Chapter 386: Chapter 165: Consort Yu’s New Pose! Empress: My little thief is dead?!_3
"Born this way, how would I know?"
"So smooth..."
"Mm~ stop it!"
Dong dong dong——
At this moment, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door, and Sun Senior Palace Lady’s voice could be heard from outside:
"Your Highness, the maid has an urgent matter to report!"
"Hmm?"
The Empress frowned slightly.
If it weren’t an emergency, Sun Senior Palace Lady wouldn’t disturb her at this time... Could there be trouble from the Southern Border?
The two women grabbed towels, wrapped their bodies, and the Empress said, "Come in."
"Yes."
Sun Senior Palace Lady pushed open the door, entered, came to the poolside, and bowed her head:
"Reporting to Your Highness, news from Nantu State confirms that Prefect Tong Zhenhai colluded with the Gu God Sect, massacring over ten thousand citizens, and has been executed on the spot."
"The Yulin Army has destroyed the eastern district of the Gu God Sect, with no sect members surviving. It is predicted that within two days, they can uproot the entire Gu God Sect!"
The Empress sneered and said:
"Indeed, Nantu State is rotten to the bone, thinking they can act as they please because it’s remote? It’s time to change the blood in the Southern Border officialdom!"
"As for the Gu God Sect, evil must be rooted out thoroughly, and since we’ve acted, let’s kill them cleanly!"
"But with Zhong Lihe around, such matters shouldn’t need my concern."
Though not the strongest among the royal Tributors, Zhong Lihe is undoubtedly the most ruthless and murderous.
Exterminating sects is fittingly his area of expertise.
Sun Senior Palace Lady whispered: "In addition, Tributor Zhong has sent another message."
The Empress asked in confusion: "What message?"
"Tributor Zhong, while pursuing the Gu God Sect Leader, unexpectedly encountered a blood sea eruption. The reason is unclear for now, but it is certain that it was the Evil Qi formed by the essence blood of tens of thousands of people, and the Gu God Sect Leader ran into it headfirst, dying on the spot."
"And then..."
Sun Senior Palace Lady hesitated.
The Empress’s eyebrows furrowed, "Speak everything at once, why stutter."
Sun Senior Palace Lady took a deep breath, saying, "Then, Tributor Zhong unexpectedly saw Mr. Chen and before he could rescue him, he was engulfed by the blood sea."
As these words fell, the air suddenly became silent.
The Empress was dazed for a moment, then waved her hand and said: "Impossible, Chen Mo is now a Deputy Thousand Households, his duties are desk-based. Cases are handled by his subordinates, why would he go to the Southern Border? Zhong Lihe must have been mistaken."
"No..."
Lin Jingzhu’s face turned pale, her voice trembling as she said: "A few days ago I happened to meet Mr. Chen, he personally told me he was going out for a case, the journey was long and would take a lot of time, he even removed the Chill Toxin from me in advance... Could it really be to the Southern Border?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress froze.
She was silent for a long time, her mouth barely twitching before she asked aloud: "Is Zhong Lihe certain he wasn’t mistaken?"
Sun Senior Palace Lady said: "Tributor Zhong says it’s absolutely certain, no mistake at all, the Blood Evil Qi is so strong that even a Grandmaster Realm can’t withstand it, Mr. Chen is likely already without remains..."
Boom——
Thunder seemed to rumble in Lin Jingzhu’s ears, and she felt the world spinning, nearly collapsing into the pool.
"Impossible!"
"I refuse to believe Mr. Chen is dead!"
She clenched her fists tightly, biting her silver teeth, asking: "Where did it happen? I want to see for myself!"
Sun Senior Palace Lady replied: "Near Sky Miasma Abyss in Tiannan State..."
Without a word, Lin Jingzhu leapt out of the pool, threw on her Martial Robe, and rushed out.
The Empress did not stop her, she swayed slightly, barely standing by pressing against the pool’s edge.
"The little thief... dead?"
"No, not necessarily! He has a strong physical body, endless vitality, it’s impossible he has no remains!"
"Send people to search immediately, even if it means turning all the mountains upside down, find him for me! Alive, I want to see him; dead... he cannot die! I forbid his death!"
"As you command."
Seeing the Empress’s rambling state, Sun Senior Palace Lady sighed silently in her heart.
That Blood Evil Qi couldn’t be withstood even by the Gu God Sect Leader, and though Chen Mo is talented, his age speaks for itself, he’s just a Martial Artist who hasn’t reached the third rank, the hope of survival is indeed slim.
A pity, a genius envied by destiny...
After Sun Senior Palace Lady left, the Empress sat dazed by the pool, her eyes wandering without focus.
A wrenching pain came from her chest, as if a piece of her heart was forcibly dug out, her teeth bit her lip, bleeding slightly, yet she was completely unaware.
"That’s it, Yu Youhan!"
"With Yu Youhan’s cultivation, surely he can locate the little thief!"
The Empress suddenly awoke, sprang to her feet with a "splash," wrapped her bathrobe, and quickly left the Xuanqing Pool.
...
Frozen Sky Palace.
Yu Youhan, wearing a plain sleeping gown, lay on the Consort’s Seat, her legs crossed, her Exquisite Feet swaying.
The candlelight flickered, casting dim illumination. She was flipping through a thread-bound book, with a thick stack beside her on the round table.
The "punishment" methods learned from "Deep Palace Resentment" last time had no effect whatsoever, instead, putting her in an embarrassing situation.
This time she learned from the past, deciding to gather the strengths of various techniques, using the name "rectifying atmosphere" to have Xu Qingyi collect a heap of scandalous books, diligently studying them, determined to show that little thief a lesson!
"Ape Fight, Cicada, dragon flip, tiger step, Turtle Ascending, rabbit sucking, Fish Scale... What kind of nonsense is this?"
"Is this punishing him or punishing myself?"
Glancing at the illustrations above, Yu Youhan’s cheeks were tinged with blush.
How could a person act like an animal, taking such shameful poses?
Utterly absurd!
Speaking of which, I wonder if that dog-like lackey used these moves with other girls... Thinking of this, her heart felt oddly sour.
Just then, a noise suddenly erupted outside the palace door, followed by Xu Qingyi’s anxious voice:
"The Empress is already resting, Your Highness, you cannot..."
"Move aside!"
Tap tap tap——
A figure stepped quickly into the inner chamber.
Yu Youhan put away the scandalous books, looked up, and froze.
Only to see the Empress wrapped in a bathrobe, stepping barefoot on the ground, her hair still dripping water, her oval face pale as paper, appearing lost and forlorn.
Xu Qingyi stood behind, whispering: "Empress, Her Highness insists on seeing you, I dare not stop her..."
"No problem."
Yu Youhan sized her up, raised an eyebrow and said: "What happened to you? Fell into a well?"
All these years, the Empress had never set foot in Frozen Sky Palace.
Now, the dead of night, visiting alone, and in such a disheveled state... Suddenly, an uneasy feeling arose in her heart.
The Empress took a deep breath, solemnly saying: "Chen Mo is in trouble!"
Yu Youhan: ?