by Emperor Jiuyou, turning in circles, and you won't realize it even until death. I warned you long ago that this person harbored ill intentions. If you trusted him, you would surely face great misfortune."

King Yao's face turned ashen. "You're calling the thief a thief! He Xiao's malicious intent is not even a fraction of yours! How have I wronged you, or how has Yao Country wronged you, that you wish to plunge it into chaos and war?"

He knew that He Xiao harbored ill intentions. But the real threat, the one truly malicious towards Yao Country, was Qingyang and Beijia!

Yet, this old woman acted as if she was heartbroken, as if he were the true culprit responsible for Yao Country's destruction. How preposterous!

Qingyang calmly said, "I am merely the Regent. It is not I who wishes to plunge it into chaos and war. Do you still not understand?"

What was this talk of righting wrongs or apologizing? She had never taken Yao Country seriously, nor King Yao's offenses.

King Yao frowned.

What did she mean, it wasn't her? Was it Beijia then?

He saw torches gathering nearby, heading towards them. The other palace guards had finally arrived to protect him.

Enough. He must kill her quickly to avert today's disaster.

"Today, this Frost Immortal Hall will be your grave!"

Before he could finish his last word, the Fourth Prince suddenly tugged at his robe, "Father, I... I don't feel well."

"Don't feel well?" King Yao turned to look, only to see his son's face pale and his breathing rapid. Illuminated by the luminous spores under the eaves, more than a dozen black lines were emerging from beneath his neck, inside his skin, and extending upwards.

King Yao first pointed at Qingyang and ordered, "Kill her!"

Then he turned to the Fourth Prince, urgently asking, "What's wrong?"

"My right side is numb," Prince Rui said with increasing difficulty. He had felt something was wrong moments ago but hadn't dared to interrupt his father's conversation with Qingyang. As a result, his body's reaction had worsened. "The Regent... just now, she patted my shoulder."

King Yao was greatly alarmed. Disregarding everything else, he reached out and tore open his son's collar.

Prince Rui's right shoulder showed no apparent wound, yet from his shoulder to his chest and beneath his ribs, his skin had turned grayish-brown and was cracking slightly, like tree bark.

King Yao reached out and touched it; it was stiff and hard.

It not only looked like wood but felt like wood too.

"How could you let her pat your shoulder!" King Yao exclaimed, greatly alarmed, his eyes spitting fire as he glared at Qingyang. "What have you done to my son now?!"

His eldest son had died because of that witch, and now today she had targeted his fourth son!

With national vengeance and family hatred, he swore he would not rest until he had flayed her alive!

"It's merely a Wood Transformation Spell, a type of divine art." Qingyang fought, yet still had enough energy to answer questions. "Within an hour, he will become a wooden figure, completely, from the inside out!"

"Cure him of this poison!" King Yao said through gritted teeth, making a promise against his will. "Then I will spare your life!"

"So generous?" Qingyang chuckled. "Unfortunately, I cannot undo it."

King Yao was both shocked and enraged. "You..."

"This is a divine art; you must implore the gods for a cure."

At this point, Qingyang recalled something else.

When the three parties had discussed the plan beforehand, Bai Tan had suggested implanting a divine art on the Fourth Prince. With the imperial physicians helpless, King Yao would have no choice but to take Prince Rui to the temple to seek help from Miaozhantian.

During this process, King Yao would leave the palace, depart from the peculiar Frost Immortal Hall and Jade Spring Palace, and then enter Miaozhantian's temple to pray.

The Goddess Temple was no ordinary place; one couldn't simply barge in with thousands of soldiers.

Therefore, the number of guards King Yao could bring into the temple would be limited. If Bai Tan made his move there, his chances of success would greatly increase.

Everything would then be simple.

The proposal was perfect, but it was immediately rejected by the other two parties:

"No."

"Unsuitable."

Envoy Liang said no because "a temple is not a slaughterhouse; a nation's sovereign cannot be harmed here!"

"What kind of joke is that? If a monarch were harmed in a temple, especially if the deity or divine attendant were the mastermind, which country in Flashgold Plain would dare allow temples to be established in their capital city in the future? Which monarch would dare enter a temple to pray?"

Divine grace needed to be widely spread, and this could not happen without the strong support of the monarchy and political power.

Therefore, it was a matter of principle: Miaozhantian could not lure King Yao to his death within its own temple. It had to maintain the sanctity, majesty, and safety of its temples, rather than coveting short-term or national gains.

Qingyang, on the other hand, disagreed with Bai Tan's suggestion because "King Yao is suspicious and selfish; at most, he would send someone to take the Fourth Prince to the temple, but he would never leave the palace himself."