Chapter Twenty-One: Eleventh Sister's Defeat and Warning
The rumors meticulously woven by Shang Jiuya, like an invisible and intangible plague, precisely infiltrated Shiyi Niang's life through seemingly "accidental" conversations, vivid descriptions, and ubiquitous whispers, relentlessly provoking her most sensitive and vulnerable nerves.
At first, Eleventh Sister was merely annoyed. Hearing the discussions about "General Shen Li having truly inherited the Sixth Prince's skills" and "the Blazing Flame Dagger regaining its brilliance," she scoffed, considering them nothing more than the wild speculations of ignorant, lowly maids. How could Sixth Brother possibly look favorably upon such a barbaric woman who only knew how to fight and kill?
However, when details such as "His Highness personally instructed her for three days and three nights" and "He personally praised her bravery as worthy of the Blazing Flame Dagger" were repeatedly heard through different channels, her heart, which was filled with arrogance and possessiveness, began to ripple with doubt.
She began to unconsciously pay attention to the demon general named Shen Li. She did indeed frequently visit her sixth brother's palace, sometimes even leaving late at night. The dagger she used during practice, its style, its demonic runes… seemed to bear a striking resemblance to the Flame Rift dagger her sixth brother had worn in his younger days. She even "accidentally" witnessed Shen Li wiping her dagger outside the training grounds, her focused expression even carrying a hint of… tenderness?
The venomous snake of jealousy began to gnaw at Eleven's heart. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious and angry she became! Sixth Brother's favor, his personal guidance, his personal belongings... all of these should have belonged to her! What right did that lowly witch have?
Finally, on a day when Qi Mu happened to be away from the Demon Palace, Shiyi Niang, consumed by jealousy and losing her mind, led a group of trusted maids and stormed into the training ground in the side hall where Shen Li was.
She had no concrete evidence, only a belly full of suspicion and anger fueled by rumors. In front of many demon soldiers, she used the most sarcastic and mean language to humiliate Shen Li, accusing her of bewitching the master, being shameless, and even implying that she had stolen Qi Mu's reward by improper means.
Shen Li, with her fiery temperament and single-minded focus on martial arts cultivation, was bewildered and then enraged by Shiyi Niang's sudden slander. Although she restrained her urge to attack out of consideration for Shiyi Niang's status, she retorted sharply without backing down. Her words naturally revealed her gratitude and respect for Prince Qi Mu's patronage, and she stated that the dagger was a reward from the prince for her military achievements, and that it was perfectly justified!
To Shiyi Niang, who was already blinded by jealousy, this "righteous" defense was nothing short of blatant boasting and provocation. The two argued fiercely in the training ground, and the scene became extremely unsightly, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.
The news quickly reached Qi Mu's ears, who had just returned to the Demon Palace.
Qi Mu was already in a bad mood because of the border affairs, and he was even more furious when he heard the news. He didn't care about the quarrels between women, but he could not tolerate anyone questioning his rewards and punishments, especially in front of his soldiers, humiliating the important general he had just promoted. It was a slap in the face to him.
He immediately ordered his men to "invite" Shiyi Niang to his palace.
No one knows exactly what happened inside the palace. All that is known is that Qi Mu's roar that day almost shook half of the palace, and when Shiyi Niang came out, her face was ashen, her eyes were red, and her carefully applied makeup was ruined by tears. She had obviously been severely reprimanded, or perhaps more than just reprimanded.
The twisted and fragile balance that the brother and sister had maintained for many years was shattered by Shang Jiuya's plan.
A surge of resentment, humiliation, and rage burned fiercely within Shiyi Niang like poisonous flames. She dared not resent her powerful and violent sixth brother, so she unleashed all her pent-up hatred upon the person she considered the "culprit"—if it weren't for that useless eleventh sister suddenly speaking up in the Daqing Hall, drawing her attention and distracting her, how could she have neglected to keep an eye on her sixth brother? How could that vile woman, Shen Li, have had the opportunity? And why now of all times?! It must be that sickly girl's doing!
Having lost her temper, Shiyi Niang desperately needed an outlet to save face and prove that she wasn't someone anyone could bully. And the easy target, Shang Jiuya, was undoubtedly the perfect prey.
A few days later, a banquet in the Demon Palace became the stage she chose. This banquet was to entertain a tribal envoy who had come from afar. It was not large in scale but quite formal, and several elders and the few remaining children of the former Demon Lord were all present.
Shang Jiuya didn't want to attend, but as the nominal Demon Lord, she couldn't refuse such an occasion that concerned the reputation of the Demon Realm. She had no choice but to force herself to attend, sitting in an inconspicuous corner, trying to minimize her presence. Li Yue, still recovering from his injuries, insisted on guarding the perimeter. Shi Gu, leading two shadow guards, mingled with the attendants, closely monitoring their surroundings. Beneath her wide sleeves, she wore an inconspicuous bracelet made of dark metal—the second "gift" Qing Cheng had sent through clandestine channels, a talisman capable of interfering with the energy fluctuations of low-level illusions to some extent. Meanwhile, her recent arduous training in the *Shadow Secrets*, though progressing slowly, had made her slightly more sensitive to energy fluctuations, especially those of malice.
The banquet was halfway through, and the atmosphere was at its most lively. Suddenly, Shiyi Niang, holding a wine glass, walked towards Shang Jiuya with a smile. Her posture was charming, but her eyes were as cold as a venomous snake.
"Eleventh Sister~" Her voice was sickeningly sweet, "You seem to be looking better these days, has something good happened? Sharing is caring, tell me so your little sister can share in the joy!"
She feigned a clinking of glasses, but a malevolent magic emanated from her fingertips, entwining them around Shang Jiuya's wine glass.
The same old trick again!
But Shang Jiuya at this moment is no longer the ignorant fool she once was!
The spiritual sense honed by "The Shadowy Secrets" allowed her to clearly capture that strange energy trajectory, while the stronger demonic energy and spiritual power brought by "The Burning Marrow and Eroding Heart Technique" gave her the ability to react.
She sneered inwardly, but feigned fear. Her wrist trembled slightly, causing the wine to swirl. The instant Eleventh Sister's magic touched her glass, Shang Jiuya's amulet-covered wrist subtly twisted, dispersing the interference field. Simultaneously, she channeled her burgeoning, scorching magic, mixed with her nascent spiritual power, and with effortless skill, precisely detected the essence of Eleventh Sister's illusion, guiding, provoking, and rebounding it—
"Oh dear!" Shiyi Niang suddenly let out a sharp scream.
The wine glass in her hand suddenly shattered, the wine inside turning into murky, foul-smelling black water that splashed all over her, ruining her crimson dress and exquisite makeup.
Even more terrifying, the moment the black water splashed, the light around Eleventh Sister distorted, and countless twisted, mocking ghost faces flashed before her eyes, their piercing laughter exploding directly in her mind. Her most proficient illusion magic was forcibly interfered with, amplified, and rebounded by an even more domineering force, ultimately affecting her.
"Ah!" Shiyi Niang completely lost her composure, staggered backward in fright, fell to the ground, and waved her arms in vain in an attempt to dispel the non-existent illusions, letting out a hysterical scream.
The entire banquet hall fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on them in astonishment. You Chi frowned deeply. Guan Shanyue's eyes flashed with surprise at first, then transformed into undisguised schadenfreude and contempt. Chang Dong's face showed deep disgust, as if he felt this clumsy trick had tainted the occasion. Ao Li's hand holding the wine glass paused, his sharp gaze sweeping sharply over the disheveled Shiyi Niang, then quickly glancing at the pale-faced, seemingly frightened Shang Jiuya. A fleeting look of scrutiny and amusement flashed in his eyes before he regained his composure, as if nothing had happened.
Qi Mu's reaction was the most direct and intense. He was initially stunned, seemingly not understanding what had happened. But when he saw Shiyi Niang's crazed and disheveled appearance, his face instantly turned ashen, veins bulged on his forehead, and his fingers gripping the armrest of the chair turned white from the force. The low-pressure atmosphere around him suddenly turned violent. He felt that his foolish sister had completely disgraced him. In this occasion of entertaining foreign envoys, she had actually used such disgraceful methods and brought it upon herself, making such a huge fool of herself! This was practically a slap in the face to all the demons!
"Useless!" A low growl, suppressed with extreme rage, was squeezed out from between Qi Mu's teeth, sounding exceptionally clear and jarring in the deathly silent hall.
Several maids rushed forward to help the seemingly crazed Eleventh Sister up. She abruptly shook off the maids, her hair disheveled, her makeup ruined like a demon's, and glared venomously at Shang Jiuya.
"It was you! It must have been you, you vile woman!" she screamed, her voice distorted with extreme rage. "You just wait! You just wait! I will never let you get away with this! I will make you wish you were never born!"
"Isn't this humiliating enough?! Drag her away!" Qi Mu suddenly stood up, unable to contain his anger any longer, and roared at Shiyi Niang's maids. His voice was like thunder, which frightened the maids so much that they trembled.
He didn't even bother to look at Eleventh Sister again, feeling that even a glance would be an eyesore. With a livid face, he gave a perfunctory fist salute towards the main seat and bluntly said, "This prince is unwell and must take his leave!" Without waiting for a response, he strode away, filled with terrifying anger.
As soon as he left, a well-informed eunuch whispered: Prince Qi Mu went straight to Shiyi Niang's palace. Even through the door, his thunderous roar and scolding could be heard: "...Fool! Useless! You only know some underhanded tricks and you're not even good at them!...You've disgraced me...If you dare to act recklessly again, get back to your fiefdom and be confined to your home to reflect on your mistakes!"
In the end, Shiyi Niang was forcibly helped down the stairs by her maids amidst a deathly silence and strange gazes, leaving behind a mess and an eerie stillness. The banquet ended unhappily.
Back in the Purple Light Palace, Shang Jiuya dismissed everyone around her and only allowed herself to show a mixture of lingering fear and solemnity when she was alone.
She succeeded. For the first time, she directly thwarted Shiyi Niang's plot and made her reap what she sowed.
The "Shadow Secrets" and Qingcheng's talisman played a crucial role. This proves how important it is to improve one's own strength and acquire external equipment.
But Shiyi Niang's final, extremely venomous warning was no empty threat. Given her twisted, obsessive, arrogant, and domineering nature, suffering such a humiliating defeat in public would undoubtedly drive her to seek revenge. Moreover, after this failure, her next methods would surely be more covert, more ruthless, and more difficult to defend against.
The brief sense of victory was quickly replaced by a deeper sense of crisis.
Shiyi Niang has evolved from an annoying provocateur into a mortal enemy that must be taken seriously.
"Li Yue," Shang Jiuya immediately summoned the head guard, her voice heavy, "Eleventh Sister will never let this go. From today onwards, the security of the Purple Light Palace must be raised to the highest level! Especially the defense against illusions and curses. Bai Yu, have all your informants pay extra attention to the movements of Eleventh Sister and those around her, and report any slight abnormality immediately!"
She must be prepared for even more extreme retaliation.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
