Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“His Highness should be waking up soon. Let's head back!” According to Ye Jiuge's estimation, the time needed to finish a cup of tea had pa.s.sed.

“Let's go!” agreed Bai Songling.

As he led Ye Jiuge out of the parlor, he saw Dongfang Que and Elder He walking toward them.

“You really can walk now!” Bai Songling exclaimed excitedly. Although he'd already heard it from Ye Jiuge, he was still surprised to see Dongfang Que walking.

“Yes!” answered Dongfang Que. He nodded slightly toward Bai Songling, but his deep eyes were fixed on Ye Jiuge. He did not conceal his grat.i.tude.

“If the Empress knew that Your Highness has profited from this setback and recovered his power, I believe she would go mad,” Ye Jiuge smiled and said.

“Indeed. Imperial Consort Xi has also recovered, so these are two simultaneous happy events,” Bai Songling said, nodding repeatedly.

At first, Dongfang Que had wanted to conceal his strength and bide his time by hiding his injury. But when he heard Ye Jiuge, he immediately nodded and said, “I will inform Father of this good news.” He'd endured silently for so long; it was time for a counterattack.

“Then I will quickly produce two Poison Detection Pills for you and Imperial Consort Xi.”

Although the toxins in Dongfang Que's body had been eliminated, eating another pill could help suppress the Ice Snow Spider King's poison.

“Yes, yes, yes. Go quickly. This matter should not be delayed.” Bai Songling nodded his head repeatedly.

“What Poison Detection Pills?” Dongfang Que asked curiously.

Ye Jiuge and Bai Songling exchanged glances and mutually decided to keep the matter a secret.

“It's the spiritual pill that I told Imperial Consort Xi about last time, the one that will detect poison for her” Ye Jiuge explained. “Ok, I have something to do and have to make a move. If you have any problems, come and find me!”

She feared that Dongfang Que would continue questioning her. Like a wisp of smoke, she ran back to the residence to find the Little Mute and requested two developed Poison Earthworms. The Little Mute was very proactive about the purchase order. He immediately asked Ye Jiuge to take him back to the villa to select another batch of ordinary Poison Earthworms.

The next morning, he handed two Poison Earthworms to Ye Jiuge and received two Spiritual Beast Pills in return. Ye Jiuge squeezed the Poison Earthworms into the medicinal pills to make superior-grade Poison Detection Pills. Then, she asked Bai Songling to send them to Dongfang Que and Imperial Consort Xi. In just one night, news of Dongfang Que's recovery had spread across the entire capital. The Harem was no exception.

Fengyi Palace's main hall was brightly lit, but the court eunuchs and palace maids were not present to wait upon the Empress. A lone man, masked and in black clothes, knelt in the middle of the hall.

The Empress sat in her phoenix chair with a frosty expression. She stared coldly at her secret guard and demanded, “How is Dongfang Que, that d*mned thing, able to walk all of a sudden?”

“I'm still investigating. However, I have yet to discover who cured him,” the secret guard reported in a hurry.

“Then continue investigating!” replied the Empress, coolly.

She was not very concerned about Dongfang Que. So what if he can walk? The Ice Snow Spider King's poison can't be cured so easily. She cared more about another problem.

“You said that the wretched Imperial Consort Xi has recovered her looks and the Emperor is going to the Emperor Temple to bring her back to the palace?”

“Yes. The Emperor has elected to go personally to the Emperor Temple to pray tomorrow. He will bring Imperial Consort Xi back with him,” the secret guard nodded and said.

“The b*tch's looks have been restored!”

A sinister expression flitted past the Empress's composed face, revealing fine lines around her eyes. Years ago, she'd refrained from killing Imperial Consort Xi because she'd wanted to see how long the Emperor would continue doting on his consort after glimpsing her disgusting, rotting face. The Empress hadn't expected Imperial Consort Xi to be so decisive and leave the palace before her face putrefied. Since then, she'd been avoiding Emperor Xuanwu.

Now, sixteen years had pa.s.sed, and the Empress had thought that Imperial Consort Xi was waiting for death to arrive in the Emperor Temple. She'd never antic.i.p.ated that Imperial Consort Xi would return.

“What should we do now?” asked the secret guard cautiously.

The Emperor had kept the matter a secret, and they had not obtained this information in advance. It was too late for sabotage.

“Hmph, let her return to the palace if she wishes. I shall see how long she can run rampant,” hissed the Empress.

Her hands clenched tightly into fists, and her red fingernails dug deep into her flesh. Since she'd defeated Imperial Consort Xi once, she could strike her down a second time. If that b*tch wants to throw her life away, I'll fulfill her wish. This time, I will not allow that b*tch to live.

The secret guard didn't dare speak. He kneeled in silence, awaiting the Empress's next order. The Empress recovered her usual dignified expression and asked the secret guard, “Is there still no news of Elderly Lady Xu?”

The secret guard shook his head. “No.”

The Empress frowned. Ever since Elderly Lady Xu had left the palace to hunt and kill Ye Jiuge, there had been no news from her. On the other hand, Ye Jiuge's looks were restored, and she'd returned home grandly. She'd even ganged up with someone from the Gong Clan.

In her heart, the Empress suspected that the Gong Clan had secretly helped Ye Jiuge eliminate Elderly Lady Xu. Therefore, she would not act blindly without thinking.

“Did Xu Hansen say when he will enter the capital?” the Empress asked again.

Xu Hansen was Elderly Lady Xu's superior, and he would have to take revenge on the Gong Clan by himself. The Empress did not plan on interfering.

“Lord Xu said that he is not done playing and still needs a few more days.” The secret guard hesitated momentarily before he continued speaking. “When I saw Lord Xu in the Hepu County earlier, he'd killed quite a few women again. I had to burn down the relay station for the postal horses to prevent the mail from being delivered to the Justice Department.”

“Brainless idiots.”

The Empress hated Sorcerers who did not know how to clean up their own mess. Although the commoners they killed were as insignificant as mole crickets and ants, if this news spread, calming things down would be complicated. Even though she was angry, the Empress had to clean this mess up, no matter what.

“Bring two more people with you and rush to Hepu County. Tell Lord Xu that Elderly Lady Xu has been killed and instruct him to come to the capital at once!” ordered the Empress frostily.

“Yes!”

The secret guard nodded. He left the palace and immediately hastened to Hepu County.

It was the dead of night in Hepu County, and a remote and empty house emitted a moldy stench. The trees and plants in the courtyard had withered.

Ye Yu stood in the shadow close to the wall. As much as possible, he relaxed his body to allow the Spiritual Power to flow. His and Wan Ziyang's investigation had been nonstop. At last, they'd finally found the Sorcerer's hiding place and planned to set a trap to capture him. Since the Sorcerer was very sensitive to Spiritual Power, Wan Ziyang was currently waiting two streets away. The plan was for Ye Yu to delay the Sorcerer there as long as possible until Wan Ziyang could arrive.

Although the Sorcerer was stronger than Elderly Lady Xu, ever since he'd started practicing the cultivation technique that Ye Jiuge had given him, Ye Yu's Invisibility had vastly improved. After refining the Yin Qi, he was better at merging into shadows. Ye Yu was confident that the Sorcerer, an Advanced Spiritual Pract.i.tioner, would not be able to discover him before it was time.

Just as Ye Yu was adjusting his position, a blue shadow sprang across the wall and landed silently in the residence's courtyard.