Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

October 19th, midnight, at the wounded soldiers' camp at Luoyingpo.

Inside the makeshift tent, only an oil lamp was lit.

Under the lamp, Shen Qingci was boiling a knife.

It's not an exaggeration, she really was cooking.

In a small iron pot, water was boiling, and inside were three daggers, two scissors, and a silver needle.

These are all the tools she borrowed from the military doctor, and she is currently sterilizing them in the most primitive way.

"Your Majesty..."

A young military doctor couldn't help but speak up.

"Boiling in water...can it really prevent that 'sore'?"

He was referring to a wound infection that had become infected and suppurated.

In this era, most wounded soldiers died from subsequent infections.

The military doctors attributed it to "poison gas entering the body" or "it was fate."

"Yes," Shen Qingci replied succinctly.

She didn't have time to explain the microbial theory.

After boiling the water, she wrapped her hands in a clean white cloth.

Remove the tools and place them on another boiled wooden board to cool.

Then, she went to the tatami mat.

Nangong Ye remained unconscious, his complexion even worse than yesterday, a strange bluish-purple tinged with his ashen skin.

That's a sign that the toxins have penetrated deep into the internal organs.

The gauze wrapped around the wound had dark red pus seeping from its edges.

"You all get out," she said.

The military doctors looked at each other, but none of them dared to disobey, and bowed as they withdrew.

Only she and the unconscious him remained in the tent.

Shen Qingci took a deep breath and untied the bandage on his chest.

The wounds were exposed under the lamplight—a shocking sight.

The skin and flesh around the arrow wound had turned black and necrotic.

Pus and blood kept seeping from deep within the wound, emitting a faint, sweet, fishy smell.

That's the unique smell of the "King Yama's Smile" poison, which is said to smell like a sweet laugh.

She reached out to check his pulse.

The pulse was so weak it was almost imperceptible, and... it was irregular.

Sometimes it would jump twice rapidly, and sometimes it would pause for a long time.

This is a sign that your heart is about to fail.

"Three days," she murmured to herself. "The King of Hell laughs, and three days of heartbreak follow."

Today is the second day.

She didn't have time.

"Baby,"

She glanced at the corner of the tent, where a bamboo cage sat.

Inside were three carrier pigeons left by Xuan Ying before he left.

"If you can truly understand what your mother is saying... then give me a hint."

no respond.

The pigeons just cooed.

Shen Qingci closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.

Then, she began to work.

The first step is wound cleaning.

The dagger was scalding hot from being boiled, but her hand holding the hilt was as steady as a rock.

The blade followed the edge of the wound, carefully shaving away the blackened, necrotic flesh bit by bit.

The movements were quick and precise.

With each cut, black blood gushed out.

She wiped it with a boiled cotton cloth.

Then use another handful of boiled silver needles.

She probed deep into the wound—searching for any remaining fragments of the arrow.

"Well……"

Nangong Ye, who was in a coma, suddenly convulsed.

Shen Qingci continued moving, but softened her voice: "Bear with it. I'm saving you."

I don't know if he can hear me.

The second step is rinsing.

She prepared a special rinsing solution, a highly concentrated salt solution.

I added a small amount of wound medicine powder and an anti-inflammatory herbal juice that I learned from Jinshu.

Pour boiling water into the wound and rinse it repeatedly until the liquid that flows out changes from dark red to light red.

This process is very painful.

Nangong Ye's forehead was covered in cold sweat, his brows were furrowed, and his lips were bitten until they bled.

But he didn't wake up.

The third step is traffic generation.

She used boiled silver needles to thread boiled silk threads, the finest silk threads taken from the edge of her undergarment.

A drainage strip is placed deep inside the wound to allow pus and blood to drain continuously.

Step 4...

She stopped.

It's time to apply the medicine.

But what medicine should be used?

The best wound medicine in the army is completely ineffective against Yama's Smile.

The poison of Xiling must be treated with the antidote from Xiling.

However, she was not from Xiling, and her understanding of Xiling toxicology was limited to some fragments from the original owner's memories.

That was taught to Shen Qingci by her mother before she passed away, in bits and pieces.

"Honey……"

She murmured, recalling the words her mother had spoken.

"The people of Xiling are skilled in using Gu poison, but everything in the universe has its counterpart... Honey... seems to be able to alleviate some kind of neurotoxin?"

Can not remember.

My memory is too hazy.

She took out her small leather pouch and poured out the three pills.

She had already given him one of the red hemostatic pills.

She dared not use the black painkillers, as they might mask changes in her condition.

A white life-saving pill...

She held the white pill in her hand, hesitating.

This is the last resort to save your life.

If he uses it now, he will immediately die of exhaustion after the effects of the medicine wear off in three hours.

It should not be used lightly.

"Coo coo...coo coo coo..."

The pigeons in the corner suddenly started cooing, their voices urgent.

Shen Qingci turned her head to look.

The smallest and thinnest gray pigeon was fluttering around in its cage, its little head constantly hitting the cage door.

She went over and opened the cage.

A gray dove flew out, but instead of flying away, it landed on her shoulder.

It gently pecked at her ear with its beak, then flew to the corner of the tent—

There were piles of personal belongings belonging to the Northern Desert officers that she had salvaged from the battlefield.

"What do you want me to see?" Shen Qingci followed.

The gray pigeon landed on a leather quiver and kept scratching at it with its claws.

Shen Qingci picked up the quiver—it was very ordinary, the standard type used in the Northern Desert.

She poured out what was inside:

A few broken arrows, a whetstone, a water bag, and...

A small leather bag.

Opening the leather bag revealed a few dried berries, dark purple and wrinkled.

She leaned closer and took a sniff—a very faint sweet fragrance, mixed with a fresh, herbal scent.

"This is..." Her eyes lit up, "Purple cloudberry?"

She remembered!

The original owner's mother once said: The West Ridge Purple Cloud Berry grows on snowy cliffs and bears fruit only once every thirty years.

The fruit is highly poisonous, but when combined with honey and the juice of a certain blood vine... it can cure three kinds of Xiling poisons!

Is Yama's Laughter one of them? She wasn't sure.

But she had no other choice.

"Someone come here!" She lifted the tent flap.

The military medic who was waiting outside immediately came in.

"Go find three things immediately:"

First, the purest wild honey must be free of any impurities;

Second, blood vines—the kind of vines that ooze red sap when cut; there should be some in the nearby mountains.

third……"

She paused.

"Find a tour guide familiar with Xiling and ask him about the dosage of purple cloudberry."

"Blood vine is easy to find, and honey is available, but purple cloudberry..."

An old military doctor hesitated.

"This thing only exists deep within the Western Ridge Snow Mountains, how could it possibly be found in the Northern Territory..."

"Yes." Shen Qingci held up the leather bag. "It was found on the Northern Desert people."

They have connections with Xiling, so it's not surprising that they carry it with them.

The army medics' eyes lit up: "We'll go find it right away!"

"etc."

Shen Qingci called out to them,

"The honey must be boiled to sterilize it. The sap from the blood vine must be used immediately, no more than half an hour later. And—"

She looked at the youngest military doctor:

"Go and boil a big pot of water, make sure it's boiling."

Find a few more of the cleanest white cloths and boil them all.

"yes!"

---

An hour later, all the materials were ready.

Wild honey, when boiled and cooled, becomes thick like amber.

The sap of the blood vine is bright red and viscous, with a rusty, fishy smell.

Three purple cloudberries, mashed into a paste, turn a deep purple color.

Shen Qingci adjusted the proportions according to her vague memories—

Three parts honey, two parts blood vine juice, and one part purple cloudberry puree.

After mixing, it becomes a strange dark red paste.

It has a complex aroma that is both sweet and fishy.

"Your Majesty, this..."

The old military doctor looked at the plaster and his face turned pale.

"The color is like blood, and the smell is strange, could it be...?"

"There's no such thing as 'whether or not'."

Shen Qingci interrupted him.

"Try it or die."

She used a small piece of wood to pick up the plaster and applied it to the wound on Nangong Ye's chest.

As soon as it was applied, a fine red rash appeared on the skin around the wound at a visible speed—like an allergic reaction.

"Stop! Stop it now!" the medic exclaimed.

Shen Qingci did not stop.

She stared intently at the red rashes.

Watching them change from red to dark red, and then to purple,

Finally... a pale yellow liquid began to seep out.

"It's detoxing," she said, her voice trembling. "The toxins are being expelled!"

Sure enough, as the yellow liquid seeped out, the bluish-purple color on Nangong Ye's face faded a little!

Although it is only a very subtle change, a master's eye would not be wrong!

"It works!" She immediately applied more plaster.

But soon, new problems arose.

The detoxification process brings about intense physical reactions—

Nangong Ye began to convulse, his body temperature rose sharply, and his breathing became rapid, like a broken bellows.

"Hold him down!" Shen Qingci shouted sternly.

Several military doctors rushed up and held his limbs down firmly.

Shen Qingci quickly took out silver needles and inserted them into several of his vital points—not to treat his illness, but to forcibly calm him down.

But the toxins clashed with his body's instinctive resistance, causing his body to taut like a bowstring.

"Ugh—!!!"

With a hoarse growl, Nangong Ye actually opened his eyes!

But his eyes were unfocused and unfocused; he was just staring intently at the top of the tent, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

"Nangong Ye!"

Shen Qingci grabbed his hand,

"Look at me! I am Shen Qingci!"

He seemed to have heard it.

His unfocused gaze moved with difficulty and landed on her face.

His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Then, he suddenly turned around and grabbed her hand tightly!

The force was astonishing, almost crushing her finger bones.

"I... resign..." He managed to squeeze out two words with all his might.

"I'm here." She squeezed his hand. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"Don't...go..."

His voice was broken and incoherent.

Something was glistening in her eyes—tears.

"Don't... go anymore..."

Shen Qingci froze.

She looked into his eyes and saw the fear and pleading in them; it was not the look of an emperor.

That was the desperation of a dying man grasping at his last straw.

"I'm not leaving."

She heard herself say it, her voice softer than ever before.

"I'm staying here, I'm not going anywhere."

This sentence has a magical power.

Nangong Ye's tense body gradually relaxed.

His eyes slowly closed, but the hand holding hers remained tightly clenched, refusing to let go.

His breathing gradually became steady.

Body temperature began to drop.

The military doctors watched this scene in disbelief.

"Your Majesty... the poison... the poison has subsided!"

The old military doctor exclaimed in surprise after taking the pulse.

"Although the diagnosis isn't fully resolved, his heartbeat has stabilized! His life has been saved!"

Shen Qingci slowly exhaled.

Only then did I realize that my back was soaked in cold sweat.

She looked down at her hands, which had turned white from being gripped so tightly.

Looking at the man on the bed whose breathing had calmed down, she suddenly felt her eyes sting.

But she didn't cry.

She simply leaned down and whispered in his ear:

"Nangong Ye, you owe me a life."

"Therefore, you are not allowed to die."

"I want you to live, so you can pay for what you've got."

---

Three days later, on October 22nd, at dusk.

Xuan Ying, with Bao'er in tow, finally arrived at Luo Ying Slope.

The little child was wrapped in a thick fox fur coat.

Her little face was red from the cold, but her eyes shone like stars.

As soon as he dismounted, he ran towards the largest tent in the wounded soldiers' camp.

"Mother—!"

Shen Qingci lifted the curtain and came out, squatted down, and hugged Bao'er tightly as she rushed over.

"Bao'er..." Her voice was a little hoarse, "Are you tired from the journey?"

"Not tired!" Bao'er shook her head, cupping her face in her little hands. "Mommy, where's Daddy?"

Shen Qingci pointed to the tent.

Bao'er broke free from her embrace, ran inside, and climbed to the edge of the bed.

Looking at Nangong Ye, who was still unconscious on the bed but whose complexion had improved,

She reached out her little hand and gently touched his cheek.

"Father is asleep," he whispered.

"Hmm." Shen Qingci walked over. "Father is injured and will be sleeping for a long time."

Bao'er tilted her head and looked for a while, then suddenly said, "Daddy is dreaming."

"What kind of dream?"

"There's fire in my dream," Bao'er said, gesturing with her little hands in the air.

"There's still water... Father is looking for a way, the road is very, very long..."

He paused, then turned to look at Shen Qingci:

"But Father heard Mother speak."

Mother said, "You're not allowed to die," so Father... stopped looking for the way.

Shen Qingci was stunned.

Bao'er climbed off the bed and took her hand: "Mother, don't be afraid, Father will wake up."

How did you know?

"Because," Bao'er blinked, "Daddy is holding Mommy's hand."

Shen Qingci lowered his head.

Yes, it's been three days.

Nangong Ye remained unconscious, but his hand remained tightly gripping hers.

When the medic tried to pry it open while changing the dressing, he immediately frowned and gripped it even tighter.

In the end, I could only let him hold it.

It was as if that was his only connection to the world.

"Your Majesty," Xuan Ying whispered outside the tent, "General Xiao has arrived and is waiting outside."

Shen Qingci gently withdrew her hand—this time, Nangong Ye did not hold it tightly.

She tucked the blanket around him and said to Bao'er, "Stay here with Daddy, Mommy will be back in a little while."

"Um!"

Outside the tent, Xiao Jue was covered in dust, and his armor was stained with blood.

Upon seeing Shen Qingci emerge, he knelt on one knee:

"This humble general reports back."

The Northern Desert royal court has fallen, and the entire royal family is being escorted away. Temujin has been confirmed dead.

"You've worked hard." Shen Qingci gestured for him to stand up. "What are our casualties?"

"More than 8,000 were killed and 12,000 were wounded."

Xiao Jue's voice was deep.

"But the Northern Desert... is gone."

After this battle, the North will enjoy at least fifty years of peace.

Shen Qingci nodded, but there was no joy in her victory.

She looked into the distance—on Eagle Slope, soldiers were clearing the battlefield and burning corpses, with thick black smoke billowing up.

"Xiao Jue," she suddenly asked, "has there been any movement from Prince Jing's side?"

Xiao Jue's expression hardened: "I was just about to report. This subordinate found this in a secret chamber of the Northern Desert Royal Court."

He handed over a secret letter.

The letter was written in Xiling script, but it bore Nangong Shuo's personal seal at the bottom.

The translated content consists of only one sentence:

"Once the Northern Desert and the Southern Palace are both severely weakened, I will take over the Central Plains."

At that time, Xiling will gain the land of three prefectures, and a lasting alliance will be formed.

The date on the document is October 15th.

That is, the day before Shen Qingci set off for Luoyingpo.

"really."

Shen Qingci sneered.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. He calculated it perfectly."

"Your Majesty,"

Xiao Jue said in a deep voice,

"This letter is sufficient to convict Prince Jing of treason."

This humble general requests permission to lead the army back to the capital—