A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 374 The Unfinished Portrait (Bonus Chapter for Donations)
Hearing the children's sarcastic remarks, the Azure Sky King strode over, his face so dark it could drip water. "Shut up, all of you! You've got the guts to gossip here, but why don't you go prove yourselves in the training ground?"

The princes and princesses immediately fell silent, but still grumbled resentfully, "Mother, we were just curious... You're so biased towards this brother we've never met..."

"Favoritism?" King Cangqiong sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping over the children. He said with exasperation, "You still have the nerve to say that? You grew up in luxury, with the best resources in the clan provided for you. And what is the result? You can't even compare to Lu Xiao, who grew up outside!"

She grew angrier as she spoke, "They always cheat and shirk their duties, and now they have the nerve to come here and criticize!"

The second prince and the third princess lowered their heads in shame, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

King Cangqiong turned to look at the eldest prince, his tone even sterner, "And you, Tianlin! You and Lu Xiao are not much different in age, and you are a pure-blooded Golden-feathered Roc, yet you failed the trial last time. The elders all said that you are not mentally stable and have neglected your training. It seems that I have spoiled you too much. From now on, I will train you personally!"

"...Understood, Mother." The eldest prince, Tianlin, suppressed his resentment, nodded, and left with his younger siblings.

Hearing their conversation, Shen Tang's heart tightened, and she turned to ask the Azure Sky King, "Is the trial grounds very dangerous?"

King Cangqiong laughed heartily, “Don’t worry, nothing will happen. The trial grounds vary from person to person, and the content of each person’s trial is different, so I don’t know what Xiao’er will encounter. But the trial has only one purpose, which is to select those with outstanding talent and firm minds.”

"As long as you can pass through the Trial Grounds, you can awaken the power of the Golden Roc."

Seeing that Shen Tang's brows were still furrowed, the King of the Azure Sky patted her shoulder and comforted her, "You can rest assured, Xiao'er is such an outstanding child, there will definitely be no problem!"

With that, he waved his hand outwards, "The General has already led the troops, fully prepared to depart. We will escort you back to provide support!"

Shen Tang said gratefully, "Then thank you very much, Your Majesty!"

"Oh dear, you're still calling me so formally. What should you call me?" King Cangqiong said with a smile.

Shen Tang said somewhat embarrassedly, "Mother."

"Hahahaha!" King Cangqiong laughed so hard his eyes disappeared. "I had a son and got such a capable daughter for free! This is a great deal!"

She affectionately pinched Shen Tang's cheek, "Come on, let's have dinner with Mother!"

Shen Tang was amused by her.

No matter how leisurely and pleasant the moment, it's time to leave eventually.

Including the time lost on the road, it took them about a week from setting off to returning.

With the war in the Night Glow Empire tense, Shen Tang was invited by the Azure Sky King to stay for lunch before leading a large support force away.

……

The imperial palace of the Yiyuan Empire has been anything but peaceful lately.

Since that morning court session, the palace has been the target of several assassination attempts. These assassins are all elites, clearly aiming to kill the emperor. Qiu Yang, the leader of the secret guard responsible for protection, and his men have been keeping watch day and night, unable to even get a good night's sleep.

"Damn it, these bastards are never going to stop!" Qiu Yang squatted on the roof beam, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, scratching his hair in frustration.

"Boss, there's movement to the west!" his subordinate suddenly whispered a warning.

Qiu Yang quickly spat out the grass root in his mouth and led his men to charge forward.

Another group of well-trained assassins appeared. After several rounds of fighting, Qiu Yang and his team successfully dealt with the assassins. However, they were a little puzzled as to why the assassins sent this time seemed less capable than those sent before, as they were taken down in just a few moves.

"Something's wrong!" Qiu Yang's expression suddenly changed drastically. "We've fallen into a trap! His Majesty is in danger! Quickly return to the palace to protect him!"

When Qiu Yang and his group rushed into the palace, the scene before them stunned everyone.

A dozen assassins lay sprawled on the ground, lifeless.

Blood flowed freely on the gleaming, jade-like floor.

The man sat on the bed, wearing only a loose black robe. His figure was tall and slender, and the slightly open collar revealed his jade-like skin. His long, fiery red hair cascaded down, with a few strands playfully brushing against his long neck and falling to his barely visible collarbone.

His face was breathtakingly beautiful, with long, narrow fox-like eyes beneath brows like distant mountains, the corners of which were slightly upturned, exuding a captivating charm. Below his high, straight nose, his thin, bright red lips held a half-smile.

What's most captivating is the golden mark between her brows, which adds a touch of awe-inspiring and unapproachable majesty to her alluring beauty, making people want to get closer yet dare not look directly at her.

This is Ji Jiuli, the supreme emperor of the Yiyuan Empire.

But this emperor, who was rumored to have been bedridden for many years, showed no signs of illness whatsoever.
His every move exuded a lazy and composed air, and the powerful aura he subtly emanated made all the beastmen present instinctively want to submit to him!
The subordinates all knelt down, their foreheads pressed against the cold ground.

"Your Majesty, I am late in protecting you, and deserve to die!" Qiu Yang's voice trembled noticeably.

The man waved his hand lazily, his long, bright red hair swaying slightly with the movement. "Get up." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Hurry up and take these filthy things out; the stench is giving me a headache."

Qiu Yang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and immediately ordered his men to clean up the scene.

He strode forward, his voice filled with lingering fear, "These traitors have become increasingly cunning. Just now, they used a diversionary tactic to lure us away... We almost made a grave mistake! Is Your Majesty injured?"

The man chuckled softly upon hearing this, his slender fingers twirling a strand of red hair. "With these insignificant lackeys..." he narrowed his captivating fox-like eyes, "even if they train for another hundred or two hundred years, they still won't be enough."

Qiu Yang also sighed, "His Majesty's strength is even greater than before this time. Could it be that he has already..."

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed the man's expression darken slightly, and a barely perceptible sadness appeared between his brows. He quickly fell silent and changed his words, "Your Majesty's return is truly a blessing for all the people. In the years you were away, the Regent and his cronies harbored wolfish ambitions and plunged the empire into chaos. Now that you have regained control of the court, you will surely be able to restore order."

Ji Jiuli gave a faint "hmm" and turned to look at the darkening sky outside the window.

The smile vanished from his handsome face, replaced by a lingering sense of loneliness.

The corpses inside the hall had all been dragged out and burned, and the bloodstains had been wiped clean.

Any object stained with blood was replaced with a new one.

However, a lingering, unpleasant smell of blood seemed to remain in the air.

The man, barefoot, stepped down from the couch, walked to the desk, and opened an unfinished portrait.

He picked up the brush with his bare hands, and before the paint was dry, he began to sketch and outline.

After an unknown amount of time, he casually said, "Investigate who sent these assassins."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Qiu Yang glanced at the portrait furtively.

Every time he came over, he saw this portrait on the desk. It had been painted for a long time, but the eyes had not yet been painted.

Looking at the Emperor's somber expression, Qiu Yang hesitated, pursed his lips, and finally spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty... there is one more thing, but I am unsure whether I should speak it..."

Ji Jiuli raised his eyes, a hint of impatience flashing in them. "You've been by my side for so many years, when did you become so timid and hesitant?"

Qiu Yang's gaze involuntarily drifted to the portrait on the table, and he lowered his voice, saying, "It's...it's about the envoy we sent to the Night Glow Empire a few days ago. We just received a report that the Night Glow Empire...rejected our country's request for support."

Ji Jiuli paused in his movements.

He placed his paintbrush on the shelf.

Qiu Yang knelt on the ground, filled with fear and trepidation.

A moment of silence fell over the air. He dared not speak, unable to fathom the emperor's thoughts, lest he bring disaster upon himself.

Much later.

A dry, hoarse voice came from above.

"I understand. You may leave."

Thank you "Slightly Tipsy" for becoming my "True Love," I owe you three bonus chapters~
Let me add one first~
good night!