Rebirth: The Blood Demon Queen Chapter 70 - Usurping the Throne

  Loyal and Virtuous Prince's Mansion Autumn Rhythm Pavilion

  "Master, if you have something on your mind, don't stay here with me, go back to your study and think it over." Qiao Yiniang was wearing a moon-white embroidered cheongsam with a pale blue loose-fitting jacket, a few small chrysanthemums blooming at her waist, white silk threads embroidering auspicious cloud patterns on the cuffs, and a ruby necklace around her neck, setting off the snow-whiteness of her skin.

  A soft and delicate voice, with a hint of resentment and shyness, accompanied the gentle placement of the teacup on the table with a slight 'clink', while her autumn water-like eyes were filled with discontent.

  She devoted the best years of her life to this man, yet still couldn't see through his heart.

  Even she couldn't mention his taboos in front of him, Long Sun Youyou.

  Only that woman was the one who truly lived in his heart, whether it was love or hate, others had no way of knowing, only he knew best.

  "Hehe, Yao'er is going to hurry up and leave, she's angry." Leng Zhen stroked his chin with a faint smile, his rough fingers gently lifting up Qiao Niang's chin, his black eyes staring straight into hers.

  There were many women around him, with distinct personalities, some weak and delicate, others elegant and refined. But only this one in front of him made him unable to see through her, unable to understand her. She seemed unassuming and uncompetitive, yet she was the smartest among all the women he had been with.

  "I don't have the guts to drive Master Houx away." Qiao Yiniang lowered her head, revealing a faint smile and a slightly flushed face, with sparkling autumn water-like eyes that were all challenging men's nerves.

  He let out a hearty laugh, directly embracing her in his lap, his piercing eyes fixed on her face as he said loudly: "Yao'er, after all these years, you're still as enchanting as ever."

  "I'm already an old, faded flower, I only hope that Master won't forget the kindness of those years and abandon me for a new love." Qiao Yiniang bit her red lips, leaning lightly against Cold Zheng's chest, with a hint of murderous intent hidden in her charming smile.

  The person is by her side, but his heart is not with her.

  It's like when Mingming looks at her face, but thinks of another woman in his heart.

  Long fingernails deeply dug into the flesh, the pain was extremely numb, and there was no feeling of pain at all.

  "This time, I forgot who would not forget Yao'er." A cold kiss fell on Qiao Niang's hair, recalling the distant thoughts, some things had already far exceeded his controllable situation.

  What annoyed him the most was Leng Ziyue. He wanted to move her, but couldn't, and had to be restricted by her everywhere, feeling passive and helpless.

  "I knew it, Master cares about Y'ao the most." The clever one leaned into his arms, like a cute kitten, Qiao Niang bowed her head and half-closed her eyes.

  Thirteen years ago, things are probably hard to hide, how should she choose again?

  A few days ago, she had a faint feeling that someone was monitoring her. In the grand mansion, it was impossible for anyone other than Leng Zhiyue to have such abilities to monitor her actions.

  But she sensed something was amiss from somewhere.

  She has been feigning illness all along, deceiving everyone. She, who poses no threat to anyone, is worth the cost of surveillance by Cold Creek, perhaps she has discovered something.

  In short, all objects of suspicion in the mansion were being monitored.

  "Is Ben not focused, and Yao'er is also distracted?" Leng Zhen's face was filled with an unstoppable smile, but only his slightly raised eyebrows betrayed his true emotions.

  If it weren't for careful observation, it would be hard to discover that he has such a habit.

  "I was just thinking if Master could accompany me outside for a walk, it's getting a bit stuffy in the room." Her body lightly twisted in Leng Xing's arms, her tone playful and coquettish.

  She had to figure out as soon as possible how Leng Xueyu could have such a huge influence.

  At first, she was blinded by her own eyes and didn't know that one fall would bring out such a jinx. Whoever saw her would be afraid for three parts. The Empress Dowager, the princess, what can they do? When they encounter Leng Ziyue, they can only admit to being unlucky.

  Hated her to the point of gritting his teeth, but she didn't budge an inch.

  "Can your body withstand the cold outside?" Ever since she brought Auntie Qiao into the mansion, her body had been unwell every now and then. She had seen many doctors, all of whom said that as long as she took good care of herself, there was no major problem.

  "I..."

  "Something terrible has happened to the young master..." Wang, the housekeeper, rushed into Qiu Rong's chamber in a flurry, forgetting even the basic courtesy of knocking on the door. He burst into the room with a loud crash, not even bothering to sidestep or show any deference.

  Aunt Qiao glared at Butler Wang with a cold gaze, slid down the icy stairs and stood behind him. The damned servant actually interrupted her words.

  "What's going on here? Not a shred of discipline." Leng Zhen's face turned cold, and he coughed lightly, his voice tinged with anger.

  It's not easy for Leng Xueyu to leave the Hou Mansion, and just as his tense nerves had relaxed a little, something else happened, can't he have two days of peace and quiet?

  Yesterday morning, an imperial decree was issued that no red color is allowed to be seen inside and outside the Imperial City, making it look like someone had died, very inauspicious.

  Wang Guan's old face turned red as he cupped his hands in greeting, "Your humble servant greets you, Master Hou and Madame Qiao."

  "Get to the point." With a gloomy face, he heard this superficial phrase dozens of times a day, and it really didn't have any new meaning.

  "It's the second young lady... she... she is going to die soon." With great difficulty, Wang the housekeeper swallowed his saliva, his legs trembling as he stuttered out a sentence.

  The image of Leng Yinling appeared in his mind, making him want to vomit, it was really too disgusting and too smelly.

  "What?" Before Leng Qing could speak, Qiao Yiniang let out a sharp cry. When she realized her emotions were too intense, she changed her expression to one of concern and fear, constantly leaning towards Leng Qing's body.

  He furrowed his thick, black eyebrows and said in a cold voice, "You'd better explain clearly to me what you mean by saying that the second young lady is about to die. If she's ill, find a doctor to treat her. I'm not a doctor."

  One daughter is not promising, two daughters are still not promising. Although he felt that something was fishy in the princess's mansion that night, he couldn't produce any evidence to prove it, and even if he said anything, it would be useless.

  He really didn't understand how Leng Xueyu had set up the situation, killing two birds with one stone. First, she ruined his eldest daughter's reputation and married her into the Nanling Gongsun family, where she suffered humiliation and couldn't escape even if she wanted to die. Then, she pushed his second daughter to the tip of a sharp knife, with death in front of her and behind her, wandering between the two, suffering mental torture.

  And she should have been the protagonist of two things, but in the end, she became a supporting role, standing behind everyone and laughing at the play. What is the real winner? The one who destroyed the world and stood alone, that's the winner.

  She had been sitting in the banquet hall all along, and hadn't left halfway through. The only exception was a trap set by the Empress Dowager for her. Who would have thought that the one trapped wasn't her, but someone else?

  She calculated everyone into the situation, leaving only herself awake and clear-headed, calmly watching the development of things, lightly rising above the dust, floating like an immortal.

  "Several doctors have been invited, but as soon as they see the second young lady, they are so frightened that they drop their medicine boxes and run away without saying a word." The steward Wang was stared at by Leng Qing, who continued to say: "It's better to ask Master Hou to go and take a look himself. Now no one dares to get close to the second young lady, it's really... really... too scary..."

  Luo Niangniang was the biological mother of the second young lady, and she only dared to look from afar, loudly ordering the servants to invite one doctor after another, but in the end, none were found.

  "Go to Yin Si Xuan." With a wave of his long sleeve, he strode away with large steps.

  Aunt Qiao frowned and called over her two personal maids, who closely followed behind.

  "Save me——ah——who can save me——" In the yard, Leng Yin was lying in the snow with her clothes and hair disheveled, shouting loudly, but no one dared to approach her.

  "Mom... it hurts so much..."

  "Save me......" She had been shouting for help for nearly an hour, but even the loudest voice gradually weakened, or perhaps she was in so much pain that she no longer had the strength to call for help.

  Luo Niangniang stood at the gate of Yinsi Xuan with tears in her eyes, her hands tightly grasping the wooden door, cold sweat dripping down, and tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Heartbroken, fearful, terrified, all sorts of emotions swept over her body like a tidal wave, until she could no longer bear it and fainted, never to hear the cold silver bell's cry for help again.

  She couldn't understand how her daughter, who was fine last night, had become like this by early morning, with her whole body slowly festering, emitting a foul smell and a purplish-red color.

  "What are you all doing standing here?" Coldly shouted, the servants and maids surrounding Yin Si Xuan's house immediately knelt down, lowering their heads without daring to say a word.

  After seeing the miserable state of Leng Yinling, they couldn't eat for many days, it was really too disgusting.

  "One by one, they all fell silent, not knowing how to respond." The bad premonition grew stronger and stronger, Cold Jing's raised foot trembled slightly, separated by a wall, whether to enter or not, couldn't help but feel some difficulty.

  A chilling scream like a devil's howl came again, the crowd of people kneeling on the ground couldn't help but shudder violently, stretching out their hands to tightly hug their arms, rubbing hard, hoping to rub away the goosebumps all over their body and the hair that stood on end.

  "Oh, save me... it hurts so much... I'm in so much pain..." Lingyin looked far away at the kneeling servants and maids, trying her best to crawl towards them. As long as she could crawl there, grab onto someone and ask for help, that would be enough. She didn't want to die, not like this."

  On the ground were the marks she had crawled out, her legs kicked on the ground, gathering a bit of strength, just as she exerted herself, her whole body was like being stabbed by thousands of thin silver needles, the pain was unbearable, making her bite her own lips, the snow-white lotus arm, blue veins bulging, as if about to burst.

  Staring at his palm, it had already been worn out and bleeding, with droplets falling onto the snowy ground like plum blossoms. As he looked up along his arm, the cold silver bell let out a series of sharp cries once again.

  How terrifying, how terrifying, why are there so many worms in her body, one by one, crimson and unending, they're all biting her, ceaselessly biting her, she's in such pain, really in such pain. The image of the worms surging on her snow-white arm is exceptionally clear, from a distance, it seems as if her entire arm is crawling with worms.

  "Ah——"

  Enduring intense pain, Cold Silver Bell desperately swung her arms, trying to shake off those annoying insects.

  Qiao Yiniang followed behind Leng Zhui, stretched out her head to look into the courtyard, and even though she couldn't see very clearly, she couldn't help but let out a sharp cry and flung herself into Leng Zhui's arms.

  "Master, what is that thing... it's so... so terrifying..." Her hands tightly grasped the front of Leng Xuan's clothes, and she swallowed hard, having never seen anything so disgusting in her life.

  The foot that had stepped out stopped in its tracks, and upon seeing the miserable state of Leng Yin's corpse, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, cold sweat seeping from his forehead. It was truly too terrifying.

  Those insects occupied the entire body of Leng Yinling, constantly surging inside her, drinking her blood. Unable to withstand the pain, Leng Yinling had scratched her own skin, and some insects drilled out from her body, continuing to gnaw at her flesh before burrowing back into her through the wounds.

  Back and forth, repeatedly, it's enough to make one's head spin and feel nauseous.

  Her body was stained with blood, a pungent smell filled the air, and an unknown stench rose to the sky, several tens of thousands of times more foul than the smell in the latrine, it was simply unbearable.

  "Dad...Dad...Save me..." Leng Yinling struggled to summon her strength, forcing herself to open her eyes and look at Leng Zhong. She stretched out her bloody hand towards him, pleading with him not to abandon her.

  "Master, I'm so scared, can we go back to Autumn Rhythm Pavilion?" Qiao Yiniang glanced at Luo Yiniang who was lying unconscious on the ground without anyone paying attention to her, hooked up her red lips and shook her head coldly. "Wang Housekeeper, since ordinary doctors can't cure Miss's illness, you should invite a top doctor to come and treat her, it must be curable."

  Anyone can talk nonsense with their eyes open, but Qiao Yiniang is the most extreme.

  "Someone come and send Aunt Qiao back to the Autumn Rhyme Pavilion to rest." Leng Zhen's face was cold as ice, that was clearly a sign of poisoning. Who exactly poisoned Leng Yinling?

  "Master..." The cold glint in his eyes made Qiao Niang retreat, her gaze faltering under his sinister stare.

  The first time she saw him, his eyes were so cold, as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

  "You two tell Ben Hou, who poisoned her." One foot kicked the chest of Cold Silver Bell's two personal maids, Cold Bell's anger was the greatest in history.

  It's going to be a close match, just like thirteen years ago.

  "Why don't I tell you instead?" The cold voice was like a blast of icy wind in the twelfth lunar month, piercing everyone's ears, and the already stiff bodies couldn't help but continue to shiver uncontrollably.

  Her red dress was like fire, Leng Xueyu walked towards him with elegant and light steps, her clear eyes met Leng Zhong's angry black pupils, with a hint of a smile.

  "You——" Leng Qing's heart tightened, and he glanced at Leng Yinling who was lying on the ground half-dead, before finally landing on Leng Ziyue's body with a few more shades of gloom.

  "Miss Leng Er, how's the feeling of being poisoned?" Her pink lips curled up slightly, as if smiling but not quite. Leng Ziyue walked step by step to Leng Yinling's side, looking down at her struggling figure with a superior attitude.

  Leng Yinling's eyes widened in terror, staring blankly at Leng Ziyue, unable to conceal the hatred in her voice, "Was it you... was it you who poisoned me? You have a poisonous heart..."

  As soon as this was said, the whole room erupted in shock. The eyes that looked at Leng Ziyue were filled with fear, reverence and also disgust.

  "Don't you think this sentence is more suitable for you?" Leng Ziyue narrowed her eyes, and Xia Huadong had already placed a chair behind her at some point. She smoothed out her fiery red long skirt and sat down elegantly. "People all say that being too clever can lead to one's own downfall. I, with good intentions, left you a way out, but you refused to take it. Instead, you insist on sticking your foot into the underworld. Are you not being overly clever, only to end up shooting yourself in the foot?"

  Leng Yinling shivered, and the cold Ziyue sitting high above seemed even more terrifying than the worms that drank her blood and ate her flesh. Looking at those smiling phoenix eyes, she really wanted to smash herself to death.

  Could it be that she knew everything that happened last night? No way, she did it so secretly, how could she have found out.

  "Everyone wants my life, how come only you are reckless enough to rush into the muzzle?" Slender fingers lightly placed on her pink lips, Cold Ziyue's eyes gleamed, "Looking at your current appearance, I'm feeling extremely pleased."

  Aren't you very fond of beauty? Don't you take pride in that one face of yours that's considered precious?

  This young lady will personally watch as your face is slowly devoured by bloodthirsty insects until nothing remains.

  "No——" Leng Yinling covered her head with both hands, tears streaming down. She shouldn't have poisoned Leng Ziyue, it was all her fault. "Please spare me, okay?... As long as you're willing to save me, I'll do anything you want... Really, please..."

  Physical agony is nothing compared to the terror in her heart, Leng Yinling didn't want to die, she didn't want to be bitten to death by insects alive, kneeling in front of Leng Ziyue, constantly kowtowing and begging.

  "Haha, you have today too?" Leng Ziyue slightly furrowed her brow. Before her soul had switched bodies, she was the one standing in a high position. It's said that fortune and misfortune are cyclical, at this moment, she deeply believed in this point.

  Luoyi Niang woke up and gazed at the crimson figure, sitting calmly in her chair, looking down at Qīng Yín Líng who was kneeling on the ground, continuously kowtowing to her, with a heart full of bitterness.

  "Fourth Miss, please save Yin Ling, I beg of you." It was actually her daughter, Luo Niang's body trembling as she knelt straight in front of Leng Ziyue.

  "Mother..." Originally, she had given up all hope because when she was in the most pain, Luo Niang also kept her distance. Now, she can actually kneel down to Leng Ziyue, Leng Yinling sniffled, if she could live on, she would definitely take good care of Luo Niang.

  "Is the mother-daughter relationship really that deep? Luo Niangniang, you have two daughters, aren't you worried that the other daughter will be jealous and resentful of you?" Leng Ziyue played with the hair hanging down from her chest, taking in Leng Jinchun's expression, and let out a soft laugh.

  Luo Niang's best way to collect her debts is not for her to take action herself, but for her own daughter to do it, that would be more interesting, and she would suffer even more.

  "Fourth Miss, Yin Ling already knows she was wrong. You can be magnanimous and spare her life." It was precisely because she understood the implication in Leng Ziyue's words that Luo Niang's body trembled even more violently. How could she not be afraid?

  She has been biased towards her two daughters since they were young, and she really worries that one day, her biological daughter will ask her for an account.

  "Fourth sister, please spare my mother and my sister. If you must punish someone, punish me instead!" Cold Jinling's face was filled with sorrow as she rushed to Cold Ziyue's side and knelt down heavily.

  In her misty eyes, full of sincerity.

  Who knows what kind of struggle and anger is going on inside her, all the debts owed to her will be paid back one day.

  "Zi Yue, what's going on?" Leng Zhen walked to Leng Zi Yue's side with a gloomy face and asked in a cold tone.

  Aunt Qiao changed one silk handkerchief after another, covering her mouth and following behind Leng Ting, saying she was uncomfortable and wanted to go back and rest, but still lingered and refused to leave.

  "Winter snow, take out those little things that Second Miss put in my room and let Master Hou take a good look." Leng Ziyue waved her hand lazily and leaned back in her chair, propping up her hands to gaze at Leng Yinling with interest. She didn't expect that this person who had never touched poison before would produce such an effective poison on her first try. The old man will definitely praise her for being clever.

  The same three poisons were placed in front of Leng Yin, and she finally heard her discolored scream, "No... it's not me who wants to harm you... it was the Empress Dowager who ordered me to do it, and Princess Zi Jing also forced me... Wuuu... I didn't want to harm you, I was forced to..."

  "Yin Ling, you..." Leng Zhan pointed at Leng Yinling, unable to speak.

  He knew that the Empress Dowager had let her enter the palace, and then was invited by Princess Zijin, it must not be a good thing, he should have guessed earlier that it was to make a move on Leng Ziyue.

  While secretly despising Leng Yin's foolishness, I couldn't help but admire Leng Xue Yue.

  "What was the cause, what was the process, I don't care about any of that. The result is that you made a move, so you should have the guts to bear the consequences. This bloodthirsty insect flavor isn't bad, right? You're really lucky, this is my first time concocting poison, and the effect is only average. The efficacy will definitely be even more severe in the future." Innocently blinking her eyes, she had dedicated her maiden work to Leng Yinling, which was already being lenient with him.

  Xia Hua suppressed her smile, her face flushing red with the effort. She thought the effect before her eyes was already terrifying enough, and it was still only half-finished. The final product would be even more frightening.

  I dare not imagine it, once I think about it, I feel like my whole body is crawling with insects, how frightening.

  "It's the Empress Dowager and Zi Jing Gong who are mainly harming you, go find them for revenge, not me... You spare my life, please..." Kowtowing until her forehead was bleeding, Leng Yin Ling still begged.

  "Do you want to know how you'll die? Until your blood is sucked out bit by bit, your bones gnawed away bit by bit, and your flesh eaten away bit by bit, leaving only the last layer of skin. Oh, yes, they will eat away that beautiful face of yours first, savoring the taste of death bit by bit." Leng Ziyue deliberately lowered her voice, cold, cool, and eerie, making it especially terrifying.

  Leng Yinling's head shook unceasingly, her body suddenly leaning forward, as if wanting to grab Leng Ziyue's clothes.

  "You're dirty, if you touch Miss's clothes, your hands will be gone immediately." Leng Ziyue sneered coldly. Now you know to be afraid, why didn't you think it through carefully at the beginning, whether you had the ability to bring her to death? "Luo Niangniang, keep your head on your shoulders for now, all of you listen clearly, whoever knows about the specific cause of Miss's mother's death thirteen years ago, come to the West Wing and tell me in detail. Those who participated will be a warning to you."

  Taking out the cold silver bell knife, the purpose is nothing more than to remind Cold Zheng that she needs an answer.

  She wanted to tear off his cold and stern true face, to see what was included in the taboos he had set, if he really loved Changsun Youyou, how could he watch her die.

  Loving someone truly, shouldn't you tolerate all her shortcomings and merits?

  Suddenly, Baili Chenyuan's figure appeared in her mind, and his cold body seemed to feel warm instantly. Would he, who was so gentle and indulgent to her, also tolerate all her shortcomings and only see her advantages?

  To him, it seems like he is becoming more and more dependent on himself.

  "Leng Ziyue, it's already a past event, why do you still want to bring it up?" He could compromise on anything else, but when it came to Chang Sun Youyou, he didn't want anyone to mention it again.

  It was her daughter, Leng Xueyu.

  "Young master, what are you worried and afraid of? I will do what I want to do, no one can stop me. If I find out that you have something to do with my mother's death, your good days will be completely over." Cold and detached eyes flashed with a hint of murderous intent, Qing Leng Yue was not intimidated by Qing Zhong's cold gaze.

  "You wicked girl, do you want to kill your father?" A mouthful of air was stuck in his chest, and Leng Zhen couldn't spit it out no matter what. He glared at Leng Ziyue with wide eyes.

  What does it have to do with him and Youyou's death, how could he possibly harm her?

  "Regicide is not a bad suggestion." With her head tilted, Qing Zhe's lips pouted slightly, her expression calm and serene.

  "You——" A surge of blood and energy, spewing out in a frantic, wolf-like manner, like scattered red plum blossoms on the ground.

  Leng Xueying's red sleeves fluttered as she spoke in a cold tone, "You'd better live well, if you get angry to death, it would be too boring." With a glance of disgust at Leng Zhēng, she turned her head towards Leng Yinling and said, "This is the consequence of provoking me, remember it well for your next life, stay far away from me."

  "Don't...please..." Before his hand even touched the hem of Leng Ziyue's skirt, it was slapped away and he fell to the ground, fainting.

  "We're leaving." Leng Xueyu moved, and the already frightened servants and maids automatically made way for her, allowing her to leave without any obstruction.

  A voice kept echoing in his mind that their master had changed, no longer being the young master, but rather Fourth Miss Leng Ziyue, who was the true master.

  You can't afford to offend Leng Zile, she's the bloodthirsty Shura Queen.