The Empress glared at Mu Yunhe with a vicious look, wishing she could tear him to pieces on the spot. Even the Empress was shocked by Qin Yinxian's injuries, a testament to their severity. Qin Yinxian was her daughter, the future heir to the nation, and the face and dignity of the Silver Moon Kingdom—how could she possibly be offended?
Even though Qin Yinxian has her faults and shortcomings, and even though she doesn't particularly love this child, her child, no matter how bad, shouldn't be ruined like this! What can Qin Yinxian do in the future? Even if she tries her best to cure Qin Yinxian and bring him back to life, it won't change the fact that Qin Yinxian will be a one-eared, crippled monster!
This time, Mu Yunhe's actions were not merely a personal grudge; he had thoroughly humiliated the Silver Moon Kingdom. It would be strange if Her Majesty the Empress wasn't furious.
"Ha, Your Majesty, why are you so furious? If it weren't for that bastard Qin Yinxian inexplicably provoking us and harming my Aheng, why would I be targeting him? Qin Yinxian's actions the other day have brought about her current predicament. She has only herself to blame; she has only herself to blame for her own misdeeds and cannot blame anyone else!" Mu Yunhe said angrily.
He then added, "Moreover, Qin Yinxian injured someone first, and I only sought revenge by not killing her. She should be secretly grateful! Your Majesty the Empress has now mobilized such a large force to attack our doorstep. Do you think I, Mu Yunhe, am afraid of your Silver Moon Kingdom? Or do you think that Your Majesty the Empress's majesty can suppress me, a dignified diviner?"
Her Majesty the Empress hadn't expected Mu Yunhe to speak so boldly, nor had she anticipated his composure despite her arrival. Mu Yunhe's words did somewhat quell Her Majesty's anger, but so what? If she didn't teach Mu Yunhe a lesson today, she would be a truly pathetic Empress.
"What a powerful diviner you are! Are you using your divine status to provoke me, or are you going to bring out the Divination Palace behind you to fight against me? Are you going to challenge me with your background?" the Empress shouted, her aura imposing.
Mu Yunhe sneered and said without any politeness, "Your Majesty the Empress thinks too highly of your Silver Moon Kingdom. Even if the Silver Moon Kingdom is a supreme land that surpasses other countries, in the eyes of the Divination Palace, it is nothing more than that. Your Majesty should not be too arrogant. Who knows, one day, it may be your Silver Moon Kingdom that will be destroyed!"
"Outrageous! Mu Yunhe, you are too outrageous! If I were to let you go today, I would have to commit suicide to atone for my sins!" The Empress was completely enraged by Mu Yunhe and slapped him hard across the face.
The women of Silver Moon Kingdom are queens, and their martial arts skills are all incredibly powerful. You can see how remarkable they are from the example of Emperor Xian Shi. How much more so would the mothers of those two be?
Mu Yunhe was already injured in spirit, and his body was not yet fully coordinated. In addition, he was burdened by the sweet little burden in his arms that he could not let go of even if he died. He was under immense pressure from two sides.
He dodged while holding Luo Zhiheng, and fought back at the same time, but his counterattacks were not as effective as when he was in his prime. He couldn't hit the Empress at all. On the contrary, Her Majesty the Empress's moves were sharp and ruthless, and she did not let Mu Yunhe off the hook, pressing her advantage and relentlessly attacking.
The others in the room were dumbfounded. The wet nurse just stared blankly at the empress who had suddenly descended from the sky. She was someone she could never forget in her memory, someone she thought she would never see again in this lifetime, but unexpectedly, she appeared in front of her so abruptly.
And these empresses actually want to kill the young prince?!
What has become of Her Majesty the Empress? Has she truly become so heartless and depraved? Back then, she ignored her master and the Empress. The Empress's tragic death was tantamount to Her Majesty's tacit approval, and the master's plight as a commoner was far from pleasant. Yet, Her Majesty remained indifferent. If Her Majesty had regretted her actions back then, even with the slightest remorse or compassion, surely she would have found a way to locate her master.
But nothing! Nothing at all! It was as if the master had truly died, remaining silent and unnoticed for years. Why not just not appear at all? And if he did appear, why the need for such ruthless extermination?!
The wet nurse was stiff, her mind a jumble of hatred. She should have known, she should have foreseen this. She couldn't let Her Majesty the Empress know of her young master's existence, or he would be in danger. How could she have imagined that Her Majesty the Empress would be so cruel as to try and kill her young master! What deep-seated hatred could drive Her Majesty to such ruthlessness?
If we kill Mu Yunhe, won't the next person we have to kill be our young master? Killing Mu Yunhe is tantamount to indirectly killing our young master.
The wet nurse was completely dumbfounded. Her eyes reddened with resentment and anger, but she was completely frozen and didn't know what to do.
Meanwhile, Lady Huoyun, who was standing nearby, also realized what was happening and cried out in alarm, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty is in a state of anger! That is a diviner! Your Majesty, you must not be so impulsive!"
Lady Huoyun was the Empress's personal physician, so their relationship was naturally familiar. Furthermore, because of the Prince's unspoken affection for Luo Zhiheng, Lady Huoyun harbored a complex and unsettling feeling. In short, shouldn't the Empress and Luo Zhiheng/Mu Yunhe be at odds like this, fighting to the death every time they meet? At the very least, for the sake of the Prince, Her Majesty shouldn't treat a junior like this. Moreover, given that the Empress rarely leaves her seclusion, why would she harbor such deep hatred for Mu Yunhe?
Lady Huoyun suddenly realized something and hurriedly shouted, "Your Majesty, could it be that you are blaming the High Priest because of the Emperor's injury? You misunderstand. This matter is really not the High Priest's fault. It is the Emperor's fault, and His Highness the Prince can testify to that."
The Empress, having missed her target with a single blow to the fleeing Mu Yunhe, was enraged by Lady Huoyun's words. She paused for a moment, then turned and roared, "Huoyun! Whose side are you? Mine's or Mu Yunhe's? How dare you speak to an outsider! If Xian'er's injury were merely minor, would I be pursuing this so seriously? Mu Yunhe has ruined Xian'er! You'd better shut your mouth! And Qin Yinshi, tell her to come out and see me right now!"
Lady Huoyun looked at the Empress in shock; this was the first time in so many years that the Empress had lost her temper so fiercely. Being the Empress's subject, she dared not utter another word in rebuttal.
Mu Yunhe hugged Luo Zhiheng tightly. Just as he caught his breath, he saw that Luo Zhiheng's little face was almost scrunched up. He was so frightened that he quickly looked at his chest. The last Gu worm had reached the edge of the wound and would come out soon. The pill was stuck to the blood outside the wound. Mu Yunhe was filled with anxiety.
At such a crucial moment, he actually encountered that crazy woman, the Empress! With only a little bit left, Aheng would be out of danger. Mu Yunhe dared not take any risks and could only retreat immediately.
He carried Luo Zhiheng and rushed outside. People outside couldn't get in because the Empress had brought entourage, and someone blocked Elder Tong and his group's path.
"Trying to run! You can't escape!" The Empress saw through Mu Yunhe's intention, snorted coldly, and quickly chased after him.
Mu Yunhe sensed the person who had caught up behind him in the blink of an eye, and had no choice but to sidestep and strike with a palm. 1.
But the Empress was at her peak, and naturally she was very powerful. Not only did she easily dodge the palm strike, but she also struck Luo Zhiheng in Mu Yunhe's arms with a palm strike. Her sinister voice buzzed in Mu Yunhe's ears: "This is the person you want to save? Since you care about her so much, then let her atone for my Xian'er's sins!"
"No!!" The wet nurse's voice was sudden, hysterical, and utterly terrified at that moment!
Mu Yunhe's pupils constricted. He was just a fraction of a second too slow, and his palm landed on Luo Zhiheng's shoulder. When Mu Yunhe finally stepped back while holding Luo Zhiheng, her shoulder was almost a bloody mess.
"I'll kill you!!" Mu Yunhe's eyes turned red, and he roared deafeningly as he surged toward the Empress with overwhelming force.
The Empress's expression changed slightly. She hadn't expected that even after all this, she still hadn't managed to corner Mu Yunhe, and that he still had a backup plan. That aura was too fierce and domineering; even the Empress dared not confront it head-on. Her face showed slight horror as she quickly retreated.
At that moment, Mu Yunhe quickly left the room with Luo Zhiheng in his arms. When he checked on Luo Zhiheng, she had already opened her eyes. Her little face was wet, and she stared blankly at Mu Yunhe, as if she couldn't see the person in front of her.
"Yunhe?" A weak, uncertain murmur.
That's not Luo Zhiheng! That shouldn't be Luo Zhiheng's voice!
His arrogant, domineering, energetic, and vibrant Ah Heng shouldn't be like this!
"I'm here, I'm here. Ah Heng, it'll be alright soon, believe me, just hang in there." He repeated these urgent words over and over, it was unclear whether he was trying to comfort Luo Zhiheng or reassure himself. Mu Yunhe had just dodged a fatal blow; the Empress's palm strike couldn't kill Luo Zhiheng, but that Gu worm…
He hurriedly looked down, hoping that the Gu worms had emerged so he could take out the last one. But upon seeing it, Mu Yunhe's face turned ashen, like that of the King of Hell.
Where is the antidote? Where is that antidote?! The Gu worm didn't come out because the antidote was gone. Mu Yunhe watched in despair as the Gu worm, which was about to reach the wound, crawled back in once more.
Mu Yunhe frantically searched around, his eyes darting about in a daze, until he finally spotted the small red pill through the doorway he had just run out of.
He rushed over frantically to retrieve it, but the Queen stood at the doorway and had also seen the pill…
Mu Yunhe's movements came to an abrupt halt. The doorway was only a few steps away from the outside. He looked at the Empress with a cold gaze, and the Empress looked at him with a fierce gaze. A chilling current flowed and collided between the two of them.
"So you care so much about this pill? Is it the life-saving medicine for your beloved wife?" The Empress laughed coldly, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.
"Your Majesty! Please don't! There's only one pill left, it's Luo Zhiheng's life-saving medicine! Prince Shi can't let Luo Zhiheng die, please, for Prince Shi's sake, grant Luo Zhiheng a way out!" Lady Huoyun hurriedly spoke, disregarding her own life, kneeling down and kowtowing in pleading.
"The last one?" The Empress sneered, destroying Mu Yunhe's hopes!
Mu Yunhe already knew what she was planning to do. His heart tightened, and he was naturally anxious, but he dared not show it too much, lest she see through him and use it as a weakness to attack. However, Mu Yunhe was still so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead, his eyes were red, and his face was contorted with rage, making him look extremely frightening.
The Empress was naturally unafraid of Mu Yunhe's actions. Her foot, clad in a golden boot, slowly rose as Mu Yunhe's pupils constricted, landing on the tiny pill that could save Luo Zhiheng. She asked Mu Yunhe, "You caused my Xian'er so much pain, so naturally I will make you taste pain and suffering a million times worse! Just watch your Aheng die!"
The words fell, then the foot landed!
The tiny pill was instantly reduced to powder!
Chapter 1 complete! One more chapter today! I'll keep working hard, please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets! Mwah, my darlings!
416 A Shocking Truth! (Bonus Chapter for 830 Monthly Tickets)
Updated: 2013-11-01 18:12:10 Word Count: 3537
The Empress thought she was only crushing Mu Yunhe's hopes. Little did she know, she was also crushing her own hopes.
So when she saw the狰狞狂狂 (zhengning kui, meaning ferocious and crazed) expression on Mu Yunhe's face, she laughed wantonly and with a vengeful satisfaction. She said coldly, "This is the consequence of hurting Xian'er. Mu Yunhe, without this last antidote, I'd like to see how long your Aheng can hold out?"
Mu Yunhe was cold and his face was as dark and terrifying as if covered by dark clouds. He handed Luo Zhiheng to Murong Qianxue who had rushed over, and no longer dodged timidly, but attacked like a madman!
"Your Majesty, be quick!" The overwhelming power, displayed without any concealment, was so astonishing and terrifying. His attacks, originating from the powerful spiritual energy of the divination priest, were unleashed relentlessly, striking at Her Majesty the Empress with frenzied palm strikes.
The Empress's expression changed drastically, and she quickly dodged, but the power in Mu Yunhe's palm followed closely behind.
Boom boom boom—
The entire room was destroyed, reduced to ruins. The Empress was still dodging, and her guards, who had come to help, were intercepted by General Tong and General Murong with their men.
Although Elder Tong and his companions were shocked that the woman before them was actually the Queen of the Silver Moon Kingdom, and even more shocked that this mysterious queen had appeared here, they were not afraid of her! To bully someone like this on their Mu Dynasty's territory was simply outrageous! They were determined to fight her to the death!
The Empress could also feel the power emanating from that terrifying aura. She was shocked by Mu Yunhe's strength and the endless variety of his moves. She was also annoyed that she had no way to fight back and could only dodge, which was really beneath the dignity and face of a monarch.
His gaze fell menacingly on Luo Zhiheng, who was lying softly in someone else's arms, posing no threat whatsoever. She was covered in blood, and her messy hair obscured her face, making it impossible to discern its color. Yet, she could make Mu Yunhe, a dignified diviner, so fascinated and driven mad by her.
But it doesn't matter. The more Mu Yunhe cares about Luo Zhiheng, the better, because that gives her more leverage to control and deal with Mu Yunhe.
The empress suddenly darted away to a distance, and Mu Yunhe, who had gone mad, naturally gave chase and followed, causing severe damage along the way.
Unexpectedly, the Empress, who had been dodging, suddenly appeared behind Mu Yunhe and, to the astonishment of the others, swooped down on Luo Zhiheng with a cold smile.
Murong Qianxue was the first to spot the grinning man, and was so frightened she could barely speak. Suddenly, she screamed, "Young Prince! That old woman is here!"
Murong Qianxue panicked a little, her voice sounding like it was about to break. Then, in the next moment, she instinctively hugged Luo Zhiheng tightly and ran to the side, but her legs were weak and she couldn't lift the powerless Luo Zhiheng.
"Where do you think you're going!" Her Majesty the Empress shouted, her speed increasing. In the blink of an eye, she appeared beside Murong Qianxue, striking her on the back with a palm. Taking advantage of the moment Murong Qianxue was knocked away, she grabbed Luo Zhiheng, who was about to fall, and with a forceful shake, Luo Zhiheng landed in front of her.
"Let her go!!" Mu Yunhe had already returned and saw Luo Zhiheng being carried and swayed in front of the Empress's chest as if she were carrying something. Mu Yunhe roared with bloodshot eyes.
"Release her? I don't have the patience to play games with you. I can release her, but you must commit suicide to atone for your sins, and then I will let her go. Otherwise, I don't mind killing her in front of you. You care about her so much and love her so much, you should agree to exchange your life for hers, right?" The Empress was expressionless, as if she were talking about something insignificant.
"You're dreaming!" Mu Yunhe shouted through gritted teeth.
The Empress remained expressionless and said, "Didn't you say you were madly in love? Didn't you say this woman was your true love? Didn't you say you were willing to do anything for her? How come now that it's just a matter of exchanging your life for hers, you're unwilling? Is there really no limit to the hypocrisy of men?"
"Hmph! I will not let anything happen to Aheng, nor will I myself. You, the Empress, actually resort to such despicable means of threatening others. Do you think it's honorable to do so?" Mu Yunhe was extremely anxious, but he appeared calm as he spoke, secretly trying to find a way to rescue Luo Zhiheng.
Everyone else stopped fighting at this point. The Empress's forces were few, but they were all highly skilled. Mu Yunhe's side had more people, but fewer skilled fighters. The two sides were evenly matched.
"Mu Yunhe, you don't need to say those things to make me hesitate. The reason I came out to find you today is to kill you. You should be honored to die by my hand. Do you want Luo Zhiheng to live, or do you want your own life? Don't think I have a lot of patience. I'll say it one last time: if you commit suicide, I will immediately release Luo Zhiheng, and I will never break my word!" the Empress said coldly.
To show she wasn't joking, the Empress raised her hand, along with Luo Zhiheng's limp body. Her hand was on Luo Zhiheng's neck, gripping it tightly. Luo Zhiheng struggled to lift her face; even if she were still conscious, she would likely be unable to struggle, let alone the fact that she was currently unconscious. 17857230
Mu Yunhe was so anxious he was almost going crazy, but he still dared not make a single rash move.
He couldn't bear to see Luo Zhiheng suffer. He was willing to die without hesitation, but with Luo Zhiheng in this state, could she survive without his protection? Mu Yunhe didn't dare to hesitate either, caught in a dilemma. The Empress had already thrown a knife in front of Mu Yunhe.
"Use this knife to commit suicide. You see, I show no mercy to women. There is only one Luo Zhiheng. Use your death to prove that you truly love Luo Zhiheng," the Empress said coldly.
Mu Yunhe closed his eyes tightly, and when he opened them, he bent down and picked up the knife. Then he slowly raised it. Almost everyone thought that Mu Yunhe had given in, and almost everyone felt endless sorrow and despair at that moment.
Old Master Tong angrily said, "Young Prince, calm down! Don't be misled! Your Majesty the Empress of Silver Moon Kingdom, don't go too far. No matter what the young prince has done to anger you, he is still a young prince of our Mu Dynasty. Even if you don't care about the Mu Dynasty, are you going to refuse the position of Emperor of the Divination Palace? Even if your Silver Moon Kingdom is powerful, do you really think your Silver Moon Kingdom can resist if the Mu Dynasty and the Divination Palace join forces?"
"Are you lecturing me, Mu Dynasty? You overestimate your Mu Dynasty. I am naturally wary of the Heavenly Palace Divination, but if it really comes, I am not afraid of it. Mu Yunhe, you'd better make a decision quickly, otherwise, if I tighten my grip even slightly, your little Aheng will surely die." The Empress said impatiently.
Mu Yunhe lowered his head slightly, but when he heard these words, he suddenly looked up. He seemed to be muttering some difficult words. After speaking, he made a very quick movement and threw the knife at the Empress, aiming straight for her head.
The moment the knife shot out, the Queen's body, which she could have easily dodged, inexplicably became immobile! The Queen's face showed horror.
“Mu Yunhe—”
The Empress's angry voice abruptly ceased, for her guards had rushed forward at the critical moment, blocking the knife that was certain to pierce her head. Presumably killed instantly, the Empress's face turned ashen, and Mu Yunhe's pupils constricted.
The immobilization spell only affects the person being attacked. Mu Yunhe was confident that by using the spell unexpectedly, he could immobilize the Empress and even kill her. Killing the Empress would bring many troubles, but as long as he could save Aheng, nothing else mattered. However, he overlooked one crucial detail: the guards surrounding the Empress.
Damn it! He was actually stopped. Mu Yunhe looked at the Empress nervously, wondering what she would do.
The Empress was indeed enraged. She had suddenly become unable to move. Her hand gripped Luo Zhiheng's throat tightly, and she said angrily with a dark expression, "You're very good! Since you don't want your Aheng anymore, then I will grant your wish!"
The Empress's hand suddenly tightened, almost killing Luo Zhiheng in an instant. Just then, a rapid, trembling cry of alarm rang out like a tidal wave, crashing into the Empress's furious ears.
"Luo Zhiheng is Qin Yinheng's eldest daughter!!"
The name Qin Yinheng was like three steel nails, hammered deep into her heart. A look of utter shock and horror suddenly appeared on the usually composed and dignified empress's face. Her pupils constricted, her expression changed drastically, and she whirled around, her gaze as fierce as a jackal or tiger, precisely seizing the person who had just crawled out of the collapsed room. She asked, each word distinct and deliberate, "What...did...you?!"