Two days ago.
“Fellow Daoists, if you have urgent matters, you might as well reveal yourselves and speak to me directly. There is no need for such secrecy.”
Bai Zhi held a teacup, her eyelids drooping slightly as she spoke calmly toward the empty inner chamber.
As her voice fell, four figures slowly manifested from the air.
One had white hair and white clothes, as cold as frost, with an ancient longsword on her back.
One had black hair and black eyes, a petite frame, and carried a massive wooden box.
One had graceful black hair styled in a side braid and a gentle aura.
The last one had lovely red hair and a bright, dazzling appearance.
They were four young women, each with a distinct style.
“I do not believe we are acquainted,” Bai Zhi said, her gaze narrowing slightly as she looked at them with a hint of wariness.
“You have followed me since I entered the theater. What exactly are your intentions?”
“Oh my, as expected, we couldn’t hide it from the Empress.”
The petite black-haired girl carrying the box took a step forward, cleared her throat, and spoke with a smile.
“Allow me to introduce us. I am Qu Linglong from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. This is Daoist Yun Xuechang of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect, this is her fellow disciple Lin Qianqian, and this is an old friend of Daoist Yun, Hua Yan’er.”
She paused for a moment, her smile remaining unchanged.
“As for why we are here… Your Majesty has surely heard of the recent Evil Purging operations carried out by the various sects of the Righteous Path. I wonder, what are your thoughts on this matter?”
?!
Bai Zhi’s eyes suddenly snapped sharp. A mass of dense demonic power instantly gathered at her fingertips, and the aura around her grew cold.
“Wait, wait! We aren’t here to fight! We truly came to have a proper discussion with the Empress!” Qu Linglong waved her hands hurriedly to stop her.
“Your Majesty, please do not be impulsive!”
“I have nothing to discuss with you!”
Bai Zhi stared fixedly at the group, the demonic power at her fingertips coiling without dissipating, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
“Since you have come directly to my door, I assume you have discovered everything I have done. If you want to fight, then fight. I will take you on.”
At this moment, she had completely lost the appearance of the charming Demon Empress from the deep palace. Instead, she resembled a beast pushed into a corner, ready to strike back.
“What you have done? No, no, no…” Qu Linglong waved her hand with a smile, her tone certain.
“The fact that we want to discuss things with you proves that we have already uncovered the truth. Empress, the real mastermind was never you, but the current Emperor, Zhao Mingyuan. Isn’t that right?”
“What…” Bai Zhi’s pupils shrank violently, and the demonic power at her fingertips trembled slightly.
“Are you surprised? Surprised that we didn’t suspect you, the ‘Demon Empress,’ but instead investigated Zhao Mingyuan first?”
Qu Linglong continued to smile, but in Bai Zhi’s eyes, that smile now held a hint of profound mystery.
“Actually, there is more. We also know that Zhao Mingyuan has been lying to you from the very beginning. The evil arts he practices cannot possibly use the national providence to turn around the decline of Great Chu. And the lives he consumes for his cultivation have never been those of the dying or condemned criminals—where in the world would there be so many people for him to squander like this?”
“He even planned long ago to push all the blame onto you. He would have the ‘Demon Empress’ executed while he, the ‘Wise Monarch,’ continues to sit firmly on the dragon throne as the 9-5 Sovereign.”
“You have… been deceived by him all along.”
“Impossible!” Bai Zhi clenched her hands, her nails digging into her palms.
“Mingyuan is the Emperor of Great Chu, a rare Wise Monarch! He only acted out of necessity for the sake of the empire! He loves me! It is impossible for him to abandon me alone!”
“But is that truly the case?” Qu Linglong countered, her words piercing her heart.
“Have you not noticed that as he cultivates, the national providence of Great Chu hasn’t improved even slightly? Meanwhile, the number of people he kills grows larger, and his personality becomes increasingly bloodthirsty and violent?”
“You say he loves you—if there was truly love, why has he taken so many concubines over the years? Why is your infamy spread throughout the city of Yunjing, yet as the Emperor with power in his hands, he has never spoken a single word in your defense?”
“If he truly loved you, why is it that after all this time together, you don’t even have a single child?”
Every question from Qu Linglong was like a needle, stabbing deep. Bai Zhi’s face grew increasingly pale, and her body swayed slightly.
“Because he practices evil arts solely for his own cultivation! Taking concubines is for the sake of killing! The infamy is so that you can take the blame! As for an heir—”
Qu Linglong’s voice suddenly rose, her words ringing with conviction.
“How could such a greedy man allow any existence that might threaten his throne? As long as he sits on that dragon throne, you will never have a child!”
“Wake up, Empress Bai! The current Zhao Mingyuan is a complete and utter monster! He is no longer the man you loved and who was worthy of your love, nor is he any kind of Wise Monarch!”
“No… that’s not it…”
Bai Zhi’s face was as pale as paper. she stumbled back several steps, her elbow knocking over the teacup on the table.
The warm tea soaked her robes, but she was completely oblivious to it. Tears gradually welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
How could she not know? She knew everything Qu Linglong said was true.
Perhaps from the very beginning, she had faintly sensed it, but she had been deceiving herself, forcing herself to continue believing.
Bai Zhi bowed her head, her face finally covered in tears.
……
After a long time, Bai Zhi finally regained her composure.
Although her eyes and the tip of her nose remained slightly red, she exerted every effort to straighten her back and maintain the dignity befitting the Empress of a nation.
“Then, what do you need me to do?” Her voice was slightly raspy, yet very clear.
“Since you sought me out, you likely hope that I will… take action against him. I am sorry, but for these past years, he has rarely allowed the palace servants to attend him. Furthermore, if I were to secretly move against him, I fear I would be unable to control my emotions and would expose our position…”
As she reached this point, her fluffy white beast ears drooped powerlessly, and her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.
“There’s no need for that!” Qu Linglong waved her hands dismissively.
“We only need Your Majesty’s help to evacuate the innocent people in the palace and give us an opportunity to set up a trapping array to prevent the aftermath of the battle from leaking out. We will handle the task of Evil Purging ourselves.”
“…Very well.” Bai Zhi looked up and gazed at the group solemnly, nodding slowly as if she had reached a heavy decision.
“Then, at the very end,” her voice softened, her tone labored, “please… ask him one thing for me.”
“Ask him… how exactly he sees me.”
“Forgive me, Fairy Yun, Fairy Hua. Even now, I still… want to personally ask him a few things.”
Bai Zhi, holding her sword, gave a slight nod to Yun Xuechang and Hua Yan. Then she turned and walked slowly toward Zhao Mingyuan.
“Cough… Bai Zhi! You treacherous woman! Since you have already betrayed me, why bother coming here to humiliate me!”
Zhao Mingyuan spat out several mouthfuls of foul blood.
His face, corroded by evil arts, was already distorted and hideous, lacking any trace of imperial dignity.
He glared at the woman approaching him, gritting his teeth.
“Have you been consorting with these Righteous Path cultivators for a long time? Did you look down on my Great Chu and want to climb to their heights, thinking that if you turned me in, you could live without worry? Wishful thinking! From the day you first helped me, you became an accomplice to evil! Your hands are stained with blood—how could the Righteous Path ever tolerate you? Hahaha…”
“…”
Bai Zhi remained silent, her eyes filled only with sorrow.
Ignoring his words, she gazed at the Zhao Mingyuan on the ground and said softly, “Do you… truly have no regard for our past feelings as husband and wife? Don’t you remember? You once promised me that after you married me, you would never let me be the Lady Yu in the play. You even said you would definitely be greater than the Hegemon King and would lead Great Chu to prosperity… Have you forgotten all of this?”
“What Lady Yu or Hegemon King…” Zhao Mingyuan frowned deeply, completely failing to understand the meaning of her words.
“As for Great Chu,” he spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm and said hatefully, “If it weren’t for the bastards of the Righteous and Demonic Paths and their opposition, how could my Great Chu have ended up like this! Since it’s like this, why should I follow their rules and obey their laws?!”
He gasped for air, his gaze locked onto Bai Zhi.
“Husband and wife? Bai Zhi, if you still care about our past, you should kill these two right now and help me heal! Once I recover, we can join forces to slaughter all these Righteous Path trash! When the time comes, the world will be ours, and I won’t even need to be this damn Emperor anymore!”
“…”
Bai Zhi listened quietly until he finished, then she nodded.
She silently raised the beautifully decorated bronze short sword in her hand. Under Zhao Mingyuan’s shocked and furious gaze—
She thrust the sword into the crown of his head. The Sword Qi pierced through him, completely destroying his Nascent Soul.
“I should have known…” Her voice was bitter. She immediately raised the sword, intending to plunge it into her own neck—
“Wait!”
Yun Xuechang’s pupils shrank. Her figure flickered, instantly arriving to strike the short sword out of Bai Zhi’s hand.
But Bai Zhi only looked at her with a sorrowful gaze, all will to live gone from her eyes.
“Thank you, Fairy Yun… and I am sorry.”
As her voice faded, her breath suddenly cut off. Her body went limp and she collapsed into a pool of blood.
Her human form gradually faded, transforming into a small, fluffy, silver-white beast.
“Bai Zhi…” Yun Xuechang stared blankly at the scene before her, her Autumn Water Sword hanging low in her hand. For a moment, she was speechless.
“Sigh, forget it. She destroyed her own soul. Forget about you, even if a true immortal descended, they likely couldn’t save her.”
Hua Yan walked to her side, patted her shoulder, and sighed softly. “Don’t overthink it. This was her own choice.”
As Hua Yan spoke, her gaze fell upon the silver-white bundle on the ground.
“This must be her true form. Let’s find a place to give her a proper burial—Wait?”
She suddenly stopped, a look of surprise appearing on her face as she looked closer.
The small animal had a round face, moist eyes, and a slightly curved tail. Its expression was gentle…
“Wait, Bai Zhi… she doesn’t seem to be a fox demon.”
Hua Yan hesitated, her voice carrying a sense of realization and disbelief. “—She is a Dog Demon.”
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