Chapter 175

Chapter 175

Liang Jiugong was also catching his breath, so he let go, glad that His Majesty was willing to listen.

Even though His Majesty said so, it indicated he was willing to keep listening.

So Liang Jiugong had to keep going, truly thinking hard, "Allow this humble servant to say a few more words. Your Majesty knows the Noble Consort's temperament well; she is not the type to make unreasonable demands. If addressed kindly, she wouldn't act out. Moreover, how could the outside world ever compare to the palace? The Noble Consort, with her noble status, must be feeling disoriented and uncertain."

"Is that so? It seems to me she is quite comfortable."

Kangxi couldn't see Su Yi being uncomfortable; she seemed perfectly fine. Even when a carriage passed right in front of her, she just ignored it, completely ignored it!

Wasn't that so? Liang Jiugong, sitting outside, saw it more clearly than His Majesty did, but could he say that now?!

He couldn't say that!

"The Noble Consort must have been momentarily enchanted by the outside scenery, finding it all new and exciting," Liang Jiugong said earnestly.

It was rare to leave the palace, so naturally, everything seemed fresh and exciting. That wasn't the problem; the issue was how quickly the conflict between His Majesty and the Noble Consort had escalated, so quickly that even Liang Jiugong felt swamped.

At that time, he didn't dare to interrupt; interrupting would surely bring trouble.

Now, staying silent would still cause trouble, truly a tough spot. Thinking of Qinxin, who had come back but not her spirit, when His Majesty ordered someone to follow the Noble Consort, Qinxin wasn't there and naturally didn't know. She really thought the Noble Consort was alone outside with no one to look after her, and now she was anxiously kneeling and begging for mercy.

But how could that compare to the agony he was going through right here?

"Perhaps she's so taken with the newness that she doesn't even want to go back to the palace," Kangxi said indifferently.

Liang Jiugong: "...." He thought it seemed very likely.

Especially when the Noble Consort turned and walked away without even looking back. Not just His Majesty, even he was shocked at the time.

Initially, the Noble Consort had turned back to speak, but not to His Majesty; it was to her personal maid, Qinxin. She didn't even bring her personal maid, thinking to let Qinxin return on her own.

Without following her to stay outside.

It really seemed like she had everything planned out, leaving without a second thought.

She even knew she couldn't go without money, so she went straight to the pawnshop to exchange her bracelet for cash.

Calm and composed, it seemed as if she had planned this all along.

Otherwise, how would she know she needed to exchange for money to go shopping?

She seemed so at ease, truly not like someone who had a falling out with His Majesty.

His Majesty was also furious at the time and immediately ordered a return to the palace. Even when the carriage passed by the Noble Consort, he didn't soften and call for it to stop, to let her board.

Liang Jiugong thought the Noble Consort might really 'pass away' from illness. If she really did, having just been made a Noble Consort and then gone, it would be more dramatic than a play!

How would the Noble Consort manage alone outside? She couldn't even return to the Niohuru family. If the Noble Consort 'passed away,' how could she return to the Niohuru family?

What would happen then? The Noble Consort probably hadn't thought through these consequences when she left in a huff with His Majesty. Later, even if she regretted it, it might be too late.

Having just been made a Noble Consort to enjoy blessings, she lost it all because of a spat with His Majesty. It sounded absurd when said out loud.

Previously, His Majesty had always indulged the Noble Consort. Who could have imagined that this time he didn't? Before, it seemed like the Noble Consort's blessings were yet to come.

Now, things changed so quickly, truly the unpredictability of royal favor.

Before Liang Jiugong could even feel sorry for Rong Noble Consort, the Emperor still had someone secretly follow her, claiming he was worried Rong Noble Consort might stir up trouble and expose her identity as a palace consort.

The palace hadn’t yet announced her 'death,' and it wouldn't be good if people knew she was a palace consort. They’d only stop caring once her 'death' was announced.

Having served the Emperor for so long, Liang Jiugong saw right through this excuse; the Emperor couldn’t bring himself to let go of the Consort.

After all, the Emperor's mood hadn’t improved since their return. Liang Jiugong had already been kicked once during the journey back, and his bottom still hurt a bit.

When the bracelet was returned earlier, the Emperor flew into another rage, and Liang Jiugong almost got kicked again.

But if he didn’t step in quickly, and the Emperor later regretted it without any chance to make amends, the frustration would land on the Emperor’s servants.

Seeing the Emperor glance over, Liang Jiugong quickly added, "How could that be? It's just a momentary outburst, not sincere words." His words carried a double meaning.

It also suggested that the Emperor and Rong Noble Consort had quarreled at the tavern, both speaking in anger, and their words shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Although the Emperor seemed serious at the time, and Rong Noble Consort also appeared serious, Liang Jiugong had to frame it as a heated argument.

If the Emperor hadn’t secretly ordered someone to follow, he would have thought Rong Noble Consort had just been promoted and already angered the Emperor, leading to her downfall. Why else would he need to rack his brains to speak up for Rong Noble Consort? It wasn’t because he had a good relationship with her and wanted to help her.

But the Emperor wanted to hear it. Despite his apparent anger at Rong Noble Consort's actions and the harsh words he had spoken, the Emperor wanted to make amends but couldn’t bring himself to lower his pride.

In plain terms, he was just being stubborn.

But Rong Noble Consort didn’t seem to be stubborn at all, which is why she managed to provoke the Emperor, who was initially just sulking, into a full-blown rage. Sometimes, it’s really hard to understand Rong Noble Consort. The Emperor just wanted her to coax him a bit, but she refused to bow her head and soften her stance.

His Majesty just wanted Rong Noble Consort to give him an out.

"Even a servant like you could tell it was just angry words, so why couldn’t she? It’s like the outside world is some paradise where she can handle everything alone, as if she’s more capable than anyone else—free as a bird."

"I’m the bad guy here. She hardly smiled when she was with me, but now that she’s gone, she not only smiles more but even walks with a spring in her step."

Kangxi spoke angrily, feeling both furious and a touch of unacknowledged hurt.

She didn’t give him an inch. If there had been even a slight way out, Kangxi would have taken it. Would he really have acted so stubborn?

What happened to her usual cleverness? He sat there sulking, while she didn’t even notice—too busy thinking about what to eat, what to do next, and what to bring back for Baocheng. He, a living person, was sitting right beside her!

Once out of the palace, all of Rong Noble Consort's attention was drawn to everything outside the palace, with hardly any attention directed towards him.

This little brat is truly heartless. When she was in a mood and throwing a fit, did he ever really scold her?

This time, his tone was a bit harsher, and she just walked away without looking back.

She didn’t even think about how the outside world isn’t safe, especially for someone as beautiful as her. Without anyone accompanying her, she could easily be targeted by those with ill intentions.

If she encounters someone with bad intentions, she might handle one, but could she handle several?

If something bad happens, it’ll be too late for regrets. Kangxi really wanted to be ruthless, to find someone to scare her, to teach her a lesson and give her a fright, so she would realize that life outside is not as good as she thinks.

But if she fell ill from the fright, she would be sick for several days. Her health had just improved and she wasn’t prone to illness easily. Kangxi didn’t dare to really torment her, only having people follow her to intervene in case of danger to prevent any mishaps.

"With money in her pocket, she probably doesn’t need me and might be having too much fun to even think about coming back."

Liang Jiugong listened and felt that His Majesty's tone and manner of speaking were quite off.

He dared to entertain a treasonous thought, imagining it was as if the husband was out carousing, neglecting to return home, leaving his wife at home to fret and resent his wandering ways, much like being left alone to guard an empty house.

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than the Emperor's gaze sliced through him like a knife, as if seeing through Liang Jiugong's treasonous thoughts, frightening him into banishing all treasonous thoughts from his mind.

The Emperor couldn’t possibly resemble a resentful husband!

Hearing the Emperor’s words, how could Liang Jiugong possibly agree? He had to find a way to cover for Rong Noble Consort.

"How could that be? How could Her Ladyship be so carefree as to forget to return? The pawnshop owner is truly unscrupulous, daring to deceive Her Ladyship with such a low price for a jade bracelet of this quality. Her Ladyship, unaware of people’s deceitful nature, was tricked—how could she be happy?

The Emperor’s gifts are all of the finest quality. For the unscrupulous pawnshop owner to lowball her like this is truly despicable. Her Ladyship, out there alone, was so easily swindled. If she knew, Her Ladyship, who hates being taken advantage of, would be deeply upset." Liang Jiugong deftly steered the conversation toward the bracelet.

If he didn’t say this, could he really admit that Her Ladyship responds to kindness but not harshness, and that the Emperor, by being stern and giving her a cold look, wouldn’t faze her because she’s truly unbothered?

Besides, with so much fun to be had outside, free from the stifling palace rules, and people laughing and chatting freely, how could Her Ladyship even think of the Emperor?

If Liang Jiugong had actually said that, it would have been a death sentence, and his career as the chief eunuch would have been finished.

And earlier, when he said Her Ladyship pawned the bracelet, if she didn’t know the market price, how could she feel cheated? She probably assumed it was the going rate, worth only that much, with no idea she’d been swindled.

But the Emperor was unaware, and needed this eunuch to spell it out for him?

"Your Majesty, it would be best to have someone fetch Her Ladyship first, so she doesn’t endure any hardship outside."

Liang Jiugong gently suggested, offering the Emperor an out, which he could take if he chose.

Just as Kangxi was about to consent, news arrived.

Kangxi’s expression hardened, and he remained silent as Liang Jiugong summoned someone to report on Her Ladyship’s situation.

As he listened, Liang Jiugong thought, those who had targeted Her Ladyship were truly audacious.

Her Ladyship, unaccustomed to such things, must have been terrified. Seeing the Emperor’s brows unconsciously furrow, Liang Jiugong thought this was just the right time to bring the frightened Her Ladyship back and take the opportunity to comfort her, thus smoothing over today’s little tiff.

But as he listened, Liang Jiugong gradually lost his usual smile.

Although he had long been castrated and lacked that thing, hearing about those who dared to target Her Ladyship, not one of them ended well, and in the end, they became like the eunuchs in the palace, sending a chill down his back.

This method was even swifter and more precise than those accustomed to it in the palace.

Feeling a sympathetic chill below, he wanted to reach out and protect himself.

What, what had he just said?

Oh, Her Ladyship didn’t know the dangers of people’s hearts and would suffer outside.

How could he have said that earlier?

With that final castrating move, there was probably nothing that could make Her Ladyship suffer.

Kangxi also fell silent. What had he just thought? Ah, the Noble Consort was beautiful and could be targeted by ill-intentioned people, could she handle one, could she handle several?

Now he had the answer: five was no problem.

"...Actually, the Noble Consort is usually very gentle and patient with me." Kangxi concluded.

At most, she was just a bit too 'straightforward' in her speech, and her little fists hitting the chest were a bit too forceful, to the point of driving chopsticks through the tabletop.

Thinking about it, it really wasn’t much.

Liang Jiugong nodded vigorously, absolutely!

He also felt that the Imperial Noble Consort's temper towards His Majesty was truly good, and this was still restrained!

"Yes, Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort is usually very gentle, with a very amiable and easy-going temperament. She always speaks to Your Majesty in a soft and gentle manner, let alone taking any action. She truly treats Your Majesty with utmost kindness." She is gentle and soft, but it doesn't prevent her from making indirect criticisms.

Praise her lavishly!

——

After the Imperial Noble Consort learned that Consort Rong had been promoted to Rong Noble Consort, while it was somewhat unexpected, it wasn't completely surprising. The position of Consort was the safest assumption, and the position of Noble Consort better matched the Emperor's favor towards Consort Rong.

Although Rong Noble Consort is below her, she holds a titled position, whereas the Imperial Noble Consort, though as the Imperial Noble Consort, has never had a title. Even as a Noble Consort, she was merely Consort Tongjia.

However, even if Rong Noble Consort is promoted, it is still better than having Consort Hui stepping on her toes and opposing her.

This time, if the Emperor had only appointed three Consorts, it would have been even more amusing if Consort Hui had been the last of the Four Imperial Consorts. However, it's unlikely that the Eldest Prince's mother would actually become a Consort, even if she were the last of the Four Imperial Consorts.

The Imperial Noble Consort thought that if Consort Hui had been more peaceful and not caused trouble before the edict of promotion was issued, perhaps, based on her previous low-key behavior, Consort Hui might have been the first of the Four Imperial Consorts instead of Consort Yi.

But now that Consort Yi is ahead of Consort Hui, Consort Hui must be feeling even more uneasy. If Consort Xian were the first of the Four Imperial Consorts, Consort Hui might have just gritted her teeth and endured it.

Not to mention, her rival has directly ascended to Noble Consort. If it weren't for the fact that going to Consort Hui's place to laugh at her would be too obvious, the Imperial Noble Consort really wanted to see what expression Consort Hui would have. She probably wanted to throw something in frustration but had to restrain herself.

Even if the Noble Consort position opened up due to her promotion, Consort Hui wouldn't have a chance to claim it.

The Imperial Noble Consort pondered this in her palace, but with no one to discuss it with, she decided to go to Yonghe Palace to talk with Rong Noble Consort. Otherwise, she had no one to talk to and felt a bit unfulfilled, craving some conversation.

However, when the Imperial Noble Consort arrived at Yonghe Palace, before she could see Rong Noble Consort, a palace maid informed her that Rong Noble Consort was unwell and, to avoid passing on any illness to the Imperial Noble Consort, it was inconvenient to meet her.

The Imperial Noble Consort noticed that this maid wasn't Qinxin, who usually followed Rong Noble Consort. "Was the imperial physician called? What was the diagnosis?"

If Rong Noble Consort was unwell and had called the physician, why was Yonghe Palace so silent?

The Imperial Noble Consort was somewhat skeptical. Moreover, how long had it been since Rong Noble Consort was last ill? If she were really sick, it would have already spread throughout the harem. She fell ill right after her promotion to Noble Consort.

Moreover, if Rong Noble Consort were sick, wouldn't the Emperor come to see her?

Probably as soon as Yonghe Palace summoned the imperial physician, the Emperor would follow to see how Rong Noble Consort was doing.

Could Rong Noble Consort be avoiding her with an excuse?

The Imperial Noble Consort looked at the palace maid with a scrutinizing expression, trying to see if she could detect anything from the maid's face.

Yun Hua, however, merely lowered her head slightly, with a properly respectful expression, and replied, "Your Imperial Noble Consort, the Noble Consort got up early this morning and was a bit tired, so she has a slight fever and needs to rest for a few days." Her words flowed smoothly, without hesitation or evasion, as if she were telling the truth.

"If she has a fever, she should rest properly. I will come to see her another day." The Imperial Noble Consort glanced at the servants, her expression haughty, her chin slightly raised. After speaking, she took the palace maid's hand and turned to leave.

She sensed something was amiss. The maid who always attended Rong Noble Consort, Qinxin, where was she? Rong Noble Consort often had her handle things. Now that she was sick, as Rong Noble Consort's chief maid, why wasn't Qinxin around?

——

As evening fell, the street grew even more crowded. Even the number of street vendors increased.

After the sun set and night fell, the street did not fall into darkness but became brightly lit, with people coming and going, each carrying a lantern, or many lanterns set up by the vendors, making it very bright.

Not only were there lantern riddles and other games, but after walking a short distance, one could see people performing by the roadside, performing fire-breathing tricks, with the surrounding people exclaiming in surprise, their faces filled with wonder and the joy of watching the spectacle.

From time to time, one could see people wearing masks with various patterns and designs. Seeing this, Su Yi also bought a half-face fox mask. The vendor highly recommended it, claiming it was the best-seller and a favorite for its exquisite beauty.

Afraid that Su Yi wouldn't believe her, the vendor pointed out several others to her, "Miss, look, this style is quite popular among many young ladies. It's not only stylish but also breathable!"

Wearing it covered half her face, leaving her mouth and nostrils exposed for easy breathing. Moreover, it looked playful and cute, unlike those fierce masks. Naturally, young girls who love beauty would prefer these stylish designs.

Su Yi, however, was quite fond of those fierce and ghostly masks, finding them more interesting. What everyone likes tends to be the same, making it less special.

But Su Yi still bought it with a smile and immediately put it on. She even took a moment to admire herself in the copper mirror set up by the vendor, appearing quite satisfied. Seeing her pleased and looking beautiful, the vendor didn't hesitate to shower her with compliments.

Su Yi then continued to wander through the lantern festival wearing the half-fox mask.

She walked and stopped here and there, with her disguised guards trailing behind. Today, she had already slipped away from them more than a dozen times, no, actually, after she had eaten some wontons and was full, she continued to wander around, so it must have been more than twenty streets by now.

They were almost too tired to walk, never feeling so tired before, not even during training.

Seeing her ladyship wander from day to night, and even taking time to beat someone up, yet she could still continue to wander, they were truly at their wits' end, needing a break.

But unfortunately, the lady ahead couldn't hear their inner thoughts.

As she walked, the crowd grew even denser, to the point where they couldn't maintain even half a body's distance, shoulders brushing past shoulders. Because of this, the distance between them gradually widened.

This wouldn't do. Just as they were about to push through the crowd to shorten the distance, "Fireworks! They're setting off fireworks!"

At this commotion, everyone wanted to find a good spot to watch the fireworks. The originally not so dense crowd suddenly became much thicker, all swarming in one direction. The sudden surge of people immediately scattered them.

They were even carried along by the crowd for a while before managing to stop.

"Not good!" The guards who were secretly following her to protect her could no longer care about the bustling crowd and hurriedly searched for her ladyship's figure, pushing through the crowd to find her, but looking around, she was nowhere to be seen!

Her figure, which had been visible before, had now disappeared.

The place was full of people, but her ladyship was nowhere to be found.

Anxiously, they searched forward, spotting someone with a mask, they rushed over, only to find upon closer inspection that it wasn't her ladyship, even though she was wearing the same fox mask.

Seeing another with a fox mask, they rushed over again, but it wasn't her.

After scanning a few, they realized there were quite a few girls wearing fox masks, which was really troublesome.

Why are so many people wearing fox masks? It's too many wearing the same thing.

It didn't seem like a problem before, but now when trying to find someone, it became quite tricky.

With so many people, her ladyship must have been pushed to some unknown place by the crowd!

After barely regrouping, they faced the current problem and decided to have one person go back to report, while the others immediately searched nearby to see if they could find her ladyship, agreeing to meet back here at a set time.

Meanwhile, Su Yi stood in a dark, hidden corner, on the brightly lit street, bustling with people, yet almost no one would notice this pitch-black corner.

Under the dim light, her facial expression was unclear. Su Yi stood there watching for a while, then turned and left.

Losing these little tails wasn't impossible, just couldn't be done too well.

Even when she beat someone up in the alley, Su Yi mostly relied on sheer strength, not using any overly sophisticated techniques, leaving one to marvel at her strength and agility, but an ordinary person really couldn't make her suffer.

But if she encountered someone skilled in martial arts, even if they couldn't match her strength, they could use indirect methods to subdue her.

After all, if her martial arts skills were superior to those trained from childhood,

Wouldn't that be strange? How did she acquire them?

A person like this is too dangerous. If they developed murderous intentions, it would be a big problem. Kangxi would never feel comfortable keeping someone like that close to him, even if this person was quite special and could be very useful in the future.

If it was just a matter of greater strength, there are examples of people born with extraordinary strength. As long as they only had some basic martial arts skills, it wouldn't be a problem.

Today, when Su Yi went out, she suddenly had a thought.

Since her body wasn’t as fragile as it used to be, where even slight movements would cause her to cough up blood, and she would often fall ill for days, always looking sickly.

Now her body has gradually improved, and she hardly coughs up blood anymore, as if she has slowly adapted to this body.

The nourishing effect of the purple energy is excellent, and her soul has grown more substantial.

When she got the news about her promotion to Noble Consort, Su Yi began to wonder if it was still necessary for her to stay in the palace, now that she was gradually getting more in sync with her body.

After all, staying in one spot for too long, seeing the same views every day, and facing the same people can become tiresome.

The future path has also shifted a bit. Knowing the future, Kangxi has some experience now. Given his personality, he wouldn’t let history repeat itself, especially since he knows he can live quite a long life.

Since he’s not a short-lived emperor, he would naturally make more plans to prevent the little milk dragon from being raised by Suo'etu and becoming estranged from him.

But these aren’t things Su Yi needs to stress over. Let Kangxi handle them on his own.

Even though life in the palace is pretty comfortable, with great food, drinks, sleep, and even nightlife.

But Niohuru only reached the position of Noble Consort, living only to the age of thirty-three.

The current Noble Consort is the Rong Noble Consort, who shouldn’t be limited by the age of thirty-three.

The body’s rejection isn’t as intense as it was at first, and she’s gradually getting more in sync with it.

Does this mean she’s truly moved from Niohuru’s fate to her own, no longer bound by Niohuru’s destiny?

Is it really hers, truly ‘alive’ now?

Before, she could only leave her body when her soul separated from it, but she couldn’t stay away for long.

Now that she’s gradually getting more in sync with her body, if she takes her body with her, couldn’t she go out and enjoy a life of travel, staying longer in places she likes and moving on when she gets bored?

She wouldn’t have to keep seeing the same palace buildings and the same people and scenery.

But even though she thinks this way, Su Yi isn’t sure if it’s possible.

If her body fails her and holds her back, and the experiment fails, she would have to come up with a reason to explain to Kangxi how she managed to leave the heavily guarded palace without being stopped.

At that point, no matter how she tries to explain, it would be difficult to cover up, and it would be quite troublesome.

Being someone who dislikes trouble, Su Yi decided to put it off for now and wait for the right time to try.

In the end, it all comes down to laziness and procrastination.

It's urgent, but not that urgent, and she’s not in a hurry to do it right away.

Who would have thought that just as she was getting sleepy, a pillow would appear.

Kangxi actually took her out of the palace. This is... too perfect.

Didn’t Su Yi wander around all afternoon just to shake off those little tails and then take the shortest path to the city gate?

The originally dark blue cloak was very conspicuous during the day, but at night, it seemed to blend into the darkness.

A nearly silent figure swiftly darted under the eaves, and then the shadow vanished without a trace. Even if someone happened to spot it, they would only catch a fleeting glimpse of a dark figure zipping across the rooftops.

Upon trying to see it again, it was dismissed as a trick of the eye.

Soon, she arrived at the city gate. The towering city gate, even when shut, posed no obstacle for Su Yi.

If her soul couldn’t stray far from her body, why not take the body along?

Her soul had nearly fully healed and was gradually merging more seamlessly with this body.

As she left the capital, news spread that the 'Rong Noble Consort' in the palace had suddenly fallen ill and died.

Su Yi was poised to leap down toward the city gate when her body abruptly locked up, nearly losing her balance and tumbling down. If not for that split second, Su Yi might have lost control, but she steadied herself just in time, staggering and regaining her footing.

Otherwise, she might have crashed to the ground, leaving a crater.

In that moment, it felt as though she’d lost all control over her body. The smile vanished from Su Yi’s face.

Su Yi, refusing to give in, attempted to move toward the city gate. As soon as she took a step, a searing pain shot through her heart, freezing her body in place. Su Yi was momentarily stunned, frozen in place, her face contorted in pain.

Even lifting her hand was a struggle for Su Yi. Her hand trembled as she lifted it, her body lurching like a rusted machine before she collapsed to the ground.

Only then did the stalemate seem to break, giving her a chance to recover. When Su Yi looked up, her expression was dark and foreboding. The silver flame mark on her forehead flared, and a crimson glint flashed in her eyes.

She channeled her energy and struck her forehead with force, her eyes flashing with killing intent, but, as expected, her body seized up again.

Su Yi simply left her body, which crumpled to the ground like a puppet, its head lolled to the side as it collapsed, as though it had fainted.

Su Yi stood there, her soul now semi-solidified, far stronger than before, resisting the pull of that body on her soul. But after all, it was not her true body. If it were truly a body she could control, she wouldn’t have experienced the earlier stiffness or sudden heart pain.

As long as she was out, she couldn’t stray too far from the body, but forcibly trapping or recalling her wouldn’t be as easy as before.

Su Yi extended her hand, as if talking to herself, "If I drain all the vitality from this body, could this body continue to lie like a living dead for a few more years?" Like a marionette, at a critical moment, it suddenly made her lose control.

Now it still attempts to manipulate her—how could Su Yi not be angry?

If it cannot truly belong to her, and she cannot get rid of it, then destroy it.

Su Yi acted as soon as she spoke.

If it were like when she first arrived here in her weak state, naturally she couldn't do it, but now her soul is stronger than this body, except for not having a complete physical form.

The body lying on the ground without a soul inside was just an empty shell, the only vitality keeping the body in a living-dead state, not truly 'dead' to be buried.

At this moment, Su Yi raised her hand and began draining the only remaining vitality. The body, which had only seemed like it was asleep, gradually turned ashen, becoming like a dummy, without any vitality. Even the exposed skin began to crack, much like the cracks on a burnt white porcelain.

The spider-web-like cracks gradually enlarged, and at this rate of cracking, it would eventually completely split.

Seeing that it was about to be scrapped, Su Yi still did not stop, her eyes indifferent. She felt the connection between her and the body on the ground was gradually weakening, now like a stretched spider silk, reaching a critical point, it would completely break.

At the same time, the original night sky suddenly gathered dark clouds, making the originally starry sky dark and oppressive, with lightning flashing through the clouds, followed by a dull thunder.

The crowd, originally lively because of the lantern festival, saw the sky change so quickly, as if a storm was about to break.

"Why is it like this? The weather changes so suddenly!"

"It's rare to have such a good time, and then we run into bad weather."

"That's right."

None of us brought an umbrella!

Let’s head back before it starts raining.

What a bummer!

...

Everyone looked disappointed. They wanted to keep having fun, but the thought of beating the rain made them leave half-heartedly.

Getting drenched would be embarrassing, and catching a cold would be worse, especially since no one brought rain gear.

Even with rain gear, many would’ve found the rain a hassle and left, making things less lively.

Things got boring fast, and people scattered quicker.

With fewer people around, it was harder to find someone, but the search for the missing empress grew more urgent.

The weather turned quickly, and rain seemed imminent. Wet conditions are slippery and risky.

The messenger reporting back might’ve just arrived, and with limited help, the search got tougher. Not finding the empress would make things worse.

And elsewhere...

"Let’s see who’s faster—your strike or my self-destruction."

Su Yi ignored the brewing thunder, refusing to stop, as if daring it to force her back into her body.

Just perfect.

"The lantern festival’s packed tonight," Su Yi said in a reflective tone.

She’s not one to make threats.

With Nascent Soul cultivators, killing them isn’t enough—you must also stop their soul from escaping, possessing someone else, or self-destructing.

A Nascent Soul can wipe out a Golden Core cultivator.

For Nascent Soul cultivators and beyond, you must destroy both body and soul. Only then is the problem truly solved.

A Nascent Soul’s self-destruction can kill a Golden Core cultivator, let alone ordinary people who haven’t even started cultivating.

But self-destruction leaves nothing—absolutely nothing.

No one self-destructs unless they’re desperate.

Did she seem too attached to life, making the Heavenly Dao think it could control her?

When Su Yi loses it, she risks it all. Without that edge, how could she have become the youngest Mahayana Ancestor without a major sect’s backing? Did they think she was weak?

Seeing her stand her ground, the brewing thunder fizzled out like a dud firecracker.

After a pause, lightning flashed stubbornly, followed by ordinary thunder.

Unlike the earlier thunder, which threatened serious punishment, the latter seemed like the Heavenly Dao saving face—all bark, no bite.

Only Su Yi could hear the voice speaking to her.

"What do you want?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?"

Specifically brought her here, yet unwilling to formally acknowledge and accept her stay.

Planning to use her and then kick her out once done.

What a great plan, even Zhou Bapi wasn't this harsh, wanting the horse to run without giving it any food.

The Heavenly Dao isn't human, but it's really acting like a dog.

And just like that, the Heavenly Dao would either kick her out of this world now.

But it went through the trouble of bringing her here, its purpose not yet achieved, so why would it drive her away now?

As long as she doesn't use that body, it can't control her through it, only by sending down thunder to force her back into that body, keeping her under control.

It bets that she values her life, treasures this hard-earned rebirth, and wouldn't dare suffer severe damage again or risk mutual destruction.

After all, she's been here for a while now, right?

But just now, this dog-like Heavenly Dao really pissed her off; she almost fell and made a crater, and her clothes got dirty!

"For the sake of all living things."

A very pretentious voice, righteous and solemn, acting all high and mighty.

Su Yi: "..."

After a brief silence, "How did you get the idea that I’m the kind of person who would sacrifice anything for all living things?"

Su Yi didn’t even know she had such noble traits.

You’re here giving her the 'all living beings' spiel; she’d really laugh, she’s just not that type.

Starting and ending with 'all living beings,' is there no other reason to trick her?

This time, it was the Heavenly Dao’s turn to fall suspiciously silent.

It knew, so it thought, not to remove one; leaving this one behind would be a big problem, so it secretly made small moves to keep her under control.

"You’re silent, you damn Heavenly Dao." Su Yi sprayed venom expressionlessly.

"For the same foe." This time it didn’t bring up all living beings.

Su Yi didn’t quite believe it either, because, "I don’t have any foes."

Dead is dead; how can they still be considered foes?

Moreover, it directly changed her location; where would there be foes against her?

She’s even more at odds with this damn Heavenly Dao.

Perhaps knowing she was cursing it in her heart, the sky stopped thundering.

But then it started to rain.

Su Yi is now in her soul form, so naturally, she can't get wet. But the problem is, her physical body is still lying on the ground!

Can we just have a proper conversation?

Su Yi steeled herself, thinking, 'Let it rain, let it pour.'

She refused to go back. If it dared to pour heavily, it would be best to submerge the body in water, holding her breath, and see if whoever fished it out would mistake it for a corpse and bury it on the spot.

'If you do not return, you will be discovered.'

It can only briefly obscure the divine will. Only by returning to the 'vessel' can the aura of a soul from another world be concealed. This isn’t the right moment.

Su Yi was indifferent.

Discovered? By who? In her current state, she could still freak people out.

But the voice that rang out again made Su Yi’s eyes turn icy cold. Her killing intent surged, tangible and sharp, sweeping across like a chilling blade aura. The body nearest to her was affected, its cracks multiplying. Anyone who saw it would probably freak out.

A twisted, almost morbid smile spread across her face, her tone soft but bone-chilling.

"So, he’s here too, huh?"