Xiulan stepped down from the stage with the Princess’s hand still in hers. It was not only a gesture of support for the Princess to the masses but the two were genuinely comfortable with each other now.
Back in the preparation tent the rosy glow of their contentment was burst when Xiulan saw an obviously angry Qi Shen.
He accused, “How dare you demean the Princess by associating her with your pathetic reputation. I have asked around about you and you are nothing but an up-jumped whore.”
Xiulan checked the system to see how much she had to spend. She had drained a lot of gold by eliminating the son of the Silver Waters patriarch, but she could afford the 400 000 gold needed to take Qi Shen out.
Perhaps reading her thoughts Princess Lijuan turned Xiulan’s face towards her and said, “I will deal with this. Please for my sake, do not take action. Qi Shen has served me faithfully for years.”
Xiulan snorted but nodded replying curtly, “I am telling you he will only bring you more trouble but as long as he does not actually threaten me or any of the others then I will leave him be.”
Xiulan thought to herself that she also needed to start saving. The system certainly made it expensive to delete people and she needed to make 10 million.
Princess Lijuan squeezed her hand in thanks and then turned to Qi Shen, “Qi Shen you owe Xiulan an apology. I know you most likely will not give one but at least stop being hostile. You know my ambitions and Xiulan is going to help me. Aside from that we are also interested in pursuing an intimate relationship.”
Qi Shen clenched his hands turning his knuckles white. He hissed out, “but Princess your station.”
Lijuan cut him off, “Qi Shen is this really about my station?” Who is it that you really want me to be with? I did not allow myself to see it before, but I have to tell you now that I have never seen you as more than a friend and capable assistant.”
Qi Shen became so angry that his cultivation began to leak out of his control. His seventh level energy focusing aura started to press down on Xiulan.
The Princess slammed her hand down out a table and shouted, “Qi Shen I have never led you on or given you any signs of encouragement. If you feel wronged in some way, then it is all in your mind. I would prefer if you stayed by my side but if you cannot reconcile yourself then perhaps you should take a break. I am safe enough with Xiulan. Leave to clear your mind for a while and come back when you are calm.”
When the Princess told him to leave Qi Shen seemed to deflate. He gritted his teeth and swept out of the tent running at top speed away from the humiliation.
The Princess sighed in defeat and slumped into a chair. Xiulan moved behind her and started to massage her shoulders. After a minute of silence Xiulan asked, “how likely is he to betray you.”
Lijuan mumbled, “I am not sure. With the level of anger, I saw in his eyes he could do anything. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though.
Xiulan tried to lighted the mood, “well at least now that he is gone, we can have some fun.”
The Princess smiled weakly, “that is an upside.”
____
Qi Shen was so angry that he could not see straight. He did not know where he was running but he just kept on going. Faster and faster. He did not even stop for trees or rocks. He just ran through them, leaving cuts and bruises all over his body.
He could not believe that the Princess would choose that whore and her harem of harlots over him. He had always been loyal even when other factions had tried to seduce him away from her. She was his goddess and now she was going to be sullied by a grubby merchant who did not even belong to a cultivation family. That Long Xiulan had no honour or pride. She was not a warrior like him.
After kilometres of mindless running, he had worked himself into a lather. He collapsed to his knees next to a pool of water. The pool was located in a lonely dip in the largely uninhabited portion of the interior. Crickets and birds sounded out unused to the presence of cultivators and not knowing to fear them. Qi Shen screamed and pulsed his cultivation outwards. Killing every small creature in a radius around him. The scene became silent after his voice faded away.
He stared at his own reflection unthinkingly for several minutes. Slowly his shock and hot anger turned into something colder. A tiny burning cold flame instead of a raging inferno.
The Princess had betrayed him. She was not a goddess. She was just another common whore. He hated himself. He should be stronger. He was stronger than her. His cultivation was above her own, yet he was the servant. Who was she to dismiss him. The King had assigned him to be her bodyguard. He worked for the crown not for her.
The King would not allow this to happen. He would put a stop to it. Qi Shen paused. No not the king. The king would let her fight it out with her brother until she inevitably lost. He had always pushed his children to compete. He followed the practice of the large mainland cultivation families.
It would be better to tell the Crown Prince directly. If he helped the Crown Prince, then perhaps he would hand over the Princess as a reward when he ascended to the throne.
Qi Shen rose to his feet and turned east towards the Capital. He took off running again this time with a destination and a goal in mind.
SmithJuly Thank You for reading. If you want five advanced chapters as well as bonus chapters check out my Patreon.
Xiulan stepped down from the stage with the Princess’s hand still in hers. It was not only a gesture of support for the Princess to the masses but the two were genuinely comfortable with each other now.
Back in the preparation tent the rosy glow of their contentment was burst when Xiulan saw an obviously angry Qi Shen.
He accused, “How dare you demean the Princess by associating her with your pathetic reputation. I have asked around about you and you are nothing but an up-jumped whore.”
Xiulan checked the system to see how much she had to spend. She had drained a lot of gold by eliminating the son of the Silver Waters patriarch, but she could afford the 400 000 gold needed to take Qi Shen out.
Perhaps reading her thoughts Princess Lijuan turned Xiulan’s face towards her and said, “I will deal with this. Please for my sake, do not take action. Qi Shen has served me faithfully for years.”
Xiulan snorted but nodded replying curtly, “I am telling you he will only bring you more trouble but as long as he does not actually threaten me or any of the others then I will leave him be.”
Xiulan thought to herself that she also needed to start saving. The system certainly made it expensive to delete people and she needed to make 10 million.
Princess Lijuan squeezed her hand in thanks and then turned to Qi Shen, “Qi Shen you owe Xiulan an apology. I know you most likely will not give one but at least stop being hostile. You know my ambitions and Xiulan is going to help me. Aside from that we are also interested in pursuing an intimate relationship.”
Qi Shen clenched his hands turning his knuckles white. He hissed out, “but Princess your station.”
Lijuan cut him off, “Qi Shen is this really about my station?” Who is it that you really want me to be with? I did not allow myself to see it before, but I have to tell you now that I have never seen you as more than a friend and capable assistant.”
Qi Shen became so angry that his cultivation began to leak out of his control. His seventh level energy focusing aura started to press down on Xiulan.
The Princess slammed her hand down out a table and shouted, “Qi Shen I have never led you on or given you any signs of encouragement. If you feel wronged in some way, then it is all in your mind. I would prefer if you stayed by my side but if you cannot reconcile yourself then perhaps you should take a break. I am safe enough with Xiulan. Leave to clear your mind for a while and come back when you are calm.”
When the Princess told him to leave Qi Shen seemed to deflate. He gritted his teeth and swept out of the tent running at top speed away from the humiliation.
The Princess sighed in defeat and slumped into a chair. Xiulan moved behind her and started to massage her shoulders. After a minute of silence Xiulan asked, “how likely is he to betray you.”
Lijuan mumbled, “I am not sure. With the level of anger, I saw in his eyes he could do anything. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though.
Xiulan tried to lighted the mood, “well at least now that he is gone, we can have some fun.”
The Princess smiled weakly, “that is an upside.”
____
Qi Shen was so angry that he could not see straight. He did not know where he was running but he just kept on going. Faster and faster. He did not even stop for trees or rocks. He just ran through them, leaving cuts and bruises all over his body.
He could not believe that the Princess would choose that whore and her harem of harlots over him. He had always been loyal even when other factions had tried to seduce him away from her. She was his goddess and now she was going to be sullied by a grubby merchant who did not even belong to a cultivation family. That Long Xiulan had no honour or pride. She was not a warrior like him.
After kilometres of mindless running, he had worked himself into a lather. He collapsed to his knees next to a pool of water. The pool was located in a lonely dip in the largely uninhabited portion of the interior. Crickets and birds sounded out unused to the presence of cultivators and not knowing to fear them. Qi Shen screamed and pulsed his cultivation outwards. Killing every small creature in a radius around him. The scene became silent after his voice faded away.
He stared at his own reflection unthinkingly for several minutes. Slowly his shock and hot anger turned into something colder. A tiny burning cold flame instead of a raging inferno.
The Princess had betrayed him. She was not a goddess. She was just another common whore. He hated himself. He should be stronger. He was stronger than her. His cultivation was above her own, yet he was the servant. Who was she to dismiss him. The King had assigned him to be her bodyguard. He worked for the crown not for her.
The King would not allow this to happen. He would put a stop to it. Qi Shen paused. No not the king. The king would let her fight it out with her brother until she inevitably lost. He had always pushed his children to compete. He followed the practice of the large mainland cultivation families.
It would be better to tell the Crown Prince directly. If he helped the Crown Prince, then perhaps he would hand over the Princess as a reward when he ascended to the throne.
Qi Shen rose to his feet and turned east towards the Capital. He took off running again this time with a destination and a goal in mind.
SmithJuly Thank You for reading. If you want five advanced chapters as well as bonus chapters check out my Patreon.
