Volume 5, Chapter 274 – I Don’t Want to Be an Imperial Consort (Part 2)

“Your Majesty, why are you so delighted? Has some good news arrived from the border?”

The plump, greasy old eunuch at his side couldn’t help but ask curiously. Given his audacity to inquire directly, it was clear he was a trusted confidant of the emperor.

“Not at all.”

Lin Tu reined in his excitement slightly before continuing, “However, it seems my harem is about to receive heavenly good news.”

“Your Majesty means…?”

The old eunuch grew even more curious but dared not speculate recklessly.

“Chief Steward Zhong, have you heard of Cheng Hongling from Huangtian County?”

Lin Tu countered with a question instead of answering.

“Cheng Hongling? Your Majesty must be referring to Cheng Hongling of the Honghua Sect in Huangtian County! At just twelve years old, she broke into the top sixty of our Western Radiance Dynasty’s Immortal Seed Ranking, an unprecedented feat. Legends about her are everywhere among the common folk. Moreover, it’s said she’s grown even more stunning in recent years. Though, given her origins in such a place, who knows if the rumors are true?”

Chief Steward Zhong answered vaguely. As the head of the inner palace, he knew it was better to feign ignorance.

“That was my initial thought as well. Huangtian County? What kind of place is that? A notorious rat’s nest in our Western Radiance Dynasty, how could a phoenix emerge from there? But according to recent reliable reports from my spies, this girl was tested with the Phoenix Selection Token, and her evaluation was a perfect score in all six categories.”

A covetous gleam flashed in Lin Tu’s eyes.

“What?! A perfect score in all six?! That’s utterly unbelievable! For ordinary women, even one perfect score is incredibly rare!”

Chief Steward Zhong gasped in astonishment.

“Naturally. The Phoenix Selection Token originally came from the hands of a royal family in a great nation of the Central Continent. Their land is blessed with outstanding talents, so their standards are exceedingly strict. To achieve a perfect score in all six categories, one would likely need to rank within the top ten of the entire cultivation world’s ‘Sinking Fish Grand Ranking’, a list reserved for the most peerless beauties.”

Lin Tu analyzed. The so-called Sinking Fish Grand Ranking was essentially the cultivation world’s definitive beauty ranking, featuring only a hundred selections filtered from each nation’s own Sinking Fish Ranking.

Of course, not every country had a Sinking Fish Ranking. Remote and insignificant nations like the Western Radiance Dynasty were excluded entirely, its people were considered too unsightly. The ranking’s publishers simply ignored them. That was why Cheng Hongling and Mu Ruoyi were dubbed the Twin Moons of the Western Radiance Dynasty.

In short, the Western Radiance Dynasty wasn’t worthy of a Sinking Fish Ranking.

“What a pity. This girl was born in the Western Radiance Dynasty, and in Huangtian County, a rat’s nest, no less. Had she been born elsewhere, she would’ve long been immortalized in the Sinking Fish Ranking.”

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Chief Steward Zhong sighed regretfully.

“Isn’t that for the best? If she were from another country, it wouldn’t be so easy for me to claim her.”

A faint smirk curled at the corner of Lin Tu’s lips.

“Your Majesty… you have designs on her?”

Chief Steward Zhong couldn’t hide his shock.

“Why not? Such a heaven-sent gift—if I don’t take it, wouldn’t that be spurning the heavens’ generosity?”

Lin Tu chuckled.

“That may be so, but you know she’s a cultivator. We have an agreement with the Immortal Alliance, cultivators are exempt from imperial authority. What if she refuses?”

Chief Steward Zhong hurriedly reminded him.

“To be honest, I’ve had my eye on her for a long time. In the past, it would’ve been difficult, but now… things are different.”

Lin Tu rose from his chair, his tall frame imposing like a mountain. He paced slowly, a cold smile playing on his lips.

“According to secret reports from the palace, the Severed Immortal Sect recently attacked the Honghua Sect. Though she single-handedly resolved the crisis, she didn’t come out unscathed, both her main body and her doppelgänger were poisoned with Qi-Leaking Powder.”

“Qi-Leaking Powder?!”

Chief Steward Zhong’s face paled.

“Indeed. You know how Qi-Leaking Powder works, once a cultivator is exposed, their qi is rapidly dispersed. There’s no antidote. Given her profound cultivation, she might endure it, but her doppelgänger… is another matter.”

Lin Tu could barely contain his glee as he continued, “This doppelgänger, named Qi Huang, was only recently cultivated and is merely at the Spirit-Gathering Realm. The poison has already completely purged all the qi from her body. From now on, she’ll never be able to cultivate again.”

“Forgive this old fool’s dullness, but I still don’t grasp Your Majesty’s meaning.”

Chief Steward Zhong’s face twisted in confusion.

“Let me ask you, what defines a cultivator?”

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Lin Tu prompted.

“What defines a cultivator?”

Chief Steward Zhong fell into deep thought, muttering to himself, “Those who can wield divine abilities? No—without qi, how could they? Ah! Those who can cultivate qi are cultivators!”

“Precisely. Only those who can cultivate qi are true cultivators. This Qi Huang no longer has a trace of qi in her body. Is she a cultivator? Of course not. So, tell me, can I exert authority over her?”

Lin Tu pressed each word deliberately.

“This old servant understands Your Majesty’s meaning now! But… she’s just a doppelgänger. Does she even count as an independent person?”

Chief Steward Zhong dared to voice his doubts.

“Whether she’s a cultivator is for the Immortal Alliance to decide. Whether she’s a person? That’s for me to say. Do you think the Immortal Alliance would risk offending an entire nation’s ruler over some nobody like Cheng Hongling?”

Lin Tu’s tone was domineering.

“Your Majesty is truly wise!”

Chief Steward Zhong’s face lit up with admiration.

“Chief Steward Zhong, the triennial selection of ‘Imperial Consorts’ is approaching. Relay my decree—order the magistrate of Huangtian County to immediately register Qi Huang’s name. When the time comes, you will personally escort her into the palace. The sooner, the better.”

Lin Tu issued his command without hesitation.

“This servant obeys!”

Chief Steward Zhong dropped to his knees in acknowledgment.

“Hmph. Once I have Cheng Hongling’s doppelgänger, the descendants of my Lin Clan will produce countless Cheng Honglings. With that, dominating the entire cultivation world will be child’s play. We’ll simply take whatever women we want from other nations!”

Lin Tu’s gaze swept beyond the grand hall, brimming with disdain.

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Meanwhile, Qi Huang remained blissfully unaware that she had caught the eye of the emperor. She was still preoccupied with fending off the well-meaning but overbearing efforts of those determined to cure her, not of insanity, but of Qi-Leaking Powder.

Elder Ruan was at a loss regarding the poison but refused to admit defeat, resorting to… human experimentation.

Cheng Hongling quickly grew impatient and contacted Mu Ruoyi of Shuiyu Valley via the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube.

Concerned, Mu Ruoyi personally led a group of fellow disciples to visit the Honghua Sect.

“I’m afraid there’s nothing to be done. Qi-Leaking Powder was specifically developed by the Severed Immortal Sect to target cultivators. If an antidote existed, it would’ve spread by now. Even our Shuiyu Valley is powerless against it.”

After examining Qi Huang, Mu Ruoyi spoke apologetically.

“It’s alright. That you came all this way for my sake is already more than enough.”

Cheng Hongling’s tone was surprisingly gentle. Though aloof, she wasn’t heartless.

“But what do we do now? If the poison isn’t treated soon, delaying your junior sister’s cultivation progress is no small matter.”

The hot-tempered Shen Yuan grew visibly agitated.

“Indeed. The Evergreen Conference is barely over a year away. She must obtain the Golden Fate Blossom seeds this time, every moment counts.”

Elder Xu Mei chimed in.

“Master, don’t pressure junior sister too much. If she truly can’t obtain the seeds, I’ll take her place as the bait. After all, this disaster is my fault.”

Ruan Lingyu, the eldest senior sister, volunteered without hesitation.

“And me! As the second senior sister, I’m also to blame!”

Yun Fei eagerly claimed responsibility.

“Don’t forget about me! I’m the mastermind!”

Miao Xiang blurted out thoughtlessly.

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“You? The mastermind? Are you insulting everyone’s intelligence? Only someone as brilliant as me could be the mastermind!”

Su Qingying immediately shot back.

“Enough! How do you know the owner of the Golden Fate Blossom would even agree to such an arrangement? What if they insist on the seeds and refuse the person?”

Elder Xu Mei retorted.

The group fell silent. That was the outcome they dreaded most.

“Don’t worry too much. While Shuiyu Valley has no cure, we’ve done some research on Qi-Leaking Powder. Given Sister Hongling’s strength, with some high-quality blood-circulation medicines and focused cultivation to accelerate her metabolism, she should expel the toxins within a month at most.”

Mu Ruoyi quickly added.

“Thank you. This method alone is more than enough.”

Cheng Hongling’s eyes brightened with sincere gratitude.

The others also visibly relaxed. If it only took a month, that was a stroke of luck amid misfortune.

“However, these medicines are exceedingly rare. Even Shuiyu Valley can’t gather them all. Each ingredient is exorbitantly expensive, you must be prepared.”

Mu Ruoyi added cautiously.

“No problem! Leave it to me!”

Qi Huang immediately stepped forward. She now had access to an inexhaustible “treasure trove”—money was the least of her concerns. Moreover, with her connections at the Golden Fortune Auction House, sourcing the ingredients wouldn’t be an issue.

The group nodded inwardly. Though Qi Huang’s mental state was questionable, she had never failed to deliver on her boasts, perhaps her condition wasn’t as severe as they thought.

“That’s a relief. But Sister Qi Huang, your situation is more complicated. Your cultivation was already low, and with such a heavy dose of Qi-Leaking Powder, detoxification will be painfully slow, likely taking eight to ten years. And even if you purge it all… you’ll never cultivate again.”

Mu Ruoyi then turned to Qi Huang, her gaze filled with pity.