Volume 3, Chapter 462 – The Empress Won’t Help You

Chi Xiyan pressed a slender hand against her chest.

She breathed softly, a faint flush of red rising unbidden to her cheeks.

She’d thought again of that moment in the dream, when she’d first attained her Fifth Realm cultivation.

“…”

She drew a light breath.

That surge of power, sitting atop the clouds, holding everything within her grasp, it truly was an intoxicating feeling.

“ Hiss! ”

She pinched the soft flesh over her chest.

The faint sting pulled her consciousness back.

She closed her eyes slightly.

Although breaking through to the Fifth Realm had certainly been a pleasant surprise, it did nothing to help their current situation.

‘I miss her so much. I want so badly to confess everything to her…’

‘To hold her in my arms…’

‘It’s just… now isn’t the time…’

Chi Xiyan opened her eyes again, her gaze gradually growing resolute.

‘I can’t rush this.’

‘This is reality, not a dream.’

She lowered her gaze.

‘There’s no room for regret in reality.’

‘I only have one chance.’

‘Once everything has settled… I’ll confess everything to Muxue…’

‘I’ll tell her… just how much she truly means to me…’

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Clack.

A scattering of small pebbles was lazily kicked aside by the girl.

Lu Zhuxin looked at the man standing across from her, the corner of her mouth twitching stiffly.

The distaste on her face was completely unconcealed.

“Noble Consort, may I ask what business you have with this humble girl?”

As she spoke, Lu Zhuxin lifted her head again. “And I should remind you of something.”

“It’s nearly evening now.”

“For a Noble Consort of your standing to privately meet with a maiden candidate, isn’t that against the rules of the palace?”

Wei Ziqing smiled faintly.

These past few days he’d also been investigating the backgrounds of the two Chi sisters, but unfortunately, the Chi family’s information had been sealed too tightly, and what he’d managed to uncover remained sparse.

But if she really were just an ordinary young lady from a noble family, would she truly have the nerve to show such an expression toward a Noble Consort?

Rumor had it that the eldest Miss Chi merely treated this second Miss Chi as her puppet.

But based on what Wei Ziqing had observed so far, who exactly was the puppet and who was the puppeteer remained far from certain.

“Second Miss Chi has misunderstood. I hold no ill intentions.”

Lu Zhuxin sighed helplessly.

What exactly was wrong with this troublesome man, that he insisted on coming after her of all people?

Shouldn’t he, under normal circumstances, be pestering his fated heroine right about now instead?

Lu Zhuxin raised an eyebrow. “Noble Consort, if you wish to win people over, surely among all these maiden candidates there’s someone far more suitable than me.”

Wei Ziqing chuckled softly and shook his head. “Second Miss Chi is joking. I already explained my reasons last time.”

He spoke with an earnest expression. “I’ve always had a keen eye for people. Second Miss Chi is no ordinary fish in this pond.”

Lu Zhuxin gave no clear response.

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She knew exactly what this man was.

In fantasy novels, a fated male lead didn’t become the fated male lead through sheer luck alone.

Just as Wei Ziqing himself had said, he’d always had a keen eye for women.

But Lu Zhuxin wasn’t a woman.

What could Wei Ziqing possibly understand.

“Noble Consort, you flatter this humble girl far too much.” Lu Zhuxin said, pressing a hand to her forehead in exasperation.

“Whatever you want to say, please just say it.”

“For the sake of the help you gave me before, I’ll answer whatever I’m able to.”

I want to know whether you’re my fated one.

That was what Wei Ziqing was thinking.

But of course, he could hardly ask something so direct outright.

So instead, he switched to a different question.

“Second Miss Chi, a nine day trial within the Illusory Heart Formation is exceedingly rare. I’m rather curious what you experienced inside it.”

“Noble Consort.” Lu Zhuxin looked at him with an expression that wasn’t quite a smile. “You’re the master of the formation. Could whatever I saw inside it possibly escape your eyes?”

Wei Ziqing’s expression stiffened for a moment. He hadn’t expected the girl to toss the question right back at him.

“Second Miss Chi, is that a lack of trust in me?”

Lu Zhuxin couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Was this troublesome man really asking a question he already knew the answer to?

Any woman with a sound mind wouldn’t trust a man who’d suddenly shown up out of nowhere like this.

Lu Zhuxin looked at Wei Ziqing, her eyes curving as she broke into a sweet smile. “Noble Consort, that joke of yours was truly amusing.”

“That line you just said, have you said it to every single woman in this flower garden?”

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Wei Ziqing could tell.

Though the girl before him was smiling, there wasn’t a trace of amusement in her eyes.

She was mocking him for his foolishness and self importance.

“ Tsk tsk …”

What a woman with real character.

Wei Ziqing clicked his tongue lightly.

“You’re right. I did make a mistake.”

“I never showed Miss Chi enough sincerity before trying to earn her trust. That was my fault.”

Lu Zhuxin gave a noncommittal hum in response.

Wei Ziqing continued. “Since that’s the case, allow me to show Miss Chi my sincerity once more.”

His tone grew serious again.

“First, I must be honest about something. I truly cannot see the contents of the Illusory Heart Formation. That’s the truth, not a lie.”

Lu Zhuxin already knew this, of course. She’d rewritten the entire Illusory Heart Formation herself.

Never mind someone as minor as Wei Ziqing, even if the Empress herself or Qu Qingtang had come, they wouldn’t have been able to see the contents of that illusion.

“Second, the fact that the formation ran for nine days was never part of the original selection plan.”

“Starting from the second day, once only the two of you sisters remained inside the Illusory Heart Formation, it fell into a strange state, consuming spiritual energy at several times the previous rate.”

“By rights, from that point on, I had the authority to terminate the Illusory Heart Realm immediately and declare that the two of you had failed the trial.”

“But I didn’t do that. Instead, I had the formation masters continue maintaining the Illusory Heart Formation, and the spirit stones consumed were paid for out of my own private treasury.”

Hearing this, Lu Zhuxin nearly rolled her eyes again.

What, was she supposed to thank him for that too?

Unaware of what she was thinking, Wei Ziqing simply continued.

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“And the result of that was, the entirety of the spiritual energy the Illusory Heart Formation sustained over those nine days went entirely to the two of you sisters.”

“And it was precisely because of that, Miss Chi Xiyan was able to break through her limitations during the trial and advance to the Fifth Realm.”

Well now, wasn’t that a fine bit of moral blackmail.

Lu Zhuxin nearly wanted to give Wei Ziqing a round of applause.

The real catalyst for Chi Xiyan’s breakthrough had been the dual soul cultivation between the two of them, the result of her own effort.

Still, the spiritual energy Chi Xiyan had absorbed while breaking through to the Fifth Realm had indeed come from Wei Ziqing.

So there wasn’t really anything wrong with what he’d said.

And considering that her future plans would still require Wei Ziqing’s involvement.

Lu Zhuxin said, “So that’s how it was. I really do owe you my thanks for this.”

She offered a respectful bow, her attitude a complete departure from before.

Wei Ziqing knew he’d found the trick to this.

Sure enough, approaching this second Miss Chi through the eldest Miss Chi was indeed the correct way in.

“Third matter. I know exactly why you’ve come to participate in this selection.”

“You want to see the Empress.”

“I can share a bit of information with you. The Empress will arrive at Shuyuan Commandery in three days.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Zhuxin’s face.

But then, Wei Ziqing’s tone suddenly shifted again.

“However, Second Miss Chi, I can tell you this quite plainly.”

“Even after meeting the Empress, your goal will still be very difficult to achieve.”