Chapter 34: The Deceived Empress and the Dog Demon’s Truth

Two days ago.

“Friends, if you have pressing matters, pray reveal yourselves and speak plainly to this empress. There is no need for such veiled secrecy.”

Baizhi held her teacup, her eyelids slightly lowered, as she spoke calmly to the seemingly empty inner chamber.

As her words faded, four figures slowly materialized from the air.

One, clad in white with hair like snow, exuded a frost-like coolness, an ancient longsword strapped to their back.

Another, small of stature with black hair and eyes, carried a massive wooden chest.

A third possessed flowing dark hair, styled into a delicate side braid, emanating a gentle aura.

The last, with vibrant red hair, was captivating and radiant. They were four maidens, each with a distinct and striking presence.

“Friends, this empress believes we are strangers,” Baizhi stated, her gaze sharpening slightly as she eyed them with a hint of wariness. “Ever since I entered the theater, you have followed me. What exactly is your intention?”

“Oh dear, it seems nothing can be hidden from Her Majesty the Empress.”

The petite, black-haired maiden with the chest stepped forward, cleared her throat, and spoke with a laugh:

“Allow me to introduce myself: This humble one is Qu Linglong of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. This is Fellow Daoist Yun Xueshang of the Carefree Sword Sect, and this is Fellow Daoist Lin Qianqian, also of the same sect. Lastly, this is Fellow Daoist Hua Yan, an old acquaintance of Fellow Daoist Yun.”

She paused briefly, her smile unwavering.

“As for why we are here… Her Majesty must have heard of the recent demon-purging campaign by the righteous factions. We wonder, what are Her Majesty’s thoughts on this matter?”

?!

Baizhi’s eyes narrowed instantly, a formidable surge of demonic energy coalescing at her fingertips. The aura around her turned chilling.

“Eh, wait! We’re not here to fight! We genuinely wish to discuss this properly with Her Majesty the Empress!”

Qu Linglong quickly waved her hands, calling out, “Your Majesty, please don’t be rash!”

“This empress has nothing to discuss with you!”

Baizhi stared intently at them, the demonic energy at her fingertips held taut, poised to strike.

“Since you’ve come directly to my doorstep, I presume you’ve investigated everything I’ve done? If you wish to fight, then fight. This empress will accept your challenge.”

In that moment, she shed all semblance of the seductive demon empress from the deep palace, appearing instead like a cornered beast, ready to retaliate fiercely.

“You did it? No, no, no…”

Qu Linglong waved her hand with a smile, her tone firm. “We said we wanted to discuss it with Your Majesty, which proves we’ve already uncovered the truth. Empress, the true mastermind was never you, but the current emperor, Zhao Mingyuan, wasn’t it?”

“What…”

Baizhi’s pupils constricted sharply, and the demonic energy at her fingertips trembled slightly.

“Are you surprised that we didn’t suspect you, the ‘Demon Empress,’ but instead investigated Zhao Mingyuan so swiftly?”

Qu Linglong maintained her smile, but to Baizhi, it held a newfound, inscrutable depth.

“In fact, it’s more than that. We also know that Zhao Mingyuan has been deceiving you all along. The wicked art he cultivates cannot, in any way, reverse the decline of Great Chu by borrowing its national fortune.”

“The sacrifices for his cultivation were never dying individuals or condemned villains. How could there be so many people in the world to fuel such extravagance?”

“He even planned from the start to shift all blame onto you. The ‘Demon Empress’ would be executed, while he, the ‘Enlightened Ruler,’ would continue to sit firmly on the dragon throne, maintaining his supreme position.”

“You have been… deceived by him all this time.”

“Impossible!” Baizhi clenched her hands, her nails digging into her palms. “Mingyuan is the Emperor of Great Chu, a rare enlightened ruler! He resorted to such measures only for the sake of Great Chu! He loves me! He would never abandon me alone!”

“But is that truly the case?” Qu Linglong countered, her words piercing. “Have you not noticed that as he cultivates, Great Chu’s national fortune has not improved in the slightest, yet the number of people he kills grows, and his temperament becomes increasingly bloodthirsty and tyrannical?”

“You say he loves you—if there was truly love, why did he take so many consorts over the years? Why did your ill reputation spread throughout Yun Jing, yet he, as emperor, holding all power, never once defended you?”

“If he truly loved you, why is it that after all these years together, you don’t even have a child?”

Each of Qu Linglong’s questions stung like needles, striking deep into Baizhi’s heart. Her face grew paler, and her body swayed slightly.

“Because he cultivates wicked arts solely for his own power! Taking consorts is for killing! The bad reputation is for you to take the blame! As for offspring—”

Qu Linglong’s voice suddenly rose, each word ringing with conviction. “How could such a greedy man tolerate any existence that might threaten his imperial throne? As long as he sits on that throne, you will never have children!”

“Wake up, Empress Bai! The Zhao Mingyuan of today is a thorough and utter fiend! He is no longer the good man you deeply loved and deserved to love, nor is he any enlightened ruler!”

“No… that’s not right…”

Baizhi’s face was ashen, like paper. She stumbled back a few steps, her elbow knocking over the teacup on the table. The warm tea splashed onto her robes, but she seemed oblivious. Tears welled in her eyes, slowly trailing down her cheeks.

How could she not know that everything Qu Linglong said was true? Perhaps, from the very beginning, she had vaguely sensed it, but had merely been deceiving herself, forcing herself to continue believing.

Baizhi lowered her head, finally weeping uncontrollably.

****

After a long while, Baizhi finally composed herself. Although her eyes and nose were still slightly red, she straightened her back with effort, maintaining the dignified bearing befitting an empress.

“Then, what do you need this empress to do?”

Her voice was slightly hoarse, yet clear. “You sought me out, presumably hoping this empress… would act against him. I apologize, but he rarely allows palace servants to attend him these past years. Moreover, if this empress were to secretly strike at him, I fear I would lose control of my emotions and expose my whereabouts…”

As she spoke, her soft, white beast ears drooped limply, and her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.

“No need, no need!”

Qu Linglong quickly waved her hands. “We only need Your Majesty to help evacuate the innocent palace servants and grant us an opportunity to set up a containment array to prevent the aftermath of our battle from spreading. The task of purging the evil, we will handle ourselves.”

“…Very well.”

Baizhi looked up, her gaze solemn as she watched the group, slowly nodding as if making a profound decision.

“Then, in the end,” her voice softened, her tone heavy, “please… ask him for me.”

“Ask him… how he truly viewed me.”

/

“My apologies, Immortal Yun, Immortal Hua. Even now, I still… wish to ask him a few questions myself.”

Baizhi, sword in hand, gave a slight nod to Yun Xueshang and Hua Yan, then turned and slowly walked towards Zhao Mingyuan.

“Cough… Baizhi! You treacherous woman! Since you have betrayed me, why come here to humiliate me further!”

Zhao Mingyuan spat out several mouthfuls of dark blood, his face already twisted and grotesque from the erosion of the wicked art, devoid of any imperial majesty. He glared at the approaching woman, gritting his teeth.

“Have you been colluding with these righteous cultivators all along? Do you despise my Great Chu, wishing to climb their high branches, thinking that by exposing me, you can rest easy? Delusional! From the day you aided me, you became an accomplice to evil cultivation! How could the righteous path tolerate you with the blood on your hands? Hahaha…”

“…”

Baizhi remained silent, her eyes filled only with sorrow. Without answering his question, she gazed at Zhao Mingyuan on the ground and spoke softly:

“You… truly disregard all our past marital affection? Don’t you remember? You once promised me that after marrying me, you would never let me become the Consort Yu from the opera. You even said you would surely surpass the Hegemon King from the play, and would govern Great Chu to be prosperous and flourishing… Have you forgotten all of this?”

“What Consort Yu and Hegemon King…”

Zhao Mingyuan frowned deeply, completely perplexed by her words.

“As for Great Chu,” he spat out a mouthful of blood foam, his voice filled with hatred,

“if not for these scoundrels from the righteous and demonic paths creating opposition, how could my Great Chu have fallen to this state! Since that is the case, why should I abide by their rules and obey their laws?!”

He gasped, his gaze fixed on Baizhi.

“Marital affection? Baizhi, if you still cherish our past, you should be attacking these two right now, helping me heal! Once I recover, you and I will join forces to eradicate all these righteous ruffians! Then, with the sky vast and the sea wide, I care not for this troublesome emperor title!”

“…”

Baizhi listened quietly, then nodded.

She silently raised the ornate bronze shortsword in her hand, and then, under Zhao Mingyuan’s astonished and enraged gaze—

She plunged the sword into the crown of his head. The sword energy pierced through, destroying his nascent soul.

“I should have known…”

Her voice was bitter. She then raised the sword, ready to plunge it into her own neck—

“Wait!”

Yun Xueshang’s pupils constricted. Her figure flashed forward instantly, deflecting the shortsword from Baizhi’s hand with her own blade.

But Baizhi merely looked up at her with a mournful gaze, devoid of any spark of life.

“Thank you, Immortal Yun… I’m sorry.”

As her words faded, her breath abruptly ceased. Her body went limp, collapsing to the ground, falling into a pool of blood. Her human form gradually faded, transforming into a fluffy, silver-white small beast.

“Baizhi…”

Yun Xueshang stared blankly at the scene before her, her Autumn Water Sword hanging loosely in her hand, momentarily speechless.

“Alas, never mind. She destroyed her own primordial spirit. Even if a true immortal were present, they likely couldn’t save her.”

Hua Yan walked to her side, patting her shoulder with a sigh. “Don’t dwell on it; this was her own choice.”

Hua Yan spoke, her gaze falling upon the silver-white creature on the ground. “This should be her true form. Let’s find a place to properly bury her—eh?”

She suddenly paused, her expression turning to surprise upon closer inspection.

The small beast had a round face, moist eyes, and a slightly upturned tail, exuding a docile demeanor…

“Wait, Baizhi… she doesn’t seem to be a fox demon.”

Hua Yan hesitated, her voice filled with incredulous realization. “—She’s a dog demon.”