Volume 5, Chapter 282 – She Is the Future Empress (Part 3)

“Cultivator Master Qi Huang of the Honghua Sect?”

The young soldier instinctively read the name aloud.

“Hmph! So what if you throw around a Cultivator’s Token? I’ve already said it—no one, not even the Immortal Alliance, can save you if you’re plotting rebellion.”

Constable Peng sneered dismissively.

“It’s true. Cultivators may not fall under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, but that doesn’t mean the court can’t take action if they commit crimes.”

Xia Wei whispered into her mistress’s ear, her delicate face etched with worry.

“I know. But why does that name sound so familiar?”

Liu Yingyue slightly furrowed her willow-leaf brows.

“Captain Tao, hurry up and take action. Don’t let this guy escape!”

Constable Peng urged impatiently.

“Wait! Qi Huang of the Honghua Sect? Could this be…?”

The young soldier suddenly seemed to realize something, his eyes widening as he stared at Qi Huang with a mix of shock and hesitation.

“What’s wrong?”

Constable Peng asked, puzzled.

“Are you stupid? Do you remember the imperial consort personally selected by His Majesty?”

Captain Tao finally snapped, unable to hold back his frustration.

“Honghua Sect… Qi Huang?”

Constable Peng glanced at the waist token again, and his expression drastically changed.

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“What is your relationship with Cultivator Master Qi Huang of the Honghua Sect?”

Captain Tao forced himself to remain composed as he inquired.

“You should know that a cultivator’s waist token isn’t something that can be casually lent to outsiders. As for the rest, it’s not something a mere captain like you should pry into.”

Qi Huang deliberately adopted an air of lofty mystery.

Captain Tao’s frown deepened as he silently analyzed the situation.

Meanwhile, Liu Yingyue and her maid were utterly stunned. They had never imagined that this “neither-man-nor-woman” individual had such deep connections, even tied to the renowned Cultivator Master Qi Huang of the Honghua Sect.

Constable Peng sensed the situation turning unfavorable. A trace of savagery flashed across his face as he turned to the young soldier.

“Captain Tao, there’s no need to worry so much. Even if Qi Huang is an imperial consort, she hasn’t entered the palace yet, she holds no official rank or position. Why should we fear her?”

“Heh, that’s true. But you should know very well that historically, nearly all imperial consorts personally selected by the emperor ended up becoming empresses. If you dare offend someone close to her now, just wait until she ascends the throne and slowly tortures your entire family, down to every last descendant.”

Qi Huang deliberately taunted him.

“Who are you trying to scare? It’s true that those who enter the palace usually become empresses, but more than half of them die along the way due to ‘various reasons’. Statistically speaking, she’s more likely to end up in the latter category.”

Constable Peng retorted mockingly.

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, because his words held some truth. An imperial consort’s journey to the palace threatened many powerful interests, and the easiest solution was to eliminate her before she ever arrived.

“Daring to curse a future empress? It seems letting you off with farming was too merciful.”

Qi Huang narrowed her phoenix-like eyes slightly.

Captain Tao remained silent, his expression growing increasingly grave. This matter had nothing to do with him, and he had no reason to risk offending an imperial consort personally chosen by the emperor. But if he simply withdrew now, it would make him appear cowardly. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

“Captain Tao, what are you still waiting for?”

Constable Peng urged frantically. The longer this dragged on, the more unpredictable the situation became, better to resolve it quickly.

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“Forget it. This matter involves an imperial consort—it’s beyond the authority of a mere captain like me. Let the higher-ups deal with this headache.”

In the end, Captain Tao decided to pass the thorny problem to his superiors. He took out a Thousand-Mile Communication Tube and reported the situation to his direct superior, Marshal Shi.

“What? He has the waist token of Cultivator Master Qi Huang from the Honghua Sect?”

Marshal Shi was utterly shocked upon hearing this.

“Yes. Since this matter involves an imperial consort, this humble officer dares not make a decision without authorization. I seek your instructions, my lord.”

Captain Tao replied respectfully.

“Stay where you are and do not act. Wait until I discuss this with the Provincial Governor before proceeding.”

After a long hesitation, Marshal Shi issued his orders.

Captain Tao acknowledged the command and inwardly let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he had offloaded this troublesome problem onto someone else, it felt as if a mountain had been lifted from his shoulders.

Marshal Shi wasted no time. He immediately used the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to report the matter to Provincial Governor Niu, the highest-ranking official in Yongning Province.

“What? Qi Huang? Why would someone connected to her interfere in this matter?”

Provincial Governor Niu was equally caught off guard.

“This general does not know. That ‘young man’ might have come to purchase something or has some connection with the Golden Fortune Auction House’s manager. That’s why he intervened.”

Marshal Shi analyzed.

“This Qi Huang is an imperial consort personally chosen by His Majesty, not one of those dozens of ordinary selections from each province. Historically, women like her all ended up as empresses. Barring any accidents, she will be no different.”

Provincial Governor Niu muttered to himself before suddenly asking, “Do you think this young man could have stolen the waist token?”

“Unlikely. I don’t know about Qi Huang’s cultivation level, but her main body is the renowned Fairy Hongling. Who could steal something right under her nose? Besides, if such a thing had happened, news would have spread already.”

Marshal Shi reasoned.

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“If it wasn’t stolen, then she must have given it willingly. I’ve heard that cultivators never casually lend their waist tokens to outsiders. This suggests that this young man must have an exceptionally close relationship with Qi Huang.”

Provincial Governor Niu took a deep breath.

“Indeed. Thus, this general believes it’s not worth offending the future empress of the Western Radiance Dynasty over a mere murder case, especially since the Golden Fortune Auction House isn’t even directly involved.”

Marshal Shi spoke as deferentially as possible. Though he commanded the military forces of the entire province, under the Western Radiance Dynasty’s hierarchy, his rank was still below the Provincial Governor, making him only the second-in-command.

Provincial Governor Niu fell into silence. After a moment, he declared, “I’ll order all constables to withdraw from the Golden Fortune Auction House. Marshal Shi, please recall your soldiers as well.”

“As you command.”

Marshal Shi exhaled imperceptibly in relief before acknowledging the order.

Before long, both Constable Peng and Captain Tao received their instructions.

Captain Tao felt as if a boulder had been lifted from his chest. He was a sensible man, he knew that matters of this scale were far beyond the pay grade of a small fry like him. The best outcome was to let it blow over quietly.

Constable Peng, however, was in deep trouble. He had sworn an oath, if the other party insisted on holding him accountable, his ordeal was far from over.

“My apologies, esteemed… sir, and Manager Liu. We’ll withdraw immediately. Your auction tonight can proceed as scheduled, I guarantee no one will dare disturb you again.”

Captain Tao stepped forward to apologize, eager to extricate himself from the situation.

Constable Peng’s eyes darted around before he, too, stepped forward. “Yes, I was too rash earlier. I’ll compensate for all damages and ensure such an incident never happens again.”

Liu Yingyue was dumbfounded. She had never dreamed that such a hopeless deadlock would be resolved by this “unremarkable-looking” individual. She was so shocked that she didn’t even know how to react.

“Captain Tao, you may leave. As for you—”

Qi Huang turned to Constable Peng. “As a constable, your word must hold weight. Resign on your own, don’t wait for the emperor to issue an edict. Otherwise, losing your badge will be the least of your worries.”

Constable Peng’s face turned ashen, but he dared not retort. With his tail between his legs, he led his men away in defeat.

“Young Master, thank you. Once again, you’ve helped me tremendously!”

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Liu Yingyue approached and curtsied deeply.

“No need for thanks. I was helping myself as well.”

Qi Huang waved magnanimously. After all, she needed the auction house to sell the Nine Nether Demon Cat’s Tears and still had favors to ask of them. Naturally, she wouldn’t stand by and watch them fall into ruin.

Meanwhile, Xia Wei gazed at Qi Huang with a complicated expression,  all traces of her earlier disdain had vanished.

“Xia Wei, write a notice and post it at the entrance. Announce that tonight’s auction will proceed as scheduled, and instruct the staff to prepare quickly.”

After issuing orders to her maid, Liu Yingyue turned back to Qi Huang. “Young Master, shall we continue our discussion in the guest room?”

Understanding that she wanted privacy, Qi Huang followed her.

As they ascended the stairs, Qi Huang suddenly felt awkward. The beautiful manager was wearing a form-fitting, high-slit silver qipao, and from behind, the curves of her waist and hips were on full display. Her hourglass figure was flawless, and with each step, the hem of her dress fluttered, offering glimpses of her slender legs. Qi Huang couldn’t help but blush.

‘Does this woman not realize she might be exposing herself? How can she have no sense of caution?’

Her thoughts ran wild. In truth, she didn’t realize that a woman would only let her guard down so completely around a “man” she deeply trusted.

Soon, they entered the guest room. Liu Yingyue handed Qi Huang a stack of silver notes, the proceeds from auctioning the Nine Nether Demon Cat’s Tears during her absence.

“Only fifty thousand taels? Did only a few bottles sell?”

After a quick glance, Qi Huang frowned in confusion. She had left dozens of pure tear vials here, each with a reserve price of at least twenty thousand taels. Even after the auction house’s commission, fifty thousand taels meant only three or four bottles had been sold.

“Sigh… To be honest, Young Master, after you left, we only managed to hold one successful auction. These are the earnings from selling three vials of the tears.”

Liu Yingyue sighed.

“What happened? Didn’t I already help you eliminate the mole last time?”

Qi Huang voiced her doubts.