Meanwhile, ignored by Gu Qianying due to the fight between Su Cheng and Murong Yun, Grand Tutor Su and the Empress, seeing Gu Qianying lying unconscious, were filled with grief. With everyone else preoccupied, they exchanged a look, understanding each other's thoughts. "As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn."
Gu Qianying's survival was uncertain, but if they didn't escape now, they would likely be killed by that group. Then, all hope for the Demon Empress's blood would be lost. If they escaped, at most they would lose their wealth and status, but they could still secretly search for the Demon Empress, collect her blood for cultivation, and their reign would continue.
With these thoughts, they turned to sneak away through the back door. However, after only a few steps, they were blocked by Meng Qinghua and Ouyang Qinglin. While they had been monitoring Gu Qianying's situation, they had never let their guard down regarding the Empress. Now, these two were trying to flee? How could they possibly let them go?
Meng Qinghua let out a cold laugh, looking at them and saying, "You're still trying to escape?"
Seeing her plan exposed, the Empress no longer bothered to hide. She turned to face Meng Qinghua and the others, dropping her pretense. With a cold smile, she looked at Meng Qinghua. Her deep purple ruqun was now tattered, stained with dried blood, making her look disheveled, yet she still exuded a natural aura of dominance.
"I'm too lazy to play along with you anymore! Today, it's either you die or I live!" She didn't want to waste any more effort on this. She wanted to resolve these matters completely, otherwise, the future would remain stagnant. With Gu Qianying unconscious and her fate uncertain, and Su Cheng having killed Murong Yun himself, he wouldn't live much longer. This was still their world!
The Empress glanced at Grand Tutor Su. Having been together for many years, they shared an unspoken understanding, a single look conveying everything. After their silent exchange, the two drew their swords and joined them. From confidantes to lovers, their relationship wasn't solely based on affection; power also played a role. However, it was undeniable that they now loved each other completely. All their moves and techniques were ingrained in their minds, requiring no further coordination.
Seeing the Empress and Grand Tutor Su ready for battle, Meng Qinghua and the divine beasts were equally determined. They gathered their energy, uniting their forces, fearing that the Empress and Grand Tutor Su might ambush Su Cheng and the others. Meng Qinghua surrounded Gu Qianying and Su Cheng, forming a thick human wall to protect them. After all, Gu Qianying had risked her life to save them. They certainly couldn't let these two wicked women harm them.
"Let's go together!" Meng Qinghua shouted, clutching his injured area and continuously releasing energy to counter the attacks from the Empress and Grand Tutor Su.
"All of you, die!" The Empress sneered, pressing forward with her sword, preparing for a killing blow.
"We can't continue like this, or we'll all be in trouble!" Xuan Lingnv, with her keen perception, sensed something was wrong and quickly retracted her energy, shouting a warning. Everyone knew Xuan Lingnv, and they all withdrew their energy, evading the direct assault from the Empress and Grand Tutor Su.
"What's going on?" Meng Qinghua turned to Xuan Lingnv, frowning and asking with dissatisfaction.
"You're all just like Gu Qianying. Wake up and take a look! These are the close friends you risked your life to save. All of you are useless. Die!" Before Xuan Lingnv could devise a strategy, she heard the Empress's triumphant laughter. Even if these people had taken the antidote and were rescued, they were still no match for them.
However, Meng Qinghua was impatient and couldn't wait for Xuan Lingnv to come up with a good idea. He once again gathered his energy, relentlessly resisting the Empress and her allies. This time, it took considerable effort. They were still no match for Gu Qianying and her companions. It seemed that after this, they would have to continue refining their cultivation and couldn't afford to be as lazy as before.
They continuously gathered energy and resisted. Xuan Lingnv had no choice but to follow the main group. However, as they fought, she thought of a plan: a flanking maneuver. Since they couldn't directly contend with the Empress and her allies, wearing them down through a flanking strategy was a good idea. At least for now, it seemed to be working. The Empress and her allies were clearly losing their initial composure and becoming agitated. Their swordplay was no longer as agile as before. If this continued, defeating the Empress and her allies might not be impossible, especially since they outnumbered them.
"This method is effective, let's continue!" Xuan Lingnv shouted. Everyone understood what she meant and would naturally follow her lead.
As expected, before long, the Empress couldn't hold on. Her sword slipped from her grasp, and Meng Qinghua seized the opportunity. He swiftly turned his sword, channeling spiritual energy, and the blade pierced the Empress's body. Caught off guard, the Empress didn't have time to speak before her heart was pierced, and she slowly fell to the ground, her arrogance gone, replaced by the silence of a life extinguished.
Seeing her lover dead, Grand Tutor Su also dropped his sword and knelt on the ground. His usually white robes were stained with the Empress's blood. Trembling, he closed the Empress's unseeing eyes. Ignoring Meng Qinghua and the others, he wept bitterly in front of everyone. She was the most powerful Grand Tutor of the Nan Yi Kingdom and the Empress's most beloved. From confidantes to lovers, they had endured many hardships. Their child was still so young, and now this had happened. How could she accept it? Today should have been a good day to obtain the Demon Empress's blood and conquer the world, but a single misstep had led to their defeat.
Everyone watched Grand Tutor Su, his face hidden as he lay on the ground. They felt no sympathy for him, only satisfaction! Meng Qinghua stepped forward, intending to kill Grand Tutor Su. Before he could get close, he saw Grand Tutor Su pick up a nearby sword and commit suicide. Everything happened so quickly that before everyone could react, only two corpses remained on the ground.
At this moment, snow began to fall, drifting down gently. Meng Qinghua and the others clutched their chests, looking at the two figures with closed eyes. In their final moments, Grand Tutor Su still reached out to hold the Empress's hand, a satisfied smile on his lips. Even if they couldn't be husband and wife in life, they would be lovers in death. Everyone was stunned, not expecting Grand Tutor Su to commit suicide for love. After all, his abilities surpassed the Empress's. If pushed to the brink, he could have fought his way out.