Chapter 218

Chapter 218

Yonghe Palace

The sudden change in weather startled many of the palace maids, but with the chief maids and eunuchs managing the situation, even though they were anxious, they dared not cause any commotion.

Qinxin, the maid, noticed that after Consort Yi returned from enjoying the sun in the afternoon, she had been quiet in her chamber.

Despite the roaring thunder, Consort Yi did not call for anyone to attend to her. Qinxin, standing outside the door, slightly raised her voice to call out to Consort Yi, but there was no response, as if she hadn't heard.

Qinxin raised her voice a bit louder, thinking that perhaps the sound of the rain had drowned out her call. This time, she called out louder.

Still, there was no answer, and Qinxin began to sense something was wrong. She was about to push the door open to check when she heard Consort Yi's voice.

"Qinxin." The voice sounded tired, as if she had just woken up, and carried a hint of irritation.

Hearing this familiar voice, Qinxin, the maid, stopped her hand from pushing the door open, and her anxious heart settled.

It seemed Consort Yi had been asleep earlier and hadn't heard her. Her raised voice had woken Consort Yi.

"Yes," Qinxin, the maid, immediately responded, lowering her hand and waiting for instructions outside.

"I'm tired and want to rest early. No matter what, don't disturb me."

Consort Yi's voice, still carrying a hint of irritation, grew softer towards the end, and silence returned.

Clearly, Consort Yi, having been awakened, impatiently said a few words to avoid being disturbed and then fell back asleep.

Qinxin, the maid, hearing this, did not feel anything unusual and did not disturb further. It wasn't the first time Consort Yi had acted this way; it had happened before.

After such incidents, the Emperor would often chide Consort Yi for not taking care of her health, and Consort Yi, annoyed by the nagging, would be more cautious, so such occurrences were rare.

However, it was not advisable to insist on advising Consort Yi or disturb her when she was trying to go back to sleep. Consort Yi's patience when woken up was much thinner than usual, and even the Emperor struggled to deal with her, let alone the maids.

Though Qinxin was somewhat worried, it was mainly because Consort Yi had not eaten dinner, and she was concerned that Consort Yi might wake up hungry in the middle of the night. She thought it best to prepare some easily digestible food to serve immediately if Consort Yi woke up hungry.

Qinxin, the maid, instructed the others to continue guarding outside while she went to check the small kitchen.

However, she did not expect that with the heavy rain and constant thunder, even a sound sleeper would struggle to sleep and might be awakened by the thunder. It was not a time for peaceful sleep.

Inside the chamber, Consort Yi, thought to have fallen back asleep, remained in the same position as when she had first lain down, unchanged.

A small paper figure fell from behind her and spontaneously ignited, leaving only a trace of ash in moments.

Outside the palace, the thunder continued to rumble, and the occasional lightning illuminated Consort Yi's unlit chamber with flashes of white light. The intermittent light and shadow fell on her pale, lifeless face, devoid of any vitality.

The eerie and ghostly atmosphere in Consort Yi's chamber was unsettling, and anyone entering suddenly would likely be frightened.

Because such a scene was clearly abnormal, even to the most oblivious person.

——

Elsewhere

Consort Yi, splashing through the water and nearly slipping on the wet path, braved the roaring thunder, suppressing her fear and gritting her teeth to press on.

Upon seeing the shadow of the Emperor's carriage, the emotions she had been holding back nearly overflowed. Venturing out in such dreadful weather was truly one of the boldest things Consort Yi had ever done.

At such times, who wouldn't be staying in their palace, attended by palace servants? Coming out in the rain to greet someone, this was something Consort Yi wouldn't have done even at the height of her favor.

But times have changed. Not to mention Noble Consort Rong, the new selection of court ladies is about to bring in fresh faces. If she doesn't grasp this opportunity now, it's likely that the Emperor might forget her later, and who knows when such an opportunity might come again.

"Your Majesty!"

The typically radiant and charming Consort Yi, now half-drenched and disheveled, directly snatched the umbrella from her attendant and, with a slightly unsteady hand, rushed over.

Liang Jiugong, who was enduring the rain to persuade the Emperor, was not completely surprised to see Consort Yi arrive. It was logical for her to come, given the circumstances, to retrieve rain gear from the nearest palace.

With the rain falling so heavily, if Consort Yi had remained comfortably in her palace knowing that the Emperor was getting soaked, other consorts would surely mock her for not knowing how to seize the opportunity.

Coming out in the rain to greet the Emperor not only increased the chances of inviting him to her palace but also emphasized her usual meticulous attention to appearance, now eclipsed by her concern for the Emperor, which was sure to move him.

After all, she is a high-ranking consort, not just offering empty words but demonstrating her sincerity through actions.

It seemed as if the heavens were also assisting Consort Yi, as the imperial carriage happened to malfunction at this very moment, making it impossible to continue further.

Even if the carriage hadn't malfunctioned, it wouldn't have been appropriate to continue in such weather.

The sky was dark and overcast, the moon obscured by clouds, with only occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the path, making it hard to see the road ahead.

Even with lanterns, the candlelight was barely sufficient, flickering dangerously in the strong wind, threatening to go out at any moment.

Continuing in such a thunderstorm was risky, and for the safety of the Emperor, Liang Jiugong naturally advised him to prioritize shelter from the rain.

With Consort Yi arriving just in time to join in persuading the Emperor, it was likely to be effective. Given the weather, even if the Emperor couldn't go to Yonghe Palace, resting elsewhere would be understandable.

It was all out of necessity; one couldn't let the Emperor continue in the rain.

"Consort Yi, you've come at the right time to help persuade His Majesty."

Liang Jiugong, as if seeing a savior, didn't bother with formalities, quickly gesturing a bow, as no one was in the mood to nitpick about protocol.

Kangxi, with a stern face under the umbrella, clad in a raincoat, had his boots soaked shortly after standing, the water seeping in, which was uncomfortable, but his grim expression wasn't due to that.

Since the heavy rain started and the thunder began to roar, Kangxi had felt an inexplicable irritation, his mood darkening, his face growing colder.

Hearing Liang Jiugong's advice, instead of stopping, he ordered to continue forward, but the carriage suddenly malfunctioned.

This untimely malfunction seemed to confirm that it was indeed unsuitable to proceed further.

This only worsened Kangxi's mood, prompting him to step down from the carriage.

Seeing Kangxi step down, Liang Jiugong quickly had someone hold an umbrella over him while hurriedly draping a raincoat over him, just as Consort Yi arrived.

Consort Yi, holding an umbrella, rushed over, stumbling slightly in her haste but pressing on, her face filled with anxiety and concern.

"Your Majesty, the rain is so heavy, I've come to invite you to take shelter in my palace."

Kangxi, seeing Consort Yi's somewhat disheveled state, felt no other thoughts but scanned her with his gaze, "Why have you come? Sending an umbrella is a task for the servants." Yet, he didn't remain stationary.

With everyone urging him and the rain showing no signs of abating but rather increasing, along with the frequent thunder, this was no place for conversation.

Hearing Kangxi say that sending an umbrella was a task for the servants and showing no other reaction to her arrival, Consort Yi couldn't help but feel disappointed. However, seeing that the Emperor hadn't refused her earlier suggestion to take shelter, she considered her objective achieved.

She then followed up, saying, "I was worried about Your Majesty and couldn't sit still in the palace."

This wasn't a falsehood. If she hadn't come, Consort Yi would probably not have slept well tonight.

At this thought, Consort Yi's face lit up with a bright smile. Her hair, wet from the rain, clung to her face. Though disheveled, she didn't seize the chance to play the victim; instead, she smiled, enhancing her radiant and charming appearance, like a rain-soaked begonia flower, disheveled yet more delicate and beautiful.

She could have used her disheveled state to evoke the Emperor's pity.

But speaking now would seem overly deliberate and redundant.

Rather than making a point of it, it would be better to lightly brush over it. Her disheveled state spoke for itself.

Besides, Consort Yi had her pride. Although she came out this time to win the Emperor's pity, she loathed the act of playing the victim and couldn't bring herself to do it.

She also knew that her radiant face was not suited for such petty acts. Her beauty, as radiant as the blazing sun, suited her best.

Initially, it was Consort Yi's radiant beauty and her bold, straightforward personality—unlike the typical gentle and virtuous demeanor of the imperial concubines—that made her stand out and become quite favored.

Back then, how glorious Consort Yi had been! If it weren't for later...

Consort Yi followed closely behind Kangxi, just a step away, unlike before when she was a full body length behind. As she spoke, her eyes never left him, ensuring that even his side vision could sense her presence.

Their steps were out of sync. Consort Yi's steps were small, and to match Kangxi's pace, she quickened her steps.

In her hurry, she barely noticed the path beneath her feet. Even when she stepped into water, she only slightly frowned and did not complain, knowing this was not the time for any childish behavior.

Anything could wait until they returned to the palace.

Kangxi glanced at her and said, "You're considerate."

As he watched Consort Yi follow him, he noticed she was distracted and not watching her step. The rain didn't seem too heavy, and the thunder wasn't too scary. He reminded her, "Be careful of the path."

Hearing this, Consort Yi felt the Emperor was concerned for her, and her smile became even more radiant, her joy evident. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, I... Ah!"

"Boom—" A flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the area, blindingly bright as daylight. Those who had adapted to the dark, gloomy sky were instantly blinded by the light and instinctively turned their heads and covered their eyes.

Before she could finish, something unexpected occurred. Consort Yi stumbled and collided with Kangxi.

The slippery ground and the thunder, now much louder than before, carried an intimidating authority that made Consort Yi, who had been suppressing her discomfort and fear along the way, unable to hold back any longer.

After all, she was also a delicate woman, and in such moments, she would still be afraid. She let out a scream and couldn't help but close her eyes tightly.

In fact, Consort Yi's scream wasn't too out of place, as other accompanying servants, who were not particularly brave, were also frightened, shrinking back with various sounds, so it wasn't that Consort Yi was overreacting.

And Consort Yi wasn't really doing it on purpose. Just now, there happened to be a small pebble under her foot. Kangxi didn't step on it and just walked over, but Consort Yi did.

Though it seemed coincidental, Consort Yi really did step on the small pebble, causing her foot to slip and her body to tilt. The feeling of losing balance, combined with the booming thunder, frightened her. In her panic, the umbrella she was holding fell, and her fingers tightly grasped Kangxi's raincoat.

Kangxi caught Consort Yi, preventing her from falling. At this moment, Consort Yi lay in Kangxi's arms, her beautiful eyes tightly closed, her face showing fear, and her voice trembling, "Your Majesty..."

As if realizing she hadn't fallen but was caught by Kangxi, she felt a sense of security and dependence. Only then did she tremble and open her eyes, her eyelashes trembling, the raindrops hanging on them rolling down like dewdrops.

The umbrella Consort Yi had been holding had long fallen. Now, the rain quickly soaked the remaining dry fabric on her body, and her face was also wet from the rain. Yet, she didn't look like a drowned rat but more like a water lily, her beauty still evident even when drenched.

Especially now, with the beauty in such a disheveled and fragile state, it created a stark contrast to her usual radiant charm.

Kangxi sighed, but the sound of the rain was enough to drown out his sigh.

"What are you standing there for?" Kangxi raised his voice slightly, looking at the servants who were standing still, his tone carrying a chill. Seeing that Consort Yi, though frightened, had calmed down a bit and could listen, he helped her stand straight.

Even if Consort Yi wanted to stay in Kangxi's arms, she couldn't cling to him in front of so many servants.

As soon as they stood still, the servants, hearing Kangxi's tone, though somewhat afraid of the thunderstorm, were even more afraid of the Emperor's reprimand at that moment. Thus, they all stepped forward to support the Consort.

They hadn’t moved earlier because they knew exactly why their Consort had come out this time.

Clearly, it wasn’t the right moment for them to step in and ruin the atmosphere. If they had made a sound to disturb, they would surely have been resented by the Consort, which is why they didn’t rush to support their master immediately.

But now that the Emperor had spoken, they couldn’t just stand there like statues anymore, so they stepped forward to steady the Consort, and someone picked up the umbrella that had fallen to the ground and replaced it with another, holding it over Consort Yi’s head.

However, the amount of rain that a single umbrella could block was limited, especially in a storm with strong winds. The umbrella couldn’t stop the rain from hitting them sideways, and Consort Yi’s clothes were already soaked through before they returned to the palace, inevitably clinging to her body.

Kangxi quickly took off his straw rain cape but did not directly drape it over her. Instead, he signaled to the servant beside Consort Yi to do so.

Even so, Consort Yi was overwhelmed by the Emperor’s unexpected gesture.

Without the straw rain cape, his clothes would get wet from the slanting rain. Liang Jiugong quickly called out, “Your Majesty!” and hurriedly had two more umbrellas brought over, while also trying to take off his own cape to drape over the Emperor.

“Enough, let’s hurry,” Kangxi waved it off as a nuisance, took one of the umbrellas, and quickly walked ahead.

Consort Yi, who had wanted to refuse the raincoat and urge the Emperor to take care of his health, hadn’t even spoken when she saw the Emperor already walking briskly with an umbrella.

Not stopping to talk more, seemingly eager to find shelter from the rain, they did not delay any longer. Consort Yi hastily put on the straw rain cape and was firmly supported by the servants as they walked.

The group hurried along, focused on their path, and no further mishaps occurred.

Although the occasional thunder was terrifying, having companions along the way at least meant no one was left alone.

Moreover, the Emperor was unaffected, always walking at the forefront, showing no sign of panic, as steady as a mountain or a large tree, like a stabilizing force that calmed everyone’s spirits.

As they neared Consort Yi’s palace, they could vaguely see servants holding lanterns waiting to welcome them.

When Consort Yi saw the familiar palace, she couldn’t help but show a relaxed smile on her face; they had finally arrived.

Kangxi came to a halt.

——

“When did you learn to summon it?”

A seemingly out-of-context question.

Su Yi once again faced the purple lightning. Although the situation was perilous and she might be struck by lightning at any moment, she still managed to spare a moment to reply, “Hmm... it’s been a while, but is this something worth mentioning?”

As she spoke, she swung her blade and missed, narrowly avoiding the lightning, almost grazing past it.

Having not fought seriously for a while, she was a bit rusty and missed.

But the slash, like a silver lightning bolt, did not split the lightning but instead went straight towards the main palace’s sleeping quarters, as if it had its own targeting system, not veering off course as it descended.

Just as the slash was about to hit the magnificent palace, several purple lightning bolts intercepted it, forcing it to change direction and land on a pavilion by the pond, instantly shattering the pavilion into rubble and causing a splash in the water.

Even though no servants were lingering at this time, the scene was still quite frightening. The lightning struck without warning, blowing the pavilion apart.

“Oops, a slip of the hand, almost struck ‘myself,’” Su Yi said with a tone of relief but more like “ah, what a pity it didn’t hit.”

This momentary ‘slip’ had another meaning.

And it reminded the Heavenly Dao to prevent such uncontrolled power from affecting the people below. Su Yi suddenly acted, catching Him off guard.

Such celestial phenomena were already abnormal. If the collision of forces caused a rampage, leading to mountain collapses, earth fissures, and countless casualties, it would be disastrous.

Power was immediately channeled to control everything in the sky, essentially creating a barrier between heaven and earth, ensuring that nothing from the sky would affect the ground.

However, this also sealed Su Yi's retreat, trapping her on the other side of the barrier, directly in the thunder strike zone.

It also prevented her from reaching the ground and using other objects to make it hesitate.

This move was clearly intended to use the confrontation to force Su Yi into submission, so she would no longer attempt to challenge the Heavenly Dao.

Without a shell, Su Yi is somewhat like a fragile shell; even though her soul has been tempered, it cannot withstand reckless abuse. A single strike could be devastating, as her soul isn't very resilient, and nurturing it back is quite challenging.

Yet, her fierce and unyielding fighting spirit remained undiminished, and it did not affect Su Yi's repeated dancing in the thunder zone.

For a sword cultivator, to die in battle is the highest honor.

It is the ultimate ideal.

However, her life-bound sword, when drawn, acts like a lightning rod, attracting thunder strikes wherever it flashes.

It is like a conspicuous marker.

This is clearly a dangerous spiritual weapon that should not appear in this world, posing a great danger to it and should be excluded. But it is deeply connected with Su Yi's soul and cannot be directly expelled.

Su Yi, who has not been officially recognized, is also deemed an outsider that needs to be excluded, triggering the Heavenly Dao's laws to expel her, to be driven out together.

The laws are the laws, and the Heavenly Dao is merely the executor of these laws. Even a Heavenly Dao that has developed self-awareness cannot contradict the laws.

Previously, the Heavenly Dao had been deliberately covering for her, like providing cheat sheets in an exam, allowing her to temporarily pass the test with the help of these sheets.

But as the exam proctor, the Heavenly Dao can feign ignorance and offer a 'helping hand' temporarily, and naturally, it can also expose the truth and turn its back at any time.

Oh, although saying this might make the examiner seem a bit unkind, isn't it the truth?

He is just that deceitful, capable of such underhanded actions.

Better to lay all the cards on the table now than to be tricked later.

And Su Yi is fully aware of this; she did it intentionally.

She deliberately exposed herself, turning Su Yi, once overlooked as a native, into a marked outsider.

The laws were invoked to purge her as a dangerous outsider, focusing their full force upon her and triggering the rules to eliminate this perilous intruder.

All Su Yi had amassed in the cultivation world, even her body, was obliterated by the tribulation lightning, leaving nothing to accompany her here.

Only her soul-bound sword could follow Su Yi, firmly bound to her soul. It's more a sword of the heart, ethereal and unbound, than any forged blade.

It appears together with the sword heart; as long as the sword heart remains unbroken, the heart sword will not disappear.

And usually, Su Yi would nurture it within her soul.

The sudden arrival of the tribulation brought its greatest taboo: using artifacts to block the heavenly lightning, which would prevent the tempering of both body and soul with heavenly lightning.

Even if one manages to survive using various artifacts, they won't achieve the necessary strength and power to match their level, being indistinguishable from a counterfeit.

In a fight at the same level, they would surely die.

Therefore, when ordinary cultivators resist heavenly lightning, they only use their soul-bound artifacts to withstand the final strike of heavenly lightning. Afterward, a restorative rain descends to repair and temper the damaged body and soul, allowing them to ascend to a new realm.

And Su Yi, caught in the bizarre tribulation lightning, failed to withstand the ultimate strike of heavenly lightning.

Naturally, she didn't summon her natal sword to share the burden, which also meant the sword wasn't damaged by the Heavenly Dao's thunder. However, it was still inevitably affected by Su Yi's weakened soul and fell into a deep slumber.

Su Yi, who was once at full strength, was now reduced to a sliver of health. Only then was she allowed to come here, and even then, she was given an ill-suited vessel. Under various restrictions, she couldn't summon her sword for the time being.

Taking advantage of her weakest moment, they successfully suppressed Su Yi. Even if she wanted to recover her soul, it would have to be done slowly, and it also prevented Su Yi from body-snatching others.

For the time being, without a suitable body, she couldn't cause chaos. Not only did this reduce Su Yi's danger, but it also allowed them to control her within certain limits.

Su Yi did indeed lay low for a while. After all, if she couldn't fight head-on, she had to bide her time for the time being. Su Yi was very pragmatic and knew when to bide her time. Could this be called cowardice?

No, this is called calculated strategy.

It was only then that she realized her dead rival was also here, and had arrived even earlier than her. This was truly shocking.

Although it was terrible, thanks to this, she finally understood what that damn Heavenly Dao was scheming.

Now, if she had to say, she wanted to make waves.

Those who obediently follow the chessboard are just pawns, and Su Yi wanted to be the one to overturn the chessboard, or perhaps the one who controls it.

"As the Heavenly Dao of this realm, you are truly negligent in your duties. One mistake is enough, but repeated mistakes are no longer 'mistakes'—they are negligence. If I were to be treated as a pawn by such a negligent Heavenly Dao, it would be too humiliating."

Even as Su Yi was being chased by thunder, she couldn't help but hurl insults.

After all, they had almost allowed outsiders to reincarnate and slip through like a sieve. The solution to the problem was to bring in another problem.

Seeing that the problem they brought in was still not fully controllable, they fell back on the old method again.

But they had learned to be more cunning this time, choosing someone more pliable, someone they thought they could handle.

They even dug up Su Yi's past, making the other party think they had a strategy to deal with her.

But Su Yi couldn't tolerate this and immediately went in for the kill.

Although the Heavenly Dao seemed to compromise and take a step back, it still wiped the memories of Su Yi's past that it had implanted in the other party's mind, while also handing the other party a cheat.

It seemed to fear that Su Yi might try to deal with the other party again, so it gave the other party a way to counter Su Yi's methods.

As long as the other party relied on the system and the benefits they could gain from it, it was the best way to keep them in check.

The system could keep the other party obedient, like a marionette, too afraid to even think of 'defiance.' It could also be used to counter Su Yi within the imperial harem, since Su Yi couldn't leave the imperial city now.

Originally the maintainer of order, but now it couldn't even maintain normal order, even causing imbalance. Using problems to solve problems, not doing its job properly, but instead dabbling in petty schemes.

How utterly fascinating.

And it seemed that Su Yi's disrespectful words had angered it.

The most obvious change was that the purple lightning intensified. Compared to the slight restraint earlier, now it seemed like it was truly being provoked.

The lightning was dense, accompanied by terrifying claps of thunder. One after another, purple lightning bolts lashed out like whips, forming an inescapable net. Purple lightning surged from all directions.

Facing such a siege, Su Yi stood her sword in front of her, her right hand quickly forming seals. As the flame mark between her eyebrows appeared, a pattern woven from silver light spread out from the center beneath her feet, forming a massive magic circle. Within the circle, she stood like a deity.

As if summoned, several beams of light, carrying faint but devout power, converged towards the magic circle like pilgrims, continuously providing power to the person at the center.

These seemingly scattered and weak powers, when gathered together, were no longer weak.

At the same time, several sword shadows appeared, as if thousands of swords were being unleashed simultaneously. The swords that materialized were not mere illusions—they carried the same domineering and overbearing aura.

The sharp sword intent, starkly different from her delicate appearance, carried a majestic force capable of cleaving the heavens and splitting the earth to stabilize mountains and rivers, clashing head-on with the lightning surging from all directions without yielding an inch.

The clash of these two forces generated an extraordinary shockwave, even though the impact was deliberately confined to the sky.

If the lightning had been intentionally directed towards the ground, it would have inevitably caused buildings to collapse and the ground to crack under such an onslaught, resulting in countless deaths from the forces of this duel.

However, neither the Heavenly Dao nor Su Yi wished to see such a scenario, even though the Heavenly Dao governs this world and cannot ignore the lives of its inhabitants.

For Su Yi, such casualties would mean accruing more karma, a cultivator's greatest fear. Not to mention, the karmic retribution from those who died because of Su Yi would be added to her, and even her soul would not escape the constant burning of the flames of karmic retribution until true repayment was made.

This is no small matter, and Su Yi isn't about to take on such a losing deal. Ah, no, it should be said that she is a good person, how could she be a reckless lunatic who would drag everyone down in her quest for revenge?

While Su Yi and He appear evenly matched, the stalemate is unsustainable in the long run.

In such confrontations, Su Yi cannot hold out indefinitely, as the lack of a physical body is a fatal weakness.

But the body in Yonghe Palace is a trap, making resistance futile; it's a direct path to defeat.

"Why do you have to do this?" The tone was one of compassion, reminiscent of a deity's sorrowful gaze upon the mortal realm.