Chapter 32: The Empress’s Retreat and the Cold Palace Ambush

A few days later, the most renowned opera house in Yunjing City—Tianyun Tower.

With its soaring eaves, ornate brackets, carved railings, and painted beams, it was typically an elegant venue where tickets were notoriously difficult to acquire.

Yet today, no ordinary patrons were seen before the building; only the opera house owner, accompanied by a few attendants, stood with hands clasped, seemingly awaiting an esteemed guest.

Before long, a bright yellow phoenix carriage, escorted by eight palace maids, slowly approached the front of the tower.

A palace maid stepped forward, her delicate hand gently lifting the curtain. A slender, jade-like hand emerged, taking the maid’s arm, and a woman clad in a golden-red phoenix robe gracefully descended.

Her figure was graceful, her beauty captivating, yet she possessed a mane of silver hair like snow, a pair of fluffy white beast ears atop her head, and a soft white tail that swayed gently behind her.

“We humbly welcome Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress!”

The owner, leading his staff, prostrated themselves and cried out.

“Rise.”

The woman spoke, her voice not as alluring as her appearance suggested, but rather tinged with a cool detachment.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The owner quickly rose, a wide smile plastered on his face. “The Sky-Class Private Room Number One has been prepared with incense for you. Your Majesty… are you still watching that same play today?”

“Mm.”

Baizhi responded indifferently.

‘This demon empress is truly strange,’ the owner mused silently. ‘She comes every month to listen to the opera, yet she always requests this particular play. Can she truly never tire of it?’

He dared not show a hint of his thoughts on his face, bowing deeply as he led the way.

“Yes! This way, Your Majesty—!”

Once Baizhi was seated in the private room, an array of exquisite fruits, snacks, and tea was immediately served. A palace maid presented a tea cup, placing it by her hand.

She gently lifted the lid, blew away the foam, took a small sip, and then casually set it down.

Just then, a crisp clang of wooden clappers resounded, and the melodious strains of string and wind instruments slowly drifted from the quiet hall.

The play had begun.

***

The play neared its end.

After a flurry of clashing gongs and drums, the heavily painted, black-armored `Jiazi Hualian` actor bellowed:

“Hah! To think, I, Xiang Yu, ah—”

The instrumental music flowed with his words. Beside him, the `Dan` actress, dressed in a simple palace gown with a pristine white cloak, danced gracefully to the mournful tune.

“My strength plucked mountains, my spirit spanned the world. But the times are against me, and my steed, Zhui, will not run. If Zhui will not run, what can I do? Yu, my Yu, what will become of you?”

Baizhi rested her chin on her hand, gazing quietly at the stage. The embracing Hegemon and his concubine, their farewell in desperation—all fell into her eyes, her gaze holding a turbulent mix of emotions, difficult to discern joy or anger.

***

“You may all withdraw. Allow this Empress to rest alone for a moment.”

With the play concluded, a palace maid stepped forward to assist Baizhi, but Baizhi waved her away.

The palace maids exchanged glances, then respectfully withdrew as instructed. Only Baizhi remained in the private room.

“Honored Daoists, if you have something important, why not reveal yourselves and speak directly to this Empress? There’s no need for such concealment.”

Baizhi, holding her teacup, her eyelids slightly lowered, spoke faintly to the seemingly empty inner room.

As her voice faded, two figures slowly materialized from thin air.

***

Two days later, night, Imperial Palace, Cold Palace.

This place was always remote and desolate, damp and dark, with cold winds seeping through the walls.

In recent years, many newly favored consorts who had offended the beloved “Demon Empress” were banished here, falling into an abyss from which they would never again see the light of day.

No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say there was absolutely no chance of them ever seeing the light of day again.

“Soon, very soon…”

Deep beneath the Cold Palace, in a secret chamber. Despite the complete lack of light, a figure stood before a blood pool that emitted an eerie glow, muttering to themselves.

The sight within the chamber was horrifying: mounds of white bones piled into small hills, their number, upon closer inspection, tens of times greater than the consorts and implicated palace servants banished to the Cold Palace over the years.

“It won’t be long now…”

A strange smile crept onto the person’s face, their gaze deep and unfathomable.

*Swish—!*

An ancient longsword pierced through the air, aiming directly for their back!

The person stumbled and rolled, their right arm still gashed by the sword’s edge.

“Who is it! Who dares to ambush this Emperor at night!”

The person roared in anger. Upon closer inspection, they were clad in a bright yellow dragon robe—a handsome middle-aged man, whose usually stern face was now filled with fury and ferocity.

“I didn’t expect you would resort to sneak attacks either.”

A playful voice rang out. Hua Yan, a dazzling red-haired, lavishly dressed maiden, slowly emerged from the shadows of the secret chamber.

She watched Zhao Mingyuan, who was clutching his arm and glaring angrily, with a half-smile, showing no intention of answering his question.

“To eradicate evil and demons, one must naturally exert every effort. How can it be called a sneak attack?”

Another cool voice chimed in. Another maiden appeared in the secret chamber. She was clad in white, with white hair, holding the ancient longsword, its tip dripping with specks of blood—she was clearly the one who had struck just moments ago.

“But your sneak attack didn’t succeed.”

Hua Yan’s tone remained teasing.

“My sword’s concealment was insufficient; I will pay attention next time.”

Before her words fully faded, Yun Xueshang’s figure moved. Like a white rainbow piercing the sun, her sword tip pointed directly at Zhao Mingyuan’s face!

“Hmph! Two mere Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators dare to trespass into the palace alone to seek death!”

Zhao Mingyuan snorted in fury. With a flick of his hand, he conjured a dark yellow dragon-coiled jade seal, and roared,

“Suppress!”

An invisible dark yellow light descended with a crash. A crushing pressure, like mountains, instantly enveloped the two maidens.

“Heh, if you honestly explain how you found this place, this Emperor will grant you a swift death!”

“You stinky old man! Stop pretending! So what if you’re at the Soul Transformation stage, does that make you so great?!”

Hua Yan shrieked, and a five-colored array disk flew from her sleeve. It rapidly expanded in mid-air, instantly transforming into a rich earthy yellow.

Pure earth spirit energy surged forth, directly shattering the dark yellow pressure surrounding her!

Meanwhile, Yun Xueshang appeared completely unaffected by the suppression. A chilling sword gleam had already closed in on Zhao Mingyuan’s eyes!

*Swish!

Zhao Mingyuan once again dodged clumsily. This time, his shoulder was severely slashed by the sword’s edge, the wound deep enough to expose bone.

“Autumn Water Sword… You are Yun Xueshang! Jiang Changge’s disciple!”

“So what if I am?”

Upon hearing her master’s name, the cold light in Yun Xueshang’s crimson eyes intensified, and her sword momentum became even swifter.

“Seeking death!”

Zhao Mingyuan roared, pulling out a dark black long戟 from behind him. The shaft of the halberd was covered in dark golden dragon scale patterns, exuding a menacing chill.

*Clang—!!!*

The halberd and sword clashed, and the spiritual energy of a Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and an Early-stage Soul Transformation cultivator violently collided, unleashing a terrifying shockwave.

The impact instantly leveled the Cold Palace and a large area of surrounding palace chambers.

Yet, strangely, such a commotion would normally shake half of Yunjing City.

But now, it was confined solely within the Imperial Palace, and the palace attendants and servants seemed to have vanished into thin air, without a single cry of alarm.

“Tsk, they even set up a sealing array in advance… quite thorough preparations.”

Zhao Mingyuan flew out from the falling rocks and shattered tiles, glancing at the faint array patterns covering the Imperial Palace. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression grim.

‘Damn it! They actually set up a grand array in advance. Looking at the array’s configuration, it will be impossible to break through quickly. I must find a way to kill these two girls first!’

His thoughts raced. Fiery golden light suddenly erupted around him, his aura surging. Golden dragon scales covered his arms, and the wounds inflicted by the sword healed rapidly.

At the same time, he tossed an ancient copper coin into the air—

“I am the Emperor of Chu! By my imperial decree! Reveal their flaws!”

As the solemn words fell, the surrounding air rippled with a strange rhythm. The copper coin slowly spun, and Zhao Mingyuan’s eyes immediately blazed with a sharp light—

‘I see it!’

His arm muscles bulged as he swung the heavy halberd in a terrifying arc, imbued with the power to shatter mountains and crack the earth, slamming it down fiercely towards the rapidly approaching Yun Xueshang!