Chapter 405
Chapter 405: Treason
In one smooth go, she finished. Soon, a talisman glowing with purple light took shape under her brush.
“Purple… Earth Grade?” Yu Zhi Yi blinked, shocked. She knew it would be strong, but not this strong.
[Master said…] She cut herself off. [Forget it. Master isn’t always right.]
For example, Master had said Golden Core Realm experts in the world were very few, and Foundation Establishment Realm experts barely reached three digits. Yet since her rebirth, in less than half a year, she’d already met several Foundation Establishment experts and even a Golden Core expert. So who knew if Earth Grade items were truly that rare in the Hidden Realm?
But she didn’t doubt her gut: [This will hurt Immortal Qing Feng.]
Before she could let out a breath, a wave of dizziness slammed her. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot-so suddenly she didn’t have time to think anything at all.
When she woke again, it was the morning of the third day. She sensed Li Rou and Zhang Xiang’s breaths hovering at the door and felt Li Rou’s worry.
Zhang Xiang whispered anxiously outside: “Sister Li Rou, will miss be okay?”
Li Rou didn’t know, but she couldn’t panic. She said, steadying herself: “Miss is so strong; she’ll be fine.”
Zhang Xiang wanted to go in and check. Li Rou remembered Yu Zhi Yi’s order: no one may disturb her during closed-door practice. She refused firmly. Zhang Xiang had to give up, her worry growing. She also wondered: “Why hasn’t madam come to see miss these two days?”
Li Rou answered: “Madam is from the martial world. She also needs to go into seclusion.”
When Yu Zhi Yi opened the door, her gaze slid over Zhang Xiang’s face, then landed on Li Rou. Joy burst across Li Rou’s features as she said: “Miss, you’re finally out!”
Yu Zhi Yi had closed up before, but never completely-she would always come out at some point each day, to chat with Xiao Qing the mystic and the others, to check in at the Ministry of Justice, or to drop by Yiluan Charity. This time she stayed inside for three full days, scaring both girls badly.
Yu Zhi Yi smiled: “I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just forgot the time.”
Li Rou asked quickly: “Miss, are you hungry? Shall I bring the meal?”
Yu Zhi Yi wasn’t very hungry. A Foundation Establishment Realm expert could live without food for a month. In true cultivation, people aimed for a clear mind and body; common grains would leave impurities that could hold a cultivator back over time. But her path wasn’t the same as orthodox cultivators, so she kept a normal person’s habits.
Soon the dishes were served. While she ate, she asked: “Has anything happened in the capital these days?”
Zhang Xiang had gone downstairs for chicken soup, so Li Rou answered: “Not much, except one thing…”
She glanced carefully at her miss, trying to pick safer words, then realized wording wouldn’t help. If miss didn’t hear it now, she might be blind-sided later. So she said plainly: “Prince Xiao Yao has recovered.”
Yu Zhi Yi looked up in surprise: “What?”
Li Rou nodded hard: “Two days ago, I saw Prince Xiao Yao on the street when I went to buy groceries. He was riding a tall horse. When he reached a restaurant, he swung down and walked in by himself.”
Yu Zhi Yi chewed a bite of food. Some knots in her heart finally loosened. She had wondered why someone as powerful as Immortal Qing Feng-though limited by mortal law and the risk of karmic backlash-hadn’t made a real move, other than watching her from the Stargazing Terrace every day and sending the foolish Yu Jiao Jiao. That was strange.
Now she understood. He had already made his move-and he had pinched every lifeline she had.
Prince Xiao Yao was healed. He was royal, a ruler. She was his subject. If he truly decided to kill her, she only had two paths: kill him first, or run away. Either way, Immortal Qing Feng would appear and crush her with some excuse.
[Old fox.]
She looked toward the Stargazing Terrace. The figure who stood there every day was gone. Then she raised her eyes to the sky. Thankfully, while the capital’s fate had shifted, the new energy still couldn’t overpower the old. Yu Zhi Yi stopped worrying about the emperor. [He won’t die anytime soon.]
After breakfast, she tidied up and went to the Ministry of Justice. This time, she served for seven straight days and cranked out two months of work. On the last day, when she came out of the ministry, her face looked like gold paper-awful.
The Minister of Justice jumped: “Oh my, Official Yu, what happened to you?”
The emperor’s health had turned bad all of a sudden, and it kept getting worse. The imperial physicians had held joint consultations for days and still found no cause, much less a cure. Meanwhile, Prince Xiao Yao grew healthier by the day-not only able to walk freely, but glowing, even better than before his paralysis. The court’s situation changed by the hour. The Minister didn’t even have the mood to tease Yu Zhi Yi for finally working hard instead of slacking. And now even Yu Zhi Yi looked unwell.
Yu Zhi Yi shook her head: “I’m fine, just tired. I’ve finished forty-five days of work. Subtract the three days, and I have forty-two days of leave.”
The Minister of Justice stared, speechless. He suddenly felt his concern had been wasted. So she’d worked herself to the bone not out of love for the job, but to vacation better?
If the emperor weren’t so ill, the minister would have gone to the palace to complain. What kind of subordinate bullies her boss like this? Her vacation days were more than her superior’s! She was living better than the people above her!
But he had no choice. The emperor himself had set up Yu Zhi Yi’s job. She didn’t have to ask leave in person. As long as she finished her workload, the rules allowed her to take time off. The minister swallowed his envy and frustration and approved her leave with tears in his eyes.
So Yu Zhi Yi got forty-two days off. The first thing she did was go back to Peach Garden and sleep like the dead. It wasn’t even that long-only twelve shichen, a full day. At the same time the next day, she opened her eyes, her color fully restored.
That night, in the Imperial Palace, Immortal Qing Feng stood at the best viewing spot on the Stargazing Terrace. He wasn’t reading the stars. He was watching the direction of Peach Garden. He had hidden his presence; no one but him knew he was standing on a high platform, tens of meters up, staring at an unremarkable residence in the capital like some creep.
These days he hadn’t meddled with the capital’s affairs, and it seemed like he hadn’t interfered with You Bing Yue’s case either. But in truth, You Bing Yue hadn’t suffered. She stayed in a luxury cell-an upgraded single room with a bed and soft bedding, dry and clean. Someone brought her three meals on time every day. If she wanted anything, as long as it wasn’t unavailable in the capital or extremely rare, someone would deliver it. It was less like prison and more like a retreat.
He hadn’t done anything to Yu Zhi Yi directly. He had only released a rumor. Yu Zhi Yi would enter the palace tonight.
Yes-he was certain she would come. He had waited so long for this moment. He had already set a perfect ambush, a place with no bystanders and no risk of harming the innocent. As soon as she entered the palace, she would die. She must know that, too. So she was trapped. Yet Immortal Qing Feng felt an odd confidence: she would still come.
Prince Xiao Yao felt the same. As soon as his body healed, he found a way to contact Immortal Qing Feng and, claiming to be You Bing Yue’s friend, asked him to seek justice for her. Immortal Qing Feng couldn’t harm ordinary people, but he could strike a cultivator like Yu Zhi Yi. So he agreed.
That night, Prince Xiao Yao stood by the bed, looking at the emperor lying there weak as a dying flame. He laughed with joy: “Imperial elder brother, how does it feel to crawl on like a dog?”
The emperor lay on the bed, breath faint. He was still clear-headed, but he wished he could pass out. He glared at Prince Xiao Yao and asked through clenched teeth: “Why?”
Why betray me?
Prince Xiao Yao gave a cold chuckle: “You really don’t know why, imperial elder brother?”
“When you threw me away for Yu Zhi Yi, did you never think I might strike back?” He tilted his head as if he’d just remembered something and smirked: “Oh right-you didn’t think about it because you were sure I’d never recover. You thought I’d be paralyzed for life, didn’t you?”
He looked down at the emperor, eyes full of hate: “I’m your real brother. How could you treat me like this?”
The emperor was lost: “How did I treat you? Haven’t I been good to you all these years?”
“What was good?” Prince Xiao Yao said coldly. “Kings are the most heartless. To avoid ending up killed once I’d outlived my use, I held back my edge as much as I could. But you still wouldn’t let me go. You wouldn’t be happy until I was a total cripple. Since that’s how it is, I’ll just take the throne.”
“You… you…” The emperor was too angry to speak. Suddenly, he turned his face away and wouldn’t look at Prince Xiao Yao. He still had one hope: Minister Yu. If Minister Yu came, he might yet live.
Prince Xiao Yao saw through him and sneered: “Don’t tell me you’re waiting for Yu Zhi Yi to save you?”
He leaned closer and whispered like a knife: “Here’s the truth-once she steps into the palace, she will die.”