Chapter 520 - 428: This Is... Just Too Shameful
Chapter 520: Chapter 428: This Is... Just Too Shameful
Jiang Qingyi descended the steps and walked over to Si Li, her eyes scanning her from head to toe.
Si Li lowered her head, her hands clasped before her, affecting an extremely frightened appearance.
’Calm down... calm down... I have the ultimate treasure Wangxin gave me. It’s impossible for her to see through my Realm.’
Being sized up by this Sword Immortal of the Ascension Realm, Si Li’s heart began to pound faster and faster.
But Si Li still forced herself to remain calm.
Before she entered the Imperial Palace, Wangxin had given her a Half-Immortal Soldier, the "Sky-Concealing Pearl," to ensure nothing went wrong.
With this Sky-Concealing Pearl, as long as she didn’t use any Spiritual Power or Magic, she wouldn’t draw the attention of the Qin Kingdom Royal Palace’s Mountain and River Fortune.
Moreover, even if a Cultivator of the Ascension Realm stood right before her, they wouldn’t be able to perceive her own Realm.
The pearl even enhanced her Ten Thousand Flowers Peak’s secret disguise technique, taking it to a new level. The chances of being discovered were extremely low!
After circling Si Li twice, Jiang Qingyi’s gaze shifted away from her and landed on Xiao Mo.
"Your Majesty certainly has a good eye. I imagine countless women would feel inadequate next to a figure like hers."
As she finished speaking, Jiang Qingyi sat back down on the stone bench and poured herself a cup of tea, her voice laced with displeasure. "For what reason has Your Majesty graced my National Preceptor’s Mansion today? Surely you haven’t brought a new favorite here just to flaunt her in my face?"
"You jest, Fairy Jiang." Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head. "I came today to ask a favor."
"Oh?" Jiang Qingyi raised her eyes. "And what might that be?"
"Some time ago, while in the Library Pavilion, I read in a book that there are rumored to be Techniques in this world that can compel a person to speak the truth," Xiao Mo asked directly, making no effort to hide the topic from Si Li.
"Compel them to speak the truth?" Jiang Qingyi glanced at Si Li. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. This Palace Maid’s name is Si Li. When she met me yesterday, she confessed outright that she was sent by the Empress Dowager to spy on me. However, she claims her loyalty is to me and that she has no divided loyalties."
Xiao Mo explained.
"But as you know, Fairy Jiang, there are many things I must be wary of in the palace. So, I came to ask if you know such a Technique to test whether Si Li is lying."
Jiang Qingyi gave the woman with the exaggerated figure a cool glance and said, "Does Your Majesty believe that a high Realm means a person knows everything?"
"It’s true that most people naturally learn certain common Techniques as their Realm increases. But this truth-compelling Technique is the specialty of Cultivators from the Daoist Sect or Yin-Yang cultivators."
Jiang Qingyi turned her head away.
"I am a Sword Cultivator. I don’t know such Techniques, nor do I care to learn them. When I have a suspicious target, I’d rather kill the wrong person than let one escape. I settle things with a single strike. Why would I need to be as indecisive as Your Majesty?"
"I see. My apologies for the disturbance." Xiao Mo wasn’t particularly disappointed. If she didn’t know how, he would simply find another way.
"Wait."
Just as Xiao Mo turned to leave, Jiang Qingyi called out from behind him.
Jiang Qingyi stood up and irritably walked over to Xiao Mo. "I know other Techniques that can help you. Why are you in such a hurry to leave, Your Majesty?"
"What kind of Technique?" Xiao Mo asked, curious.
"A soul search, of course." Jiang Qingyi looked at Si Li and sneered. "Once I search her soul, everything will be laid bare. Isn’t that more effective than compelling the truth?"
Hearing that she was to undergo a soul search, Si Li’s heart clenched, and she instinctively took a step back.
"Are there any side effects?" Xiao Mo asked.
"Yes. In a mild case, she’ll lose some memories. In a severe case, she’ll become a simpleton. The severity varies from person to person," Jiang Qingyi said, unconcerned.
Xiao Mo turned his head and glanced at Si Li.
He saw Si Li nervously clutching her sleeves, her face slightly pale.
"Never mind." Xiao Mo shook his head, rejecting Jiang Qingyi’s suggestion.
"Oh? Your Majesty can’t bear to harm the beauty?" Jiang Qingyi crossed her arms over her chest.
"If she is truly loyal to me, my conscience wouldn’t be clear if my suspicion caused her to become a simpleton," Xiao Mo explained.
Listening to Xiao Mo’s explanation, Si Li couldn’t help but lift her head. She gazed at his side profile, and a ripple of emotion spread through her bright, clear eyes.
"Heh heh heh... If Your Majesty is this soft-hearted, how will you ever seize power in the future?"
Jiang Qingyi scoffed, then tossed a small box to him from her Storage Pouch.
Xiao Mo opened the box. Inside was a small Flying Sword, about the length of an embroidery needle. Beneath it lay a slip of white paper with an incantation written on it.
Jiang Qingyi paid Xiao Mo no more mind. She turned and walked into her room, her voice trailing behind her.
"This sword is called the Heart-piercing Sword. It’s a Seventh-Grade Magical Artifact I picked up after casually wiping out some Demon Sect I happened to pass by. The paper explains the Flying Sword’s function and how to use this miniature version. Your Majesty can read it yourself."
As her voice faded, the door closed, and the courtyard fell silent once more.
"My thanks, Fairy Jiang."
Xiao Mo bowed toward the room, put the box away, and led Si Li out of the National Preceptor’s Mansion.
...
Back in his bedchambers, Si Li helped Xiao Mo remove his outer robe and poured him a cup of tea. She pouted, a hint of displeasure on her face.
"That National Master is really something else. Does being a Cultivator make her so special? To think she’d speak to Your Majesty with such an attitude!"
Xiao Mo accepted the teacup with a smile. "That’s just how Miss Jiang is—a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She seems ice-cold on the surface, and her words can be merciless, but she’s actually very kind. If she can genuinely help, she won’t refuse."