Perilous Situation

Qi Yuan leaned half-propped against a coffin in the underground mausoleum. He felt the bizarre events of today were definitely worth venting about to Jin Li. "Jin Li, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" Inside the imperial palace, Jin Li was nursing a headache over memorials when she saw the Exquisite Jade Tide begin to flicker. The corners of her lips curved up unbidden. All the troublesome affairs of Southern Qian seemed to vanish into thin air. "Good news first." "The good news is that I got married." "Married???" "The bad news is, my bride is a bridal gown!" "..." Qi Yuan gave Jin Li a brief rundown of what had happened today. Hearing this, Jin Li breathed a strange sigh of relief, though she couldn't quite say why. "With Xiao Jia around, I'll definitely farm monsters a lot faster. Probably won't be long before I fully clear the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground. How about your side? How are things going?" Reading Qi Yuan's message, a cloud of worry gathered between Jin Li's brows. After the late emperor passed away, every member of the imperial lineage had been slaughtered, leaving Jin Li as the sole surviving descendant. For all intents and purposes, the entirety of Southern Qian belonged to Sima Ting. Yet, out of concern for dynastic legitimacy and orthodox succession—and wary of Senior General Tianqi, who commanded troops abroad and held sway as a regional military commissioner, as well as the Heavenly Fortune Sacred Sect—Sima Ting had refrained from outright usurpation. The duel challenged by the National Preceptor of Southern Feng a short while ago had been Sima Ting's plot. However, thanks to the Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground, Aunt Qin had broken through to the Sovereign rank. During the duel, she soundly defeated the National Preceptor, thwarting Sima Ting's scheme. Even so, the power at Jin Li's disposal paled drastically in comparison to Sima Ting's. Truth be told, even while the late emperor was alive, the throne had already been stripped of real power. Her ascension was nothing more than a nominal formality. Of the Six Ministries, aside from the venerable scholar Kong Qi of the Ministry of Rites, all the rest were under Sima Ting's thumb. The actual forces truly answering to her amounted only to a single Sovereign-rank powerhouse, Aunt Qin, and two thousand Imperial Guards. Unfortunately, even if she tricked Sima Ting into the palace, Aunt Qin and the Imperial Guard together would still find it difficult to execute him. Not to mention Sima Ting's eldest legitimate son, Sima Riyue, who harbored ambitions even more ruthless and rapacious than his father's. Sima Ting still cared for appearances and decorum, but Sima Riyue certainly would not. "Things are still pretty difficult on my end. The power I hold is too meager," Jin Li sighed softly. The Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground could indeed boost her subordinates' strength, and quite quickly at that, but it was far from enough to turn the tables overnight. Unless she was granted several years—or even over a decade—of peace to develop and cultivate more Sovereign-rank powerhouses under her command. In Southern Qian, besides Aunt Qin, there were only three known Sovereign-rank powerhouses on the surface. Under Sima Ting alone, there were two Sovereign-rank powerhouses in plain view, and no one knew how many lurked in the shadows. Furthermore, she dared not dispatch large numbers of trusted confidants into the Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground, as that would inevitably draw Sima Ting's suspicion. It was only because Sima Ting's power had grown so overwhelming that he grew complacent and arrogant, which had allowed Jin Li to slip away from the imperial capital to the Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground last time. Now that Aunt Qin had displayed the prowess of a Sovereign-rank powerhouse, Sima Ting would certainly be on his guard. Leaving the palace again would be far harder than before. "Your situation is even tougher than Emperor Xian of Han's," Qi Yuan couldn't help but remark. Back in Emperor Xian's time, at least the various warlords and the common folk still nominally recognized the Liu imperial clan. And Jin Li? Right now, she was practically just a mascot. The moment she demonstrated any real power capable of threatening Sima Ting, he would likely drop all pretense, discard all notions of legitimacy and saving face, and execute her with swift, brutal force. "How about you? How is your quest coming along?" Jin Li was gradually learning to speak on the same wavelength as Qi Yuan. "I've run into a big boss myself. Pretty tough. Seems like even the Heavenly God wasn't his match." "The Heavenly God?" Jin Li couldn't suppress a gasp. "The Heavenly God from the myths and legends?" "No idea." Qi Yuan had only seen mentions of the Heavenly God in the underground mausoleum of the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground; whether it was the figure from myth, he couldn't say. "Then you... be careful. Don't forget that you still have to... meet up in person with me!" Jin Li said. Qi Yuan shrugged. "Too bad I can't leave the forbidden ground right now. Otherwise, I'd just go and chop Sima Ting down for you to settle it once and for all. Though that might lower your quest rating and cut down your rewards." As of now, the only maps Qi Yuan had unlocked were the Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground and the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground. He figured he would have to clear the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground before unlocking the other two forbidden grounds. Once he cleared all the forbidden grounds, other maps would likely open up, and by then, he could probably meet up with Jin Li in person. Qi Yuan was rather curious to see what this online friend he'd been chatting with for nearly a year actually looked like. If she was gorgeous, that would be great. If she looked ordinary, that was fine too. Her personality didn't seem particularly flashy, yet chatting with her felt remarkably comfortable. There was no imperial arrogance, no pretentiousness, and none of the endless drama. To Qi Yuan, someone like that already counted as an exceptional confidante. After all, going through life and meeting a girl like her—someone who could quietly sit by your side watching clouds rise and fall, greeting the morning sun, where time flowed without the sting of fleeting youth, leaving only a sense of quiet peace—was well worth cherishing. "Your main quest is what matters. If anything unexpected happens on my end, I'll let you know," Jin Li said, a wave of warmth rising in her heart. "Same for you, though... I can't be of much help to you." Since birth, she had never known familial affection, nor had anyone genuinely cared for her. Her imperial father, stripped of power by the domineering premier, drank every day and was prone to volatile mood swings, never showing her any warmth. Her mother, she had never even met. The only person who had ever treated her well was Aunt Qin, and now, Qi Yuan was another. "The information you gave me about the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground last time was a huge help. Too bad I can't help you out right now." Having sent the message, Qi Yuan fixed his eyes on the Robe Division Imperial Guards buried before him. An idea struck him. *Once I take full control of the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground, these Robe Division Imperial Guards should belong to me as well, right?* Although in Qi Yuan's eyes their individual strength was only so-so, an organized, full formation of the Robe Division Imperial Guard ought to possess enough power to sweep across the entire realm, wouldn't it? Outside the forbidden grounds, at least. ... The Prime Minister's residence was as opulent as an imperial palace. Sima Ting sat high above, eyes narrowed, rhythmically rolling a pair of collectible walnuts in his palm, lost in thought. His eldest legitimate son, Sima Riyue, spoke with a face full of ferocity. "Father, let's just rebel! Dragging things out like this is bloody boring!" Sima Ting looked at his son, his expression completely unchanged. "Step down. I have matters to discuss with your Uncle Wen." This son was nothing like him. If not for the boy's maternal clan ties to the Heavenly Fortune Sacred Sect, he would have... Once Sima Riyue had left, Sima Ting turned to the man dressed as a scholar beside him. "Brother Wen, have you uncovered the reason Madame Qin managed to step into the ranks of Sovereign-rank powerhouses? Could there be someone else backing Empress Jin Li? Are they targeting me, or the Heavenly Fortune Sacred Sect?" The scholar was named Wen Zhongyong, a Sovereign-rank powerhouse whom Sima Ting heavily relied upon. Hailing from the Heavenly Fortune Sacred Sect, this Sovereign-rank expert possessed formidable combat strength and specialized above all in deadly curses. Even with the Heavenly Fortune Jade Seal protecting him, the late emperor had still been cursed to death by Wen Zhongyong. This alone demonstrated just how terrifying his curse arts were.