Chapter 1514 – Taking Down Nie Liang and Attacking Yang Tao, Sword Aimed at the World (53)
The Empress of the Mountain Spirit finished speaking with a grin that didn’t reach her eyes, feeling quite frustrated inside.
She couldn’t understand why the streamer would refuse to bolster the morale of their enemies—it seemed like a good strategy!
Jiang Pengji’s reasoning was simple.
Firstly, she had the strength to crush the Nie Clan; there was no need to take shortcuts. Winning through dubious means wouldn’t bring her glory but rather lead to backhanded remarks about “fate.” It sounded nice, but it meant nothing to those with real power. Could she feel good if people said her achievements were mere luck?
Secondly, and more importantly, she wanted to take the opportunity to deal with the system fragments. Procrastination could lead to trouble later!
Apart from her God-killing Blade, ordinary people couldn’t handle a mental entity like the system.
Killing just Nie Yang wouldn’t suffice, as the subsystem fragments would escape.
Miss this chance, and it would be tough to catch them in the future.
To put it bluntly, this thing was a piece of dung that would pop up at the worst times to give her trouble, driving her nuts.
Eliminating it would bring about true peace of mind.
Jiang Pengji didn’t explain herself to the Empress, and the Empress couldn’t ask in front of Wei Ying and the others, so she buried her doubts deep within.
Just then, Nie Qing’s voice resounded, asking a question that caught her off-guard.
“Weren’t you just saying Liu Xi is your Lord? Why the sudden change? Are you sent by Liu Xi, or are you the Mountain Spirit?”
Thanks to Jiang Pengji’s assistance, Wei Ying was deceived, but Nie Qing was harder to fool.
He remembered the Empress stating her Lord was Jiang Pengji. Since she called Jiang Pengji ‘Lord,’ it indicated she wasn’t without standing.
Nie Qing spoke sternly, “Don’t deceive my father-in-law!”
The Empress sweat secretly, regretting her earlier slip of the tongue, now stuck in a predicament.
Since Jiang Pengji couldn’t hear Nie Qing and the Empress’s conversation, she had to rely on herself.
Fortunately, the Empress was quick-witted, coming up with a response, “I said that to comfort you. If my true Lord was Liu Xi, why would I help you? Haha, I’d just slit my own throat, forcing your father-in-law to face endless internal strife in the Nie family.”
Nie Qing was verbally shoved back, awkwardly saying, “Sorry, I misunderstood you, Fairy.”
“I’m quite magnanimous; such a misunderstanding is nothing,” the Empress quietly sighed in relief, dismissing it nonchalantly, “But you… big brother, I feel your questions are quite severe. You’re so pure-hearted while Liu Xi is steeped in treachery; you’re at a disadvantage.”
Nie Qing didn’t understand the phrase “steeped in treachery,” but from the Empress calling him “pure-hearted,” he could decipher.
In a moment, he thought of Nie Yang, and his mood sank again.
Being pure-hearted wasn’t a bad trait, but he had to acknowledge that it was completely off-key for him.
Not only could it endanger his life, but it could also drag those around him down.
He got lucky with the Mountain Spirit this time; his father-in-law didn’t kill him. If he were to fall into another trap next time, could he rely on such good fortune?
Nie Qing wasn’t lacking in talent; he just tended to see the bright side of everything. After this ordeal, he should really mature.
The Empress comforted him, “Being kind isn’t necessarily bad. In a peaceful time, you’d have friends everywhere with your character. But this is a chaotic world. Your father is gone, and no one can shield you from the storm; staying naive isn’t an option. Liu Xi is wicked and cunning; if you don’t work hard, how can you protect your father’s legacy?”
Nie Qing bitterly chuckled.
“Thank you for your guidance, Fairy.”
The Empress was momentarily taken aback, unable to help but grip her head in frustration.
She was supposed to stand with the streamers; why was she comforting the head of the opposing faction?
Would the streamer expel her from the fanbase if they found out?
Not that Jiang Pengji wouldn’t know; even if she did, she wouldn’t say anything. After all, dried fish came to play and experience another world—not to become her subordinates. Jiang Pengji would never limit their preferences and choices; she chose to respect that.
The Empress comforting Nie Qing clearly demonstrated that she was a kindhearted and straightforward dried fish.
Having placated Nie Qing, the Empress asked, “Aren’t you supposed to send someone to retrieve the real Nie Yang?”
Wei Ying replied, “No rush; the spirit-summoning team isn’t fast. Even if they leave a day late, they’ll catch up quickly.”
With that said, the Empress relaxed.
Just as she pondered what to say next, Jiang Pengji reminded her to take down Wei Ying.
“I’ve helped you out by saving Nie Qing’s life. It’s only fair to settle this with a silver-for-silver exchange. Thank you for your patronage.”
Wei Ying maintained his composure, “Fairy, feel free to name whatever you desire. I will certainly provide it.”
“Haha, I like such generosity! It makes all my fears today worthwhile, worrying I’d end up as a boxed lunch.”
If it weren’t for her wits, plus the system’s hints and Nie Qing’s assistance, she’d definitely be in hot water.
Now turning adversity into safety, it would be wrong not to snag some good stuff as a reward for all her anxiety.
The Empress’s first thought was to ask for accessories.
“A full set of headgear, please. I heard Liu Xi sent a set of headgear and women’s clothing before. Do you still have it? I want that!”
Wei Ying and Fan Chen’s expressions soured a bit.
Even though Nie Liang skillfully diffused the embarrassment of sending women’s clothing, mentioning it wasn’t particularly pleasant, and yet the Empress only had to rub salt in the wound.
“It was burned for a ritual,” Wei Ying replied coldly.
“Such a waste!” the Empress lamented, “Then… find me something similar.”
What a bunch of prodigals! Did they not realize how valuable the gift from the streamer was? A wealthy person had once offered millions for it and the streamer wouldn’t sell!
Though it was a military camp, there were plenty of spoils, and if you dug around, you could find silver and jewelry.
Wei Ying sent people to search for a box to present to the Empress as a thank you gift.
Of course, the Empress wanted to take it all, but the system cautioned her that there were weight and volume limits on her teleport back, and going over could cause problems.
“Why is it like this?”
The Empress couldn’t help but feel pained; she wanted all these treasures—spoils she’d risked her life for.
Then the system actually provided a response.
“The Dreaming Back a Thousand Years event isn’t just for rewarding the audience for their long-standing support; it also bears the responsibility of correcting history to ensure the world doesn’t collapse. If participants take too many items, it is highly likely to cause historical deviation; please understand.”
The Empress accepted this explanation with understanding.
Getting some rewards this time was an unexpected joy. She wasn’t greedy, and her mood quickly leveled out.
She reluctantly started picking through, selecting what she considered the prettiest, her favorites, and what seemed most valuable, all within the system’s limits.
Nie Qing could no longer watch; he said, “These are all thank-you gifts from my father-in-law; the Fairy can take everything.”
“You don’t understand; this is called an equivalent exchange. I can only gain what I’ve given. My life is only worth this much; I cannot take more—there would be retribution,” the Empress said, tears in her eyes but maintaining the aura of a wise person, delivering a serious lesson.
Nie Qing: “…”
Is his life really only worth so little?
