Jiao Liqiao 2

Jiao Liqiao began planning what to do next. First, she would gather Nanyin's forces into her own hands, lest those Nanyin people commit evil deeds that affected her.

Jiao Liqiao thought it over. Feng Qing, who had pledged allegiance to Shan Gudao, was capable and would make a useful beast of burden. She might as well bring him under her command first.

Jiao Liqiao summoned Xue Gong and Xue Po and instructed them, "Before, my love for His Lordship ran deep, and I put him first in everything, but he never once spared me a glance. Now that I've cultivated a new cultivation method, my mind is much clearer. His Lordship is no longer worth so much sacrifice, and it's time I gave some thought to myself and Nanyin.

"Xue Gong, the two of you gather together the Nanyin descendants who have pledged allegiance to me. I will shoulder my responsibilities as the Holy Maiden and lead them in seeking a new life."

Xue Gong and Xue Po exchanged a glance and respectfully assented.

They were accustomed to Jiao Liqiao's occasional novel ideas, but they still harbored a faint hope. If the Holy Maiden had truly let go, it would be a blessing for Nanyin.

Having tasked Xue Gong and Xue Po with gathering the Nanyin descendants loyal to her, Jiao Liqiao followed the map in her memory and found Wansheng Dao's headquarters.

Even at Wansheng Dao's headquarters, Shan Gudao kept himself completely concealed beneath a cloak. The sight made Jiao Liqiao look down on him even more. A fellow without the slightest sense of responsibility had managed to scheme against Li Xiangyi, and even dreamed of becoming lord of all under heaven.

After glancing at Shan Gudao's expression, Feng Qing spoke up to question her on his behalf. "Didn't we agree before not to meet often unless something important happened, lest people notice something amiss? Holy Maiden, why have you come here just like this, without even sending word first?"

Jiao Liqiao gave a derisive snort. "Feng Qing, this is the master you found? He's like a rat in a gutter. What kingly bearing does he have? Haven't you ever suspected anything? Or have you grown too ambitious, Feng Qing, and found some random puppet to install so you can seize power over our Nanyin?"

Shan Gudao shouted in anger, "Jiao Liqiao, how dare you disrespect me!"

Jiao Liqiao sneered. "So what if I disrespect you? What can you do to me? Even Li Xiangyi was schemed to death by me. What are you still hiding from, you gutless rat?

"Then again, that makes sense. A mere beggar could hardly be as astute, powerful and beautiful as our Nanyin imperial clan."

Ignoring Shan Gudao's impotent rage, Feng Qing looked at Jiao Liqiao in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Jiao Liqiao's figure flickered, and she landed beside Shan Gudao. With one strike of her palm, she crippled his Dantian, then looked at Feng Qing with contempt. "I mean you found the wrong person, you fool!"

As for how Jiao Liqiao knew Li Xiangyi's identity, his blood had extinguished the Karmic Fire Mother Parasite before everyone's eyes in her previous life. Together with what Jiao Liqiao remembered, what was left that she couldn't guess?

Feng Qing refused to believe it. "Impossible! The birthmark and the jade pendant are the best proof. Holy Maiden, I respect you as a member of the Nanyin imperial clan, but you are not my master!"

Jiao Liqiao looked at Feng Qing. "Fetch a Karmic Fire Parasite. The blood of our imperial clan can kill the parasites. That cannot be faked."

That was also why Jiao Liqiao had only crippled Shan Gudao's Dantian at first instead of killing him outright. Feng Qing would submit to her only when Jiao Liqiao was the sole surviving member of the Nanyin imperial bloodline.

Seeing that Jiao Liqiao kept her grip on Shan Gudao's vital point, Feng Qing wondered when she had acquired such formidable martial arts, but he had no choice but to do as she said.

The Karmic Fire Parasite was brought back soon afterward. Although they had never found the Mother Worm or the Luomo Ding in the First-Rank Tomb, they still had some Child Chong. That was also how they had managed to control certain people at court.

Jiao Liqiao cut Shan Gudao's hand and dripped his blood onto the parasite. Before Shan Gudao and Feng Qing's disbelieving eyes, the parasite remained alive and kicking.

She then cut her own hand and dripped some blood onto the parasite. Within a breath, it was dead as dead could be.

Feng Qing's eyes were full of bewilderment as he muttered, "Impossible." Then he suddenly looked up at Jiao Liqiao. "Where is my true master?"

Jiao Liqiao smiled. "You've already guessed, haven't you? In wit, martial arts, looks and talent, wasn't Li Xiangyi more like one of our Nanyin people than Shan Gudao? Unfortunately, I was deceived by you and ended up poisoning that member of the Nanyin imperial clan to death.

"You know it—the Bicha poison."

Seeing Feng Qing's stricken expression, Jiao Liqiao struck Shan Gudao dead with one palm as he kept shouting, "It can't be him!" She turned a stern gaze on Feng Qing. "You mistook someone else for your master and caused me to kill a member of our Nanyin imperial clan by mistake. Feng Qing, do you admit your crime?"

Feng Qing knelt on the ground. "I mistook someone else for my master and indirectly caused his death. I submit to whatever punishment the Holy Maiden sees fit."

Jiao Liqiao fed Feng Qing a poison pill and watched him roll across the ground in agony. "I am now the only one left of the Nanyin imperial clan. Since you're still of some use, I'll spare your life for now. Gather the forces loyal to you as quickly as possible. In half a month, meet my people at the Dragon Gate."

The pain had eased somewhat, but Feng Qing remained kneeling. He asked weakly, "May I ask what the Holy Maiden plans to do?"

Jiao Liqiao said contemptuously, "I've long looked down on that so-called plan Shan Gudao devised to control the court with the Mother Worm. At the height of Nanyin's glory, we used the Mother Worm against our enemies and still lost. Now, although Great Xi's martial world is somewhat chaotic, the common people live fairly stable lives. It would not be easy for Nanyin to take its place."

"It would be better to leave Great Xi and found a state beyond the frontier on the basis of a religion. The right thing to do is to let our Nanyin people live good lives again.

"If an enlightened ruler emerges later, perhaps we may yet be able to take Great Xi's place.

"Our Nanyin people are few. Establishing ourselves quickly in Great Xi was never possible, and as time passes, how many will still remember who they are?"

Feng Qing thought it over carefully and felt that Jiao Liqiao had a point. However great their ambitions, they first needed to build up their own strength. If they kept sneaking around as Shan Gudao had directed, time would wear away the Nanyin people's sense of identity.

Seeing that she had taken the first step toward winning Feng Qing's allegiance, Jiao Liqiao took some Bicha poison and went to the Hundred Rivers Courtyard. Why should she have to rush about dealing with the karmic burden on her, while Yun Biqiu, who had also poisoned Li Xiangyi, could rest easy at the Hundred Rivers Courtyard and wield great power?

If she was unhappy, then nobody else would have an easy time of it.

Besides, killing a petty man like that would earn her even more merit.

Under Yun Biqiu's admiring gaze, Jiao Liqiao swiftly and cleanly fed him tea laced with Bicha.

Only when she saw Yun Biqiu rolling across the ground in agony did Jiao Liqiao feel a little better. Then she left with a carefree air.

After leaving the Hundred Rivers Courtyard, Jiao Liqiao suddenly remembered something and hurriedly sent word to Feng Qing, telling him to preserve Shan Gudao's body properly in a medicinal coffin. It was the gift she had prepared for her meeting with Li Xiangyi.