Remembering You For Eternity

2.37 Carrier of Malice

The two palace maids knelt in silence in front of the woman garbed in red. The woman looked young, not looking any older than twenty, her face was flawless and her expression was delicate. However, as her long fingers raked across one of the maids' cheeks, drawing a thin line of blood, one could see the chill in her eyes.

What was also peculiar, was the bleeding maid's expression; there was not the slightest ripple in her unflinching gaze, as tiny drops of blood drew from her thin open wound.

The woman in the regal red robe and the two kneeling maids looked at each other, each one of them looking as stoic and frosty as the other. No words had been spoken between them ever since the woman summoned both maids over into her room.

"What a stupid girl." Qing Lian sighed, her hands carressing with the black threads oozing off the maids' bodies. Those threads were only visible to her.

The threads, the malice; her liberation, was her eyes in the world. Who would have known; she had spent and wasted so much time seeking favour from her ex-Shifu, her ex – martial brothers, the Royal Princes... . All in pursuit of the ultimate power, where she would stand above all and no longer suffer.

Of course, one's way to seek the pinnacle of the world was to continue to cultivate the Dao, but she was not stupid to proceed through that painful path. She knew her talent was subpar. Even back in Hui Lin sect, if she did not receive so many favours from her martial brothers, she would not have been able to even reach her rank of Martial-Artist. Those brothers – especially Ao Xiang – doted on her a lot and gave her precious pills and herbs to aid in her cultivation.

But for her, to be liberated by this so-called malice, totally defeated the arduous path of Dao cultivation.

The maids had just returned from their daily observing task in the city. From other Daemons like them, they received news of Zuo Shan'er and the incoming Yin maiden from Ping sect.

Qing Lian knew, it would be far too dangerous to let Ji YuLan come close. It was one thing for the Yin maiden to sense the malice in her; but an entirely different ball game if she brought along a lot of beast-masters. Qing Lian's mortal body was not adequate to be the perfect vessel of malice, she was still vulnerable to purifying fire.

Which is why she had been laying low in the Imperial Palace, expending her effort to liberate her ultimate protector.

Zuo JinLong.

A very obstinate old man. Despite her effort to corrode his Dantians, directly invading his qi flow as they tumbled in the sheets almost every night, the man was still very much his old-self.

If anything, he became more muddled, but not exactly in a way that Qing Lian wanted. She was the Empress in the shadows and Zuo JinLong never gave her a coronation ceremony – not that she really wanted one. She just wanted to stay hidden until her blessing was strong enough to control Zuo JinLong, the Dynasty, and finally even the cultivation world.

She now had the Emperor's sole affection though, as his harem of women became her puppets. All but one: she had sent Lady Mei Gui away as soon as she arrived in Imperial City years ago. Zuo JinLong did not object much either. For her, it was best to not have that particular concubine in the same vicinity as herself. Lady Mei Gui had seen and interacted with her before in Hui Lin sect; if they were to meet each other, Lady Mei Gui would definitely be able to identity her and might become her hindrance, especially since her influence on Zuo JinLong was not as strong yet.

A eunuch outside announced the Emperor's arrival with his shrill effeminate voice, causing the two maids to finally let out a semblance of human emotion. Their expressions quickly turned humble as they docilely stood to one side.