Volume 9, Chapter 591 – Go and Awaken that Source of Yin Miasma

Qi Huang took out the Shadow-Retaining Mirror and continued to observe. She wanted to see whether her heartfelt talk just now had had any effect.

After “Xue Jing” returned to her quarters, she contacted her imperial father and described what had happened today.

“She knew full well you meant her harm, yet she didn’t strike first? Is she afraid of my retaliation?” her father speculated.

“Just as she said: if she really intended to marry Lü Yi, she could have killed us and run straight to the Lü household to hide. She wouldn’t fear the powers behind us taking revenge. That alone proves everything she said is true,” Xue Jing analyzed coolly.

“That does make some sense. In that case, it really won’t be easy for us to act against her! What do you plan to do now? Your identity is exposed, and she’s made her stance clear. Are you still going to stay in the Honghua Sect?” her father asked.

“There’s one more thing I want to figure out. Everyone knows how formidable the Immortal Stele is, yet that doppelgänger of Cheng Hongling actually said she could counterbalance it. I very much want to know how. If I can get to the bottom of it, I can completely escape Lü Yi’s clutches,” Xue Jing said, deep in thought.

“My daughter, your father understands how urgently you want to get away from the Lü clan. But one must remain guarded. No one can guarantee that everything Cheng Hongling said is one hundred percent true. And your identity is already exposed, staying there is dangerous. Rather than that, come home for now and wait. If, on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month next year, she hasn’t married into the Lü household and also isn’t being suppressed by the Immortal Stele, then we can think of other ways to inquire,” her father urged earnestly.

“But…” Xue Jing was unwilling.

“No buts. That’s an order,” her father said sternly.

“Yes!” Xue Jing could only obey.

Qi Huang checked on the other nine women as well and found their situations identical to Xue Jing’s: for safety’s sake, their families wanted them to return as soon as possible.

Qi Huang let out a small breath of relief. It proved her strategy had worked. She had chosen to be forthright not only to declare her position, but also to make it impossible for these women to continue lurking. Beautiful as they all were, not a single one had come with good intentions; keeping them in the Honghua Sect was always going to be trouble. She didn’t have the energy right now to deal with all these vexing little vixens.

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Over the days that followed, those vixens left one after another. They planned to go home and watch the situation. If Qi Huang truly had a way to resist the Immortal Stele’s coercion, they would return to the Honghua Sect.

Qi Huang continued to boost her main body’s strength, striving to reach the Divine Realm before the sixth day of the sixth lunar month next year.

One evening, the Cheng family of four had just finished dinner when an unexpected guest arrived, the dynasty’s Sixth Princess, Lin Ran.

Both Cheng Hongling and Qi Huang had a favorable impression of the Sixth Princess, so they warmly welcomed her in.

“Your Highness, we’ve just finished eating. If you don’t mind, have a few bites. I’ll warm something up for you,” Jiang Linian said respectfully. Though her daughter was a cultivator, she herself was an ordinary person and, before royalty, instinctively lowered her stance.

“Auntie, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I just ate,” Lin Ran declined politely. As a cultivator at the Incarnation Realm, she had no need for ordinary grains.

Jiang Linian didn’t insist and thoughtfully withdrew.

“I remember that during the Evergreen Conference, Your Highness was attacked and injured. How is your recovery now?” Qi Huang asked courteously.

“Thank you for your concern, junior sister. I’ve long since recovered completely,” Lin Ran replied with equal politeness. Then, a little embarrassed, she added, “I’m truly sorry I didn’t make our appointment on time.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. That was an irresistible accident,” Qi Huang consoled sensibly.

“Thank you for understanding,” Lin Ran said, looking visibly relieved.

“Has Your Highness discovered who the assailant was?” Qi Huang asked, curious.

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Lin Ran gave a self-mocking smile. “No.”

“That’s letting him off too easy. To dare attack a princess of the realm. If we catch him, we should drag him to the wet market and butcher him to feed the dogs,” Qi Huang said, bristling with righteous anger.

Lin Ran clearly didn’t want to dwell on that, so she shifted the topic: “Thank you for your concern. In fact, I’m here today to ask a favor.”

“I knew Your Highness wouldn’t climb the Three Treasures Hall for nothing. Say what it is, but I can’t promise I’ll agree,” Cheng Hongling cut in at once. She knew that if she didn’t step forward, her doppelgänger would definitely be unable to resist.

“My father has moved the conscription age up to twenty-seven. Junior sister should be aware of this, yes?” Lin Ran asked indirectly.

“Of course. The people’s complaints are so loud even the deaf have heard them,” Cheng Hongling said with a bite.

“It’s our royal clan that owes the common folk,” Lin Ran said, face marked by guilt.

“Your Highness, you should know this isn’t something a simple ‘sorry’ can settle. I truly don’t understand why he keeps moving the conscription age forward again and again. As the saying goes, the water that bears the boat can also overturn it. If he keeps willfully overreaching like this, something will happen sooner or later,” Cheng Hongling said, her tone more serious than ever.

“Because the Western Radiance Dynasty has had friction with several countries. Some have already escalated to war. Without conscription, we risk the nation’s ruin and our homes destroyed,” Lin Ran explained.

“Why? Is it as the court propaganda claims, that those countries covet our territory, resources, or women?” Cheng Hongling pressed.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lin Ran answered truthfully: “At first I believed that. But after years of investigating, I discovered that most of these conflicts were provoked by agents my father sent first.”

“What?” Qi Huang was taken aback, then asked, “Why would he do that? With the Western Radiance Dynasty’s current national strength, does he think he can seize other nations’ resources?”

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“That’s what I most can’t understand. So I’ve taken the liberty to visit today because I want to borrow your Shadow-Retaining Mirror to get to the bottom of it. The places where my father resides are protected by powerful Divine Sense barriers; only that artifact can probe them,” Lin Ran said, making her purpose plain.

“How did you know I had the Shadow-Retaining Mirror?” Qi Huang asked, curious.

“I heard about you using it to report corrupt officials, and you also used it at the Evergreen Conference,” Lin Ran answered vaguely, then quickly added, “Of course, if you find it inconvenient, forget it. I know I’m asking too much.”

“It’s no great imposition. Since it’s for the common people, I’ll lend it,” Qi Huang said generously. Though it contained quite a few ‘incriminating’ recordings of her monitoring others, she could just clear them out.

“Thank you, junior sister!” Lin Ran said, bowing her thanks.

Qi Huang briskly took out the Shadow-Retaining Mirror, wiped all stored footage, handed it to Lin Ran, and taught her, step by step, how to peep on others.

“I’ll return it as soon as I can,” Lin Ran said. After she learned how to use it, she took the mirror and took her leave.

“Do you think she’ll tell us the result?” Cheng Hongling asked.

“It doesn’t matter. I taught her how to use it, but I didn’t tell her it can record, nor how to delete. When she brings it back, we can just hit playback,” Qi Huang said, the corners of her mouth lifting.

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Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study, Chief Steward Zhong was reporting the investigation results from the Pingshan Mass Burial Ground to Lin Tu.

“Your Majesty, according to our investigation, the entity that awakened there two years ago was just a small leader at the Golden Corpse level. The true source of the yin miasma remains asleep,” Chief Steward Zhong reported.

“Is that so? If a Golden Corpse is only a small leader, then the source must be far stronger, mustn’t it?” Lin Tu’s face showed satisfied delight.

“Yes. By this old servant’s analysis, that source of yin is at least equivalent to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm in the cultivation world,” Chief Steward Zhong estimated.

“Heavenly Tribulation, eh! Experts of that level exist only in those super sects on the Central Continent. More than enough to wipe out the entire Huangtian County, Honghua Sect included, wouldn’t you say?” Lin Tu sneered.

“More than that. If no one intervenes, such a terrifying malevolent entity could trample the entire Western Radiance Dynasty. That’s why this old servant still recommends notifying the Immortal Alliance in advance,” Chief Steward Zhong proposed.

“Notify them in advance? Wouldn’t that hand them a handle to use against Us? What’s in that head of yours?” Lin Tu demanded.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty! This old servant was thinking only of the realm,” Chief Steward Zhong said, hastily kneeling to confess his fault.

“Get up,” Lin Tu ordered impatiently. He continued, “Take the Inner Court’s experts and go awaken the Source of Yin Miasma. We’ll have Thousand Shadows assist you. Once it’s done, We will inform Elder Zuo immediately.”

“Your Majesty is wise! This old servant receives the decree!” Chief Steward Zhong accepted the order and swiftly left the Imperial Study.

“Huangtian Commandery… Huangtian Commandery! You’ve tarnished the Western Radiance Dynasty’s good name for so long. It’s time to uproot you tumors completely,” Lin Tu muttered to himself, then added, “And you, Qi Huang, will pay the price for making Us lose so much face.”