Chapter 284: Oh? Your Majesty, Are You Sure You Don’t Want Me?

Two figures stood at the entrance to Yanping State. Jiang Zhou shivered as he looked at the row of corpses displayed to the side.

"The Empress killed so many people. She even killed Duan Ji."

Jiang Zhou searched around and finally spotted a stele. "That couldn’t be Duan Ji, could it?"

’Not even spared in death. Burned to ash and forged into a monument to be reviled for eternity. How tragic. But considering his crimes, he deserved to die.’

Lu Ling shot him a teasing glance. "If you’re so scared, then leave."

Jiang Zhou shook his head. "No way. If I leave, who’s going to collect your corpse?"

Lu Ling: "...I’m so touched. Don’t worry, if you die, I’ll turn you into a Corpse Puppet. We can be brothers for life."

Jiang Zhou: "...Don’t. For the sake of our brotherhood, just let me rest in peace."

The two waited for nearly an hour before someone finally came out. The person scanned them from head to toe, their gaze landing on Lu Ling’s hands. "By order of the Empress, hand over all your accessories. You may have an audience only after you’ve been searched."

’Jiang Zhou didn’t think anything was amiss. After all, this was an audience with the Empress. A search to prevent assassination was normal.’

Lu Ling’s eyebrow twitched slightly, but he still handed over the Jade Pendant and the Bone Flute.

Entering Yanping State, Jiang Zhou saw soldiers clearly divided into two groups. One group was full of spirit and high morale, while the other was dejected, listless, and shrouded in Death Qi.

"What’s going on here?"

Lu Ling looked up. "Didn’t you get the news? The Empress dismissed all the soldiers who wouldn’t submit to her. These are the ones you see."

The Empress’s soldiers were famous for their excellent treatment, especially the Silver Armor Guards. Countless soldiers were desperate to join their ranks.

While ordinary soldiers weren’t treated as well as the Silver Armor Guards, the Empress was by no means the kind of Emperor who mistreated her military officers.

’These soldiers, making a fuss about leaving the barracks for the sake of so-called ’righteous camaraderie’—they’re complete fools.’

’But now that they’ve calmed down, many of them probably regret it. The Empress, however, will never give them another chance.’

They made their way to the Prince Yanping Mansion. At the entrance, Silver Armor Guards stood in disciplined formation. The further they went inside, the more people there were, until finally they saw the Empress.

The Empress sat more than thirty feet away, with three full layers of Silver Armor Guards in front of her.

One layer had their weapons aimed at them, a second was on full alert, and the third guarded the Empress.

The display left Jiang Zhou speechless.

"Lu Ling, why is Your Majesty so wary of you?"

Lu Ling’s gaze was intense, his eyes fixed on that single figure. He answered nonchalantly, "It’s nothing. I just tried to assassinate Her Majesty a few times back when she was still a Princess. Unsuccessfully, of course."

Jiang Zhou stared at him in shock. ’Brother, are you even hearing yourself right now?’

’Casually saying something so treasonous... he’s going to scare someone to death.’

Lu Ling straightened the hem of his robes and bowed formally. "Lu Ling pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Jiang Zhou: "Jiang Zhou pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The Silver Armor Guards slowly moved to either side, clearing a path down the middle.

"Lu Ling..."

The Empress’s cold voice drifted down from above. "Are you the one who colluded with Duan Ji?"

Lu Ling: "I am not."

"Then why have you come?"

Lu Ling said shamelessly, "I have come to alleviate Your Majesty’s worries."

’Alleviate her worries?’

’What a joke.’

"You went to Taiping City and killed the Wizard that Duan Ji had hidden away. What was your intention?"

Lu Ling looked up, his gaze obsessive, his words clear. "That Wizard was just a hack. If Your Majesty wants to save someone, I am a better choice than him."

The next moment, he stood up and slowly walked forward. The Silver Armor Guards’ blades pressed against his neck, but he didn’t even glance at them. "Only I can cure that corpse poison. Is Your Majesty certain you don’t want my help?"

Jiang Zhou’s teeth practically went numb from cringing. ’Ewww... *Is Your Majesty certain you don’t want my help?*’

’Brother, do you have any idea what you’re saying?’

’He had a feeling his brother was definitely not getting out of here alive today—the kind of not-getting-out where not even his corpse would make it out.’

If she had any other choice, Xiao Li wouldn’t want to use a deviant like Lu Ling. The man had actually gone to Taiping City specifically to kill the person who could save Rong Qing. Xiao Li wanted to kill him right now, but Rong Qing couldn’t wait.

"Take him to see him."

’If he can’t cure him, I’ll have him chopped up and fed to the fish.’

Lu Ling was disappointed that he couldn’t get closer to Xiao Li, but he obediently went to see the patient.

Jiang Zhou followed closely behind, not saying a word, trying to be invisible.

’He was now certain the two of them were doomed. But even if he died, he would stick with his brother. At least they’d have company as ghosts.’

A moment later, however, Jiang Zhou regretted it.

Lu Ling went to see Rong Qing, who was tied up. By now, little of Rong Qing’s sanity remained.

He refused to drink human blood, and animal blood was almost ineffective. He was now not far from completely turning into a Corpse Puppet.

When Lu Ling saw him, his first reaction wasn’t to save him, but to express his admiration.

"This is simply perfect."

"That hack didn’t have this level of skill. He could only create those things that were neither human nor ghost. But Rong Qing drank human blood, and his will is strong. He has completed the missing link left by that failure and become a successful Corpse Puppet."

"This powerful physique, combined with his formidable skills from when he was alive... this is undoubtedly the most powerful Corpse Puppet King."

He said excitedly, "Your Majesty, why don’t I help you turn him completely into a Corpse Puppet? He’ll be undying and incorruptible, loyal only to you. While he’s still alive, we might even be able to preserve a part of his consciousness. Corpse Puppets are far more obedient and loyal than living people."

Jiang Zhou: ’...My brother is hell-bent on getting himself killed. I have nothing more to say.’

Xiao Li’s only answer was an arrow. This one missed, but the next one was aimed at his head.

"Alright, alright, I get it."

Lu Ling had no choice but to obediently examine Rong Qing. A moment later, he presented his plan.

"He’s not completely dead yet, so making him live is easy. But I have to take him away for a month. I’ll return him to you after a month, and I guarantee he’ll be alive and kicking."

Xiao Li didn’t agree. To put it bluntly, she didn’t trust Lu Ling at all. What if he turned Rong Qing into a complete Corpse Puppet? Wouldn’t she then have to personally order Rong Qing to be turned into a pool of blood and gore?

Lu Ling was resigned. ’It’s clear I have zero credibility in the Empress’s eyes.’

Then he pushed Jiang Zhou forward. "Your Majesty, I’ll leave my best brother here as collateral."

Jiang Zhou ground his molars so hard they could have shattered. "Lu Ling, don’t you go too far..."

Lu Ling chuckled maliciously. "Jiang Zhou, take a look at the Empress. Doesn’t she look a little familiar?"

Jiang Zhou: "Huh?"

’He’d never seen the Empress before, so how could she possibly look familiar?’

Then, the Empress walked over.

The Silver Armor Guards, afraid Lu Ling would harm Xiao Li, flanked her closely. In truth, Xiao Li wasn’t afraid of him. There was no one in the world she feared.

"Lu Ling." She looked at Lu Ling’s face. She could barely remember what Lu Yanzhi looked like anymore, so this face couldn’t stir any emotion in her.

’Why should she bother remembering a piece of scum who had already been turned to ash for so long?’

"You can take him. I want him back alive and completely unharmed."

Xiao Li didn’t need to utter any threats. Just a look from her cold, merciless eyes was enough. They held the chilling aura of war and slaughter, an intimidating imperial majesty.

She was the Empress. She had countless ways to torture someone who broke their word.

Enveloped by this deadly killing intent, Lu Ling trembled all over, his eyes filled with a frenzied excitement. "Your Majesty can rest assured. Lu Ling will absolutely keep his word."