The more she tried to forget that man, the more vividly she rembered him. She wanted to hate that man, but couldn’t bring herself to do so.
"Qingchen, it’s about ti I told you so truths."
Zhou Chang looked at the young girl with a complicated expression. He slowly crushed the flower petals in his hand, scattering them onto the ground and stepping on them before saying, "You are not Jiang Wan’s daughter."
The girl’s eyes opened wide in shock.
——
Inside the Empress’s bedchamber.
Luo Wanqing covered her cherry lips with one delicate hand and yawned lazily. Leaning languidly on the railing, she remarked to Li Guanshi, who was standing quietly nearby:
"You wanted to play the good person, yet couldn’t bear to give up this once-in-a-lifeti opportunity. Ultimately, you’ve sent that girl down into the abyss. Li Guanshi, oh Li Guanshi, you’re just as hypocritical as Jiang Wan."
Li Guanshi silently watched Jiang Erliang as she practiced swordplay in the garden, saying nothing.
Luo Wanqing cast her beautiful eyes toward the direction of Tongxin Palace, letting out a sneer. "Zhou Chang, that bastard, has truly gone insane—dead set on turning that girl into the next Shura. If she loses control, he’ll end up being rembered as a sinner for all of eternity."
Li Guanshi replied, "Ever since Jiang Wan’s death, he started setting up his plans, treading cautiously with every step. Aside from being tripped up once by my disciple Ye Zhuchan, he’s practically won every round."
Luo Wanqing furrowed her delicate brows and said, "So, you too believe Zhou Chang can control the Asura Queen? You ought to realize that in the past dynasty, when faced with the choice of exterminating the Asura Queen or the Demon Venerable, they opted for the forr first.
They even deployed three Heavenly Human Realm experts, yet failed to exterminate her, leaving them with no choice but to suppress her.
If it weren’t for the heavy toll taken in handling the Asura Queen, those three experts wouldn’t have been utterly defeated by the Demon Venerable afterwards. To so degree, the Asura Queen is even more threatening than the Demon Venerable.
I admit Zhou Chang is quite impressive—cunning and calculated. But I don’t believe he can truly control the Asura Queen. This man could very well unleash a demon upon this world."
Listening to Luo Wanqing’s concerns, Li Guanshi chuckled and said:
"Whether he succeeds or not, it makes no difference to . As long as Qingchen becos Shura, I’ll have my chance to ascend. At that point, mortals could face ruin or absolute annihilation—it’s no concern of mine."
Heaven and Earth are callous, treating all living beings as straw dogs. Saints are callous, treating the common folk as straw dogs.
Those who stand atop the pinnacle of cultivation regard all living beings as straw dogs. They possess no so-called compassion or sympathy, nor would they offer guidance or protection—they only gaze upwards to the heavens.
Zhao Wuxiu was like this, and so was Li Guanshi.
Luo Wanqing stretched languidly, inadvertently tugging at her dress, revealing her jade-like foot. From her instep to her heel, her white skin carried a hint of pale pink, glistening while translucent.
She gently placed her adorable toes on the ground, feeling the icy chill of the floorboards, muttering to herself, "Why hasn’t Jiang Wan shown herself yet? Could it truly be that she didn’t prepare any contingency plans?"
Li Guanshi remained quiet for a mont before lightly saying, "She’ll appear."
"Speaking of which, where has Jiang Yi gone?"
Luo Wanqing asked in curiosity.
Li Guanshi shook his elegant head and said, "I’m not sure. She was originally supposed to go to Zhenxuan Mountain, but there’s been no news of her. Perhaps she’s had a change of heart and headed elsewhere."
"That woman has a sharp tongue but a soft heart."
Luo Wanqing caressed her thigh, a faint smile at the corner of her lips. "Always pretending to hate this or that, yet can’t bring herself to harm even one person. If she’d been willing to sacrifice the few maids around her back then, her Heavenly Demon Technique would’ve been perfected. She wouldn’t have turned into the pitiful little fox she is now."
Li Guanshi refrained from comnting on her forr friend.
Back then, when Jiang Yi decided to cultivate the Heavenly Demon Technique, she had opposed it. But what could anyone do against Jiang Yi’s stubbornness?
Of course, she could roughly understand Jiang Yi’s intentions behind choosing the Heavenly Demon Technique.
Plainly, she saw her sister’s death as connected to Zhou Chang and the South Sea Holy Sect, and sought justice while simultaneously protecting her niece.
To pursue justice, one must first grow powerful.
Jiang Yi’s cultivation talent was diocre. Through conventional paths, she could at most reach the Grandmaster Realm. Yet her physique was a once-in-a-lifeti "Charming Bone," comparable to that of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon.
Only by practicing a technique like the Heavenly Demon Technique could she gain extraordinary strength.
Unfortunately, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox hadn’t left the full Heavenly Demon Technique intact, leading Jiang Yi to fail at the critical juncture, becoming a ruined woman.
If she had sacrificed the Four Sisters—Spring, Sumr, Autumn, and Winter—and taken their Heavenly Destiny Pearls, she might have succeeded.
But Jiang Yi ultimately couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Of course, Jiang Yi had painstakingly found and taken in the four sisters originally for the purpose of using them.
But as ti went on, she developed emotions for them, unwilling to cause harm.
Luo Wanqing’s assessnt wasn’t far off.
She always presented herself as a cold and heartless wretch, yet to those who truly understood her, she just seed pitiable.
Just as Old Madam Ran once said, Jiang Yi was like a hedgehog—eager to prick everyone she ca across, yet lacking the resolve to strike deeply. In the end, the one hurt most was herself.
Li Guanshi let out a quiet sigh.
What kind of fate awaited his old friend, he wondered?
At that mont, Li Guanshi noticed a beam of light rising from the tower of the Astronomical Observatory and murmured, "It seems Zhou Chang has already revealed the truth to that girl. What follows will be unleashing the hatred and malice buried within Ran Qingchen."
Luo Wanqing chuckled and said, "Based on what I know of Zhou Chang, he likely only told Ran Qingchen that she wasn’t Jiang Wan’s daughter. But he wouldn’t have told her she’s Yan Changqing’s daughter."
Li Guanshi replied, "Zhou Chang wouldn’t dare."
"Indeed. After all, even emperors are human—they too feel fear."
Luo Wanqing’s eyes glead with mockery as she smiled slyly, her half-closed almond-shaped eyes filled with disdain, "I truly hope Yan Changqing will co charging in sword in hand, sticking his blade through Zhao Wuxiu first before anything else. That nosy fool, always talking about ascension—ascend, my ass ascend."
No one could bla Luo Wanqing for her irritation.
She had originally planned to take Erliang for a stroll through Zhenxuan Mountain, but the Locking Space Restriction had made flight impossible.
Her pampered self refused to ride a carriage or travel on horseback.
Li Guanshi lowered her gaze and shook her head, saying:
"Yan Changqing won’t co. He understands that rushing in won’t save his daughter. The only way to completely extinguish Shura is to wait until Ran Qingchen has fully beco Shura, then cut her down at the root in one strike. At that point, if he succeeds, it’ll be my chance to ascend."
Li Guanshi’s goals were clear-cut.
Ran Qingchen was now akin to a coveted prize that everyone yearned for.
The emperor wanted her to beco Shura so he could wield control over her.
Li Guanshi, similarly, wanted Ran Qingchen to transform into Shura, using her as a dium for her own ascension.
Of course, the process would naturally require a partner for dual cultivation.
Jiang Mo was undoubtedly the ideal choice.
Luo Wanqing sneered sarcastically, "They say your disciple Ye Zhuchan is a scher with eight hundred tricks up her sleeve, but you as her master are no less sly—a cunning little fox yourself.
You call Yan Changqing ’big brother’ so earnestly, yet behind his back, your calculations recognize no kinship.
I’d honestly like to see Jiang Mo deal with you properly—make you pregnant, and then we’ll see how you manage to ascend!"
Li Guanshi smiled brightly and said, "If Jiang Mo truly has that ability, why not bear him a child?"
"Shaless wretch."
Luo Wanqing snorted coldly before getting up to teach sword techniques to Erliang.
Li Guanshi gazed upward at the sky, lost in thought for a long mont, murmuring to herself, "Jiang Yi, I really wish to save Qingchen. But... this world of heaven above—I truly long to see it for myself."
As Li Guanshi’s figure disappeared down the corridor, Luo Wanqing pursed her lips and turned to Erliang. In a tone of heartfelt advice, she said:
"Girl, if you ever perfect your cultivation, don’t beco like her. And for that matter, don’t be like either. We’re both wicked down to our bones, hopeless to the core."
Blushing, Erliang blinked her clear, beautiful eyes and replied, "But to , the mistress is truly the kindest, most wonderful person alive!"
"Am I wonderful?"
Luo Wanqing smiled sweetly and embraced the young girl.
The now taller Erliang found herself pressed against the woman’s bosom, her cheeks inadvertently squashing against the magnificent snow peaks—warm and inviting.
Caressing the girl’s silky hair, Luo Wanqing murmured, "Little girl, rember one thing: There’s no such thing as unselfish kindness in this world unless there’s sothing to gain."
Erliang blinked in confusion. "Then what does the mistress seek from ?"
Luo Wanqing burst into laughter. "Why, naturally, I seek your foolish yet lucky master!"
The woman gently touched her belly.
Ah, how she longed to feel it swell once more.
Reviews
All reviews (0)