C8 The Dust Settled and They Took Revenge on Each Other!

It was merely a single step.

Yet, it set off a tidal wave in the hearts of the courtiers of the Li Dynasty!

They were baffled as to how Zhuang Banxue, who hadn't even achieved Foundation Establishment, could resist the overwhelming pressure of Prince Ann.

Prince Ann was equally perplexed.

Without realizing it, everyone's attention drifted from Zhuang Banxue to Wu Zhi, who was innocently closing his eyes, absorbing the spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth.

It had to be the mutated beast.

Definitely!

Zhuang Banxue's incredible feat must be due to her sharing the extraordinary talents of the mutated beast after forming a contract with it!

That was the only explanation for what they were witnessing!

With this realization, the greed in their eyes grew even more intense.

Consumed by his own covetous thoughts, Prince Ann had completely overlooked the fact that Zhuang Banxue was merely a novice who had not yet achieved Foundation Establishment. His aura, no longer contained, burst forth in full force!

If Prince Ann's aura were to fully unleash, even Zhuang Banxue, who was once an Empress in her past life, would not be able to maintain her composure.

Especially since the Immortal Qi she had worked so hard to refine over the past three years had been entirely consumed by Wu Zhi.

Now, Zhuang Banxue was nothing more than an ordinary mortal, devoid of any spiritual Qi.

Unless she resorted to some of her most powerful techniques.

But just as Zhuang Banxue's eyes narrowed, bracing to withstand Prince Ann's onslaught once more, Emperor Lee intervened with a sweep of his sleeve.

"Enough!" he commanded.

A reversing gust of wind followed his shout.

Prince Ann's formidable Qi was instantly repressed back into his body.

Prince Ann paused, taken aback.

"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?"

"Are we truly to let such a precious mutated beast go to Zhuang Banxue?"

"Would that not be squandering a gift from the heavens?"

Emperor Lee shook his head, his gaze upon Zhuang Banxue flickering with intrigue.

"If the mutated beast has chosen Banxue, then so be it," he declared.

Prince Ann's face fell at the decree, but he held his tongue.

He exchanged a conspiratorial glance with Prime Minister Cao.

Though both harbored their own schemes for the mutated beast, at that moment, they found themselves allies.

Their immediate goal was clear: to wrest the mutated beast from Zhuang Banxue's grasp, opening the possibility of claiming it for themselves.

Prime Minister Cao clearly understood the situation at hand. Upon catching Prince Ann's meaningful look, he stepped forward without hesitation, ready to speak with his hands respectfully clasped in front of him.

Yet, before he could utter a single word, Emperor Lee's icy gaze cut through him.

"Prime Minister Cao, do you have any further insights to share?"

The chilling sweep of the Emperor's eyes sent a shiver down Prime Minister Cao's spine, silencing the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Having served by his side for many years, he knew all too well what that look meant.

Emperor Lee had made up his mind, and his decision was final.

No one could sway the will of the revered ruler of the Li Dynasty!

Drenched in cold sweat, Prime Minister Cao managed a strained smile and said, "The Seventeenth Princess's courage is commendable for one so young! Such a mutated beast is indeed a fitting companion for her valiant spirit—a perfect union, truly a match made by the heavens. Ha ha."

With those words, it became clear to all the ministers.

The matter was settled.

The coveted mutated beast that had turned so many green with envy was now beyond anyone's reach.

However, the undercurrent of greed in their eyes did not fade; it merely retreated into the shadows.

This was particularly true for Prime Minister Cao and Prince Ann.

They may not have secured the mutated beast today,

But the future remained uncertain.

...

Emperor Lee swiftly departed with his entourage of officials.

Even after they had all vanished, Zhuang Banxue's expression remained icy.

She had anticipated this outcome all along.

She knew these people's personalities and methods too well.

"Now that Father has recognized my exceptional qualities, he will surely look after me more closely. This adds an extra layer of security to my actions," she thought.

As for Prime Minister Cao and Prince Ann...

A frosty glint appeared in Zhuang Banxue's eyes.

Their deeply concealed greed had not escaped her keen observation.

She was resolute in eliminating such threats, no matter what it took.

Even if she couldn't act against them at present...

The day of reckoning would come.

For now, her immediate priority was to exact revenge on two other individuals.

"Fifteenth Princess and her master!"

Zhuang Banxue, with the knowledge from her past life, was well-versed in the techniques of the experts within the Lee Dynasty. She had deduced the assailant from the wounds inflicted upon her maid, Qing.

She was resolute in not letting these two off the hook!

Even though the Fifteenth Princess's master was a formidable Divine Ruins Stage expert, and she, Zhuang Banxue, was merely a mortal, her resolve for revenge was unwavering.

This was the legacy of an Empress!

As Zhuang Banxue contemplated her vengeance, she sat cross-legged next to Wu Zhi, waiting for him to finish his cycle of absorbing and releasing spiritual energy.

The wait lasted until evening.

Zhuang Banxue was already aware of the panda's extraordinary nature, but Wu Zhi's display still astounded her.

The amount of spiritual qi he had cycled through that afternoon was on par with her years of cultivation!

It was truly fearsome!

What left Zhuang Banxue at a loss for words, however, was that after Wu Zhi completed his spiritual energy cycle, he simply tilted his head and collapsed, limbs akimbo.

Initially, Zhuang Banxue feared that Wu Zhi had overexerted himself and something had gone awry.

But as she rushed to pick him up, she was greeted by his deep, sweet snores.

She couldn't help but let her mouth twitch in annoyance.

"Sleeping again?!"

"How can he sleep so much?!"

Near the brink of madness, Zhuang Banxue had no choice but to carry the hefty Wu Zhi, easily weighing over a hundred kilograms, back to her own chambers, step by painstaking step.

Had she not been the Empress, skilled in certain techniques, Wu Zhi's hefty frame would have surely exhausted her to death on the journey.

"Thud!"

After heaving Wu Zhi onto the bed, Zhuang Banxue exhaled a deep breath of relief.

Then, her gaze sharpened as she peered out the window.

"Fifteenth Princess and her master..."

"The vendetta for harming my maid Qing will be settled tonight, severed in two!"

With those words, Zhuang Banxue's silhouette vanished in a flash, disappearing into the cloak of the night.

Meanwhile, outside Zhuang Banxue's chambers...

An elderly man was stealthily evading the guards, slipping into the shadows.

This individual was none other than the master of the Fifteenth Princess!

By a curious twist of fate, his mission aligned perfectly with Zhuang Banxue's—eliminate the opposition.

Originally, the master of the Fifteenth Princess had no desire to let the situation escalate to such a tense standoff.

Killing the princess would mean serious consequences, even for him, whether as her master or her grandfather.

Yet, the disturbance caused by the mutated beast that afternoon, which had even drawn the attention of Emperor Lee, did not escape his ears.

This incident had significantly elevated the importance of the mutated beast in his eyes.

"If I eliminate the Seventeenth Princess, but manage to have the mutated beast contract with the Fifteenth Princess, turning this raw deal into a done one, then surely no one could object," he mused.

"Once the Fifteenth Princess's status soars, I, as her master, will naturally evade any punishment or disaster!"

The old man was known for his mercilessness and decisiveness in his actions.

Regrettably, his journey this time...

was fated to end in disappointment.