Zhao Li couldn’t keep up the act any longer, looking at Hei Zhe with an expression as if he were an idiot.
No—if idiots had levels like Spirit Masters, then he was a level 100 idiot.
Hei Zhe, however, was stunned by her sudden change in demeanor.
Zhao Li regarded him with disdain, clicking her tongue. “You took my chastity. Do you really think my father, Qingqiu, and our allies would just let you off?”
The clan leader of the Spirit Cat Tribe was a level 72 Spirit King, three levels higher than Zhao Wu.
But when it came to his own daughter, Zhao Wu would fight to the death, even if it meant storming the Spirit Cat Tribe’s territory.
And then there was Huaguo Mountain.
Huaguo Mountain’s overall strength surpassed that of the Spirit Cat Tribe—which was exactly why Hei Zhe had never dared to provoke the Westward Journey faction.
Hei Zhe stammered, “Y-you… you were violated by a man. Do you really have the face to tell others about it?”
The old Zhao Li indeed wouldn’t have had the courage to speak of it, not even to her own father. She would have been too ashamed. Hei Zhe had counted on this very trait of hers to carry out his despicable scheme.
But it wasn’t just Zhao Li. Most women who suffered such humiliation would feel too ashamed to even live, let alone speak of it.
Even when seeking justice for themselves, women often found their voices stifled.
Those who lacked the courage to end their lives could only endure the silent suffering, living on in disgrace. But once word got out and the matter became public knowledge, even those who wished to endure could no longer bear the weight of others’ judgment.
At that point, life would truly become unbearable.
Zhao Li sneered. “Why wouldn’t I have the face to say it? It wasn’t my choice—am I not allowed to seek justice for myself?”
“This prince won’t admit to it! The only one who’ll be humiliated is you!”
Ah, this simple-minded, muscle-brained fool.
In such matters, women undoubtedly suffered the most. But did he really think that as the perpetrator, he would remain unscathed?
A man who brazenly violated women—especially as the crown prince of his tribe—would find no allies willing to associate with him in the future.
Idiot.
Zhao Li sighed. “You’re right. If this were some other matter where you could twist the blame, I might let it go. But something like this? It’s not worth this princess stooping to your level of disgrace.”
She shed all pretense, raising her arm with a flourish as she declared, “Flowers Bloom by Name!”
As her words rang out, countless exotic flowers and plants erupted from beneath Hei Zhe’s feet, rapidly transforming the space into a vibrant, blooming garden.
Hei Zhe froze, stumbling over his words. “H-how… how do you know Qing Tong’s spell?”
Zhao Li smiled brightly. “Of course, she taught me. She likes me. Since she kept saying so, naturally she had to offer something to win my favor, didn’t she?”
The technique “Flowers Bloom by Name” was the Qing family’s proudest spell.
Though not as powerful as Spirit Techniques, it summoned all manner of flowers and plants to serve the caster.
The Flower Tribe were predominantly control-type Spirit Masters, specializing in restricting their opponents in battle.
As a Spirit Master’s power grew, the resilience of their vines and stems would strengthen exponentially.
High-level Spirit Masters’ vine restraints were virtually unbreakable. Once entangled, unless countered by fire-based spells or techniques, or unless the opponent’s power far surpassed the casters to the point of overwhelming the spell with sheer force, escape was impossible.
Moreover, the vines carried paralyzing or poisonous effects.
The pollen, meanwhile, could induce dizziness or charm, pushing the art of restriction to its limits.
The reason why “Flowers Bloom with Fame” is so formidable lies in its ability to summon an array of flowers and vines with numerous restraining effects in a single spell.
Once trapped within its grasp, enemies find themselves battling against multiple opponents. An utterly nauseating experience.
It is precisely because of such potent crowd-control abilities that the Flower Clan holds a higher status than even Qingqiu.
Among peers of the same level, the Spirit Cat Clan, as agility-based attackers, fears no one—not even brute-force specialists. The only thing that truly unsettles them is crowd control. This is also why Hei Zhe sought to possess Qing Tong.
On one hand, he coveted her beauty and talent; on the other, he wanted to bring one of the few yet formidable control-specialist families of the Wuji Realm under his influence.
By turning a race that counters his own into an ally through marriage, the overall strength of the Spirit Cat Clan would ascend to new heights.
In this regard, his intentions mirrored Qing Tong’s desire for Zhao Li.
Because Hei Zhe somewhat understood Qing Tong’s feelings for Zhao Li, he found it utterly baffling that Qing Tong had taught Zhao Li the Flower Clan’s spells.
“Th-This can’t be!”
Zhao Li couldn’t be bothered to waste more words on him. Once ensnared in the floral array of “Flowers Bloom with Fame,” she had a hundred ways to toy with him to death.
Watching Hei Zhe frantically dodge the lashing vines, Zhao Li curled her lips, snapped her fingers, and declared, “Exploding Chrysanthemum, activate.”
The flower bud above Hei Zhe’s head silently bloomed, releasing a burst of foul-smelling yellow gas with a sound akin to a fart, right in front of his face.
With his feet entangled and numbed by the vines, and the gas catching him off guard, Hei Zhe had no time to react—inhaling a hefty dose of the stench.
Instantly, his stomach churned violently, and he collapsed to his knees, retching uncontrollably.
“Wh-What kind of poison gas is this…?”
“Qing Tong’s fart—how’s the fragrance?” Zhao Li taunted from a safe corner, watching his agony with amusement.
Hei Zhe groaned in misery, “Y-You’re full of crap…!”
Zhao Li smirked. “The one full of crap is Qing Tong, you idiot.”
The Exploding Chrysanthemum was a peculiar flower. Its buds could store any gas, preserving its potency for maximum freshness.
Though it smelled unmistakably like flatulence, how could someone as elegant and refined as Princess Qing Tong, pure as a lotus emerging from water, possibly fart?
“Princess Qing Tong… dignified and graceful… she would never fart…”
“Tsk tsk.” Zhao Li wagged her finger. “Farts are but lingering air in the belly—how can one not release them? This air wanders about and must eventually find its way out. Why can’t Qing Tong fart? The poor girl was just too embarrassed, so she stored it in her flower bud. It’s not like she let it out in public.”
“Impossible… impossible… urgh—”
Seeing him nearly vomit his guts out, Zhao Li grew even more smug and deliberately provoked him, “Look at you, all disgusted by Princess Qing Tong’s fart? Weren’t you the one who loved her? Didn’t you go around proclaiming your devotion, swearing heaven and earth bore witness to your sincerity? What’s wrong—can’t even stand the smell of the woman you claim to love?”
“Y-You…!” Hei Zhe’s face turned ashen, then deathly pale.
“If you love her, take a deeper whiff. Exploding Chrysanthemum, Exploding Chrysanthemum, Exploding Chrysanthemum!”
With three snaps of her fingers, three chrysanthemums bloomed in unison, filling the enclosed space with an overwhelming stench.
No further restraints were needed. The sheer potency of the fart alone was enough to knock Hei Zhe out cold.
This was no ordinary stench. It was a specially brewed skunk fart.
The experience? Absolutely legendary.
Zhao Li took out a pre-prepared gas mask from her soul tool, securely fastened it, and sat leisurely on a thick vine that extended toward her, crossing her legs as she watched the spectacle unfold.
Hei Zhe, consumed by rage, unleashed his full spiritual power, shattering the explosive chrysanthemums, and roared, “I’ll kill you—!”
With another snap of Zhao Li’s fingers, countless vines swiftly entangled Hei Zhe, binding him mid-air like a spider’s web.
At Zhao Li’s current level, there was no way Hei Zhe could break free.
“Let me go! You bitch, let me go now!”
Slap! A vine lashed out and struck Hei Zhe hard across the face.
Zhao Li lifted her eyes, looking down at him with disdain. “A stray dog should act like a stray dog. Instead of begging for mercy, what are you barking about?”
This idiot.
Even though she hadn’t fully released her spiritual power, when she cast Flowers Bloom with Fame, he hadn’t even sensed the disparity in their levels from the fluctuations of her spiritual energy.
No wonder even that man-eating flower wanted nothing to do with this fool.
“You seem to enjoy bullying women, don’t you? They say a man must sow his wild oats in youth. Fine, since you love forcing others, today you’ll get a taste of your own medicine.”
Hei Zhe’s eyes widened in horror as he stared at her. “Y-you… what are you going to do?”
Zhao Li smirked devilishly. “Weren’t you dreaming day and night about spending your wedding night with Qing Tong? Today, this princess will grant your wish. Flowers Bloom with Fame is Qing Tong’s signature spell. These plants are practically her avatars. Letting you enjoy yourself with her avatars—aren’t you grateful?”
Countless vines slithered like snakes, swiftly closing in on Hei Zhe from behind.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, since you’re always on top, switching positions occasionally should be quite the novel experience, no?”
As soon as Zhao Li finished speaking, a vine thrust inward.
“Aoooh—!”
“One arrow pierces the clouds, summoning an army of thousands. Two hearts of loyalty, braving fire and sword without fear.”
Zhao Li spoke lazily, her fingers moving like a conductor leading a grand symphony, directing the vines in relentless piercing attacks.
Though she teased, she wouldn’t actually crush his so-called “two hearts of loyalty.”
“Your Highness, enjoying yourself?”
The vines were barbed, and the penetrating assault was sheer agony for Hei Zhe.
Zhao Li had originally planned eighty-one strikes, but by the tenth, Hei Zhe had already passed out.
Disappointed, she retracted the vines binding his limbs. Without support, Hei Zhe collapsed face-first, his rear in the air, the remaining vines sticking out like a peacock’s display.
Zhao Li burst into laughter. With a flick of her finger, foxfire shattered the Ten Directions Array’s barrier, dispelling the spatial confinement.
She hadn’t brought Lan Lan along precisely to spare her from such a bloody and intense scene.
Though she knew Lan Lan wouldn’t despise her for it, every girl wants to appear gentle and serene in front of the one they love.
Who doesn’t have a little cunning side, really?
Zhao Li gave Hei Zhe a few kicks before crouching down to loot the soul tools he wore.
This scoundrel had been tailing them the whole way but had managed to pick quite a few century-old peaches.
Confiscated.
And there were plenty of magical artifacts too.
Also confiscated!
Consider it repayment for all the humiliation he’d inflicted on her over the years.
This trip was truly worth it. Not only did she vent her past grievances, but she also managed to plunder so many treasures. Some of these magical artifacts were even coveted by the Qingqiu Fox Clan.
After all, Qingqiu’s overall economic strength was lacking, making them relatively poor.
Years of savings had also been spent by her father to buy life-saving medicine after her spiritual roots were destroyed.
Once the looting was complete, Zhao Li summoned her Jade Qilin and tied Hei Zhe’s waist with a vine, dragging him along for a while.
She stopped only when she found a century-old peach tree that would be easily noticed.
Zhao Li tied him to a branch, his rear still adorned with vines splayed out like a peacock’s tail.
For good measure, she even styled his hair with a sandalwood comb, crafting a fresh, dazzling, and eccentric hairstyle to complement his current aesthetic.
“Alright, done!”
This was still the early section of the secret realm, so someone was bound to stumble upon him eventually. By then, Hei Zhe’s reputation would spread far and wide.
Satisfied, Zhao Li clapped her hands and rode her Jade Qilin back to find Yelan and the others.
Niu Tai and Zhu Qing had already returned. When they saw Zhao Li, everyone quickly gathered around.
“We never expected something like this to happen after we left. Thankfully, all of you girls are safe,” Niu Tai said with a guilty expression.
Zhi Die chimed in excitedly, “Miss Ming is amazing! With one strike of her Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame, those two villains burst into flames instantly. They didn’t even have a chance to fight back. We took the opportunity to escape.”
Yelan hadn’t revealed her identity as the Empress, so they assumed the Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame was so overpowered that it could defy natural order.
The two brothers, Niu and Zhu, only asked briefly about the situation. Though they were astonished by the power of the Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame, they didn’t press for details.
Now, the two girls practically worshipped Yelan with absolute reverence.
Zhao Li glanced at Yelan, who nodded in response.
Those two Spirit Lords had been burned to ashes—not even a trace remained.
“The Illusion Flute you wanted,” Yelan said, presenting it to her as if it were a priceless treasure.
Naturally, Yelan had no interest in the flute, but since it was something Zhao Li desired, she treated it with the utmost care.
Zhao Li facepalmed. “You definitely didn’t loot their soul storage artifacts, did you?”
Yelan blinked. “Why would I loot them?”
…Right, of course you wouldn’t care about their measly possessions.
But this baby (me) loves loot, waaah!
Their soul storage artifacts must have turned to ash along with them. It seems she’d have to teach Lan Lan the concept of “waste not, want not” in the future.