The Empress's No.1 Lackey

In the Imperial Prison.

The dimness that made one lose all sense of time's passage, only through the "品"-shaped ventilation holes at the top of the wall, did a trickle of light allow for a rough estimation of the hour.

Yun Xi woke from her slumber, propping herself up on the stone bed to sit upright, obviously still groggy, her messy hair tangled with several strands of straw.

The young girl sitting cross-legged had no scars on her body, the prison uniform that seemed a bit too small stretched tight below the collar by the round "Prisoner" character emblazoned on it.

Incredibly, the girl hadn't grown thinner during her imprisonment in the Imperial Prison; on the contrary, the two mounds on her chest had gotten even bigger...

"Umm..."

On the same stone bed, sleeping on the outer side, Qing Niao was still in her dreams.

Her hand had just been resting on Yun Xi, and now, as her five fingers aimlessly grasped the air, she also furrowed her brows, awakened by the sudden loss of contact.

Beside the Thousand-Faces God, the maidservant who originally carried the big black umbrella for him, and also a member of the Kuangfu Society, Qing Niao rubbed her eyes and glanced at her:

"Is it time to eat?"

If their daily life in the Imperial Prison could be summarized in six words, it would be:

Eat, then sleep; sleep, then eat.

Initially, when the Thousand-Faces God was captured, Qing Niao was thrown in with her to keep Yun Xi company.

She was very nervous at first, thinking she'd face some inhumane, horrific punishment.

But Yun Xi, nonchalant, told her she was overthinking it.

And indeed, just as "prison senior" Yun Xi had said, under Zhao Douan's special orders, no one bothered them at all.

At first, the two of them chatted all day non-stop.

But after three days, they could no longer find any new topics.

They became the "shame of the righteous," spending their days either scratching tally marks on the wall to record the days of their imprisonment or sleeping and amusing themselves.

"No... I don't think so. It's probably not mealtime yet," said Yun Xi, her cheeks plump as a baby's as she lifted her head to look towards the dimly lit vent, her voice tinted with uncertainty.

"How long have we slept?"

"I don't know."

After the brief exchange, the two cellmates looked at each other, speechless, both sighing simultaneously.

Qing Niao, several years older and somewhat less pretty, got off the bed, stood up, and stretched her limbs.

Then, surveying the floor covered with gridlines, she finally found a small clear space, picked up a pebble, and extended an expectant gaze as she invited, "Play chess?"

"No, I always lose."

"I'll let you win."

"That's even less interesting..."

The girl remained on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest, and sighed,

"What do you think is happening outside? Is the political struggle intensifying, or has it gotten better? It's been almost three months, right? The Grand Tutor must have appointed a new Squad Leader by now. I wonder what the situation is now and whether that Zhao thief is still alive.

It's infuriating—we righteous and benevolent beings are cast aside in this forgotten corner, unsure of when we will see the light of day again."

Qing Niao squatted in the cell, and upon seeing Yun Xi's concerned demeanor, she whispered,

"Since nobody has come for us until now, I assume the situation hasn't changed much."

Yun Xi clenched her fist with righteous anger, her eyes full of determination,

"The Grand Tutor once said, we don't have much time. If we cannot hold out, letting that brother-slaying, parricidal Fake Emperor secure his throne will bring cruel rule to the people, and they will never know peace. It's despicable. While our fellow righteous fighters are still battling bravely outside against the evil Fake Emperor and his minions, we're stuck here, helpless, and just getting fatter...

Sister Qing, we cannot fall into degeneracy like this. Even if we can't escape the evil Empress's Prison Cage for now, we must not let our spirits falter!"

In her impassioned speech, tears welled in Yun Xi's eyes, her teeth grating with a crisp sound as she rose to her feet, swinging her fists with force.

But as she felt her increasingly heavy body, she couldn't help but feel the rise of sorrow.

Qing Niao hesitated to speak.

She was a few years older and had long since cooled from the fervor of youth, having accompanied the Thousand-Faces God for quite some time and learning not to be so simple-minded.

Her guess at the true nature of the past political upheaval was not precise, but she roughly understood.

She knew the truth of history was not as Grandmaster Zhuang proclaimed to the world.

She desperately wanted to tell Yun Xi that the truth was different, but she feared that shattering the illusion would only dampen Yun Xi's spirit, maybe even collapse her faith.

Suddenly, the corridor echoed with disordered footsteps and the clattering of chains.

Both women, one standing, one squatting, turned their heads to look outside the bars, then quickly exchanged a glance, their expressions turning grave.

Then, the head of the Imperial Prison appeared at the door with several prison guards, smirked coldly, and gestured:

"Bring them out!"

"Yes."

The guards unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Qing Niao shuddered, retreating two steps back, while Yun Xi's eyes lit up, her body trembling slightly with both fear and anticipation:

"Are we finally going to the execution ground?"

Her pale face from months of confinement twisted into a determined, tragic smile:

"So, what was inevitable has finally come. It's just as well, Sister Qing. Better than us eking out a miserable existence..."

Qing Niao mouthed wordlessly, thinking to herself, I don't want to die.

However, the rushing guards did not shackle them with heavy chains. Instead, they placed two peculiar "anklet"-shaped fetters on their ankles.

These were Magic Artifacts created by the court specifically to lock away a person's cultivation, whether they were Martial Artists or Magicians. Once locked, their powers would be greatly diminished, suppressed to the level of mere mortals.

"Heh, want to die? Did you ask Mr. Zhao's permission?" The head jailer sneered:

"Mr. Zhao wants to fetch you out. Behave yourselves."

The two women were stunned.

…

Shortly after.

Two female prisoners, who had been locked up for months, were escorted down a narrow corridor and stepped out of the Imperial Prison's gates.

As they were shoved outside, almost simultaneously, they raised their hands to shield their eyes from the glaring sunlight.

Yun Xi's eyes were watering from the irritation.

She forced her eyelids open and saw the vast autumn sky, streaks of cloud, vast architecture, and to the west, a blazing sunset dipping towards the horizon.

After half a year, the girl saw the sun once again.

"Move it!"

Unfortunately, the rough prison guard behind them didn't give her a chance to enjoy the view, and the two were promptly ushered out only to see a large carriage parked on the street outside.

"Get on!"

At the bark of an order, Yun Xi and Qing Niao held hands and were pushed into the carriage.

Then they saw Zhao Douan, casually seated on a silk cushion, wiping his long sword with a handkerchief.

With a lazy posture in his casual clothes, Zhao Douan raised his head and smiled, "Long time no see."

"Why aren't you dead yet?"

Yun Xi was initially stunned, seeing this familiar face after many months, the girl inexplicably felt a bizarre sense of comfort.

It was as if, despite loathing this dog thief, wishing she could devour his flesh and gnaw his bones, it was, at least, a "familiar face" compared to a strange world.

Unfortunately, this fleeting touch was immediately dismissed by the girl.

She scoffed sarcastically, instantly reverting to the fierce beast that she was back in the Southern Suburb Bamboo Forest, trapped in the Earth God Temple.

"Were you hoping I'd be dead? It seems I've disappointed you, miss,"

Zhao Douan said with a smile, sheathing the Cold Frost Sword with a swish.

He pointed to the seat opposite him:

"Take a seat. Tsk tsk, it seems you fared well in the Imperial Prison. If Zhuang Xiaocheng saw you, he would probably thank me for feeding his disciple so plump and fair, haha."

"You! Shameless wretch! Deceitful scoundrel! Lapdog of the Fake Emperor! A beast in human skin!"

Yun Xi's face reddened with anger, agitated, flaring like the evening glow, she exploded, completely lacking the self-awareness of a prisoner, as she furiously yelled.

Zhao Douan was undisturbed, finding her amusing.

At this moment, Qing Niao noticed that the carriage wasn't moving and turned her head in wonder, only to freeze.

A plainly dressed man in a teal robe, of average build and plain features with a birthmark on his right cheek, approached from the prison.

Qing Niao didn't recognize the man, but she recognized those eyes: "My… My lord…?!"

The average man walked up to the carriage and bowed respectfully to Zhao Douan with a fawning smile,

"Sir, are you looking for me?"

Thousand Faces God!

The member of the Kuangfu Society's Heavenly Gang, who was once surrounded by Zhao Douan, caught alive and thrown into the Imperial Prison.

The former Squad Leader of the Capital's sub-branch, Thousand Faces God!

Zhao Douan nodded with a smile, "Thousand Faces, do you know her?"

The Thousand Faces God, resuming his true appearance, looked at Yun Xi and said dismissively,

"The foolish apprentice always by Zhuang Xiaocheng's side."

Yun Xi was enraged, her eyes filled with disbelief as she glared, shouting,

"You're Thousand Faces? You've sided with the court of the Fake Emperor, with this Zhao traitor? You traitor!!"

Furious beyond measure, if it wasn't for the shackles and her weakened state, she would bite this scoundrel to death!

A traitor is always more despicable than the enemy!

Thousand Faces God, expressionless, suddenly stepped forward and delivered a slap.

With a smack, half of the young girl's face reddened instantly.

He sneered, "Yun Xi, you can insult me all you want, but you dare disrespect Mr. Zhao, consider this slap a warning."

Finished speaking, the once mighty Thousand Faces turned to fawn over Zhao Douan, his face twisted in a sycophantic grin,

"Sir, that vile woman deserved it."

Lying leisurely in the carriage, Zhao Douan squinted his eyes, scrutinizing Thousand Faces God and suddenly spoke,

"Did I tell you to hit her?"

"Uh…" Thousand Faces froze, then his pupils dilated, suddenly falling to his knees, emitting an uncontrollable scream.

His skin turned red as a cooked shrimp, experiencing an indescribably painful and burning sensation, making life worse than death.

A wisp of white, phantom-like flame wound around Zhao Douan's fingertips, dancing like a sprite.

"Remember this well, if you've chosen to be my dog, then you need to have the awareness of one. You bite who I tell you to, not on your own whim, understand?"

Zhao Douan said somberly.

"This lowly one… under… understands… please, Sir… withdraw your Divine Skills…" Thousand Faces God whimpered in agony.

Zhao Douan extinguished the soul flame, stating indifferently, "This slap is an exception. Next time, it will not be tolerated."

Thousand Faces God scrambled up, flailing both hands, slapping his own face left and right until blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.

"Stop it," said Zhao Douan offhandedly, then turned to the two stunned women, smiling, "What's wrong, don't you recognize me?"