At this moment, the scapegoat arranged in advance by Spirit Hall finally began to act. His cultivation level had reached the realm of Soul Douluo.
Soon after, he was "discovered" at just the right moment by soul masters searching the city. That marked the beginning of a massive manhunt across the entire capital. Though the Heaven Dou imperial family had no Titled Douluo, they possessed a number of powerful Soul Douluo, each one formidable in their own right.
A battle broke out between them and the scapegoat. In the end, after a carefully staged "mistake," the scapegoat was killed.
Once the report of the killer's death came in, a heavy, suffocating atmosphere spread through the entire palace. Everyone understood: the soul master who had been killed was just a pawn. Now that the scapegoat was dead, the true mastermind had long since covered all traces. It was now absolutely impossible to trace the real culprit.
Meanwhile, Ning Fengzhi, accompanied by Gu Rong, was on his way to Heaven Dou City. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always supported the royal family. With Emperor Xue Ye assassinated, he had to personally investigate the situation. If necessary, he would support Xue Qinghe's ascension. The Heaven Dou Empire could not be thrown into chaos.
When Ning Fengzhi arrived at the imperial palace, the air was deathly still.
"Teacher, you're here," Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, greeted him hoarsely, feigning grief.
"How is it?! Was the killer caught?"
"He's dead."
"Dead?! How did he die?" Ning Fengzhi asked in surprise.
"During the pursuit, the soul master made a mistake and was killed by one of the imperial protectors."
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, acting as if she hated the Soul Douluo who struck the final blow.
"A mistake? More like an intentional kill to bury the truth."
Ning Fengzhi's expression darkened. He looked at Qian Renxue and asked in a low voice:
"Do you have any guesses? Who is most likely behind this?"
His mind was already spinning. Who would dare assassinate a healthy emperor in his prime?
Yet he didn't suspect Qian Renxue at all. Even though she, masquerading as Xue Qinghe, stood to gain the most, his suspicions went toward the Star Luo Empire, Spirit Hall, or certain imperial ministers.
"I'm not sure. But if I had to guess... probably someone from Spirit Hall. My father always said Spirit Hall's been meddling in the war between Heaven Dou and Star Luo. They don't want the two empires to unify—maybe because they're eyeing both and want to create a new empire of their own. Of course, that was just Father's speculation. We never confirmed it."
Qian Renxue shook her head as she spoke, trying to clear herself of suspicion by even revealing part of Spirit Hall's plan.
"Spirit Hall…?"
Ning Fengzhi furrowed his brow. He had long known that Spirit Hall meddled in continental politics, but he always thought it was just to maintain peace and balance. After hearing this, however, the possibility suddenly felt very real.
Still—why kill Emperor Xue Ye?
While the theory seemed plausible, Chen Xin was even more confused. Xue Ye wasn't a tyrant, but he wasn't a visionary either—just a stable, capable ruler. He had no grand ambition and posed no real threat to Spirit Hall. If anything, they should've assassinated the ambitious Star Luo Emperor instead.
Was it meant to provoke a war between the two empires?
If so, then the scapegoat should've been planted with Star Luo insignia. That would have been more convincing.
As Ning Fengzhi fell into deep thought, Qian Renxue's heart suddenly clenched. She realized this might be going in the wrong direction, so she quickly added:
"Of course, it's possible that Spirit Hall had nothing to do with it. It could've been the Star Luo Empire too. Everyone knows the two empires have long been at odds."
"What about Grand Marshal Ge Long's opinion?"
"The Grand Marshal said he didn't dare to speculate. He only urged me to ascend the throne as quickly as possible, to stabilize the empire."
Ning Fengzhi nodded.
"Then Your Highness, ascend without delay. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will fully support you."
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. She quickly bowed.
"Many thanks, Teacher!"
Within just one week, Emperor Xue Ye was buried in the royal mausoleum, and Qian Renxue's enthronement ceremony as Xue Qinghe proceeded smoothly.
Thanks to the help of Ning Fengzhi and Ge Long, who were still in the dark, even if Xue Xing and Xue Beng had objections, they could do nothing but grit their teeth and watch as Qian Renxue officially claimed the throne.
When Xu Yang and Chen Xin returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the first news they heard was of Xue Qinghe's coronation.
"What?! Teacher, you're saying Emperor Xue Ye is dead—and Xue Qinghe has become the emperor?!"
Xu Yang was stunned, blinking at Ning Fengzhi. Inwardly, he muttered:
"That timing doesn't make sense... wasn't this supposed to happen five years from now?"
Ning Fengzhi sighed with a heavy expression.
"A week ago, Xue Ye was assassinated. The killer was slain that same day. For the sake of the empire's stability, the best course of action was to have His Majesty ascend the throne immediately."
"But we still don't know who was behind it—Spirit Hall, Star Luo Empire, or another faction..."
He let out another deep sigh, clearly shaken. Even though the sect had always supported Qian Renxue's claim, Xue Ye's death was never part of the plan.
He had spent the past week trying to make sense of it—but it just didn't sit right.
Madam Ning placed a plate of fruits in front of Xu Yang. Glancing at her husband, she rolled her eyes and said:
"He's been like this all week. The empire is stable, the coronation's done—why is he still brooding?"
Xu Yang picked up a fruit resembling an apple, took a bite, and said calmly:
"It was Spirit Hall. They assassinated Emperor Xue Ye so that Xue Qinghe could ascend early."
All four of them—Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Madam Ning, and Gu Rong—snapped their heads toward him in shock.
"Why?!" they asked in unison.
They waited for Xu Yang's explanation. They wanted to know why he was so certain that Spirit Hall was behind it, and why they would want the current emperor to ascend now.
Since he had decided to speak, Xu Yang didn't hold back. He revealed everything about Qian Renxue and Spirit Hall's plan.
"Because Xue Qinghe isn't Xue Qinghe. He's actually Qian Renxue, daughter of Spirit Hall's previous Supreme Pontiff and the inheritor of the Seraphim Martial Soul. The reason they assassinated Xue Ye early was likely due to the last battle at Spirit City. The strength displayed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect made Spirit Hall uneasy—so they acted ahead of schedule."
The room went silent.
The truth hit like a thunderclap. Even Chen Xin, who normally paid little attention to royal politics, couldn't fully digest it.
After all, he was a citizen of the Heaven Dou Empire too. And like any patriot, he had hoped the empire would become better—not fall into Spirit Hall's hands.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin