A moment later, Si Jianye withdrew his gaze, extended a hand, and took Si Xin's hand. "Let's go for a stroll together."
Not far away.
In a spacious, empty alley.
Bai Niannian and Xiao Ya stopped.
There was no one else around, just the two of them.
Bai Niannian had just opened the brocade pouch.
The pouch contained the time and location.
"There are still three hours until the rendezvous time. It's still early."
Bai Niannian put away the brocade pouch and her gaze fell on Xiao Ya. "It is indeed a bit early to go now."
Xiao Ya's eyes rolled in their sockets, and she suggested, "Niannian, why don't we go to the inn to eat something and rest? It won't take long to get to the deserted temple outside the city from here."
Facing the suggestion, Bai Niannian nodded without hesitation. "You're right, then let's go to the inn to rest for a while."
Soon, they arrived at an inn.
In the private room.
Looking at the table full of dishes, Bai Niannian's appetite was whetted, and her cheeks were filled with smiles. "These dishes look very good, eat more."
Xiao Ya picked up some dishes and took a few bites, then poured two cups of wine. She handed one of the cups to Bai Niannian. "Niannian, I'll toast you. Thank you for taking care of me all these days. I've learned a lot by staying by your side."
Facing the thanks, Bai Niannian waved her hand dismissively, her eyes showing a hint of indifference. "You're welcome."
Without hesitation, she drank the wine in one gulp.
As the wine went down, a wave of drowsiness instantly washed over her.
Bai Niannian yawned, unable to resist the drowsiness. "I'm really sleepy, I'll sleep for a while..."
Seeing the unconscious Bai Niannian, Xiao Ya quickly reached out and gently shook her body. "Niannian, we still have important matters to attend to. It's not time to sleep yet, wake up quickly."
No matter how much she shook, Bai Niannian showed no signs of waking up.
A smile appeared on Xiao Ya's face, and she carefully left the place.
Creak—
The door to the private room was closed.
Bai Niannian, who had been slumped on the table, unconscious, opened her eyes at this moment.
She suddenly spat out some wine, and a piece of paper appeared in her hand.
This note was slipped into her palm by Feng Ninghe when she handed her the brocade pouch.
The note was filled with a few words: Be careful of Xiao Ya.
Bai Niannian didn't know what this meant, but she kept it in mind.
It wasn't until Xiao Ya drugged her just now that she understood her master's intentions.
Bai Niannian quickly put away the note and couldn't help but mutter softly, "As expected of Master, her foresight is so accurate."
*
The Imperial Palace.
In a study, Ji Binyu was holding a book.
Xiao Ya stood respectfully before him. "General, there is news."
Ji Binyu raised his eyes slightly and turned his gaze to Xiao Ya. "Oh? What news?"
Xiao Ya dared not delay and quickly recounted what she knew. "It is said that the one who absorbed souls was a young master. Someone had seen this young master's appearance, and Miss Feng sent people to intercept him."
"What?"
Ji Binyu put down the book in his hand, his expression slightly solemn, and a few glints flashed in his eyes. "What do you mean? How did you know that the soul absorber was a young master?"
Xiao Ya moved her lips and explained softly, "This matter goes back to Chen Family Village."
Mentioning Chen Family Village, Ji Binyu's eyes darkened, his sharp gaze fixed on Xiao Ya. "Chen Family Village? What does this have to do with Chen Family Village?"
Xiao Ya recounted everything that had happened to them in Chen Family Village.
They learned from the clues that the mastermind was a young master.
Coincidentally, someone around the High Priest had seen the young master's face. Perhaps through this person, they could capture this so-called young master.
"Feng Ninghe was involved in the Chen Family Village incident, obtained souls from the High Priest, and released all the imprisoned girls?" Ji Binyu raised an eyebrow, his eyes cold, and his male voice deepened as he spoke.
He had sent many people to follow, but they had found nothing. He didn't even know who had taken down the High Priest.
So it was Feng Ninghe who had disrupted his plan.
Xiao Ya nodded heavily. "Miss Feng is quite capable, to be able to investigate all this clearly. If she finds the young master, she can wake up all those girls. Then the crisis will be resolved, and she can still firmly hold the position of Empress."
Feng Ninghe had a close relationship with Si Jianye.
If this woman were no longer the Empress, would the King of Hell not treat her as warmly as he did now?
Xiao Ya gritted her teeth secretly. Since someone wanted to deal with Feng Ninghe, what harm was there in her passing on some information?
Ji Binyu snorted dully, a hint of deep meaning creeping into his eyes. "Where is the rendezvous point?"
Xiao Ya replied without hesitation, "Huanglin Temple outside the city."
Having obtained the desired answer, Ji Binyu waved his hand gently at Xiao Ya. "Alright, I know. You may withdraw."
Xiao Ya couldn't stay away for too long and had to return before Bai Niannian woke up.
She dared not delay and left without a word.
Watching Xiao Ya's retreating back, Ji Binyu's expression turned grim. He summoned a guard and lightly slashed his own neck. "Huanglin Temple outside the city, kill without mercy."
He would not allow any accidents to happen.
Regardless of whether this person had seen his appearance, they must die.
He would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go.
At the inn, in the private room.
Creak—
The door was gently pushed open, and Xiao Ya entered the room.
"Niannian, wake up quickly."
She shook Bai Niannian's body and spoke hurriedly.
Bai Niannian, who had been slumped on the table, slowly opened her eyes, looking at everything before her with a hint of confusion. "Xiao Ya, why did I fall asleep? What time is it now?"
Xiao Ya hurried to say, "Niannian, you fell asleep just now when you said you were sleepy. Two hours have passed now."
Bai Niannian was startled and quickly got up. "It's already been two hours, let's go quickly!"
Xiao Ya nodded repeatedly, followed behind Bai Niannian, and a hint of a smile crept onto her lips...
Outside the city.
The sky was gradually darkening, and the bright moon hung high in the night sky.
The Huanglin Temple at night was desolate and abandoned, with a chilling wind blowing, making one shiver.
Xiao Ya looked around timidly, swallowed, and gently pulled Bai Niannian's sleeve as they walked slowly.
Bai Niannian stopped and stood before a temple. "This is it, let's go in and take a look."
Xiao Ya followed closely behind her, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
Bai Niannian pushed open the temple door.
A dim light was burning inside the temple.
A guard lay on the ground.
The guard lay there with a pale face, a pool of bright red blood on the ground, and the air filled with a strong smell of blood.
"Ah!"
Seeing the body on the ground, Xiao Ya screamed. "Dead... someone's dead!"
Xiao Ya also understood what was happening in an instant.
Perhaps Ji Binyu was the one who acted.
She had thought he would take the person away and question them thoroughly to get useful information.
Unexpectedly, Ji Binyu had taken the person's life.