Volume 13, Chapter 854 – Opening the Teleportation Gate (Part 3)

Qi Huang immediately gathered the scattered fragments of Zheng Mo’s corpse and tossed them into a conspicuous spot, only that way could those fiendish specters quickly confirm whether he was truly dead or alive.

Cheng Hongling had always been one to act swiftly and decisively. The very next day, she struck again, eradicating two more perilous zones. One of them happened to be the Dragon Clan’s Funeral Estate… of course, that was under Qi Huang’s secret instruction.

Across the entire Kaiyuan Planet, all the evil spirits were thrown into panic. Before long, news of Zheng Mo’s death spread like wildfire. To them, it was nothing short of a disaster upon disaster. Many of the specters in those cursed places began to lose their composure, one after another rushing toward the Princess Tomb to “reserve a ticket”, delivering gifts—

Delivering gifts, showing loyalty, showing loyalty.

Qi Huang was greatly satisfied. She knew her plan had already succeeded. What she needed to do now was to transfer these specters to Yin Planet No. 2 to grow vegetables for her.

That Yin Planet No. 2 was precisely the one they had encountered upon arriving at Kaiyuan Planet, its environment decent yet uninhabited.

Time flowed by. In the blink of an eye, the thirtieth day had arrived. Outside the Princess Tomb, tens of millions of ghosts had already gathered. Many had come early, camping there for ten days or even half a month.

“The Princess has decreed: all ghost clans shall line up according to their arrival order. Leave clear entry and exit paths for the tomb. No one is permitted to cut the line. Violators shall be executed on the spot.”

Jian Yiren led her maids and guards to maintain order.

“Damn it, why are there so many ghost clans lining up this early? When did they get here?”

“I heard some came ten days or even half a month ago. Didn’t you see all those tents?”

“Why did they come so early?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Now that Marshal Zheng is dead, we can only rely on Princess Qinxin’s protection. Whether we get to leave or not is secondary.”

“Ah! When will it be our turn then? We can’t even see the Princess Tomb from here.”

“I told you to come early, but you didn’t believe me. See how that turned out?”

“Why panic? Didn’t Princess Qinxin say herself she’s willing to help all ghost clans leave? Sooner or later it’ll be our turn.”

“Sooner or later? You’re far too optimistic. Did you forget that Zhong Zhen is still hunting ghost clans everywhere? With so many gathered here in one place, such a huge target, what if she shows up before it’s our turn?”

“Oh heavens, I didn’t even think of that! What should we do then?”

“Now? We can only try offering our most precious treasures.”

Those who arrived late craned their necks anxiously.

Meanwhile, Qi Huang remained calm, resting inside the Princess Tomb. Outside, maids kept coming in holding various rare treasures, reporting that certain nobles wished to “go through the back door”.

“Tell them, I do not accept gifts. My words remain unchanged: first come, first served. Anyone who dares to cut in line, I’ll send them straight to hell.”

Qi Huang gave the command impatiently, looking very much like she had truly taken herself for a princess.

“Seeing all those rare treasures, you aren’t tempted?”

Beside her, Ye Xiuyun asked curiously.

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“Do you know what the most precious thing in this world is? It’s not treasure, it’s trust! Those ghost clans who came early did so because they trust me. If I let others cut in line, wouldn’t I be betraying that trust?”

Qi Huang explained patiently.

“You have a point. I didn’t expect someone as young as you to see things so clearly!”

Ye Xiuyun expressed her admiration. She didn’t mind Qi Huang referring to herself as “this palace”; having such a doppelgänger was, to her, far more advantageous than troublesome.

“I may be young, but I’ve been through a lot.”

Qi Huang replied with a tone far too old for her age.

“Hehe…”

Ye Xiuyun only smiled faintly, then changed the topic. “So, when do we set off? With so many ghost clans gathered outside, the noise is unbearable.”

“Don’t rush! The time hasn’t come yet.”

Qi Huang said mysteriously.

“The time?”

Ye Xiuyun looked puzzled.

“By the way,” Qi Huang added, “since our physiques, appearances, and voices all differ, you’d best avoid manifesting your true form too often in public. Otherwise, someone might notice the inconsistency.”

“Understood.”

Ye Xiuyun nodded repeatedly, then dispersed her form into a cloud of shadowy Yin energy.

Not long after, Qi Huang sensed that the time was right. She led Ye Xiuyun and the gathered ghost clans out of the Princess Tomb.

“It’s Princess Qinxin! She’s come out! She’s come out! Is she activating the teleportation array?”

The specters stretched their necks, excitement overflowing.

“Everyone, you’ve waited long enough. I will now activate the teleportation gate and send you all away. However, since far too many wish to leave today, and the gate’s size is limited, I hope you’ll maintain order. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Qi Huang reminded them once more, then added: “Also, don’t forget our agreement. Once you reach your new refuge, you must plant flowers and herbs for me to repay your rent. Whoever dares slack off, I’ll toss them right back here.”

“Yes, yes… we understand… we understand… Whatever Your Highness requires, we agree! Please just activate the gate!”

“Yes! If you delay any longer, Zhong Zhen will soon arrive to slaughter us!”

“Princess, as long as you send us away safely, you’ll be the one and only princess of all ghost clans on Kaiyuan Planet!”

The specters nearly begged her in unison.

“Good! Remember what you said.”

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Qi Huang smiled in satisfaction, then turned to Ye Xiuyun to introduce, “This is my main body, Princess Qinxin. She will maintain order at the new refuge. When you arrive, stand still and await instructions.”

“You all heard her? Anyone who disobeys will be executed.”

Ye Xiuyun declared as well.

All the specters only wanted to leave that dangerous place. None dared utter a word of dissent.

Qi Huang didn’t waste another moment. She activated the teleportation gate, its entrance at the Princess Tomb, and its exit, naturally, at Yin Planet No. 2.

“You go on ahead. Leave things here to me.”

Qi Huang told Ye Xiuyun.

“Alright. Please, be careful… especially of Zhong Zhen. With such a commotion, she’s sure to come.”

Ye Xiuyun warned anxiously.

“Mhm.”

Qi Huang nodded calmly.

Ye Xiuyun then led the ghost clans of the tomb through the gate one after another, setting up formation at the other end to receive and guide the arrivals.

“Alright, proceed through the gate according to the queue.”

Qi Huang commanded the dense crowd of specters surrounding her.

Those at the front rejoiced, stepping into the teleportation gate with excitement. But because the entrance was narrow, the pace was inevitably slow.

“Grandfather, that Princess Qinxin refuses to budge no matter what. Are we just going to keep waiting? At this rate, we won’t get our turn even after two or three days.”

At the edge of the crowd, a middle-aged Golden Corpse spoke to an elderly Golden Corpse with snow-white hair. They were from the “Qin Family Ancestral Tomb”, one of the seven great perilous zones of the cultivation world.

The Qin Clan had been among the most prosperous cultivator families on Kaiyuan Planet, their deceased clansmen powerful enough to rank among the top ten perilous zones. That was why they had arrived late.

“What a stubborn, obstinate woman. So ungrateful.”

A young Silver Corpse beside them spat.

“Little Bo, mind your tongue. That Princess Qinxin isn’t weak. If she overhears you, things could go badly. We are, after all, seeking her help.”

The elder, Qin Yang—the strongest and most senior of the Qin Family’s ancestral spirits—warned sternly.

“Yes, Great-Grandfather.”

The young Silver Corpse replied respectfully.

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“Grandfather, what should we do? With so many ghost clans gathered at the Princess Tomb, it’s only a matter of time before we draw Zhong Zhen’s attention. If she comes to kill us, the consequences will be dire.”

The middle-aged Golden Corpse’s face showed deep concern.

“She truly is pedantic. Among nobles, strength reigns supreme, so those of us with greater power should go first. Yet she insists on that ridiculous ‘first come, first served’ rule. Isn’t that just sickening?”

The young Silver Corpse complained again.

“There’s nothing we can do. The teleportation array is under her control. She makes the rules.”

The middle-aged Golden Corpse gave a helpless smile.

“Indeed. We may not be able to break her rules outright, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t loopholes.”

Qin Yang lifted his gaze to observe the queue for a moment, then ordered the young Silver Corpse, “Qin Bo, I see the Li Family’s people at the very front. Go and speak with them, see if we can swap positions. Payment won’t be an issue.”

“What payment? The Li Clan served our Qin Family as slaves for generations. We should just command them directly.”

Qin Bo spoke arrogantly.

“Enough nonsense. Do as I say.”

Qin Yang’s tone grew impatient.

“Yes!”

Qin Bo obeyed reluctantly, storming forward with several attendants.

At that moment, the Li Clan was still feeling fortunate for having come early… only for trouble to find them soon after.

“Well, well, isn’t this the Li Family? You folks got here quite early, didn’t you?”

Qin Bo approached, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Young Master Qin! This old man greets you.”

The Li Family patriarch, the eldest among them, quickly cupped his fists, appearing extremely humble.

“No need for courtesy.”

Qin Bo waved his hand dismissively. “Patriarch Li, let’s make a deal. How about letting our Qin Family go through the teleportation gate first?”

“Young Master Qin must be joking. The gate isn’t mine, I have no authority to let anyone go first.”

The Li Patriarch replied awkwardly.

“Of course you do. We can simply exchange positions.”

Qin Bo said with a sly grin.

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“Exchange positions?”

The patriarch’s expression darkened instantly.

“What are you saying? Do you know how long we’ve waited in line? You think you can just ‘exchange’ because you said so?”

A young man beside the patriarch snapped angrily.

“You brat, who gave you the courage to speak to me that way? Don’t you know your Li Family served our Qin Clan for generations? When the master commands the servant to move aside, you dare defy?”

Qin Bo sneered.

“Young Master Qin, our Li Clan served as your family’s servants for only three generations. We severed that bond long ago. There is no master and servant between us.”

The patriarch replied, suppressing his fury.

“Never heard the saying ‘Once a slave, a servant for all generations’? Enough talk, move aside. I can even offer you some compensation.”

Qin Bo ordered imperiously.

“Forgive me, but I must refuse.”

The Li Patriarch shook his head firmly. He could not, for a small favor, endanger hundreds of his clan members’ lives.

“Courting death!”

Qin Bo lost patience. His five fingers spread wide, black nails snapping out like spring-loaded daggers, striking toward the patriarch’s throat with lightning speed.

The Li Patriarch gasped, instinctively trying to dodge, but as a mere Bronze Corpse, he stood no chance.

The other Li Clan members were even weaker. They could only watch helplessly.

“You dare treat my words as mere wind in your ears?”

Qi Huang’s crisp voice rang out suddenly.

Qin Bo felt a chill on his right hand. Looking down, he saw a thin red line at his wrist quickly closing into a circle. As black blood gushed out, his severed hand fell to the ground.

“Ahhh!!! My hand!”

Qin Bo’s scream was shrill. Not from pain, but from sheer terror.

“You wretched girl! How dare you harm my great-grandson!”

Qin Yang, who had been watching this side all along, erupted in fury. He charged straight toward Qi Huang, abandoning all pretense of calm.

All members of the Qin Clan followed, eyes blood-red, wrath surging skyward.