The three women withdrew their gazes from Yun Qingxue’s true form and exchanged glances. Ye Xiang was the first to lose her composure, looking at Fen Yao and Liang Yue as she said, “Don’t you think… this idiot is acting very strange today?”
Liang Yue frowned. “How… how did she suddenly revert to her true form?”
“You ask me, but who should I ask?!” Fen Yao, disheveled and irritated, snapped back at the other two. Her sharp eyes, like knives, fixed on Yun Qingxue, who had transformed back into her original form on the ground, her breathing heavy.
Yun Qingxue rolled her eyes—though no one could see it—her beautiful blue petals blooming proudly. She had long known she was no match for these three spell-casting flower demons. Now that she had deliberately and mysteriously reverted to her true form, the worst outcome would be another beating like yesterday.
But that didn’t matter. No matter how badly she was injured, her wounds would heal by the next day. Besides, she had struck first this time, feigning madness and making the three women suffer plenty. All things considered, she wasn’t at a disadvantage!
“So, what do we do now?” Ye Xiang, still shaken by Yun Qingxue’s earlier outburst, pressed a pale hand to her cheek where Yun Qingxue had struck her. It hurt, and she was sure there was a bruise forming.
Not everyone had Yun Qingxue’s miraculous healing ability. Even as accomplished flower demons, their injuries took time to recover—though their magic sped up the process compared to mortals.
“What do we do?!” Fen Yao repeated the last three words through gritted teeth, her almond-shaped eyes gleaming with cold fury as she glared at Yun Qingxue, now in her true form. “Since Her Majesty the Flower King is acting abnormally, it’s our duty to help her return to normal!”
With that, Fen Yao advanced step by step toward Yun Qingxue.
Yun Qingxue swayed slightly on her stem. Though she had known she would suffer and had preemptively struck back to even the score, the feeling of sitting idle now was unpleasant—very unpleasant!
“Ah—!”
Before Fen Yao’s hand could even touch her, a piercing scream erupted from the Flower King’s chambers, sharp enough to pierce the heavens.
The sound made Fen Yao’s heart tremble, freezing her in her tracks. Liang Yue and Ye Xiang stared dumbfounded at Yun Qingxue, who, despite being in her true form, had produced such a shrill cry.
For once, the three of them shared the same eerie sense that something was off, though they couldn’t pinpoint what. After all, to them, the fool was still the same fool…
After only a few seconds of hesitation, Fen Yao, fuming, closed in on Yun Qingxue again, her slender fingers viciously pinching Yun Qingxue’s leaves.
“Waaah—!”
Yun Qingxue cried out in pain, wailing loudly without restraint.
“Ah—! Waaah—!” The sound was just as ear-splitting as before.
Fen Yao grew even more furious, while Liang Yue and Ye Xiang were stunned into silence by Yun Qingxue’s unpredictable actions.
“Shut up!” Fen Yao hissed, her hand glowing pink as she struck at Yun Qingxue.
But just as the pink light was about to touch Yun Qingxue, a dark green streak shot through the air, intercepting it. The green light devoured the pink glow effortlessly before surging up Fen Yao’s arm and striking her chest.
“Ah!” Fen Yao screamed as the force sent her stumbling backward. She collapsed to the ground, motionless.
“Assassins are attacking Her Majesty the Flower King! Guards, protect the king!” A man’s sharp voice rang out from a window at the side of the hall.
Liang Yue and Ye Xiang, stunned by the sudden turn of events, stared blankly at the man who had called for reinforcements before hastily dropping into curtsies.
“Your servant Liang Yue (Ye Xiang) pays respects to Lord Gu Mu!”
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
Two more screams echoed simultaneously.
Two more streaks of dark green light shot from the man by the window, striking Liang Yue and Ye Xiang with precision. Like Fen Yao, they staggered back and collapsed, eyes open but unmoving.
Yun Qingxue frowned, her gaze shifting to the man by the window—but in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
The synchronized footsteps of guards echoed as a squad of the Flower and Wood Tribe’s soldiers stormed into the Flower King’s chambers, led by the same man who had just dealt with Fen Yao and the others.
Clad in flowing white robes, the man carried an air not of divinity but of roguish defiance.
Upon seeing Yun Qingxue, he dropped to one knee, bowing his head respectfully.
“Your subject Gu Mu pays homage to Her Majesty the Flower King. Forgive my tardiness in coming to your aid.”
Yun Qingxue ignored him, shamelessly studying the young man named Gu Mu who had suddenly appeared to help her.
After all, she was in her true form now—and in everyone’s eyes, she was still a fool. There was no risk of Gu Mu noticing anything amiss…
After paying his respects, Gu Mu seemed to expect no response from the soul-lost Flower King. Once formalities were observed, he stood and addressed the guards behind him.
“I witnessed these three attempting to harm Her Majesty. Bind them and deliver them to Elder Tongyun for judgment!”
“Lord Gu Mu!”
The lead guard stepped forward, speaking with deference but caution. “My lord, these three women are from Elder Tongyun’s palace…”
“Insolent fool!”
Before the guard could finish, Gu Mu barked, “Are you implying that Elder Tongyun—who has devoted herself tirelessly to our Flower and Wood Tribe—would send assassins after Her Majesty?!”
“That’s not what I meant!”
The guard’s knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor with a thud.
“Not what you meant?” Gu Mu repeated icily, narrowing his eyes at the kneeling guard. “Then why claim the assassins I captured are from Elder Tongyun’s palace? Who gave you the audacity to slander the elder?!”
The guard’s face twisted in despair. “My lord, please let me explain—”
“Enough! I’ve no time for your excuses!” Gu Mu cut him off, turning to the other guards. “Seize this wretch who dares defame Elder Tongyun and deliver him along with the assassins for judgment!”
“I’m innocent!” the guard wailed, tears of frustration welling up. Facing Gu Mu, this soldier felt the helplessness of “a scholar arguing with a brute”—reason lost in tyranny.
A foolish ruler is fearsome, a corrupt official despicable—but nothing is more infuriating than a muddle-headed enforcer who refuses to see reason!
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