I'm not a fortune teller.

Chapter 12 The truth behind the scenes!

"How could you..."

Xia Xuezhou's face was pale and his stomach was churning. He could see clearly that although the woman's head was completely unrecognizable, he could confirm from her clothes and general outline that she was Master Qian's first wife!

"Why not?" Master Qian held his wife's head and laughed, "Do you know how disgusting it is to face this ugly woman day and night and pretend to be in love with her? Do you know how uncomfortable it is to force myself to eat those mortal meals in front of her parents and her, even though I can't eat them, and every night I have to find an opportunity to run out and vomit them? Do you know how long I have been living like this?"

With every word Master Qian spoke, his emerald eyes grew colder, and under that icy gaze, Xia Xuezhou's legs became so weak that he couldn't even stand up.

The wife of his classmate was someone he personally arranged for after he arrived in the north. She was a generous and decent girl, and not bad looking. Cui Yan, who originally thought that his entire family had died tragically, would cherish his new home even more after having it, but he would also be able to control himself because he was tied to his home.

After all, his identity is a landmine. I can use the excuse of being an illegal resident to destroy his family at any time. For so many years, he has been submissive and obedient, gathering intelligence for me in the Painting Market. He has appeared in the Painting Market four times in the past 20 years, and he has brought me a lot of good things every time. I thought he was a docile dog, but I didn't expect him to be such a terrible wolf!
"When did you become like this?" Xia Xuezhou tried to calm himself down. After all, he was protected by the Third Prince, who had a half-step Grandmaster beside him.

"Were you already like this when you first escaped?"

"That would be great if it were so," Master Qian sneered, "The first time I escaped from this hellhole, it was my only chance to be a human being, but some people were unwilling to do so. They took me in, but threatened me and forced me to go to this place for the second time. Do you really think this is a good place? I am an unarmed scholar with no foundation here. How can I get so many good things for you? Don't you think about it?"

Xia Xuezhou felt a chill in his heart when he heard this, and a terrible guess emerged.

"A marginal bastard from a family, who doesn't serve as your parent official honestly, but thinks about all sorts of things all day long. You have sent me to places where painting markets appear several times. Do you really think those noble families are blind?"

"Who do you belong to?" Xia Xuezhou finally understood.

Cui Yan was probably targeted by other nobles when he entered the painting market for the second time, and was eventually forced to become like this. He thought he was always under his control, but he never thought that he had already become someone else's hidden pawn.
The third prince was just watching here to enjoy the fun at first, but after hearing what happened later, he felt something was wrong.

If Cui Yan is a hidden pawn of some power, then why did he lead me and others here?
"Brother Cui, right?" The Third Prince said with a smile, "I am not interested in getting involved in the feud between you and Lord Xia. How about we just say goodbye now?"

"Your Highness, don't you want to know the way out?" Master Qian threw the head aside, stood up and looked at the real owner.

The smile on the Third Prince's face immediately disappeared. He knew that it was directed at him.

For some reason, I thought of the county magistrate named Zhang at this moment. Maybe I should really listen to that guy.

"You seem to have known that the king would come?"

"I have been in contact with this Xia for so many years. As long as you go to Youzhou, I will naturally know what he will do."

Xia Xuezhou was completely numb after hearing this, he knew that he was finished.

"This prince cannot understand it." The third prince said faintly, "This prince thought that my brother might be targeted for disaster relief in the North Sea, but I did not expect that an idle prince like me could be targeted. Can you tell me why?"

"Your Highness is too modest. With your noble status, you will be the next hot candidate after the Crown Prince dies."

"You are quite courageous, but what are you planning?" The Third Prince said curiously, "I really can't imagine which of my brothers has such ability and such a strong support!"

Murdering the prince is a serious crime, and if I were to do it, it would be a disgrace to the royal family. It is impossible that all this was done just for provocation, right?

There must be great benefits to be gained. Apart from the throne, what else in this world is worth taking the risk of murdering the crown prince?
"Your Highness, have you ever heard of the legend of Taizu?" Master Qian walked up to the front and asked with a smile.

“I’ve heard some.” The third prince frowned, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

Rumors about Taizu have been circulating since the large-scale art fair appeared twenty years ago.

The founder of the Jin Dynasty had no foundation and no noble family to help him, but he was able to build an invincible army out of thin air, sweeping away the forces supported by the noble families at that time, and finally overwhelmed the heroes and let the Li family get the throne. As the noble families gradually became familiar with the rules of the painting market, they began to suspect that the founder of the year probably made his fortune by relying on this painting market!

"The rumors are true!" Master Qian laughed, "Back then, the poor boy from the farm family mistakenly entered the Painting Market, but was extremely lucky to meet a Painted Skin Ghost Lady. With her help, he gradually survived in the Painting Market. At that time, no one in the Painting Market could escape. If the people who mistakenly entered the Painting Market did not die, they would have to struggle here for the rest of their lives. But he was different. With the help of the Ghost Lady, he escaped, and the result was different!"

"I see." Eunuch Qin on the side nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Essence and blood can be traded in the Painting Market. With this rule, warriors can quickly become stronger here, and even reach heights that are unreachable in the mortal world. But if they cannot get out, everything is a dream. The Painting Market is still the evil spirit that everyone is afraid of. But if they can get out, it will be different. Such rules are more convenient than any other sects in the world, and can create more powerful warriors. No wonder Taizu was able to raise an army out of thin air!
"Taizu was a man of great talent and strategy. He seized the opportunity to run the painting market, set up his own territory and established various rules. He spent a full fifty years unifying the painting market and eventually raised an army of 700,000!"

Master Qian sighed, "Who would have thought that a poor boy would have such an experience? Taizu was very patient and never showed his strength until he had the final say. He waited until the world was in chaos and all the families were exhausted from fighting before he suddenly attacked. He didn't give any of the noble families a chance to react and seized the country in one fell swoop."

"Mr. Cui, what do you want to say by spreading the majesty of Taizu to me?"

"Don't worry." Master Qian said with a smile, "There is a story behind it!"

"Oh?"

"When Taizu unified Huashi, he established many rules. It was not just about winning over the surviving people here. To allow such a large army to enter and exit unhindered, Taizu naturally had to compromise with certain things."

Li Yu's eyes were dim when he heard this: "Sir, you are not talking about the Painted Skin Ghost in this painting market, right?"

"How could that be possible?" Master Qian narrowed his eyes and said, "How could he have allowed 700,000 fully armed soldiers to freely enter and leave this painting market without the permission of the countless painted-skin ghosts in this painting world?"

"I understand," the Third Prince nodded and said, "Master Taizu must have promised something, right?"

"He promised a lot, so many of the powerful men under Taizu's command were actually the spirits in this painting, and he even married the ghost lady who helped him in the beginning as his queen!"

“How dare you!!” The guards’ faces immediately turned pale. This devil not only slandered Taizu, but even slandered the Holy Empress!
"Your Highness, can you trust him?" Master Qian looked at Li Yu and asked with a smile.

Li Yu did not reply, but asked: "What happened next?"

"What happened later?" Master Qian said in a gloomy tone, "People's hearts are terrifying. They were generous when they made promises, and they were also ruthless when they settled accounts. In history, most of the nobles who were deprived of power and exterminated were born as painting spirits. Even the Queen and her children could not escape. That kind-hearted farmer eventually became the most cruel emperor. It's a pity that he opened the painting market when he was fighting for the throne, but wanted to close it forever after he got the throne. How could it be so good?"

At this point he stepped closer, his voice becoming more and more shrill: "Your Li family's ancestral precepts state that whenever you encounter a painting market, you must do your best to suppress it. What happened? The noble families were blinded by greed and concealed the truth, but your Li family was also spineless and compromised with the noble families. The current situation is also caused by your Li family's weakness!"

Li Yu was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Although you are a painted skin, you still care more about the things you did when you were a human. I heard from Lord Xia that your whole family was harmed by the painted spirits you mentioned, but now you have turned to them. Can you be a human son?"

"If it weren't for your incompetence, why would it be like this?" Master Qian laughed bitterly, "The reason Cui is in this state now is because of the greed of the aristocratic family, and also because of your Li family. Since you are incompetent, you should not sit on the throne, and give up your position if you should."

"No one in the world will allow a painted-skin ghost to be emperor, nor will they allow monsters like you to enter the human world openly!" Li Yu said coldly.

Seeing that the other party sneered and said nothing, Li Yu also reacted: "I see, you have infiltrated to such an extent? Tell me, which brother of mine is your master?"

When these words were spoken, even Qin Fang was moved.

Yes, as the third prince said, people in the world will not let a painted-skin ghost be the emperor. Now the Painting Market has been known to the aristocratic families, who control and monitor it. There will no longer be an army of 700,000 like Taizu did in the past. It is impossible to repeat what Taizu did in the past. In this case, there is only one possibility for these painted-skin ghosts to turn over. That is to deceive the world and replace the orthodox!

Among the princes, there is a painted skin ghost!!!

　Please read on!!! Please vote!!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)