Outside Nocturnal Heaven City, eight hundred Baibao Guards are ready to depart. Each of them is clad in armor, faces hidden behind malevolent ghost masks, and cloaked, equipped with long spears, curved knives, and waist bows. When they stand, the entire army is solemn, like hardened tombstones. Even the fiercest sunlight falling upon them cannot radiate a bit of warmth, as if the entire world has turned black and white.
The only splash of color is Ying Le on the chariot, wearing a robe with a bright yellow base today, displaying the nobility of the imperial family. Yet her long hair is casually loose, she sits barefoot on the chariot, swinging her toes adorably, resting her head sideways as if asleep, with a hand reaching out to block the sunlight from shining on her eyes.
Seeing this Ying Le, Ying Rushi lets out a sigh of relief: at least she’s properly dressed.
"Co up." Ying Le said lazily.
There are seats on the chariot, with soft tiger-skin cushions. Ying Le never scrimps on enjoynt. Once Ying Rushi sits down, Ying Le leans over, showing no awareness of being an aunt, lying on Ying Rushi’s lap, "Give a massage." Her voice is coquettish as if she’s the niece.
Ying Rushi is not too surprised. Not to ntion herself, even during court sessions, if Ying Le cos on a whim, she might even have the Assistant Minister of the Secretariat go up and massage her feet. Over ti, high officials in the Capital City have beco adept at massage skills, for whoever massages well, the Emperor might not react, but if done poorly, the Emperor would definitely stomp over and ruthlessly trample their face.
"Rushi, you’ve beco quite haggard." Ying Le said, "Is it because of Ping City? I don’t bla you at all."
"...Thank Your Majesty for your kindness."
"You’re my niece; no matter what mistakes you make, I won’t bla you." Ying Le reached out to caress Ying Rushi’s cheek and said, "In this world, only you and I are family."
Ying Rushi placed her hands near Ying Le’s temples, rotating them back and forth in kneading movents: "Is the pressure alright?"
"Just right, only you know how to care, Rushi. I wonder who will be lucky enough to have you in the future." Ying Le spoke casually: "You’re not young anymore, why haven’t you had children yet?"
"Aunt, aren’t you the sa?" Ying Rushi squeezed out a smile, "Everyone is waiting for the Crown Prince."
"I don’t like kids, nor taking care of them. I haven’t even grown up myself." Ying Le said, "As for the throne, whenever I’m tired of it, I’ll hand it over to you, Rushi. After all, you’ve wanted to be Emperor for a long ti."
Ying Rushi felt a shiver in her heart, sweat hairs on her back prickling, fear biting into her heart like a venomous snake, climbing along her spine.
She paused for a mont, not denying it: "I just want to share the burden with Aunt. Aunt’s talent is extraordinary; with ti, you might restore the great power of the Divine Martial Ancestor. Handling these trivial state affairs is just a waste of your ti."
"The Divine Martial Ancestor?" Ying Le suddenly let out a cold laugh, full of disdain.
Ying Rushi was a bit surprised; the Divine Martial Ancestor was undoubtedly the spiritual source of the Ying Clan’s royal family. Whether it’s strength, achievents, or charisma, no one has surpassed them in a hundred years. Why does Ying Le carry such contempt? There is even an indescribable hint of resentnt.
"Rushi."
"Yes."
"After I defeat the Golden Seal Divine Hunter and continue my Foundation Establishnt path, I’ll leave Qi Kingdom to you." Ying Le said casually, "A true Foundation Establishnt remaining in the mortal world for ten years, who among the Foundation Establishnts doesn’t think of as a joke?"
She suddenly sighed: "The reason I took over the throne was to hopefully comfort my father’s and mother’s spirits by establishing achievents. Although I occupied a high position from a young age, I never had the interest to form a faction. Always leading people into trouble, I’d hide back in Nocturnal Heaven City, waiting for my father to clean up the ss."
"As I grew older, the less I liked handling things, spending my days honing skills in the Secret Realm." She suddenly smiled: "At that ti, many pursued ; daily, soone would vie for my affection. I’d take them to the Secret Realm, where heart and temperant were revealed in one battle. When I rushed to fend off the Demon King, those young talents would hide behind , watching , a little girl, protect them—a group of grown n."
Ying Rushi curiously asked: "Did anyone ever pass your test?"
"Of course, there was; his na was Yuan Hong. At the ti, he was just a First-Turn ssenger, saying he wanted to comprehend the Advanced Technique on his own. He was short and skinny, standing beside like a little brother but very brave, standing with against the demons." Ying Le’s face showed a hint of reminiscence: "One year we strolled Nocturnal Heaven City together during the Lantern Festival, holding hands and wandering the streets. His smile was lovely, and I realized he had grown taller than ."
"Only hand-holding?" Ying Rushi asked.
Ying Le’s face suddenly flushed with a bit of embarrassnt: "He kissed my dimple once."
"So... Aunt, did you like him?"
"Of course, otherwise why let him kiss?" Ying Le retorted: "Do you think I’m so fickle woman? We were together for two or three years, almost got married."
"Why didn’t I gain another uncle-in-law?"
"Because my father got sick." Ying Le spoke softly: "He relied on Blood Replenishing Pills to sustain his life for two years, during which I smoothly took charge of state affairs. Naturally, we didn’t get together much."
"So he turned his affections elsewhere and married soone else?" Ying Rushi guessed.
"Don’t think so ill; he just died."
"Died!?"
"During a battle in the Secret Realm, he was killed by the Demon King due to team mistakes." Ying Le said blandly, "Maybe there was a conspiracy, I don’t know, I never investigated."
Ying Rushi took so ti to co around: "So Aunt never liked anyone else?"
"I do like handso lads, but indeed, I haven’t felt the sa thrill I did when fighting alongside him at sixteen." Ying Le said, "That’s why I say you should find the right young man soon. Even if you don’t walk together till the end, at least you had monts of happiness... Even after decades, when you’re old and gray, the you in that mont will always be young and happy."
To think Aunt had a genuine love during her youth... And it was a serious romance, even getting shy over a cheek kiss...
Ying Rushi looked down at the sleeping beauty, endearingly versatile in her expressions, on her lap, hands still massaging her temples. It seed Ying Le was indeed the most doting aunt to Ying Rushi, her nature rely that of a childishly whimsical grown-up girl. She’d get happy receiving flowers from her niece, find joy in acting spoilt, and be utterly defenseless, exposing her vulnerable points to her niece’s hands.
She hesitated for a mont, finally mustering the courage to say: "Aunt, let it end here; enough people have died. If you want to kill to gather fortune, I can enter the Secret Realm to kill for you."
"The Heir of Calamity did what he did because he couldn’t stand Aunt’s actions. If Aunt is willing to stop, perhaps he could be subdued and beco a sharp blade for our Qi Kingdom."
"Aunt, perhaps Rushi should go negotiate, and for the ti being, you may stay in Nocturnal Heaven—"
Suddenly, a herald ran to the side of the chariot.
"The Heir of Calamity has reached twenty miles outside the county city."
Ying Le opened her eyes, stood up, gripping the railing with force, wielding the whip vigorously, and the chariot imdiately set off. Her long hair fluttered in the wild wind like a liberated heavenly being.
"The cat is dead." She said suddenly, without context.
Ying Rushi was montarily dazed, then reacted: "How did it die?"
"Raised it for days, still it didn’t ta. Tried to scratch , ended up being thrown to death." Ying Le said blandly, "I gave it a chance; it didn’t cherish it."
Ying Rushi fell into silence, as Baibao Guards quietly mounted up to follow the Emperor’s chariot. Ying Le’s personal crusade was as simple yet shaking as that—a tide of eight hundred fully armored riders swept by, shaking the earth like a wave of black sweeping everything away!
"Your Majesty, people are not animals."
Ying Rushi suddenly lifted her head, her pale, haggard face full of determination: "Please give a chance to persuade the Heir of Calamity to surrender!"
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