It was time for lunch. Hua Qiyue cast a glance at Liu’er helping Hua Mengshi down and quietly lifted her brows.
Hua Mengshi was still her tender, feeble self. But she was looking much better than before.
“Sister Princess, are you alright? Your complexion is much better than before. I’m sure you can recover to your former self after some time!” Ji Jing was not a scheming girl. She did not suspect the present Princess Mingzhu, smiling enthusiastically and pulling a chair out for her.
“Thank you for your concern. I’m feeling much better.” Hua Mengshi smiled and sat down, glancing tenderly at Hua Qiyue. “My thanks especially to Princess Jinghua. I’m very happy that you bear me no grudge.”
Hua Qiyue gently shook her head. “You’re too polite, Princess. Nobody would take such unimportant matters to heart.”
The company heard her and gave benign smiles. Xuanji and the other men gave Hua Mengshi a meaningful glance.
Xuanji and Bai Qianxue did not know Princess Mingzhu at all. But they still sensed something not quite right with her.
However, looking at Hua Qiyue with her disarming smile, they were too lazy to mention their suspicion. With their combined prowess, Hua Mengshi would not be their match.
Lan Luo swept Hua Mengshi a cursory glance and was inwardly astounded. This woman was so terrifying. Hua Mengshi’s temper was not good and yet she could pretend to be the gentle, adorable Princess Mingzhu.
Lan Luo and Princess Mingzhu, of course, had had a close relationship. For some time in the past, they were passionately involved in an affair. He knew Princess Mingzhu too well.
Hua Mengshi was now counterfeiting her so well. Even her expression and tone of voice were thoroughly alike. So would Hua Qiyue completely believe in her?
The answer to this question came in the night.
It was midnight.
Hua Mengshi lit a soporific incense stick to make Liu’er sleep more deeply. The maidservant would not be aware of the former’s actions.
Then, Hua Mengshi got up nimbly and put on a set of black attire for her night operation.
She needed to abduct a few women outside. There was a mountain called the Hundred Pearls Mountain outside Xuanyuan City. A cave was there, useful for keeping abductees.
Hua Mengshi’s strength had grown a great deal. She could abduct two women at one time.
She only wanted to advance madly so that she could dispatch of Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo in a short period of time!
No, no… She must certainly get rid of Hua Qiyue’s skills but leave her alive. She would make her watch her passionate lovemaking with Yun Shimo, slowly torturing her…
When she thought about this, Hua Mengshi became inexplicably excited.
In fact, Lan Luo had advised her to go undercover only after she had advanced to the Great Deity Realm. It would reduce the risk of Hua Qiyue or her friends recognizing her.
But Hua Mengshi was flushed with hatred. She could not care too much and came out of her retreat immediately.
The night was quiet.
The weather was sultry in the early summer.
Hua Mengshi was feeling stuffy in her black attire. She soared out of the window and lightly flew across the rooftops of several buildings.
Hua Mengshi wanted to abduct women. She needed to kidnap peasant girls outside the city, so that she would not alert too many Qi Artists or even Hua Qiyue if an accident arose.
After getting out of Xuanyuan City, she looked back, standing outside the city. She did not detect anyone following her. Hua Mengshi heaved a sigh of relief.
So she continued to race swiftly to the nearest village.
After about 15 minutes, Hua Mengshi arrived at a farm. Before coming to Xuanyuan City, she had passed by this farm. There was a married couple inside with their two daughters.
They were ordinary commoners, so Hua Mengshi did not need to worry about anything.
Hua Mengshi leaped into the farm and located the room of the girls. She broke through the window and knocked both girls unconscious. With one in each arm, she sprinted away to the Hundred Pearls Mountain.
Soon, Hua Mengshi had brought the two unconscious girls to the Hundred Pearls Mountain and discovered the cave. She threw the two girls to the ground and exhaled a long breath.
The two on the ground were ordinary peasant girls. They were clothed in rough hempen clothing. Their features were quite delicate, but their skins were rather tanned.
However, no matter who they were, as long as they were healthy girls, Hua Mengshi could employ the Art of Melting and Absorbing Spirit and absorb everything from them for herself.
“Humph, don’t blame me. Blame your fates instead. To come across me means certain death for you girls!” Hua Mengshi had long started to murder. She no longer felt any compassion for these innocent girls.
Hua Mengshi first sat cross-legged, absorbing the anima energy of heaven and earth for a while. Then, she slowly opened her eyes.
After all, to execute her Art of Melting and Absorbing Spirit, she would need vast amounts of energy. Hua Mengshi really hated this Art, but it could help her advance quickly in her Qi Art. Although she hated this forbidden art, she felt the need to frantically execute it to the utmost.
Hua Mengshi walked over and placed one of the girls flat on the ground. She was about to unleash a palm at her head when a noise resounded from outside the cave!
No one executing this Art of Melting and Absorbing Spirit should be disturbed. Otherwise, she might go berserk and turn into a killing machine.
Hua Mengshi stopped what she was doing and turned her head back. Under the illumination of the luminous night pearl, she saw two figures flash. When she had come to herself again, she found Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo both staring coldly at her.
Hua Mengshi was so shocked that she jumped up, her face ashen, and her heart thumping wildly. She was utterly tense. Her mind was swiftly turning, trying to find the perfect excuse.
“Princess Mingzhu, what really is going on here? Can you explain?” Yun Shimo swept the two peasant girls on the ground a glance and asked frostily.
Hua Qiyue had long discovered something strange about “Princess Mingzhu.” That was why she had tailed her with Yun Shimo.
After all, their strength was much stronger than the first level of Holy God. If they executed Mourning Steps, Hua Mengshi would not be able to detect them at all.
“Oh… actually, it’s like this… I…” For a brief moment, Hua Mengshi could not explain herself. She stared at the two innocent girls, and her eyes lit up.
“These two girls are suffering from a strange illness. And… I had suffered from the same illness when I was imprisoned by Lin Qi in the past. So I kidnapped them, trying to cure them here.”
Hua Mengshi lowered her head, trying her best to hide her expression from Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo.
“Illness? What illness?” Hua Qiyue asked with a quiet smile, folding her arms before her chest.
How did she discover the oddity of “Princess Mingzhu”? During her time in the Changjing Capital, she had once attended a banquet with Princess Mingzhu present.
Princess Mingzhu had boasted about her string of beautiful jade beads in front of the other girls.
So Hua Qiyue knew that she had worn this string of bluish jade beads on her wrist since birth. Princess Mingzhu loved it so much that she never took it out.
Princess Mingzhu’s birth mother had died young. So the Princess regarded this string of beads like her own life. She would never take it out and give it to Tianci.
Furthermore, Hua Mengshi’s expression was too intentional. For some reason, Hua Qiyue could sense something strange at work.
When Hua Qiyue told her feelings to Yun Shimo, the latter agreed with her. So they tailed Hua Mengshi and found her unexpectedly kidnapping the two girls and taking them here.
“It’s a form of migraine. Very painful. Later, Lin Qi found me a famous physician…”
“You’re lying. Lin Qi had been killed on the day you went missing,” Hua Qiyue said quietly.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince had provided them with information on Lin Qi as well. That was why Hua Qiyue knew the day Lin Qi was killed.
“Because of this, after Lin Qi died, Hua Mengshi managed to scheme and seize the seat of Palace Leader. Princess Mingzhu, surely you know that? You’re too green to lie to us. Besides, you aren’t Princess Mingzhu,” Hua Qiyue said quietly.
Yun Shimo stared intently at her lowered eyes. Hua Mengshi suddenly began to shiver slightly. She thought that her acting was flawless. Yet, in a matter of days, she had aroused the suspicions of Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo!
What kind of person could tell that she was counterfeiting? Why was it Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo again?
A strong impulse arose in Hua Mengshi’s heart. She couldn’t resign herself to this outcome. But what else could she do but feel this?
Now that Hua Qiyue had said this, Hua Mengshi’s face turned ashen. It looked ghastly.
She tried desperately to hide her trembling hands.
“You’re not Princess Mingzhu. You’re Hua Mengshi.” Hua Qiyue glanced at her indifferently. “Because you have a few mannerisms exactly like Hua Mengshi’s. People can change their looks and voices, but habits are difficult to break. Each time you take your soup, you would leave your spoon on the table. Most people will leave it in the soup bowl. Not you.”
Hua Mengshi glared furiously at Hua Qiyue. “You… are spouting nonsense. I am not Hua Mengshi! I’m Princess Mingzhu!”
“Don’t pretend anymore, Hua Mengshi. You intend to kill these girls, right? We overheard your words, so you don’t need to pretend,” Yun Shimo said coldly as he studied the cave.
Hua Mengshi was enraged and embarrassed. She had not expected Hua Qiyue to see through her every act. While she was in Hua’s Mansion, she had never triumphed over her before!
Right now, she had not, too. Hua Mengshi watched Hua Qiyue, as beautiful as a fairy, thoroughly collected. Her robe flowed elegantly, and she looked like a fairy riding on a breeze.
Hua Mengshi could not wait to shred Hua Qiyue into pieces, so hateful was she.
“Don’t come over! Otherwise, I will kill her!”
Hua Mengshi swiftly unsheathed a dagger from inside her robe. She placed it coldly across the throat of one of the girls.
Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo exchanged glances.
Although they were not saintly people, they could not bear to see an innocent girl dying because of them.
Had they not come, the pair of sisters would have died.
Hua Qiyue shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “Hua Mengshi, what do you really want? I had let you off before, but if you continue this way, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Even if you are my sister.”
Yun Shimo smiled icily. “Leaving her alive will mean a menace for years.”
So they had to get rid of her and resolve the problem forever.
“What do I want? Hua Qiyue, you’ve wrecked my life! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be abducted by Lin Qi and join the Dark Sect!”
Hua Mengshi no longer kept up with her pretence, crying out madly with red eyes.
Hua Qiyue creased her brows, caressing her forehead helplessly. “Hua Mengshi, it’s because of your own personality. And yet you blame me. Don’t you find it absurd? Forget it then. One can never convince an intellectually disabled girl. Release her, and I won’t make it too painful for you.”
