“Rou’er, I never expected that Ye Ling’er would have already reached the Nascent Soul Realm at such a young age.”
“If I had known her strength was so formidable, I would never have let you take such a great risk.”
“But Rou’er, you really lack the ability to read the situation. Knowing full well how powerful Ye Ling’er is, why did you still provoke her?”
“Father, you… you blame me?”
Qin Rou said tearfully, filled with grievance, “I did everything exactly as you instructed!”
“Father, no matter what, you must help me get revenge!”
Looking at the bloody hole in his daughter’s calf, Qin Ru felt immense heartache and gritted his teeth, saying, “Rou’er, don’t worry.”
“Father will definitely help you get revenge!”
“Summon someone!”
Two agile figures arrived behind Qin Ru and knelt on one knee, “Prime Minister!”
These two brothers were elites among the death warriors Qin Ru had trained, named Yuan Tian and Yuan Di, both Nascent Soul Realm experts.
“I order you to infiltrate the Carefree Prince’s Mansion tonight.”
“Kill that little girl in the mansion to avenge my daughter!”
“And…”
Qin Ru narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a trace of ruthlessness.
“Search thoroughly for where that Xuanyuan Sword is hidden in the Ye family.”
“Yes!”
The two clasped their fists and bowed, then quickly turned and left.
As soon as they left, an old eunuch immediately entered from outside.
“Prime Minister Qin, Her Majesty has issued an edict, summoning you to the palace urgently for a discussion!”
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation of the Great Qi Imperial Palace.
A woman reclined on the phoenix and dragon bed.
Her skin was fair, her appearance stunningly beautiful, capable of toppling cities and kingdoms.
A pair of beautiful eyes, like amethysts, were enchanting, captivating, and seductive.
She wore a golden phoenix hairpin and a royal robe woven with red silk threads, yet she also exuded a certain imperial majesty.
However, her formidable cultivation at the Great Perfection Peak made no one dare to harbor any improper thoughts about her.
She was the Great Qi Empress, Qu Qingyan.
Qu Qingyan was resting with her eyes closed on the bed. Qin Ru entered from outside and knelt on the ground, cautiously saying, “Your subject Qin Ru pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, rise.”
Qu Qingyan did not open her eyes and said indifferently, “How did things go?”
“Your Majesty, there have been some unexpected developments.”
Qin Ru said apologetically, “Following Your Majesty’s command, I had my daughter falsely accuse Ye Ling’er of the Ye family today.”
“But despite all my calculations, I never anticipated that Ye Ling’er’s cultivation would actually reach the Nascent Soul Realm.”
“Nascent Soul Realm?”
Qu Qingyan was slightly taken aback, showing a look of surprise, “I remember that little girl from the Ye family is only fifteen or sixteen years old.”
“So young, yet already at the Nascent Soul Realm. Truly worthy of the Ye family bloodline.”
Qin Ru said with a bitter expression, “Because that little girl’s strength is too formidable, after my daughter slandered her today, she directly caused a scene at the White Deer Academy.”
“Not only did she break my daughter’s leg, but she also killed the White Deer Academy’s head disciple Wang Xuan, crippled the teacher Liu Yuan, and defied Vice Dean Chen Hai.”
“Ye Ling’er also declared that in the Great Qi Dynasty, the strong are revered, and with her father backing her, she fears no one.”
Qu Qingyan sneered coldly, “That father of hers is nothing but a hopeless drunkard, utterly unworthy of fear.”
“A sixteen-year-old Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, while indeed having boundless prospects, can also be sacrificed for the Great Qi Dynasty’s century-long foundation.”
“At present, the most crucial matter is to have the Ye family’s Xuanyuan Sword returned to the court as soon as possible.”
“Your Majesty, I’m afraid this may not be entirely appropriate?”
Qin Ru feigned hesitation, speaking with a hint of reluctance, “After all, the Xuanyuan Sword is a family heirloom of the Ye family and has been under their stewardship for many years.”
“The Ye family has served our Great Qi Dynasty with loyalty and dedication for generations, contributing greatly. If we rashly reclaim the Xuanyuan Sword, what if it causes widespread disappointment among the people?”
“Hah, we can’t afford to worry about that now.”
Qu Qingyan sneered coldly, “No matter what, the Xuanyuan Sword is one of only two Supreme Imperial Artifacts of the Great Qi Dynasty, a pillar of our nation’s strength.”
“It was previously entrusted to the Ye family, firstly because they were a family of loyal heroes with a distinguished record, and secondly because the Ye family was filled with powerful experts capable of protecting the sword.”
“But now, the Ye family has long declined, their former glory gone, leaving only a worthless drunkard clinging to an Imperial Artifact. What use is that?”
“This Supreme Imperial Artifact should rightfully be under the control and protection of the royal family.”
“Instruct Qin Hai that tomorrow he must use any means necessary to firmly establish Ye Ling’er’s guilt.”
“If all else fails… directly dispatch the imperial guards to forcibly search the Ye residence.”
“Forcibly search?”
Qin Ru was slightly taken aback, his expression troubled. “Your Majesty, that may not be proper, right? The Ye family are descendants of meritorious officials…”
“There’s nothing improper about it.”
Qu Qingyan sneered, “Their merits belong to the past. The Ye family today has long withered.”
“Now, the only remaining value of the Ye family lies in contributing that sword.”
“How can you deprive the Ye family of their final opportunity to serve the nation with loyalty?”
“Understood…”
Qin Ru nodded slightly, clasped his fists, and silently withdrew.
After leaving the palace, a cold, sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
“Since Her Majesty the Empress already views the Ye family as expendable, then this becomes much easier.”
“In that case, whether this Xuanyuan Sword ends up in my Qin family or with the royal family makes little difference.”
…
The night was dark, the wind high and desolate.
Yuan Tian and Yuan Di stealthily infiltrated the Ye mansion.
“Second Brother, according to the Prime Minister, that Ye Ling’er from the Ye family has already reached the Nascent Soul Realm in cultivation.”
“To reach the Nascent Soul Realm at such a young age? Truly remarkable.”
Yuan Di showed surprise but quickly regained his stern composure, saying gravely, “It’s no matter. With the two of us working together, eliminating a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator will be as easy as turning over a hand.”
Yuan Tian asked, “What about that drunkard?”
“Hah, that drunkard is not a problem.”
Yuan Tian sneered, “The Prime Minister said that drunkard is just worthless trash, utterly unworthy of fear.”
“If he dares to cause trouble, we’ll simply deal with him along the way.”
“Don’t forget, our most important mission this time is to find the Ye family’s Supreme Imperial Artifact.”
“As long as we find the Supreme Imperial Artifact, we will have accomplished a great feat, and the Prime Minister is sure to reward us handsomely.”
The two brothers infiltrated the Ye mansion, leaping lightly onto the rooftops.
They looked around for a while, squinting their eyes to carefully sense their surroundings.
“I sense it.”
Yuan Tian narrowed his eyes, speaking in a low voice, “There’s a very strong Spiritual Energy Fluctuation coming from the west wing. Something extraordinary must be hidden there.”
“Good, then let’s go check that area!”
The two brothers prepared to leap down from the roof and head toward the west wing.
However, when they arrived under the eaves and looked down, they discovered a figure standing beneath the tree.
It was none other than Ye Qing, standing with arms crossed, watching them with keen interest. “What are you two looking for?” he asked.