Chapter 37 37: Is That What You Wanted?
Seeing a lack of resistance, even the Celestial Palace Master was surprised. He had been observing Xu Shan since the start. However, the man showed no fear or hesitation. Even when he was asked to use the herb that would make him unable to tell a lie for a day, he was still willing!
Upon witnessing this, the Celestial Palace Master felt some hesitancy. Was he truly guiltless? Were they misguided in their assumption based on an anonymous letter?
As he dwelled on the matter, his uneasiness grew. The possibility that Xu Shan was falsely accused troubled him. If that was the case, then the Celestial Palace's actions would be unjustified. On the other hand, if Xu Shan was actually innocent, it would mean the Celestial Palace had made a mistake. This realization only added to his discomfort.
Furthermore, he was aware that the location referenced in the letter had no bodies buried there!
When he had heard that, he was slightly relieved since it meant that there was a chance that the person who wrote the letter had made a mistake. However, if the letter was purely a lie, then that meant someone was scheming against them!
He was uncertain about how he would handle the situation if Xu Shan was proven to be innocent. It was evident that someone had plotted against them by drafting the letter, with the intention of causing conflict between the Eternal Dynasty and Celestial Palace.
He wasn't sure who would benefit from the situation. Despite his suspicions, he couldn't bring himself to doubt Qin Ye, who had been maintaining a neutral stance and attempting to prevent any fights from breaking out.
The Master of the Celestial Palace had limited time to ponder over the matter. Nevertheless, it was imperative for him to test if Xu Shan was truly innocence.
From his storage ring, he brought out the Seven Star Herb. The Herb was mostly useless since it didn't work on an Earth Celestial and above. However, for someone like Xu Shan, it was more than enough.
The intervention of the Emperor persisted as he prevented Xu Shan from taking the herb from the Celestial Palace Master. It appeared that the Emperor was concerned about the possibility of the herb being tainted with poison.
He brought the herb personally and confirmed its authenticity with the Celestial Palace Master before handing it over to his son.
He was unaware of his son's plans and found himself helpless as his son had already given his consent. Despite the uncertainty, he was determined to ensure his son's safety and was willing to do whatever it took to protect him.
As a precautionary measure, he instructed his personal guards to ensure Xu Shan's safety in case of any potential altercation.
"Would you like to confirm if it's genuine or not?" Xu Shan asked, as she threw the herb over to Qin Ye.
Qin Ye examined the herb with a furrowed brow, but could not detect any visible defects.
"Xu Shan, I believe in your innocence. You'll be cleared of all charges," he calmly said, handing back the herb. "It's perfectly safe for you to consume."
Xu Shan wasted no time and ingested the Seven Star Herb. Although not particularly delectable, it did not taste repulsive either. After he ate the herb, everyone waited for a few minutes to give enough time for the herb to take effect.
"You can ask any question. As long as it's about your so-called Saintess, I'll answer. But if you ask about my personal life, then..." Xu Shan didn't finish his sentence before he lazily stooped.
"Where is my daughter?!" Celestial Palace Master was so impatient that he didn't even ask if Xu Shan was behind her kidnapping or not. Instead, he directly asked her whereabouts.
Xu Shan replied, "She is currently inside my palace."
"What?" The Celestial Palace Master was stunned. When Xu Shan confidently ate the herb, he thought he was innocent. However, the guy literally confessed right away?!
Xu Shan reiterated that the Saintess was present within the Palace, unmoved by the Celestial Palace Master's cold expression.
Through the corners of his eyes, he could see the subtle smirk on Qin Ye's face. It was as if he had succeeded.
"What?! You really have her inside?! You were truly the one who kidnapped her?! Qin Ye exclaimed in shock. "I had so much faith in you. To think that you would be like this! To lay hands on the Saintess of Celestial Palace...?"
Even the Celestial Palace Master had bloodshot eyes. He had heard many rumors about Xu Shan. The thought of his daughter being with that scoundrel for two days drained the color from his face, and he couldn't help but imagine the worst.
The Eternal Emperor sighed. When Xu Shan confidently accepted to be tested, he expected something different. He could only blame himself for thinking too much.
With determination etched on his face, he gripped his hand into a tight fist, a silent signal to his generals to prepare for action.
"Who said I kidnapped her?" Xu Shan asked in return. "I didn't kidnap her. I didn't do it myself, and I didn't have anyone else do it for me either. Aren't you making that up on your own?!"
"I just said she's inside my Palace. Why would you straight assume that I kidnapped her?" Xu Shan stretched his arms. It was finally time to pull the curtains and send Qin Ye straight to hell from heaven.
Celestial Palace Master grew silent. Xu Shan didn't kidnap his daughter? If he said that, then it was true. He was under the effect of the herb after all. However, how did that make sense? Why was his daughter in his Palace then?
On the other hand, the Eternal Emperor knew what Xu Shan did, so he was even more shocked. How was it possible for Xu Shan to lie under the effect of the herb?
"Was that your intention all along, Emperor Qin? Did you truly desire for something to happen to her so desperately?"
Qin Ye's face contorted in confusion.
"What are you trying to say? Why would I even consider that?" he asked. How was it possible for him to lie? And why did he appear so different suddenly compared to how he behaved before! He had a really bad feeling about this. It was as if he was stuck in a web…