Chapter Four
Anhe Palace was… okay for a place to stay until she completed her mission but she knew if she wanted to do so completely without any issues, she would require people of her own and what better way than to seek the emperor out to procure them.
But first, she slowly stood up to her feet and glanced around.
"Are you coming out or should I find you myself?" Her voice rang out loud and a sharp gasp reached her ears before a man came stumbling out from the sides of her curtains and she sighed.
She had noticed him the very first moment he appeared there and judging by his shock and fear, he hadn't thought he would be caught that easily. She wasn't stupid and neither was she without any abilities so why couldn't she?.
"H-how did you…?" He trailed off as he slowly got his bearing and she shook her head, stepping closer to him with a grin.
"You're not as good at stealth as you think, or probably…." She trailed off intentionally and stepped closer to him, her voice dropping low as she stepped into his personal space.
"Or maybe… my senses are far better than your stealth. But I'm curious, why are you here?" She questioned and his eyes widened a fraction before he composed himself again and stepped away, his breathing changing slightly.
"You don't need to know that, but if you must know then I'll have to complete my mission immediately." Before his sentence was complete, he pulled out his sword and aimed at her but she laughed softly as she smoothly evaded every one of his attacks, landing gently on the bed and she crossed her legs.
"You shouldn't do that… I'm not exactly known for my ruthlessness, but I can still start that parade with you." She said, the smile on her face still laid there and he gave her a scalding glare before making a series of motions with his fingers and then he lunged for her again.
His movements were right but to her, it was far from perfect. He lacked fluidness, he lacked coordination, his legwork was choppy at best and fuck did he lack precision— that was why as his sword slowly arrived, she dodged to the side, the smile wiped off her face as she summoned her sword.
"Lightening Chaser!" The sword materialized in her palm and before he could blink, she slipped past him, the sword squarely in his neck. His throat sliced open and he gasped, falling to his knees in shock.
He stared at her, fear clouding his gaze as blood spilled down his palms and out of the open wound. She sighed before dropping to his side.
"You should be more smarter, I'm not yet done with you." She mumbled before taking out a pill from her pouch and sticking it straight into the wound.
She pressed down with a wicked smile, pushing it deeper until it passed through his esophagus and his eyes widened with pain as she forced it down his throat.
"That went better than I thought it would," She said as she withdrew her hand slowly, tearing open the flesh that had already started knitting back due to the pill taking effect and if his eyes could go any further, it did at that moment.
She smirked when his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he blacked out. She took out the handkerchief the Emperor had given to her and cleaned her palms off the dirty blood before she returned back to her position on the bed.
Shaking her head, she took the platter of grapes by the side and began to munch on them as she waited for the man to wake up.
Raking her eyes all over him, she detected some scars, both new and old and they literally covered the entirety of his body…well, from what she could see anyway.
No wonder he didn't seem to be in a good shape when he got here, he had been punished for something she didn't know or care about and had been sent here right after that.
But that wasn't anything to go by if she wanted to know who sent him here.
"Are you going to keep lying there?" She asked after two hours of sitting there and there were no movements at first, causing her to sign impatiently.
"If you're dead, then I can throw you out. I don't want your corpse stinking my floor, and I really don't mind digging out my pill from inside you." She whispered the last one and maybe that woke him up, because the next second, he flew off the ground.
His head turning sideways as he tried to figure out if indeed he was alive and she smiled widely.
"It worked! How nice." He startled at her voice and turned to face her, the expression on his face turning ashen with fear as he scrambled backwards.
"T-they called you gentle, can't hurt a fly…" he stuttered out, trailing off in his explanation and she smiled wider.
"Oh, but I am." She paused before she continued. "To some people of course. See, I didn't kill you."
"You literally did… some minutes ago!" He exclaimed and she shook her head.
"Wrong, two hours ago. Now, let's get to the point or my pill would really be wasted." She said, her expression changing instantly as she sat up.
"W-what do you want to do?" He asked, leaning backwards and she simply stared at him with an unreadable look in her eyes.
It took her a whole five minutes before she knew the angle she was aiming for.
"Tell me who sent you, or rather why you were sent after me. I can get the first information by myself," She said and he shook his head.
"Can't talk?" She asked and he did nothing, simply stared at her.
"I'm not exactly known for my patience and gentleness when it comes to my enemies.." she trialed off as she tapped her nails.
"And I even took the easy route, you just don't know when to follow." She flicked her nails harder on the table beside her and the sound carried, into his ears and straight towards the still moving pill.
His eyes widened with shock as pain sliced through his entire system from inside of him, it felt as if countless small knives were slicing and stabbing at him at the same time.
His lips opened up in a scream but the sound couldn't leave his throat no matter how much he tried to force it out.
The pain was making him almost mad and his hand slammed harder and harder into his chest as he tried whatever possible way to stop it.
"I can make it as low as this…." The pain reduced significantly and he sighed with relief but she smirked again as her tap went wild and the scream left his lips as he felt darkness creeping onto the edges of his vision.
Was this what true pain feels like? He felt his soul almost leave his body because even his soul was in pain, how was she doing this? His thoughts scattered as he tried to think.
Was this the other effect of the pill she gave him? It has to be.
"Or higher, like this. But don't worry, if this isn't enough to work on you, there are still more levels to the handiwork of the pill." He quickly shot to his feet at those words and dove to her feet with desperation clinging onto his pathetic self.
Pleading hoarsely, he forced out his words. "P-please, I-I w-will t-tetell you everything."
"Oh, okay." As soon as she said that, the pain instantly disappeared and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
"I-I was sent to spy on you by…" he stopped and her left brow rose.
"By the Empress.." he trailed off and looked away and she laughed, mirth dancing in her eyes as she clapped her hands together and the male turned to stare at her with questions.
Why did she look so happy that she was being targeted by the Empress? That wasn't a good thing for anyone.
"I decided to give her a wide berth for now but she still delivered herself to my doorstep," she said, the smile leaving her face as she nodded. "Good, then we'll add her to the mix."
Turning to the man, she began.
"I have a proposal for you and mark my words, if you refuse them you can walk free but with a seal on you to never speak of me or die…of course." She said and his eyes widened for a minute before it focused solely on her.
"What?"
She smirked internally. Now, she just had one last hook remaining. "I'm sure the Empress has leverage on you to be able to order you around like this." She stopped and he nodded, his eyes downcast with shame and pain.
"You listen to me, I will help you get this leverage out of her grasp as early as today but you have to really listen to me." She grasped his jaws and turned his head back to her.
"W-what? How?" He asked and she smirked before pushing him away and cleaning her fingers then threw the piece of paper on him.
"That's for me to worry about. But my catch is this, you'll work for me instead." She said and his brows furrowed in thoughts before his face hardened and he nodded.
"I understand. I will listen to you. What do you want me to do?" He asked and she smiled.
"Let's start with your name," she said and he flushed pink, his ears shaking before he responded.
"My name is Zhan Xian." She froze at that particular name.
Zhan… Bai Zhan Yue, her eyes watered at the reminder and she hissed, her face tightening as pain sliced through her heart once again before she blinked away the tears.
"Are you okay?" Zhan Xian looked confused at her sudden outburst but the woman was confusing, always changing her expression at each minute.
"I'm fine, you just need to follow my instructions. It's already time, I'll be leaving now so listen." She slowly explained to him everything he needed to know but she didn't tell him that if he dared betray her, the pill would eat through his internal organs as fast as anything and kill him before he even knew what hit him.
Leaving after cleaning up, she began for the Moonshadow Garden. This was where the Emperor was said to pass through today after his morning court as he wanted to relax after such a hectic day at court.
She stepped into the beautiful place and was led towards a cherry blossom tree with sharp vibrant flowers blooming all round and when a slight breeze passed through it, some of them scattered and fell towards the ground.
She loved the scenery but it was the approaching woman and entourage that she really loved.
"Her majesty!" Everyone of her guards and maids called out and she instantly turned around with fake surprise.
Empress Chu Ruolan stared at her with open disgust as she appraised her and Mo Qing Yin balled her fists, pinching her skin to prevent her from stepping forward and stabbing this woman to death for all she did to her.
But she still had the Emperor to kill too, and those other foolish followers. She had to wait, even though it was proving hard by the second.
"Her Majesty" she curtseyed and forced herself to stay that way as she stepped forward and just stopped in front of her without saying anything.
If Ruolan thought this would make her feel down or bad, she had another thing coming to her.
"Stand up," she finally said and she slowly took her time in standing up to her feet before raising up her head to stare at the woman.
"You are the new girl, Huìfēi?" She asked, and although Mo Qing Yin knew she wasn't looking for an answer, she still replied. If not for anything, just to provoke her ire.
"Yes, I am." She replied with her easy smile and her lips twitched.
"Hmm, I see. I hear the Emperor hadn't come visiting your Palace since you arrived here," she said with a slight satisfied smile and her face intentionally fell as she glanced away.
"No, he hadn't." Her voice was low and full of pain but she forced on a smile and turned to the detestable woman again.
"But I'm sure he's busy, I shouldn't put my own selfish desires over that of his majesty. He can come visit me when he's fre-"
"How dare you call me shallow? Do you think I don't care about his majesty and you do?!" The fish was taking the bait and as she prepared to act again, she detected the faint signs of the Emperor around the garden and she almost laughed. Why was it so easy to deal with these people?
"I-i wouldn't dare call you shallow, I just meant that the Emperor is busy with court and state affairs and thinking he would always be around me because I'm one of his consorts would be selfish to him." She explained, going to kneel down.
"You foolish fool, how dare you say that to me. Are you trying to say that I am selfish for asking you that question?" The Empress asked, her eyes blazing and her maids scoffed.
"Why bother with her, drag her out and beat her twenty strokes with the board for being disrespectful to the Empress!" The girl beside the Empress ordered and two guards rushed out from her entourage to carry out her orders.
"Touch her, I dare you!" A hard voice rang out and everyone gasped as they turned to find the Emperor walking out from the hedge he had hidden behind when he arrived moments ago.
"Your majesty, this consort was disrespectful to the Empress." The headstrong maid informed the Emperor as soon as he arrived and he stopped in his tracks.
"Is that so?" He asked and she nodded quickly, her face full of triumph as she glared at Mo Qing Yin.
"Your majesty," Mo Qing Yin curtseyed and the others, realizing their mistake, gasped and mirrored her moments.
"Then, she should be punished. But you…" he paused as he turned to face the girl who looked far too happy for the situation.
"You just disrespected your Emperor, do you have no face for me or you think you have enough power behind you to behave so shrewdly?!" Her eyes widened with shock and fear as she fell to her knees.
Pleading, she began. "I didn't mean to, please forgive me. I-i–"
"You don't have any respect for me and you have the guts to call someone out. Kill her!" He ordered and gasps filled the place as the guard standing behind him threw out his sword and it sliced through the neck of the girl before returning back to its sheath.
Mo Qing Yin hid a smile behind her curtsey as she watched the maid fall down to the ground, dead.
"Please don't blame The Empress, it's all my fault for speaking rudely and insulting the Empress. I'll apologize immediately!" She exclaimed and turned to the Empress.
Apologize shit.
Before her knees could hit the ground, arms wrapped around her and lifted her off the ground, causing her to let out a squeak of surprise.
"You don't have to." He smiled at her, his face hardening as he turned to the Empress.
"Fined for two months, Her salary halved for indulging her servants and disrespecting the Emperor. Lead her away." She scoffed with hatred burning hot in her veins as the Empress was led away without question.
Who were they playing with? What nonsense punishment was that? Since she couldn't trust the Emperor to get things done, she would do it herself.
As she was taken back to her Palace, she faked a faint and heard the Emperor screaming for the physician as she was rushed back to her quarters and laid on her bed.
"What is wrong with your Master? What is wrong with her?" He asked the maids with concern as the physician took her pulse and sighed.
"S-she hasn't eaten for days now, and she has nightmares…" Cuiyao explained and her guise was almost given away as she held back a chuckle.
She wasn't that stupid, she was eating perfectly, she just had to create that illusion for them, just for this particular scenario.
"Why? What's wrong?" He asked.
"We don't know." Cuiyao whispered softly and she heard a soft growl of annoyance.
"It is your job to care for your Master. If anything happens to her then you're next!." He threatened and they all cried out with fear as they fell to their knees.
"Your Majesty, Huìfēi was frightened and malnourished. I'll prescribe some drugs for her to take and she will be fine soon." The physician informed and she heard a slight puff of air, one of relief as someone tucked her in slowly.
"Alright, do that and send it quickly. Everyone out, let her rest." He ordered and stood up.
"Rest up, I'll come again after I get an explanation for you." Her mind rolled, explanations on what?.
Wasn't he done already? Dealing out such stupid punishments after scheming for minutes.
As soon as she could no longer sense anyone in the room except Zhan Xian, she slowly rose up from her position and sat down with her fingers pressed into her temples.
"Huìfēi!" He rushed out with pure excitement radiating off of him in waves and she smirked.
"I presume you got the leverage out safely?" She asked and he nodded at her, the movements way too bumpy.
She gently pr
odded the pill and it was still there, no one could remove it of course but she just had to make sure.
"Good, let's move on to my next plan." She grinned at the mere thought of bringing her next revenge plan to light.