Chapter 634: Kill the Empress Dowager? Luo'er, stop!

As Ānàěr stormed in with her entourage to the palace where Li Qingluo was held, the courtyard fell dead silent.

It was as if nothing had happened at all.

Ānàěr: "Trying to cover it up only makes it more obvious! Don't think you can fool me!"

She and her people kicked open Li Qingluo's room with a loud "Bang!"

"Ignorant junior, how dare you toy with this palace! Today I will have you die——"

Inside, several pairs of eyes snapped toward Ānàěr in unison.

Upon seeing Ānàěr, their faces were filled with shock.

And Ānàěr, after taking in the scene inside, froze stiff.

"You, you——"

"What are you doing?"

In the moonlight, the three people inside were bowing before a portrait.

Hearing the commotion, Li Qingluo immediately rose, intending to take down the portrait.

But her movement was still too slow.

Ānàěr had already rushed into the room and forcefully snatched the portrait away.

"She... who is she?"

"Why does she look so much like me!?"

"No, not the same......"

"My brows and eyes are not this gentle......"

"Who is she? I ask you, who exactly is she!?"

Ānàěr had completely lost her reason.

If Que'er and Zheng Mama weren't still blocking Li Qingluo's front, she would have loved to shake Li Qingluo herself to get a clear answer.

Li Qingluo looked at her with a strange expression: "She is my master's wife."

Ānàěr: "What did you say?"

"Whose?"

"Master, master's wife?"

Li Qingluo: "Actually... I lied to you."

"Nan Gongdi is not my biological father at all. Although I regard him as my father in my heart, in reality I am merely his little disciple."

"The person in this portrait is the most precious thing my master has treasured over the years."

"Look at the quality of the painting, the colors on it—it's not hard to tell that this painting is already quite old."

"So, it simply cannot be a forgery."

"But you now are indeed not very similar to the person in the portrait."

"So when I first saw you, even though I already recognized who you were, I didn't want to admit that the wife in my master's heart actually looked like this!"

Upon hearing these words, Ānàěr felt another heavy blow and stumbled backward.

"Wife, wife?"

"He actually regarded me as his wife?"

"Did he really say that?"

"Turns out he really never married or had children; I must have misunderstood him."

"But why did you deceive me?"

"You, you clearly said he was your father, didn't you?"

"Which of your words is actually true?"

"Why did you deceive me?"

"Do you know, I just thought he really had a daughter, and I——"

"What should I believe, and who should I trust!?"

Li Qingluo coldly stared at Ānàěr.

"What's gotten into you?"

"What have you done to my master again?"

"My master hasn't married or taken concubines these years, so naturally he has no children; what's wrong with me regarding him as a father?"

"And you—do you believe my master, or do you believe others' words; don't you have any judgment in your own heart?"

Ānàěr, being pressed question by question by Li Qingluo, instantly became confused herself.

"Should I believe him?"

"But what about the ways he has let me down over these years?"

"Who should I trust then?"

"No, I can only believe myself."

"Is it you? If you weren't deliberately lying and repeatedly playing tricks, I wouldn't have hurt him!"

"Now you've even stolen him away! Give him back to me——"

Ānàěr said this and lunged forward.

Li Qingluo let out a cold snort: "If you have the ability, come take it."

However, she had been waiting for just this moment.

The moment Ānàěr stepped forward, she quickly retreated.

Waiting for Ānàěr to rush into the formation of Que'er and Zheng Mama, Li Qingluo immediately struck.

She first snatched the whip from Ana'er's waist, then backhanded a heavy lash onto Ana'er's body.

Ana'er let out a miserable scream.

"You dare hit me!!"

"What are you, ah——"

Another miserable scream rang out, and Li Qingluo followed with another heavy lash that came down.

She showed no hesitation, whipping Ana'er five times in a row, striking her so hard that her skin split and flesh tore, eliciting a shrill scream, with nowhere to hide.

Ana'er could only shout: "Someone! Come quickly——ah!!"

"Come, seize this damned Central Plains princess for this widow!"

"Ah——!!"

Li Qingluo threw the whip down hard, the whip lashing against the ground.

The whip emitted a sharp 'crack'.

Li Qingluo coldly glanced at Ana'er: "How about you turn around and take a look?"

"Is anyone still behind you?"

Ana'er stiffly turned her head.

Only then did she see that behind her was an empty expanse.

"Where are my people?"

She clearly brought all her guards with her!

"Where are they?"

"Where did these damned people run off to?!"

Li Qingluo: "Rest assured, they won't die just yet."

"They've merely become defeated troops under my command."

"I have to say, your Wusun people are utterly useless."

"When my people entered the city, their weapons were confiscated, leaving them bare-handed and unarmed."

"Look, even with this advantage, your subordinates can't win; not only were their weapons taken away, but they're also suppressed to the point that you can't save them."

"Ana'er, with your pitiful strength, do you really think my master cannot possibly escape?"

"But you've restrained him, taken control of what he cares about, and threatened him!"

"I've captured you—how should I return everything you've done to my master?"

Saying this, Li Qingluo grabbed Ana'er in one hand.

Only then did Ana'er fully realize what was happening.

"From the very beginning, did you plan all of this?"

"Entering the palace, sophistry, claiming he was your father, even that damned crow——"

"You've lied repeatedly, deceiving me, toying with me."

"Your true aim, besides rescuing Nan Gongdi, is to provoke me utterly, rob me of reason, and force me into your domain. Even if this is the Loulan palace——"

"Any place you can set up, you'll seize the chance to control me!"

"You want to avenge him?"

Saying this, Ana'er burst out laughing 'hahaha'.

"Fine, count yourself as his smartest disciple. If you want to avenge your master, then if you have the ability, kill this widow!"

Li Qingluo thought of her master's wounds: "Don't think I dare not!"

She said, then dragged Ana'er completely before her.

In an instant, Li Qingluo's killing intent fully showed; just as she was about to act, a low shout came from the doorway: "Stop!"

"Luo'er…… stop, you must not be disrespectful to the Wusun Empress Dowager."

It was Nan Gongdi.

Supported by Sha San, he actually came in person from where Sha San and the others were, to the room where Li Qingluo had temporarily settled him.

Li Qingluo saw Nan Gongdi, immediately dropped Ana'er from her hand and hurried over.

"Master!"

"You've awakened?"

"Qin Ling, how is my master?"

"Master, why aren't you resting? Why come here at a time like this?"

"Rest assured, I won't let the Wusun Empress Dowager have another chance to harm you."

Nan Gongdi saw Li Qingluo and gave a relieved smile.

"Good child, master hasn't lavished affection on you in vain, nor taken you as a disciple for nothing."

"Hearing you say you are my master's daughter, master is delighted."

"But you very nearly got master killed."

Qin Ling beside them, arms crossed, said slowly: "Don't worry, they're just superficial wounds; though serious, if you promptly apply the best ointment, it won't harm the foundation of his body."

Qin Ling finished speaking, then looked up helplessly and sighed.

Just knowing that following her brings no peace for a day.

Having been dragged into the palace, we still have to work.

And it's the middle of the night, a wretched place where there's not even a spot to lie down!!

Qin Ling was furious.

Fortunately, seeing the young lady Ansheng waiting in the corner of the room, he finally gave a faint smile.

Upon hearing Nan Gongdi's words, Li Qingluo lowered her head: "Even if the disciple does not do this, she cannot completely anger her... No matter what, Master, I'm sorry, it's all the disciple's fault."

Nan Gongdi shook his head: "Forget it, it's the master's fault."

"Besides, I've dragged you on this trip, making you suffer."

"However, Luo'er, release Anaer; this is all the master's debt to her."

Anaer snorted angrily: "Stop pretending to be a good person here!"

"I'm in your master-disciple's hands; you can kill or cut me as you please! But don't blame me for not warning you—this is the Loulan palace!"

"The empress dowager of Loulan is my own maternal aunt!"

"If anything happens to me, you won't even think of leaving here alive!"

Nan Gongdi looked at her and gave a bitter smile.

"Even if it weren't Loulan, I would not allow anyone to harm you in the slightest."

Anaer turned her head away.

However, her eye sockets became noticeably red.

Li Qingluo looked back and forth between Nan Gongdi and Anaer.

"Could it be that between them there is truly not just pure hatred?"

Nan Gongdi had to explain: "Back then I was just a wandering rogue of the martial world; after falling in love with her, this Western Regions princess, I did not want to be bound by becoming a prince consort of the Western Regions."

"Moreover, the powers of the Western Regions are complicated; I was even more unwilling to wade into their murky waters, so one day I just left suddenly."

"I thought that for this Western Regions princess, it was merely a fleeting romantic affair; who would have known... after I left, Anaer would take our flesh and blood and marry into the Wusun."

Li Qingluo: "Master, what did you say?"

Anaer cried out loudly: "Don't say it!"

"You are not allowed to say it again!!"

"Nan Gongdi, you bastard!!"

"It's you who let me down, it's you who are sorry to our children... sob sob sob..."

Thinking of the hardships of these years, Anaer actually covered her face and burst into tears.

And Li Qingluo, stunned by this sudden revelation, could only give Que'er a glance, signaling her and Zheng Mama to quickly release the person.