Chapter 299: Rong Qing, You Truly Are a Vexation...

’You can’t kill him. You might even end up getting yourself annihilated.’

Just as Xiao Li was about to charge in and kill him, a hollow voice sounded in her ear.

Xiao Li paused, amused. "Xiao Hei, so you’ve come."

She drew her blade as she spoke. "You know, I actually missed you. But we can catch up later."

The words had barely left her lips before she was inside the ruined temple. Seeing Xu Nianqing sitting by the fire, she didn’t waste a single word and charged straight for him.

Xu Nianqing reacted in an instant, dodging and drawing his sword to block.

The two were immediately locked in combat.

Xu Nianqing was injured, and Xiao Li could clearly sense his martial arts skills were inferior to hers. Yet, he was somehow able to precisely block her every killing blow.

And whenever Xiao Li launched an attack that was absolutely fatal, a golden light that only she could see would appear on his body.

Xiao Li pressed her advantage, every strike aimed to kill.

Just as she imbued her blade with that sliver of power she had stolen, attempting to break through the golden energy protecting Xu Nianqing, the figure of the golden world consciousness suddenly appeared behind him. With a single glance, Xiao Li felt a world-destroying power wash over her.

In that instant, Xiao Li truly thought she was dead.

"HUMMM!"

A hum that could tear her soul apart rang in her ears as a dark power enveloped her from behind.

At that moment, Xu Nianqing seized the opportunity and thrust his sword toward Xiao Li’s heart.

"CLANG!"

The silver umbrella snapped open, blocking the fatal sword strike. As Rong Qing drew his own blade, he swept Xiao Li into his arms, spinning to evade.

The silver umbrella was far too distinctive. Xu Nianqing stumbled back several steps, exclaiming in shock, "You’re the Empress’s people?"

"Why does the Empress want to kill me?"

Xu Nianqing looked as if he had suffered a devastating blow, though it was unclear what he had just realized.

Rong Qing paid him no mind and continued his assault.

Even with the world consciousness protecting him, he was still sent fleeing by Rong Qing’s attacks. Yet, Rong Qing just couldn’t kill him.

Xiao Li raised her blade again. She didn’t care that she had almost died just moments ago.

Staring at Xu Nianqing’s face, so strikingly similar to her own, the corners of her lips curled up and her eyes crinkled with a smile. But within their depths, a frenzied killing intent and a wicked light coalesced.

"Xiao Hei, can you still take it? Let’s go kill him again!"

With that, she struck.

The black consciousness: ...

’Is she using me as a shield?’

Apparently, yes!

Xiao Li attacked again and again, and was dodged again and again. In a dimension no one could see, the black and golden consciousnesses clashed madly.

Finally...

With a SQUELCH, Xiao Li’s blade pierced Xu Nianqing’s chest.

Xu Nianqing’s sword failed to injure Xiao Li, but it did flick off her face veil.

Two strikingly similar faces. A single glance was all it took to recognize each other’s identity.

Xu Nianqing was so shocked he forgot the pain, forgot to even fight back.

But Xiao Li, her identity suddenly exposed, showed no sign of panic. Instead, she broke into a smile bordering on madness. "Welcome to my hell, Lu Nianqing!"

Xiao Li raised her hand and viciously pressed the blade down.

Suddenly, a strange black smoke drifted over, carrying the sound of flapping wings.

"Master!"

In the nick of time, Rong Qing tackled Xiao Li to the ground, shielding her with his body.

The clear ringing of a bell could be heard from within the black mist. A moment later, the mist dispersed. Xu Nianqing was gone, leaving only a pool of blood on the ground.

All of Xiao Li’s other guards had been reduced to white skeletons in an instant. Only Rong Qing and Xiao Li, whom he had shielded, were unharmed.

"The Gu Insect Technique. Someone from the Southern Domain."

The reason Rong Qing was fine was likely related to the corpse poison he’d been afflicted with before. It was a blessing in disguise.

But Xu Nianqing had been on the verge of death. She was just a hair’s breadth away from killing him, yet someone had still managed to rush in and save him at such a critical moment. It was completely absurd.

"Xiao Hei, you’re useless."

The black consciousness: ...’If it were possible, I’d want to kill Xiao Li more than anyone. How can such a detestable creature exist?’

As Xiao Li walked out the door, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Her chest felt like it was about to split open.

Xu Nianqing hadn’t wounded her, but how could a blow from the world consciousness not be damaging?

Rong Qing caught the unsteady Xiao Li. Seeing her deathly pale face, his own expression tightened. He bowed his head slightly. "Your Majesty, I will be so bold."

With that, he gently swept her into his arms.

The Empress was powerful, inspiring awe and fear, but she was still a mortal woman of flesh and blood. Rong Qing lifted her effortlessly.

It was late at night, making travel impossible. Besides, Xiao Li didn’t look like she could withstand the bumpy journey.

Rong Qing first sent a signal to summon his men. When they arrived, half stayed behind to deal with the skeletons in the temple, while the other half followed him as he took Xiao Li to a nearby village to rest. Meanwhile, someone was sent to bring Cen An with all haste.

Rong Qing paid generously, so the farmer gave them the largest room in the house and even laid out brand-new bedding.

Rong Qing sent everyone else out. The house was surrounded by Silver Armor Guards. When others brought in boiled water, Rong Qing attended to her personally.

Xiao Li was incredibly weak. Her heart ached, her head throbbed, and her body trembled. It was a pain worse than death.

Rong Qing wiped her face and hands, but it did nothing to alleviate her suffering. The tall, sturdy man’s eyes were red with anxiety.

"Your Majesty, Cen An will be here soon. You have to hold on!"

Xiao Li had made thorough preparations before leaving, bringing enough manpower, including a doctor, of course. It was just that Cen An had been at the previous stronghold treating a guard and would need some time to get here.

Xiao Li knew in her heart that Cen An couldn’t save her.

’This pain originates from my soul. It has nothing to do with my body.’

’It hurts so much!’

Xiao Li wasn’t afraid of death, but she was still human. There was pain even she couldn’t bear.

She didn’t scream or yield, but suppressing such agony could make a person’s mind snap, their sanity crumble.

Rong Qing was strong, his skills and stamina both superior to Xiao Li’s. But when she lunged at him, he didn’t resist in the slightest. When her first strike landed on him, he only trembled slightly, all the while shielding her, afraid something from the cabinet might fall and hit her.

When Xiao Li’s second strike came down, he shifted slightly, letting her blade avoid his vital points.

He still wanted to protect his Majesty, so he didn’t care about being injured, but he couldn’t die now.

When Xiao Li raised her blade to strike again, Rong Qing still didn’t resist. He simply moved his arm into the path of the blow, lest his Majesty miss her target.

"CLANG!"

Xiao Li flung the blade away and retched, spitting out a huge mouthful of blood.

Teetering on the edge of madness, she regained a sliver of sanity and stared coldly at Rong Qing, who was lying in a pool of his own blood but still looking at her with worry in his eyes. "Are you an idiot? Why didn’t you stop me?"

She had lost her mind and gone crazy, but Rong Qing hadn’t.

Rong Qing didn’t care. "This subject will never raise a hand against Your Majesty."

Even if Your Majesty went mad and killed him, he wouldn’t resent her in the slightest. His only worry was that she would hurt herself by suppressing her emotions.

Shaking with pain, Xiao Li’s blood-stained hand clamped around Rong Qing’s neck. "Rong Qing, you truly are a vexation to Us..."

’His face could be considered handsome, but rough, rugged men aren’t really Xiao Li’s type. Still, this ’loyal hound’ personality of his, willing to give up everything for his master, even his life... it just makes one want to bully him relentlessly, just to see what he’d look like when he finally snaps.’