novelAbuy Chapter 188 The player becomes the pawn! What will become of Empress Li Yang?
Chapter 188 The player becomes the pawn! What will become of Empress Li Yang?
"This humble woman..."
Xiao Yu's voice trembled violently, each word seeming to be forced out of her throat.
"This humble woman greets Your Majesty."
His forehead touched the ground.
He lay sprawled among the fallen leaves, shivering.
She already knows.
She learned that the young master who saved her at the ferry was the emperor of the Qin Dynasty.
That legendary emperor who was not only licentious but also possessed supernatural abilities.
The emperor who brought down the Nujiang Gang and reduced the worshippers of the Zhixuan Realm to ashes.
that……
The man standing right in front of her at that moment.
Xiao Yu didn't know how to face him.
All she knows is fear.
They were so scared they didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Qin Mu smiled gently as he looked at her.
The smile was gentle, without any intimidation, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake.
"Get up," he said.
The voice was very gentle, as gentle as if soothing a frightened kitten.
Xiao Yu dared not move.
She remained prostrate on the ground, her shoulders trembling violently, her forehead pressed against fallen leaves, afraid to lift it.
Qin Mu did not speak again.
I just watched her quietly.
Moonlight bathed him, making his moon-white robe glow with a warm light. He stood with his hands behind his back, his posture composed, as if waiting for something.
After a while.
Xiao Yu finally stood up tremblingly.
Her legs were still weak, and her body swayed. She could only stand up by holding onto the tree trunk next to her.
She kept her head down, not daring to look at Qin Mu, nor at the aloof woman behind him.
She was just twisting the hem of her clothes, shivering.
Just then—
A dark figure appeared silently at the edge of the open space.
Zhao Qingxue's eyes suddenly trembled.
She turned her head sharply and looked at the figure.
Under the moonlight, there was a woman.
She was dressed in a black, fitted outfit with dark silver cloud patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs. Her long hair was neatly tied into a high ponytail, and her face was cold and heroic.
Her clothes...
Zhao Qingxue remembers.
It's her.
What just appeared on the river surface and emerged from the dragon's body—
Black crow.
But at this moment, standing in front of her was clearly a woman.
Zhao Qingxue's pupils contracted slightly.
She watched as the woman walked up to Qin Mu, knelt on one knee, and moved swiftly and decisively, without any unnecessary movements.
"Your Majesty," the woman said, her voice clear and calm, a stark contrast to the hoarse, gritty voice she had just spoken, "I have completed my orders."
臣？
Zhao Qingxue's eyes narrowed slightly.
She looked at the woman, at her cold and heroic face, at the familiar dark silver cloud pattern on her outfit, and at her eyes that were lowered but still sharp.
In my mind, countless fragments suddenly pieced together.
Zhao Qingxue took a deep breath.
really.
it is as expected.
Mo Ya was a fake from the very beginning.
The figure that emerged from the dragon's body was a disguise from beginning to end.
It is the most crucial piece in Qin Mu's carefully laid plan.
The purpose was to let Li Chunfeng see it with his own eyes—
People from the North appeared at the kidnapping scene.
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes, then opened them again.
He sighed inwardly.
The sigh was soft, yet it carried a deep, almost resigned helplessness.
Imperial Preceptor...
Can you see through this scheme?
Can you see through that figure's disguise?
Can you...
Zhao Qingxue didn't know.
She could only hope.
It is hoped that Li Chunfeng's wisdom can penetrate the fog laid out by Qin Mu.
Hopefully, the eyesight of the Sword God of the Sun will be able to see through this meticulously designed trap.
expect--
But hope is just hope.
Looking at the woman kneeling on the ground, and at the confident smile on Qin Mu's lips, her sense of powerlessness deepened.
"it is good."
Qin Mu's voice rang in my ears, carrying a satisfied smile.
"Let's head back home."
He turned around and walked toward the carriage.
He took two steps, then stopped and looked back at Zhao Qingxue.
"Your Majesty," he said, his tone as gentle as inviting a guest into a car, "please."
Zhao Qingxue looked at him.
He didn't speak.
She just gave him a cold look, and then—
Take a step.
They walked toward the carriage.
She had no other choice.
At least not at this moment.
Qin Mu looked at her straight back, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
Then, he looked at the little fisherman who was still trembling.
"You come up too," he said.
Xiao Yu trembled all over, suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with terror.
"Your Majesty...this humble woman...this humble woman dares not..."
Qin Mu smiled.
"Don't be afraid," he said. "Get in the car."
The voice remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.
Xiao Yu dared not say anything more, and cautiously walked to the carriage.
She glanced at the closed car door, then at Qin Mu, her eyes filled with helplessness.
Qin Mu raised his hand and gently pushed open the car door.
Inside the carriage, thick brocade cushions were laid out, and small incense burners were lit, making it warm and comfortable.
Zhao Qingxue was already sitting upright at the back of the carriage, her back straight and her face ashen.
Xiao Yu dared not look any longer and quickly crawled into the carriage, shrinking into the corner furthest from Zhao Qingxue, hugging her knees and trembling.
Qin Mu then got into the car and sat down opposite Zhao Qingxue.
The car door closed.
Outside, Yun Luan's clear, cold voice rang out:
"drive."
The sound of horses' hooves rang out.
The carriage slowly started moving, crunching over fallen leaves, and drove into the depths of the forest.
The carriage was completely silent.
The only sounds were the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire in the incense burner and the crunching of horses' hooves over dry branches.
Zhao Qingxue sat motionless, her gaze fixed on a certain spot on the carriage wall, her face expressionless.
Qin Mu leaned against the car wall, resting his chin on his hand, his posture languid, but his gaze was fixed on her face, scrutinizing her with great interest.
Xiao Yu huddled in the corner, wishing she could bury herself in the brocade, barely daring to breathe.
The carriage gradually disappeared into the distance.
As the jungle deepened and night grew darker, the forest became more dense.
The roar of the Nu River has long since faded away.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the carriage roof, which swayed gently with the movement of the carriage.
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes.
The image of Li Chunfeng's aged and solemn face flashed through my mind.
They passed by the multi-story ship that was shrouded in thick fog at the ferry crossing.
He glanced past the cowering boatmen.
He glimpsed the disguised figure that emerged from the dragon's body.
Imperial Preceptor...
She whispered silently.
Please, you must see through it.
Absolutely.
But deep within my heart, a softer, fainter voice whispers:
What if even the Imperial Advisor can't see through it?
What if this game of chess had no flaws from the very beginning?
Then she...
How long will we be sitting in this carriage?
How long can I stay under this man's control?
How long must we stand beside this bottomless abyss?
Zhao Qingxue didn't know.
All she knew was this moment—
She was sitting in a carriage heading into the unknown.
Opposite her stood a man she could never truly understand.
In the corner, there was an innocent girl who was terrified.
Outside the car stood the leader of the Dragon Shadow Guard, disguised as a Northern assassin.
Behind her, the Nu River receded into the distance, and the Li Yang Sword God, desperately searching for her, yet destined to fail.
The night is still long.
The road ahead is still long.
But this game of chess has only just begun.
But this time—
She is no longer the player.
It's just another piece.
A chess piece placed on the edge of an abyss, its fate uncertain.
Zhao Qingxue opened her eyes.
Through the gaps in the car wall, she saw a fleeting glimpse of moonlight outside the window.
The moonlight was bright and cold.
It illuminated the jungle, the mountain path, and the direction the carriage was heading.
But it couldn't illuminate her heart at that moment.
Something is quietly changing there.
Something she had never experienced before, something indescribable.
What is that?
she does not know.
I don't want to admit it either.
I simply let it grow quietly in the deepest part of my heart.
The carriage continued on its way.
Crushing over fallen leaves, crushing over withered branches, crushing over this long and endless night.
Heading towards that place she had never truly seen clearly—
Imperial City.