Volume 5, Chapter 290 – I Only See Her as a Breeding Tool

Qi Huang was not a bloodthirsty person by nature, but the man before her had killed numerous clients of the Golden Fortune Auction House—his death was well-deserved.

After obtaining the clues, Qi Huang swiftly returned to the auction house, only to find that the event had already concluded.

Once again, she found herself in Liu Yingyue’s guest room, where she received another fifty thousand taels of silver.

“Manager Liu, here are the clues I’ve uncovered. How you handle this is up to you.”

Qi Huang retrieved the Shadow-Retaining Mirror from her spatial ring.

“Where did you get this mirror?”

Liu Yingyue was stunned. She never expected that this person could restore the damaged mirror in just one trip outside, what kind of heaven-defying ability was this?

“Found it by the roadside. Don’t worry about it.”

Qi Huang casually brushed off the question, then channeled her True Qi into the edge of the mirror frame, specifically at the position marking the current hour. As expected, the scenes she had recorded earlier began replaying in the mirror.

“It even has sound?”

Liu Yingyue’s beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.

“Just as you suspected earlier, this mirror does indeed have a sound-recording function.”

Qi Huang explained.

Liu Yingyue nodded in understanding before focusing on the images within the mirror. Several masked figures could be seen leaping across rooftops into the Government Office—clearly, this was when Immortal Huo and his group had gone to meet Prefect Niu.

Qi Huang had started the playback from the beginning so that the auction manager would recognize these men as the ones who had secretly murdered the auction house’s clients.

As time passed, Liu Yingyue’s eyes grew rounder, and her fists clenched unconsciously. What infuriated her was not the cruelty of the killers, but Governor Niu’s complete lack of moral boundaries.

The two parties reached an agreement, and Immortal Huo’s group departed, ending the recorded scene.

Qi Huang then channeled her True Qi into the next segment, which began playing her interrogation of Immortal Huo. She had deliberately omitted the earlier, bloodier parts, both to avoid excessive gore and to conceal her true strength.

“Why was he so terrified of you?”

Liu Yingyue asked curiously.

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“Because I told him I was a master at the Divine Realm.”

Qi Huang answered truthfully.

“And he just believed you?”

Liu Yingyue was dumbfounded.

“Of course. After all, I do look like a supreme expert, so he didn’t doubt me.”

Qi Huang boasted shamelessly.

“Heh, I don’t see it.”

Liu Yingyue let out an awkward, borderline-rude chuckle.

“You’re a professional auction manager, how can you mock others like this?”

Qi Huang grew slightly flustered.

“Apologies, I couldn’t help it.”

Liu Yingyue gave a slight curtsy, her eyes curving into crescents like misty pools of water, though it was obvious she was still suppressing laughter.

Qi Huang was full of resentment but couldn’t bring herself to get angry, so she had no choice but to swallow her frustration.

The mirror’s playback continued, and soon, Liu Yingyue was no longer smiling. The mastermind behind everything turned out to be her second uncle.

“How could it be him?”

Liu Yingyue bit her red lips, her jade-like hands gripping the teacup so tightly that faint veins bulged.

Qi Huang didn’t know how to comfort her—she, too, had once had a similar second uncle, so she understood the pain all too well.

“Thank you, young master. I’ll fulfill my promise to you as soon as possible.”

After a long silence, Liu Yingyue forced a faint smile onto her delicate face.

“So, how do you plan to handle this? Even though Liu Biao is your second uncle, if you do nothing, he might cause more trouble.”

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Qi Huang offered a well-meaning reminder.

“But what can I do? He’s still my uncle. Should I hire someone to kill him?”

Liu Yingyue gave a weary laugh.

“That’s not a bad idea! After all, he hired assassins to kill so many of your clients, even if he dies, it’s what he deserves.”

Qi Huang attempted to persuade her, recalling her own past experiences with her second uncle. Being overly merciful solved nothing, and besides, this matter directly affected her interests.

“No. The fact that he hasn’t targeted me directly means there’s still some familial sentiment left. As his niece, I can’t possibly commit such an act of betrayal.”

Liu Yingyue retorted.

Qi Huang fell silent. This was another family’s internal affair, she really shouldn’t interfere further.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be extra vigilant from now on.”

Liu Yingyue steadied herself and made the promise, though her expression soon darkened again. “What worries me most right now is Governor Niu. I have no blood ties with him, and who knows what schemes he’ll come up with next.”

“Isn’t that better? Since you’re not related, I won’t have to hold back when dealing with him. Don’t worry, leave it to me. Within a month, I’ll turn Governor Niu from an official into livestock.”

Qi Huang declared with absolute confidence.

“Then I’ll have to thank you in advance, young master.”

Liu Yingyue gave another graceful curtsy. Had anyone else made such a bold claim, she would’ve dismissed it as empty boasting. But this person before her seemed more and more unfathomable.

“No need, it’s what I promised you, after all.”

Qi Huang waved her hand dismissively before adding, “But as for your second uncle, simply staying on guard won’t solve anything. How about this, confront him directly and make things clear. Hopefully, it’ll serve as a warning.”

“Hmm, that’s a good suggestion. I can only hope he’ll reconsider for the sake of our uncle-niece relationship.”

A glimmer of hope flickered across Liu Yingyue’s delicate features.

“Alright, to prevent something like this from happening again, I’ll assign someone to specifically handle client registrations. I guarantee no one, not even cultivators, will be able to spy on this room.”

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After some thought, Qi Huang made another suggestion. The “helper” she referred to was naturally her doppelgänger, Huang Di, residing in her Sea of Consciousness.

“Really? That would be perfect! When can he arrive?”

Liu Yingyue asked eagerly. After everything that had happened, she now trusted Qi Huang completely.

“Of course it’s real. I’ll bring him to meet you shortly.”

Qi Huang assured her confidently. Huang Di’s Divine Sense had reached the Incarnation Realm, with him guarding the place, ordinary cultivators wouldn’t stand a chance of infiltrating.

With that, Qi Huang pretended to step outside for a moment before summoning her doppelgänger, Huang Di.

“You already know the whole story. From now on, you’ll be in charge of the auction house’s security.”

Qi Huang instructed.

“But if I leave, the two brothers in the Sea of Consciousness will be bullied by those female soul fragments.”

Huang Di hesitated.

“So what if they’re bullied? Those are the soul fragments of Fairy Hongling! Many men would kill for such an opportunity. Besides, now that Cheng Ling has been expelled, those female souls can’t open the Heart’s Door, no matter how much they stir up trouble, they won’t cause any real waves.”

Qi Huang teased.

“Understood.”

Huang Di accepted the order, knowing that this was the best decision after weighing the pros and cons.

“Be careful here. If anything beyond your control happens, inform me immediately.”

Qi Huang gave a final warning before leading her doppelgänger into the auction house.

Emperor Lin Tu did not summon any concubines tonight. Instead, he deliberately chose to stay in the Empress’s chambers.

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Empress Zheng, flattered by the rare attention, personally served him tea, massaged his back, and attended to his every need.

“I heard you summoned the Left Elder of the Immortal Alliance a few days ago?”

Lin Tu took a sip of tea and asked nonchalantly.

Empress Zheng’s hands froze for a split second before she calmly replied, “Yes. As Empress, I feared my fading beauty would embarrass Your Majesty, so I sought some rejuvenation remedies from him.”

“How thoughtful of you.”

Lin Tu responded perfunctorily before changing the subject. “Not long ago, I selected the doppelgänger of Cheng Hongling from the Honghua Sect to join the imperial harem. You must have heard of this, yes?”

Empress Zheng’s movements faltered again, but she quickly regained her composure. “I have. After all, Cheng Hongling is exceptional. The entire court is abuzz with the news.”

“Cheng Hongling is indeed extraordinary, reaching the Incarnation Realm at just sixteen is unprecedented in the Western Radiance Dynasty. By bringing her doppelgänger into the palace, I hope to secure outstanding bloodlines for the Lin Clan, ensuring the dynasty’s eternal stability. I trust you understand.”

For once, Lin Tu offered an explanation. After all, any woman who could become Empress had powerful backing, Empress Zheng was no exception.

“Expanding the imperial lineage is Your Majesty’s sacred duty, and securing the dynasty benefits me as well. Of course, I understand.”

Empress Zheng replied with perfect docility.

“You’re truly an understanding woman. Marrying you must have been my good karma from a past life. Rest assured, I’m only bringing Qi Huang into the palace as a breeding tool. The one I truly love is you.”

Lin Tu patted Empress Zheng’s hand reassuringly.

“Being Your Majesty’s consort is also this humble one’s fortune from a past life.”

Empress Zheng responded with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“By the way, Qi Huang will enter the palace on the first day of next month. I’ve arranged for Chief Steward Zhong to escort her personally.”

Lin Tu suddenly declared.

“What? Chief Steward Zhong?”

Empress Zheng’s face finally paled. If that unfathomably powerful old eunuch was personally involved, dealing with that little vixen would become far more difficult.