She Said That Kisses and Hugs Are Needed for Redemption [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16.2

He had assumed Xia Xin’s case would soon be resolved, but now, demons had abducted her?!

Once demons were involved, Qiran could no longer stand aside.

Moreover, this wasn’t just an affront to Lord Zhiwu, it was a slap to his own face as well.

Qiran summoned two attendants to accompany him to Bo Yun Palace and dispatched another maid to White Orchid Hall to inform Bai Youran of the situation without delay.

By the time he arrived at Bo Yun Palace, Bai Youran and several other immortals were already waiting at the entrance.

The moment she spotted Qiran, Bai Youran approached him with red-rimmed eyes, her voice trembling. “Xia Xin was wrongfully imprisoned in Bo Yun Palace. I thought Lord Zhiwu would clear her name swiftly, but instead, she was held indefinitely and now, due to negligence, demons have broken in and taken her.”

Though her words were accusatory, her tone was soft, her demeanor fragile as if she were merely uttering panicked nonsense out of worry.

It was impossible to rebuke her; instead, it evoked pity.

Qiran gently pulled her into an embrace, patting her back reassuringly. “Lord Zhiwu is in the mortal realm and couldn’t oversee matters. The greater responsibility lies with the guards at the Heavenly Gate.”

After comforting the distraught Bai Youran, Qiran took her hand and led a group of esteemed immortals into Bo Yun Palace.

Without delay, they followed a palace maid straight to where Xia Xin had been held.

Passing through a waterfall and along a winding pebble path, they finally reached the cave. A few guards remained at the scene, preserving the state of discovery when Xia Xin had gone missing.

Qi Ran released Bai Youran’s hand and stepped to the raised circular platform, carefully sniffing the air before waving a hand to cast a blue light that dispersed around them.

Several Immortal Venerables also spread out, meticulously examining any anomalies.

“There’s the scent of demonic energy, and it’s quite potent. This demon must be of a high rank.” someone murmured in a low voice.

“There’s also an unusual trace here, almost like.” One person glanced at Bai Youran, who stood quietly by the cave entrance, and swallowed the words “like the scent of a Qingqiu fox.”

However, even if they didn’t say it, Qi Ran had already sensed it himself. Frowning deeply, he turned to look at Bai Youran, who still seemed somewhat distressed. “Madam, if I recall correctly, the aura on Xia Xin didn’t seem like this.”

Bai Youran nodded without denying it. “Indeed, it’s not Xia Xin’s scent. This is the scent of another fox.”

The people around exchanged glances, their expressions filled with astonishment.

Then who was this other fox? And how did it end up in the place where Xia Xin was imprisoned? They remembered that only a few small foxes had accompanied the Divine Consort to the Heavenly Palace, and this scent didn’t belong to any of them.

Wait! When the people from Boyun Palace reported earlier, didn’t they mention that along with the captured individual, there was also a maid from Boyun Palace?

But they had never heard of any maid in Boyun Palace being a fox!

What was going on here?

The steward of Boyun Palace stepped forward at just the right moment, briefly recounting how Zhi Wu had brought Lu Xi and Fu Lancen back earlier and casually added, “Lan Cen is indeed a fox, though whether she came from Qingqiu, we wouldn’t know.”

Lan Cen?

The name echoed in Qi Ran’s ears, and he couldn’t help but recall the image of that bright and cheerful girl. Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside.

The urgent matter now was to rescue both Xia Xin and that little fox, and it was even more necessary to teach the demons a lesson!

Leaving two Immortal Venerables behind to continue investigating, Qi Ran led the others back to Aowu Palace to discuss how to deal with the sudden provocation from the demons.

Before leaving, Bai Youran glanced back, a trace of ruthlessness flashing across her usually delicate face.

As news spread that demons had secretly infiltrated Boyun Palace and abducted two maids, the denizens of the Ninth Heaven cursed the demons for their treachery, targeting the moment when Lord Zhi Wu was absent to stir trouble truly despicable!

In the end, Divine Venerable Qi Ran issued an edict, ordering Immortal Venerable Fang Xie to lead two thousand Heavenly Soldiers to demonstrate at the border between the divine and demon realms. He also commanded Snow Fairy Yao to lead five hundred elite soldiers to track down Xia Xin’s whereabouts and pursue the captors. Finally, he sent Immortal Venerable Xian Yue to the mortal realm to inform Lord Zhi Wu.

Back in Boyun Palace.

Upon learning of Qi Ran’s orders, Lu Xi focused her thoughts, and upon detecting the location of that wisp of divine soul, she ignored System 001’s warnings and silently enveloped the entire Ninth Heaven with her divine power, keeping an eye on the movements of the figure in Bai Lan Hall.

“How can you do this?!” 001 stomped angrily in Lu Xi’s mind, shouting, “You can’t expose your identity yet! You can’t let anyone sense your presence! Especially Bai Youran! How dare you spread your spiritual energy toward her?!”

Lu Xi scoffed lightly. “At this point, are you still afraid of alerting the enemy?”

Upon hearing this, 001 quieted down.

Yet it couldn’t help but remind her, “You know full well how troublesome Bai Youran is. Now isn’t the right time to expose your identity. You’d better not draw her attention. Don’t forget, she’s been lying low recently, investigating your background.”

Lu Xi nodded. “Understood. As long as Fu Lancen remains safe, I won’t reveal my identity or attract Bai Youran’s notice.”

Now was the time to proceed with the next step of the plan.

According to the original plot, not long after the marriage alliance between the Heavenly Realm and Qingqiu, everyone still believed that the one who ascended to the Ninth Heaven and became the Divine Consort was the Qingqiu Princess, Fu Lancen. Since both Fu Lancen and Bai Youran had grown up in Qingqiu and rarely ventured outside, while outsiders seldom visited Qingqiu, few beyond Qingqiu knew the name or appearance of the Divine Consort.

This was why the truth of the bride swap remained unknown to the public.

But to avenge Fu Lancen, this step was crucial.

Expose Bai Youran’s true identity and make the Qingqiu bride swap known to all.

With a flick of her wrist, Lu Xi summoned several butterflies to her fingertips. A light tap sent them fluttering away on delicate wings, carrying her commands.

“Hey, did you know? Our current Divine Consort, she isn’t the princess originally betrothed to Divine Lord Qiran.”

“Why is everyone talking about this? Could it be true?”

“I heard it from my aunt who visited Qingqiu recently. The princess betrothed to Divine Lord Qiran has disappeared.”

“How could she just vanish?”

“What do you think? The moment that princess disappeared, this one immediately took her place.”

“Are you saying that princess might have been murdered by this one?”

At this point, the maidservants fell silent, too afraid to speculate further. After all, this involved Divine Lord Qiran and the Divine Consort they dared not speak too boldly. They could only shake their heads and sigh, “If that’s true, that princess is truly tragic.”

To be killed and have her identity stolen, with Qingqiu remaining silent to this day. It could only mean that princess had been abandoned.

As the rumors fermented over the days, the Qingqiu bride swap became the talk of the realms. Everyone debated whether it was mere slander against the Divine Consort or held some truth.

Yet some clear-headed individuals found it all rather suspicious. Not long ago, the Divine Consort’s personal maid had been abducted by demons, and now rumors spread that the Divine Consort was an impostor. They wondered if she had offended someone, making her the target of these recent events.

Meanwhile, Bai Youran, at the center of the storm, seemed to be struggling. Nestled against Divine Lord Qiran’s chest, she whispered tearfully, “Wasn’t the bride swap already settled? How could it have been exposed? Is someone targeting me?”

Divine Lord Qiran, lost in thought, stroked her fluffy head gently and reassured her, “Don’t worry. Leave this matter to me. It won’t escalate.”

Even if it did spread across the realms, it wouldn’t matter. After all, they hadn’t done this for themselves.

“These past days, you haven’t had much rest. Don’t dwell on these matters anymore.” Divine Venerable Qiran held Bai Youran in his arms as they reclined on the soft couch. Gently, he laid her down amidst the plush bedding, carefully tucking the quilt around her. “With me here, you can rest easy.”

Bai Youran’s eyes were rimmed with red as a glistening tear rolled down her smooth cheek. Her jet-black hair fanned out behind her, accentuating her delicate and helpless appearance, pitiful yet utterly captivating.

“Alright, this concubine will obey her husband in all things.”

Qi Ran smiled, stroking her head as he soothed her into a peaceful slumber.

The room fell silent.

Qiran summoned the maids inside, instructed them to guard the Lady carefully, and then left the White Orchid Hall.

The empty room was filled with the curling smoke of sandalwood incense, masking an increasingly strange and thick scent.

In the blink of an eye, the maids in the room stared blankly, as if they had all fallen into a deep unconsciousness. Meanwhile, the Divine Consort, who had been lying asleep on the soft couch, slowly sat up. With graceful movements, she draped an outer robe over herself and vanished from the spot with a wave of her hand.

In the Cloud-Parting Palace, Lu Xi, who had been closely watching the White Orchid Hall, sensed Bai You Ran’s aura suddenly disappear. Her eyes, previously closed in feigned rest, snapped open. She immediately woke her slumbering system.

“001, Bai Youran has disappeared!”

After a brief silence, 001 asked, “Do you want to use divine power again to follow Bai Youran?”

Lu Xi nodded. “She must be going to find Fu Lancen now. If I don’t follow, Fu Lancen might be in danger.”

Bai You Ran was likely growing impatient. She wasn’t just after Fu Lancen’s essence-blood, she probably intended to torture her for information.

“As soon as Bai Youran appears before Fu Lancen, she’ll realize that Bai Youran is the mastermind behind this, the one colluding with the demons,” Lu Xi said, her voice tinged with urgency. “Once that happens, the plot progression you want will be set. There’s no need for Fu Lancen to suffer any further, right?”

Hearing this, 001 choked back a response before washing its hands of the matter. “Then do as you see fit.”

With the system’s tacit approval, Lu Xi didn’t hesitate any longer. Her fingers flicked through the air, tearing open the void, and she vanished from the Cloud-Parting Palace.

“…You’d better confess honestly, how did you sneak out of Qingqiu?!” Xia Xin crouched in front of Fu Lancen, gripping her chin as she looked down at her with disdain. “Don’t think that just because you’re meant to have your blood drawn, and your body can’t be damaged, I won’t dare to do anything to you!”

“You’d better start talking quickly!”

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