Chapter 2242: Turning Enemies into Friends

"No wonder there have been so many strange occurrences in the capital lately; it was all your doing!" Bi Linglong gritted her teeth, her heart filled with rage.

"Actually, all of this was what your father wanted to achieve, but he lacked the ability. We simply helped him realize his ambitions and took a small reward from him," Bi Qi said with a sinister expression, as if taking lives as payment was perfectly normal.

Bi Linglong was both shocked and enraged, but her immediate priority was to overcome the current crisis. "How did you manage to impersonate them so perfectly? Did you use Heart-Devouring Demonic Spiders?" she asked. She had heard Zu An mention these demons before, and there had been a major investigation in the capital to find anyone infected by them.

"Heart-Devouring Demonic Spiders? As if we'd be such low-level demons," Bi Qi sneered, growing impatient.

"Stop wasting time with her. Let me have some fun," Zhao Ruizhi said, rubbing his hands together with a smile as he approached her. He thoroughly enjoyed the sight of his prey in a state of panic; the more terrified and flustered they were, the more excited he became. Bi Linglong felt a wave of nausea at the sight of his now grotesque and lewd fat face.

Bi Qi frowned. "Hurry up. Don't drag this out."

"Don't worry, I'm always quick," Zhao Ruizhi replied, chasing the frantically dodging Bi Linglong. "Don't worry, once you're mine, you'll realize how insignificant your former life was and how lucky you are to have met me."

"Die!" Bi Linglong shrieked, suddenly drawing a short sword from her sleeve and thrusting it towards him. Her sword strike was incredibly swift and skillful, but it was meaningless in the face of an overwhelming power disparity. Zhao Ruizhi simply slapped the blade away. Bi Linglong felt a tremendous force transmit through her hand, causing her to lose her grip, and the short sword flew out of her reach.

Without a moment's hesitation, she quickly removed the golden buyao hairpin from her hair. She had worn it for a long time, not just for its beauty, but because it was a magical artifact. The moment it left her hair, the buyao instantly grew larger, streaking towards Zhao Ruizhi like a flying sword, leaving a trail of light.

Zhao Ruizhi simply opened his mouth and swallowed the flying sword whole, a chewing sound emanating from him. "Mmm, it even has a hint of hair fragrance. Delicious," he remarked.

Bi Linglong was horrified. She knew that a defensive artifact used by the Empress would certainly be powerful, capable of harming even a Grandmaster if they were momentarily distracted. Yet, this creature had just swallowed it in one bite?

Zhao Ruizhi seized her moment of shock and quickly closed in, reaching out to embrace her. "Come here, my beauty." However, just as his hand brushed the hem of her clothes, a golden light suddenly radiated from the floral pattern on Bi Linglong's forehead, repelling his hand.

Zhao Ruizhi stumbled back several yards before regaining his balance, his vital energy surging. "Huh?" Not only Zhao Ruizhi but even Bi Qi, who stood by, was surprised. "That power..."

Bi Linglong bit her lip. Years ago, Zhao Hao had given her some protective measures, stored within the floral pattern on her forehead, because she was the Crown Princess. Although she had used it once before in a secret realm, Zu An later thought it was a good idea and also left a wisp of his power within the pattern to protect her. At the time, she had jokingly said that as the Empress, with palace guards everywhere, she wouldn't encounter any danger. She never imagined she would actually need it today. Unfortunately, it was a one-time use, and Zu An couldn't have anticipated her facing such terrifying enemies.

She didn't waste the opportunity. Crushing a small bead, she caused blue lights to suddenly appear across the sleeping quarters floor. These spiritual lights combined to form a transparent barrier that trapped Zhao Ruizhi and Bi Qi within a formation. She then quickly dashed towards the door, knowing that with so many imperial guards outside, alarming them would give her a glimmer of hope. Although many were the Emperor's personal guard, they were still human. If they knew the Emperor had been replaced by demons, they would surely fight them.

However, when she reached the door, instead of breaking through as she expected, a strange force repelled her.

At that moment, applause rang out nearby. Bi Qi clapped his hands and said, "I've heard the Empress is intelligent and resourceful, and seeing you today confirms it. If I hadn't set up this barrier beforehand, you little girl really might have slipped away right under our noses."

As he spoke, he and Zhao Ruizhi had already destroyed the surrounding formation. While the formation was well-designed, it was no match for two terrifyingly powerful demons.

Watching all her measures being effortlessly nullified by them, Bi Linglong's eyes filled with despair. The guards were just outside the door, yet that single door felt like an impassable chasm.

"I'd rather die than be humiliated by you," Bi Linglong declared, realizing her chances were grim. Without hesitation, she pulled out a dagger and moved to slit her own throat. Falling into the hands of these demons would surely be worse than death, so it was better to end it quickly. Her only regret was that she would never see Zu An again.

"Stop!" Zhao Ruizhi's expression changed. What good was she if she was dead? He darted towards her like lightning. The woman was certainly resolute, but unfortunately, she didn't understand the power of their cultivation level. He would stop her before she could cut her throat.

Just then, with a sharp *bang*, a nearby wardrobe suddenly exploded. Countless splinters of wood shot towards Zhao Ruizhi like sharp knives. Zhao Ruizhi's expression changed; he hadn't expected anyone else to be in the room. He waved his hand, sweeping the splinters aside, but then a cold glint flashed, and he hastily retreated. Looking down at the dragon robe he wore, he saw a slit had been cut into it, and a faint bloodstain was beginning to show.

"It's you?" Bi Linglong's actions froze due to the sudden development. Seeing that her rescuer was her long-time adversary, she was momentarily stunned. *She's actually saving me?*

"What are you staring at? Go!" Liu Ning pushed her towards the secret passage. She felt incredibly vexed at that moment, never imagining she would one day save this wretched girl. However, having just learned that the destruction of the Liu family was actually caused by demons, and with Bi Qi also dead, much of her resentment towards Bi Linglong had dissipated. Remembering the intimate relationship between Bi Linglong and Zu An... Zheng Dan and Sang Qian had risked their lives to save her because of Zu An. If she stood idly by today, how could she face Zu An in the future? Besides, these two were also the culprits behind the destruction of the Liu family, and she wished she could tear them limb from limb!

"Trying to escape? Not a chance!" Bi Qi scoffed, pressing his hand to the floor. The ground seemed to shift, instantly sealing off the secret passage. Seeing this, Liu Ning's heart sank.

"So it's the Empress Dowager. Excellent, everyone's here today," Zhao Ruizhi said, recognizing Liu Ning. A smile spread across his plump face now that he saw they couldn't escape.

Liu Ning glared at Bi Linglong, annoyed. "How unlucky. You're going to get me killed today." Although she was a Grandmaster, usually proud and arrogant, she had clearly felt that both demons possessed the cultivation of Earth Immortals, a power she could not possibly contend with.

While Bi Linglong was grateful for Liu Ning's immediate help, she refused to admit it verbally. "Hmph, *you're* the truly foolish one. You just learned the true identities of these two demons; why didn't you inform the many masters outside first instead of foolishly rushing in here to die?"

"Heh, those people would attack me the moment they saw me," Liu Ning snorted. "Besides, if I left, that guy would probably be heartbroken later." Bi Linglong was confused. From her words, did that mean she also had a relationship with Zu An?

Perhaps it was the life-or-death situation, but her mind was three times sharper than usual, and she immediately recalled various past anomalies. *Oh right, that Zu An is such a lecher; he wouldn't miss an opportunity to get close to someone as beautiful as her.* "That guy is truly despicable, even wanting an old woman like you," Bi Linglong said, though inwardly she knew Liu Ning was indeed a rare beauty, otherwise Zhao Hao wouldn't have chosen her as his Empress back then. Moreover, cultivators' ages don't show as clearly as ordinary people's; standing next to Liu Ning now, strangers would simply assume she was Bi Linglong's older sister, never realizing she belonged to the previous generation.

"You!" Liu Ning gritted her teeth. "I shouldn't have interfered just now!"

At this point, Zhao Ruizhi across from them clicked his tongue in admiration. "I see the Empress Dowager still has her charm." Bi Qi said grimly, "Perfect. If we turn both the Empress Dowager and the Empress into our own, controlling the entire empire will be even more legitimate."

Hearing this, Bi Linglong knew she couldn't escape her fate. She said apologetically to Liu Ning, "I've dragged you into this. Later, I'll try my best to buy you time. You run; don't worry about me. Just expose their identities to the public!"

"Your paltry skills won't hold them. I'll hold them off; you run," Liu Ning said, taking a deep breath and staring intently at the two figures opposite them, not daring to be distracted for a second.

"Run? Neither of you will escape," Bi Qi said with a cold face. "Let's attack together to avoid any more complications." "Alright!" Zhao Ruizhi knew that Zu An had returned, and if he became aware of their presence, it would be extremely troublesome.

Without another word, the two attacked from both sides. Liu Ning felt as if she was trapped in a strange force field, like quicksand, making even movement difficult. "Earth Immortals? I've seen them before!" Liu Ning gritted her teeth, and a radiant red light suddenly erupted from her body. Whether it was Zhao Hao in the past or Zu An later, both were among the world's top cultivators. Having spent so much time with them, her perspective was naturally extraordinary, and she possessed countless precious magical artifacts.

Using a secret technique, she broke free from the strange force field. She then struck the floor near the secret passage entrance with her palm. The entire room was sealed by the barrier they had set up, and only this passage offered a glimmer of hope. The recently blocked floor of the secret passage was blasted open by her powerful palm strike, revealing the opening. Liu Ning then pushed Bi Linglong towards it. Bi Qi, with a cold expression, single-handedly blocked all of Liu Ning's desperate attacks, leaving Zhao Ruizhi free to intercept Bi Linglong. Zhao Ruizhi sneered, instantly appearing at the opening and lunging to grab Bi Linglong. Bi Linglong's cultivation was vastly inferior to theirs; the overwhelming pressure made even breathing difficult for her. Just as despair set in, the ceiling suddenly exploded, and a beautiful yet eerie crescent moon rose within the room.