Volume 5, Chapter 306 – I’ll Enter the Palace and Scare Them to Death

“Was it that old bastard just now?”

Cheng Hongling, sharp as ice and snow, instantly pieced it together. “I see. Since he couldn’t persuade you, he resorted to underhanded means to drain your True Qi. No wonder your attitude changed so abruptly.”

“Exactly. Without True Qi, if I refused again, I’d be labeled a traitor.”

Qi Huang let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“A despicable worm like that is fit to be an Immortal Alliance steward? I’ll kill him right now!”

Cheng Hongling’s delicate frame trembled with fury as she took determined steps forward. Cold energy surged around her, each footstep leaving behind a frost-rimmed imprint.

“Don’t be reckless!”

Gritting through the pain, Qi Huang swiftly released her Divine Sense, forcibly restraining her enraged main body in place.

“What are you doing?”

Cheng Hongling’s pupils shook, but no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t take another step. Only now did she truly grasp the gap between their current strengths.

“Have you forgotten our real objective? If you clash with him now, forget about the Golden Fate Blossom seeds, you’ll drag the entire Honghua Sect into this.”

Qi Huang’s reminder was ice-cold and logical. She might act unpredictably, but she wasn’t truly insane.

“But he destroyed your Qi Sea! The Qi Sea is where cultivators store their True Qi. Without it, you’re crippled!”

Cheng Hongling’s red lips trembled, her beautiful eyes tinged with redness.

“Have you forgotten? I’m a Divine Realm expert! It’s not so easy to cripple me!”

A confident smile spread across Qi Huang’s pale face.

“Oh no, she’s about to torment me again!”

Meanwhile, deep within Qi Huang’s Sea of Consciousness, Huang Tian instinctively sensed danger. But before she could react, she was forcibly summoned out.

“Done!”

Qi Huang slowly stood up, instantly revitalized.

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“Done? You’re not faking, are you?”

Cheng Hongling stared in disbelief.

“Have you forgotten? Divine Realm experts can transfer injuries to their existing doppelgängers, unlike the cumbersome process in the Incarnation Realm.”

Qi Huang’s reminder was pointed. Indeed, in that very moment, she had transferred her damaged Qi Sea to Huang Tian, replacing it with the latter’s intact one.

“Doppelgängers have rights too, you know! Don’t you feel any guilt?”

Huang Tian’s mental protest was laced with indignation.

“Better a guilty conscience than physical pain!”

Qi Huang brushed it off. Since Huang Tian lacked a brain and thus couldn’t feel pain, she had no moral qualms about it.

With a flick of her wrist, Qi Huang recalled Huang Tian back into her Sea of Consciousness, then dusted off her hands as if nothing had happened. Sure, this doppelgänger could no longer cultivate True Qi, but that was irrelevant to her.

Once everything was settled, Qi Huang withdrew the Divine Sense suppressing her main body.

Cheng Hongling immediately rushed over to inspect her again, only to be stunned. Qi Huang’s Qi Sea was indeed fully restored. The only difference was the absence of True Qi.

“This is the Divine Realm? It’s unbelievable. Such a severe injury healed in an instant.”

“This is nothing. Even a fatal wound can be transferred immediately. In other words, I’m practically immortal!”

Qi Huang declared proudly.

“Don’t exaggerate! Do you think I’m stupid? Even at the Divine Realm, a cultivator can only cultivate up to four doppelgängers. That means the main body can only transfer fatal injuries four times. How is that ‘immortality’?”

Cheng Hongling rolled her eyes prettily.

“But in the Western Radiance Dynasty, who can kill a Divine Realm expert four times in a row? Isn’t that the same as being unkillable?”

Qi Huang shot back.

“Can’t you think long-term? In some superpowers of the Central Plains, Divine Realm experts are as common as Incarnation Realm ones here. Many sects even have Heavenly Tribulation Realm experts overseeing them.”

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Cheng Hongling stated the facts, hoping to temper her doppelgänger’s arrogance.

“What’s there to fear? Time is on our side. You’re a sixteen-year-old Incarnation Realm genius, if you can’t win now, you can outlast them!”

Qi Huang shrugged.

“I’m not afraid for myself. The problem is you! You cultivate Divine Sense but neglect True Qi, so your body ages at nearly the same rate as a mortal’s. By the time you ‘outlast’ them, you might already be dead!”

A teasing smirk played on Cheng Hongling’s lips.

“Huh? I hadn’t considered that.”

Qi Huang fell into deep thought. Her cultivation path seemed smooth now, but the fundamental issue of life, aging, and death remained unresolved. Gains and losses, such is the way of the world.

“Forget it, I’ll worry about that later. Right now, I need to pack.”

Qi Huang turned to head back to her room.

“Wait, your Qi Sea is restored. Why are you still entering the palace?”

Cheng Hongling followed gracefully.

“My Qi Sea is healed, but the True Qi I had before is gone. For now, I’ll play along. Once I recover my cultivation in a few days, I can leave openly.”

Qi Huang’s explanation was casual.

“Then I’ll go with you. The imperial palace isn’t a marketplace, what if that dog emperor insists on keeping you?”

Cheng Hongling blurted out.

“On what grounds? Once I regain my status as a cultivator, I’m no longer his subject. In broad daylight, would he dare defy the Immortal Alliance?”

Qi Huang countered.

“Maybe. Don’t forget, Steward Cai just resorted to such underhanded tactics to force you into the palace. That means the Immortal Alliance must have some leverage in the emperor’s hands.”

Cheng Hongling’s deduction was sharp.

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“Even if he’s that brazen, who in this dynasty can stop me? And even if I flee afterward, he can’t punish me. Besides, if you stay here, you can back me up if anything goes wrong. Going together is riskier.”

As she packed, Qi Huang laid out her reasoning methodically. “Most importantly, the Honghua Sect needs you.”

Cheng Hongling had no rebuttal and reluctantly accepted the plan.

Soon, all of Qi Huang’s close allies from the Honghua Sect arrived. Without asking questions, they helped her prepare.

This alone spoke volumes about Qi Huang’s current standing in the sect.

Entering her bedroom to change, Qi Huang hesitated briefly before retrieving a Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to contact the catgirl.

“What? That dog emperor wants you in the palace?”

Yaoyao was instantly incensed. “Absolutely not! No one takes what’s mine without permission. Wait a moment, I’ll be right there. I’ll make sure entering the palace is as easy as going to the market for you. Come and go as you please!”

Hearing this, the weight in Qi Huang’s chest lifted. With Yaoyao’s help, she’d dare storm the gates of hell, let alone the imperial palace.

As she freshened up, Qi Huang resolved to make the imperial consorts realize that her threat wasn’t just her bloodline, but also her beauty.

After changing into an elegant outfit and applying light makeup, the catgirl finally arrived, now in the form of an ordinary white kitten climbing through the window.

“Aren’t you black? How’d you turn white?”

Qi Huang transmitted her surprise via Soul Resonance.

“Tch, such a provincial cultivator! My body is condensed from Yin energy, not real flesh. Of course I can change colors!”

Yaoyao’s vertical pupils narrowed disdainfully. “Meanwhile, you’re dolled up like a temptress. Anyone would think you actually want to compete for the emperor’s favor!”

“Compete? I’ll make those harem bitches realize that when a man is beautiful, women become irrelevant.”

Qi Huang smirked at her reflection in the bronze mirror. Her delicate face, enhanced by subtle makeup, exuded mature allure—her fiery lips, shimmering eyes, and occasional dimples adding an innocent contrast. Paired with her curvaceous figure in a green qiyao ruqun, she looked every bit an ethereal fairy.

“What ‘man’? What nonsense are you spouting? Speak human language!”

Yaoyao huffed.

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“A cat is telling me to ‘speak human’?”

Qi Huang nearly laughed aloud. Seeing the catgirl’s rising irritation, she quickly added, “Never mind. The point is, I want those harem wenches to know that this young… lady can crush them in both bloodline and looks. After sending so many assassins, it’s time I scared them a little.”

“Gorgeous face. Pity about the mouth.”

Yaoyao’s critique was merciless.

Qi Huang fumed but didn’t dare retort.

“Fine. My kin are inside this spatial ring. Wear it.”

Yaoyao handed over the ring containing the Nine Nether Demon Cats. “Later, I’ll transform into a dress. Pack me in your luggage, wear me whenever you need to escape. Not even a god could detect you.”

“Got it.”

Qi Huang nodded, though inwardly scoffing. ‘If I want to leave, do I really need to sneak?’

Once ready, Qi Huang bid farewell to her family and friends before departing with the imperial envoys. A few senior sisters stubbornly tried to follow, but she managed to dissuade them. Absolutely not. With those deadweights in tow, escaping would be impossible.

“So fragrant, what’s that scent?”

“Seems to be coming from Imperial Consort Qi Huang.”

“Brother, tired? How about I carry the palanquin, and you hold the banner?”

“No need! This palanquin isn’t light. And it’s a thousand-mile journey to the capital, ten to twenty days of travel.”

“Exactly, it’s exhausting. We should take turns! Look at you, just a few days out, and you’re already sunburned. What if your son doesn’t recognize you when you return?”

“Truth is, I tanned on purpose. My son’s dark-skinned too. If I don’t darken, people might say we’re not blood-related.”

“…What?”

As Qi Huang stepped into the palanquin, murmurs from the soldiers drifted to her ears.