Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 606 - 29: Accidentally Unearthed a Big Secret

As the saying goes in the Jianghu World, the older you get, the smaller your guts become.

If one were to say that when Li Mumu first traveled through time, she found everything new and wanted to try everything,

Then now, after having become a seasoned Tianmen Youtiao... This description might not be entirely accurate, but indeed after many experiences, Li Mumu had become very timid.

The moment Xia Yubing said "Let’s go," Li Mumu didn’t hesitate for a second and threw the Blood River Map behind her.

There was a change, time to bolt!

Although she didn’t know what problem Sister Bingbing had discovered, at that moment, Li Mumu chose to trust Xia Yubing’s judgment.

The Blood River Map turned into a mist that enveloped the three of them, while Xia Yubing reached out with both hands and gently tapped the armrest of the Eight Immortals chair they were seated on, instantly causing a gust of cold wind behind them as a bronze Ghost Gate slowly opened.

Steward Li raised his hand to steady the panicked young man’s shoulders, stepping back with him and spoke, "Your Majesties..."

The red light dissipated, the Ghost Gate vanished, and the three seated figures had disappeared without a trace.

"What... what just happened?"

The young man, still unsettled, turned to look at Steward Li. He had been rudely roused from bed, and before he even had the chance to speak, they had run off. What was going on?

With a calm smile, Steward Li said, "His Majesty need not worry. Presumably, it was the awe of His Majesty’s imperial dragon aura that frightened off those demons and evil spirits."

"Ah? Imperial dragon aura? Me?"

"As everyone has already left, I would ask His Majesty to return and rest."

......

With a faint glimmer, Xia Yubing and Li Mumu, along with a completely befuddled Shen Qingxi, appeared in a dark corner two streets away from the Xia Mansion.

Xia Yubing unobtrusively put away the Bronze Mirror in her hand.

The blood fog and Ghost Gate were merely diversions to block the line of sight; her true method of escape was the Mirror Travel Technique she was most familiar with.

"What’s the situation?"

No sooner had Shen Qingxi’s feet touched the ground than she eagerly asked, "Why did we have to run?"

"The Emperor is not right."

Xia Yubing succinctly answered.

"What do you mean, ’The Emperor is not right’?"

"He’s not the Emperor I know."

"Why would you know the Emperor?"

Shen Qingxi looked at Xia Yubing in surprise: "Even I haven’t been to the Xia Mansion many times. I’ve only ever seen the imperial concubines and that Steward Li. Today was the first time I saw the true face of the Emperor..."

"Because my surname is Xia."

"Gasp--!"

Shen Qingxi let out an exclamation like a startled cat: "You’re also part of the Imperial Clan?"

Xia Yubing shook her head, "Having the surname Xia does not necessarily mean one is of the Imperial Clan, but indeed, because of my surname, I did enter the palace and saw the young Emperor once before. The person we saw earlier, though there were some resemblances in the facial features to the one I met back then, I’m certain he is not the same person."

"Could it not be a possibility that he was the Emperor’s body double? Given our sudden, unexpected visit, it seems understandable that the Emperor would use a double for his safety, right?"

Shen Qingxi didn’t press Xia Yubing about her background; instead, she made a more logical suggestion.

"It’s indeed possible, but the reason I decided to leave immediately wasn’t just because of this impostor Emperor. Miss Shen, how much do you know about this Steward Li, who offered us tea earlier?"

"Hmm... I can’t say I know much about him. Is he some kind of expert?"

Shen Qingxi pondered for a moment before resolutely giving up.

Xia Yubing still furrowed her brows and said, "Do you think the Emperor is short of eunuchs to serve him?"

Shen Qingxi was at a loss for words.

The Emperor would never be short of eunuchs. Logically, no matter how dire the living conditions, it would not come down to a bearded man to take on the role of manager of the Inner Court, nor were their living conditions that desperate.

This was a matter of face.

"Being a steward, yet not a eunuch, there is only one possibility—he must be of the Imperial Clan. But since his surname is Li, it suggests he is nothing more than Prince Consort or the like from the external relatives."

Xia Yubing spoke seriously, "His unique status, along with that surname, reminded me of someone."

"Who?"

"I can’t mention his name. You just need to know, crushing the three of us would be as simple as squashing ants to him."

Li Mumu looked towards Shen Qingxi.

"Don’t look at me, I’ve never heard of him either!"

Shen Qingxi shivered belatedly, "Doesn’t that mean we just took a tour around Yama Hall’s doorstep? Why would such a powerful figure guard a deposed emperor from a Former Dynasty and obediently serve as a steward here?"

"Because he is a Prince Consort. In terms of relationship, he should be that little emperor’s uncle... In fact, I’ve always wondered why, after those remnants of the Former Dynasty moved to Tianmen, the President didn’t worry at all about them causing trouble, and they’ve actually stayed quite orderly, as if they had all renounced worldly desires and resentments overnight."

Xia Yubing sighed, "If it’s that person overseeing Xia Mansion, then all these questions can be explained. With him here, the President can rest easy, and the Imperial Clan need not worry about the new government’s retribution. As for those with ulterior motives... any conspiracy is insignificant under the suppression of absolute force."

Shen Qingxi expressed her amazement, "Then, according to what you’re saying, isn’t the direction of my previous conjectures all wrong?"

"Not entirely wrong. At least, the person we met just now did admit, more or less, that there is a problem with the Wei Family."

"What if he said that on purpose?"

"You’re overthinking it. We aren’t worthy of them playing mind games with us."

"Then..."

Shen Qingxi hesitated for a moment, "If we can’t investigate Xia Mansion further, then we only have the Wei Family to..."

"No, actually, the clues at Xia Mansion are already quite clear."

Xia Yubing looked towards Li Mumu, "If the emperor of Xia Mansion is a fake, then where would the real emperor be?"

"Thousand-Year Dynasty World..."

Li Mumu instantly grasped the underlying meaning of Xia Yubing’s words.

In the real world, whether it’s the dethroned little emperor from the Former Dynasty or the Imperial Jade Seal... to put it in a way that the Former Dynasty loyalists wouldn’t like to hear, they’re actually worthless.

In today’s world of guns and gunpowder, what good is legitimacy? Can the rightful lineage of the Imperial Clan be worth several divisions?

Where would it be of any value then?

Piecing all these clues together, the answer seemed almost ready to present itself.

Thousand-Year Dynasty World.

Or rather, the world that longs to sustain the Thousand-Year Dynasty.

Shen Qingxi looked left and right, her patience wearing thin, "What kind of riddles are you two playing at? I’m a Sect Hierarch, a Sect Hierarch! You can’t keep this from me!"

Xia Yubing arched an eyebrow, "Hasn’t your interest group ever been to the Thousand-Year Dynasty? Where did you train?"

Shen Qingxi immediately became evasive, stammering her response.