Chapter 0086

Chapter 86: Let Me See If Your Development Is Normal

Qian Miao Yu flushed red from anger, shame, and maybe even jealousy, then pointed at Zhang Chu Qiao and accused her: “You… you have committed the crime of deceiving the ruler!”

She felt like her young heart had taken a heavy blow. Failing to scheme against Zhou Tong had already made her upset, and now she had to face this woman’s mockery, which hurt the dignity of the empress. Worse, this woman was not only stunning but also tall and strong; in every way, Qian Miao Yu felt beaten down.

Zhang Chu Qiao spoke with a teasing smile: “Yes, I deceived the ruler. If you have the ability, kill me.”

Her Majesty the Empress was at a loss for words. She could not do it. This woman was clearly close to the guest elder, so how could she dare to offend her? [I can’t afford to cross her.]

Qian Miao Yu waved her away in a fluster: “Go away, I do not want to see you again!”

Zhang Chu Qiao sneered: “You are playing with fire.” She grabbed Qian Miao Yu, hooked the empress’s legs, threw her on the bed, and pressed her down.

Qian Miao Yu gasped in panic: “Ah! You dare—”

Zhang Chu Qiao warned with overbearing force: “No shouting. You don’t want me to stuff my sock in your mouth, do you?” As she spoke, her jade-like hand slid down her long leg and, sure enough, she pulled off a snow-white sock.

The sight turned the empress pale with fear.

Qian Miao Yu tried to threaten her, voice weak: “I… I am the ruler of a nation. You cannot treat me like this. Otherwise, I will have the guest elder punish you.”

Zhang Chu Qiao only became more excited and said with a charming smile: “Deal. I’ve been wanting junior brother to bully me a little. Sadly, he is such a blockhead.” Then she added, playful and cruel: “Next, I plan to toy with you hard. Don’t forget to talk sense into junior brother afterward.”

She leaned close and said with a wicked grin: “Let me see if Her Majesty the Empress has developed normally.”

Qian Miao Yu cried out: “No! Stop!”

Zhang Chu Qiao soothed her in a false-sweet tone: “Be good, let me have a look.” She pinned the empress down and was just about to move her hands when, all of a sudden, a brilliant golden light flashed across the empress’s body and blasted Zhang Chu Qiao away.

Qian Miao Yu sat up at once, hurriedly straightened her messy clothes, and stared at Zhang Chu Qiao like a frightened rabbit, alert and guarded.

Zhang Chu Qiao’s expression turned cold as she asked: “What was that? Looks like you have a hidden secret.” The golden light had surprised even her; the energy inside it was terrifying.

For someone with such a trump card, Qian Miao Yu had acted very weak. Even Zhou Tong did not know about it. That was not how a proper ally should behave.

Qian Miao Yu hugged her arms across her chest in a defensive stance and confessed in a small voice: “It is my secret. I cannot tell you.” [I can’t even bring myself to say ‘We’ now.]

Zhang Chu Qiao’s anger was real as she stepped closer: “A secret? Laughable. Do you know how much risk junior brother took to save you this time? Do you think those two words can brush this off?” She advanced step by step and said, voice like ice: “Today I will see your true face.”

Suddenly, Zhang Chu Qiao’s brow trembled and she stopped moving.

The empress asked in surprise: “What is it?”

Zhang Chu Qiao’s tone turned murderous: “Filthy bugs have crawled in.” A terrifying killing aura exploded from her body, then she forced it perfectly back down. She ordered calmly: “Stay here and do not move. I will deal with them.”

The empress asked, nervous: “Should we inform the guest elder?”

Zhang Chu Qiao replied: “No need. As long as you don’t wander off, you will be safe.” With that, she vanished from the palace hall.

Time crawled. For Qian Miao Yu, every extra moment felt like a year. More than once, she wanted to summon the bodyguards and notify Zhou Tong, but she held back when she remembered Zhang Chu Qiao’s words. For the weak, following the strong is an important rule for survival. [Do not make trouble. Sit still. Live.]

Tap, tap, tap: less than a quarter hour later, footsteps sounded, bold and uncovered. Qian Miao Yu listened hard, ready to fight.

Her pupils tightened when she saw Zhang Chu Qiao return safe and sound, carrying two severed heads in her hands.

Qian Miao Yu asked in a thin voice: “They are…”

Zhang Chu Qiao answered flatly: “Two cultivators of the Life and Death realm. They were sneaking outside your bedchamber. I killed them on the way.”

The plain words struck Qian Miao Yu like thunder. Those were Life and Death realm experts, strong enough to serve as sect masters of some second-rate sects, yet Zhang Chu Qiao had cut them down in passing. Her clothes were spotless and her breath was long and steady; she had done it with ease.

Qian Miao Yu breathed out, both impressed and afraid: “No wonder you are close to the guest elder. You are truly terrifying.”

Zhang Chu Qiao tossed the heads to the floor and said, eyes back on the empress: “Enough. Do not worry about ants. Let us continue.”

Qian Miao Yu could only surrender with a bitter smile: “I am just a soft and gentle girl. What bad intentions could I have? Why is a master like you making things hard for me?”

Zhang Chu Qiao snorted: “A soft girl? You have plenty of schemes. Don’t think I do not know your goal in holding a martial contest for marriage.”

The empress tried to argue: “There is no goal… I only want—”

Zhang Chu Qiao cut her off by pushing her back onto the bed again and snapped: “You little fox who has not even refined your craft, and you dare show off before me? You really don’t know your limits.” Then she issued a single warning: “Junior brother belongs to me and Little Yue Liang. If you dare reach for him again, believe me, I will hang you up and beat you.”

Qian Miao Yu was speechless. Her little plan had been seen through so clearly that she felt both shy and afraid.

Just then, a savior arrived. Zhou Tong’s voice sounded as he entered: “What happened?”

He had not been inside the Imperial Palace earlier, but he sensed the shock of a fight and rushed back at once. Zhang Chu Qiao’s face softened into a smile that could melt frost and bring back spring: “Junior brother.”

Qian Miao Yu quietly let out a breath. This woman was too frightening; even an empress felt pressure beside her.

Zhou Tong noticed the two heads on the floor and quickly understood: “Clinging like ghosts,” he said with a cold smile.

Zhang Chu Qiao asked: “You know them?”

Zhou Tong answered: “They are You Chong’s men. They either came to settle accounts with me or to kidnap Your Majesty.”

He had just settled Little demoness somewhere safe and then tracked this group to find their origin. He caught a lone minion and performed a Soul Search, learning they belonged to a force called the Celestial Masters Clan. Sadly, the minion’s rank was too low to know more, so Zhou Tong hypnotized him and let him go.

He frowned in thought: “The Celestial Masters Clan seems strong, but why did I never hear of them in my past life? Could it be… before I grew up in my last life, the Celestial Masters Clan was wiped out?” [So maybe they disappeared early last time.]

When he finished, Zhang Chu Qiao’s willow brows arched sharply: “These people plan to harm Little Yue Liang?”

Zhou Tong said: “Only a guess.”

Zhang Chu Qiao waved that aside: “No more guessing. Tonight we hit them and get the truth.” Her style was swift and fierce.

Zhou Tong agreed with all his heart. Under the empress’s startled gaze, the two changed into night clothes and vanished into the dark sky.

Qian Miao Yu whispered a prayer: “Good luck to you.” She did not fear for the two of them. She pitied the unlucky ones who would face them next.