Chapter 179: Chapter 177: Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Here

A beautifully dressed, noble-looking young woman was roaring in a furious rage. Everyone in the palace was so frightened they knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

This woman was the highest-ranking and most powerful woman in the entire New Qin Kingdom... the Queen!

The matron who had been killed was her wet nurse, someone she had brought with her from her maternal home. Her bond with the matron was even closer than the one she shared with her own mother.

This was why the matron had developed such an arrogant and domineering nature in the rear palace. Never mind a fallen princess from another kingdom like Zhao Qianqian; even high-ranking concubines had to show her deference.

When she was displeased, taunting a few Consorts was a light offense. She had even been known to curse them out loudly!

A few years ago, a court maiden of common birth who had just been selected had accidentally offended this matron and was tortured to death by her!

Normally, such a major incident would be impossible to cover up. At the very least, she should have been expelled from the Imperial Palace, right? But in the end, the matron received no punishment whatsoever! The poor maiden’s family only received ten thousand taels of silver in compensation, and the matter was simply swept under the rug.

From this, one could see just how much power this matron wielded in the Imperial Palace.

Some people even joked that this old woman was second only to the Queen in the entire rear palace.

Now, for such an arrogant and tyrannical woman to be stabbed to death was something the narrow-minded Queen simply could not tolerate.

As the Queen, she naturally knew far more than others. Although she was unclear about the Emperor’s plans, she was certain this young girl would meet a terrible end.

’That being the case, so what if I kill her right now?’

"Guards! Go and drag that little bitch here for me!" After venting her anger and smashing countless priceless antiques, the Queen ordered her subordinates with a frosty expression.

「...」

News of the Queen’s wet nurse’s gruesome death spread through the entire rear palace almost instantly. After their initial shock, nearly all the concubines secretly rejoiced! This wicked old woman, who had angered both heaven and men, was finally dead. Everyone felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

At the same time, while these concubines admired the princess from the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, they also worried for her. In a rear palace where the Queen’s word was law, one could only imagine what fate awaited Zhao Qianqian.

Thus, one of the concubines secretly had someone deliver an antidote to Zhao Qianqian. Her motive was partly to help Zhao Qianqian, but she also harbored a deeper scheme!

’If Zhao Qianqian can recover her strength and kill that jealous Queen in the process, that would be the most perfect outcome!’

Of course, the deed was done with the utmost secrecy. After receiving the antidote, Zhao Qianqian immediately understood the implications. Having grown up in the depths of a palace, she was no stranger to such scheming and plotting.

After taking the antidote, Zhao Qianqian began to meditate and recover her strength. There was nothing on her person or in the room that could be used as a weapon. Furthermore, with her Profound Level strength, escaping the heavily guarded Imperial City was simply too difficult. After a moment of thought, Zhao Qianqian made a decision: she would take the Queen hostage!

She was still clutching the bloody jade hairpin. Bending down, she wiped it clean on the clothes of the long-dead matron, re-inserted it into her hair, and smiled. ’If he doesn’t arrive in time, I’ll use this to kill myself.’

Just then, a large group of Royal Guards arrived and surrounded Zhao Qianqian’s chambers. Finally, several grim-faced eunuchs entered. Judging by the fluctuations of Primordial Power coming from their bodies, they were clearly powerful Martial Artists.

Zhao Qianqian let her body go limp, allowing a few palace maids to bind her hands and feet before she was escorted to the Queen’s chambers.

When Emperor Cui Qi heard the report, he was stunned for a long moment before muttering, "I never expected that little girl to have such nerve. That old, ugly woman... deserved to die!"

Then, his expression turned serious as he commanded, "Go tell the Queen she can vent her anger, but she is to leave that girl alive for me. She still has a great use!"

One of Cui Qi’s trusted Guards whispered, "Your Majesty, I heard the Queen intends to execute her..."

"She dares?" Cui Qi narrowed his eyes, a chilling aura emanating from his body. "Tell her that for the sake of our marriage, I will overlook her past transgressions. But if she dares to defy my will, she can wait for her entire clan to be exterminated!"

The Guard shivered slightly, acknowledged the order, and retreated.

「...」

Like a phantom, Qin Li stood silently in the shadows outside the Imperial City. He extended his Divine Sense, slowly and meticulously probing into the Imperial Palace, counting silently in his mind.

’One, two, three... twenty-two!’

Qin Li grimaced as he finished counting, a dull ache in his teeth. He now had a much deeper understanding of the New Qin Kingdom. He recalled Murong Tian mentioning that imperial power was often controlled by major forces from the Mysterious Land. To think that the New Qin Kingdom had so many Celestial Shattering Realm Martial Artists... Qin Li was filled with doubt. ’If they really wanted to expand their territory, they wouldn’t need these Celestial Shattering Realm Martial Artists to act personally, would they?’

The New Qin Kingdom’s several thousand Celestial Level Martial Artists were more than enough to sweep away all opposition. ’So, what are they planning?’

Inside the Imperial City, there were also quite a few with Celestial Level strength, at least a hundred of them. However, there were no Martial Artists beyond the Celestial Shattering Realm, which allowed Qin Li to breathe a sigh of relief.

A Martial Artist at the Celestial Integration Realm would still be too much for Qin Li to handle. His victory over Hai Tongtian that day had involved a great deal of luck, and that was in a one-on-one fight. Now, there were over twenty Celestial Shattering Realm experts in this palace. While his aura could intimidate people, if they truly decided to attack and surround him, he didn’t have the Golden Giant Tiger’s ability to sweep them all aside.

Qin Li didn’t use his Divine Sense to search for Zhao Qianqian’s image. The Imperial City was enormous, and just locating the distribution of all the Celestial Shattering Realm Martial Artists had already consumed a great deal of his Spiritual Power. Under these circumstances, he didn’t dare let his guard down.

With a flicker of his body, he silently entered the Imperial City. Moving through the air like a wisp of green smoke, he headed for the tallest building in the rear palace.

Because, based on experience, the tallest building in the rear palace was the Queen’s chambers!

Qin Li silently lay prone on the roof of the Queen’s chambers. Below, teams of soldiers patrolled back and forth. A few of them even had the power fluctuations of the Celestial Level. Qin Li inwardly praised them. In comparison, the strength of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom truly seemed insignificant.

Qin Li’s Divine Sense passed through the roof, taking in the scene below. After listening for a while, he was astonished. ’I never thought this little girl had such a ruthless side. It really is like the old saying: even a cornered rabbit will bite!’

Bound along with Zhao Qianqian was her personal maid, Min’Er. The two of them stood in the middle of the grand hall, with Zhao Qianqian fearlessly meeting the Queen’s gaze.

As soon as she had been brought here, the Queen had been clamoring to torture her to death. Unexpectedly, a Guard arrived and whispered a few words in the Queen’s ear. The Queen’s face turned ashen and incredibly ugly. Her eyes filled with venomous hatred as she stared coldly at Zhao Qianqian.

"You little bitch, you’re getting off easy!"

The Queen said through gritted teeth, "However, just because this palace won’t kill you doesn’t mean I have no way to vent my anger! You pathetic little princess, you came here from thousands of miles away with only this one devoted maid, didn’t you? All those others treated you like trash, sent you here, and then scurried back home. Not a single person from your family was there even on your wedding day! How pathetic. Now, this palace will humiliate and torture your maid to death right in front of you. Let’s see you get a taste of what it feels like to watch someone you care about be killed!"

"You shameless bitch! What’s with the noble act? I’d rather die than let you have your way!" Suddenly, Zhao Qianqian’s maid, Min’Er, burst out. She turned, her face streaked with tears, and looked at Zhao Qianqian, choking out, "Your Highness, farewell!"

With that, she bit down hard, but before she could bite her tongue and commit suicide, a quick-eyed eunuch behind her kicked her in the back, knocking her unconscious.

"Trying to kill yourself? You wish! Guards, strip her naked and tie her to the pillar! Tonight, I’m going to take my time with her!" The Queen’s eyes were filled with madness. The message the Emperor had a Guard deliver had deeply provoked her proud, fragile, and extremely sensitive nerves.

A fierce look flashed in Zhao Qianqian’s eyes. Just as she was about to make a move, a faint, somewhat effeminate voice sounded in her ear. An old eunuch said mildly, "Little Princess of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, you had best not move. This one may not know when you recovered your strength, but if a Profound Level like you could succeed in front of a Celestial Level Martial Artist like this one, wouldn’t this one have to ram his head into a wall out of shame?"

"Profound Level? Recovered her strength?" The Queen stared at Zhao Qianqian in horror and suddenly shivered. She was a woman with no martial ability. If she were really taken hostage by this little bitch, losing face would be a minor matter. This girl had already gone mad—she’d even dared to kill the matron. Was there anything she wouldn’t do?

At this thought, the Queen flew into a rage and sneered, "Good, truly good! Anything can happen in this deep palace. A little bitch with no backing whatsoever, and still someone helps her in secret. If this palace finds out who it is, I will definitely not let them go!"

Then, she ordered the person beside her, "Go, summon all the concubines! I want to see who ate a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gallbladder and dared to frame me!"

"You’re scared, too?" A mocking smile played on Zhao Qianqian’s lips. "See? A barnyard chicken will always be a barnyard chicken. Even if you give it Phoenix feathers, it can only stay perched in a chicken coop!"

"You little brat, how dare you run your mouth! Eunuch Ma, slap her!"

"You barnyard hen, you can shut your mouth now!" An extremely cold voice, accompanied by a heaven-shaking pressure, descended from above.

Zhao Qianqian was stunned for a moment, and then tears instantly streamed down her face.

Qin Li’s figure landed. Looking at Zhao Qianqian, he said gently, "Don’t be afraid. I’m here."