As Li Yao had predicted, half a month later, news of the Rouran prince's injury to the auspicious omen of the Great Qian Dynasty and his punishment by fire reached the Great Qian imperial palace.

Immediately, everyone in the palace felt that this immortal was avenging the real princess. First, the fake princess was subjected to divine punishment by fire in front of everyone, and now this Rouran prince was doing the same.

The Queen guessed that the Rouran prince might have been the one who had attacked her and snatched the child back then; only this explanation would make sense.

The emperor only found out they were foreigners, and those people committed suicide. He never traced them back to the Rouran prince. It seems this immortal really has some tricks up his sleeve.

The emperor then issued another order, commanding his elder brother, Prince An, to personally go to the village and bring the real princess back.

After all, the Crown Prince is still young, and he and the Empress certainly cannot go. Now that the whole world knows about the real and fake princesses, there is a fear that someone might be lying in ambush there, so they can only trouble his elder brother to go.

In ancient times, travel was slow, and Li Yao estimated that it would take at least a month for people from the palace to reach the village.

So after punishing the eldest prince of Rouran, Li Yao spent every day fighting to the death with the Zhao family.

That evening, Zhao Tieniu and his two brothers were beaten by Li Yao on the grounds that three pieces of firewood were missing. Li Yao then confined them to the yard in a spread-eagle position and whipped them with sticks.

Li Yao broke three wooden sticks, each as thick as an adult's arm, before she could free them from her control.

Next, Li Yao, using the excuse that they had too few wild vegetables, slapped each of the five younger children ten times with an iron ruler, knocking out four teeth from each of them, before letting them go.

The rest of the people knelt in the courtyard watching. The four women trembled with fear, and Zhang Cuihua was so scared that she wet herself.

This time, Li Yao directly ordered her to lie on the ground and lick her urine clean before letting her go.

As for the other three women, Li Yao cut off their hair buns and gave them short, ear-length haircuts.

In ancient times, only criminals or those entering a Buddhist monastery would shave their heads. Sure enough, the three women cried as if their parents had died. With their expressions of shame and indignation, Li Yao knew that this "knife" had pierced their hearts.

And so, Li Yao used different methods to beat these people every day, attacking them both physically and psychologically. In just one month, they were so thin that you could see their pointed chins.

Whenever Li Yao drew too much blood, she would give them a drop of diluted spiritual spring water to keep them from dying.

I reckon the people from the capital will be here soon.

Li Yao hypnotized them, making them believe that this past month was the same as before. She didn't use her mental power to cover up their injuries, since even the fake princess had been punished by heaven, there was no reason why the Zhao family would be unaffected.

Li Yao also created a mental energy shield for herself, making her look very thin and frail, with some traces of old injuries.

During this time, Li Yao teleported to the county town and, sure enough, saw the Imperial Guards waiting for Prince An there. Li Yao then began to imitate the life that San Ya used to live, wandering around the mountains with a basket on her back.

They erased all memories of the Zhao family from the villagers this month, making them believe that the family was still the same as before.

Li Yao began leaving early and returning late, while also hypnotizing the Zhao family members, making them believe that everything was the same as before.

Finally, four days later at noon, Li Yao pretended to be carrying a basket on her back and preparing to go up the mountain. When she opened the door, she saw a guard who was about to knock.

She deliberately chose the time when people knocked on the door to go out, and then, as if startled, she asked in a weak but expectant voice, "You...you are the family that Master said...came to pick me up?"