Chapter 083 Punishing the Wicked Woman

  "Make way! Our lady is leaving the camp, who dares to block her?" Shu Lan's nephew, Lei Yuan, the leader of the Lei clan, stood in front of the west camp gate with a group of young men from the Lei clan, shouting angrily.

  Chu Li's Imperial Guard Commander Chi Lang had a cold expression, holding a large knife, standing proudly in front of the camp gate. He glanced at him with disdain and said in a cold voice: "His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to step out of the camp gate. If you want to die, come on and try."

  "How dare you!" Leizi Cheng shouted, drawing his treasured sword from his waist and saying: "Our Leizi clan has been stationed in the East for over 300 years, occupying the first assistant position of the Council of Elders. You're just a small leader of the Forbidden Army, do you think you can start a rebellion?"

  The flames crackled and popped, casting a reddish glow on the cold blade. The atmosphere was even more eerie and deadly. The young masters of the Li family had always been tyrannical, but now they saw a commoner in command, and they dared to shout loudly in front of him, their anger boiling over. Everyone was furious, drawing their swords and advancing, over 300 Li family warriors shouted in unison, raising their battle knives with a whooshing sound, assuming a charging posture, looking like they were ready to fight to the death.

  With a raised eyebrow and a wave of his hand, a loud angry shout was heard, countless long spears and sharp blades were drawn from their scabbards at the same time. Eight thousand imperial guards rushed forward in an instant, surrounding the warriors of the Li mansion in the middle. The front row held shields, the back row held spears, and the cold arrows in the four corner towers were aimed at the center of the field, with countless arrowheads gleaming with a bloodthirsty silver light.

  The people in the palace only then realized that something was amiss, their usual arrogance and swagger all gone. The pampered young masters were shocked and looked around frantically, no one had expected that the imperial guards who usually greeted them with bows and nods would actually dare to point their blades at them.

  "Despicable mongrel! Are you really going to rebel?" Li Zicheng shouted loudly with a lack of confidence and a flustered expression.

  Qing Lang smiled coldly and glanced at the group of young masters from prestigious families, saying indifferently: "I have a royal order to guard the camp gate. You people from the Li clan don't respect the imperial edict, forcing your way out of the camp, I'm justified in stopping you, yet you still ask if I want to rebel? Did that day really get hit by our young lady and become muddle-headed?"

  As soon as the words fell, the imperial guards burst into loud laughter. Li Zicheng was furious, but facing the cold and menacing knife edges, he didn't dare say another word.

  The entire Li courtyard was silent and still, like a flock of quails. Qierlang waved his hand and said to the soldiers under him: "Li courtyard does not follow military rules, plots rebellion, first capture and detain them, wait for the emperor's disposal."

  "Promise!"

  Uniform loud shouts rose simultaneously, and many imperial guards walked towards Li Zicheng and others.

  "Wait!"

  A clear and cold voice suddenly rang out, and the lady in deep purple long coat with thick makeup and fragrant sachet slowly walked forward, followed by the respected elders of the other six major families and several neutral generals from the military.

  "Milady!" The warriors of the Lei Manor, led by Lei Zicheng, upon seeing Zhulang's wife, were like drowning men grasping at a straw, and they all shouted loudly in unison.

  Mrs. Zhuolan's eyes were sharp and she gave a harsh glance at Li Zicheng and others, then turned her head to stare at Qierlang and others, saying slowly: "General Qier said it was an imperial order, I don't know where the emperor's edict is? Can you show me?"

  Chu Li has been unconscious since she came back, what kind of imperial edict is this? Qi Lang's expression didn't change, he said in a low voice: "This humble general is carrying out the emperor's oral edict. If madam doesn't believe it, you can wait in the camp until the emperor finishes his affairs and summons you to ask."

  "Oh? Is that so?" Madame Chuluan raised an eyebrow and suddenly turned around to face the crowd behind her, saying: "Everyone, isn't what Chuluan said true? This morning, His Majesty took the elite personal guards of each family to hunt at Shadun, and didn't return until evening. The Black Guard was almost annihilated, and none of the elite soldiers from each family survived. Only the eldest son of the West Lin family returned alive, and as soon as he entered the camp, he met with West Lin Yu in the main tent of the central army, and restricted the heads of each family from leaving the camp, controlling the entire military power of the North Camp. Can't everyone see what's going on here?"

  Mrs. Luolan's eyebrows and eyes were stern, and her previous charming and flirtatious appearance was gone. She gazed coldly at Qierlang and said in a sharp voice: "You were originally just a humble horse herder, but His Majesty showed mercy and gave you the opportunity to lead the army and hold great power. Unexpectedly, you repaid kindness with enmity, harbored wolf-like ambitions, colluded with Xilin of Heng City to usurp the throne of Great Chu! You plotted to harm the elite soldiers of various families, harmed the life of the Emperor, and now you still want to imprison the elders of various families. This is simply a heinous crime, worse than that of pigs and dogs!"

  Her voice was shrill, her eyes were fierce, and her words were sharp, stunning all the soldiers present for a moment.

  Jianglang was after all a martial artist, seeing her suddenly turn the tables and dump all the dirty water on his own head, he immediately became furious, and sternly said: "Your Majesty is right now in the central military tent, don't spout nonsense!"

  Mrs. Luolan's eyes turned cold, and she smiled icily as she said calmly, "If that's the case, then let Your Majesty come out to meet everyone. The elite of all the great families have been killed or injured in large numbers. How can it be acceptable to remain silent?"

  "You!"

  "How dare you?" Lady Travers snorted, her face twisted in indignation. "You treasonous rebel, the dynasty hasn't even changed yet, and our great families still haven't fallen. You dare speak to me like this? Even if the previous emperor were still alive, you'd have to address me with respect as 'Lady'. Are you tired of living or do you have some other motive?"

  Qinglang's eyes were red, but he was speechless because the order to detain the masters of each family was actually given by Qingxia. At this moment, the most difficult thing was that Chuli would never come out to see anyone, and could only let this demon woman take advantage of the situation.

  "Gentlemen, esteemed generals!" Madam Chulai suddenly exclaimed with tears in her eyes: "The fate of Great Chu hangs in the balance. The Imperial Guard has colluded with the people of South Jiang and that old traitor Xilin Yu to betray our lord and usurp the throne, assassinating the great emperor. The elite personal armies of all the great families have been annihilated, sacrificing their lives for the country. If we do not intervene now, the centuries-old foundation of Great Chu will be destroyed in an instant. What face will we have to meet our ancestors when we descend into the underworld?"

  "The lady is right!" A white-bearded old man suddenly shouted: "His Majesty has passed away, we must raise the banner of justice, restore order and drive out the villains who are occupying our great Chu River and Mountains, and enslaving our people of Great Chu!"

  A loud shout erupted, and the young masters of various aristocratic families, as well as several neutral generals' soldiers, all shouted in unison. Chi Lang's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse from shouting, but it was to no avail. Madame Chuluan wept profusely, her face a picture of worry and concern for the country and its people, yet a hint of cold, cunning glinted in her eyes. Suddenly, she raised her hand and cried out: "For now, our only option is to ask each of you generals to restrain the Northern Camp's Imperial Guards! Everyone, let us break out of this nest and return to our respective fiefs, so that we may regroup and devise a plan to rescue the people of Great Chu from their desperate plight!"

  The crowd responded in unison, shouting angrily, and the atmosphere was stirred up. Madame Lan stood under the protection of the young master of the Li family, her eyes sharp, her clothes luxurious, and the bright pearl on her head shining with dazzling brilliance.

  Just as the situation was about to get out of control, a sudden burst of sound pierced the air, coming from the direction of the central military tent. A dazzling white light shot towards this side like a bullet, charging straight at Mrs. Zhuo Lan's face. Everyone shouted in unison, and Mrs. Zhuo Lan's expression changed greatly as she pulled over a young man from the Li clan who was standing beside her to block in front of her.

  There was only a dull thud, and the white silver needle instantly pierced the throat of that young master of the Li family, coming out from the back of his neck, still with unabated force, stabbing straight at Mrs. Chulang.

  Everyone stared at Mrs. Zhu Lang in shock, only to see the young man in front of her with his eyes wide open and a large blood hole in his neck, with silver-red blood flowing from his neck and filling the silver-white deerskin soft armor. Suddenly, the man's legs convulsed, his knees bent, and he knelt down violently, his head tilted to one side, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

  "Ah!" Mrs. Zhuolan exclaimed, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to hear a crisp crackling sound, as all the pearls on Mrs. Zhuolan's head fell onto the ground covered with fresh blood and muddy water, making a dull thudding sound. And the silver-white dagger with bloodstains on its hilt was still trembling and stuck in her high hair bun!

  "What a man!" Li Zicheng shouted loudly, waving the war knife in his hand and shouting fiercely: "What's the skill of shooting arrows at people? Get out!"

  A team of people slowly emerged from the shadows in the direction of the flickering torches, led by a young general wearing a suit of cyan-colored leather armor, with a dark red cloak draped over his back, and a cold iron helmet on his head. He held a large and exaggerated ghost-headed greatsword in his hand, and his armor was stained with a dark red color that seemed to be dripping with blood, almost matching the color of his cloak. Although the newcomer was petite in stature, he exuded an aura of intense killing intent that could not be concealed, like a demon from hell who had escaped and was seeking to claim lives.

  "Is it you?" Li Zicheng's teeth ached and he said in a cold voice.

  The young general sneered, walking up with big strides, and while walking, he stretched out his slender white fingers to plug his ears, saying with disdain: "I said why I heard a dog barking from far away, it turned out to be you here."

  "Sorceress!" Li Zicheng bellowed in rage, his face twisted with a ferocious scowl.

  "Old lecher, you're still not dead yet?" Qing Xia walked up with a light smile, coldly laughing as she looked at Zhuo Lan's wife, saying slowly.

  Mrs. Zhuolan heard this and became furious, the fear of just being killed by her instantly vanished, her face turned cold and she said in a hateful tone: "Where did this unruly witch come from? Take her down for me!"

  Qing Xia let out a cold laugh, and the large group of guards behind him rushed forward, knocking down several men who were attacking Qing Xia with lightning speed. Qing Xia seemed to be unaware, walking straight ahead, when two Li Yuan Wu Shi swung their knives at him. Qing Xia suddenly sprang up, kicking one of the warriors under the chin, his body flying horizontally in mid-air, his combat knife spinning around, instantly landing on the neck of another warrior.

  A crisp crackling sound was heard as the man's jaw shattered after being kicked under the chin, and he didn't even have a chance to let out a miserable cry.

  Everyone was shocked and pale, staring at the woman with a cold face and covered in blood as she slowly approached. Qing Xia held her battle knife in one hand, pressing it against a warrior's shoulder, walking step by step to the center of the arena. The warriors of the Li Institute were so frightened that their legs trembled, slowly retreating backwards, and everyone around them hastily made way.

  "You old hag, your skill at playing the victim and turning the tables is truly superb!"

  Mrs. Zhuolan was furious, but she was intimidated by Qingxia's icy coldness and didn't dare to make any movement for a moment, only shouting loudly: "What did you say?"

  Qing Xia glanced at her mouth and said lightly: "Li Yuan privately colluded with the southern barbarians, set up an ambush in the desert, killed the elite soldiers of the seven major families, and wanted to kill the emperor to seize the throne. Fortunately, the emperor was wise and brave, turning danger into safety. Now that the conspiracy has failed, you want to provoke a war between Nan Chu, to achieve your unmentionable goals, until now, you still don't admit it?"

  These few words suddenly exploded like a thunderbolt in the crowd, and everyone turned their heads to look at Mrs. Zhuolan, with puzzled eyes and furrowed brows.

  "Sorceress! You're spitting blood at people!"

  The winds and waters turned, and the virtuous-looking Zhulang lady suddenly became a murderer. She glared at the woman who had made her lose face several times, her eyes wide with anger, and shouted: "If you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll make sure you die without a whole corpse!"

  "You still need to have that skill first."

  Qing Xia glanced at her indifferently and said to Le Song beside him, "Since Mrs. Zhu Lan doesn't shed tears until she sees a coffin, let her die with a clear understanding."

  Lao Song responded with a grunt, turned around, and pulled out a man covered in blood from behind him, throwing him to the ground with a thud.

  "This is the Southern Barbarian who colluded with Li Yuan, and I found evidence of his crime in trading grain with Li Yuan on his body. At first, I thought someone was maliciously injuring Li Yuan to drive a wedge between us within the Great Chu. Who would have known that secretly sending someone to search Li Can's large tent also yielded the same thing, and even found the letter box for correspondence between Li Yuan and the Southern Barbarians, with the personal seal of Lady Lan on it. Now, I have no choice but to believe."

  A bundle of Xuan paper was thrown out, and the masters of various big families picked it up with different expressions to examine it carefully. After a long time, they slowly raised their heads, their faces greatly changed. Madame Chulang's eyebrows were tightly locked, her expression not panicked, but in such cold weather, cold sweat still flowed continuously from her forehead.

  Her eyebrows suddenly rose, and she said in a stern voice: "Originally, I thought it was just that the lady's subordinates were not doing well, colluding with foreign countries. That's why on the day of the martial arts arena, I pointed out in front of everyone. I didn't expect the lady to not only fail to investigate and make amends but also conspire with the southern barbarians, bringing in the White Wolf tribe warriors, driving millions of ferocious beasts from the south, killing the elite sons and nephews of various families, severely injuring the vitality of Southern Chu. And then reversing black and white, distorting facts, triggering a military mutiny, such crimes are punishable by heaven and earth, what else do you have to say?"

  A huge ghost head knife suddenly chopped down towards Zhuolan Madame, and Zhuolan Madame's eyes turned black as she let out a sharp cry, no longer able to maintain the self-composed expression on her face.

  With a loud "thud", the big knife was inserted into the beam just one fist away from Zhūlán Fūrén's neck, and Zhūlán Fūrén's body went limp, instantly falling to the ground.

  "Milady!" The imperial guard rushed forward, but was blocked by the black-clad guards behind Qing Xia. Qierlang held a battle knife and stood beside Qing Xia, along with He Le Song and others, forming a protective circle around this proud and arrogant woman.

  A strong gust of wind suddenly blew up, and yellow sand flew everywhere. Qing Xia wore a light armor and red robe, his face was as calm as water, but the corners of his eyes were cold. He drew out a large ghost-headed knife and held it slantingly in front of Zhu Lan's husband, saying in a cold voice: "You're so old, yet you're still so lecherous and shameless. Killing you would only dirty my hands. Since you like men so much, I'll throw you to the group of men who were drugged by Wu Si Mei's aphrodisiacs. Go enjoy yourself!"

  "Witch! Slut! I won't let you go!" As the Imperial Guard easily subdued the guards of the Li Manor, Madame Chuluan finally became desperate and began to curse loudly. Qing Xia's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, her face as cold as ice, suddenly she turned around sharply, slapped Madame Chuluan's cheek with a loud crack, two teeth instantly shattered, Madame Chuluan's cheek swelled up high, unable to say another word.

  Qing Xia stepped forward and viciously trampled on the face of this wicked woman, her heart burning with rage, "Go to hell!"

  The black-clad guards rushed forward like wolves and tigers, lifted up Madame Truelove, and dragged her away like a dead body.

  Qing Xia's sharp gaze swept across the faces of many family heads and generals, saying faintly: "Everyone, are you still going to leave the camp?"

  Everyone looked at Qing Xia's bloodthirsty eyes, and suddenly felt their breathing a bit urgent. Facing this woman seemed to terrify them more than facing a million-strong army. They hastily waved their hands and shook their heads, like defeated roosters, and dodged to the side.

  Qing Xia let out a mouthful of foul air, gazing at the two white teeth on the ground, and stretched out her foot to viciously trample them into the mud.

  She was never a kind person, and as she listened to the distant cries of Madame Truelove, she felt that the stone which had been weighing on her heart for so long had finally been kicked away. She slowly raised her head, gazing up at the vast expanse of dark sky, and closed her eyes lightly.

  "Miss!" Xilin's voice suddenly sounded from afar, the man panting and running up to say hastily to Qing Xia: "The prince is awake, he wants to see you."

  Qing Xia's heart was filled with joy, she shook off her dark red cloak and rushed towards the central military tent.

  Behind her were the large contingents of Southern Chu's elite troops and a group of aristocratic family heads who had once wielded enormous power.

  Dark clouds gather at the horizon, thunder rumbles and rolls in.