northernbook Chapter 17 9 Heavens Above
Chapter 17 9 Heavens Above
She did some mental calculations, waved the list in her hand, and told Qing Tong to leave, "Never mind, you can go back now!"
After Qing Tong left, she put away the list and continued eating. She was very hungry after being busy all afternoon. After she finished eating, Granny Lin cleared away the bowls and chopsticks.
She asked Ziguang to bring the writing implements, and then told Ziguang and Granny Lin to go downstairs to eat and rest.
She sat alone at the table, leaning against the chair, biting the tip of her pen as she pondered deeply.
After thinking for a moment, he quickly wrote down the name of each finished medicine on the paper, followed by the price, the price per bottle or per dose, the price of 60% of the medicine price to be paid, and so on...
After finishing writing and folding it up, she called Ziguang over and said, "Take this form to Qing Tong. If you can't find Qing Tong, you can give it to Qing Ying."
Zi Guang accepted the offer and went outside. She went to the courtyard alone and sat down on a stone bench.
The night was now completely dark, lanterns were hung under the eaves, and looking up one could see a sky full of stars and a dim waning moon.
In late September, the nights are slightly cool, the autumn wind is gentle, and the insects are chirping – it's a very comfortable season.
Granny Lin brought out a cloak. "It's windy tonight, and the temperature difference between day and night is quite large these days. If you want to sit for a while longer, please wear a cloak to avoid getting chilled."
Long Chuqing glanced at the cloak draped over her shoulders, tightened it slightly, and turned back to thank Granny Lin with a smile.
After Granny Lin left, she rested her chin on her hands on the stone table and looked up at the starry night sky.
She thought of recent events, of the appointment she missed in the previous timeline, and of Qianyang, who had helped her. Yin Xiao would definitely find out; she wondered how he was doing, and whether he had been harassed when he returned.
Above the Nine Heavens
Tiandu is located in the heavens above, and the entire Tiandu consists of thirty-three heavenly palaces and seventy-two grand halls.
Golden rays rolled in red, and auspicious clouds sprayed purple mist. All around, clouds and mist swirled, and white clouds churned at one's feet.
The Lingxiao Palace has a unique architectural style, with several towering pillars hundreds of feet tall, each carved with a golden dragon pattern that coils around the pillars, lifelike.
The roof is inlaid with various gemstones, making it magnificent and dazzling. Under the sunlight, it emits a colorful light, and the interior of the palace is decorated in a magnificent manner.
The pillars of the other palaces are carved with jade unicorns and other mythical beasts. The palace buildings are magnificent and solemn. Various exquisite gold and silver jewelry, glass and agate ornaments can be seen everywhere, and the floors are paved with white jade.
There are famous flowers that never fade, and auspicious herbs that remain evergreen for ten thousand years.
At the majestic and solemn South Heavenly Gate, dozens of generals guarded the heavens, each fully armored, some wielding halberds and banners, others holding spears and whips.
The silver-armored soldiers stood in orderly rows, each holding a knife or sword.
Inside the Purple Jade Cloud Palace, the Heavenly Empress stood with her hands behind her back, with Qianyang and Yinxiao kneeling behind her.
Yin Xiao meticulously recounted the details of the mission, while Qian Yang knelt below, her eyes lowered, remaining silent.
Although the Empress had her back to them, Qianyang and Yinxiao could still feel the anger emanating from her after hearing her retelling.
Seeing the furious Empress, both of them lowered their heads and remained silent, and Yin Xiao dared not say anything more.
The diva composed herself and slowly turned around.
She wore a shimmering fairy robe and a pearl-embroidered phoenix crown, dazzling and highlighting her supreme status and nobility. She had a graceful figure, a dignified appearance, and an air of mystery and nobility between her brows. In her rage, she was even more majestic.
She stared at the two kneeling below and said coldly, "You can't even handle a mere dragon girl, you're truly useless. What use are you to me?"
His tone was so cold that it felt like a chill was spreading around him, sending shivers down his spine.
Seeing this, Yin Xiao quickly explained, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I had already seriously injured the Dragon Girl. If it weren't for Qian Yang's intervention, I would have already taken the Dragon Girl back to Tiandu."
He was somewhat angry, otherwise he wouldn't have implicated Qianyang.
The Empress looked at Qianyang and said, "The Dragon Girl is clever and cunning. For hundreds of years, she has kept her whereabouts secret and traveled through different time and space. Now that we have finally discovered her whereabouts, I specially sent the two of you to her just in case. But you acted rashly and let her go. Do you know your crime?"
Qianyang knelt down and clasped his hands in a fist: "Your subordinate admits that it is true that I helped Chu Qing escape, but there is a reason for this. There are still some suspicious things about the collusion with the Demon Realm back then."
"I asked her, and she said she had never colluded with the Demon Realm. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly." Qianyang tried to defend Long Chuqing.
"Oh, besides saying she didn't collude with the Demon Realm, what else did she say?" Upon hearing this, the Empress's face darkened, her brows furrowed, and she spoke in an icy tone.
Qianyang noticed the murderous intent that flashed in the Empress's eyes. He felt his blood freeze and his heart race, so he lowered his head.
At this moment, he understood why Chu Qing had repeatedly emphasized that he should not get involved in this matter, as it might be related to the Empress. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
He dared not speculate any further. Calming his flustered mind and adjusting his thoughts, he could only bite the bullet and answer, "Your Majesty, Long Chuqing only said that she did not collude with the Demon Realm, and did not say anything else. I have not had time to ask anything else."
The Empress's expression softened slightly upon hearing this: "A traitor who colludes with the Demon Realm only knows how to spread rumors and mislead the public. You actually believe her words? It seems that your current position is no longer suitable for you."
"From this moment forward, you are relieved of your generalship. Go to the Heavenly Execution Platform to receive one hundred divine staffs and experience a lifetime in the mortal realm. Learn the joys and sorrows of human life, and how to conduct yourself in society. After you return, go directly to the South Heavenly Gate and start as a lowly soldier. Reflect on your actions! Do you have any objections?"
"I dare not, I accept the punishment," Qianyang said, not daring to say anything more.
Seeing Qianyang being punished so severely, Yin Xiao felt guilty and dared not say anything more.
The Empress looked at Yin Xiao, who quickly clasped his hands and said, "This subordinate has failed in his duties. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
"Yin Xiao has failed in his duties. Go with him to the Heavenly Punishment Platform to receive one hundred divine staffs."
"Yes," Yin Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The two then withdrew.
The Empress slowly walked towards the throne in the palace. She sat down and rested her forehead on one hand, thinking, "I never expected you to escape from Tianxu Abyss."
"Qianyang, Qianyang," Yin Xiao called out, pulling Qianyang back as she hurried forward.
"I didn't know the Queen would punish me so severely. I thought at most I would be struck with a magic staff and then confined to my room to reflect on my mistakes for a while."
Just now, Yin Xiao also saw the murderous intent flashing in the Empress's eyes, which made him realize the seriousness of the matter.
He acts with fairness, integrity, and uprightness. He is not a greedy or reckless person. However, he can be stubborn and ruthless at times.
He and Qianyang had been colleagues for a thousand years, and they weren't strangers. It wasn't like he wanted to kill Qianyang. He was just annoyed that Qianyang didn't distinguish between his position and his mission, and acted on emotion.
Qianyang pulled his hand away and said calmly, "You don't need to blame yourself for this. It was my fault to begin with, and I even dragged you into being punished with me. I feel really bad about it. I should be the one apologizing to you. I'm sorry, Brother Yinxiao."
Yin Xiao held Qian Yang's hand and sighed, "Alas, it's too late to argue about who's right or wrong now. Let's go, let's go, to the Heavenly Execution Platform."
"Okay, let's not talk about it anymore, let's go."
Yin Xiao put his arm around Qian Yang's shoulder and said, "When you come back from the mortal realm, we'll have a good drink together."
"Okay, when I get back, we're drinking until we drop. Don't try to back out then!"
"You can't just say things like that. When did I ever cheat on you...?"
Even after the two had gone far away, their laughter could still be heard. Was this a case of finding joy in hardship?