Chapter 70: Residual Heat

"Arrogant!"

The old nanny's hoarse voice was cold and sinister, while Consort Ji, gazing at Li Musheng under the candlelight, suddenly narrowed her eyes and said:

"Are you the Concubine Jing's son? How did you enter this inner palace?"

"Your Highness, regardless of who he is, daring to intrude upon your bedchamber in the dead of night is a capital crime punishable by beheading. Let this servant subdue him first."

True Qi from within the old nanny's body slowly flowed from her eyes, turning into a dim mist; her entire aura was sinister and terrifying, causing all the candles in the hall to shake violently.

Hearing this, Consort Ji's eyes flickered as she glanced at Li Musheng, preparing to speak.

But just then, a bronze candlestick on the pillar wall suddenly vanished, piercing the old nanny's chest at an untraceable speed; the terrifying force sent her flying, pinning her against the massive screen behind her.

In an instant, the dark light in her eyes extinguished, the mist around her body dissipated completely, and her wrinkled old face wore an expression of disbelief.

Li Musheng said nothing; he flicked his finger, and a Life-and-Death Talisman fell into the opponent's body.

Immediately, the old nanny's blood vessels swelled, her body trembled like a sieve, and unbearable pain eroded every part of her, causing her to emit waves of painful moans.

Seeing this, Consort Ji turned pale with shock and immediately shouted sternly at the eunuchs and nannies in the hall:

"What are you waiting for? Kill him!"

However, the dozen or so people around remained motionless.

The entire hall was terrifyingly silent, save for the old nanny's low screams and the occasional wind blowing in from outside.

"You..."

Consort Ji pointed at the crowd, her delicate Bai Xi face showing shock and anger.

But very quickly, she realized something was wrong.

Because those eunuchs and nannies in the hall still maintained the exact postures they had when they entered, showing not the slightest change, and their eyes were filled entirely with terror.

"Did you do this?"

Consort Ji finally reacted, stumbling backward and collapsing onto the soft couch behind her.

However, the next moment, as she lowered her gaze, her eyes changed, suddenly flashing with fierce, bloody light.

In an instant, Consort Ji's entire body suddenly erupted with overwhelming blood Qi; she turned and struck out with a palm through the air without warning, aiming directly at Li Musheng.

Countless sharp blood shadows rushed out from her body; as they swept past the bronze incense burner before the couch, the swirling blood light crushed it directly into powder.

Quickly, those blood shadows arrived before Li Musheng in the blink of an eye, as if to tear him into fragments.

However, all the blood shadows vanished into nothingness a foot away from Li Musheng; Li Musheng shook his head and said:

"You cannot kill me."

Seeing this, Consort Ji felt a chill in her heart; without a second thought, her figure flashed, rolling up surging True Qi to transform into a blood shadow and fleeing toward the hall's exit.

The blood shadow moved with extreme speed, reaching the back door of the hall in a few breaths, appearing on the verge of escape.

But at this moment, Li Musheng's voice sounded in her ear:

"You cannot escape either."

The next instant, Consort Ji felt herself struck by an invisible giant hand; her entire body spun rapidly in mid-air and was sent flying backward.

With a "Bang," she crashed heavily onto the smooth, mirror-like floor of the hall, smashing the bricks and stones until they cracked and flew apart, sending lime dust swirling.

Her own bones were all broken; her face, once as delicate as a blown eggshell, had struck the floor tiles face-first, her nose already collapsed and her flesh and blood a bloody mess.

Li Musheng walked slowly, stopping a few inches in front of Consort Ji's head, and said:

"Do you feel very powerless, very helpless?"

Consort Ji lay painfully on the ground, struggling to prop herself up with her hands, but that invisible giant hand just now had been too terrifying; one palm had shattered both her dantian and all her meridians.

The physical strength she now possessed was insufficient to support her standing; even all her teeth were broken, and she could not speak a word.

Seeing this, Li Musheng raised an eyebrow slightly and said:

"If so, then that feeling is correct. You are a very bad person; naturally, I cannot let you die too easily."

Having spoken, he flicked his finger again, and another Life-and-Death Talisman fell into Consort Ji's body:

"Do not rush; the true pain has only just begun."

One two-hour period later, Li Musheng walked out of the Yixin Hall, glanced back once, and shook his head.

They were all people who deserved to die; their only use before death was to help him gradually perfect the majority of the Life-and-Death Talisman Wu Gong, which could be said to have played a small role in utilizing their residual heat.

Thinking of this, Li Musheng lingered no longer; his figure vanished from the spot in an instant, disappearing into the inner courtyards of the imperial palace.

The entire Great Li Imperial Palace remained as quiet as ever.

Whether it was Li Musheng's arrival or his departure, not a single ripple arose; it seemed as if nothing had happened that night.

The next morning.

Yesterday's heavy rain had washed away all the dust of the entire Shangyang City, making today's weather appear exceptionally fresh.

The rising sun ascended slowly from the east, its ten thousand rays of rosy light spreading over the entire imperial capital and the majestic Great Li Imperial Palace.

The Fengyi Palace.

The Queen of Great Li, dressed in a magnificent purple robe and wearing a brilliant jade crown, sat with a noble countenance on a gilded and jade-inlaid armchair.

She swept her gaze solemnly over the various concubines standing before her, then furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

Seeing this, one of the concubines, dressed in a crimson brocade palace gown with a layer of scarlet light gauze over it, raised her hand to adjust the golden hairpin on her head and deliberately spoke loudly:

"Consort Ji is truly remarkable these days; she doesn't even come to pay respects to Your Highness the Queen. I fear that in a few more days, she will turn the inner palace upside down!"

Hearing this, the other nannies whispered quietly among themselves.

"Consort Ji has been missing since early morning; even if she is unwell, she should have sent someone to inform us."

"Do not speak of it; she now looks down on people with her nose. I do not know from where she obtained those spiritual pills and miraculous medicines that allowed her to rejuvenate; her skin is even better than the little maids in my palace."

"Indeed; she is now so prosperous, standing out like a crane among chickens in our group of aging and faded concubines. No wonder she is so arrogant, not even placing Your Highness the Queen in her eyes."

……

"Enough!"

Wang Hou spoke in a deep voice, frowning as she looked at an old eunuch beside her, her expression neither angry nor pleased:

"Go to Yixin Hall and see what is happening."

"If Sister Ji is unwell and her fever has confused her mind, immediately send the imperial physicians to treat her; do not let anything untoward happen."

Hearing this, the old eunuch agreed and quickly departed.

Half a stick of incense later, a cold wind suddenly blew in from outside the hall, followed by the figure of the old eunuch returning.

Wang Hou looked up, glanced at the other, and showed displeasure:

"You are an old servant of the palace; why are you so rash and undignified?"

At this moment, the expression on the old eunuch's face was extremely grim; he hurriedly bowed and said:

"Your Majesty Wang Hou, a great disaster has occurred in Yixin Hall!"

Upon hearing these words, Wang Hou frowned slightly, yet she seemed somewhat unconvinced.

She lifted the teacup from the nearby table, took a light sip, and said:

"Do not rush; speak slowly. This vast palace has always been peaceful; what great disaster could occur?"

(End of this chapter)