CH 217

Villainous Emperor (17)

Song Xu Yi widened her eyes in astonishment.

In Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze, there was a strong sense of pressure and coldness that slowly extended up her spine. For a moment, Song Xu Yi felt as though she were a helpless young beast being stared at by a fierce predator, frozen in place and unable to move…

Jiang Ruoyu was truly harboring murderous intent!

A chill ran through her heart, and Song Xu Yi took a deep breath, mustering up her courage to look at Jiang Ruoyu.

“I didn’t eavesdrop; I accidentally overheard… I-I am a palace maid in the Empress Dowager’s palace!”

“A palace maid?” Jiang Ruoyu, who had initially appeared lazy, narrowed her eyes after hearing Song Xu Yi speak. It was unclear what she had discovered, but Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze towards Song Xu Yi deepened. Song Xu Yi’s heart tightened as she met Jiang Ruoyu’s profound and abyssal eyes. Before she could react, almost in an instant, Jiang Ruoyu had teleported to Song Xu Yi’s side.

The night breeze lifted Jiang Ruoyu’s long hair, carrying a hint of alcohol in the air. It was then that Song Xu Yi noticed Jiang Ruoyu stood half a head taller than herself. Up close, Jiang Ruoyu’s delicate features appeared flawless and exuded an oppressive beauty. Under Jiang Ruoyu’s intense gaze, Song Xu Yi almost felt her breath being taken away…

Instinctively, Song Xu Yi took a step back, hitting the partially open door. “I truly am a palace maid. Your Majesty can ask the Empress Dowager–“

Inside the room, the palace maids and eunuchs, who had been trembling with fear due to the argument between the Empress Dowager and the High Priest, had no idea how to intervene. But as Song Xu Yi pushed open the door, the palace maid who had brought her in, as if granted amnesty, immediately grabbed Song Xu Yi’s hand. “Why did you take so long? The Empress Dowager is still waiting for you to treat her leg…”

Song Xu Yi let out a sigh of relief and turned her head to look at Jiang Ruoyu.

In the corner of her eye, Jiang Ruoyu seemed like she wanted to say something. However, as the light from the room illuminated Song Xu Yi’s face, something in Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes extinguished in an instant. She lowered her gaze and pursed her lips.

In that fleeting moment, Jiang Ruoyu appeared somewhat disappointed…

Song Xu Yi glanced at Jiang Ruoyu but couldn’t care about her reaction. Every moment spent with Jiang Ruoyu now meant additional agony. Song Xu Yi lowered her head and took small steps toward Dong Rou.

Time spares no beauty. Jiang Ruoyu and Dong Rou bore a striking resemblance, but Dong Rou’s temperament leaned towards fragility, evoking pity. Jiang Ruoyu, on the other hand, possessed a captivating beauty that was bold and alluring. With just one glance, she could capture people’s attention.

Due to the recent argument, Dong Rou’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her face turning slightly pale. She appeared even more pitiful and frail.

“The High Priest.” Jiang Ruoyu’s icy voice came from behind, and she entered the room as well. “I heard that the High Priest has intruded into my mother’s palace. What urgent matter brings the High Priest here?”

Fu Sheng knelt down. This High Priest, who manipulated the Saintess of the Hidden Moon Sect in Guozhou, unexpectedly showed deference in front of Jiang Ruoyu.

“It is the fault of this subordinate. I am willing to accept punishment.”

“My mother prefers tranquility. I understand the High Priest’s concerns for her, but her illness requires rest. To prevent rumors from spreading, I hope the High Priest will stay within the boundaries of his duties. Let this incident not set a precedent.”

Jiang Ruoyu punished Fu Sheng with fifty strokes of the military cane.

Fu Sheng, a mere scholar, would lose half his life if subjected to fifty strokes of the military cane.

However, Fu Sheng did not retort. He followed the eunuch silently to receive his punishment. Before leaving, he couldn’t help but glance at Dong Rou, but she kept her head lowered, refusing to meet his gaze.

From beginning to end, Jiang Ruoyu maintained the demeanor of someone in power, handling matters with ease and making decisive and calm judgments.

Sensing Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze returning to her, Song Xu Yi hurriedly focused her attention on examining Dong Rou’s pulse.

“Mother,” Jiang Ruoyu took a step forward, sitting beside Dong Rou. A smile curled at the corner of her lips. “If you truly despise Fu Sheng, I can have him killed.”

When facing Dong Rou, Jiang Ruoyu seemed to revert back to her former gentle and obedient demeanor. If it weren’t for her casually deciding the life and death of a person, everything else appeared no different from when she was fourteen years old.

“He’s just an inconsequential person!” However, Dong Rou seemed unwilling to discuss Fu Sheng. She looked at Jiang Ruoyu and sighed softly. “Ruoyu, your mother simply wants to know what Fu Sheng did to you all those years ago. Why is it that as the years went by, it became harder to see you smile?”

“Mother, he didn’t lie. He never had the chance to do anything to me back then. I am the one who holds his life in my hands,” Jiang Ruoyu laughed and patted Dong Rou’s hand. “Mother, please don’t let your imagination run wild. Focus on your recovery… that’s the most important thing.”

“You are my daughter. Don’t you like me? I still don’t understand,” Dong Rou looked at Jiang Ruoyu with a pained expression. “Look at you, reeking of alcohol. You never touched a drop when you were young. Who could have imagined you would become a drunkard now?”

“When you returned eight years ago, I could hardly recognize you. You suddenly gained magical powers and became ruthless in your actions. No matter how I tried to stop you, you wouldn’t listen. You even stood by and watched as they destroyed the entire Shrines of the Divine Goddess! The Divine Goddess has bestowed so many favors upon us. How could we repay her with ingratitude?”

“Ruoyu, you have done so many wrong things in these years. I know you have regrets in your heart, and I can see you changing back slowly. Listen to your mother’s advice and re-embrace the Divine Goddess. Perhaps it will bring peace to your heart in the future…”

“Little palace maid,” Jiang Ruoyu ignored Dong Rou’s words and looked up at Song Xu Yi. “Can you do something about my mother’s leg?”

Song Xu Yi, who was initially eavesdropping on gossip, was taken aback as Jiang Ruoyu suddenly shifted the topic to her. It took her a moment to react and truthfully answer, “The Empress Dowager’s leg ailment cannot be cured in a day. It requires careful consideration and treatment.”

“Are you implying that you can treat it?” Jiang Ruoyu narrowed her eyes.

After thinking for a while, Song Xu Yi realized that Dong Rou’s leg had been neglected for too long. If they relied solely on medical skills, it might not guarantee a complete recovery. However, Song Xu Yi possessed divine powers, and if she combined them with her medical knowledge to unblock the meridians, she was about 70-80% confident that she could heal Dong Rou.

Song Xu Yi nodded.

“You, a lowly palace maid, have quite the audacity!” Jiang Ruoyu snorted coldly, clearly not believing Song Xu Yi’s words.

Dong Rou’s leg had been examined by countless renowned doctors over the years, yet it remained uncured. She didn’t think this young girl would be able to heal her leg either. Initially, she hadn’t planned to let Song Xu Yi treat her. However, seeing Jiang Ruoyu’s reaction, Dong Rou held back the words that were on the tip of her tongue, telling Song Xu Yi to step back.

A mother knows her daughter best.

In these eight years, Ruoyu’s temperament had become as cold as ice. She paid little attention to people and matters outside and rarely initiated conversations with anyone.

Was there something unusual about this young palace maid?

With confusion in her heart, Dong Rou put aside her thoughts of asking Song Xu Yi to step back and waved her hand. “Then go ahead and give it a try!”

Song Xu Yi glanced at Jiang Ruoyu, who had lowered her gaze to the ground, but she did not voice any objections.

Even though she felt that the current Jiang Ruoyu’s temperament was unpredictable and treating her could be risky, once it came to medical treatment, Song Xu Yi instinctively focused her attention. With a serious expression, she took out a silver needle.

“It might be a bit painful at first, so please bear with it.” Song Xu Yi gently rolled up Dong Rou’s pant leg and spoke softly.

At this moment, Song Xu Yi had a young and ageless loli face, but her serious expression made Dong Rou unable to help but chuckle. “I understand, little divine healer. I’ve endured the pain for so many years. What’s a little more pain to me?”

Song Xu Yi remained silent, picking up a nearby lamp to prepare for sterilizing the silver needle. However, Jiang Ruoyu took the needle from her and flames of a dark blue hue appeared in her palm.

A menacing aura, belonging to the power of evoking spirits, filled the air. Song Xu Yi tightly pursed her lips. It was indeed true that Jiang Ruoyu still possessed the power of evoking spirits.

The flames produced by the power of evoking spirits could consume everything, naturally including any substances on the surface of the silver needle, including any potential poison or medicine.

Jiang Ruoyu tempered the silver needle in the flames before handing it back to Song Xu Yi.

Song Xu Yi also understood that it was Jiang Ruoyu’s warning to her. After all, the silver needle was going to enter Dong Rou’s leg, and Jiang Ruoyu naturally wouldn’t rest assured.

Song Xu Yi calmly took the silver needle back.

If Jiang Ruoyu wasn’t present, Song Xu Yi had initially planned to use her divine power to nourish Dong Rou’s meridians. That way, Dong Rou wouldn’t feel as uncomfortable during the needling process. However, with Jiang Ruoyu by her side, Song Xu Yi didn’t dare to act recklessly. Moreover, Jiang Ruoyu couldn’t substitute for her with her own divine power. After all, Jiang Ruoyu’s power came from evoking spirits, and even though the power of evoking spirits gathered various menacing auras, it couldn’t enter the human body…

She could only let Dong Rou endure some suffering.

Song Xu Yi inserted the first needle into Dong Rou’s body.

Jiang Ruoyu sat by the side, seemingly bored, playing with Song Xu Yi’s hair.

At the beginning, when only a few needles were inserted, it was bearable. However, after a while, as the number of silver needles increased on Dong Rou’s leg, large drops of sweat started to appear on her forehead. She had endured the torment of her leg ailment for years. Initially, the pain in her leg felt like ants gnawing at her body—slow and gradual. But now, the pain had changed. It felt as if every tendon and vein in her leg was being torn apart, like a knife cutting through flesh, and the pain seeped into her bone marrow. She couldn’t bear it and tears streamed down her face!

Jiang Ruoyu tightened her grip on Song Xu Yi’s hair.

A strand of hair floated down from Song Xu Yi’s cheek as a surge of killing intent emanated from Jiang Ruoyu. Song Xu Yi almost felt that in the next moment, Jiang Ruoyu would squeeze her throat and snap her neck.

“You can only trust me!”

At this point, they had already succeeded halfway, and Song Xu Yi didn’t want to give up halfway. She ignored her fear of Jiang Ruoyu and glanced at her.

She didn’t know how long she could appease Jiang Ruoyu. After all, her slightly youthful face didn’t carry much persuasiveness. She could only turn her head and continue swiftly inserting the needles.

To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, Jiang Ruoyu actually quieted down and suppressed her killing intent. However, Song Xu Yi could still feel her gaze lingering on her, dark and brooding, as if carefully contemplating something.

Afraid of being seen through by Jiang Ruoyu, Song Xu Yi could only speed up even further.

It felt like an instant, yet also a long time. Song Xu Yi watched as black blood flowed from Dong Rou’s leg and breathed a sigh of relief. “Empress Dowager, do you feel any improvement?”

Dong Rou stretched her leg in astonishment and widened her eyes. “It’s actually not painful anymore!”

Song Xu Yi finally let out a sigh of relief and sat slumped on the ground. Her hands, which had been trembling due to exertion, couldn’t help but shake even more. Jiang Ruoyu’s intimidating presence earlier had been truly terrifying!

As Song Xu Yi thought about it, she unconsciously glared at Jiang Ruoyu. However, to her surprise, Jiang Ruoyu had lowered her head and was contemplating while looking at her.

Caught in the act of glaring, Song Xu Yi quickly blinked her eyes, feigning innocence, and flashed a smile at Jiang Ruoyu. Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze flickered for a moment, and suddenly, her lips tugged into a cold and icy smile.

“You, little palace maid, have quite the skill!”

“But why can I only trust you?” She crouched down, making an unpleasant face, and pinched Song Xu Yi’s chubby cheek. With a derisive snort, she said, “A little palace maid who doesn’t know her place!”

?!

Song Xu Yi felt like she was about to explode in anger!

Even though Jiang Ruoyu’s pinch didn’t hurt, Song Xu Yi had never imagined that Jiang Ruoyu’s temperament would become so unpredictable after their reunion!

However, Song Xu Yi didn’t notice the hint of curiosity in Dong Rou’s eyes beside them. Dong Rou had noticed that Jiang Ruoyu’s temperament had become increasingly peculiar over the years. She grew particularly averse to interacting with unrelated people and insisted on handling everything herself. It was the first time Dong Rou had seen Jiang Ruoyu willingly approach someone. Moreover, Jiang Ruoyu’s temper had been volatile over the years, and sometimes she wouldn’t even listen to Dong Rou’s advice. But just now, she had actually managed to suppress her killing intent…

Jiang Ruoyu’s treatment of this young palace maid seemed… unusual!

The author has something to say:

Jiang Ruoyu: When she speaks, she seems like the Divine Goddess, but she is not the Divine Goddess; when she is serious, she seems like the Divine Goddess, but she is not the Divine Goddess; when she scolds me, she seems like the Divine Goddess, but she is not the Divine Goddess…

When she glares at me…

So adorable!

She is not the Divine Goddess, so I can punish her!

Cheek pinch! Rua~