Chapter 44: Profound Sect’s Arrogant Saintess, Great Zhou’s Bewitching Demon Consort
Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Profound Sect’s Arrogant Saintess, Great Zhou’s Bewitching Demon Consort
To the east of the Great Zhou Kingdom lies the great sea; to its west, the Wei Kingdom; to the north, the Barbarian Race of the grasslands; and to the south, the endless Celestial Demon Mountain Range.
Legend has it that two thousand years ago, before Spiritual Qi had withered, the Celestial Demon Mountain Range was the territory of the Celestial Demon Palace, the foremost power of the Demon Race. But times have changed drastically. Now, you can barely find a few demons in the entire world, and this place has naturally fallen into the hands of the Human Race.
Because of its treacherous terrain, miasmic air, and abundance of venomous insects and fierce beasts, none of the kingdoms had any intention of claiming it. As a result, not only did wanted criminals love to seek refuge here, but even the Profound Yellow Sect established its headquarters within these easily defensible but hard-to-assault mountains.
Over the generations, the upper echelons of the Profound Yellow Sect spent a century building a colossal city deep within the mountains. It is now the only city in the Celestial Demon Mountain Range, and they named it the Holy City.
The Holy Palace and the Yanhuang Two Halls are both located within the city.
At this moment, in the Holy Palace Main Hall, the Hall Masters of the Yanhuang Two Halls and the ten great elders were gathered for a meeting. Only the Sect Leader’s seat at the very head of the hall was conspicuously empty.
"You are all aware of the situation. Let’s discuss what should be done," the Flame Hall Master, whose red robes made him look like a blazing fire, said in a low voice.
"To think a dignified Saint Heir would murder his own sect brothers to hoard Spirit Pills, and then let those pills fall into the hands of the Court’s dogs... What an utter disgrace!"
"The letter from Tongzhou says this Pei Shaoqing is the son of Marquis Weiyuan. A tiger does not beget a dog. For the Kaiyang Saint Heir to die at his hands doesn’t necessarily tarnish the Holy Sect’s reputation."
"Hah! What do you know? That Pei Shaoqing is the most notorious wastrel in the Capital City. For a dignified Saint Heir to die at his hands... now *that* would truly make our Holy Sect a laughingstock!"
"Enough!" the Yellow Hall Master cut in, silencing the noisy crowd. He said coldly, "It’s pointless to say any more about what’s already happened. Elders, please state your opinions."
An elder stepped forward and said softly, "This concerns the Sect Leader’s beloved disciple. Should we wait for him to come out of seclusion to discuss it?"
"The Sect Leader has been in seclusion for over a month, and we don’t know when he’ll emerge. How can we delay for that long?" The Flame Hall Master frowned and immediately rejected the idea. "Before he entered seclusion, the Sect Leader said that we were to decide on the sect’s affairs ourselves."
A brief silence fell over the hall. After a moment, an elder spoke up. "For the sake of the Holy Sect’s honor, the matter of the Kaiyang Saint Heir murdering his sect brothers for the pills should not be publicized."
"Correct. Not only must we keep it quiet, we must also avenge him," another elder chimed in.
The Yellow Hall Master asked, "Who is suitable for this task?"
"I am." A cold, clear female voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the entrance, following the sound of the voice.
A stunningly beautiful woman with her hair in an elegant coiffure held by a golden hairpin walked in with her head held high. She wore a white, cross-collared long dress, covered by a wide-sleeved gauze outer robe. A long silk stole was draped over her wrists, trailing to the floor. As she walked, the light gauze billowed and the ribbons fluttered, making her look like a celestial fairy.
Her body was thoroughly wrapped, revealing only her graceful curves, without the slightest hint of exposed skin.
And yet, she wore no shoes. She was barefoot, and on each of her well-defined ankles was tied a red string. Her ten toenails were painted with red lacquer. Though her small, fair feet touched the ground directly, they remained unstained by a single speck of dust.
"Shaking Light?" The Flame Hall Master’s eyebrow rose.
The newcomer was none other than the only female disciple of the Profound Yellow Sect’s Leader, and also the sect’s one and only Saintess.
The elders all bowed in greeting. "We pay our respects to the Saintess."
The Shaking Light Saintess remained expressionless. With an air of supreme arrogance, she ignored the assembled elders and said calmly, "Hall Masters, please allow me to go."
The Flame Hall Master and the Yellow Hall Master exchanged a look.
Finally, the Yellow Hall Master slowly nodded. "You may."
"Vengeance is secondary. Your safety must be your top priority," the Flame Hall Master instructed.
The Shaking Light Saintess replied softly, "Yes."
She then turned and walked away, leaving a gust of fragrance in her wake.
Her innate pride made her seem like an otherworldly fairy who did not partake of mortal food, inspiring an awe that dared not be blasphemed.
...............
The Great Zhou Capital, Celestial Capital.
「In the Imperial Garden.」
Emperor Jingtai was playfully embracing Noble Consort Wan.
"Your Majesty, let your servant feed you." Seated in the Emperor’s lap, basking in his favor and grace, Noble Consort Wan personally peeled a grape and brought it to the Emperor’s lips with a radiant smile.
She was twenty years of age, and even her heavy, ornate palace robes could not conceal the full curve of her chest. Beneath her skirt, her slender, shapely calves were wrapped in blue Ice Silk. She was unspeakably beautiful, her every frown and smile captivating the soul.
On her, the dignified, formal robes lacked their usual imposing aura that would keep one at a respectful distance. Instead, they stirred a man’s desire, giving one the impulse to rip them off and ravage her. Her entire being exuded a seductive charm.
The silver-haired, scrawny Emperor opened his mouth to receive the grape. "The grapes my beloved consort peels are truly the sweetest."
"Really? Then your servant will peel grapes for Your Majesty for a lifetime," Noble Consort Wan said sweetly.
"Good! Good!" The Emperor laughed heartily, grasping her soft, boneless hand. His gaze fell upon a few peony bushes in the garden, and he sighed. "I still remember your father presenting these peonies all those years ago. For some reason, they haven’t bloomed at all in the last two years."
"Your Majesty, that was nearly twenty years ago, wasn’t it? I wasn’t even around then." Noble Consort Wan snuggled in his embrace, speaking with a look of naive innocence. "I suppose the flowers are just too old. I’ll write to my father and have him present a few new ones to replace them. It’s always good to have something new. Then Your Majesty will be able to enjoy the blossoms again next year."
The Emperor’s eyes turned cold for an instant, but they returned to normal just as quickly. "Never mind, never mind. It’s not as if the garden is lacking a few peonies. Let’s keep them. I’ve always been one for nostalgia."
"Your Majesty is truly so sentimental and loyal. It is truly a blessing for all the ministers and the common people," Noble Consort Wan complimented in a sweet voice.
Nearby, Liu Hai, the attending Chief Eunuch of the Rites, broke out in a cold sweat. ’What a fool,’ he cursed inwardly.
’If the flowers are old and need replacing, what about when a person gets old?’
Emperor Jingtai had ascended the throne in his thirties and was now over sixty—a truly old man. The older he got, the more he loathed hearing words like "old" or "death."
’If anyone else had said what Noble Consort Wan just did, they probably would have already been dragged out and beaten to death.’
’It was only because Noble Consort Wan’s father, Marquis Pingxi, held great power and prestige in the military—combined with her own favored status—that she was spared from disaster.’
Just then, a young eunuch hurried over with his head bowed, whispering a few words to Liu Hai.
Liu Hai had him wait, then immediately went before the Emperor to report, "Your Majesty, Northern Governor Wei Yue requests an audience."
"Admit him," the Emperor said calmly, then gently patted Noble Consort Wan’s hand. "Alright, my beloved consort, get off my lap for now. It wouldn’t be appropriate for an outer court official to see this."
"Hmph! Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs day in and day out, and I finally get a moment alone with you. This Wei Yue is such a pest." Noble Consort Wan grumbled but obediently stood up.
A flicker of impatience flashed deep in the Emperor’s eyes.
At that moment, Wei Yue walked in, led by a young eunuch. "This subject greets Your Majesty!"
"Wei Qing, dispense with the formalities. For what matter have you come to see me?" Emperor Jingtai asked, his expression calm and his tone placid as a still well.
Wei Yue presented a letter with both hands and said, "This is an urgent report sent from the Shu State Thousand Households today. Ten days ago, Pei Shaoqing, son of Marquis Weiyuan and a Standard-Bearer of the Jing’an Guard, personally executed the Profound Sect’s Kaiyang Saint Heir."
"What?" Before the Emperor could speak, Noble Consort Wan interjected, her face full of surprise. She then sneered, "That good-for-nothing, known to everyone in the Capital City, has that kind of skill? I say it must be an attempt to deceive the throne! Your servant implores Your Majesty to investigate this thoroughly and punish him severely!"
"My beloved consort, please calm yourself." Emperor Jingtai was also shocked and surprised but didn’t show it. He chuckled and said, "Pei Shaoqing is indeed unruly, but I believe he doesn’t have the nerve to deceive the throne. Wei Qing."
"This subject is here!" Wei Yue immediately responded.
Emperor Jingtai asked, "Is there proof?"
"We have the Kaiyang Saint Heir’s head and his token of identity as proof," Wei Yue replied respectfully.
A smile of interest appeared on Emperor Jingtai’s face as he said lightly, "Bring the letter up for me to see."
"Yes." Liu Hai stepped forward, took the letter from Wei Yue’s hands, and only after checking it for any issues did he present it to the Emperor.
After reading the letter, Emperor Jingtai fell into a contemplative silence.
Noble Consort Wan quickly said, "Your Majesty, even if the Kaiyang Saint Heir is truly dead, it certainly wasn’t Pei Shaoqing who killed him! Don’t you know what little ability he has? Your servant suggests sending someone to Tongzhou to verify this."
Pei Shaoqing had beaten her nephew to death in the street. This was a feud that could not be shared under the same sky. How could she possibly stand by and watch him earn merit and rewards? Of course she had to interfere and sabotage him.
"Wei Qing, what do you think?" Emperor Jingtai asked.
"Her Ladyship the Noble Consort’s words are reasonable." Wei Yue first expressed his agreement, then changed his tone. "However, this subject also believes that although Pei Shaoqing is unruly and unbearable, he does not lack a loyal heart. He certainly doesn’t have the nerve to deceive the throne."
"Then investigate it. It won’t be too late to grant a reward after the matter is clear." Emperor Jingtai nodded, casually placed the letter on the table, and turned to Liu Hai. "You arrange for a sharp eunuch to make a trip to Tongzhou."
"This servant obeys the decree," Liu Hai immediately replied.
There are no secrets in the palace. Word of the conversation in the Imperial Garden spread quickly, and soon everyone in the upper circles of the Capital City knew.