At this moment, Princess Qing An was receiving treatment from a female physician.
After being thrown around by Lin Qingyue earlier, her arm had been broken. To make matters worse, her brother had entered that woman’s bedchamber. She wondered if they had consummated the marriage.
The thought of her noble, sun-like brother being paired with an uncouth wild girl made her grind her teeth in resentment.
“Why does Lin Qingyue deserve to be Prince Jin’s consort? Why does she get to steal my brother? Lin Qingyue isn’t worthy, Lin Ruzhen isn’t worthy, none of you are worthy—Ah! You wretched slave, are you trying to kill me with pain?”
The physician setting her bone trembled in fear and immediately knelt to beg forgiveness: “Please forgive me, Your Highness. Your arm was dislocated and must be properly set, otherwise the bone may heal crookedly and affect the mobility of your entire arm.”
Princess Qing An snorted, “Then stop wasting time and continue the treatment!”
Relieved she wasn’t being punished, the physician remained kneeling and carefully continued setting the bone.
Despite her utmost care, the excruciating pain still made the princess scream repeatedly.
After finally completing the procedure, the physician carefully explained the precautions and was about to take her leave when Princess Qing An issued a venomous order:
“Merely setting a bone yet you dare make me suffer so much. I think your hands are no longer necessary. Guards! Drag her out and chop off her hands!”
The physician’s face turned pale with horror. Before she could plead for mercy, her mouth was gagged and she was dragged away.
All the maids in the room remained silent from beginning to end, long accustomed to the princess’s unpredictable temper.
Even after punishing the physician, Princess Qing An’s anger remained unappeased.
The thought that Prince Jin, who had always doted on her, now had a official consort filled her with profound rage.
Especially when she thought of Prince Jin staying with Lin Qingyue, wondering if they would consummate the marriage, she grew increasingly restless.
It wasn’t until a maid she sent to investigate reported that Prince Jin had returned to his own residence without staying overnight at Qiushui Courtyard that she felt slightly relieved. But soon her worries returned: That Lin Qingyue was adept at playing mind games and would surely try to seduce her brother in the future!
What if her brother couldn’t resist…
No, absolutely not!
She couldn’t allow her brother to be defiled by that lowly woman!
Just then, her trusted maid Chunmei returned from her mission.
“Your Highness, I’ve brought the beggar back to the estate. Should I send him to Qiushui Courtyard now?”
Late at night, with few people on the streets, Chunmei had struggled to find a beggar and returned rather late.
Princess Qing An grabbed a cup and threw it at her: “Fool! What’s the use of bringing someone back now? Besides, that wretch isn’t even dead. She was pretending earlier—she revived right after you left and nearly killed me!”
If Lin Qingyue had actually died then, it would have been a clean resolution for Princess Qing An.
Chunmei bowed her head meekly: “This servant will send him away immediately.”
“Wait,” Qing An straightened up and smiled, “Since she’s awake, he can still be of use.”
Qiushui Courtyard.
Lin Qingyue bandaged her own wounds to stop the bleeding from her head injury—Princess Qing An was truly vicious, having beaten the original host severely before strangling her to death.
Then, she began meditating and regulating her breathing.
The original host’s body was in poor condition, having suffered long-term malnutrition since childhood and daily abuse through hard labor.
After regaining her status, because of her poor table manners and large appetite, even the servants mocked her.
As a result, she didn’t dare eat her fill, only sustaining herself with half-portions each day while diligently studying the manners of noble ladies.
Under such circumstances, she became sallow and emaciated, with an extremely poor complexion.
Fortunately, the soul power of Immortal Lord Qing Yue was formidable, and gradually this body began to recover, its complexion growing somewhat rosier.
She had originally intended to draw qi into her body and begin cultivation, but after regulating her breath for some time, she discovered that this world seemed to have sparse spiritual energy. Despite her efforts, she only managed to absorb a tiny amount.
It appeared that if she wanted to cultivate, she would have to find another path.
“Whoosh—” The wind picked up.
Outside the window, withered branches cast claw-like shadows on the lattice, and faintly, a dark silhouette could be seen lingering beneath the trees.
It seemed to want to come inside but feared the person in the room, emitting only intermittent, soft sobs.
Others couldn’t see or hear it, but with just a glance, Lin Qingyue clearly perceived the presence outside the window.
“You want my help?”
The mournful weeping ceased abruptly. The dark, ethereal shadow froze against the Sunset Shadow Gauze window, revealing the outline of a young girl.
“Hah, why should I help you?”
The current Immortal Lord Qing Yue had truly fallen from grace—even a wrongfully killed ghost dared to seek her aid. How audacious!
The weeping resumed, plaintive and grating, enough to irritate anyone.
“Do you truly think I’m some kind of benevolent soul? I won’t help. Get lost!”
“Oh? So it’s related to Princess Qing An. In that case, I’m quite willing to lend a hand. However, after the matter is resolved, I want half of your merit.”
In cultivation, there are two major shortcuts: one is to devour souls raw, borrowing their power to enhance one’s cultivation. This is an evil practice.
The other is to accumulate merit, converting the power of merit into spiritual energy. This is a virtuous act.
As for Immortal Lord Qing Yue… in her earlier life, she was the kindest female immortal in the World of Cultivation, amassing boundless merit and earning widespread reverence.
In her later years, however, she fell into demonic ways, committing heinous deeds and becoming the feared Demon Lord.
Thus, she was proficient in both cultivation shortcuts.
Before long, faint footsteps sounded outside again.
Lin Qingyue frowned. “Again? It seems the manor is destined to be restless tonight.”
Soon after, several sparks appeared at the window, burning through the silver-red Sunset Shadow Gauze. Then, a few sticks of knockout incense were tossed inside, their thin smoke quickly filling the room.
The door opened silently, and a foul-smelling beggar was thrown in.
Drugged with an aphrodisiac, the beggar lunged like a starved wolf toward the faint figure on the bed.
Before he could get close, a sharp shout rang out: “Halt!”
The beggar instantly froze in place.
“Is this all you’ve got?” Lin Qingyue picked up the knockout incense from the floor and stuffed it into the beggar’s hand.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, she swiftly formed a Puppet Curse and, with a snap, implanted it into the beggar’s consciousness.
“Go out.”
Like a marionette, the beggar stiffly walked step by step to the courtyard gate.
“Turn right.”
The beggar pivoted toward the path on the right—the direction leading to Princess Qing An’s quarters.
“Not good. Better turn left, left. Then go straight, keep going!”
Obedient as a puppet on strings, the beggar adjusted his direction according to Lin Qingyue’s commands and continued forward.
A mischievous smile curled at the corner of Lin Qingyue’s lips—
Aren’t you all so proud, calling yourselves pearls of the world, noble beyond compare?
I’ll make sure you’re smeared with filth, and we’ll see what kind of rotten, stinking mud lies beneath that glamorous exterior!
Who, after all, is truly nobler than whom?
At this moment, Prince Jin, Dongfang Yan, dismissed his attendants and was deep in thought alone in his chamber.
Why did the Emperor insist on arranging this farcical marriage?
The Emperor couldn’t possibly be unaware of Lin Qingyue’s notorious reputation. Was it intentional?
Or did the Emperor feel that he had been too active lately, with obvious ambitions for the throne, and intended to reprimand him?
Or was it a test to see if he would remain obedient and compliant?
Could the other princes have had a hand in this?
He pondered for a long time, until the night grew late, before pressing his aching temples, undressing, and retiring to bed.
Dongfang Yan disliked having outsiders nearby, so no one was on duty inside his chamber when he slept.
Although two guards stood outside the door, it was easy for them to grow drowsy in the latter half of the night.
A night breeze carrying a faint scent of incense wafted in, and the two guards’ eyelids grew heavy as they fell into a deep slumber.
In his sleep, Dongfang Yan vaguely heard the door creak open, followed by a wisp of faint smoke.
“Not good, it’s knockout incense!”
He rolled over swiftly but still inhaled a few wisps, and his body immediately grew weak and limp.
It must be said that the knockout incense used by Princess Qing An was of exceptional quality. Even a small amount was enough to render someone utterly powerless.
Dongfang Yan struggled but failed to rise. When he tried to call for help, his voice came out as a faint, buzzing hum.
At the same time, a shadowy figure slowly approached the bedside.
“Who are you? How dare you attempt to assassinate me?” Dongfang Yan’s faint, mosquito-like voice questioned, lacking any authority.
The other person did not answer but inexplicably began to undress.
Undress?
Dongfang Yan was stunned: What was he doing? Why was he different from the usual assassins?
Before he could figure it out, the person suddenly threw back the covers, pounced on him, and began to grope and paw at him.
Dongfang Yan’s eyes widened in fury. He tried to push the person away, but his limbs were completely powerless. All he could smell was the person’s overwhelming stench, as if he were a beggar!
A beggar, starved for years and driven by aphrodisiac-induced lust, was in a daze, unable to distinguish whether the person beneath him was male or female. He merely tore at the clothes, biting and groping wildly.
Just as his pants were about to be ripped off, Dongfang Yan’s inner strength finally surged, breaking through and dispelling the effects of the drug.
As soon as his strength returned, he kicked the person off him, sending him flying.
The beggar lay sprawled on the ground, still muttering incoherently, “Beauty, beauty, kiss me…”
“Clang!” The long sword was drawn, and with one swift strike, Dongfang Yan slit the beggar’s throat. The beggar convulsed a few times and died.
It was only then that the patrolling guards rushed in to investigate.
What they saw was the usually noble and refined Prince Jin, disheveled and with his clothes in disarray, his hand trembling as he gripped the long sword.
On the floor lay what appeared to be a beggar-like… assassin?
No one dared to believe what had just happened. Only Dongfang Yan knew clearly that he had almost lost his innocence.
He was truly just one step away!
The thought of what had just occurred made him nauseous. His heart raged like a wild beast, wanting to slaughter all the incompetent guards.
But reason told him he could not indulge in killing, or he would earn a reputation for cruelty and displease the Emperor.
He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, before speaking calmly, “Investigate. Find out who let this beggar in. Why did the patrolling guards fail to notice? Investigate this for me!”
The beggar was clearly drugged and not an assassin.
So who exactly dared to humiliate Dongfang Yan like this?
That night, Princess Qing An slept very restlessly.
In the hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, she kept hearing a “drip, drip” sound, like rainwater leaking onto the floor.
Was the room leaking?
Another “drip” sounded as a water droplet fell, landing on her face with a bone-chilling coldness.
She jolted awake to find the doors and windows wide open, torrential rain pouring inside, flooding the entire floor.
The roof was still leaking, the luxurious brocade window curtains completely soaked, continuously dripping water.
The water kept rising, reaching the height of the bed in mere moments.
“Someone, help! Where have Chunmei, Dongxue, and Qiuju disappeared to?”
No one answered.
Though the surroundings were pitch black, she could clearly see a head slowly emerging from the water, wet hair clinging to deathly pale skin, water droplets falling from swollen, bloated cheeks…
“Ah!”
With a scream, she abruptly woke up.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”
Only when Dongxue, who was keeping night watch, softly inquired did she realize everything had just been a nightmare.
But the resentful gaze from the head in the dream had been utterly terrifying.
It wasn’t until her maid offered her a cup of water that her panicked breathing gradually calmed.
“Slap!” She backhanded the maid across the face. “Where were you all when I called earlier? Why didn’t you answer?”
Chunmei covered her reddened cheek, tearfully explaining, “This servant has been watching over Your Highness the whole time and didn’t hear you call…”
Before she could finish, Princess Qing An kicked her:
“You wretched slave, how dare you talk back? Light all the lamps in the room and don’t you dare sleep during night watch.”
“Yes.”
Lying down again, Princess Qing An tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The features of that thing in the dream seemed vaguely familiar.
She remembered – it was her!
A cold sweat broke out inexplicably. That person had been dead for so many years, why would she dream of her now?
It must be because of tonight’s events, leaving her unsettled.
She turned over, intending to sleep, when her hand suddenly touched a handful of wet, slippery hair, slick like a water snake.
She snatched her hand back as if shocked, opening her eyes to see the head from her dream lying on her bed, its pale pupils overflowing with venomous resentment.
“Ah!”
Princess Qing An screamed, scrambling and tumbling off the bed in panic.
Chunmei rushed to help her up.
Terrified, she squeezed her eyes shut, trembling for a long moment before managing to say, “There’s something on the bed!”
But Chunmei saw nothing.
“Under the covers, under the covers!” Princess Qing An shrieked.
Even after Chunmei threw back all the bedding, she found nothing.
Yet Princess Qing An acted as if she’d seen a ghost, crying, “It’s her, that wretched woman, causing trouble even in death! Your fate was unfortunate, you deserved to die, you can’t blame me!”
Suddenly she glared viciously at Chunmei: “What did you hear?”
Chunmei hurriedly knelt in fear: “This servant heard nothing.”
Princess Qing An said coldly, “Don’t speak a word about tonight’s events to anyone, or I’ll have your tongue cut out!”
As dawn began to break, Princess Qing An decided not to sleep anymore, ordering Chunmei to prepare her belongings for a temple visit later.
Then her thoughts turned to the matter of the male beggar – by now he should have succeeded in his encounter with Lin Qingyue, shouldn’t he?
The thought that after today, everyone would know Lin Qingyue had been so desperate she’d hooked up with a beggar lifted Qing An Junzhu’s spirits considerably, pushing even the earlier strange events from her mind.
She wasn’t worried about whether Jin Wang would trace the beggar’s origins.
Even if he discovered she’d brought him into the estate, it wouldn’t matter.
Over the years, Jin Wang had practically spoiled Qing An Junzhu rotten. No matter what she did, a single cry of “Brother” would make him unconditionally forgive everything and clean up all her messes.
She still remembered when she first arrived in the capital last year and took a fancy to a jade bracelet.
But the bracelet had already been purchased by the daughter of a Vice Minister of Revenue, who refused to give it up.
In a fit of anger, Qing An Junzhu smashed the bracelet against the young lady’s head. The broken jade cut across her cheek, directly disfiguring her.
Qing An Junzhu hadn’t thought it was any big deal.
It wasn’t until censors reported the incident to the Emperor that she grew somewhat nervous.
Yet Dongfang Yan merely told her to keep a lower profile in the future, without even scolding her.
Within two days, she heard the Vice Minister of Revenue had been caught by Jin Wang with evidence of embezzlement, and his entire family was thrown into prison.
As for her assault case, it was quietly dropped.