Yuan Zhao, who had been watching from the teahouse, suddenly grew tense. She sprang to her feet, her face etched with unease.
"What's going on? Isn't the National Preceptor supposed to be in the palace with the emperor, setting up an altar to pray and in seclusion for three days? By all accounts, he shouldn't be here now!"
"What shall we do? If the National Preceptor is here, won't our play be exposed?"
"Shen Qing! What should we do next?!"
Yuan Zhao didn't know whether to stand or sit. Her palms were sweating with nervousness as she urgently turned to Shen Qing for advice.
But Shen Qing merely stared intently at the magnificent carriage surrounded by black - armored guards. There was no trace of emotion in her eyes. "Yuan Zhao, don't be in a hurry. Let's wait and see first..."
She knew that the so - called National Preceptor, Yuan Tongtian, was just a pawn pushed forward by Han Ze. His cultivation was mediocre. He was only trusted by the emperor because of Han Ze's calculations and magic treasures.
If they were only dealing with the National Preceptor, Shen Qing was confident that Xue Ling and Li Xian would be more than enough.
The stage Shen Qing had set up was not only to introduce Xue Ling as the Holy Monk to the common people but also to clear the Ling family of their unjust accusations through the identity of the Holy Monk.
At the same time, she intended to introduce someone to oppose the National Preceptor, forcing out the forces behind him so that they could be eradicated once and for all.
Although Yuan Zhao was worried, seeing Shen Qing's calm and confident demeanor, her heart gradually settled.
At this moment, she had no choice but to trust Shen Qing.
The magnificent carriage slowly rolled up to the execution platform and then came to a halt.
The rain mixed with the dust on the ground was crushed by the carriage wheels, leaving behind a series of tracks.
There was a bell hanging from each corner of the carriage. As the carriage moved, the bells jingled merrily.
The torrential rain didn't touch the magnificent carriage at all. It seemed as if there was a barrier around it, keeping the rain out.
Seeing this, Shen Qing felt a twinge of curiosity about the National Preceptor. He was making such a grand show, probably assuming that there were no cultivators here who could expose his shoddy tricks.
Relying on the emperor's trust, he regarded himself as the second most powerful person under the emperor.
After the carriage stopped, a young man's voice came from inside: "Monk on the stage, may I ask where you studied and which sect you belong to? Please state your name."
Li Xian held an oil - paper umbrella and stood beside Xue Ling.
Xue Ling didn't expect the owner of the carriage not to get out but instead to fire a series of questions at him. He was a bit caught off guard.
It was Li Xian who gently nudged him from behind that made Xue Ling come to his senses.
But instead of answering the questions from inside the carriage, he countered, "Before asking questions, shouldn't you state your name first?"
There was no response from inside the carriage for a long time. After a while, a black - armored guard knelt beside the carriage, and two others stepped forward to open the carriage door.
A slender, fair hand reached out and lifted the carriage curtain.
A young and handsome man in a Taoist robe, holding a whisk, slowly emerged from the carriage. He stepped on the back of the black - armored guard and got off the carriage.
As soon as he got off, a black - armored guard immediately held an umbrella over him, making sure not a single drop of rain touched him.
The man was dressed simply, with a faint smile on his lips. This was different from what Shen Qing had imagined the National Preceptor to be like. There was not a trace of demonic energy on him, and his smile was pure.
With a wave of his whisk, he looked like an otherworldly expert. No wonder he could deceive the common people and the emperor.
When the common people saw this young man, they all knelt down and bowed, shouting, "Your Excellency the National Preceptor! The National Preceptor has come in person!"
But the National Preceptor didn't rush to talk to Xue Ling. Instead, he turned back to the carriage and asked, "Aren't you getting out of the carriage?"
A soft laugh came from inside the carriage. The person inside lifted the curtain with a folding fan and then stepped out of the carriage.
When Yuan Zhao saw the man's face, she was so flustered that she accidentally knocked over her teacup and exclaimed, "Third皇兄! Why is he here too!"
"Third皇兄? Is this the Third Prince?"
Shen Qing saw that the man was imposing, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe and wearing an exquisite jade crown. His eyebrows and eyes bore a faint resemblance to Yuan Zhao's.
Now Yuan Zhao looked extremely worried. "The National Preceptor is the emperor's blade, tasked with dealing with the Ling family. The Third Prince has long coveted the Ling family's power. As long as the Ling family exists, his protégés and officials will never have a chance to rise. With these two together, it's really bad for the Ling family..."
Seeing Yuan Zhao's strange expression, Shen Qing asked, "Are you very familiar with the Third Prince?"
She had thought that Yuan Zhao didn't understand much about court affairs, but when it came to the Third Prince, Yuan Zhao could talk eloquently, clearly stating the Third Prince's motives and influence.
Yuan Zhao glanced at Shen Qing, looking a bit embarrassed. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "The Third Prince and I... are siblings of the same mother. He's my older brother..."
Hearing this, Shen Qing and Hong Chaoyang exchanged a surprised look. They didn't expect that the attitudes of this brother - sister pair towards the Ling family were like polar opposites.
Seeing Shen Qing and Hong Chaoyang fall silent at the same time, Yuan Zhao also felt a bit awkward. "The relationship between the Third Prince and me is rather complicated. I'll explain it to you in detail... when I get the chance later..."
For now, the most important thing was to see how Xue Ling and Li Xian would handle the situation.
The heavy rain lasted for only two quarters of an hour before it gradually subsided into a gentle drizzle.
Even though the common people were already soaked, they still didn't want to leave. They wanted to see who would come out on top, the National Preceptor or this suddenly - appeared monk.
In other words, who didn't love a bit of gossip?
"Monk, do you know that the crimes of the Ling family were personally judged by the emperor? Your words are questioning the emperor. According to the law, you could be thrown into jail."
In front of the National Preceptor, Li Xian and Xue Ling deliberately concealed their true cultivation levels, suppressing them to the Qi - Refining stage. So the National Preceptor didn't take them seriously.
In his eyes, Xue Ling and Li Xian were just accomplices of the Ling family, overconfident people who thought they could save the Ling family just because they had a little magic.
Xue Ling folded his hands together again. "Benefactor, with just a few words, you've put me in a difficult position and convicted me."
"National Preceptor, everyone has two eyes, two ears, and one mouth, but because of what they see, hear, and say, there are distinctions between humans, ghosts, beasts, and demons."
"Just by looking at your face, National Preceptor, I can tell that you're blind - eyed, heart - less, and spouting filth. You're no better than a ghost or a beast and simply not fit for the stage."
The National Preceptor was stunned by Xue Ling's scathing insults.
He didn't expect that this monk, who looked so serene, could be so sharp - tongued. He was at a loss for words for a moment.
Yuan Zhao was also taken aback by Xue Ling's words and stammered, "Thank goodness I've always treated him with courtesy. Otherwise, I'd be called a beast by him too."