knife

Chapter 747 Who's prettier?
Inside the quiet room, Jiang Qian sat cross-legged, with countless blue sparks dancing around her. To outsiders, the scene was dreamlike and ethereal, making them think that a fairy had descended to earth, and inexplicably inspiring a sense of awe and reverence. But those who knew the truth understood how dangerous those seemingly magnificent blue sparks were. Not to mention mortals, even a body of metal would be instantly melted and pierced if touched by them.

Lin Yunqi stood by the door, watching the sparks gradually disappear into Jiang Qian's body, unable to hide the astonishment on his face.

He knew that Jiang Qian had once again reached the threshold of the Innate Realm.

Because Jiang Qian has already spent a long time at the Innate Realm, this time it will be a natural progression; all she needs is time and the accumulation of skill.

Moreover, he could sense that the Phoenix Flame now before him was vastly different from before. The fierce and domineering aura emanating from the white stripes inlaid on each blue spark was slowly fading, but its destructive power was increasing exponentially.

The last blue spark entered Jiang Qian's body. Jiang Qian slowly opened her eyes, looked at Lin Yunqi in front of her, and smiled happily.

"You're back?"

Lin Yunqi stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Empress Dowager!"

Jiang Qian waved her hand: "There is no Empress Dowager anymore."

"Holy Maiden," Lin Yunqi immediately changed his address.

"Sit down!" Jiang Qian pointed to the cushion in front of her and smiled, "I was just worried about not having enough people, and you're back. Are your injuries almost healed? Will they have any impact on the future?"

"Master Fu Qingzhu and Daoist Yiming have amazing medical skills. Although I was seriously injured, I recovered very quickly under their skillful hands. Moreover, Master Fu said that it will not have any impact on my future!" Lin Yunqi gritted his teeth and said, "That sorcerer Shenwu, one day I will make him pay a hundredfold price!"

Jiang Qian smiled and said, "That's good. How far have you recovered now?"

"I'll have about 80-90% of my former strength!" Lin Yunqi said. "As long as I don't encounter a master of the Innate Realm, I'll be fine!"

"Where did so many innate masters come from!" Jiang Qian said, "You've been outside the pass for so long, tell me about the situation there! Li Dachui raved about it as if it were a paradise on earth, but I really don't believe it!"

"A paradise on earth?" Lin Yunqi chuckled. "Protector Li certainly dares to say that. Holy Maiden, to be honest, the overall situation outside the pass is far inferior to most areas of our Great Chu. Only some core cities like Tai'an can be compared to Danyang. In general, the area outside the pass can be summed up in one word: poor!"

"I knew he was lying to me!" Jiang Qian bit her lip lightly, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.

“However, Holy Maiden, there’s a certain energy throughout the area beyond the Great Wall. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s an optimistic, vibrant, and upward-looking spirit. Everyone seems to be full of hope for the future, and everyone feels that tomorrow will be better than today.” Lin Yunqi tried hard to recall that feeling he had in the area beyond the Great Wall: “Holy Maiden, this state of mind is very infectious. Even after staying there for a long time, I still feel that the future is promising!”

Jiang Qian nodded thoughtfully.

"What impressed me most was how harmoniously different ethnic groups got along in the area beyond the Great Wall!" Lin Yunqi said. "In Tai'an City, I saw at least dozens of different ethnic groups. They looked different, spoke different languages, and had different customs, but they were able to get along amicably with each other. This was something I had never seen before. In our Great Chu, let alone different ethnic groups, even people who were hundreds of miles apart would have some distance between them!"

Jiang Qian laughed: "I've heard Li Dachui mention that before. Do you think those barbarians like being so amiable or subservient? If they could win a fight, they'd be incredibly powerful. It's just that they can't beat Li Dachui, so they have to resort to singing, dancing, and being all smiles. Only in this way can the laws outside the Great Wall be effectively enforced. And compared to the Great Chu, there aren't those so-called aristocratic families outside the Great Wall; their privileges are suppressed to a very low level, which is why you see what you're seeing." "Yes! In general, the Northern Protectorate is indeed a vibrant and thriving regime."

"How do we compare to us back then?" Jiang Qian asked.

Lin Yunqi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Holy Maiden, please don't be angry if I speak frankly. In my eyes, the Great Chu at that time was like a decrepit old man, and you were searching for a remedy to rejuvenate it, while the Northern Protectorate was like a young man in his prime. No matter how you look at it, they were the stronger ones!"

Jiang Qian didn't seem annoyed at all, and asked again, "Have you seen Xiao Changche?"

Lin Yunqi's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Jiang Qian, whose expression remained calm, and subconsciously rubbed his nose. "I met him once when that General Xiao went to inspect the Great Medical Hall. I happened to be there, so he summoned me and we talked for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!"

Jiang Qian sneered: "What do you mean 'just right'? It must have been arranged. What did she ask me?"

Lin Yunqi smiled awkwardly: "I didn't ask anything, just casual conversation. That General Xiao asked very few questions, but the other woman with him named Luo Hua asked quite a lot of questions."

What kind of person do you think Xiao Changche is?

Lin Yunqi pondered for a moment and said, "Just as rumored, he is the kind of decisive and ruthless general. He gives me the impression of being very magnanimous and doesn't care about many trivial matters. He should be the kind of person who prefers to get things straight rather than resorting to crooked means."

Jiang Qian said thoughtfully, "It seems that Xiao Changche has left a very good impression on you!"

Lin Yunqi said, "I am loyal to the Holy Maiden, so I will tell you the truth so that you can make a correct judgment about Xiao Changche. This person is indeed a formidable enemy. If he were the kind of petty and calculating woman, he would be easy to deal with! On the contrary, this kind of person is extremely difficult to deal with because you can't find his weaknesses. Moreover, Holy Maiden, Xiao Changche is highly respected outside the pass, and everyone in the Northern Court is quite convinced of his abilities!"

Jiang Qian nodded, looked at Lin Yunqi, and suddenly smiled, "Then, between her and me, who do you think is prettier?"

Lin Yunqi exclaimed "Ah!" and after a long while said, "Ah, I've never paid attention to whether you're pretty or not! If I had to compare, I would say you're all like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each with your own strengths."

After saying this, Lin Yunqi glanced at Jiang Qian with some concern.

To be honest, he had never paid attention to whether Jiang Qian was pretty or not. After meeting Xiao Changche, his impression of him was not his appearance, but his imposing and dignified aura.

These two people gave him completely different feelings, but both made Lin Yunqi feel like he couldn't look them in the eye.

"Heh!" Jiang Qian chuckled. She was still somewhat reserved about how others praised Xiao Changche, thinking that he had only gained the upper hand and was the first to benefit from the situation. But since Lin Yunqi said so, then Xiao Changche must be truly capable.

"You must be tired from your journey. Take a few days to rest. We're going to be very busy from now on!" she instructed.

(End of this chapter)