Volume 13, Chapter 848 – The Princess Lying in the Coffin

Qi Huang descended directly to the center of the area saturated with Yin energy. She looked around and discovered that this was a vast imperial mausoleum. The owner of this place clearly had refined tastes. Not only were most of the structures well maintained, but many shade-loving plants had also been cultivated, making the surroundings quite pleasant.

Of course, that’s speaking from the perspective of malevolent spirits.

Qi Huang extended her divine sense to probe the area and discovered that the source of the Yin energy stemmed from the massive tomb located in the very center of the mausoleum. The tombstone atop the burial mound was engraved with: Tomb of Princess Qinxin of the Hongye Dynasty.

“Princess Qinxin? Could this be a princess’s mausoleum?”

Qi Huang made a quick deduction. Her curiosity piqued, she directed her divine sense to pierce through the tomb and coffin. Inside, she saw a woman in her twenties lying within dressed in a flowing, wide-sleeved feathered dress of golden yellow.

The woman’s form flickered between ethereal and corporeal, shrouded in dense Yin energy. It was obvious she was a powerful wraith or vengeful ghost, but her appearance remained exquisitely beautiful and composed. Her figure was lush and sensuous, curvaceous from every angle, and her entire presence radiated nobility and grace… perfectly matching the public’s image of what a princess should be.

Qi Huang was momentarily stunned at the sight, but quickly regained composure. This ghostly princess was clearly in dire straits. For some reason, her spiritual form flickered dimly, weakened to the point she could no longer absorb Yin energy. And yet, she was expending her dwindling reserves to release what little protective Yin energy she had left. At this rate, she would burn out in just a few days.

“What is she doing? Committing suicide?”

Qi Huang frowned deeply. Just as she puzzled over this, a few zombie maidservants approached the tomb.

“Greetings, Your Highness. Are… are you all right?”

The one leading them was a beautiful woman in her thirties. She knelt and greeted respectfully, her tone filled with concern.

“Jian Yiren, do I look like someone with problems?”

Princess Qinxin responded in an effortfully calm voice from inside the tomb.

“Then it’s fine.”

Jian Yiren sighed in relief.

“You came for something?”

Princess Qinxin cut straight to the point, clearly trying to prevent others from noticing her condition.

“Reporting to Your Highness, the master of the Skeleton Sea recently sent an invitation, requesting your presence to discuss strategies against Zhong Zhen. Surely you haven’t forgotten? It’s time to depart.”

Jian Yiren reminded gently.

Upon hearing this, Princess Qinxin’s beautiful face revealed a touch of helplessness. She bit her lip and said, “Jian Yiren, go in my place.”

“What?”

Jian Yiren froze, then hurriedly knelt. “Your Highness, this concerns the very survival of the Princess Mausoleum. I wouldn’t dare overstep!”

“I said go, so go. What’s with all the nonsense?”

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Princess Qinxin replied irritably.

“I am more than willing to ease Your Highness’s burdens, but this conference involves the rulers of all the major haunted regions. If a mere maid like me shows up, won’t they see it as an insult from Your Highness?”

Jian Yiren voiced her concern.

“If I’m not worried, what are you scared of? I have more pressing matters to attend to in the coming days. I really don’t have time to chat idly with them.”

Princess Qinxin deflected.

“Very well… your servant obeys.”

Jian Yiren reluctantly accepted the order. As she departed, her face was clouded with worry… not about her own ability, but about her princess’s condition.

Qi Huang listened in silence, hidden and undetected. She suddenly vanished from where she stood and reappeared before the tomb in the blink of an eye, quieter than a ghost. So much so that not even the malevolent guards stationed within a hundred feet noticed her presence.

She laid down a sound-blocking talisman, then spoke toward the ghostly princess inside the tomb: “You’re Princess Qinxin of the Hongye Dynasty, yes? Can we have a chat?”

“Who’s there?”

Princess Qinxin tensed instantly. Forgetting her attempt to maintain her yin release, her soul emerged directly from the tomb and floated upward, only to see Qi Huang standing brazenly before her.

“Who are you? How dare you trespass in my royal mausoleum!”

Princess Qinxin spoke with feigned confidence. She wasn’t about to underestimate this stranger just because she appeared young. The fact that someone could appear here without setting off any alarms said plenty.

“Your soul’s barely holding together, and you’re still trying to threaten people?”

Qi Huang said mockingly.

Princess Qinxin’s expression faltered, then turned angry with embarrassment. “That’s none of your business! What do you want?”

“You’ve heard of Zhong Zhen from Lingxi Sect, haven’t you?”

Qi Huang asked casually.

“Of course I’ve heard of her. So what?”

Princess Qinxin’s tone turned wary.

“Zhong Zhen has only recently descended, yet she’s already wiped out the two most dangerous perilous zones in the cultivation world. She’s publicly declared she’ll cleanse all malevolent spirits from Kaiyuan Planet. If she comes here, even at your peak you wouldn’t stand a chance, let alone in your current half-dead state.”

Qi Huang stated bluntly.

“What’s your point?”

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Princess Qinxin ground her teeth.

“Oh wait, I overestimated you. In your condition, even a random flying corpse could devour your entire haunted ground without resistance.”

Qi Huang continued her ridicule.

“Enough! Did you come here just to mock me?”

Even with her calm demeanor, Princess Qinxin trembled with fury.

“Wrong. I came to help you… or more accurately, to help all ghost clans on Kaiyuan Planet.”

Qi Huang clarified her purpose.

“Help me? You and I are strangers. Why would you want to help me?”

Suspicion colored Princess Qinxin’s face.

“We’re not strangers. We’re both ghost clan. It’s only right I help.”

Qi Huang lied without batting an eye.

“You’re claiming you’re a ghost?”

Princess Qinxin blinked in surprise, then gave a bitter laugh. “Do you take me for a fool? You look entirely like a living cultivator.”

Without another word, Qi Huang let the Boundless Demonic Hair behind her float up. Threads of visible Yin energy twined through the air.

“You’re really… a malevolent being?”

Princess Qinxin was thoroughly shocked, murmuring, “Impossible. Why do you look exactly like a living person?”

“Your Highness is at least an expert of the Demon Realm. Surely you know the ultimate goal of ghost cultivation is rebirth. The higher the cultivation, the more lifelike we become.”

Qi Huang explained logically.

“That… does make sense.”

Princess Qinxin looked convinced. Then she said, “Even so, we’re still unrelated. Why would you help me? Don’t tell me you’re some great altruist with a heart for all.”

“To be honest, I need some ghost clans to help me cultivate ghost tomatoes.”

Qi Huang was blunt.

“Ghost tomatoes? Why do you want that?”

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Princess Qinxin asked, confused.

“You don’t need to know. Just answer, do you want to live or not?”

Qi Huang shot back.

“Of course I want to live. If you can guarantee the safety of everyone in this Princess Mausoleum, I’m willing to lead them to help you grow your ghost tomatoes. But the question is, how will you help us? By killing Zhong Zhen? Do you even have that kind of power?”

Princess Qinxin spoke seriously.

“No need to kill her. We just need to leave Kaiyuan Planet and go somewhere she’ll never find.”

Qi Huang shook her head. Kill herself or her own wife? That’s absurd.

“Leave Kaiyuan Planet? Where would we go? Are you sure that’s easier than killing her?”

Princess Qinxin was startled. She knew full well how hard it was to leave this planet.

Qi Huang didn’t waste time explaining. She casually slashed the air with a strand of her Boundless Demonic Hair, tearing open a gaping hole in space.

“Think I can do it now?”

“Hiss—!”

Princess Qinxin drew in a sharp breath. After a moment of stunned silence, she said decisively, “Alright, I accept your terms. As long as you can guarantee the safety of everyone in this mausoleum, we’ll follow you to grow ghost tomatoes.”

“Excellent.”

Qi Huang nodded in satisfaction, then began asking what had happened to her.

“Here’s what happened. Ever since I awakened, I’ve been staying in the Princess Mausoleum. Life was fairly peaceful. The only real concern was regularly purchasing Heaven-Deceiving Water from the Immortal Alliance’s leader to mask my presence and avoid Heavenly Tribulation strikes. But about a month ago, Wei Zhuo was turned into a zombie by some foreign malevolent being, and after that, the supply of Heaven-Deceiving Water was cut off. I couldn’t get any for days, and then I got hit by Heavenly Tribulation. I barely survived, but my soul was gravely damaged.”

Princess Qinxin explained slowly.

“I see.”

Qi Huang nodded in understanding. Then she asked, “But in your condition, why are you still constantly releasing Yin energy? Are you not afraid of dying?”

“I have no choice. Somehow, news leaked that I was struck by Heavenly Tribulation, and now the rumors say I’ve turned to ash. If I don’t keep releasing Yin energy, this mausoleum will be invaded, and all my servants will die.”

Princess Qinxin answered helplessly.

“Sigh, being a princess isn’t easy, huh?”

Qi Huang said with some sympathy.

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Princess Qinxin then gave a more formal introduction: she was the last princess of the Hongye Dynasty. Her full name was Ye Xiuyun. “Qinxin” ¹ 沁 (qìn) = to seep, moisten; it can also imply something refreshing or soothing. 心 (xīn) = heart, soul. So 沁心 (Qìnxīn) could mean “refreshing the heart” or “soothing to the soul” was her noble title.

“By the way, Princess Qinxin, I think I heard your maid mention something earlier. The master of the Skeleton Sea invited you to discuss countermeasures against Zhong Zhen?”

Qi Huang asked, getting to the point.

“Yes, he invited not only me, but also the primary Yin energy sources of all the major haunted regions on Kaiyuan Planet.”

Ye Xiuyun confirmed.

“You’re not going because you don’t want them to see you like this?”

Qi Huang speculated.

“Exactly. Didn’t you say yourself? In my current state, even a flying corpse could devour this place.”

Ye Xiuyun replied with a bitter smile.

Qi Huang thought for a moment, then said, “How about I go in your place?”

“What would you do there?”

Ye Xiuyun was baffled.

“Like I said earlier, I want to save all the malevolent spirits on Kaiyuan Planet and get them to grow vegetables. I don’t want to visit them one by one. It’s easier to go to the gathering and negotiate directly.”

Qi Huang reiterated her goal.

“But why go as my representative? Why not go as yourself?”

Ye Xiuyun asked in confusion. She was too weak to risk anything.

“If I go alone, and we do reach a new refuge, what makes you think those other spirits won’t turn on you? Can you even hide your condition long enough to recover?”

Qi Huang asked.

“I…”

Ye Xiuyun was speechless.

“If I go as your representative, that means I speak for the Princess Mausoleum. When we reach new territory, they’ll be less likely to act out.”

Qi Huang explained.