Chapter 232: Go to Hell, All of You

Liu Xueyin screamed at the top of her lungs, but she soon realized that in the vast banquet hall, she was the only one shrieking, the only one overcome with emotion.

Everyone else watched her with cold eyes. There wasn’t a trace of sympathy in the gazes of these courtiers, and no one was willing to say a single word in her defense.

And seated high on the dais was the woman she hated most in this life. She was colder and more ruthless than anyone else, a viper coiled on her throne, poisonous from her skin to her very bones.

Liu Xueyin looked at the decapitated Mu Hati, then hugged the deranged Xiao Jingyu. At this moment, she was completely alone and helpless. Only her husband could offer her any support.

"How can you all be so cold-blooded? How can you just stand by and watch her harm the innocent?"

She wept, a truly miserable sight. "My husband is Prince Chen, the late Emperor’s most beloved son! He is the one who should be the master of this empire!"

The Beicang Envoy was amused. "A madman, and he still dreams of becoming master of the empire?"

Someone had engaged with her, and Liu Xueyin immediately shot back, "He’s not a madman! He’s just in poor health."

Xiao Li finally understood Liu Xueyin’s aim. ’She’s still the same, no doubt about it. The classic personality of an angst-novel heroine.’

’Weeping, screaming, interrogating... It all seems so well-founded, but every time, she just puts herself in a more wretched position. At first glance, it looks like she’s being stubborn, unyielding, and fiercely loyal, but in reality, her only job is to cry and be tormented.’

’The ones who torment her are the male lead and the villainous female rival, while the second male lead and the villains all fall for her and protect her at every turn.’

’In the end, she uses her sincerity and persistence to melt the male lead—that icy scumbag—and gets her happy ending.’

Xiao Li never thought it was pure fantasy for a woman’s charm to captivate heroes and villains alike. Xiao Li admired kind and upright people, but she also admired people who were wickedly competent, regardless of gender.

’You have to admit, there are powerful people in this world who are loyally supported by their comrades and respected by their rivals.’

’It comes down to skill, character, and charisma.’

’It can’t just be tears and mindless emotional outbursts.’

’An angst-novel heroine?’

’What a joke!’

Xiao Li raised her hand, and Yang Jun immediately presented her with a sword.

SHIING!

She drew the sword, rested its tip on the floor, and slowly descended the steps.

’I’ve already killed Liu Xueyin twice. It’s clear she can’t be killed.’

’But I’ve killed almost all of the supporting male characters around her, and now the male lead is practically useless. She’s consumed so much of my fortune. Even now, with everyone watching, I’m tempted to try one more time.’

The Empress descended the imperial steps, sword in hand, her killing intent palpable.

An official immediately stepped forward to advise her. "Your Majesty, please do not act in anger. Just have them taken away and imprisoned."

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Such people are not worthy of you acting personally."

"Your Majesty, quell your anger! The envoys from all the kingdoms are watching. Please, think of the greater good."

’The greater good? What do I care about that?’ Still, his words reminded her that the envoys from several kingdoms were still present.

"I am merely handling a small matter. I ask the envoys to please wait a moment."

The envoys watched, frozen. When Xiao Li had been seated, they hadn’t felt much. But now, as she stood with a sword in her hand, even before she’d made a move, a powerful wave of killing intent washed over them. They finally remembered: this Empress was a ruler who had slaughtered her way to the throne.

Song Junzhan was deeply worried, but he said nothing. He simply swept his gaze across the envoys, a calculating look already forming in his eyes.

Seeing Xiao Li approach with her sword, Liu Xueyin tensed instantly. Fear filled her eyes, but she firmly spread her arms to shield Xiao Jingyu.

"What do you think you’re doing? Are you going to commit murder in front of everyone?"

She condemned her furiously. "He is your own brother! How can you be so depraved?"

"As long as I’m here, I won’t let you lay a single finger on him."

Xiao Li laughed, exasperated. "Liu Xueyin, when have I ever tried to kill him? The person I’ve wanted to kill, from start to finish... wasn’t it always you?"

With that, she raised her sword and thrust!

SQUELCH!

The sword pierced flesh, but not Liu Xueyin’s, and not Xiao Jingyu’s. It pierced Xiao Li.

The very instant Xiao Li thrust her sword, Xiao Jingyu, who had been sitting there in a stupor, sprang into action. He snatched the blade from her hand and drove it back into her.

No one could stop him. The sword pierced straight through her shoulder.

"Your Majesty!"

Everyone paled in horror.

"Stay back!"

Xiao Li roared, then staggered back and ripped the sword from her own body.

The Silver Armor Army swarmed in, completely surrounding them.

Lou Yan rushed to Xiao Li’s side, but when he tried to support her, she shoved him away.

Blood soaked her Dragon Robe and spattered her face, but she was laughing.

"Hahahaha... Hahaha... I knew it... I knew it..."

She laughed, a crazed, maniacal sound, her eyes glowing red.

Xiao Li raised her hand again. After a moment’s hesitation, Lou Yan placed his own sword into it.

Xiao Jingyu held the terrified Liu Xueyin, his earlier weakness completely gone. He condemned her with domineering arrogance, "Xuanyang, you are too cruel! Slaughtering the aristocratic families, murdering your brothers, annihilating other kingdoms... As a woman, you are making a mockery of the empire."

"Surrender the Jade Seal now, and I might spare you. Otherwise, don’t blame me—your own brother—for being merciless."

Xiao Li raised her hand, dipped her fingers in her own blood, and slowly smeared it across the sword’s blade. The curve of her lips grew brighter, more sinister, as the blood spread. "And what if I refuse?"

Xiao Jingyu declared righteously, "There has never been an Empress in all of history! Look at the mess you’ve made of this court, of this world! How can you be allowed to ruin the Longsheng empire? This Prince will not stand for it, the people will not stand for it, and the ancestors of the Xiao Family will not stand for it!"

"Pfft... Hahahaha..."

Xiao Li burst into wild laughter. "Oh, Xiao Jingyu, Xiao Jingyu. You truly are... and always have been... utterly ridiculous."

She gestured. "It’s just you and your sword, and you’re dragging along a burden. Who do you think you are, spouting such arrogant nonsense? You think I’ll hand over the throne just because you said so? In your dreams."

"You can call me cruel, you can call me bloodthirsty and merciless, but don’t you dare make this about me being a woman. Yes, I am a woman, and I have crushed every last one of you. The fact that my gender is the only thing you can cling to—doesn’t that just prove your own humiliation?"

The next instant, she lunged. Xiao Jingyu, still holding Liu Xueyin, scrambled to dodge and parry her attacks.

Xiao Li’s attacks were swift, each one a killing blow.

SQUELCH!

Her sword pierced through Liu Xueyin’s body.

Xiao Jingyu was stunned. Xiao Li was dumbfounded.

’I pierced the heroine’s body?!’

"Xiao Xuanyang!"

’The heroine is injured, so the male lead powers up.’

Lou Yan swiftly pulled Xiao Li back. Xiao Jingyu’s counterattack missed, and he immediately looked down to check on Liu Xueyin.

"Xue Yin, why were you so foolish?"

Liu Xueyin reached out a trembling hand to touch Xiao Jingyu’s face. "My love, as long as you’re safe..."

Xiao Jingyu held her, heartbroken, and pointed his sword at Xiao Li. "If Xue Yin dies, I will make you pay."

Xiao Li: ’...What a psycho.’

Liu Xueyin’s clothes were soaked in blood, and a trickle of it escaped her lips. While everyone watched them enact this tragic farewell, she ignored Xiao Jingyu and turned her head to look at Xiao Li.

"Xuanyang... I know you hate me, but... Brother Yan Zhi and I... we were... we were truly innocent... Brother Yan Zhi thought of you his whole life. He loved you..."

Her gaze gradually shifted, and she suddenly spoke a name. "Lu Nianqing..."

"Lu Nianqing... you were supposed to have a child..."

"He would have been a good child... and the future Emperor... What a pity... that he can no longer be born..."

"He always... always wanted to meet you... his mother..."

Xiao Li’s temples throbbed, and a suffocating pain swelled in her chest. The next moment, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

’Lu Nianqing... a child... his mother?’

’What is she talking about?’

Xiao Li’s vision swam with black spots. Those suppressed emotions were acting up again as images of the original body’s agonizing struggle in childbirth flashed ceaselessly through her mind. The painful memories, once faded, were replaying themselves in vivid, horrifying detail.

’I thought I didn’t care anymore, but now I can’t block it out. It’s as if someone has ripped open a healed wound, exposing the raw, bleeding flesh all over again.’

’Forcing me to confront that past agony once more.’

The last shreds of her reason told her that Liu Xueyin might know the plot now, too. Or perhaps she had also been reborn from some so-called future.

Too bad for her, she was reborn too late. She couldn’t change a thing.

’Why bring up the child? Does she think I was also reborn? Is she trying to use the child to provoke some maternal instinct, to make me go soft?’

’Simply... ridiculous.’

What was even more unbelievable was that she had actually allowed Liu Xueyin to say so much.

Xiao Li hefted her sword, its blood-stained tip scraping along the floor. Her eyes burned with resolute killing intent. In that moment, her very pupils were the color of blood.

"I don’t care about your struggles. I don’t care about this world. Today, there are only two possible outcomes: either I kill them, or... we all perish together."

’This, again and again... it’s so fucking nauseating.’

’I’m not even trying to go back to my own world anymore. No matter how hard I struggle, I can’t return. So fine. I’ll take this world’s consciousness and whatever invading consciousness with me. Let’s all be annihilated together!’

She raised her hand, lifted her sword, her blood-red eyes promising only slaughter. "All of you, just go to hell!"