The Veiled Woman's True Purpose

The slap was incredibly loud, especially jarring in the dark courtyard. The Prefect Tong touched his face, completely dumbfounded.

He was so shocked by the slap that he couldn't recover for a long time. The slap came so suddenly that he remained in that position for a long time.

Why is Xu Bai here, and why has the Wooden Box stopped working?

Actually, it's all very simple; it's just because this Wooden Box uses a clever mechanism.

Xu Bai had already heard the sound of the mechanism inside the Wooden Box Wooden Box clicking as Butler Chen passed by carrying it.

If Fourth Rank Loose Cultivator cannot even hear this much, how can he be worthy of the title? If a martial artist is below the second rank, his True Qi cannot pass through his body, but that does not mean that other professions do not have this ability.

Xu Bai is not a martial artist, and his True Yuan Power is not True Qi.

Mechanisms and such can be manipulated remotely; otherwise, how could they be launched from mid-air?

The only difference is that the person who makes the machine is more familiar with it.

To put it simply, if two people are skilled in craftsmanship, and one of them makes a craft, it will be very difficult for the other person to control it because the person who made the craft is more familiar with it.

But Butler Chen lacked cunning.

Xu Bai has maxed out his mechanical skills.

In comparison, everything seems perfectly logical.

As Butler Chen walked to the gate of the Prefect Tong, Xu Bai had already deciphered the important information inside, rendering the Wooden Box useless.

Taking advantage of the moment when Prefect Tong was still reeling from the slap, Xu Bai didn't waste any time and kicked Butler Chen away.

Butler Chen had lost both hands, but Xu Bai had no intention of keeping him alive; instead, he wanted to get rid of him immediately.

The reason is simple: since they were sent by the other party, they must have already planted a seed in his mind. Trying to find out anything would be completely ineffective; in fact, it would only lead to the immediate death of Butler Chen.

Most importantly, Xu Bai didn't know if the seed would cause Butler Chen's death, and whether the other party would find out.

He has a follow-up plan, so we can't afford any problems in this regard.

Butler Chen was kicked away by Xu Bai, flying into the air with a scream. At this moment, Xu Bai raised his other foot and kicked the Wooden Box into the air at the same time. True Yuan Power surged, and the mechanism in the Wooden Box was activated with a bang.

"Boom!"

The moment the mechanism was activated, the Wooden Box suddenly exploded, and countless fragments burst forth, piercing through Butler Chen's entire body, killing him instantly.

The fragments were area-of-effect attacks, and some flew towards Xu Bai and his group, but their power was greatly reduced due to the distance, and they were easily intercepted.

"Whoosh!"

The Black Saber Hundred Rends, returned to its sheath.

Xu Bai turned his head to look at Prefect Tong, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Do you understand now? Why did I slap you? Even if I slap you again now, you wouldn't dare to stop me."

The Prefect Tong had already recovered, but after seeing the scene before him, he was stunned again, standing there like a piece of rotten wood that could not move for a long time.

If he still couldn't see the subtleties involved by now, he wouldn't be in his current position.

It's obvious that the other party just wanted to kill him, and the reason for wanting to kill him might be related to Xu Bai.

After all, the purpose of Steward Butler Chen's scheme was to frame Xu Bai; he was just used as an excuse.

"I was wrong." Prefect Tong finally lowered his head, his hands hanging at his sides. He looked several years older and had lost his previous arrogance.

He often thought of himself as a scholar and looked down on these rough-and-tumble people from the martial arts world, while Xu Bai himself was born into the martial arts world.

Therefore, he looked down on Xu Bai, and as for the reward, he just thought Xu Bai had gotten lucky.

"Where did we go wrong?" Xu Bai continued to ask.

"The mistake was listening to slander and doing something that violated the principles of a scholar." Prefect Tong a bitter expression, "Lord Xu, you may kill me or torture me, it is entirely up to you."

He had already admitted defeat. If this matter were to reach His Majesty the Emperor, he would be in deep trouble. But since he had already done it, there was no turning back, and he could only choose to silently bear the consequences.

He was well aware of the consequences of listening to slander and plotting against high-ranking officials, even those about to go to the Capital City to receive rewards.

Death is the least of your worries; you might end up in jail and suffer endless torment.

Xu Bai smiled and said calmly, "Actually, I don't want you to be severely punished either, but it all depends on whether you can atone for your sins."

The Prefect Tong had been bracing himself for Xu Bai's furious attack, but upon hearing this, he suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He wondered if he had misheard. Xu Bai was actually letting bygones be bygones and trying to atone for his crimes? "If you want to live, listen to my young master, understand?" Ye Zi said coldly.

"Understood! Understood!" Prefect Tong nodded vigorously. "I will definitely do as Lord Xu says, as long as Lord Xu gives me a chance."

He finally understood that the man in front of him was not someone he could afford to offend, and even with his personality, he now truly bowed his head.

Rising Dusk King made him bow his head, and now, Xu Bai is making him bow his head in the same way.

"From this moment on, you are dead." Xu Bai said abruptly, "According to procedure, if the prefect of a prefecture dies, how is an investigation conducted?"

The Prefect Tong slightly taken aback, but he quickly realized what Xu Bai meant.

What a brilliant plan! This is a scheme to turn the tables on the real mastermind, draw them out, and then follow the clues to eliminate them.

Thinking of this, Prefect Tong also began to answer, "It depends on the situation. In this case, it would obviously be the Bureau of Surveillance that would investigate."

"Very good." Xu Bai said, "Go and handle it. By the way, why is there no one in your Prefectural Office?"

The commotion was so loud, yet there was no sound, which puzzled Xu Bai.

The Prefect Tong was also completely bewildered; under these circumstances, someone should have arrived long ago.

His first wife had passed away, and his only son had been sent to the Academy in Jiangnan Province, so the place was full of servants and yamen runners.

"Let's look for it," Xu Bai said.

The group began searching the Prefectural Office and soon discovered that the people had been drugged and were all unconscious.

After seeing that these people were alright, Xu Bai dispelled his doubts and continued the previous topic, saying, "From now on, you follow your procedures. I will go back to the cell and just arbitrarily convict me of a crime, such as murder. Of course, all of this must be done very carefully. Only someone you trust can do it, and you can't even let the person from the Bureau of Surveillance came over know."

He had already figured it out. Wasn't everything the other party had done just to frame him? Well then, let them frame him.

After framing the other party, he can then see how they react and launch a counterattack. Wouldn't that be wonderful? He's not like Qin Feng, who can't even catch a fish. He's an excellent angler.

"Alright!" Prefect Tong quickly agreed.

This was a good opportunity for him to redeem himself, so he didn't want to let it go.

Xu Bai glanced around; it was getting late. He turned and led Ye Zi toward the prison.

The Prefect Tong gritted his teeth and finally began to do as Xu Bai asked.

Although Xu Bai had given a general direction, he still needed to handle the details. For example, he needed to find a corpse with the same build as him, and make it look bloody and mangled, like someone who had been killed by Wooden Box.

By this time, the night was getting deeper and deeper, and even the night watchman was getting sleepy.

The night was long, and time passed by unnoticed until the next day arrived.

The next day.

Pottery Earth Prefecture is in an uproar!

According to news from the Prefectural Office this morning, the head of the Pottery Earth Prefecture, Prefect Tong, was assassinated last night, and his body was unrecognizable.

It is said that the assassin has been found and is being held in prison.

This news was undoubtedly a bombshell for the people of Pottery Earth Prefecture.

After all, they were just ordinary people, yet they were hearing such explosive news that everyone in the Pottery Earth Prefecture was talking about it. Whether it was during leisure time or in the streets and alleys, the discussions were becoming more and more frequent.

"I heard that the murderer who was arrested was also an official of the imperial court."

"I also heard that the murder occurred because the two had a grudge against each other."

"Our prefect is gone, so the court will probably send in a new one. Besides, that person is still in jail, so they'll definitely have to wait for the new one to arrive before they deal with him."

The streets and alleys were filled with chatter, and among these ordinary people, there was an average-looking man who was listening quietly. After listening, he did not stop, but walked in one direction.

This ordinary-looking man wandered through the streets and alleys, finally arriving at a secluded house.

After looking him over from left to right and making sure he didn't have a tail, the man pushed the door open and entered.

The room was pitch black, and the windows were all sealed off. In the corner of the room, a woman dressed in a light gauze was fixing her hair.

"Master, the plan has succeeded," the man said respectfully, bowing low.

Upon hearing the voice, the woman in the light veil put down the wooden comb in her hand, nodded, and said gently, "Okay, I understand. Now you know why I didn't let you go to the Prefectural Office last night, right?"

"I understand." The man said, "The woman beside Xu Bai has special skills in the realm of spiritual power. If I go, I will be easily discovered, so my master did not send me."

He was very good at hiding. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely have gone to see her with his own eyes. But Xu Bai suddenly had a woman by his side, and she had made achievements in the field of spiritual energy. If she were discovered, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

"Hmm." The woman in the light veil gave a soft "hmm," exuding a languid air, and walked up to the ordinary-looking man.

As she moved, her long, slender legs rubbed against the light gauze, creating a soft, rustling sound.

"Next, it's time to plan the next step."

"I'll send men to assassinate Xu Bai in the prison cell right away," the man said hastily.

Who knew that as soon as he finished speaking, instead of receiving praise from the woman in the light veil, he was met with a stern rebuke.

"Nonsense! Who said you were to assassinate him? That's just the act of a brute. If I really did that, how would I be any different from those fools in the Purple Wood Prefecture?"

The man froze, clearly not having reacted.

If we don't kill Xu Bai, what use is he?

If Xu Bai successfully enters the Capital City, the emperor will have another right-hand man by his side. Wouldn't all the previous efforts have been in vain? "If I wanted to kill him, why would I do all this? All this trouble is just to have someone on our side." The woman in the light veil picked up her long hair from her shoulder and gently wrapped it around her index finger.

"Think about it carefully. Xu Bai is now in a desperate situation. His crimes are almost certainly proven, and his only way out is us."

"As long as he is willing to join us and let me plant the seed, I will help him clear his name. Then, the important figures around the emperor will become our people. Isn't that better than just killing him?"

At this point, the woman in the light veil seemed to think her plan was perfect, and couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hand and chuckle softly.

man. "..."

He hadn't expected his master to make such a decision; it was truly unexpected.

"So... Master means that our next step is to save him?"

The woman in the light veil nodded and said, "Actually, I initially wanted to kill him, but I don't want to anymore. You rescued him, so he has no choice but to go with you. If he doesn't go, he will die. If he goes, it will be a one-way street."

"Yes!" The ordinary-looking man nodded and said, "Then I will take care of it now."

The woman in the light veil waved her fair arm, urging him to hurry up and do it.

After the man left, the woman in the light veil returned to her dressing table, looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror, and couldn't help but reveal a gentle smile.

"Planting a seed... A man like that must be very strong."

She squeezed her legs together and thought to herself.

Everything that happens in this world will inevitably cause some kind of upheaval, big or small, but none of these upheavals can compare to the passage of time.

Time waits for no one; no matter what happens to you, it will keep moving forward.

Throughout the entire day, the Pottery Earth Prefecture was abuzz with discussion, the lively chatter continuing until evening before gradually fading away.

Night fell, and the usual tranquility and peace returned. Apart from the sound of the night watchman's gong, no one else wandered the streets.

A lone kitten rummages through the remaining trash in a street corner.

Suddenly, the kitten raised its head and looked warily into a corner, its fur standing on end.

A dozen or so figures swept across the street, dressed in black, their faces covered with cloth, and carrying various weapons.

The deserted streets became their best cover, allowing them to walk with impunity.

Their target was the Prefectural Office, or more precisely, Xu Bai in the prison.

Xu Bai yawned in his cell, rested his head on Ye Zi's lap, and let Ye Zi press his head down.

The Nameless Saber Scripture was picked up by the Fourth-Rank Puppet and held at eye level with Xu Bai, its progress bar slowly increasing.

The daytime plan was a success. By this time, Prefect Tong had already hidden himself away. He had found a death row inmate in the prison, whose build was similar to Prefect Tong's, and made him look like he was riddled with holes. This had already fooled many people.

As for the other details along the way, Prefect Tong handled them perfectly, and Xu Bai didn't ask about them. After all, if he couldn't even do these things well, he wouldn't be qualified to be the magistrate.

"Young Master, you should rest early." Ye Zi gently stroked Xu Bai's forehead and said, bowing her head.

Her long, black hair fell down, landing right on Xu Bai's face, causing a slight itch.

From Xu Bai's angle, he could only see Ye Zi's eyes; the reason he couldn't see her whole face was because it was just too big.

"It's not needed anymore." Xu Bai suddenly stood up and stared at the corridor outside the cell.

At this moment, Ye Zi also noticed and subconsciously turned her head to look.

In the dark corridor, more than a dozen figures suddenly appeared.

"It seems there are still quite a few people who can't sleep in the middle of the night." Xu Bai squinted and placed his hand on the Black Saber Hundred Rends.

Just then, the leader hurriedly said, "Lord Xu, please don't make a move. We're here to rescue you."

Xu Bai narrowed his eyes slightly.

He thought these people were there to ambush him again, since his plan had already been spread and someone would definitely come. But he didn't expect them to come to rescue him.

"What do you mean?" Xu Bai asked.

Seeing that Xu Bai did not make a move, the leader breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Lord Xu is now on the edge of a cliff with no way out. If you stay here any longer, you will probably die. Why don't you come with us?"

"Who are you people?" Xu Bai asked, frowning. "Are you the ones who specifically want to get rid of me?"

Instead of killing him, they came to save him. First, they need to figure out who these people are.

"To be honest, we can't stand seeing Lord Xu suffer such an injustice." The leader fabricated a reason, saying, "Our people have found some clues that can prove Lord Xu's innocence, but we need time before that, and Lord Xu can't wait any longer, so we asked you to take Lord Xu away first."

Xu Bai raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

There are many aspects of the reason given by the other party that are worth considering.

There are two possibilities: first, the other party was telling the truth and they were not the ones who assassinated him; second, the other party was the one who intercepted him, but had another purpose.

Xu Bai preferred the second option, for no other reason than that he didn't know anyone in the Pottery Earth Prefecture, let alone have any connections.

What the leader just said can be completely ignored.

But if it is indeed the second possibility, what is the other party's purpose in doing these things?

After thinking it over, Xu Bai suddenly thought of a possibility.

Could it be that they're trying to pull me to their side? The more I think about it, the more likely this seems.

Since it has already happened, we might as well go along with the other party's pace.

"Open the door," Xu Bai said.

The leader found it hard to accept that the response was so straightforward and direct.

Xu Bai looked directly at the man and said, "Just like you said, I'm at my wit's end now. If you have a way to help me clear my name, what's wrong with me following you for the time being?"

The leader finally recovered and said, "Alright, then please invite Lord Xu out."

The lock on the door was broken with a knife, and Xu Bai walked out from inside.

After he went outside, he saw that the constables in the corridor were lying on the ground.

"Rest assured, Lord Xu, we did not harm them. After all, our only goal is to clear your Lord Xu," the leader said.

The master said that if you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. If we kill those yamen runners now, it might arouse Xu Bai's suspicion.

Xu Bai smiled and said, "Then please lead the way."

The leader hesitated for a moment, then looked at Ye Zi and the Fourth-Rank Puppet, and asked, "Lord Xu, are these two also coming along?"

"My young master and I will never be separated. Wherever my young master goes, I will go too," Ye Zi said firmly, reaching out to grab Xu Bai's arm.

The leader looked at Xu Bai, and seeing that Xu Bai did not speak, he obviously acquiesced.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and led the way.

Before he arrived, his master had already told him that if these two people intended to come along, then they could come along.

It was dark outside. Xu Bai walked out of the cell and followed behind these people, walking quickly along the street.

After Xu Bai left, the Prefect Tong emerged from a secluded spot.

He took out a calligraphy brush and began writing in mid-air.

A moment later, a map appeared before us.

There is a small dot of light on the map, moving very quickly.

"Phew..." Prefect Tong thought to himself, "I never thought that I, a dignified scholar, would have to do this kind of stalking."

At the beginning of the plan, Xu Bai told him that he would leave a tracking method on Xu Bai so that if any abnormalities occurred, they could be tracked using this method.

In any case, Prefect Tong was a fifth-rank scholar, and could be considered a combatant.

Seeing the moving light, the Prefect Tong took out a face mask, covered his face, and chased after the light.

There was no communication along the way. Xu Bai followed behind them, winding through various streets and alleys, and finally arrived at a secluded room.

The Pottery Earth Prefecture is very large, and there are many houses like this. If we were to search for them, it would take a lot of time and make too much noise, and the other party might find a chance to leave. Therefore, Xu Bai did not do such a waste of time.

"Lord Xu, please come in," the leader said, pushing open the door.

Xu Bai nodded, stood at the door Zhang Wang around. It was dark inside, but he saw a graceful figure.

Led by the leader, they entered the room with the Fourth-Rank Puppet and Ye Zi.

"Smack!"

Behind me, the door moved without any wind and closed automatically.

The next moment, Xu Bai twitched his nose, as if he smelled a strange fragrance, but it wasn't particularly strong.

His gaze pierced the darkness and fell upon the graceful woman clad in a light veil.

"Lord Xu, this humble woman, Xiao Nuan, greets you." Xiao Nuan bowed slightly, her figure faintly visible beneath the light veil.

Xu Bai smiled and looked the woman up and down, saying, "They say you have a way to clear my name. Tell me now, how about it?"

"Them?" Xiao Nuan smiled slightly and said, "Lord Xu, you may need to stay here for a few days. I will naturally help you think of a solution."

"How long will it take?" Xu Bai asked.

"Three to five days," Xiao Nuan replied gently.

After she finished speaking, she waved her hand gently.

The men in black left immediately, leaving only Xu Bai and his group.

Xiao Nuan went to the table and lit the oil lamp on it. The light from the oil lamp illuminated the surroundings and dispelled the darkness.

During this process, Xu Bai didn't care, but Ye Zi kept her eyes fixed on the woman in the light veil, her face full of vigilance.

As a woman herself, Ye Zi could sense that this woman named Xiao Nuan, though seemingly gentle and refined like a lady from a respectable family, possessed a seductive charm deep down.

Ye Zi herself was raised by the Ye Family, so she was well aware that her feelings were real, and her guarded expression grew even stronger.

"You're from the Ye Family, aren't you?" Xiao Nuan suddenly said. "I've heard that a woman from the Ye Family Ye Family ran away and has been searching for her ever since. It seems you've run off to Lord Xu's side."

Ye Zi didn't answer, but tightened her grip on Xu Bai's hand slightly.

Xu Bai could certainly sense it, and laughed, "I feel very awkward right now."

It was really awkward. I was brought here out of nowhere and told that I would be staying here for three to five days. Anyone would feel awkward in that situation.

"If Lord Xu cannot clear his name in three to five days, you can take my head." Xiao Nuan walked seriously to the door of a room and opened it.

"These are the accommodations I've prepared for you; they're all made to the highest standards."

The room is very well-equipped, and everything from the furniture to the surrounding decor is exquisite.

Xu Bai stroked his chin, walked into the room, and lay down directly on the bed.

The faint, exotic fragrance still lingered, and it smelled very pleasant.

"I'll wait three to five days," Xu Bai said.

"Then I won't disturb Lord Xu any longer." Xiao Nuan didn't linger, said goodbye, turned around and left, closing the door behind her.

After she left, Ye Zi opened her mouth as if to speak, but was interrupted by Xu Bai.

Xu Bai sat down at the table next to him, poured out the water from the table, dipped his hand in the water, and wrote on the table.

The meaning is simple: this method of communication is safer.

Ye Zi understood, sat down next to Xu Bai, and imitated Xu Bai, dipping her brush in water and writing on it.

"Young master, why don't you make a move?"

Xu Bai wrote, "I will not take action until I have confirmed her identity."

He is not a saint; he cannot foresee everything, nor can he be perfect. If he is not the person behind the scenes, but is really as they say, then he will alert the enemy.

Ye Zi gave a soft "hmm," understanding Xu Bai's plan.

Xu Bai looked at the quiet room, his eyes narrowed slightly, and then took out the Nameless Saber Scripture to continue working on the progress bar.

Since the other party wants him to wait three to five days, let's see what happens after three to five days.

After closing the door, Xiao Nuan left the room.

After leaving, she went out of the house again and wandered around the streets. Before long, she found herself in a secluded place, far away from the house.

At that moment, footsteps sounded around them, and the dozen or so masked men in black who had started earlier appeared and respectfully said, "Master."

"Well done," Xiao Nuan said slowly.

The leader asked, "Master, why not plant the seed for him now?"

"He has poison skills, so my medicine has to be used slowly, taking three to five days to work." Xiao Nuan said slowly, "By the way, you did a great job this time, I must reward you."

As soon as these words were spoken, more than a dozen Masked Man raised their heads at the same time, their gazes sweeping over Xiao Nuan, their eyes revealing a fiery look.

"Heh... men." Xiao Nuan chuckled. "Have you forgotten how I planted your seed in the first place? You're still as thirsty as before."

She slowly removed the light veil, not caring at all that her body was exposed to the air.

The dozen or so Masked Man's lust grew stronger, and their eyes turned bloodshot. They took a few steps forward, ready to extend their hands.

Seeds require a specific method.

And this method is Xiao Nuan's body.

Back then, Xiao Nuan used this method to recruit these people one by one.

She looked at the group's burning gazes with a cold smile.

Just as a dozen hands were about to approach, something unexpected suddenly happened.

The group of masked men in black all stopped, their gazes becoming vacant as they stared in Xiao Nuan's direction, fear creeping into their eyes.

The seed in their minds exploded.

One by one, the men in black lay on the ground, lifeless.

Only the leader was highly skilled and managed to hold out for a while.

He was puzzled. Looking at the gentle-faced woman before him, he swallowed hard and uttered, "Why, when we are so loyal to you, do you want to harm us?"

Xiao Nuan looked at the leader calmly, her tone as gentle as ever, as gentle as water. "Because... I hate this kind of life."

The leader was taken aback, then pointed at Xiao Nuan and shouted, "You want to escape, but that's impossible, okay?"

"It was impossible before, and I was single-mindedly focused on killing Xu Bai, but now anything is possible." Xiao Nuan bent down, lifted the leader's chin with her hand, and said gently, "As long as I plant a seed in Xu Bai's mind and impersonate that woman, I can escape my current life forever."

She stood up.

The leader was already dead and could no longer hear what she was saying.

But she kept talking, as if she never got tired, rambling on and on.

"As for the woman who is with Xu Bai, I will let her become me and die here forever. Then I will die forever, but I will live a different kind of life."

"What exactly are we after? The power of the Great Chu Kingdom is so great that even if we spend hundreds or thousands of years, we will never be able to shake it."

"Rather than that, I'd rather become one of them, shed my original identity, and live a peaceful life forever."

"From now on, I'm all alone here, and no one will ever discover my plan again."

The soft words came from Xiao Nuan's mouth. She seemed to have gotten tired of talking, so she turned around and walked into the darkness behind her.

A sentence drifted slowly from the dark alley.

"If he stays in that room for another three to five days, he will become my slave completely..."

After a long while, the alley was deserted.