Volume 5, Chapter 305 – Why Is Your Qi Sea Destroyed?

If her Qi Sea had been destroyed in the past, Qi Huang would have surely screamed in agony. But times had changed. Ever since she had become a girl, she had endured monthly bouts of abdominal pain, which had greatly increased her pain tolerance.

Not wanting to lose face in front of this despicable man, Qi Huang clenched her teeth and refused to make a sound. However, the fine beads of sweat on her forehead and the slight tremors in her body were impossible to hide.

Steward Cai calmly withdrew the Ten-Thousand-Year Peach Wood Branch, his expression indifferent as if nothing had happened, though the mockery in his eyes was unmistakable.

“What’s going on?”

Cheng Hongling sensed something was wrong and sent a telepathic message.

“He… it’s nothing.”

Qi Huang replied with a pale face. Fearing that her main body might act rashly, she tried to conceal the truth for two reasons: First, they had yet to obtain the Golden Fate Blossoms, so they couldn’t afford to openly antagonize the Immortal Alliance. Second, she currently lacked the strength to defy them.

“Do you take me for a fool? Have you forgotten we share a Soul Resonance? What’s with the pain in your abdomen?”

Of course, Cheng Hongling didn’t believe her.

“Isn’t it normal for girls to have abdominal pain? What else could it be?”

Qi Huang forced a smile and deflected.

“Our cycles are on the same day. I know it hasn’t been long since the last one, how could it be happening again already? Did that old bastard do something to you?”

Cheng Hongling pressed relentlessly. She knew that the pain transmitted through their Soul Resonance was significantly dulled. If even she felt restless from the discomfort, how much worse must it be for her doppelgänger?

“Who says you can’t have it twice a month? I was originally a man, one for the male side, one for the female side. What’s wrong with that?”

Qi Huang was growing impatient. The pain was unbearable, and she had no energy left to deal with her main body.

Cheng Hongling noticed Qi Huang’s distress and wisely chose not to press further.

“Just as I thought!”

Steward Cai sneered and loudly accused, “There’s not a trace of True Qi in your body, yet you still dare to deceive us? How audacious!”

“Junior Sister has no True Qi?”

Several senior sisters exchanged bewildered glances, while the onlookers wore expressions of confusion.

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On the other side, Chief Steward Zhong frowned. He didn’t know what this old man was playing at. While it was true that having Qi Huang enter the palace aligned with both parties’ interests, blatant lies were hardly a wise choice. If the truth came out later, it would only bring greater disgrace. If that was the case, it would have been better for him to forcibly take her away from the start.

“No, Master—”

The female disciple who had previously examined Qi Huang tried to explain but was silenced by a glare from Elder Cai.

“Will you enter the palace now?”

Elder Cai turned back to interrogate Qi Huang.

“You really want me to go that badly? Aren’t you afraid of nurturing a tiger that will one day devour you? What if I really become the Empress? Do you think you can handle that?”

Qi Huang took a deep breath.

“If you can even make it through the palace gates alive, we’ll see!”

Steward Cai shook his head disdainfully.

“Then I’ll just have to try, won’t I?”

Qi Huang replied with an air of indifference. With her Qi Sea destroyed and no True Qi left, she no longer had a reason to refuse. For now, she would stall for time.

“At least you’re smart enough to know when to yield.”

Steward Cai smirked coldly before walking toward the imperial envoy’s group.

“But you? Not so much.”

Qi Huang smiled pityingly.

“You’re really going to the palace?”

Cheng Hongling immediately pressed for an answer.

“Steward Cai practically begged me on his knees. How could I refuse such enthusiasm?”

Qi Huang brushed it off casually.

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“But you just rejected him! Why the sudden change of heart?”

Cheng Hongling’s emotions flared.

Cheng Yuan and his wife exchanged glances, their faces filled with doubt. They knew their second daughter’s true identity, logically, someone with a male consciousness would never willingly marry a man.

“Could it be that the influence of the Spiritual Wisdom Soul has completely turned her into a girl?”

The couple silently speculated.

“That’s right! Junior Sister, are you really going to serve some old geezer? Isn’t that like sticking a fresh flower into a pile of cow dung?”

“Don’t throw your life away! With your talents, you could easily find someone better in the cultivation world!”

“Nonsense! Why marry at all when you can cultivate freely without worrying about trivial domestic matters?”

The senior sisters chimed in with their own protests.

Qi Huang took a deep breath, then crushed a Sound-Blocking Talisman she had looted from a previous encounter.

“It’s not even hot out, why are you sweating so much, child?”

Jiang Linian, standing beside her, took out a handkerchief to wipe her daughter’s forehead.

“Don’t worry, everyone. I’m only going to the palace for a visit, not to become that old emperor’s concubine.”

Qi Huang quickly explained.

“Then what do you plan to do?”

Cheng Hongling’s expression softened slightly.

“Look, right now, the entire Western Radiance Dynasty thinks I won’t survive entering the palace. As the doppelgänger of the great Fairy Hongling, I can’t let them look down on me, can I? Besides, those imperial concubines sent so many assassins after me, I can’t just let that slide. At the very least, I should go and give them a good scare. As the saying goes, ‘A person lives for their pride, a tree for its bark’. So this trip is necessary.”

Qi Huang laid out her reasoning, though there was a third reason she didn’t mention: she needed to personally submit evidence of Governor Niu’s crimes to the emperor. She couldn’t just hand it over to random underlings.

The crowd nodded subtly. If this could serve as an opportunity to humble those arrogant nobles, it wasn’t a bad idea.

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“But what if you can’t get out after going in?”

Cheng Yuan voiced his concern.

“Don’t worry, Father. If I want to leave, no one in the Western Radiance Dynasty can stop me. Worst case, she can summon me back with a single thought.”

Qi Huang cast a trusting glance at her main body.

“Then why did you refuse earlier?”

Cheng Hongling pressed, her face unreadable.

“Earlier? I hadn’t expected Steward Cai to be so… hospitable.”

Qi Huang’s smile turned icy. If he hadn’t resorted to such underhanded tactics, she wouldn’t have needed to enter the palace immediately. But now, refusal would be nothing short of suicidal.

Cheng Hongling was still confused, but out of trust for her doppelgänger, she inexplicably fell silent.

Meanwhile, Steward Cai had approached Chief Steward Zhong.

“Chief Steward, I have fulfilled your expectations. Qi Huang has agreed to enter the palace with you.”

Steward Cai boasted.

“And how, pray tell, did you convince her? By falsely claiming she has no True Qi? That’s hardly a sustainable solution. If the truth comes out later, neither of us will save face.”

Chief Steward Zhong replied with displeasure.

“False? There’s nothing false about it! Rest assured, Chief Steward, there isn’t a shred of True Qi left in her body, and there never will be.”

Steward Cai assured him.

“Oh? And how did you accomplish that?”

Chief Steward Zhong asked curiously.

“Without a Qi Sea, where would she store True Qi?”

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Steward Cai whispered.

“Heh. As expected of the Immortal Alliance, decisive and ruthless. No wonder you dominate the cultivation world.”

Chief Steward Zhong flattered, though a trace of scorn flickered across his plump face. As a member of the Immortal Alliance, to harm one of their own cultivators just to curry favor with the emperor, it was truly an eye-opener.

Not wanting to drag this out, Chief Steward Zhong led his retinue forward and extended an invitation:

“Imperial Consort Qi Huang, may we depart now?”

“What’s the rush? If this consort is to enter the palace, I must first gather my belongings.”

Qi Huang retorted without courtesy.

“Then please make haste, lest we delay the journey and displease His Majesty.”

Chief Steward Zhong replied impassively.

Seeing no point in further argument, Qi Huang activated her Divine Sense and shot into the sky.

Unwilling to let her go alone, Cheng Hongling swiftly followed.

The moment Qi Huang stepped into her home, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. Clutching her abdomen, she vomited several mouthfuls of blood, her beautiful face now as pale as paper. This time, she had truly suffered a major loss.

“What’s wrong with you?!”

Cheng Hongling, who had just arrived, was startled and rushed to support her.

“It’s nothing. Just… overflow.”

Qi Huang’s vision swam, her words incoherent.

“You’re still lying to me?!”

Cheng Hongling grabbed her doppelgänger’s wrist and channeled True Qi to inspect her meridians. A moment later, her expression twisted in shock.

“Your Qi Sea… why is it destroyed?”