Liu Zonghuo tried to raise his hand to resist.
But Qin Ming swiftly pulled out the Poison Gu Blade—
And stabbed his throat again!
Then withdrew it.
And stabbed again!
Then again!
And again!
After three stabs, Liu Zonghuo's arms fell limply to his sides.
His burned eyes were wide open in utter disbelief.
But Qin Ming wasn't done yet.
He stabbed once more!
"Go to hell, you traitorous bastard!"
Liu Zonghuo's neck was now a gory mess of blood and shredded flesh.
From a distance, Yun Shuiyao and Qing Xuan arrived—
Only to witness this gruesome scene.
Just then, the rapid clatter of footsteps echoed behind Qin Ming.
A squad of twenty Demon Suppression Guards had been drawn to the commotion!
Qin Ming stabbed one last time, nearly severing Liu Zonghuo's head completely.
He turned and saw his master, Yun Shuiyao, rushing toward him with concern.
Qin Ming shook his head.
Don't come!
Don't come, Master!
If she approached now, the Demon Suppression Guards would surely detain her for questioning!
Yun Shuiyao froze in place.
Her heart filled with guilt.
"It's all my fault for failing to see Liu Zonghuo's true nature!"
The Zhenmo Guards swiftly surrounded Qin Ming.
"Isn't this Eunuch Qin?"
"Yes! I've seen him in the Demon Suppression Tower before—he serves the Eldest Princess!"
Two guards hurried forward, supporting Qin Ming's battered body.
"Eunuch Qin, what happened?"
"That transmigrator tried to kill me—so I killed him instead."
"Incredible, Eunuch Qin! We'll definitely report this to the Eldest Princess!"
Qin Ming raised a hand and pointed to a parcel on the ground—his red bean rice dumplings.
A guard quickly picked it up and handed it to him.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Qin Ming forced himself to walk toward the palace.
The Demon Suppression Guard captain removed his black robe and draped it over Qin Ming's bloodstained body.
"Eunuch Qin, you're covered in blood. Wear this."
Qin Ming nodded. "Thank you."
His pace was slow.
Every step left a bloody footprint behind.
From afar, Yun Shuiyao's eyes reddened.
She and Qing Xuan could only watch.
She blamed herself deeply.
If not for Qin Ming, she would be dead by now.
"Master, Qin Ming looks seriously injured..."
"He's your senior brother. Stop calling him junior."
"Master, should I follow him in secret?"
"No. The Demon Suppression Guards are already escorting him. If you go, you'll only risk exposing his identity."
"Understood, Master. But… Qin Ming is incredible. Even though he was already badly wounded, he still managed to kill Liu Zonghuo, who was three realms above him!"
Yun Shuiyao nodded, her face full of worry.
...
Taiyin Palace, 11th Floor
The Eldest Princess had been asleep for an entire day and night.
Not from severe injury—
But from sheer frustration and emotional exhaustion.
She had fought thirty rounds against her elder sister, the Empress, over military funds.
Yet the physical wounds weren't what truly tormented her.
It was the scars on her heart.
——
Years ago, she and their youngest sister, Han Yuechan, had slain their elder brother—
To secure Han Yueli's claim to the throne.
Originally, the three sisters were inseparable.
But after Han Yueli became Empress,
She changed.
She forced their youngest sister, Han Yuechan, to surrender control of the Baiyu Guard—
Crushing her spirit and driving her into seclusion as a nun.
She then turned against the Eldest Princess,
Pressuring her to relinquish command over the Zhenmo Guards.
For twenty long years, the Eldest Princess had been locked in a relentless power struggle against her sister.
The princess finally woke up. She was awakened by hunger.
She noticed that the Nine Yin Frost Poison in her body seemed to have improved significantly.
Within her meridians, a pure and warm yang energy was flowing through.
"Who did this?"
Suddenly, she remembered—before she fainted, she had been talking to Qin Ming.
Could it be that Xiao Qinzi injected spiritual energy into my body?
And even carried me to bed?
Even if it was to save her, it was still outrageous!
How dare a man touch my body!
——
"Knock, knock, knock…"
A gentle tapping came from the door.
"Eldest Princess, Lingyin has brought you something to eat."
"Food? Take those palace rations away—I don't want them."**
"But Your Highness, you might actually like this!"
Lingyin stepped inside, carrying a bowl of steaming red bean glutinous rice dumplings.
"Eldest Princess, Xiao Qinzi specially found this for you. He said you like it."
The Eldest Princess' expression remained cold.
The moment she thought about a man touching her body, she felt enraged.
"That Xiao Qinzi is getting too bold!
What gives him the right to assume I like what he bought?
Bring it here!
If I don't like it, I will punish him severely!"
Lingyin hesitated for a moment but obediently presented the half-bowl of red bean dumplings.
In that instant,The Eldest Princess froze.
Red bean glutinous rice dumplings…
This sweet, porridge-like dessert was rarely seen in the Dayan Empire.
The last time she had it was when her mother made it for her.
Instinctively, she licked her lips and took the bowl.
She scooped up a spoonful and took a bite.
"Delicious!"
It tasted just like her mother's!
She took another bite.
Then another.
"So good!"
Standing nearby, Lingyin smiled to herself.
Qin Ming is incredible.
He even managed to guess the Eldest Princess' favorite taste!
"Where did Xiao Qinzi find this?"
"Eldest Princess, I heard he searched the marketplace for a long time before finding it.
But there was only half a bowl left, so he brought it to you."**
The Eldest Princess ate the last spoonful and placed the bowl down with a cold expression.
"Hmph! He's quite bold, daring to assume my preferences."
Lingyin's heart skipped a beat.
"Go call Xiao Qinzi."
"Eldest Princess, he hasn't returned yet. This half-bowl was brought back by Captain Meiyang.
Xiao Qinzi said that half a bowl wouldn't be enough for you, so he's waiting for the shop to make a fresh batch."**
The Eldest Princess' delicate brows twitched slightly.
It felt like something had struck her cold heart.
She wanted to praise Xiao Qinzi for his thoughtfulness, but when the words reached her lips—she held back.
Compared to diligence, the crime of presumptuously guessing her thoughts was even greater!
...
Meanwhile, in the Outer Courtyard of Taiyin Palace
The Twelve Zodiac Guards were training in the back courtyard.
From a distance, they spotted a lone figure trudging through the snowy path outside Taiyin Palace.
He was wrapped in a black Demon Suppression Guard robe, moving painfully slow.
"Wait…"
Little Bunny rubbed her eyes in surprise.
"That looks like Xiao Qinzi!"
Captain Meiyang soared into the air for a better look.
"It really is him!
No wonder he took so long to bring back the red bean dumplings!"**
The Twelve Zodiac Guards immediately stopped training—
And leaped onto the rooftops, rushing toward him.
"Qin Ming" Ling Yin, who had just come out of the princess' room, saw Qin Ming and was delighted. She hurriedly reported loudly.
"Princess, Qin Ming is back!"
The princess's unpleasant voice came from the room.
"He's back, so what's the fuss!"