My Lady Always Lacks Ambition

In the courtyard, the yin wind howled, and black mist like ink enveloped the small courtyard.

Qin Liuxi looked coldly at Xuanming as he lay on the ground like a dead dog, begging those phantoms for mercy. Not all of those phantoms were yin souls he had harmed, but those few small baby souls certainly were. They couldn’t even become real ghosts, relying only on resentful energy to surround him.

Suddenly, Qin Liuxi’s hair stood on end, and her sharp eyes looked towards the night sky, where a giant hand appeared out of thin air, resembling that of the Buddha’s hand she had seen in the temple.

The gigantic hand, carrying a powerful aura, descended towards her.

As Qin Liuxi swiftly dodged, she swung the Vajra Ruler towards the giant hand. Golden light illuminated the night sky, accompanied by runes. A night watchman who casually looked up froze for a moment, then knelt on the ground, muttering "Amitabha Buddha."

And in this courtyard night sky, these runes struck the giant hand, causing it to only pause slightly before continuing to press down.

Boom.

The main courtyard was in ruins.

Qin Liuxi, with a stern face, pulled out the Qiankun Soul Devouring Mirror from her bosom, which she hadn’t yet repaired. As expected, the mirror surface trembled violently.

Her eyes colder than ice and snow, she infused her intent into the mirror, shooting it towards the giant hand.

The giant hand withdrew, waved.

Thud.

Qin Liuxi spat out a mouthful of blood, yet still flew forward to confront the giant hand. At the same time, she channeled her intent into the Vajra Ruler, gripping it with both hands, slicing it towards the giant hand.

"Heh heh."

She heard a deep yet icy laugh, as if it came from the clouds.

"Child," the voice said.

Qin Liuxi sneered, the Vajra Ruler transforming into a sharp and formidable Daoist intent, piercing straight into the giant hand.

The giant hand dispersed, swirling and rotating.

The yin energy in the courtyard swept towards her like a gust of wind.

Yin energy entered her body.

Qin Liuxi’s face was covered in frost, even her eyelashes were frosted, and the breath she exhaled turned to frost instantly.

But she couldn’t care about these, as if realizing something, she quickly looked over to where Xuanming had been, now empty.

Damn, she fell into a trap!

A slightly smug laughter dissipated into the night sky.

Qin Liuxi glanced in the direction where the voice disappeared, gritting her teeth she spat out a name: "Si Luo!"

Indeed, the phantasmal giant hand from earlier was evidently formed from Si Luo’s aura. Though he was still being secretive, this was their first direct confrontation. He merely projected a palm imprint from a distance and she suffered.

Secretive bastard!

Qin Liuxi watched as the thick black fog dissipated, revealing the true visage of the night sky. Feeling the rampant yin energy within her, she vented her anger by circulating the Karmic Fire, which eliminated all the yin energy within her as if it had met a nemesis.

Feeling warmth return to her body, she looked again at the main courtyard, now a ruin, where Princess Si Yi lay unconscious on the ground as people rushed in from all directions.

Qin Liuxi looked again at the Qiankun Soul Devouring Mirror on the ground, now split in two and dull, having lost its last bit of magic.

"Why so fragile?" Qin Liuxi was heartbroken, caressing the Soul-devouring Mirror like a lost child.

Ah, so frustrating!

She collected the Soul-devouring Mirror, then glanced at her hand; fortunately, the Sanqing Bell of Xuanming was still there. It was hers now.

Looting after defeating monsters, she picked it up!

However, why did Si Luo expose his aura just to take Xuanming? Was that guy important?

Qin Liuxi furrowed her brows, sensing her chest ache—a remnant injury from the giant hand’s blow. A single palm imprint hurt her so; how about a direct confrontation?

With a grave expression, she ignored the chaos around her and vanished as soon as the first person arrived.

The guilt of destroying the villain’s house didn’t exist; it was all Si Luo and Xuanming’s doing!

As for the life or death of Princess Si Yi, it was of no concern to her. With the fall of Prince Xinyang Mansion, she also had to stand down, waiting for King Tianliang’s demise.

...

Slap.

Xuanming was thrown like a rag onto the ground in front of a tomb, coughing up blood, terrified as he surveyed the quiet surroundings.

Who, who brought him here?

Creak, creak.

Steps sounded upon the snow, very light, yet Xuanming’s heart beat like a drum, feeling as if a demon was trampling on his heart.

This was even more intense than facing that crazy female Daoist earlier!

Heh.

He leaned back, a shadow appeared before his eyes. He instinctively looked up, and with just one glance, his eyes stung, forcing him to prostrate on the ground, trembling.

"Submit to me, or die!" The voice of the shadow was as cold as frost, precisely the voice Qin Liuxi had heard, Si Luo’s.

Xuanming trembled, stammering, "I am willing, I am willing to submit."

"Very well!" Si Luo’s hand pressed upon his head, saying, "The first trial of becoming a God’s Servant is to guard this array well, do not let anyone destroy it."

Xuanming dared not move, nor avoid that hand, yet his head felt as if it were infused with wisdom, gaining something profound.

The resentful energy that had previously eroded him seemed to disperse by half.

He was extremely moved, becoming more devout, saying, "Disciple obeys, but what should I respectfully call Honorable God..."

Si Luo laughed, "They call me Holy Master."

He turned to leave, his voice cold, "As an Array Guardian, with the array intact, you live; with the array broken, you die."

Xuanming stiffened, replying respectfully, "Yes."

The man departed, leaving only a muttering carried by the wind, "Little girl, you have some skills, like a wild cat, those claws are sharp, heh."

All things returned to silence.

Xuanming listened to his own heartbeat, slumping to the ground, recalling the infusion of wisdom, he hurriedly sat cross-legged, performing the Grand Circulation to let True Qi course through him.

The silent night passed, daylight broke.

Xuanming opened his eyes, spreading his hands with satisfaction as he stood, though upon touching his waist, his face turned sullen.

The Sanqing Bell was gone, snatched by that little thief!

Bah, claiming to be Righteous Path!

Xuanming felt the power within him, tempted to seek out Qin Liuxi for retribution and reclaim the Sanqing Bell, but shuddered at the thought of her.

Array Guardian.

Indeed, he had become the Array Guardian, unable to leave freely, else with the Holy Master’s power, he could be crushed with a single finger, right?

Xuanming swallowed, pondering the array he was told of. What kind of array?

He surveyed the surroundings, his expression odd, then climbed to a high point, looking down, calculating with his fingers, his pupils contracting.

A graveyard unfolded before him, a prime location with Five Elements Qi gathering, no, not just Five Elements, it was Qi Fortune, Golden Fortune continuously flowing in one direction.

He looked towards that direction, to the west, through layers of clouds, like an upside-down funnel, drawing in the Qi Fortune.

This array...

Thump thump thump.

Xuanming heard his heart pounding within his chest incessantly, clenching his fists, dragging his stiff legs to a tombstone, seeing the surname on the tombstone, Mr. Xie’s tomb.