This was precisely what Lin Yu Ran wanted to hear.
She subtly curved her lips, picking up a fruit with her slender fingers and popping it into her mouth. "Did you find out anything else?"
Xiao Ya pondered for a moment before hurriedly replying, "Feng Xing hasn't been seen these past few days. I heard Feng girl sent him to bribe the commoners, planning to have them speak well of her on the day of the wager."
"Pfft."
Lin Yu Ran let out a dismissive laugh as if she had heard a joke. "What's the use of asking those commoners to speak well? As long as no one can find a way to wake the people up, no amount of good words will matter."
Ji Bin Yu leaned back casually, his posture languid. "If she can get commoners to speak well, we can also get commoners to speak. As the empress, failing to resolve this matter smoothly means failing to share the burdens of her people. Such a person is not fit to be empress."
Even if they couldn't win the wager, if the empress couldn't alleviate her people's worries, they would have a way to deal with Feng Ning He.
Lin Yu Ran slightly raised her eyelids, looking at him with a hint of approval. "Not bad. Regardless of the wager's outcome, she's destined to lose!"
Ji Bin Yu glanced at Xiao Ya and waved her away gently. "You may leave. Inform me immediately if there's any news."
Upon receiving the order, Xiao Ya quickly responded and turned to leave.
The palace doors closed.
Lin Yu Ran could no longer contain her impatience and quickly spoke, "Bin Yu, if the man in black is Feng Ning He's person, she would surely have a way to deal with us by now, and wouldn't be so flustered."
Ji Bin Yu looked at her with slight approval. "The gourd bottle was likely taken by the man in black's associate. As for Feng Ning He, as long as she can't wake those girls up, we've already won."
Lin Yu Ran's brow furrowed at this moment. "Bin Yu, I just don't know who that man in black is."
The man in black's cultivation was above theirs.
This person seemed to know them inside and out.
Mentioning the man in black, Ji Bin Yu's expression darkened. "The enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light. There's no telling when this person might make a move. We must be more vigilant."
Lin Yu Ran clenched her delicate fists. "My current cultivation is far from enough. I must improve quickly and gather more souls."
Understanding her intention, Ji Bin Yu generously reached out and gently patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Yu Ran, don't worry. I've already sent people to gather souls from outside Lin country. No one will suspect us."
This was precisely what Lin Yu Ran wanted to hear.
She slowly nodded, her unease not diminishing in the slightest. "With Feng Ning He's return, those old fossils in the court are overjoyed. If I want to ascend the throne, this woman must die. We need to find a way to take her life."
Ji Bin Yu picked up his tea and drank it in one gulp, his well-defined fingers rubbing the rim of the cup. His voice deepened slightly. "I might have a method that could work. We can try it."
Hearing that there was a method, Lin Yu Ran's eyes lit up with intense interest, and she quickly leaned closer...
Time passed swiftly, and the seven-day wager drew ever nearer.
The moon hung high in the night sky.
In the room.
Feng Ning He sat serenely.
Bai Nian Nian strode into the room. She didn't close the door and approached Feng Ning He with a hint of melancholy. "Master, tomorrow is the appointed day, yet we have no clues whatsoever. It won't be easy to win."
Seeing Bai Nian Nian's troubled expression, Feng Ning He smiled dismissively, her eyes holding a touch of fearlessness. "It's alright. We haven't found any clues, but Lin Yu Ran hasn't made any progress either. We might not lose."
Bai Nian Nian subtly glanced towards the direction of the room's entrance.
At the doorway, a dark figure was lurking.
Upon seeing the dark figure, a smile involuntarily spread across Bai Nian Nian's face, and her voice became noticeably louder. "Master, you're right. Even if we find nothing, you are the one chosen by the Imperial Seal. Only those chosen by the Imperial Seal are worthy of the empress's position. Others shouldn't even think about it."
Feng Ning He smiled and agreed, "Indeed, only I am recognized by the Imperial Seal."
Only after the figure at the door had completely disappeared did Feng Ning He raise her hand and conjure a formation.
She looked up at Bai Nian Nian. "With this formation, outsiders cannot hear us speak. You can speak freely now."
Bai Nian Nian quickly sat down, a hint of anger on her face. "Master, why did Xiao Ya betray us? We treated her well, and even saved her life."
Facing the question, Feng Ning He's expression didn't change much. She calmly raised her eyes to look at Bai Nian Nian. "The human heart is unpredictable."
Ever since she had been betrayed, she had been cautious in everything.
As for Xiao Ya, she had never trusted her from the beginning.
Bai Nian Nian bit her lip, a trace of resentment lingering in her eyes. "Master, if she didn't still have some use, I would truly want to expel her from here!"
Looking at the angry Bai Nian Nian, Feng Ning He smiled and said with a hint of coldness, "Nian Nian, the human heart is the most unpredictable. Moreover, Xiao Ya and us never had a deep connection. She came to us later."
If Xiao Ya and Aunt Chen hadn't pleaded so earnestly, they wouldn't have taken Xiao Ya in.
Bai Nian Nian nodded earnestly, her beautiful face showing a hint of seriousness. "Master is right. It's just that the thought of her betraying us makes my heart ache a little."
Along the way, she had taken care of Xiao Ya quite a bit.
Xiao Ya's cultivation was low, so she had put in extra effort.
Whenever there was good food, Xiao Ya would share a portion with her.
Looking at the dejected Bai Nian Nian, Feng Ning He gazed at her quietly, her voice noticeably softer. "It's not worth worrying about someone as insignificant as her."
She hadn't even considered Xiao Ya important from the start.
In the courtyard.
Xiao Ya carried tea and left Feng Ning He's room, heading towards another room.
She stopped in front of Si Jian Ye's room, her face filled with hesitation and trepidation.
"Do you need something?"
Suddenly, a cold male voice sounded from behind her.
The moment the voice spoke, Xiao Ya's pupils widened considerably, and her heart pounded fiercely in her chest.
She quickly turned her head.
Si Jian Ye was standing behind her. The man's chiseled face was cold, and his indifferent eyes swept over her.
This cold gaze sent a shiver down her spine.
Xiao Ya seemed mesmerized, her eyes fixed on the man.
Si Jian Ye walked past her and pushed open the door.
Seeing him about to leave, Xiao Ya's heart grew anxious, and she quickly called out to him, "King of the Underworld, I want to talk to you about Miss Feng."
In recent days, Si Jian Ye had been indifferent to her, never giving her a pleasant look.
Xiao Ya had no choice but to use Feng Ning He as an excuse to gain an opportunity to be alone with Si Jian Ye.