Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 13: The Assassin Queen Has Grown Up! Three Deadly Moves

Shen Qingci has been practicing the "Cultivating Qi" manual in the tree hollow for seven days.

Each day, at midnight and dawn, one hour each. Combined with detoxifying herbal decoctions, the effect was even better than expected.

She could clearly feel the warm current that had been fed back from the fetus slowly settling and transforming into her own inner strength. Although it was still very weak, it was already circulating steadily in her meridians.

But today, she sensed something different.

In the afternoon, she practiced her exercises in the room as usual.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, breathing deeply and evenly, I guided the warm current along the path of the "Nourishing Qi" chapter. At the end of the seventh cycle, a slight tremor suddenly occurred deep in my lower abdomen.

It's like something... has broken through.

Immediately afterwards, the warm current accelerated sharply, becoming more solid and abundant than before. It no longer flowed gently, but rather, as if it had come to life, actively impacting the meridians that had been blocked by poisoning.

Shen Qingci's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

She gritted her teeth, enduring the stinging pain of her meridians being opened, and continued to guide them.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"call--"

She let out a long breath.

That breath actually condensed into a very thin white mist in the air, drifting three feet away before slowly dissipating.

Her hand unconsciously pressed against the bed.

"Click."

The bed frame made a slight cracking sound.

Shen Qingci opened her eyes and looked down.

The spot where his hand was pressing down, the already rotten bed board, had a thin crack.

She didn't press it hard.

Is it... the release of internal energy?

She paused for a moment, then raised her hand and gave the pile of hay in the corner a light push.

I didn't encounter it.

But the top few straws of the haystack swayed slightly.

Although it was only a slight tremor, Shen Qingci's eyes lit up.

Really!

Although the distance was short and the power was small, this was indeed the prototype of internal force being projected outward!

She thought for a moment, then looked out the window.

A few withered yellow leaves still clung to the old locust tree outside the window, swaying precariously in the autumn wind.

She focused her mind, channeling the newly generated internal energy into her palm.

Then, from a distance, gently shake the nearest leaf—

"sieve."

The leaves have fallen.

It wasn't blown by the wind.

She used her internal force to shake it down!

Shen Qingci watched the withered leaf slowly fall, her chest heaving.

It became.

The first level of "Cultivating Qi" is at the minor stage.

Although this was only the most basic internal skill, far from being a true master, it represented a qualitative change for her.

From a deposed empress who was powerless to even kill a chicken, she gained the ability to protect herself.

Even if it's just a little bit.

"Your Majesty?" Jinshu pushed open the door and entered, seeing Shen Qingci sitting on the bed with a rare smile on her face. She was taken aback. "What...is wrong?"

"It's nothing." Shen Qingci composed himself, got up from the bed, and said, "Jinshu, practice with me."

"Practice what?" Jinshu asked blankly.

Shen Qingci didn't explain, but simply walked to the relatively spacious area in the middle of the room.

She closed her eyes, and memories of Ling Ye flashed through her mind—the fighting techniques she had learned in the modern world: joint locks, grappling, and blows to vital points…

Then, she started to move.

The movements were slow, as if they were reviewing, or perhaps... integrating.

It combines the ruthlessness and directness of modern combat with the internal energy this body has just acquired.

First move: Throat stab.

With his right hand fingers together like a knife, he concentrates his inner strength at his fingertips, mimicking the motion of a dagger thrust. Swift, precise, and ruthless, he aims straight for the throat—one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body.

Second move: Knee crusher.

The left leg is raised lightly, the ankle twists, and internal force is channeled into the instep, simulating a side kick. The target is the outside of the opponent's knee; if it hits, the kneecap will shatter instantly, rendering the opponent immobile.

The third tactic: Open your heart.

With both hands forming claws, one in front and one behind, mimicking a fatal blow in close combat. The front hand feints to draw attention, while the rear hand strikes straight for the heart—not to rip out the heart, but to use internal force to shock the heart meridian and cause internal injury.

All three moves are very simple.

But every move is aimed straight at the vital point, without any fancy moves, aiming only to defeat the enemy in one strike.

Even... fatal.

Shen Qingci practiced it three times.

The movements became increasingly fluid, and the coordination of internal energy became more and more skillful.

On the third attempt, she lightly pressed her final "heart-pulling" against the wall—

"Bang."

A muffled thud.

Dust fell from the wall in a soft rustling sound.

Although no trace was left, the sound was very real.

Jinshu's eyes widened: "Your Majesty, what... what is this...?"

"For self-defense." Shen Qingci stopped, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Jinshu, do you want to learn?"

Jinshu nodded vigorously: "I want to!"

"Alright, I'll teach you. But remember," Shen Qingci looked at her seriously, "these three moves are only for self-preservation. Don't use them unless it's a matter of life and death."

"This servant understands!"

For the next hour, Shen Qingci began to teach Jinshu the most basic fighting stances and power generation techniques.

Although Jinshu had never practiced martial arts, she was very serious and learned the moves quite well.

As they were practicing, there was a gentle knock on the door three times.

Two short and one long.

It's Eunuch Li's secret code.

Shen Qingci gestured for Jinshu to stop, then walked to the door and opened it a crack.

Outside the door, Eunuch Li was still hunched over, holding a broom in his hand, just like a real old eunuch.

But a faint glint of light flashed in his eyes the instant he saw Shen Qingci.

"Your Majesty has been looking quite well lately," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Thanks to you." Shen Qingci stepped aside. "Shall we come in and talk?"

Eunuch Li shook his head: "This old servant has only a few words to say."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Shen Qingci as if assessing something.

Then, he slowly spoke: "I saw those three moves just now."

Shen Qingci's heart tightened.

Was he observing from the shadows all along?

"Too much killing intent," said Eunuch Li in a flat tone. "The moves are ruthless and leave no room for maneuver; it's not the orthodox way."

Shen Qingci remained silent.

She knew that in the eyes of this old man, who was probably a peerless master, her modern fighting skills were indeed beneath her notice.

but……

"However," Eunuch Li changed the subject, a hint of...appreciation appearing in his cloudy eyes, "it suits you very well."

Shen Qingci was stunned.

"The palace is like a battlefield; it's either you die or I die," Eunuch Li said in an even lower voice. "The orthodox path emphasizes fairness and knowing when to stop. But here... knowing when to stop means certain death."

He glanced at Shen Qingci: "Your Majesty's path is destined to be bloody. Therefore, a strong killing intent is not a bad thing."

After speaking, he turned to leave.

"Eunuch Li," Shen Qingci called out to him.

Eunuch Li stopped abruptly.

"Why did you help me?" Shen Qingci asked, voicing the question that had been nagging at her.

Eunuch Li had his back to her and remained silent for a long time.

So long that Shen Qingci thought he wouldn't answer anymore.

He slowly began to speak: "Before the late Empress Dowager passed away, she held this old servant's hand and said... 'Dequan, after I am gone, in this deep palace, only you can protect Ye'er, and... that child from the Shen family.'"

Shen Qingci's pupils contracted slightly.

The Queen Mother...

The gentle and kind old man in the original owner's memories.

"That child from the Shen family is the last vestige of conscience in this palace." Eunuch Li's voice was filled with reminiscence. "If she were to die, this harem... would truly be utterly filthy."

After saying that, he didn't linger, and his hunched figure slowly disappeared into the shadows of the courtyard.

Shen Qingci stood at the door, motionless for a long time.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside me.

So it turns out... it was because of the late Empress Dowager.

Because of the old man's dying wish.

Also because... it's the last stand for "conscience".

"Your Majesty?" Jinshu called to her softly.

Shen Qingci snapped out of her daze and closed the door.

"Jinshu," she turned around, "from today onwards, I will teach you medicine."

Jinshu's eyes lit up: "Really? Really?"

"Hmm." Shen Qingci walked to the table, picked up the half-burnt charcoal pencil, "But this isn't ordinary medical skill. I'm going to teach you... toxicology."

Jinshu's face turned pale: "Poison..."

"Scared?"

"No, I'm not afraid!" Jinshu gritted her teeth. "As long as I can help Your Highness, I'll learn anything!"

Shen Qingci nodded and began drawing on the white cloth.

It's not an acupuncture point chart, but a simplified human anatomy diagram—marking the locations of major organs, blood vessels, and nerves.

"To learn about poisons, you must first understand the human body." Her voice was calm. "You need to know where the most vulnerable place is, where poisoning will take effect the fastest, and where... the most painful and insidious death can occur."

Jinshu looked at the pictures, and although she was a little scared, she studied very hard.

She already had a foundation—her mother was a female doctor who taught her to recognize medicinal herbs and memorize prescriptions from a young age. Now, studying toxicology, she was able to apply her knowledge to other areas and understand things very quickly.

After an hour, he was able to memorize the location of the major organs and the working principles of several common poisons.

"Your Majesty," Jinshu suddenly asked, "how do you know these things...?"

Shen Qingci paused for a moment.

"I read it in a book," she said.

Jinshu simply said "oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

But in her eyes, it was clear that "Your Majesty is amazing."

Shen Qingci smiled bitterly to herself.

Is it great?

It's just... a survival skill gained at the cost of one's life in another world.

Outside the window, the sky was gradually darkening.

Shen Qingci put down her pen and rubbed her wrist.

Practicing martial arts, teaching Jinshu, and dealing with external surveillance... it was a very fulfilling day.

But it's also... very tiring.

She lay back on the bed, her hand instinctively touching her lower abdomen.

There, the fetus moved slightly.

It's as if it's saying: Mom, you've worked hard today.

Shen Qingci smiled.

"It's not hard work," she whispered. "As long as you are born safely, nothing your mother does will be hard work."

As we were talking, my senses suddenly activated automatically—

It's not a warning.

It's a reminder...

She focused her mind and extended her senses.

Everything is normal within a ten-zhang radius.

But just as she was about to withdraw her senses, she "saw" the vegetable delivery woman pushing her cart past outside the courtyard wall.

The cart wheels made a "creak, creak" sound as they rolled over the stone pavement.

And in the gaps of the ruts, there was a small, inconspicuous strip of white cloth.

That is……

Shen Qingci's eyes narrowed.

Father replied.

Tomorrow, Jinshu should go and pick it up.

She closed her eyes and began to regulate her breathing.

There's always tomorrow.

And now... she must seize every moment to become stronger.

Strong enough to protect the baby in her womb.

Strong enough to... seek revenge.

Night was falling.

In the cold palace, a master and a servant, one practicing martial arts, the other memorizing the Poison Classic.

Meanwhile, in the distant Chunxi Palace, Liu Ruyan also received the latest report.

"Your Majesty, we've investigated. No one has been sending medicine to the Cold Palace recently. We've questioned the imperial physicians, eunuchs, and palace maids... and found nothing amiss."

Liu Ruyan played with the jade bracelet, but her brows furrowed more and more.

No abnormalities?

Why did Shen Qingci's complexion improve?

Could it be... that she really misjudged?

No.

impossible.

Her intuition told her that things weren't that simple.

"Keep investigating," she said coldly, "especially those...who seem unremarkable."

For example... that old eunuch who sweeps the floor?

Liu Ruyan's eyes darkened.

If it really is him...

Then let's get rid of them together.

In a place like the Cold Palace, it's perfectly normal for an old eunuch to die.

She curled the corners of her lips into a gentle smile, but her eyes were icy cold.

Shen Qingci, oh Shen Qingci.

Do you think that if someone helps you, you can turn your life around?

dream.

In this harem, whoever I, Liu Ruyan, wish to die, shall die.

No one can save you.