Chapter 364: Your Majesty, Care to Share Your Review?
"Then… is Senior Brother planning to head back now?"
"...No, I'll rest a little longer."
Nestled comfortably in his junior sister's lap, Luo Wusheng gave his answer softly.
Naturally, the little demoness had likely noticed that something had gone awry when he tried to use his artifact earlier. That's probably why she asked—but she also knew the real reason he was still here was because of it.
But Luo Wusheng couldn't be so reckless. Who knew what was happening over at the Imperial Pool right now? What if something went wrong just as he showed up to meet Miss Kirin? Wouldn't that be a straight-up disaster?
As for his Antediluvian Nether Eye…
Well, as long as it didn't get discovered, everything else was manageable.
The artifact's primary function at the moment was still its role as a spatial Artifact. He didn't rely heavily on its other features. What was truly a shame was that he hadn't had time to study how it had changed after yesterday's events—and that he'd lost his extremely covert "remote peeping" function. Not that he remembered to use it much anyway…
(Come to think of it… I can still vaguely sense a connection… The link between me and the Eye… tracing down to the shadow of my right pinky finger…)
(Hmm? Why is the connection suddenly growing stronger?)
Luo Wusheng's expression froze. On instinct, he reached out to that mysterious tether—
And in the blink of an eye, his vision shifted.
———
"…First question. The courtesan Yao Ji of the Red Blossom Pavilion is actually the Netherqueen, and the one who rescued her from Ascending Immortality Lake during the Netherkin Extermination Operation… was you. Am I correct?"
The voice in his ear was calm, almost emotionless. But the tone—and the content—left Luo Wusheng completely stunned.
Before his eyes, a previously blurred scene came into focus.
A familiar face entered his view.
The Empress. Her expression was unreadable, neither joy nor sorrow showing through, though her regal presence carried a subtle, almost instinctive pressure.
If it weren't for the faint flush still lingering on her cheeks, Luo Wusheng might have thought everything he'd witnessed earlier through the Antediluvian Nether Eye had been just a hallucination.
(Just thinking about what she looked like before… and comparing it to her now…)
No! This was not the time to be thinking about that!
He quickly took in his surroundings: the elegant pavilion, the shallow pool, the verdant spiritual flora and green-streaked stone tiles.
This was… the Imperial Pool again?
Why was he back here? And why was the Empress standing in front of him?
Wait—according to the vision his Antediluvian Nether Eye had shown him earlier, the one who stood in this position was supposed to be…
Luo Wusheng suddenly became aware of something different about himself.
From the reflection in the Empress's brilliant eyes, he saw it clearly—
His body was no longer flesh and blood, but water.
A Water Clone! And not just a vague outline—this one was a perfect replica of his own appearance.
It felt like divine clarity struck him at that moment.
Luo Wusheng, feeling the cold flow of water forming his current "body," quickly pieced together the situation.
This must have been orchestrated by the Antediluvian Nether Eye.
Though he couldn't currently feel the Eye's presence at all—which was actually a good sign. It meant it was still safely hidden.
From the Empress's earlier actions, it seemed this water clone was what she'd been aiming for all along.
And then he recalled the words she had spoken earlier…
"Netherqueen"?
If not for the fact that he now had no pupils to dilate, Luo Wusheng's eyes would've been shrinking in panic.
(She knows?!)
Before he could finish that thought, he saw a stream of water flow out from his watery chest. It twisted and gathered near the ethereal gate behind him and formed a single word:
[Correct.]
Simple. Direct. Honest.
Upon seeing the answer, the Empress's gaze dimmed slightly. But she didn't look surprised.
The source of her information had been unreliable, but from her prior conversation with him, she had already begun to suspect the truth.
"…I suppose it makes sense," she murmured. "With that much insider knowledge about the Netherkin, not even the Demon Sect's Sect Master could be so well-informed… But if it were her, if the Netherqueen had returned to the Netherland, then such knowledge wouldn't be unexpected…"
Her beautiful eyes briefly lingered on the water-formed youth before her… then, ever so slightly, she looked away.
Since she's just finished watching the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect do that kind of thing to her, the moment the Empress is face-to-face with that very same face…well, understandably, things were a bit awkward.
Meanwhile, Luo Wusheng had finally pieced things together.
So this was the real reason behind all the Empress's elaborate preparations today.
(No wonder… Looking at it now, she must have already known about this yesterday. That would explain why the Daoist Alter Ego present during my fight with the chicken Netherkin hesitated and didn't intervene.)
The Immortal Nation wasn't certain what kind of relationship the Netherqueen had with the new Netherking.
Most speculated that the two would likely compete for dominance within the Netherkin Nation. But there was no guarantee they wouldn't join forces to act against the Immortal Nation.
The new Netherking had clearly been plotting for some time. As for the Netherqueen—she had a grudge against the late emperor. From the perspective of the Immortal Nation's human race, she might well use this opportunity to strike while the iron was hot.
(Then to suddenly learn that I, the one here supposedly to assist, not only have a close relationship with the little pink fox, but was also the one to personally unseal her…)
Yeah. That is very suspicious.
But how had the Empress learned the truth?
The little pink fox's departure had been a bit messy, sure—but still, there shouldn't have been anything that pointed clearly back to him, the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect.
He had deliberately eliminated the Rat Netherkin who might've given things away. And even though the "Netherkin Extermination Operation" had gone a bit off script, he'd been a central figure, practically branded a Netherkin-Slaying Hero. That should have made his involvement seem less likely, not more.
Even when Miss Kirin had caught him outside the Ascending Immortality Lake the night he unsealed the Netherqueen, she hadn't suspected him at all.
(Unless… there's actual proof.)
Just as Luo Wusheng was deep in thought, a confused voice came from the girl in front of him.
"Hmm? In the second stage, it's supposed to be one question in exchange for another… Why hasn't your question appeared yet?"
The Empress furrowed her brow slightly.
In the second stage of the Imperial Pool's reflective state, every "Heart-force" left behind would establish a connection with the user's origin consciousness. Through this link, the artifact's rules would allow for the opponent's innermost thoughts to be expressed in the form of an answer.
But just like any other rule-based artifact, invoking a higher-level function always came with a cost.
In this case, she too was bound to answer a question—generated from the intent hidden within her opponent's Heart-force.
(Compared to most rule-based artifacts, the Imperial Pool's "cost" is actually quite light… As long as no one else is around, I don't need to worry about how I answer.)
The Empress remained calm, even a little amused—she'd already decided what her next question would be.
But across from her, Luo Wusheng stiffened at her words.
Wait, what?
The Water Clone... could ask a question?
What kind of question would it even ask?
[Your Majesty, what do you think of the steamy scene that you just saw?]
That thought only crossed his mind for a moment, before he then watched, dumbfounded, as more water trickled from his form and gathered beneath the mystical gate.
Forming a sentence:
[Then may I ask—Your Majesty, what do you think of the steamy scene that you just saw?]
Luo Wusheng's mind blanked for a moment.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from the pool. A geyser of water shot up—barely missing his watery clone body.
At the center of it all stood the Empress, face darkened with rage, her delicate pink fists clenched tightly.
Her cheeks had once again turned crimson.
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Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD[1]
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[1] https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
[2] https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024
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[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-487-cry-149583539
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