He Xiaoxiao—that is, Qiao Yan—had awakened before her time, which was truly inconceivable. The messenger reported that upon waking, Qiao Yan had cried for help and, despite her physical weakness, insisted on coming to the main camp, which was even more baffling.

Sure enough, before long, Qiao Yan was escorted in, pale-faced and supported by others. Her face remained completely unchanged, yet somehow looked subtly different from before. Qiao Yan was genuinely delicate and petite like a willow in the wind; when she blinked, she resembled a butterfly trembling in the breeze.

He Xiaoxiao also resembled a fragile butterfly, but somehow gave people the impression that those wings might flutter and create a storm.

As soon as Qiao Yan entered the tent, she threw herself weeping into her mother’s arms, crying out, “Mother, save me!”

The woman, who had never stopped crying, immediately burst into fresh tears while holding Qiao Yan, calling her “little Yan’er” over and over, asking what had happened. Her elder brother also stood beside her, patting Qiao Yan’s back.

He Simu raised an eyebrow, observing this loving family in the tent. Qiao Yan pointed at He Simu and said through her tears, “Mother, it’s her! She stole my body and possessed me. She’s an evil spirit! She wants to harm me! Mother, save me!”

Everyone’s eyes in the tent fell upon He Simu. Even Wu Sheng Liu, who had been protective like a mother hen earlier, now looked at her with uncertainty. Even General Yin, who should have been excited, seemed nervous.

He Simu lifted her chin slightly, moving her gaze from Qiao Yan to Daoist Master Mingfeng, then to her family members. She smiled lightly and said casually, “I have nothing to say—just a pair of fake relatives, a fake Qiao Yan, and a fake Daoist.”

And one real evil spirit.

Qiao Yan hadn’t truly awakened.

She was merely being controlled by another evil spirit who had taken advantage of the situation. Daoist Master Mingfeng, who did possess some spiritual power, couldn’t possibly have missed the anomalies in this Qiao Yan, yet he remained silent.

So that was it—this was a grand performance orchestrated by the collusion of ghosts, Daoists, and humans. Daoist Master Mingfeng and General Yin behind him were targeting Duan Xu, while the evil spirit possessing Qiao Yan was likely targeting her. In her four hundred years, this was the first time she had witnessed such unity among ghosts, Daoists, and humans—truly a harmonious gathering.

He Simu stood up from her chair, walked to Qiao Yan, and said softly while looking down at her, “You have one day left. Make it count.”

Qiao Yan trembled, though it was unclear whether she was acting or truly afraid. She immediately shrank into her mother’s embrace. Daoist Master Mingfeng positioned himself between the two women, pointing at He Simu and declaring, “Evil spirit, cease your arrogance! While I am here, I won’t allow you to harm innocents again.”

He Simu smiled faintly, taking two steps back. Under everyone’s gaze, she calmly said, “I am merely a wandering person, not an evil spirit, and I don’t know why Miss Qiao would slander me like this. I suppose Daoist Master Mingfeng has already prepared hundreds of ways to pin this crime on me. What can a helpless young woman like me say? If you all wish to detain and investigate me, please proceed.”

General Qin Huanda sat with a cold expression, while Zheng An’s face was even more unpredictable. General Qin’s gaze swept across everyone in the tent. Perhaps considering the Taba Army and Duan Xu, he finally said, “If Miss Seventeen truly isn’t an evil spirit, then stay in the prison for a while. When General Duan returns, we’ll have a confrontation to prove your innocence.”

He Simu turned to look at General Qin and calmly replied, “Yes, I respectfully follow the Commander’s orders.”

General Qin inexplicably felt that this young woman’s eyes contained a hint of mockery—that unsettling atmosphere seemed neither ghostly nor human.

During her dozens of vacations, He Simu had the privilege of experiencing imprisonment for the first time. She sat cross-legged against the cold prison wall, eyes closed in meditation. The prison was plastered with various talismans meant to repel and subdue evil spirits. She had briefly examined these not-so-impressive talismans earlier; with the Ghost King’s Lantern in her possession, these talismans were less effective against her than the iron bars.

The prison experience wasn’t particularly bad, though the upcoming continuation of this grand performance was unpleasant.

Perhaps some Hall Master had somehow learned of her loss of powers and realized this was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity that couldn’t be wasted. So they had their subordinates manipulate Qiao Yan’s body and allied with mortals to harm her.

“Seventeen,” someone suddenly called. He Simu opened her eyes slightly and saw Meng Wan’s anxious face beyond the bars. Dressed in inconspicuous black clothing, she gripped the bars and asked, “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”

He Simu leaned against the gray wall, pointing to an empty bowl beside her: “I’ve already eaten.”

Meng Wan’s expression changed drastically. She immediately crouched down and reached through the bars to grab He Simu: “Spit it out quickly! It’s poisoned! Hurry, spit it out!”

He Simu was shaken by her tugging, causing dust to fall from the wall. She asked indifferently, “Oh? Who wants to harm me? General Yin? Master Zheng?”

Meng Wan’s expression darkened.

He Simu understood and said, “Master Zheng.”

Involvement in witchcraft was a serious crime. Zheng An likely half-believed the allegations about her evil spirit identity but didn’t know what other traps General Yin and General Qin had prepared. Fearing that when Duan Xu returned and confronted her, more incriminating evidence might emerge, he decided to strike first and ensure she “couldn’t testify.”

If she died, it would not only prove her innocence but also conveniently place the blame on General Yin.

“Your Great Liang fights wars with mediocrity, but excels at scheming and intrigue,” He Simu pulled Meng Wan’s hand away and said calmly. “Don’t worry, this little poison isn’t enough to affect my appetite. Unless struck at a vital point by a spirit sword or burned by ghost fire, evil spirits won’t perish.”

Meng Wan was momentarily stunned. She released He Simu’s hand and looked at her as if seeing a stranger. He Simu tilted her head and said, “Don’t tell me you never suspected me.”

“So you are…”

“An evil spirit.”

“You are…”

“He Xiaoxiao.”

Meng Wan took a deep breath. She stood up and looked at He Simu, her eyes filled with complex emotions. After staring at He Simu for a long while, she suddenly pulled out keys from her waist, unlocked the prison door, and said quietly, “I’ll distract the guards in a moment. You hurry and leave.”

He Simu’s gaze moved from Meng Wan’s door-opening gesture to her eyes. She folded her arms and asked, “Don’t you dislike me?”

“Just go when I tell you to go!” Meng Wan suppressed the anger in her voice. She suddenly raised her eyes to look at He Simu and said through gritted teeth, “You helped Shunxi, helped us defeat the Huqi people. I don’t care what you are… I’m not someone who repays kindness with enmity.”

He Simu remained silent for a while. She rose from the ground, and moonlight from the air window fell upon the floor at her feet. Her skin was very fair, with a small mole under her phoenix eyes, her expression cold and distant. She approached Meng Wan, and that direct, penetrating gaze made Meng Wan feel breathless. Then He Simu walked past her, patting her shoulder: “Thanks.”

She said it casually.

After He Simu’s figure moved away, Meng Wan secretly sighed in relief. She turned to look at He Simu’s retreating, wondering if she was a ghost. She didn’t look as terrifying as legendary evil spirits were supposed to be.

Did Duan Xu know about He Xiaoxiao being an evil spirit?

He must have known.

Even so, had he… fallen for her?

After leaving the prison, He Simu was in no hurry to depart. She found the veil hat that could conceal her presence, wore it, and walked leisurely out of Shuo Prefecture city with her hands behind her back. She walked to the wilderness outside the city, where the scorched earth from the previously burned military camp remained.

As she walked, she suddenly stopped and said calmly, “After waiting so long, aren’t you going to make your move?”

A group of people rustled out of the darkness, like beasts prowling in the night, surrounding He Simu. She looked over and saw the manipulated Qiao Yan and Daoist Master Mingfeng. They stood at the front of the crowd, watching her vigilantly but not immediately approaching. It seemed that although they knew about her loss of powers, they still harbored a fear of her usual formidable strength.

He Simu laughed lightly, but her smile faded when she saw the person behind Qiao Yan.

Qiao Yan stroked the head of the child behind her and said with a smile, “Chen Ying, help me get the jade pendant from this evil spirit’s waist. That belongs to me.”

Chen Ying looked somewhat confusedly at Qiao Yan, then at He Simu. He tugged at Qiao Yan’s clothes and asked, “You… are you Sister Xiaoxiao?”

Qiao Yan smiled, looking no different from the former He Xiaoxiao in the darkness. She crouched down and stroked Chen Ying’s shoulder, saying, “What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me? I am He Xiaoxiao. You were so sad when I was asleep, but now I’m awake, aren’t I?”

Chen Ying glanced at He Simu and said quietly, “But… General Brother and she both said…”

“They were deceiving you! She’s an evil spirit. Duan Xu is in league with her. They’ve tricked us all. Look, she even stole the jade pendant that her sister always carries. Will you help a sister get it back?”

Chen Ying looked into Qiao Yan’s eyes. He bit his lip and asked, “When you… borrowed the suona from Madam Song, how many eggs did you trade for it?”

Qiao Yan smiled, answering without hesitation, “Eight. Now do you believe me?”

Chen Ying looked somewhat confusedly at He Simu, who merely gazed at them calmly, offering no arguments.

Qiao Yan took Chen Ying’s hand and led him to He Simu, coaxing him, “Just raise your hand and you can get it. Sister is right beside you, don’t be afraid.”

With one hand she stroked Chen Ying’s head, simultaneously comforting Chen Ying while threatening He Simu with her gaze.

This child’s life was now in her hands.

Chen Ying looked up and met He Simu’s eyes. He Simu’s eyes reflected the cold moonlight, showing no emotion—no anger, panic, disappointment, or any other reaction—like a glacier that had not melted for years. She simply watched calmly as this child she had protected for three months hesitantly reached out and grasped the Ghost King’s Lantern jade pendant at her waist. That spiritual artifact, feared by all evil spirits, was quite docile in the hands of a mortal. Chen Ying applied a slight force and broke the silk cord, holding the Ghost King’s Lantern in his hand.

The moment the cord broke, he anxiously glanced up at He Simu’s expression, but she didn’t show anger or resistance, allowing him to take the Ghost King’s Lantern from her waist.

“Come, give me the Ghost King’s Lantern… the jade pendant,” Qiao Yan’s eyes almost radiated frenzied light.

Chen Ying, hesitating and moving slowly, placed the Ghost King’s Lantern in Qiao Yan’s hand. The lantern remained quiet, not emitting its usual light. Qiao Yan’s expression showed a moment of disappointment, but she quickly regained her excitement and said to He Simu, “We just need to kill you now.”

She turned to the Daoist behind her and said, “Daoist Master Mingfeng, it’s your turn.”

Mingfeng stood with his hands behind his back, looked at the silent and calm He Simu, and asked, “Are you certain she has absolutely no powers left?”

He Simu snorted derisively and said softly, “Coward.”

Mingfeng frowned. He stepped forward, examined He Simu for a moment, and then handed a small spirit sword to Chen Ying.

“Child, here’s your chance to slay this evil spirit with your own hands!”