Chapter 1490: Killing is Best, Ending it All

By the way, the moment she stood up, she broke dozens of branches off the old pear tree. Was that when she did it?

That old hag always wanted to suppress him and undermine his authority. Recently, however, He Xiao's development of the Tranquil Lake Villa had caused her considerable trouble. Moreover, numerous officials had purchased villas to show loyalty to King Yao, which negated the effect of her widespread accusations a while ago. Perhaps Qingyang harbored a deep resentment and chose the birthday banquet to spite King Yao? After all, everyone inside and outside the royal court knew that the old pear tree had been with him his whole life and had deep roots with the royal family. By killing the pear tree, was Qingyang trying to warn him that ending his life would be as simple as killing the tree?

Had that old hag gone mad? He was the lord of Yao, the ruler of an entire nation! At this thought, King Yao clenched his fists, and blood vessels pulsed in the corners of his eyes.

His eldest legitimate son had been implicated in the elixir of immortality case in Lingxu City, dying inexplicably. Who was behind the elixir case? Qingyang.

Xue Zongwu, his most capable supporter and the general guarding the frontier, was killed by Emperor Jiuyou, which initiated the series of incidents in Tianshui City. King Yao suspected who was responsible for Emperor Jiuyou's actions? Qingyang.

After Xue Zongwu's death, who was the adversary wielding the stick of accusation, throwing the royal court into turmoil, and trying to wrest some military power from King Yao's hands? Still Qingyang.

If patience was a knife at one's throat, King Yao's heart had been stabbed three or four times, bleeding profusely. Now, even the old pear tree, which had been with him through thick and thin and shielded him from harm, was not spared by Qingyang? Long-suppressed hatred and fury erupted, almost melting the ice and snow on the ground.

He stood up and paced back and forth in the Jade Spring Palace. At that moment, he forgot that he had won a round against Qingyang that night; the most loyal disciple sent by Beijia to oversee the kingdom had died in his imperial martial arts contest. Damnable, utterly damnable! If he didn't do something, he wouldn't be able to quell the hatred in his heart!

Qingyang returned to the Tranquil Lake Retreat. The Tranquil Lake Villa opposite was under construction, and the road back to her island had been dug up, full of potholes. No matter how skilled the coachman, the carriage ride was bumpy. Normally, Qingyang could have just shrugged it off. But today, she was seething with rage, wanting only to give an order and have everyone in the villa killed!

King Yao, He Xiao! These two had mistaken her magnanimity for weakness and her kindness for compromise! Qingyang lifted the carriage curtain. At that moment, if the villa produced even a single noise, even just tapping a stone or driving a few wedges, she would order her attendants to dismount and slaughter all those thoughtless craftsmen! She knew she was too impulsive, too irrational, but this surge of resentment was simply unbearable!

He Yang was dead, and of course, she could appoint a new Left Commander of the Azure Guard. But King Yao and that He fellow wanted to flaunt their power in front of her? Heh heh! The watchdogs had grown bold enough to bite their master; shouldn't she teach them a lesson?

However, the journey was eerily quiet. The Tranquil Lake Villa, usually bustling with work day and night, had not a soul in sight today. Work stoppage? The vast construction site was deserted, with only a few figures seemingly moving in a small cabin by the forest. Those were the caretakers staying on site.

Qingyang frowned. "What's going on?" Even the guards King Yao stationed here seemed to be absent. As soon as she asked, an Azure Guard spurred his horse to find the people in the wooden cabin.

A short while later, the Azure Guard returned and reported: "No one is at the villa's construction site. Work is suspended for three days starting today because of King Yao's birthday banquet! The owner even gave them red envelopes."

Qingyang sneered. This suspension of work was truly convenient; they had avoided a catastrophic disaster. King Yao's birthday banquet already meant a three-day national celebration, with people from all walks of life taking time off. But what if it was premeditated? Did He Xiao have the construction site take a break to prevent Qingyang from returning in anger and slaughtering the craftsmen to vent her frustration? If that were the case, it would mean he had planned this all along, intending to provoke her during King Yao's birthday banquet!

He Xiao had provoked He Yang multiple times at King Yao's birthday banquet, and it now seemed he had deliberately goaded him into issuing a challenge. He Yang was loyal yet unyielding. Qingyang originally needed such a subordinate for her affairs in Yao, but when confronted by He Xiao, He Yang's traits became weaknesses. While Qingyang was calculating against him, he was also calculating against Qingyang! He Yang was the Azure Guard Commander overseeing the kingdom. King Yao and He Xiao normally had no reason or opportunity to harm him. Only by setting up a trap using the martial arts contest at King Yao's birthday banquet could He Yang be targeted and killed! Openly and without repercussions.

The carriage rumbled as it returned to Huaji Island. Qingyang stepped down from the carriage and, passing by a small garden, suddenly pressed her hand against a rockery. This rockery, a single piece of granite taken from deep in the mountains, stood one and a half zhang tall. Naturally formed and unpolished, its hardness was astonishing. She pressed with exceptional force, her fingertips turning white. Even her cloak stirred without a breeze. The guards dared not approach, scattering around her.

Qingyang closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, her chest rising and falling. Only then did she withdraw her hand and enter the house without looking back. In less than twenty breaths, the rockery crumbled. It didn't break into pieces but pulverized into fine dust. A gust of wind scattered the powder. The Palace Mistress was truly furious. The guards exchanged glances, none daring to utter a sound.

After venting her anger on the rockery, Qingyang returned to her room to change clothes, her mind calming down and her thoughts clearing. King Yao had already used the Tranquil Lake Villa to cause her trouble, so what benefit would he gain by offending her so strongly now? Honestly, none. Aside from getting some satisfaction and undermining her prestige, these actions would only infuriate her further. Ultimately, what could King Yao do to her, or rather, what would he dare to do to her? She was the overseer sent by Beijia, and Yao ultimately had to act according to Beijia's wishes. Was King Yao simply hot-headed and arrogant, too eager to suppress her, or was something else amiss?

The sun dipped in the west, and the sky gradually darkened. The quick thud of hooves sounded, as a rider galloped onto the island. Qingyang heard the hoofbeats and slowly opened her eyes. Soon, the rider galloped in to report: "The old pear tree in Jade Spring Palace suddenly withered, its flowers and leaves falling off, its branches drying up. King Yao is furious."

Qingyang was startled and quickly asked for the details. The rider recounted them one by one. After listening, Qingyang gave a mocking smile. "He isn't dying of anger; he's clearly dying of fear. The old man considers that pear tree his lifeblood. Now the tree is dead, and it died on his birthday banquet no less—this is a grave omen, and he must be terrified." The older people get, the more they cling to life; she understood that perfectly.

But Qingyang quickly sobered. "He suspects me, doesn't he?" They had been adversaries for so long that with the old tree's sudden change, King Yao was ninety percent sure to suspect her. She frequently visited Jade Spring Palace, and had even commented on the old tree last time. If she were King Yao, she would also find her the most suspicious. But Qingyang herself knew best that killing that tree would bring her no benefit whatsoever! It was pointless, merely provoking King Yao to fury. Of course, she couldn't prove her innocence, let alone explain it to King Yao. So, this was another anomaly.

Recalling the previous deaths of Xue Zongwu and Qi Yunsheng, those incidents also severely pushed her back, completely disrupting her original rhythm and pace! It seemed a powerful force was secretly stirring up trouble on the Blazing Gold Plain. As for her relationship with the Yao royal court, it was already in disarray. It couldn't be repaired, and there was no turning back.

She thought of He Xiao again. Why was that fellow helping King Yao so diligently to offend her? He should know that he was personally severing his last chance to leave Yao Capital alive! He Xiao was an intelligent man, capable of offering advice and assessing situations. It made no sense for him to walk down a path of self-destruction without looking back. What was he after? Profit, reputation, revenge? Or was he acting on behalf of someone else? If he had someone behind him, who could it be? Could it be Frostleaf again? No, what interests could Frostleaf have in the Blazing Gold Plain?

A thought suddenly flashed in her mind: When did the conflict between herself and King Yao begin to escalate? Right, it was after He Xiao arrived in Yao! This person was indeed capable, but why was his luck always so good? Whatever he wanted to do, he succeeded! He Yang's death infuriated Qingyang; the old pear tree's demise infuriated King Yao. He Yang died by He Xiao's hand, could the old tree's fate also be his doing? The more she thought about it, the more it seemed true.

She took a deep breath. "Someone." An Azure Guard appeared beside her. "Send word to the Master of Red Hearth. He still owes me a favor, and now he can repay it." Whatever He Xiao's hidden intentions were, she had no desire to uncover them. It was best to simply kill such a person and be done with it.

***

White Dog Mound, small tavern. This was in Cangzhou, Pei Kingdom. Although its name included the character "mound," there were no tombs here. It was merely said that a powerful white dog demon had died on the local high ground, giving the place its name. The tavern wasn't by a post station, so few travelers passed by. It was closed twenty-eight days a month, and the remaining two or three days, it opened irregularly. This was certainly not the rhythm of a business, and only specific groups of people would patronize it.

Today, the tavern was open, and all seven or eight tables inside were full of people, each carrying sticks and knives. From their appearance, they were clearly not ordinary folk. Occasionally, two innocent passersby would approach, intending to ask for a bowl of water, but upon seeing the scene, they would immediately turn and flee, fearing they might be caught, stripped clean, and turned into large meat buns if they lingered. The boisterous crowd in the tavern briefly glanced at them before resuming their noisy discussions:

"We've been gathered for two days; today, we absolutely must pick a Mountain Chief!"

"Right, if we don't act soon, it'll be too late. The Pang brothers from Nu Hai next door have already gathered over a hundred men and dealt with the chief evildoer in their village!"

"Who cares about the Pang brothers? They used to be quiet as mice when cursed, but this time they actually got ahead of us! Oh, and they're carrying a large banner with a black dragon embroidered on it. I saw it; the embroidery wasn't great."

"What Mountain Chief? We're choosing a leader for the Righteous Alliance, not a bandit chieftain!"

"What's the difference?"

"A Mountain Chief is..." The speaker trailed off. "Anyway, we won't do anything unethical; even if we steal money, it'll be to rob the rich and help the poor!"

"So we can steal money, right? Then I choose Bo Tou!"

"Nonsense! We're called the Righteous Alliance; how can we steal money?"

The tavern erupted once again in a deafening clamor. Finally, someone stood up, grabbed a brass gong nearby, and struck it several times. "Quiet! Everyone quiet!"