Chapter Twelve: The Truth Behind the Scenes!

"You... you... how could you..."

Xia Xuezhou’s face was drained of all color, his stomach churning violently. He saw it clearly: although the woman’s head was mangled beyond recognition, he could identify her from the clothing and the general silhouette. It was the wedded wife of Clerk Qian!

"Why couldn't I?" Clerk Qian held his wife’s severed head, chuckling eerily. "Do you have any idea how disgusting it is to face this ugly woman day and night while pretending to be a loving husband? Do you know how hard it was to force down the food of mortals, which I couldn't stomach, only to have to sneak out every night to vomit it back up? Do you have any idea how long I have endured such a life?"

With every word Clerk Qian spoke, his emerald-green eyes grew colder. Under that chilling gaze, Xia Xuezhou’s legs turned to jelly; he could barely remain standing.

The wife of this fellow scholar was someone he himself had introduced after arriving in the north. She was a poised and graceful young woman, quite beautiful. He had originally thought that Cui Yan, whose entire family had been slaughtered, would cherish having a new home and, being tethered by family, would be easy to manipulate.

After all, Cui Yan’s identity was a ticking time bomb. Xia could destroy his life at any moment on the pretext that he was an unregistered citizen. For years, Cui had been obedient and subservient, gathering intelligence for him in the Painting Market. Over the past twenty years, the market had appeared four times, and each time Cui had brought him back many treasures. He had assumed the man was a docile dog, never imagining he was actually such a terrifying wolf.

"When did you become... become like this?" Xia Xuezhou tried his best to remain calm. After all, he was currently under the protection of the Third Prince, who had a semi-Grandmaster at his side.

"Was it like this from the very beginning, when you first escaped?"

"If only it were..." Clerk Qian sneered. "The first time I escaped from this hellish place was my only chance to live as a human. But certain people wouldn't have it. They took me in, only to threaten me, forcing me to return to this place a second time. Do you truly believe this is a place of benevolence? I was an unarmed scholar with no foundation here; how could I have possibly procured so many treasures for you? Have you never stopped to think about that?"

Xia Xuezhou felt a chill run through his heart as a horrifying realization dawned on him.

"A peripheral son of a noble family, you didn't bother to act as a proper official, instead obsessing over these things day and night. You shoved me into every instance where the Painting Market appeared. Did you really think those great families were blind?"

"Whose pawn are you?" Xia Xuezhou finally understood.

Cui Yan must have been targeted by other noble families the second time he entered the Painting Market, eventually being forced into this state. Xia had thought he was in total control, never suspecting that the man had long since become a hidden piece for someone else.

The Third Prince had initially been watching with the detached interest of an onlooker, but as he listened, he felt something was wrong. If this Cui Yan was a secret pawn for some faction, then leading them here could only mean...

"Master Cui, is it?" the Third Prince said with a smile. "I have no interest in your feud with Prefect Xia. How about we just go our separate ways here?"

"Does Your Highness not wish to know the way out?" Clerk Qian tossed the head aside and stood up to face the man of consequence.

The smile vanished from the Third Prince’s face. He knew it—this was aimed at him. For some reason, he thought of that magistrate surnamed Zhang. Perhaps... he really should have listened to that lad.

"It seems you knew all along that I would come?"

"I have been in contact with this Xia fellow for so many years; I know exactly what he would do the moment you arrived in Youzhou."

Upon hearing this, Xia Xuezhou felt completely numb. He knew he was finished.

"I don't quite understand," the Third Prince said softly. "I expected that I might be targeted during my trip to the Northern Sea for disaster relief, but I never thought a carefree prince like myself would become a target. Could you tell me why?"

"Your Highness is too modest. Given your noble status, now that the Crown Prince is dead, you are the next prime candidate."

"You are quite bold. But what is it you are plotting?" The Third Prince looked curious. "I truly cannot imagine which of my brothers could have such capabilities and the backing of such a powerful force!"

Murdering the Crown Prince was a grave crime. Adding himself to the list was an affront to the dignity of the entire royal family. Surely, they couldn't be doing this just for a simple provocation? There must be a great profit to be made. In this world, besides the throne, what else could possibly be worth the risk of murdering a Crown Prince?

"Has Your Highness ever heard the legend of the Grand Ancestor?" Clerk Qian asked, smiling as he walked forward.

"I have heard some parts..." The Third Prince frowned, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

Ever since the large-scale appearance of the Painting Market twenty years ago, rumors about the Grand Ancestor had circulated. The Grand Ancestor of the Great Jin had no foundation and no support from any noble family, yet he had managed to conjure an invincible army out of thin air, sweeping away the factions supported by the various noble houses and ultimately crushing all rivals to secure the Li family’s seat on the throne.

As the noble families grew familiar with the rules of the Painting Market, they began to suspect that the Grand Ancestor had built his empire using this very place!

"The rumors are correct!" Clerk Qian chuckled. "That poor farm boy stumbled into the Painting Market and was incredibly lucky to encounter a Painted Skin ghost. With her help, he gradually learned to survive there. Back then, no one could escape the market; those who wandered in either died or spent their lives struggling. But he was different. With that ghost woman, he escaped, and the outcome changed completely!"

"So that's how it was..." Eunuch Qin, standing nearby, nodded slightly.

The Painting Market allowed for the trading of vital blood essence. Martial artists could use this rule to grow strong rapidly, even reaching heights unattainable in the mortal world. But if one could not leave, it was all a fleeting dream—the market remained a terrifying evil. However, if one could leave, it was a different story. Such a rule was more convenient than any sect in the world and could create powerful martial artists. It was no wonder the Grand Ancestor could pull an army out of thin air!

"The Grand Ancestor was a man of great talent and strategy. He seized the opportunity to manage the market, established his own sphere of influence, set various rules, and spent a full fifty years unifying the market, eventually raising an army of seven hundred thousand!"

Clerk Qian sighed. "Who would have thought a poor boy would have such a destiny? The Grand Ancestor was patient and subtle, never revealing his strength until he was certain of victory. He waited until the world was in chaos and the various families were exhausted from their fighting before suddenly striking. He gave no family a chance to react, seizing the throne in one fell swoop."

"Master Cui, what is your point in enlightening me about the Grand Ancestor’s glory?"

"Don't be impatient..." Clerk Qian smiled. "There is more to the story!"

"Oh?"

"When the Grand Ancestor unified the Painting Market and set his rules, it wasn't just by winning over the survivors who lived there. To allow such a massive army to move in and out unimpeded, the Grand Ancestor naturally had to compromise with certain things."

Li Yu’s eyes grew dim. "You don't mean the Painted Skin ghosts in this market, do you?"

"What else could it be?" Clerk Qian narrowed his eyes. "An army of seven hundred thousand, fully armed, moving in and out of the market at will—how could he have managed that without the permission of the countless Painted Skin ghosts in this world of paintings?"

"I understand..." the Third Prince nodded. "The Grand Ancestor must have made some promises, right?"

"He promised a great deal. Many of the powerful warriors under the Grand Ancestor were actually spirits from these paintings. He even took that original ghost woman who helped him and made her Empress!"

"Audacious!" The guards’ faces turned pale with rage. This monster was not only slandering the Grand Ancestor but also the Holy Empress!

"Does Your Highness believe me?" Clerk Qian asked with a smile.

Li Yu did not answer but instead asked, "And then?"

"And then?" Clerk Qian’s tone was hollow. "Human hearts are terrifying. The promises made were grand, but the liquidation was ruthless. Most of the nobles who were stripped of their power and exterminated in history were descendants of these painting spirits. Not even the Holy Empress and her children could escape. The kind farm boy eventually became the coldest of emperors. Unfortunately, he opened the Painting Market to win the throne, but once he had it, he wanted to close it forever. How could such a thing be so easy?"

As he spoke, he stepped closer, his voice becoming increasingly shrill. "Your Li clan’s ancestral instruction is that any encounter with the Painting Market must be met with total eradication. And yet? The noble families are blinded by greed and hide it in secret, and your Li clan has no backbone, compromising with them. This current situation is a result of your Li clan’s weakness!"

Li Yu was stunned, then laughed. "Master, though you are a Painted Skin, you seem more concerned with your past life as a human. I heard from Prefect Xia that your entire family was harmed by the very painting spirits you speak of, yet now you have thrown your lot in with them. Can you still call yourself a man?"

"If not for your Li clan’s incompetence, how would it have come to this?" Clerk Qian’s laughter was wretched. "My current monstrous state is the result of the noble families’ greed, but also of your Li clan’s failures. If you are incompetent, you should not sit on that throne. You should step aside and let someone else take it."

"The people of this world will never let a Painted Skin ghost be emperor, nor will they let you monsters walk openly among them!" Li Yu said coldly.

Seeing the man sneer without replying, Li Yu realized the truth. "So that’s it. You have infiltrated to such a degree? Tell me, which of my brothers is your master?"

The moment these words were spoken, even Qin Fang was moved.

It was true. As the Third Prince said, the people would never accept a Painted Skin ghost as emperor. Now that the noble families knew of the Painting Market and kept it under surveillance, it was impossible for an army of seven hundred thousand to appear again like in the days of the Grand Ancestor. The only way for these Painted Skin ghosts to turn the tables was to deceive the world and replace the legitimate lineage!

Among the princes, there was a Painted Skin ghost!