Chapter 20 Part 2
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This chapter is edited by Farouq Omileye. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 20: The Essence of “Bai Lian’s Creed” (2)
—
Tall buildings, bright moons, and shadows.
When Wen Su discovered that Bai Lian had appeared in the royal city, his body silently transformed into countless grains of sand.
The evening wind stirred.
The grains scattered and drifted until they reached the vast sandy expanse outside Nanwang City.
His arrival was unnoticed, and so too was his departure.
—
Bai Lian stood in the backyard of the royal city.
She had gathered information before coming here. This royal city housed not only the Queen and her maids but also priests and devout followers of the Nanwang Church.
Nanwang Country was a nation deeply entrenched in religious belief.
The Queen did not only wield secular power—she also served as the earthly representative of God.
It was for this reason that the elderly man had claimed the Queen’s divine blessing was what brought forth new oases.
God loves the world?
In this world of cultivation, there was no God.
Bai Lian speculated that this might be a trick from a fellow practitioner of the Demon Sect. If so, they must have mastered some extraordinary technique, as they could dispel the immortal’s blood and create oases.
Bai Lian strolled along the corridor toward the altar of the royal city.
She concealed her aura and donned a maid’s dress. Apart from her striking beauty, she looked no different from an ordinary servant.
A perfect disguise!
Since Bai Lian did not wish to be discovered, she moved cautiously and refrained from using spells.
—
“Stop!”
A girl’s voice suddenly rang out from a distance.
Bai Lian halted and turned.
Under the eaves stood a girl with white hair and brown skin.
It should be a girl, right?
She had no makeup, her face was youthful, and she wore a loose white robe.
If Bai Lian wasn’t mistaken, this was the Queen of Nanwang.
She looked quite different from her appearance during the day. Only her sapphire blue eyes retained their confident gleam.
“Come here!” the Queen commanded.
—
Bai Lian saw a new task:
[Task 1: Kill the Queen with one blow! (Reward: A scroll of Broken Martial Arts Classic)]
[Task 2: Arrest the Queen on the spot and force her to comply. (Reward: A secret medicine – Sweep Flowers with Immortals for Leisure)]
[Task 3: Temporarily comply with the Queen. (Reward: A middle-grade Magic Tool – Kunqiu Phoenix Zither)]
[Task 4: Turn around and escape. (Reward: Light Skill +2)]
Something felt off.
The Broken Martial Arts Classic was among the most revered cultivation methods.
The Queen of Nanwang was an ordinary person. Rewarding such a valuable scroll for her death seemed disproportionate.
“Is there someone behind her, or does she possess a deeply hidden cultivation base?”
—
Bai Lian walked slowly toward the Queen, pondering as she moved.
She wasn’t a demon who killed without reason. It was better to select Task 3 and observe.
—
“Come with me.”
The Queen turned and headed toward her bedroom.
“?”
Not even a question asked?
Bai Lian followed her.
The faint scent of orchids lingered in the air inside the Queen’s bedroom.
The Queen sank into a wooden chair, propped her head with one hand, and closed her eyes.
“I can’t sleep. Give me a shoulder massage.”
“?”
Something’s wrong!
Summoning a maid for a late-night massage—who does that?
Aren’t you afraid I’m an assassin?
By the way, Bai Lian had noticed very few patrol guards while roaming the royal city.
How did they manage to fend off intruders?
—
“If you don’t want to do it, light a lamp for me,” the Queen added.
This woman was truly troublesome.
Bai Lian sighed but walked behind her.
From this angle, the Queen’s loose white robe resembled a bathrobe, and her chest was barely concealed.
Bai Lian placed her hands on the Queen’s shoulders.
Though she wasn’t trained in massage, her expertise in medicine and music had made her fingers exceptionally nimble.
—
As though a switch was flipped, the Queen shifted and emitted a strange sound.
Bai Lian quickly pulled her hands back.
ヽ(｡• ˇ‸ˇ•｡) ノ
She was innocent! She hadn’t done anything strange!
She hadn’t even used the secret medicine!
—
Bai Lian prepared to leave. Her younger Martial Sister was waiting outside.
But just as she turned, the Queen spoke again.
“What do you think of Nanwang?”
—
Bai Lian paused to think.
“The people here are very warm and honest.”
“Yes,” the Queen sighed, adjusting her posture. “The people of Nanwang are lovely, but I am unfit to be their queen. From the moment I entered the royal city, I vowed to change Nanwang. Yet, seated in this position, I’ve realized my inability. No matter how hard I try, nothing changes.”
—
Bai Lian replied, “This is not your fault, Your Majesty. It’s the fault of the world.”
The Queen’s soft smile reappeared. “Why are you here?”
—
So, she recognized me.
“How do you know I’m not a maid?” Bai Lian asked.
“There are 372 people in this royal city. I remember each face and name,” the Queen answered.
Impressive.
Bai Lian’s expression stiffened.
Had she known, she would’ve disguised herself better.
—
“I’m looking for someone,” Bai Lian admitted.
“Who?”
“A cultivator, hiding somewhere in the royal city.”
“Did you find her?”
Bai Lian shrugged. “You stopped me before I could search further. Shouldn’t you let me look first?”
—
The Queen said, “If you plan to kill me, leave my body intact.”
“You’re overthinking it,” Bai Lian replied, shaking her head.
—
The Queen was peculiar.
But staying any longer wouldn’t yield results unless Bai Lian resorted to torture or soul-searching—methods she didn’t wish to use.
“Take care. I’m leaving.”
Without waiting for the Queen’s response, Bai Lian stepped out of the bedroom.