202: Chapter 200 Prisoner

Xue Ji looked up and finally saw the two people clearly.

One was Yun Ming.

He was standing by the stone table, clearing away the leftovers.

The other was a woman.

She stood at the courtyard gate, her armor still on, a longsword hanging at her waist, exuding a heroic aura.

Her face was cold and stern, her features carrying a lethal air from long years on the battlefield, though at this moment, that lethal air was tinged with a hint of impatience.

Qin Zhao.

The Third Prince's trusted general, the woman who had led the remnants of her troops to break through the siege when the city fell and had since vanished without a trace.

She wasn't dead, nor was she missing; she was right here.

Xue Ji's pupils constricted slightly.

She didn't understand why Qin Zhao was here, why she herself was here, or what exactly was going on.

She opened her mouth, her voice sharp, piercing the silence of the courtyard.

"Release me! You two commoners, do you know who I am? I am the Empress of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty, the Mother of the World! You dare to bind me? I will execute nine generations of your clans!"

Qin Zhao rolled her eyes.

She didn't speak, simply crossing her arms and looking coldly at Xue Ji.

That gaze was like watching a monkey show—not particularly good, but barely watchable.

Yun Ming continued clearing the table.

He stacked the dishes, gathered the chopsticks, and lined up the wine jars.

Then he took a rag from his sleeve and wiped down the stone table.

He wiped very carefully, reaching every nook and cranny.

After finishing, he folded the rag, tucked it back into his sleeve, and only then looked up at Xue Ji.

"Still dreaming?" he said in a flat tone. "Take a look for yourself. Where are you?"

Xue Ji was stunned for a moment.

She looked around.

Blue-brick walls, black-tiled roofs, and carved wooden windows. There was an unknown small tree in the courtyard, several Spirit Medicines planted in the corner, an empty chicken coop, and a neglected vegetable patch.

On the stone table sat a teapot, teacups, and a small plate of melon seeds.

A faint mist hung in the air, the scent of tea mingling with floral fragrance and the freshness of soil after rain.

Her gaze fell on the courtyard gate; the door was made of old elm wood with peeling paint, and the iron bolt was rusted.

She remembered this door. She had pushed it open, walked into this courtyard, sat by the stone table, poured wine, and danced.

This was Yun Ming's small building.

It was Qingyao City.

It was the place where she had taken Yun Ming away over a hundred years ago.

She whipped her head around to look at Yun Ming, her voice tight.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Yun Ming tilted his head, looking at her, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

"It wasn't us who brought you here," he said. "It's that you never left."

Xue Ji's Divine Soul shook violently.

In that instant, she felt as if her head had been struck by a hammer, her mind buzzing.

Over a hundred years of memories surged in her mind: the coronation, being named Empress, governing, the Yao Race entering the court, the Second Prince passing away, her ruling from behind the curtain, the Zifu Immortal Dynasty becoming the domain of the Yao Race, her laughing loudly from the highest peak, and then that person returning, turning everything to ash with a flick of a finger.

Those memories were too real—so real she could remember every word on every memorial, every face of the ministers during every court session, and the temperature and breath of the Second Prince as he closed his eyes in her arms.

But now someone was telling her that it was all fake.

She had never left.

She had been in this courtyard all along.

Qin Zhao frowned, watching Xue Ji's expression shift from anger to shock, from shock to bewilderment, and from bewilderment to fear.

Her aura began to fluctuate, her Qi ran wild through her Meridians, and her Divine Soul seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

"Her Divine Soul is unstable," Qin Zhao said, her tone uncertain. "She won't just die, will she?"

Yun Ming shook his head. "I don't know."

Qin Zhao thought he said "she won't" and breathed a sigh of relief.

If this person died, so be it, but she was the Second Prince's Favorite Concubine; her value alive was far greater than dead.

The Third Prince did not intend to go to full-scale war with the Second Prince yet; the main pressure on both princes came from the Imperial Court. If the two princes started fighting first, the other princes would take advantage of the opening.

A living Xue Ji could be traded for many resources and serve as a bargaining chip.

Instead, what she heard was "I don't know."

Qin Zhao hurried forward, preparing to stabilize Xue Ji's Divine Soul.

Just as her hand was raised, Xue Ji took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

A few breaths later, she opened her eyes.

Most of the fear and bewilderment in her eyes had receded, replaced by something complex and indefinable.

She let out a sigh, a long one, as if slowly exhaling from deep within.

Her body stopped trembling, and her aura gradually stabilized.

"A Golden Millet Dream," she murmured softly to herself. "Hunting geese all day, only to have one's own eyes pecked by a goose."

She looked up at Yun Ming.

There was scrutiny, curiosity, and a hint of resentment in her gaze. "How did you do it?"

Yun Ming opened his mouth to speak but suddenly stopped.

He glanced at Xue Ji and swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

He tossed the rag onto the table, crossed his arms, and tilted his head at her.

"Is it any of your business?"

"However," he said, "your dancing was indeed exceptionally beautiful."

Xue Ji was taken aback, then gave a proud huff.

She lifted her chin, her neck slender like a proud swan.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly; in that smile was pride, self-importance, and something indefinable.

She knew her dancing was beautiful.

Wangdao Chenghuan, the Fox Race's top-tier Charm Technique; she had practiced it for centuries and never failed.

Though she had stumbled this time, her dance was indeed beautiful.

Yun Ming carried a tray into the house.

Qin Zhao stood at the courtyard gate, watching his figure disappear behind the door, then withdrew her gaze and looked down at Xue Ji on the ground.

"How do you plan to deal with me?" Xue Ji asked. Her tone was much calmer than before, devoid of anger and hysteria, even carrying a hint of laziness.

Qin Zhao did not answer directly.

She leaned over, placed her hand on Xue Ji's shoulder, and sent her spiritual power inside to circulate through her body.

Then she withdrew her hand, took out a Medicinal Pill from her sleeve, pried open Xue Ji's mouth, and stuffed it in.

As the pill entered her stomach, Xue Ji felt the spiritual power within her body freeze as if by something, solidifying in her Dantian without moving.

Her Meridians were still open, but her spiritual power could not circulate or be mobilized.

"You are the Second Prince's Favorite Concubine," Qin Zhao said flatly. "I've sealed your cultivation; we'll wait for the Second Prince to ransom you."

Xue Ji laughed, her smile containing mockery and smugness. "You're not going to kill me?"

Qin Zhao did not respond.

Yun Ming walked out of the house, holding a cup of tea.

He sat down by the stone table, took a sip, and looked at Qin Zhao.

"How do you plan to deal with her?" he asked.

Qin Zhao said, "I've sealed her cultivation; we'll wait for the Second Prince to ransom her."

Yun Ming nodded.

This method wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either.

Xue Ji was the Second Prince's Favorite Concubine; the Second Prince wouldn't just ignore her.

Trading her for a batch of resources or some prisoners would be worth it.

"Keep her well-fed and well-cared for," Qin Zhao added.

Yun Ming's face darkened. He set down his teacup and looked at Qin Zhao with an unfriendly gaze. "What did you say?"

Qin Zhao repeated, "Keep her well-fed and well-cared for."

Yun Ming took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

He stood up, walked over to Xue Ji, and looked down at her.

Xue Ji looked up at him with a smile. In that smile was smugness, provocation, and a sense of composure that said, "What can you do to me?"

Yun Ming looked at her for a few breaths, then turned to face Qin Zhao.

"Are you out of your mind?" he said, his voice not loud but every word clear. "She came here to kill me, to turn me into a corpse that only knows how to perform Alchemy. Now that I've caught her, you want me to serve her well?"

The corners of Xue Ji's mouth curled up even higher.

She straightened her body; though bound and sitting on the ground, her posture was as if she were on the dragon throne.

Her chin was held high, her neck slender like a proud swan.

Her meaning was clear—my status is just that powerful; what can you, a mere Loose Cultivator, do to me?

Qin Zhao sighed.

She knew Yun Ming was unhappy; she wouldn't be happy either if she were in his shoes.

But she had no choice.

"Try to understand," she said. "The Third Prince cannot go to full-scale war with the Second Prince yet. The main pressure on both princes comes from the Imperial Court. If the two of them start fighting, the other princes will swoop in. Now is not the time."

Yun Ming rubbed his temples. "How many princes are left?"

Qin Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Not many, there are still seventeen."

Yun Ming's hand paused. He looked up at Qin Zhao. "Seventeen?"

"Seventeen."

Yun Ming was silent for a moment. He waved his hand. "I don't care. Either you watch her yourself, or I'll just have Zhou Qian send her to the Third Prince. Either way, I'm not dealing with it."

Qin Zhao's face darkened.

She looked at Yun Ming, anger flaring in her eyes.

Why was this man so stubborn? The Third Prince was busy every day with a myriad of affairs—conquering territories, guarding against the Imperial Court, and balancing various factions. How could he have time for such trivial matters? How could this man not consider the Third Prince's position at all?

"You—"

Without waiting for her to finish, Yun Ming stood up and walked toward the house with his teacup. "I'm going to perform Alchemy." He pushed open the door, went inside, and pulled it shut behind him. The door closed with a dull thud.

Qin Zhao stood in the courtyard, staring at the closed door, her lips pressed into a thin line. She took a deep breath and swallowed the words she wanted to say. She bent down, untied the rope around Xue Ji, and hauled her up from the ground.

"Let's go," she said.

Xue Ji rubbed her wrists and looked at Qin Zhao with a beaming smile. "Where to?"

Qin Zhao did not answer.

She grabbed Xue Ji's arm, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked out.

Yun Ming stood in the Quiet Room, took out the cauldron of all things mother qi from the map of mountains and rivers, and placed it before him.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and went over the Pill Formula in his mind.

Then he opened his eyes and began to work.

The world outside had nothing to do with him.