The Empress’s Gigolo

Chapter 882: The First Piece of the Puzzle
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

What Ren Baqian spoke about was exactly like “The Arabian Nights” for Li Yuanzhu and Ning Qing.

In comparison, the novels sold on the streets were much more realistic.

This excluded those books that made people flush with excitement.

“After you enter the palace, you will soon know the details of the situation.” Ren Baqian briefly explained the situation to them. He mainly detailed the defeat of the human race as well as their conflict with the foreign races. He also spoke about the agreement between the races as well as the members of the foreign races that they met in the Sixty Thousand Mountains.

Li Yuanzhu listened calmly, but her mind was overwhelmed. After some time, she collected herself and replied, “How amazing! It’s such a big thing that I have to see it for myself!”

“That’s why I said that you will find out more in the palace! If you still want to see more, you can only head for the Sixty Thousand Mountains. However, we will have to wait a while before we can set off. I have something big to show you in two weeks’ time!” Ren Baqian laughed.

Li Yuanzhu and Ning Qing somehow found it weird after listening to what he said.

However, Li Yuanzhu simply nodded her head and agreed.

The messenger returned shortly, and Ren Baqian brought both of them into the palace.

The empress sat in the seat of honor at the side hall and leaned her body on the armrest with a bottle of Wahaha[1.Wahaha: A beverage brand in China] in her hand…

Ren Baqian felt that his efforts were effective. She had become a habitual drinker. In fact, alcohol couldn’t even make her drunk. Her alcohol consumption had decreased now that she was drinking more Wahaha.

Yesterday, he saw that there was about one-third of the liquor left in the bottle!

In other words, the empress only drank about one and a half bottles. He felt that this was a huge improvement!

“Your Majesty!” Ren Baqian cupped his hands and walked to her side.

“You look as good as the last time we met!” Li Yuanzhu cupped her hands.

As the empress sat above and looked down at Li Yuanzhu, she felt pretty good!

However, she definitely couldn’t mistreat someone whose status was similar to her own.

“Bring chairs!”

“The guards didn’t recognize you. Don’t be offended!” the empress said faintly.

The two strongest women in the world crossed paths, but there wasn’t any conflict. It was all thanks to Li Yuanzhu, who previously didn’t attack the empress when she had been very weak and had even sat down for a chat. This made the empress have a good impression of her.

Li Yuanzhu had done the empress a huge favor.

Otherwise, a mountain had no room for two tigresses.

“I wrote that letter. I’m fascinated that it could deceive you, the third most powerful expert in the world—truly fascinated. However, if it wasn’t for the letter, it would be hard for us to meet since we reside so far away from each other!” the empress said frankly.

“It was a little unexpected!” Li Yuanzhu chuckled.

There was a slight chill in the hall when they first arrived, but after exchanging a few words, both of them started to smile.

“Just call me by name! Addressing me as ‘Your Majesty’ doesn’t seem appropriate for you. Just call me by name directly.” It was clear that the empress was fond of Li Yuanzhu because this was the first time the empress asked someone to call her by name.

“I shall be casual then,” Li Yuanzhu replied.

“What have you seen and heard along the way?” the empress asked.

“It was a little unexpected. The situation in Dayao is currently far better than Great Xia. Although poor, the commoners are passionate. I have also heard about some things along the way, and I can see that Dayao will become more prosperous in the years to come. On the other hand, I don’t really understand the situation of the Yun Nation.”

“I know what you want to say!” The empress waved her hand. “He told you about it, right? They are now one with the aboriginals, and I treat them like my own people. As long as they don’t anger me, I’ll make sure that they lead a good life!”

“That can never be better.” Li Yuanzhu laughed. “Let me thank you on behalf of the Yun Nation’s people.”

“They are my people—you don’t have to thank me on their behalf. As for how well I will treat them, it will be apparent in the future.”

“Apologies for being disrespectful.” Li Yuanzhu’s face remained unchanged, but Ning Qing looked very uncomfortable.

If it hadn’t been her first time coming to a place like this palace and becoming affected by the atmosphere of the place, this blabbermouth girl would have already raged long ago.

“That remark had no other meaning. You are a kind-hearted person, but it isn’t right to say that you have a big heart. It’s more about having compassion for the people.” The empress smiled.

After seeing the two get along well, Ren Baqian felt relieved.

He was really afraid that they would oppose each other.

After all, they were women!

“Your Majesty, let’s first go and take a look at the underground palace!” Ren Baqian said after leaving the two to chat for a while.

“Oh, let’s go! You lead the way!” the empress replied before standing up to walk with him.

They arrived at where the empress’s quarters used to be. The ground had been leveled, and a large hall was being built over it. It was made with bricks and was still incomplete.

After entering the hall, a descending staircase could be seen at the side.

“This is it.” Ren Baqian picked up a torch from the side and led the group down.

“What is this place?”

“You’ll find out soon.”

Li Yuanzhu glanced at the map on the wall of the pathway, but couldn’t discern anything from it.

It was the white jade beneath their feet that surprised her and Ning Qing.

Ren Baqian had previously ordered people to put the ashes of the feathered snake, which was originally at the main door, into a bag. He sent it back to Earth for analysis, but unfortunately, didn’t manage to get any results.

After entering the main door, the space in front immediately widened up.

There was a stone bridge, the cold air of the Earth Yin Spring’s water, and an isolated island-like piece of land with a glass cover on it.

Ren Baqian had covered up that man’s corpse with a glass cover.

It looked like a museum, but he had no intention of collecting entrance fees.

He stepped on the bridge and walked forward. Not long after, Li Yuanzhu suddenly froze.

“Senior?” Ning Qing immediately sensed this abnormality.

“Sure enough, it’s invisible to people at the Man Wheel level. Only those at the Earth Wheel level or stronger are able to see it.” Ren Baqian nodded.

“Unfortunately, you can only see it once! I’m not sure what the mechanism behind this is. Only people who come in for the first time can see it?” He was curious about this.

However, the empress couldn’t answer this question either.

The technology on Earth was still unable to figure out spiritual things like this.

“What have you done? What happened to my senior?” Ning Qing glared at the two.

“Stay calm!” Ren Baqian pressed his hands on her. “Don’t worry—she’s just looking at something.”

Slightly more than ten seconds later, Li Yuanzhu suddenly moved. She raised her hand and pointed to the air.

“Bzz.”

The air that was visible to the naked eye was split apart by her finger.

Afterward, Li Yuanzhu took three steps back. With clear eyes, she looked around cautiously.

Seeing that Ning Qing, Qi Zixiao, and Ren Baqian were all in front of her and looking at her, she immediately said, “I just saw…”

“The memories from that year,” Ren Baqian replied.

“Truly astonishing!” Li Yuanzhu nodded slightly, and her voice was solemn.

“That man was a senior of the human race back then.” He turned around and pointed to the corpse ahead.

Li Yuanzhu walked to his side and respectfully cupped her fists.

After seeing that her senior was alright, Ning Qing calmed down and asked curiously, “Senior, what did you see?”

“I saw our ancestors fighting hard for the survival of our race!” Li Yuanzhu replied softly.

After seeing that illusion, everything else would be much easier to handle from now on.

After everyone returned to the hall, Li Yuanzhu asked, “Do you want to go back to that place?”

The question was posed to Qi Zixiao.

“It’s mine. I must take it back.” The empress simply regarded that place as her own property.

“There’s no hope of success! According to what you said, it will only bring disaster!”

“It will then have to depend on this baby of mine!” Ren Baqian laughed.

The empress glared at him. Li Yuanzhu didn’t understand what he meant, but the empress, after being baptized by so many of Earth’s television shows, could understand his hidden meaning.

“Ouch! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” Ren Baqian’s face turned pale.

He winced nonstop as the empress pinched him around his waist.

Li Yuanzhu wanted to laugh after seeing their actions, but she still felt very worried.

“Stay in Lan City for now, and we’ll talk again after you see what I have to show you in two weeks,” Ren Baqian said after sorting himself out.

“This, it shall be.” Li Yuanzhu nodded. This was the only thing they could do at the moment.

Like so, the first piece of Ren Baqian’s puzzle was put in place.

With Li Yuanzhu on his side, it would be much easier to deal with those experts from Great Xia.

Plus, Ren Baqian could still count on her to help block an attack in the event that Xu Wuming, the Sword Maniac With No Life, appeared.