"Correct."
Ling Xiao nodded, his eyes exuding authority.
Hearing this, the Xia Emperor trembled, a instinctive fear rising within him.
Xia Feng was the demon!
As for this claim, he had… actually anticipated it long ago!
Before the age of six, his talent was average; he could cultivate, but wasn't outstanding.
But after six, Xia Feng seemed like a different person.
He understood mysterious arts, seized Xia Chuan's fortune, and with meticulous scheming, stole the Great Xia empire.
Those sinister secret techniques were something even he had never seen. How could a mere child like Xia Feng, whose feathers weren't even fully grown, have learned them?
Moreover, these past few years, although Xia Feng didn't show off, his realm broke through extremely fast, and he was very close to that good-for-nothing Jiang Yu!
A good-for-nothing, with no background, no cultivation—how was he worth such deliberate effort?
So that was it!
They were in cahoots all along!!
The Xia Emperor had already secretly investigated the previous incident of a demon appearing in Great Zhou.
After all, Jiang Yu was a demon, but he never left Dragon Fortune City!
Originally, the Xia Emperor thought the demon appearing in Great Zhou was probably Jiang Yu's accomplice.
But who knew, just yesterday, he received utterly shocking news!!
The demon that appeared in Great Zhou, at the moment of its death, actually used a True Dragon Divine Seal!!
This ancient method was an unpassed secret technique of the Great Xia imperial clan, absolutely impossible to leak outside.
And the Great Xia imperial clansmen not in Dragon Fortune City during this period, aside from the Xia Yong lineage, were only… Xia Feng!!
But Xia Yong was already dead…
Ding. The Son of Fate is doubted by his closest kin. Congratulations, Host, on plundering 500 Luck Points and 5000 Villain Points.
"At first, I also found it hard to believe. I never expected your lineage would actually produce a True Demon! I'm afraid this person is no longer Xia Feng, but… a True Demon who has taken over his body! Has this person shown any strange behavior in recent years?"
Ling Xiao's tone seemed regretful, even somewhat angry.
Seeing this, the Xia Emperor directly fell to his knees with a thud.
"My Lord! I had long noticed Xia Feng was abnormal, but… I never imagined he was a True Demon!!"
"No matter! Since he dares to return, I naturally won't let him off easily! But given his realm, daring to appear openly before me suggests he must have a trump card, or perhaps… there are still his accomplices in the court."
Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly, as if lost in thought.
The Xia Emperor's face was already deathly pale.
Dammit!
To think that for the past twenty years, I've actually been living in dire straits!
If not for this Lord descending upon Great Xia, probably giving Xia Feng a few more years to grow, I would surely… lose both my throne and my life!!
But…
Quite inexplicably, a faint trace of doubt remained in the Xia Emperor's heart.
Wasn't all this a bit too coincidental?
Moreover, when Xia Feng left the palace, he said it was for training, and he specifically brought Qiao Shuang, the Grand Tutor's direct granddaughter.
Could it be that these two… and the Grand Tutor… were all in it together?
Hisss!
"My Lord!! When Xia Feng left the palace, he went with Qiao Shuang. They…"
Here it comes!
Ling Xiao sneered inwardly.
How could he not know Xia Feng left the palace with Qiao Shuang?
Moreover, given her status, she was naturally a target of Xia Feng's efforts to win over.
Women, after all, only liked treasures, status, or the dashingly handsome.
With Xia Feng's conditions, he was more than a match for her.
But if he wanted her wholehearted devotion, he definitely had to invest some capital.
If Ling Xiao's guess was correct, the two probably went to a secret realm and found some treasures.
But!
Ling Xiao had already met Xia Feng; he clearly was a scheming, cautious person.
He would absolutely never reveal his secrets to Qiao Shuang.
Nor would he give the greatest opportunity within to someone else.
A reborn person valued anything but romantic entanglements; opportunities and cultivation were paramount.
In other words, the greatest opportunity in that secret realm must have still ended up in Xia Feng's hands.
Qiao Shuang just didn't know it.
This way, the time for Xia Feng to go to Great Zhou and kill someone… was also accounted for!
Even if!!
Ling Xiao miscalculated on this point, he naturally had ten thousand other excuses to pin the blame on Xia Feng.
It's impossible for two people to be together all twelve hours of the day, right?
Besides, do you think what you see is real?
The methods of a True Demon—how could a weak woman possibly imagine them?
Sister, you're too naive!
Quick, come to brother's embrace, I'll give you real warmth.
"Secretly summon her to the palace. It's best not to alert anyone."
Ling Xiao's tone was inexplicably gloomy. The Xia Emperor immediately showed an understanding expression and turned to leave the hall.
Soon, when the Xia Emperor re-entered the hall, a young woman in white followed closely behind him, a trace of nervousness between her brows.
What slightly disappointed Ling Xiao was that this Great Xia beauty, who shared equal fame with Xia Yanran, actually had no Luck Points on her at all.
As for her looks, she was indeed on par with Xia Yanran.
"You are Qiao Shuang?"
Divine radiance veiled Ling Xiao's face, his voice deep and ancient.
Seeing the Xia Emperor standing to the side, looking humble, a flash of panic immediately crossed Qiao Shuang's pretty face.
"Yes, my Lord!"
"I ask you, where did you and Xia Feng go after leaving the palace this time?"
A soul light flickered in Ling Xiao's eyes; he had clearly already made a decision.
"We went… to the Sword Halberd Mountain Range at the border of Great Xia."
"What did you do?"
"Brother Feng took me to a secret realm. We found a Dao Artifact…"
From the Xia Emperor's attitude, Qiao Shuang could tell that the person before her must be extremely formidable.
He was probably that great personage recently rumored all over Dragon Fortune City…
Although people didn't know Ling Xiao's identity, during the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, his prominence was unmatched, aweing everyone.
Anyone with a bit of brains could guess this person definitely had a significant background!
"Were the two of you together the whole time?"
"N-no… not the whole time. Only during the day. And… in the secret realm, Brother Feng went out for one night. He said… he said he was going to pick an Immortal Herb for the Empress Dowager."
Although Qiao Shuang had doubts in her heart, before such a personage, she naturally didn't dare lie and answered everything she knew.
That's it!
The Xia Emperor and Ling Xiao exchanged a glance, a cold glint flashing deep in their eyes.
"Did you notice anything unusual about Xia Feng? For example… did he seem to be hiding something, or could he predict what would happen?"
Ling Xiao guided her step by step. Knowing Xia Feng's template, he naturally understood such template Sons of Fate inside out.
They used memories from their previous life to gain advantages before major secret realms and ancient ruins opened.
Then they step by step climbed to the pinnacle of the world, seeking revenge on those who killed them in their previous life.
Such a reborn person certainly couldn't have died of old age.
Most likely, they were brutally murdered, thus carrying immense obsession that was detected by the Heavenly Dao.
He just didn't know who exactly killed Xia Feng in his previous life.
Of course, no matter who it was, this Xia Feng naturally wouldn't escape Ling Xiao's grasp.
Such a sinister, low-key lurker, possessing terrifying fortune—if left to develop, he would most likely grow into a major powerhouse.
Sons of Fate and the Demon King were inherently opposed.
Wasn't that reason enough to kill him?
"This… My Lord… Did Brother Feng do something wrong?"
Hesitation flashed across Qiao Shuang's pretty face.
She was, after all, Xia Feng's fiancée. Seeing the Xia Emperor's gloomy expression now, she instinctively felt uneasy.
"He is a demon. Right now, he's just using you to clear his name. You'd better tell me everything you know. Otherwise… I'm afraid you won't escape his grasp!"
"What! That's impossible!! How could Brother Feng…"
Qiao Shuang's delicate body trembled slightly. Ling Xiao, however, frowned impatiently and glanced at the Xia Emperor.
The latter immediately understood, turned, and walked out of the hall.