Qing`er’s Rage

Qing'er's Rage . . .

The inexorable finger attack continued its relentless descent, casting a shadow of impending doom over the battlefield. For Qing'er, her heart thudded with a deafening intensity, each beat echoing the tumultuous turn of events she had never foreseen.

She had issued an unequivocal command to the Marquis Madam, instructing her to halt her assault. Yet here she was, witnessing the Marquis Madam defy her very orders, her attack proceeding unabated. The implications of this were grave; if that strike found its mark, even a casual blow from an immortal king would effortlessly snuff out Qin Wentian's life.

Qin Wentian's face contorted with terror as the destructive force bore down upon him. The surge of power carried an unfathomable pressure, leaving him with no time for contemplation. With a mere thought, he conjured an ancient sacred treasure—a formidable treasure cauldron. It was his only recourse to shield himself from the imminent threat. He hadn't even the luxury of drawing his demon sword; besides, it remained uncertain whether his own strength would suffice to withstand the impending strike.

The finger attack possessed the ability to pierce through any defense. Undoubtedly, if it struck Qin Wentian, his fate would be sealed. Yet, in that split second before the finger could impale him, the treasure cauldron materialized, intercepting the deadly assault. A thunderous boom reverberated, the finger attack colliding with the cauldron, igniting fierce sparks. While the finger attack wasn't explosive, its concentrated power could reduce anything it touched to mere atoms. Nevertheless, it found no passage through the cauldron's formidable defenses.

However, the sheer force of the impact propelled the cauldron backward, crashing into Qin Wentian. He was sent hurtling through the air, spitting blood as he careened onto the unforgiving ground.

The Marquis Madam's eyes burned with an intensity that bordered on madness. Frustration surged within her as she realized her finger attack had failed to deliver the fatal blow. Her palm poised to unleash another torrent of indomitable might, her intent undiminished.

Yet, in the midst of this dire confrontation, a chilling voice sliced through the tension, its icy tone sending shivers through every soul present. "Dare to make another move, and I shall obliterate your entire lineage," it declared, its frigidity sinking deep into the marrow of those who heard it.

What status did the Marquis Madam possess? If faced with a threat from an ordinary individual, she would have likely brushed it off with a dismissive gesture and executed her intended target. However, this time, the voice issuing the threat belonged to none other than Princess Qing'er herself. Her words cut through the air with an icy determination that even an immortal king like the Marquis Madam couldn't ignore. Her raised palm hovered hesitantly, suspended in midair, before she ultimately opted not to release her attack.

In a flash of radiant light, Qing'er materialized beside Qin Wentian. By now, he had managed to rise unsteadily from the ground. His gaze bore into the Marquis Madam, and his voice dripped with disdain as he spoke, "It's truly lamentable that the Everpeace Marquis Manor has become a haven for vermin. What a pitiable state of affairs."

"IMPUDENT!" The Marquis Madam's voice sliced through the charged atmosphere like a blade, her words reverberating with icy condemnation. She turned her gaze toward Qing'er, her expression seething with indignation. "Princess, though this man is your loyal follower, he has flagrantly violated decorum with his words, defiling the modesty of my daughter. Worse yet, he dares to spill blood within my manor, brazenly flouting our laws. He is nothing short of a lawless rogue. I implore Princess to take control of this situation and administer a fitting punishment to this wretched miscreant—a punishment that befits his vile crimes."

Qin Wentian, undaunted, withdrew his treasure cauldron, leveling a steely gaze at the Marquis Madam. With unwavering resolve, he retorted, "Of all the residents in your esteemed manor, one has proven to be more audacious than the rest." He maintained his unwavering gaze upon the Marquis Madam, unyielding as he continued, "Your daughter has maliciously slandered my name, branding me a dog slave. Yet, she now seeks to distort the truth further by accusing me of affronting her modesty with mere words? Even if she were offered to me for free, I would reject her without hesitation for the sheer impurity that clings to her."

The flames of discord raged higher as Xia Lian rose to her feet, her finger trembling as it pointed accusingly at Qin Wentian. Meanwhile, other experts from the manor converged on the scene, their expressions marred by hostility and disdain. In their eyes, right and wrong held little relevance; Qin Wentian, an outsider, had the temerity to transgress in their manor. He was now marked for a reckoning that would pay for his perceived crimes.

Qing'er's aura grew progressively colder, a realization gnawing at her heart—had she arrived a second later, Qin Wentian would have met his end within the Everpeace Manor, at the hands of her father's loyal subordinates.

This thought sent a shiver down her spine, her heart heavy with lingering dread and smoldering fury. Her eyes, now icy to the core, narrowed into slits. Swift as a shadow, she advanced, materializing before the Marquis Madam in an instant.

The Marquis Madam met Qing'er's gaze head-on, refusing to avert her eyes. She spoke with an air of self-righteousness, "I beseech Princess to weigh the reputation of our Marquis Manor and mete out a punishment commensurate with this man's transgressions."

Qing'er's hand ascended, and realization dawned on the Marquis Madam. A chilling tension gripped the air, laden with anticipation. Then, like a sudden clap of thunder, a resounding slap echoed through the silence. Every eye bore witness to the surreal spectacle unfolding before them, yet none dared to believe its reality.

Even the Marquis Madam herself stood petrified, her visage etched with stupefaction.

She, the wife of the Everpeace Marquis and the daughter of the Cloud King, found herself in an unthinkable predicament—slapped by Princess Qing'er within the confines of her own manor. It was a spectacle that unfolded in the full view of the public, a shocking display for all to witness.

Outrage surged among the devoted adherents of the manor. One after another, formidable figures emerged, their auras surging like tidal waves. Their loyalty to the Marquis Manor was unwavering, and this perceived disrespect ignited a furious response.

"HOW DARE YOU!" one loyalist roared, his anger shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Several others joined him, advancing with menacing intent.

"STAND DOWN! She is the Princess. Do you intend to challenge her authority?!" The Marquis Madam's voice sliced through the mounting tension, her frigid words a stark wake-up call. Even so, smoldering anger still simmered among some of the onlookers. "Princess, do you grasp the gravity of your actions?"

Yet, in the midst of the stunned onlookers, Qing'er raised her hand once more, her resolve unshaken.

In that heartbeat, a frigid glint emanated from the Marquis Madam's eyes. "PRINCESS!" she thundered, her mental plea piercing Qing'er's thoughts. However, the princess remained resolute, her expression unwavering as her hand descended in another resounding slap.

—bam!—

The sound of the slap resonated with a crisp finality, a slap that felt like an affront to the dignity of the entire manor's experts.

Stunned disbelief washed over many among the onlookers, their gazes locked on Qing'er. Xia Lian and Xia Fan stood aghast, their mouths agape in sheer horror.

Never in their wildest imaginings could they have fathomed that Princess Qing'er would publicly slap their mother, all for the sake of Qin Wentian.

Their mother, an immortal king expert, the daughter of the Cloud King, the wife of the Everpeace Marquis!

"Do you intend to pass a sentence of death upon me as well?" Qing'er's icy stare bore into the Marquis Madam. She cared not for the other's status. If she hadn't arrived in the nick of time, Qin Wentian would have perished at this woman's hands. She harbored an unrelenting self-reproach for her own lack of strength. If she had possessed greater power, the Marquis Madam's punishment would not have been so trivial, consisting merely of a few slaps. She would have struck down the Marquis Madam without hesitation.

"Your humble servant wouldn't dare," the Marquis Madam stammered, choking on her words. Nevertheless, her eyes remained as frigid as ancient ice, her glare directed at Qing'er.

"You wouldn't dare? What other boundaries won't you dare to cross?" Qing'er retorted with chilling resolve. "Your son and daughter dared to lay hands on my friend. When I commanded you to halt, you dared to persist. In your eyes, do you still acknowledge the authority of the royal clan? Do you still hold any reverence for me, the Princess of the Evergreen Immortal Empire?" Her voice, once warm and gentle, now carried an unyielding ice that brooked no dissent. It was a side of her no one had witnessed before—a display of her regal stature, asserting her rightful place in the hierarchy.

Undoubtedly, Qing'er was genuinely infuriated. When she had brought Qin Wentian to the Evergreen Immortal Empire, she had expected that their journey might be fraught with difficulties. However, never in her wildest imaginings did she anticipate that someone within the Marquis Manor would dare to go so far as to try and kill Qin Wentian. The surge of anger within her was palpable.

The faces of those in the vicinity underwent a rapid transformation. Qing'er's icy tone conveyed the depths of her fury. This was not merely the voice of a princess; it was the voice of the youngest daughter of the Evergreen Immortal Emperor, the one he cherished above all. She spoke now as the future successor of the Evergreen Immortal Empire, with the full weight of her authority.

The Marquis Madam had also not foreseen the situation spiraling into this. A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the words "eradicate your entire clan" that had echoed in her ears earlier. Even as an immortal king expert, she couldn't deny the shiver of trepidation that seized her heart at the sight of Qing'er's chilling demeanor.

"Princess is overreacting. Nevertheless, Princess, your friend's conduct was truly outrageous. I acted impulsively, and I apologize for my impetuosity..." The Marquis Madam's words trailed off as another slap found its mark—this time, the third in succession. Qing'er's palm moved almost faster than thought, landing squarely on the Marquis Madam's face. By now, the Marquis Madam's expression was beyond description—words like 'anger' fell short of encapsulating her complex emotions.

The experts of the manor could only watch in stunned silence, rendered speechless by the unfolding drama.

"Mother..." Xia Lian's face turned a pallid white. She had feigned politeness and amiability in Qing'er's presence, only to shed her facade and humiliate Qin Wentian once Qing'er had departed. Her shrewdness had once shielded her, but now it lay shattered in the wake of Qing'er's wrath.

Regret welled up within Xia Lian. Her actions had inadvertently led to her mother's public humiliation, tarnishing the entire Marquis Manor's reputation.

"Qin Wentian." Xia Lian shot him a withering glare, her eyes flashing with murderous intent. She could never have imagined that Princess Qing'er would unleash such fury on behalf of this man. In hindsight, their initial intention to kill Qin Wentian rather than apologize seemed laughable. If they had indeed taken that path, the entire manor might have crumbled alongside him.

"Princess, even though the Madam was wrong, your actions have also wronged her. Your subordinates can't help but feel troubled by this injustice," one person stepped forward to speak.

"Yes, indeed. After all, it was your friend who initially used words to humiliate Miss Xia Lian. Is it right for Your Highness to disgrace the Marquis Manor for the sake of someone like that?" Another voice chimed in with an air of provocation. Although the speaker kept their head respectfully lowered, their tone dripped with defiance.

As Qing'er turned to gaze at everyone, her eyes, cold as ice, bore into their souls.

"Using words to outrage Xia Lian's modesty? Is she even worthy of such attention?" Qing'er's gaze bore into the gathering, her expression frosty. These people had the audacity to slander Qin Wentian in her presence, and she found their claims utterly ludicrous.

Qin Wentian, attempting to exploit Xia Lian's modesty with mere words? The very idea was preposterous.

Qing'er's icy gaze swept over the assembly, and she continued, "Qin Wentian is the #1 ranker in the Immortal Ascension Rankings, the foremost expert in the City of Ancient Emperors."

As her words reverberated, the expressions of those present stiffened, and all eyes turned toward Qin Wentian. Even though many among them had never set foot in the City of Ancient Emperors, they were well-acquainted with its reputation.

In the City of Ancient Emperors, where descendants of immortal kings and emperors were commonplace, exceptional experts abounded.

This man held the #1 position throughout the City of Ancient Emperors.

Even the Marquis Madam couldn't hide her surprise at this revelation. She fully comprehended the significance of being the top-ranked individual in the Immortal Ascension Rankings. Undoubtedly, Qin Wentian would ascend to become an immortal king in due course.

Xia Lian and Xia Fan, reflecting on their earlier humiliation of Qin Wentian, were now filled with puzzlement. Could this be the reason for Princess Qing'er's vehement anger?

However, they quickly realized that this was not the crux of the matter. Even if Qin Wentian held the #1 ranking in the Immortal Ascension Rankings, what did that have to do with Qing'er?

In an instant, Qing'er materialized beside Qin Wentian, her hand reaching out to grasp his. The two of them stood side by side, a sight that left the onlookers astounded and their hearts quaking.

"Xia Lian? Is she even worthy?" Qing'er's words cut through the air like a sharp blade, landing with the impact of a forceful slap on everyone's face. Qing'er and Qin Wentian were a couple, so why would he ever turn his attention toward Xia Lian? Was Xia Lian even deserving of such consideration?

The lies she had woven crumbled, disintegrating without any need for further intervention.