Spiritual energy resurgence? My former empress wife has also revived!

Jiang Zhi carefully accepted the beautiful gardenia.

She wanted to greet her little monk with a smile, but she couldn't help it; her clear, spring-like eyes were misty with pearly light.

She stood on the carriage, staring blankly at the young man in front of her who was slightly different from the one she remembered.

He was dressed in black, with a tall and straight figure, handsome as jade, and his long black hair was casually draped over his shoulders. He had lost the solemnity he had shown before the Buddha and gained a lot of freedom.

Unbeknownst to her, the girl walked up to the young monk and said wistfully, "I've always wondered what it would be like if you left the monastic life and grew your hair."

"Now, I've finally seen him. He's such a handsome and perfect man, am I...am I dreaming?"

Qin Zijun shook his head. Suddenly, he boldly grasped the girl's soft hand and said with a smile, "Could it be that Miss Jiang likes this humble monk because of this appearance?"

Jiang Zhi chuckled: "I was only ten years old when I first met you. I didn't know anything about beauty or ugliness. Even if you were as ugly as a toad, I would still like you."

Qin Zijun said seriously, "Then forget it, this humble monk doesn't want to be a toad."

"But I'm different. I like you because you're beautiful."

Jiang Zhi gave a coquettish laugh: "Fine, you really are a philandering monk. So you were lusting after my beauty all along. I regret it now, I don't like you, you little monk, anymore."

Qin Zijun said softly, "I am no longer a monk. My name is Qin Zijun now."

"Is this the name you chose for yourself?"

"This is the name I was meant to have."

"Qin Zijun, Qin Zijun... what a nice name, but I just like to call you Little Monk~"

Jiang Zhi's eyes were like autumn water, and her smile was as beautiful as a flower: "...Little monk, little monk, I will call you that for the rest of my life."

Qin Zijun smiled and said, "Actually, I also like to call you Miss Jiang."

As he spoke,

He stared blankly at the girl in front of him, who was already in her early twenties.

The two hadn't seen each other for two years, but there was no awkwardness between them. They chatted and laughed as they always had, just like before.

Jiang Zhi noticed Qin Zijun staring at her and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Qin Zijun came to her senses and said softly, "Miss Jiang looks really good in this outfit."

The young woman was dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, wearing a red gown. Her makeup was exquisite, and she was as beautiful as a fairy, with an unparalleled beauty. It was the most beautiful time of her life.

But Jiang Zhi suppressed her smile, threw the phoenix crown on her head to the ground, and let her hair fall loose.

He then pulled out a short knife from his pocket and tore his red clothes into strips.

The stunningly beautiful young woman who was about to be married has become disheveled and dejected in the blink of an eye.

"Miss Jiang, what's wrong?"

Qin Zijun was puzzled, but she did not stop her.

Jiang Zhi pursed her lips and gritted her teeth, saying, "This outfit wasn't meant for you, little monk, but it makes me feel disgusted."

"I don't think I look good right now. On the contrary, I look the ugliest I've ever been. If you saw me like this, you would only feel fear."

Qin Zijun understood her feelings. He hesitated for a moment and sighed softly, "Miss Jiang, why must you sacrifice yourself to marry into the Qi Kingdom and become a queen?"

"And you'll even be used by the King of Qi to refine elixirs. Even if you do that, the Yan Kingdom won't be saved."

Jiang Zhi asked in surprise, "Little monk, you already knew?"

"Yes, my master told me this a few years ago, but I never told you. After all, it was your choice, and I can't decide anything for you."

Jiang Zhi puffed out her cheeks and complained, "Master Liaochen is really something. He clearly promised to give you that letter a month later, so why did he give it to you early? Isn't that lying?"

"Miss Jiang, please don't blame my master. He didn't agree to your request, so it's not like he lied to you."

"Of course I don't blame the master. I should thank the master. If it weren't for the master... I'm afraid I would have really missed you and never seen you again, little monk."

Jiang Zhi frowned, lowered her eyes slightly, and said softly, "Little monk, you must think I'm weak and too naive, which is why you chose to marry into the Qi Kingdom."

"Actually, I knew about Qi's wolfish ambitions. I just pretended to be submissive and never refused my father's arrangements or Qi's demands."

"I am merely deceiving the King of Qi, and I have already made preparations. Once I set foot on Qi soil, I will choose to commit suicide."

"Why would I choose to marry the King of Qi and be used by him to make elixirs?"

Jiang Zhi's jade-like hand, as white as fresh snow, carefully touched Qin Zijun's fingers. Seeing that he did not dodge, she grasped his hand tightly, their fingers intertwined.

The girl's eyes were filled with tender affection as she softly said, "Now that I have pledged my life to you, how can I let anyone else touch my body? Otherwise, I would truly be an unfaithful woman."

immediately,

She asked with concern, "...Little monk, you...you are a born Buddhist with a bright future, yet you've given up on cultivating Buddhism. Is this...really a good thing?"

Qin Zijun smiled and said, "Yes, Miss Jiang is truly my destined tribulation. I gave up cultivation for you, so you must take care of me from now on."

Jiang Zhi smiled, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons: "Alright, then I'll raise you, little monk, for the rest of my life."

She hugged her little monk tightly, her delicate body trembling slightly.

The girl was no longer the same as she had been in the past.

She naturally understood the importance of spiritual practice.

Qin Zijun could have become a legendary immortal or Buddha-like figure with a long life, but she gave up her cultivation for him.

This is not just giving up spiritual practice, it's a complete and utter abandonment of this entire life.

This made Jiang Zhi feel troubled and scared, with happiness mixed with great guilt.

She felt that she had harmed her beloved little monk.

Qin Zijun gently stroked the girl's long, flowing hair in his arms and said softly, "Miss Jiang, don't feel guilty, and don't be sad."

"This was my own choice. It was because I, this frivolous monk, failed to uphold the precepts and did not pass the Buddha's test."

"Mmm!" Jiang Zhi replied softly, her eyes filled with tears.

Suddenly, far away

A sound of horses' hooves came from the front, indicating that there were quite a few people approaching.

Qin Zijun's expression hardened, and she shielded Jiang Zhi behind her.

He was a powerful expert in the Outer Realm, and he was not afraid of anyone except for those in the Upper Three Realms.

He wouldn't even take the so-called army seriously.

Only an army led by a cultivator of the same level would cause him trouble.

A figure gradually came into Qin Zijun's view in the distance.

Jiang Zhi craned her neck, her eyes widening in surprise, and exclaimed, "That's... my brother?"

……

On the riverbank, a force of up to five thousand people set up camp.

In one of the largest villages, Qin Zijun met the Crown Prince of Yan.

"Your Highness!" Qin Zijun cupped her hands in greeting.

"Master Mingxiang, there's no need for such formalities!"

The eldest prince quickly offered a gesture of support.

Qin Zijun shook her head: "I have now returned to secular life and am called Qin Zijun, but I have no public appearances."

The eldest prince glanced at Qin Zijun and his sister with an ambiguous look, and said with a smile, "Then I will call you Brother Qin."

"Brother Qin, were Qi Xingyan and his five hundred elite soldiers all killed by you?"

Qin Zijun nodded: "Exactly."

Inside the tent was an elderly woman with a waning air about her. She glanced at Qin Zijun a few times and sighed, "At such a young age, you've already reached the sixth level of the Outer Realm and even achieved the ability of the Profound Insight Realm."

"But he gave up on cultivation himself, what a pity..."

The old lady shook her head, seemingly feeling that Qin Zijun didn't deserve it.

She spent her life pursuing the profound mysteries of the universe in vain, and now she is nearing the end of her life.

Seeing Qin Zijun, a young man with a great chance of becoming a Dongxuan Zhenjun, give up for a woman, one can't help but feel sorry for him.

Jiang Zhi felt even more guilty, staring at her shoes with her head down, almost bursting into tears.

Qin Zijun said, "Fish is what I desire, and bear's paw is also what I desire, but I cannot have both. I should give up cultivation and choose Miss Jiang."

"What you say is very true, but everyone has their own ambitions, and I will not regret it."

The old lady said, "I watched this girl grow up, she's like my own granddaughter. Although I think your choice is not worthwhile, from an elder's perspective, I approve of you."

"Girl, you've found a good husband. You're so lucky."

Jiang Zhi blushed, lowered her head, and smiled sweetly.

"Brother, you still haven't explained why you're here, and why you've brought so many soldiers with you?"

Jiang Zhi could tell at a glance that these five thousand soldiers were the elite of the Yan Kingdom, the Imperial Guard, and would not be used lightly.

The eldest prince said, "I am acting on my father's orders to intercept and kill Qi Xingyan and his five hundred elite soldiers here."

"I misunderstood my father in the past, thinking that he was weak and pleasure-seeking. It turns out that my father has been enduring all these years."

"Your father knows everything, and he absolutely forbids you from marrying into the State of Qi and being humiliated by the King of Qi."

"He even said that after dealing with Qi Xingyan, if you are still so weak, then I will... kill you too."

The eldest prince spoke with a guilty look on his face, after all, killing his own sister must have been extremely painful for such a kind-hearted person.

But the eldest prince still brought his troops here, which shows that he was determined.

Jiang Zhi opened her mouth, and stammered, "I...I originally planned to commit suicide after arriving in Qi, and I even asked Grandma Si for a talisman for that purpose."

Grandma Si glanced at the eldest prince, then at Jiang Zhi, and sneered, "It seems your family has been putting on an act for twenty years."

"As expected of royalty, even I didn't see through the old lady. One is pretending to be senile, and the other is pretending to be cowardly."

"Little girl, you're the last person I've asked for a way to commit suicide. Only now do I think highly of you."

Qin Zijun has never left the mountain or the temple in the twenty-four years of her life, and is unaware of many things.

After chatting with the Crown Prince and Jiang Zhi for a while, they finally understood what had happened.

It turns out that the King of Yan made this decision after he knew that Jiang Zhi possessed a divine destiny and a divine body, and after the King of Qi demanded that he marry her.

For the past twenty years, the ruler of Yan has pretended to be incompetent and foolish, obeying all the demands of Qi, appearing submissive and indulging in pleasure.

In reality, he knew everything and was well aware that Qi would not let Yan go.

He had been sending his eldest son, whom he valued highly, to reorganize the Yan army, intending to fight a decisive battle against the Qi state.

The eldest prince lowered his head and sighed, "The ruler of Qi is a True Lord of the Cave Profound Realm, the number one expert among all the kingdoms."

"But he was arrogant and conceited, believing that none of the surrounding countries could resist him and that it was only a matter of time before he unified them. This was how my father was able to lull him into a false sense of security."

Qin Zijun nodded secretly upon hearing this.

In this world where all power resides in one person, no cultivator who breaks through the three realms can be judged by ordinary standards.

It's normal for the ruler of Qi to be arrogant; with his strength as the True Lord of the Cave Profound Realm, he truly regards the other countries as nothing.

Don't be fooled by Qin Zijun's status as a sixth-level outer realm expert; she probably wouldn't last a single move against Dongxuan Zhenjun.

The higher a cultivator's realm, the greater the difference in strength becomes.

"But the King of Qi values ​​the Mandate of Heaven and the Dao, so my father dares not act rashly. That's why he sent me, the Crown Prince, to do it. I won't attract too much attention, after all, the King of Yan is my father."

"My father even ruined his own reputation, making the people of Yan think he was weak and incompetent, and even sold his daughter to save his life, which aroused the people's hatred and anger and inspired their fighting spirit."

"But the state of Yan has accumulated many problems over the past few centuries, and even if Father wants to work hard to improve the state, it is impossible to make Yan's national strength comparable to that of Qi in a short period of time."

"The two countries are vastly different in strength, but my father is prepared. Even if the Yan state is destroyed, he will make the Qi state pay the price and suffer losses."

As he spoke,

The eldest prince looked at Jiang Zhi again and said helplessly, "Father actually looks down on you the most, little sister, because he thinks you are too weak."

"If you defy your fate, or even elope with this Brother Qin, Father will think more highly of you."

"However, this time Father misjudged you. Little sister, you are not weak at all."

The eldest prince smiled; this was the father and sister he had always wanted.

even though,

Given the overwhelming disparity in strength, the destruction of the Yan state was inevitable, but he had lived a life without regrets.

Qin Zijun then asked, "Since the King of Qi values ​​destiny and physical constitution so much, why didn't he bring Miss Jiang to Qi when she was born twenty years ago?"

The eldest prince explained, "My younger sister was born in the Yan Kingdom. For her destiny body to grow, she needs the fortune of the Yan Kingdom."

"If she is taken away right after birth, she will be of no use to the King of Qi."

"It is precisely because of this that while other small countries have been destroyed in the past twenty years, our Yan state has remained stable."

"It is because Qi could not destroy Yan before the Heavenly Mandate Body was fully formed that Yan was able to enjoy twenty years of peace. This is all thanks to my younger sister."

It turned out to be the case.

Qin Zijun then understood.

Even if the King of Qi is arrogant, he shouldn't be so stupid. He should have captured Jiang Zhi first.

However, if the Heavenly Mandate Dao Body requires the national fortune of the Yan Kingdom, then his actions become understandable.

The eldest prince then said, "Qi Xingyan is a great general of the Qi Kingdom, with numerous military achievements."

"This time, he came to Yan as the leader of the wedding procession, and my father and I were overjoyed, which is why we devised this plan."

"In order to kill Qi Xingyan completely, Senior Si and I led five thousand elite soldiers to ambush him in a canyon ahead, waiting for him to arrive so we could kill him. However, Brother Qin got there first."

"It's fortunate that my father and younger sister have always pretended to be obedient and compliant, which puts the King of Qi at ease."

After a pause, the eldest prince continued, "...If it is indeed the King of Qi who comes to Yan in person, then we will have no choice but to kill my younger sister in the Yan royal palace and fight him to the death."

Hearing that her father and brother wanted to kill her, Jiang Zhi did not feel dissatisfied; in fact, she thought they were doing the right thing.

Rather than be humiliated, she'd rather die; she wasn't afraid of death.

Qin Zijun thought to herself, "What's this called? Watching me play the sweetheart and trick him?"

And they actually managed to outwit the State of Qi.

Killing Qi Xingyan and cutting off the arm of the King of Qi is not enough to seriously damage the entire Qi state.

What follows is the most dangerous part.

The State of Qi will surely send a large army to attack the State of Yan, and the ruler of Qi will probably lead the army in person!