412: Chapter 412 Let's Have a Good Chat

Lin Xiao and the two women circled around the divine statue and saw a young girl huddled in a corner, clutching a dagger and trembling all over.

The girl had fair skin and was quite beautiful and delicate, though she looked a bit frail and her complexion was poor.

"Don't... don't come any closer!"

Lin Xiao glanced at the woman's information, and a playful look flickered in his eyes.

"Husband, she doesn't seem to know martial arts," Xiao Qingxuan said after sensing the girl's aura.

"Even so, we cannot let our guard down. Anyone appearing in a place like this is definitely not simple," Leng Bingyan said.

Lin Xiao said indifferently, "No need to be nervous. Tell me your identity. Why are you here?"

The girl hesitated for a while before saying weakly, "I... my name is Aya. I am a maid in the Temple of the Moon God."

"A maid? In such a large Temple of the Moon God, you're the only maid?" Leng Bingyan didn't believe her.

"I'm not in charge of the Temple of the Moon God. I... I take care of... the person below," Aya said hesitantly.

"The person below?"

The two women looked at each other and immediately realized what she meant.

"Is there a cellar here?"

Lin Xiao looked at the divine statue. Using Dragon Seeking and Point Locating, he had found that the aura was coming from the base of the statue.

"Where is the mechanism? Open it."

Aya shook her head hurriedly, her face turning pale with fear. "I can't! If I open it for you, the Cult Leader won't let me off!"

"If you don't open it, you'll lose your life right now." Leng Bingyan pressed her sword against the girl.

Aya took a sharp breath and helplessly walked to the side of the statue, pulling down an inconspicuous lotus petal.

Behind the statue, a floor tile slowly slid away, revealing a downward passage.

"Lead the way."

Lin Xiao had Aya walk in front as they descended the stairs together.

Before long, the four of them arrived in a dark underground palace.

There were stone tables and chairs, as well as some bookshelves, complete with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. It was clearly inhabited.

"Cough, cough..."

Someone was lying on a bed, coughing.

The moment Xiao Qingxuan heard the voice, her body trembled. Her eyes filled with a layer of mist, unable to believe her ears.

"Fa... Father?"

She rushed to the bedside in a few quick steps.

The man on the bed had graying hair at his temples and a haggard face, though one could still see traces of his former elegance. When he saw Xiao Qingxuan clearly, he also showed great shock and joy.

This person was surprisingly the Retired Emperor of Western Shu, Crown Prince Xiao Shian, who was supposed to have "died of illness"!

Leng Bingyan recognized him as well and couldn't help but cover her mouth, feeling it was utterly inconceivable.

"Xuan'er? Am I... am I seeing things correctly? Is it really Xuan'er?" Crown Prince Xiao Shian's breath was weak.

Xiao Qingxuan knelt down and grabbed Crown Prince Xiao Shian's cold hand. "It's Xuan'er, Father. Why are you here? Did the Moon Worship Cult really kidnap you?!"

"Sigh..."

Crown Prince Xiao Shian excitedly reached out to stroke his daughter's head. "It's a long story. As for you, I heard Western Shu was destroyed by the Prince of Nanling and you were missing. I'm glad you're alright."

"Your daughter also went through many hardships. Fortunately, I met my husband, which allowed me to reunite with Father..."

Xiao Qingxuan looked back at Lin Xiao with a shy expression; she felt somewhat bashful in front of her father.

"Hus... Husband? You're married?" Crown Prince Xiao Shian looked at Lin Xiao with confusion.

Lin Xiao stepped forward and bowed. "Your son-in-law Lin Xiao greets Father-in-law."

"Lin Xiao? That name sounds a bit familiar..."

"Father, my husband is the current Prince of Zhenbei, and I am now his Princess," Xiao Qingxuan said.

"What!? He is the Prince of Zhenbei!?"

Crown Prince Xiao Shian was stunned. It took him a good while to recover.

"No wonder you could find this place. So your husband is the world-renowned Prince of Zhenbei. It seems you truly have been through a lot, Xuan'er."

Crown Prince Xiao Shian hurriedly asked, "What about the Leader of the Moon Worship Cult? Did you kill him?"

Xiao Qingxuan shook her head. "There was only a Venerable of Water in the valley. Although we killed many cult members, there was no sign of the Cult Leader or Venerable Fire."

"What a pity..."

Crown Prince Xiao Shian said regretfully, "He must have received word in advance and gone into hiding. That old scoundrel is insidious, a wily fox with many holes."

"Your servant Leng Bingyan greets the Retired Emperor!"

At this time, Leng Bingyan also stepped forward to bow. "My father has always hoped you were still alive, but because he has to lead the Black Dragon Cavalry, he couldn't come this time."

"Bingyan has grown so much. General Leng Duo has worked hard. I was coerced by the Leader of the Moon Worship Cult into writing a letter for him; I'm afraid I've caused him much trouble."

Crown Prince Xiao Shian looked ashamed.

"Father, what exactly happened? How did you fall into the hands of the Moon Worship Cult?" Xiao Qingxuan asked.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself. Thinking back, the so-called serious illness might have been the Moon Worship Cult colluding with the imperial physicians to tamper with things."

Crown Prince Xiao Shian frowned. "By the time I woke up, I had already been taken from the imperial mausoleum to this valley."

"The Leader of the Moon Worship Cult imprisoned me and told me that Western Shu had been invaded by the Prince of Nanling and your whereabouts were unknown."

"Over the past year, except for the occasional news he told me about the outside world, I have been like a deaf and blind man."

"A few months ago, the Leader of the Moon Worship Cult made me write a letter to Leng Duo, ordering General Leng Duo to follow his commands."

"Naturally, I was unwilling, but he suddenly produced the Heirloom Seal of the Realm and said you were also in his hands, Xuan'er..."

"Worried about your safety, I had no choice but to follow his words."

Xiao Qingxuan said thoughtfully, "So... the Moon Worship Cult had already infiltrated our Western Shu imperial palace long ago, faked Father's death, and then took the Imperial Seal from me during the chaos?"

"That seems to be the case. They just lied to me; you were never in the hands of the Moon Worship Cult."

Leng Bingyan was fuming. "This Moon Worship Cult really has no small ambition. Imprisoning the Retired Emperor and taking the Imperial Seal... could it be that the Cult Leader wants to establish his own dynasty and declare himself Emperor in these troubled times?"

"The Imperial Seal of Western Shu originated from the Great Zheng Dynasty. If anyone can hold it in these chaotic times, it indeed holds extraordinary significance," Xiao Qingxuan also suspected as much.

At this moment, Crown Prince Xiao Shian only had eyes for his daughter. "Seeing that you are well now, Xuan'er, I can die in peace."

"Don't say that, Father. Since I've found you, I will naturally take you out to recuperate properly. I will definitely see you restored to health," Xiao Qingxuan comforted him.

Crown Prince Xiao Shian remembered something and looked up at Aya nearby. "Speaking of which, I owe it to this girl for taking care of me this year. She is also a poor soul; her whole family is gone, leaving only her. Don't make things difficult for her."

Hearing this, Xiao Qingxuan and Leng Bingyan looked at the trembling girl in the corner and nodded.

The cellar was cold and damp. Xiao Qingxuan and Leng Bingyan helped support Crown Prince Xiao Shian and brought him to the temple.

When the light hit Crown Prince Xiao Shian's face, he was a bit unaccustomed to it and took a while to recover.

As the group walked out of the temple, Crown Prince Xiao Shian looked at the bloody scene outside and remarked:

"Having been here so long, this is the first time I've seen what it looks like outside. There are just a few too many dead people..."

Xiao Qingxuan and Leng Bingyan smiled lightly. The Crown Prince Xiao Shian in their memories liked to make jokes; indeed, old habits die hard.

"Husband, my father's health is still weak. How about we rest here for two days to let him recover before we head out to meet General Leng Duo?"

Xiao Qingxuan was a bit worried about her father's constitution.

Lin Xiao laughed readily. "No rush. Let's find a place to sit first. I also happen to have some things to chat about with my Father-in-law."

"Haha, we definitely should have a good chat. My daughter married the Prince of Zhenbei; there must be many stories in between!"

Crown Prince Xiao Shian agreed happily.

The group went to the largest bamboo building and found a place to sit and drink tea.

Aya was very well-behaved, helping to brew tea on the side.

Crown Prince Xiao Shian took a sip of hot tea and let out a long breath. "Son-in-law, thanks to you, I could reunite with my daughter. If you have anything to ask, feel free to speak."

Lin Xiao didn't stand on ceremony. After taking a sip of tea, his gaze fixed directly on Crown Prince Xiao Shian's smiling eyes.

"Then let's start with... how Father-in-law became the Leader of the Moon Worship Cult."