The Sovereign – Chapter 109

Volume Six: A Cold Rainy Night Buries the Famous Flower

Beauty as a Trap

If death comes, I will surely accompany you

Traveling day and night, finally arrived at Zhengyi. Passing through the side gate, one could see tight military security, with new weapons arranged around the tower walls, appearing to be long-range crossbows, with a range reaching tens of li, capable of defending against siege.

“I’ve heard these crossbows were just developed by the Nalan family, and they’ve been delivered to Yu Kingdom so quickly. This shows the relationship between Nalan Qing and Ling Yu is not ordinary,” Li Yue whispered in Qin Junlan’s ear.

“The battle for Zhengyi won’t be easy. Now Yu Kingdom’s soldiers are fighting with deep hatred. Strong armies aren’t frightening, what’s most feared is when an army becomes a suicide squad, fighting with hatred and belief, each person ready to die. Currently the war situation is tense, and both Luo and Qing kingdoms are not peaceful. This war is turning out harder than I initially expected.”

“Young Master, unifying the four seas [all under heaven] isn’t done in a day. When battle lines stretch long, other kingdoms will tire too. Right now, stabilizing army morale and knowing both ourselves and the enemy is more important.”

“Hmm, but don’t you think entering the city was too easy during wartime?” Qin Junlan looked around, feeling Zhengyi was too peaceful.

“Young Master, we must be careful. This servant feels this is a trap.”

“I know, but since Ling Yu wants to lure me here, I’ll come. Let’s see what she does. I just hope Xun’er is safe.”

After entering the city, Qin Junlan found the citizens living peacefully and prosperously. Although patrol troops often passed by, they didn’t affect people’s lives.

“The country is peaceful and the weather favorable. I didn’t expect to see such scenes in Zhengyi at this time.” As Qin Junlan first stepped into Yu Kingdom’s territory, it truly was the former capital – Zhengyi’s prosperity and wealth were unmatched by other cities.

Qin Junlan had someone stable the horses, then began searching everywhere. Changning Manor was located in the city center, not far from the former Yu Imperial Palace. Now the palace was empty, the Yu Emperor and all officials had relocated, leaving behind an empty hall.

Moving through the small alleys, occasionally seeing two or three commoners kneeling in prayer, muttering words, seemingly performing rites for departed souls. Qin Junlan hid at the nearest corner to Changning Manor, discovering the entire residence had white silk hanging high, as if experiencing a great mourning event.

“Has someone died at Changning Manor?” Li Yue asked in confusion.

“It must be mourning for the massacred citizens of the city. Ah, this is likely my greatest sin in this life. If I had discovered earlier that Bai Yifei was cruel and vicious, ruthless and brutal, how could the city massacre have happened, and so many people wouldn’t have died needlessly.”

“How can this be your fault? He deceived both superiors and subordinates and deserved death, but…”

“But Ling Yu doesn’t think so, and neither does the world. Never mind, I indeed bear responsibility, but my conscience is clear.” Qin Junlan examined Changning Manor, seeing the guards were strict, but not knowing if Liu Qianxun was inside.

Unless waiting until night to investigate the manor, there was no way to know Liu Qianxun’s whereabouts. In this vast Zhengyi, though feeling so close, unable to know where she was.

Qin Junlan sighed deeply, heart full of worry, looked up and suddenly saw a familiar figure walking out of Changning Manor – that silhouette, that figure, even those clothes looked exactly like Liu Qianxun.

“Xun’er?” Qin Junlan unconsciously followed.

“Young Master!” Li Yue called in a suppressed voice, hurrying after with two other shadow guards – they couldn’t lose their master in enemy territory.

That woman’s steps were light and quick, weaving through the streets with many turns, Qin Junlan almost running in pursuit, but couldn’t catch up in time.

“Xun’er!” Qin Junlan pushed through the crowd, but in this Zhengyi full of Ling Yu’s spies, had to remain cautious, not daring to call out loudly, could only follow that figure so similar to Liu Qianxun.

Li Yue and others followed closely behind, just as they were approaching Qin Junlan, suddenly a group of children ran out, playing and acting cute towards them, blocking their path forward. Unable to push past children or cause a scene, Li Yue watched as Qin Junlan gradually disappeared from view. In her urgency, she had to use qinggong to get away from these children, but by the time they all broke free, they had already lost trace of Qin Junlan.

Qin Junlan followed that woman to a manor, only then realizing Li Yue and others hadn’t kept up. Feared it truly was a trap, but at this point, she couldn’t care about so much – even through mountains of blades and seas of fire [idiom meaning: through any danger], she had to rescue Liu Qianxun.

She looked up to see four large characters “King Chong He Manor” standing prominently above the main gate.

“She is King Chong’s daughter, living in King Chong’s manor makes sense, that woman just now might be her.” Qin Junlan muttered to herself, but remained cautious, avoiding the main gate and leaping over the wall where there were no guards.

She stepped lightly, looking around, saw that woman enter the first courtyard and then disappear. Qin Junlan jumped into the yard, finding no guards, the entire He manor seemed empty.

“You can’t stay here forever, it would be good to go somewhere else.”

A familiar voice sounded, seeming like… Mujin?

“I’m fine just being here, don’t want to go anywhere else.”

It was Xun’er’s voice!

Qin Junlan rushed in alone, following the voice to find an old locust tree, where indeed sat Liu Qianxun. She called out joyfully, “Xun’er!”

Liu Qianxun thought she was sick with longing, hearing things, so didn’t raise her head, but then she heard that familiar voice again, “Xun’er!” She finally looked up to see Qin Junlan looking at her with delight. She couldn’t believe her eyes, just slowly stood up, watching Qin Junlan walk towards her step by step.

It was the Chaoyan she once knew, like the morning sun, shining upon her. Seeing her, the previously dim world seemed to have light again, and hope returned.

Qin Junlan’s face showed joy, wanting to walk to her side, when suddenly feeling the air flow rapidly moving around her. She nimbly dodged sideways, avoiding a sudden attack. Immediately after, more than ten sword-wielding people surrounded her. She gripped her sharp sword, her gaze becoming keen.

“Yan’er!” Liu Qianxun saw Qin Junlan surrounded and anxiously wanted to go forward, but was blocked by Mujin, “You’d better not interfere.”

“You set a trap for her?” At this moment she finally realized that imprisoning her was meant to lure Qin Junlan here – from the moment they called her back, it was all for today.

“The Sect Leader’s orders cannot be defied. Sister, don’t make things difficult for me, I never wanted to be your enemy.” Mujin’s expression was serious, blocking Liu Qianxun from going forward. Sadly, with Liu Qianxun’s internal energy now sealed, let alone fighting Mujin, she might not even be able to defeat these dozen guards whose martial arts seemed unremarkable.

“Hmph, is this all Ling Yu’s capable of?” Qin Junlan drew her sword, moving through the dozen attackers with ease. Though these people’s martial arts weren’t as good as Liu Qianxun’s, they were above average and not easy to handle.

But Qin Junlan’s swordplay was masterful, more than enough to deal with these people. She advanced with her sword, attacking on the right, defending on the left, sword light flashing before the old locust tree. Beside them, Liu Qianxun was extremely worried – Qin Junlan’s mother-child gu poison wasn’t cured, fighting like this was truly dangerous.

Why wasn’t Li Yue visible? Shouldn’t she be staying close by? And the shadow guards – she couldn’t have come alone even when going out. No, since it was a trap, they must have been watched upon entering the city, then separated by someone’s scheme.

Fool, how could you not guess this was a trap? Yet still walked right into it. Liu Qianxun clasped her hands together, all her tension turning to silence.

Qin Junlan fought back fiercely, battling the guards evenly, but when she prepared to strike again, she suddenly felt intense chest pain. Even her sword-holding hand lost strength, the sword slipping from her grip. She clutched her lower abdomen as the pain intensified. She bent slightly, pain making her fall to her knees, supporting herself with one hand, seeming about to collapse any second.

“Yan’er, what’s wrong?” Liu Qianxun asked anxiously. Could the poison be acting up now? But no, wasn’t Guiguzi’s medicine supposed to suppress the gu poison?

Could it be…? Liu Qianxun looked around in shock – if Ling Yu hadn’t controlled the mother gu, how could she suddenly become like this? Since she set the trap, she must appear.

“No…” Qin Junlan clenched her teeth, wanting to say she was fine, but could barely find strength to speak the words. Her internal organs felt as if controlled by a string, even the slightest pull caused pain that made breathing difficult.

Just then, a white figure descended from above, holding a bamboo flute to her lips, a harsh sound faintly echoing. Ling Yu coldly watched Qin Junlan rolling in pain, showing no emotion as she skillfully controlled the mother gu, making Qin Junlan’s body instantly collapse.

Once the mother gu was controlled, the child gu began devouring Qin Junlan’s internal organs – this bone-deep pain was harder to bear than any external wound. She hugged herself and fell curled up, fresh blood gushing from her mouth. Even the strongest will and endurance couldn’t withstand such intense pain; she finally began rolling on the ground in agony.

“Yan’er!” Liu Qianxun tried to rush forward, but Mujin blocked her. She attacked, and though lacking internal energy, her techniques remained, just with much less killing power.

However, after just a few exchanges, she was defeated. She had never felt so helpless before. Looking at Qin Junlan, once so high and mighty, now like this – her mind instantly thought of many ways to save her, but none were feasible.

Qin Junlan rolled in agony, dust covering her clothes, blood from her mouth spilling onto her face, hair ornaments disheveled at her temples, completely wretched.

Ling Yu finally stopped playing the flute. Qin Junlan’s pain gradually eased, leaving only heavy breathing and unfocused, blurry eyes. Ling Yu looked down at the disheveled Qin Junlan, letting out a terrifying smirk, “Even the mighty empress has such a day.”

“Ling Yu, what are you going to do?” Liu Qianxun looked at Ling Yu in terror, her voice carrying fear and worry. Because Ling Yu now seemed transformed into a demon from hell, her pure white thin garment like the soul-collecting White Impermanence [deity of death], destroying Qin Junlan bit by bit.

“What am I going to do? You’ll know soon.” After speaking, she raised the bamboo flute to her lips again. Qin Junlan’s body was like an object, being carelessly sliced again and again. Her eyes bloodshot, she glared at Ling Yu unable to speak a word.

The pain of ten thousand ants gnawing was no worse than this, even the torment of a thousand cuts couldn’t compare to this current suffering. She clutched her chest, pain causing cold sweat all over her body, but she endured strongly, both hands gripping two handfuls of dirt from the ground, raising her eyes to look at Liu Qianxun, her eyes filled with what might have been tears or blood tears from pain, her gaze full of desolation and regret.

“I’m sorry.” Blood flowed down from the corner of her mouth, but Qin Junlan paid no attention, lying on the ground, guiltily looking at Liu Qianxun. She owed her these words, but as if one time wasn’t enough, she crawled forward two more steps and said again, “I’m sorry, I…” Before finishing, fresh blood dripped to the ground, blooming like a flower, blazing red, particularly glaring.

Liu Qianxun kept shaking her head watching her, her throat choked up, fingernails already digging into her palms. She had never blamed Qin Junlan, never. It was clearly she who had wronged Qin Junlan, deceiving her, yet why did it end up with Qin Junlan apologizing to her? Liu Qianxun’s heart truly ached, ached enough that she could disregard everything, abandon all.

She suddenly fell to her knees, looking up at Ling Yu, knees moving forward step by step. She lightly bit her lower lip, pulling at Ling Yu’s clothes hem, almost begging, “Princess, I beg you, stop playing!”

“Don’t kneel! Don’t kneel to her!” Even numbed with pain, Qin Junlan still had to cry out these words with her life – she absolutely wouldn’t allow her beloved woman to humiliate herself to save her.

“Don’t kneel…” She painfully raised her hand wanting to touch Liu Qianxun, wanting to help her up, but she didn’t even have the strength to speak, her words so faint only she could hear.

“You’re begging me?” Ling Yu, seeing her submit like this, willing to set aside pride and kneel to her, became even more angry, with no intention of stopping.

Ling Yu angrily kicked out, viciously striking Qin Junlan’s lower abdomen. She rolled twice, spitting fresh blood. Liu Qianxun watched Qin Junlan in terror, as if everything in heaven and earth had stopped. She watched Qin Junlan endure complete torture, yet her gaze never left her.

Pain swept through her entire body. Fear spread like a flood around her, she stood at the mouth of despair’s mountain, watching that beam of light ahead gradually extinguish. Qin Junlan’s life was being worn away bit by bit, Liu Qianxun wanted to grab hold, but hope slipped through the cracks.

She dared not show pain or reluctance, knowing Ling Yu would become more angry seeing her suffer, but the heartache and distress in her eyes couldn’t be hidden at all. It turned out all things that could be pretended were so easily broken.

Seeing Liu Qianxun so distressed, Ling Yu became even more angry. She put down the bamboo flute, about to raise her foot again, when Liu Qianxun grabbed her leg, holding it tightly, “I know you’re suffering from the citizens’ massacre. If you want to vent your hatred, direct it at me. I’m already a sinner, my death would mean nothing.”

Just to save Qin Junlan, just to save her, she could risk everything – even her life, she could give up.

Liu Qianxun had never been so submissive, begging someone so humbly – even facing Ling Yu, she had maintained her stubbornness. But now, for Qin Junlan, she compromised completely, setting aside all pride and coldness. Ling Yu immediately raised her hand in anger, palm already carrying internal energy, but ultimately couldn’t bring it down.

She had killed countless people, never showing mercy to those who betrayed or threatened her, but no matter what Liu Qianxun did, she couldn’t bring herself to harm her. How laughable – she had feared others discovering her weakness, buried her deepest love in her heart, yet now this love was what bound her hands and feet.

What was detachment? What was heartlessness? What was decisive killing? These had never existed regarding Liu Qianxun. Even though she had done everything to touch her bottom line, Ling Yu still couldn’t bear to kill her.

Her raised hand trembled slightly, but all she could do was raise it – she knew she wouldn’t bring it down, would never bring it down on Liu Qianxun.

“Please show mercy, Princess!” Mujin, seeing Ling Yu’s seeming killing intent, feared she would truly harm Liu Qianxun and hurriedly knelt to plead.

She gripped Liu Qianxun’s chin, glaring at her, gloomy eyes carrying a trace of grief, “You care for her this much?”

Liu Qianxun remained silent. Ling Yu smiled bitterly, eyes containing tears, suppressing the heavy pain in her heart, “When have you ever cared for me like this? Perhaps you never will again?”

Why ask these things, just adding a few more cuts of torture. The bloody wound, she always had to peel it open to look again. Ling Yu slowly released her hand, carefully took a breath – what had happened to her heart? It was incomplete, able to hurt so intensely no matter when.

“Ling Yu… let’s both be free…” Liu Qianxun’s tone became desperate, even her pleading turned pale, everything was beyond change now.

“Shut up! Say one more word of begging, and I’ll crush the mother gu!” Ling Yu’s anger was provoked by Liu Qianxun, seeing her like this made her hatred even stronger.

She walked to Qin Junlan, bent down and grabbed her collar, sneering, “Even if This Palace cuts you into a thousand pieces, puts six thousand holes in your body, it still won’t quell the hatred in my heart! Weren’t you looking down on everyone? Didn’t you want to rule the world? Where’s your imposing manner now? Heh… now you’re just a pitiful prisoner.”

Qin Junlan’s body trembled as she used all her strength to support herself, when suddenly a guard kicked at her back leg, “Not kneeling before the Princess, you tyrant!”

She fell from the force but her knees never touched the ground – even fallen into a tiger’s den, she wouldn’t lose her dignity. She didn’t explain that the city massacre wasn’t her order – in these hate-filled eyes, who gave the order didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that Ji Kingdom’s soldiers killed innocent citizens, and she couldn’t possibly execute tens of thousands of soldiers.

Ling Yu’s fingertips played with the bamboo flute – for Qin Junlan, she wouldn’t kill her so quickly. She wanted to make her life worse than death, to comfort the spirits of those who died.

But Qin Junlan showed no fear, wouldn’t submit, and certainly wouldn’t beg for mercy. She stood slightly straighter, “Ling Yu, if you don’t kill me today, I’ll make you regret it later!”

“Still being stubborn!” Ling Yu raised her arm again, bringing the bamboo flute near her mouth.

Liu Qianxun watched Qin Junlan, now showing no reaction, her desperate eyes filled with tears, heart already torn apart, no longer feeling pain.

The third time Ling Yu activated the gu poison, Qin Junlan only convulsed without showing signs of pain. Her face covered in sweat, eyes seeming to bulge, bloodshot throughout. She endured the intense pain throughout her body, trembling as she stood straight. She smiled lightly, like one facing execution, suddenly raised her hand, palm inward, striking toward her own chest.

Like self-destruction, her body fell straight down, but her gaze never left Liu Qianxun. After falling, she looked at Liu Qianxun with raised corners of her lips – only self-harm could avoid the pain, only falling down could avoid continued humiliation and disgrace.

“This empress has quite hard bones [idiom: very stubborn]!” Someone in the crowd spat out in contempt.

Liu Qianxun watched Qin Junlan fall, but remained surprisingly calm. She was unperturbed, like the eerie stillness before a storm. She concentrated all her attention on her dantian, gathering all strength to break through that binding.

Ling Yu turned to look, seeing her concentrating quietly, stepped forward and shouted angrily: “Forcing your internal energy will shatter your heart meridians, you’ll lose all martial arts!”

Liu Qianxun didn’t comply, still focusing her inner force toward the sealed acupoints. Her face slowly turned blue, blood trickling from her mouth corners. Already poisoned and unsuitable for using internal force, plus forcibly breaking through points, her heart meridians were damaged, but she had no intention of stopping.

“Liu Qianxun!” Ling Yu was exasperated, seeing her heading toward self-destruction, finally softened and struck three palm strikes to release her acupoints, but Liu Qianxun’s poison flared up, falling to the ground, spitting fresh blood.

“Xun’er!” Ling Yu ultimately couldn’t bear it, wanting to help her up concernedly, but Liu Qianxun pushed away her hand, crawling toward Qin Junlan step by step, only showing a smile when touching Qin Junlan’s body. She gently brushed Qin Junlan’s hair strands, saying tenderly, “If today is destined for death, Xun’er will accompany you.”

“Xun’er…” Qin Junlan held Liu Qianxun’s hand, eyes drooping weakly, consciousness no longer able to sustain itself, falling unconscious.

Ling Yu’s heart felt like being slowly sliced. Her concern and reluctance to part with Qin Junlan was like a knife, cutting her bit by bit.

“Guards, throw them into the dungeon, imprison them separately.” At Ling Yu’s command, guards dragged the half-dead Qin Junlan from the ground, Liu Qianxun also being lifted away.

She had meticulously waited for this moment to capture Qin Junlan, wanting to torture her, even kill her. But now having caught and tortured her, there was no happiness at all. Because no matter how much torture Qin Junlan endured, she had Liu Qianxun’s care, but what about herself? She could never reclaim Liu Qianxun’s heart, nor bring back those dead citizens.

She looked up at the sky in grief, heart faintly aching – no sorrow greater than a dead heart, those fallen into despair and darkness are destined to suffer for life.

Meanwhile, Li Yue and others, not finding Qin Junlan, knew something major had happened. Li Yue decisively sent a shadow guard back to the palace to report the situation and seek reinforcements.

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