CHAPTER 53
This was the second time Sheng Qing had been summoned by the Queen. When the young girl in palace attire found Sheng Qing, she was hiding in Meng Yunxi's training ground office, studying how to expand the range of the secret technique.
Although this was her own intention, the persistent pestering of the old man with the hoarse voice on the training field also played a significant role.
With a heart full of unease, Sheng Qing followed closely behind the girl in palace attire. Meng Yunxi's solemn advice echoed in his mind: never trust anyone easily, including Her Majesty the Queen.
What does that mean? She was only offline for a few days, could something terrible have happened in just a few days?
Or is it that something happened in Jin Guo City during those three months that could influence the unusual events in Meng City?
Aside from Meng Yunxi's secret research and Jian Fei's rebellion, what else could possibly attract the Queen's attention?
Sheng Qing unconsciously rubbed the ring on her left index finger with her thumb. The ring that Meng Yunxi had given her had become one with her skin after a simple recognition ceremony, and no one else could notice it.
Meanwhile, the other ring was on Meng Yunxi's left index finger. Sheng Qing felt inexplicably at ease, and also a sense of smug satisfaction and secret delight at having succeeded in his little scheme.
As for the ability to transmit sound over long distances, she had only tried it once, on her first night back in Mengcheng. With nothing else to do, she sent a signal according to the instructions, and soon a knock sounded at the door.
Sheng Qing opened the door guiltily and explained to Meng Yunxi outside the door that it was just a misunderstanding.
"Would you like me to come in?" Meng Yunxi seemed to be in a good mood, her eyebrows slightly raised and a smile on her face.
"No, no." Sheng Qing hurriedly closed the door, feeling her cheeks getting hot, then muttered as she pushed the window open.
"Is there anything else you need? I'll head back now?" Meng Yunxi's voice rang out from outside the door, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment mixed with a touch of surprise.
"Mmm." Sheng Qing responded softly, ran back to the bedroom, jumped onto the bed, pulled the quilt over her head and face, and heard the rapid beating of her heart, like a deer pounding in her chest.
"Miss Sheng Qing, the Queen is ready to see you. You can go in from here." The voice of the girl in palace attire pulled Sheng Qing back to reality.
"Okay, thank you." After politely thanking him, Sheng Qing walked into the hall alone.
The door behind him closed silently, and sparse sunlight poured in from the intricately carved windows high up, scattering across the smooth marble floor. Sheng Qing shivered for no apparent reason.
The scene of being summoned by the Queen last time was always vague, occasionally appearing in dreams, and Sheng Qing had an indescribable feeling about it.
"You've come, my good child." A gentle yet authoritative voice rang in my ears.
"Your Majesty." Sheng Qing lowered her head, her legs seemed to want to kneel down on their own, and her body involuntarily wanted to prostrate herself on the ground.
"No need." Her Majesty the Queen's brief two-word statement defused Sheng Qing's predicament.
"Come to me." The Queen's voice seemed to have a magical power. Before Sheng Qing's mind could react, his body had already taken a step forward, slowly but firmly stepping up the steps and approaching Her Majesty the Queen's throne.
“Sit here,” the Queen said, pointing to the empty space on the throne.
Sheng Qing was greatly alarmed. This is unacceptable!
But the buttocks had their own ideas, and they sat firmly next to the Queen on the high throne.
The scenery here is indeed different. Sheng Qing seems to see the crowd below the court kneeling and bowing respectfully, and the empty hall seems to still echo with the voices of the crowd, whether sincere or hypocritical, offering their compliments.
"You also think this feels pretty good, don't you?" The Queen's voice was everywhere, even in my head.
Sheng Qing was filled with trepidation, feeling that whatever he said would be a trap, so he simply kept quiet.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to eat you." The Queen actually chuckled softly.
At the same time, Sheng Qing finally regained control of his body, and with a jolt, he left the throne and knelt down.
However, with a gentle pull from the Queen, Sheng Qing fell into her arms. Whether it was due to nervousness or some other reason, Sheng Qing froze, unable to move.
"My good child, let me take a good look at you." The Queen's gaze was like the most precise ruler in the world, tracing over Sheng Qing's body without missing a single detail.
"Not bad," the Queen praised softly.
"Raise your eyes." The Queen's command was not to be questioned.
Sheng Qing's gaze shifted upwards, landing on the Queen's eyes. The scene he had clearly captured vanished before the command reached his brain.
Instead, there was a piercing pain and a sense of chaos. Some sharp and powerful force squeezed into Sheng Qing's consciousness, flowing through his blood as if searching for something.
"Good boy, relax." Seemingly sensing Sheng Qing's resistance and defiance, the Queen spoke up to comfort him.
Sheng Qing could no longer resist; their defenses crumbled, and they suffered a complete defeat.
"Help me save something." As soon as the Queen finished speaking, Sheng Qing felt a warmth on her lips as something soft pressed against hers.
Are they all crazy? Why do they all like to resort to these sneak attacks?
Before she could protest, Sheng Qing's mind was suddenly flooded with many memories that were not her own, and a jumble of images flashed through her mind in a frenzy.
Like a slideshow being shown for the first time, the playback speed is inconsistent, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, finally freezing on a video.
In the dim light, a face so beautiful it was almost eerie appeared in sight, with a dazed look in its eyes, slightly parted red lips, moving sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
And she twisted her body, trying her best to accommodate him.
wrong!
Sheng Qing recognized the face; it was none other than the red-haired Rhett.
Wait, something is happening at the ends of his hair. They turn from red to white with the rhythm, and finally transform into white-haired Blake.
Sheng Qing was startled.
What's even more strange is that, in the full-length mirror directly in front of her, Sheng Qing saw a face that wasn't hers. And the owner of that face was looking at the mirror with a slightly upturned, alluring smile.
"Is it beautiful?" The Queen's voice roused Sheng Qing.
"What?" Sheng Qing felt dizzy and almost didn't hear the Queen's question.
Thump, thump, thump—fierce and rapid impacts came from all directions of the hall, but only lasted for a second before abruptly disappearing. Sheng Qing wondered if he was hallucinating.
At this moment, the Queen sat upright and high above, while she stood below the steps, her eyes lowered, waiting for instructions.
"Leave now, I am a little tired." The Queen waved her hand, and the gate in the distance opened in response.
Why are you already tired after just coming in and saying only a few words? Sheng Qing was full of doubts, but still obediently took his leave and retreated towards the door he came from.
There's something wrong with the flow of time. Before Sheng Qingjin met the Queen, it was still broad daylight, but now the moon is already high in the sky.
As I walked through the long corridor, I could hear the voice of a girl in palace attire in the distance.
"The Queen is meeting with important guests."
"I have informed you that no one may enter without the Queen's permission."
"Please wait patiently for the Queen's summons."
"Please cooperate with our work, otherwise we will have to ask you to leave."
"Even the most important things won't do, please understand."
...
Such rejection techniques.
Um, this so-called important client probably doesn't refer to her, right?
Sheng Qing walked past quickly, glancing at the unfamiliar middle-aged man who looked apprehensive yet relentless.
Their eyes met briefly, and Sheng Qing caught a strange smile on the other's face. Puzzled, she looked away and quickened her pace.
After leaving the Queen's Palace and turning a corner, Sheng Qing took a deep breath and slowed his pace.
What did the Queen say to her?
Sheng Qing felt as if there was a thick, invisible wall in his mind, making it difficult to see or hear clearly. He shook his head slightly.
"How are you? Are you alright?" A slender figure emerged from the shadows. It was Meng Yunxi, her brows furrowed and a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
"It's nothing. Um, who is he?" Sheng Qing was taken aback when she saw the middle-aged man following behind Meng Yunxi.
"You don't recognize me anymore so quickly?" The middle-aged man winked at Sheng Qing and made a swiping gesture at the junction of his cheek and ear.
"You are, Xu Pei?" Sheng Qing glanced at Meng Yunxi, then turned her gaze back to the fox-eyed man.
"If you want to die, don't drag us down with you." Meng Yunxi glanced coldly at Xu Pei, then calmly pulled Sheng Qing away.
"Hey, don't do this! You can't just kick someone after they've crossed the river like that!" Xu Pei pretended to be annoyed, kicked the air, and then followed behind him angrily.
"Captain, how did he get into the city? Isn't Meng City protected by a formation?" Sheng Qing asked.
“Recently, Mengcheng has been quite unsettled, with many strange creatures appearing in the city. Xu Pei took advantage of the chaos to enter the city and make some trades.”
"Did you come here specifically to wait for me?"
"Well, not really, I also have other things to confirm."
Sophistry! But Sheng Qing had no intention of calling him out on it.
"Hey, you two are just going to abandon me like this?"
"Go wherever you want to cool off, but don't talk nonsense if you cause trouble."
“I’m going to lie, and I’ll explain the whole story clearly. It was you, Meng Yunxi, who came to me, using an exchange as bait, to get me to gather information for you… Hmm, you dare to do it but not admit it? Hmm…”
"Shut up."
Sheng Qing chuckled to himself.
"Captain Meng, please wait a moment!" A young girl in palace attire chased after them from behind. "Her Majesty the Queen requests your presence."
Sheng Qing slept very poorly that night, having bizarre and absurd dreams repeatedly. In her dreams, there was always a fragmented figure with its facial features and limbs on the ground in a strange posture chasing her.
"mine."
"Give me."
"Give it to me quickly."
The figure mumbled incoherently, making shrill, grating sounds that burrowed in and out of Sheng Qing's ears without any rhyme or reason.
So, when Sheng Qing woke up the next day, with lifeless eyes and huge dark circles under his eyes, he dragged his exhausted body to visit Qin Feiyu in the surveillance room.
Qin Feiyan, who had been kidnapped by bad guys, returned unharmed, while Qin Feiyu remained unconscious in the hospital bed.
Based on the doctor's examination results and the nurses' long-term care, Qin Feiyu's physiological functions appear to be normal, but she is unable to wake up.
Qin Feiyan had already overcome her self-blame and gotten used to her life going back and forth between the training ground and the examination room.
"He'll wake up eventually," Qin Feiyan comforted Sheng Qing instead. "I've already asked Captain Ning to help me gather information about the strange man. It's said that he broke through the original restrictions of the secret realm and forced his way into Meng City. As long as we find the secret realm where the strange man is located, we'll definitely be able to awaken Qin Feiyu."
"If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know," Sheng Qing said, shaking his hand in return.
The rumor goes like this: the strange man kidnapped the girl from Montreal in order to resurrect someone important, involving forbidden techniques related to the soul.
Qin Feiyu's current state is very much like that of someone who has lost their soul. Perhaps Qin Feiyan's speculation is correct, and it is indeed possible to find Qin Feiyu's three souls and six spirits and awaken him by exploring the secret realm where the strange man was born.
Sheng Qing sent Qin Feiyan away and secretly channeled some spiritual energy into Qin Feiyu, instantly restoring her white hair to its original dark brown color.
Um, Sheng Qing was a little flustered. How should she explain?
Did God grant our wish?
Just as I was feeling uneasy, a noisy commotion came from the corridor outside the ward, as if some raging flood or beast had launched a general attack on the small ward.
But after a moment, an eerie silence returned, and Sheng Qing hadn't even had a chance to get close to the door.
"Squeak." Sheng Qing turned slightly to the side, and the door was pushed open from the outside. Qin Feiyan appeared at the door with a nurse carrying examination and nursing equipment.
"What happened outside?" Sheng Qing asked.
"It's nothing." Qin Feiyan smiled and gently brushed away a strand of brown hair that was clearly not human from her hair.
With the sudden embrace, Sheng Qing could clearly feel Qin Feiyan's face buried in her hair and hear her heavy breathing.
"Are you really okay?" Sheng Qing tried to push Qin Feiyan away, but Qin Feiyan's grip was very strong, and she didn't let go until a minute later.
Sheng Qing wanted to ask something more, but Qin Feiyu on the hospital bed suddenly made a sound, and the two of them ran to the bedside together.
Suddenly, a strange noise came from the window into the ward. Sheng Qing rushed over to check and saw a bright flame rising from the direction of the training ground.
At the same time, the ring on my left index finger sent a message: something happened at the training ground!
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