Inside Zichen Palace.
At this moment, Lu Ning lowered her head, utterly flustered inside.
No matter how much she calculated, she never expected that this female assassin would turn out to be one of the Empress of the Great Wilderness’s people.
Even more unexpected was that she would be brought directly before the highest ruler of the Great Wilderness Dynasty.
The Empress of the Great Wilderness, Ji Liuyun.
In the game setting of , this was a woman even more terrifying than her elder sister, Ji Linglong.
Ji Linglong was flamboyant and domineering, her emotions always written on her face.
Although her methods were ruthless, her mind was relatively simple.
But Ji Liuyun was the true sovereign.
Her scheming ran deep, she was patient and merciless, with iron-blooded methods.
She was like a venomous snake lurking in the abyss—if she did not strike, it was fine, but once she did, it was thunderous, fatal with a single blow.
More importantly, this Empress’s killing intent toward the “Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect” was far stronger than that of her sister, Ji Linglong.
Ji Linglong captured her more out of revenge and humiliation, seeking to reclaim the face she lost years ago.
But Ji Liuyun wanted her dead to eliminate a potential threat, as a true ruler would.
Lu Ning knew very well that if her true identity was exposed before this Empress, there would be no good end for her.
She would absolutely be tortured to death by the most cruel methods, perhaps even refined into a puppet, doomed never to be reborn.
So, no matter what, she had to play the role of a “weak and innocent little maid” to the very end.
Just as alarm bells rang in Lu Ning’s mind and she was frantically thinking of countermeasures, the figure standing before the Map of Rivers and Mountains slowly turned around.
Immediately, Ji Liuyun’s gaze fell on Lu Ning.
“Are you sure that demon escaped?”
Ji Liuyun’s voice was icy cold.
She had originally prepared to set out for Qilin Palace to stall her imperial elder sister.
She never expected Shadow Seven to return so soon, and to bring the news that the demon had already escaped.
This made her secretly feel that something was wrong.
How could that demon, grievously wounded, escape from the heavily guarded, restriction-laden Phoenix Palace?
There was definitely something suspicious here.
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lu Ning’s voice was trembling with just the right amount of fear and panic.
She kept her head lowered, not daring to meet Ji Liuyun’s eyes.
“Raise your head.”
Ji Liuyun ordered.
Lu Ning’s body quivered slightly.
She could only slowly raise her head.
Even Ji Liuyun, with her temperament, couldn’t help but lose focus for a brief moment upon seeing Lu Ning’s face.
The young girl before her had features as if painted, skin like fine jade, and large watery eyes brimming with tears—pitiful and endearing.
Even wearing ill-fitting night clothes at the moment, her exceptional beauty was hard to hide.
What a beauty in the making.
A trace of admiration flashed through Ji Liuyun’s heart, but in the next instant, her gaze became even colder and sharper.
“Shadow Seven, take the Shadow Guards and search the entire Imperial City. As for this little maid… I will interrogate her myself!”
Shadow Seven, at the side, accepted the order and vanished from sight.
To Ji Liuyun, there was no way such a coincidence could exist in this world.
Not long ago, her elder sister had brought back a demon from the Heavenly Demon Sect, and now there was a stunning “maid” appearing in Phoenix Palace.
If there was nothing fishy about this, she, Ji Liuyun, would write her own name backward.
“What is your name?”
Ji Liuyun strode to Lu Ning, looking down to scrutinize her.
“R-Replying to Your Majesty, this servant… this servant is called Ah Ning.”
Lu Ning answered softly, performing the role of a timid and cowardly maid to perfection.
“Ah Ning?”
“A pleasant name, indeed.”
“Tell me, why did you lurk at my imperial sister’s side? What is your purpose?”
Ji Liuyun’s tone suddenly turned severe.
She didn’t believe Lu Ning’s claim of being a mere maid for a second.
In her view, Lu Ning was either an accomplice sent by that demon or a spy planted by some enemy faction.
Either way, her intentions were punishable by death.
Frightened by this abrupt questioning, Lu Ning’s “flowery face turned pale,” her body recoiling uncontrollably by two steps, tears falling like strings of pearls.
“Your Majesty… please, Your Majesty, have mercy! This servant… this servant has no ulterior motive!”
She dropped to her knees with a thud and began her performance.
“This servant… this servant was just an orphan girl from a small town on the northern border. Months ago, when the Demon Sect ravaged the land, the whole town was nearly slaughtered…”
Lu Ning’s voice was choked with sobs, painting the image of a girl who had lost her family and had nowhere to turn.
“It was… it was Her Highness the Princess who passed by and saved this servant…”
“This servant saw Her Highness as a celestial being and, deeply grateful for the life-saving grace, boldly begged to stay by Her Highness’s side as a maid, to repay her boundless kindness.”
“Her Highness… her heart is kind, so she took this servant in and brought me back to the palace…”
As Lu Ning performed, she secretly observed Ji Liuyun’s expression.
This story was seamless.
It explained away her unknown origins and spun her encounter with Ji Linglong into something touching.
This way, even if Ji Liuyun still suspected her, it would be hard to find a flaw.
Ji Liuyun’s frown deepened after hearing her sob story.
Would her imperial sister really do such a thing?
Based on her understanding of Ji Linglong, that imperial sister of hers might occasionally show compassion, but she was never the type to randomly pick up a little girl from the roadside and bring her back to the palace.
She had always been proud and lofty—let alone a personal maid, she couldn’t even be bothered to glance at the palace maids in her own palace.
Let alone bringing someone back to her own chambers?
There must be someth…
Wait.
A thought flashed across Ji Liuyun’s mind.
She recalled some intelligence reported by Granny Yun earlier.
After her imperial sister brought back that demon, her temperament seemed to change a little.
Not only did she not immediately kill the demon, she brought her back to her chambers, even using rare spiritual medicines to “heal her wounds.”
Could it be…
Ji Liuyun’s gaze once again settled on Lu Ning, her eyes taking on a deeper, more meaningful look.
Perhaps, what her imperial sister really had her eye on wasn’t that so-called demon at all.
But this little maid before her?
That demon was just a smokescreen.
This guess sounded absurd, but it was far more reasonable than “my imperial sister fell in love with her enemy.”
“You say you stayed by my imperial sister’s side out of gratitude?”
Ji Liuyun’s tone softened a little, but it was still scrutinizing.
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lu Ning hurriedly nodded.
“In that case…”
The corners of Ji Liuyun’s lips curved into a playful arc.
“You’ve served diligently for quite some time now—surely you’ve repaid her kindness by now.”
“With your status, you are unworthy to remain by my imperial sister’s side, sullying her reputation.”
She paused, then said in a tone of condescension, “I shall make the decision today to let you leave the palace and grant you your freedom. Pack your things and depart at once.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Ning’s heart surged with wild joy.
She was being let out of the palace?
This was simply the best news ever!
She had been racking her brains for a chance to escape this cage, yet now Her Majesty the Empress had given her the perfect excuse.
“Th-thank you, Your Majesty! This servant is deeply grateful!”
Lu Ning struggled to restrain her excitement, hastily giving thanks, terrified Ji Liuyun would change her mind.
Yet, her impatient eagerness to leave once again aroused suspicion in Ji Liuyun’s eyes.
Something’s not right.
If she were truly loyal and grateful to her imperial sister, shouldn’t she be sobbing and begging to stay upon hearing she was being expelled from the palace?
Why would she look so relieved, so eager to leave?
There was definitely something amiss here.
Ji Liuyun’s gaze turned cold once more.
She walked forward and gently lifted Lu Ning’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes.
“You want to leave that much?”
At these words, Lu Ning’s heart instantly sank.
She had let her guard down, and her earlier reaction had drawn suspicion.
“N-No, Your Majesty…”
She quickly tried to cover, “This servant… this servant simply feels unworthy. To receive the kindness of Her Highness and Your Majesty is already the greatest blessing in this world, I dare not ask for anything more…”
“Is that so?”
A smile, both mocking and amused, appeared on Ji Liuyun’s face.
Suddenly, she leaned closer to Lu Ning, her warm breath brushing across Lu Ning’s cheek.
“Did you know?”
“Since childhood, anything I’ve ever wanted, my imperial sister would always let me have.”
“Even if I wanted the stars in the sky, she would pluck them down for me…”
“Tell me, a mere little maid like you…”
Ji Liuyun extended her other hand, her fingertip tracing lightly over Lu Ning’s lips, trembling ever so slightly from nervousness.
“Would my imperial sister turn against me because of you?”
As her words fell, under Lu Ning’s shocked gaze, Ji Liuyun slowly lowered her head.
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