The improved female villains regained their memories.

In broad daylight, the emperor died a violent death in the street, shocking the people of Yong'an City.

Xu Anyin's intentions are known to all.

Xu Anyin then executed the guard and installed a younger brother of the emperor, who was even younger than her, on the throne. This younger brother was only three years old, ignorant and naive, and had not yet learned to read or write, let alone govern the country.

Six months later, Xu Anyin deposed the emperor and declared herself empress, becoming the first female emperor in the history of the Great Yan Dynasty. Her political power permeated the court, and with the twelve zodiac animals as her henchmen, no one in the world dared to disobey her.

She accomplished what Ling Yan'er couldn't.

Speaking of Ling Yan'er, she was imprisoned in the palace by Xu Anyin and slapped every day. Xu Anyin would set aside half an hour each day to go there and check on her.

Watching Ling Yan'er get slapped had become a daily routine for her.

Xu Anlu's soul was also completely imprisoned. Xu Anyin created a palace in the consciousness space and said to Xu Anlu:

“My dear sister, this is what I created for you. It’s too dangerous outside. Let your elder sister face it for you.”

Xu Anlu didn't say anything; she hadn't spoken to Xu Anyin for a long time.

If she didn't want to talk, then so be it. Xu Anyin had nothing more to say to her. She had already cracked the soul-type immortal killing moves, and based on the remnant soul, she created a new immortal killing move.

Even without the transformation, controlling Xu Anlu's body shouldn't be a big problem.

"I've finally been reborn, I absolutely must protect Xu Anlu." Xu Anyin told herself this in her heart, but what she really thought was unknown.

On the day of her coronation, she sat on the throne, with various ministers paying homage below. Yang Pingsheng was also invited—though it was more like he was carried there by Xiao Hua. He sat on a step below Xu Anyin, his eyes closed, looking neither at Xu Anyin nor at the ministers below.

Xu Anyin raised his hand, signaling the ministers below to rise, then turned to Yang Pingsheng and asked, "The ceremonies for this enthronement ceremony were all conducted in accordance with the proper rites of the Great Yan Dynasty. What does the Grand Tutor think?"

Yang Pingsheng didn't look at her or say anything; his back was ramrod straight, as if he were asleep.

Xu Anyin didn't mind at all, and clapped his hands with a smile: "Come on, bring it up."

The imperial guards escorted a man dressed in prison clothes, covered in blood, into the main hall. The man was covered in wounds, his hands and feet were shackled and chained, and he staggered, looking as if he had been severely tortured.

"Grand Tutor, this man poisoned my food the night before last, but my men discovered it. In your opinion, how should we deal with an assassin like him who attempted to assassinate the emperor?"

Yang Pingsheng opened his eyes, slowly turned around, and looked at the little girl. Her facial muscles were stiff, her long black hair hung down her back like a corpse, and the single tuft of hair that had been cut off had long been gone. Her original lively and cheerful appearance had disappeared, replaced by the coldness of someone in a superior position.

The fiery red soul floated behind her, becoming the root of all evil.

"Where is the assassin? I can't see him."

Yang Pingsheng stared directly into those eyes and slowly uttered each word: "A cruel and heartless person is called a tyrant. I only see righteous men who want to kill tyrants, not assassins who want to assassinate the emperor."

"Hahahaha, the Grand Tutor's words are as humorous as ever!"

Xu Anlu's physical body burst into laughter. Although her outward appearance was laughing, her fiery red soul drifted over and silently whispered in Yang Pingsheng's ear:

"Stop pretending, Grand Tutor."

The voice was alluring yet chilling: "You are not the reborn sect leader at all. I have already researched and broken through the soul-type immortal killing moves. It just so happens that my newly researched immortal killing move can see through the essence of the soul."

"Your essence is [time travel], not [rebirth]."

She smiled, circling around Yang Pingsheng, and said decisively: "People who have been reborn, like me, have a special flavor in their souls, but you, Grand Tutor, your soul does not have that flavor. However, it has another flavor."

She stuck out her tongue, tracing it across Yang Pingsheng's cheek as if it were nothing, smacked her lips, and laughed: "It tastes like time travel."

"Soul from another world, do you really think I'd fall for your trick?"

There are new developments in the research on Yang Pingsheng every day.

Xu Anyin is arrogant, Xu Anyin is shy, Xu Anyin is awkward, but Xu Anyin is not stupid.

Yang Pingsheng was the biggest variable in her rebirth, and she never fully believed anything he said.

Doubt is the most basic quality of an emperor.

Ever since he suffered a loss at Ling Yan'er's hands in his previous life, Xu Anyin has closed himself off and will never trust anyone again.

Not to mention Yang Pingsheng, she didn't even fully trust Xu Anlu.

"How intriguing, Grand Tutor. The position of one of the Three Dukes never existed before my rebirth. I wonder if you caused this change, but none of that matters. The first stage of my revenge is almost complete. I have plenty of time to study you slowly."

She took a deep breath, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes were dreamy, like a little girl in love.

"What a sweet fragrance, Grand Tutor! Your soul is so, so captivating!"

Chapter 82 Hidden and Revealed

After the ceremony, Yang Pingsheng returned the same way he had come.

Xu Anyin's words were like a bombshell; from that moment on, the system's wailing never stopped.

Yang Pingsheng really wanted to ask the system, "Is this what you call reliable?" But Xu Anyin was still haunting him, and it was Xiao Hua who carried him back after the ceremony, so he didn't have time to discuss it with the system.

Yang Pingsheng was indeed startled when his identity as a time traveler was exposed, but he quickly calmed down. So what if he was exposed? He had already done his best, and even if something really happened, there was nothing he could do.

Back in the courtyard, Xiao Hua didn't go to stand far away, but stood right next to Yang Pingsheng. The system's wailing had ended; it had probably gone to contact the Heavenly Dao, so he didn't bother with it and simply closed his eyes to rest.

He seemed to have fallen asleep and was having another dream.

In his dream, a city of steel and concrete stood tall, and he stood in the middle of it, surrounded by crowds, looking so lonely.

The figure was still standing there, waving at him.

Cars streamed by, the traffic lights flashed, and the world seemed colorless.

Plum blossoms are planted along the roadside, blooming high in the air. But in this gloomy world, even the plum blossoms cannot produce color.

He saw the man wave at him, calling out:

"Hey!"

The system's voice echoed in his mind, and he suddenly woke up.

Leaves fell on him, suggesting he had been asleep for some time. Little Flower remained standing beside him, faithfully guarding her post, like a statue.

The system's voice rang in his mind: "Awake? Don't show anything unusual yet, listen to me. I've already investigated. It's not surprising that Xu Anyin knows about your transmigrator plan; it's all part of the Heavenly Dao's scheme."

Yang Pingsheng wondered to himself, "Is there really no problem?" But the system had gone from wailing to confidence and said, "Xu Anyin will definitely come looking for you. She's curious about you and has already fallen into the trap set by Heaven. Just do as you see fit. The overall plan remains the same. When we chat later, just say what I've taught you."

Fine.

Since the system has said so, what else can he say?

Just then, Yang Pingsheng felt a slight itch on his face. He looked up and saw his red hair falling down.

Xu Anyin had arrived at some point, standing on tiptoe behind his chair to look at him, a smile on her face:

"How should I address you, Grand Tutor, or the unknown transmigrator?"

It was a cheerful smile.

But it was precisely this smile that left Yang Pingsheng completely baffled.

Upon learning that he was a stranger who had transmigrated and was not the leader of the demonic sect he had been reborn from, Xu Anyin actually seemed rather... happy.

Yang Pingsheng found it strange, but still followed the system's instructions:

"You should still call me Grand Tutor."

"Alright, I don't mind. But Grand Tutor, aren't you going to explain this to me?"

"I didn't mean to hide anything."

He pretended to hesitate for a moment, then spoke:

"Xiao Yin, do you even know what humanity is?"

------

The grand palace in the space of consciousness.

Xu Anlu sat on the ground in the middle of the main hall, her eyes closed. Even though there was no wind, her single ahoge (a single hair sticking up) trembled in the breeze.

Unlike Xu Anyin, she had no way of seeing the external environment of her body. She was not proficient in the ways of the soul, and once Xu Anyin took over her body and refused to return it to her, she would be trapped here.

Xu Anyin hadn't been here for a long time. There was no time, no sun or moon in her consciousness space, so she couldn't calculate the number of days. She only knew that she had been staying here all along.

She was dreaming; she was dreaming in her own consciousness.

In my dream, the grand autumn festival of the Great Yan Dynasty, held once every four years, was here. Shops in Yong'an City were open, and all kinds of lanterns were hung high. People flocked to the streets, making the usually empty streets extremely crowded.

In the crowd, she held the Grand Tutor's hand and moved forward with the flow of people. The Grand Tutor asked her why she was holding her hand, and she smiled and looked up at him, replying:

"Because it's too crowded, I'm afraid I won't be able to find the Grand Tutor."

There were many flowers, spread out along the street in irregular patterns. Red, yellow, green, purple, all sorts of colors, it was truly a dazzling display of flowers.

She bounced around, wanting to eat this and that, and the Grand Tutor, just like last time, agreed to whatever she asked for.

"Grand Tutor, what is that!?"

"Those are candied hawthorns, didn't I tell you about them last time?"

"No, no, the Grand Tutor didn't tell me!"

"You clearly said that."

"Then please say it again, Grand Tutor, so I can remember it!"

The Grand Tutor looked at himself helplessly, his eyes filled with his usual doting affection, and said, "Candied hawthorn is a kind of food made by skewering wild fruits with bamboo sticks and dipping them in maltose syrup. The syrup hardens quickly when it gets windy, and it tastes both sour and sweet, and it's also very cold."

As he spoke, he touched his head and asked, "Little Lu, did you remember?"

"Okay! I've got it!"

Do you want to eat it?

"I want it!"

The Grand Tutor bought her candied hawthorns. She held the candied hawthorns with a smile, eating them as she ran, and subconsciously let go of Yang Pingsheng's hand.

The hand loosened.

When she turned her head again, she saw Yang Pingsheng and Ling Yan'er together.

They huddled together and walked into the crowd.

"Wait, Grand Tutor, don't leave me behind!"

She panicked, squeezed into the crowd, and ran forward. Then she saw Yang Pingsheng touching the head of another version of her, taking her hand, and walking away into the distance.

That's not her, that's Xu Anyin.