I looked at Shang Xingyan with a half-smile, "Tell me now! What did you ask?"

Left with no choice, Shang Xingyan recounted everything he had interrogated from Pei Haohong, omitting the part about the Embroidered Uniform Guards fighting with others.

I only found out about that later.

After listening, I stood up, stroked my chin, and circled around. "I smell a bit of the Yi Tian Chess Master in this!"

Lin Zhao asked, "What do you mean?"

I said, "If Xia Yuting is really my birth mother, I can understand if Banxianzhuang (Half-Sage Village) disdains my status, is unwilling to accept me, or even wants to make things difficult for me."

"But, I don't quite understand setting up a trap in Banxianzhuang to get rid of me."

I continued, "Think about it carefully. Banxianzhuang closing its mountain gate is actually their backup plan."

"Their first plan was to make me turn against Banxianzhuang, then fight them, and use the great scholars of Banxianzhuang to kill me outside the village."

"If that old Liu hadn't prepared in advance, their plan would have succeeded."

I paused, "Old Liu, disguised as Mister Repentant Soul, not only directly disrupted their plan but also suppressed Banxianzhuang."

"If they hadn't faked the loss of the Stele Forest, forcing Banxianzhuang to close its mountain gate and drive us out, given old Liu some time to mediate, he could have directly brought out Xia Yuting."

"Even if Xia Yuting is my birth mother, with old Liu disguised as Mister Repentant Soul, Banxianzhuang wouldn't be able to do anything to me."

"The people of Banxianzhuang saw this, which is why they used the second plan."

"Their goal is still to get us back to Banxianzhuang, into the Stele Forest. At that time, they would have a thousand ways to pin the blame of releasing a fierce demon on me and put me to death."

I said coldly, "Who in Banxianzhuang has such a big grudge against me? What is their purpose in killing me?"

"If it's just a simple desire to kill, there's no need for so much trouble. They could just do it directly."

"Their elaborate purpose is to discredit me while plotting against the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Liangjie Tang (Two Realms Hall)."

"With this premise, we can come to a conclusion."

"Banxianzhuang may be hiding one of the Yi Tian Nine Sons. Or, a Protector."

I paused, "Have Xiao Chengzi investigate who was born more than twenty years ago? Specifically, the children born on the same day as Xia Mengying!"

News quickly came from Chen Shuyu. In fact, she had already investigated the birth situation of children in Banxianzhuang twenty years ago and had found some suspicious points, but she hadn't obtained any evidence, so she didn't send me a message.

Lin Zhao said, "Xiao Chengzi says: Xia Mengying's birthday has been tampered with. The birth date on her ID card is probably not her actual birthday."

"Xiao Chengzi made a deduction that the only child born during the period when Uncle Li left Banxianzhuang was Xia Zhou, who is known as the Xia family's Qilin (prodigy)."

"Xia Zhou has always been secretly cultivated by the head of the Xia family and was sent to the Stele Forest Academy very early. Therefore, not many people have seen him. However..."

Lin Zhao paused, "Xiao Chengzi suspects that the birth date used by Xia Zhou now has also been tampered with. His real birth date has not been found yet."

A sneer appeared on the corner of my mouth, "So that's how it is. It seems that the old fox of the Xia family planned to put Xia Mengying to death a long time ago!"

"What Xia Mengying was muttering to herself in the Xia family's living room? What Xia Chuan played chess all night? It's all nonsense."

"Aren't the people who came out to testify all members of the Xia family, or students of Xia Chuan?"

"If Xia Mengying and that Xia Zhou have the same fate, then they are fighting for their lives. One of them has to die to determine the fate of the Yi Tian Nine Sons."

"Killing Xia Mengying, and then getting rid of me, the Xia family's Qilin will have one less opponent!"

As I spoke, my eyes narrowed slightly, "Regardless of whether Xia Yuting is my birth mother, I have formed this feud with the Xia family. Qilin? Heh... I'll turn him into a dead Qilin."

While I was speaking, Shang Xingyan's expression changed several times.

Although I noticed Shang Xingyan's abnormality, I didn't ask him anything.

After all, Shang Xingyan was my father's subordinate. Leaving aside his identity, his seniority was there. Logically, I should call him "Uncle."

If the previous generation's affairs were something he didn't want to tell me, it would be useless for me to ask.

Moreover, I didn't plan to have too much contact with the Embroidered Uniform Guards just yet.

When I turned to look at Shang Xingyan, the latter said in a low voice, "Young Master, do you have any other instructions?"

My father was the secret commander of the Yin Si (Underworld) Embroidered Uniform Guards. It was normal for Old Shang to call me "Young Master," but calling me "Young Lord" meant he was putting himself in the position of a family servant.

Then what about Ye Yang? Before he was reincarnated, he was the number two figure in the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Everyone who saw him had to call him "Young Marshal."

Where did Old Shang put Ye Yang by doing this?

I helped Shang Xingyan up, "Uncle Shang, we don't need to be like this anymore, right? It's one thing if I didn't know before, but now that I know your identity, it's not good to continue like this!"

Shang Xingyan looked at me for a long time and said, "Young Lord, please don't say that. The etiquette between master and servant is still necessary."

I waved my hand, "What era is this? Master-servant etiquette?"

"The relationship between you and my father is your business. Between you and me, there's no need for that."

"Uncle Shang, I'll say it again. Whether it was the Shang Xingyan of the past or the Uncle Shang of now, I never thought of becoming master and servant with you. Isn't it good to be friends?"