Empress, Can I? [Transmigration + GL] - Chapter 75

This time, as the two ventured deeper into the cave, the dimming light made it hard to see clearly, though they could vaguely sense the space opening up ahead.

Xuan Jingchi reached into her robe, pulled out a beeswax candle, and lit it. At the far end, she discovered a stone chamber—complete with a stone table, stools, and even a bed—as if someone had once lived there. But the thick layer of dust suggested it had been abandoned for a long time.

Xuan Jingchi immediately recalled scenes from martial arts novels where the protagonist falls off a cliff, survives against all odds, and either encounters a peerless master or stumbles upon an unparalleled martial arts manual.

Excitedly rubbing her hands together, Xuan Jingchi thought, No masters around, but could I really find a martial arts manual?

Leng Qiuci glanced at her. “What are you doing?”

“Me? Oh, nothing. Just… my hands are a bit numb, stretching a little.” Xuan Jingchi smiled.

Leng Qiuci rolled her eyes at her as if she were an idiot and began surveying their surroundings.

The walls were adorned with paintings, all depicting orchids—clusters, single blooms, twin flowers, some by the water, others in valleys, and even a few growing from rock crevices.

One painting, however, was particularly eerie: a coiled two-headed black serpent, its heads on either side, tongues flickering long and menacing.

The artwork was lifelike, especially the serpent’s eyes, which seemed almost real. Staring at it for a moment, Xuan Jingchi had the unsettling illusion that it was moving.

Beneath this painting sat a pot of orchid grass, thriving with an unusually vibrant green despite the dim, light-starved environment.

Xuan Jingchi’s gaze shifted and noticed a book pressed under the pot. She walked over and slowly pulled it out. The first character she saw was “canon”, then as she drew it further, the second character “treasure” appeared, followed by “flower”. Together, they formed “…Flower Treasure Canon.”

Xuan Jingchi was beside herself with excitement. Could I really have stumbled upon the chance to obtain the ultimate martial arts?!

*What kind of treasure canon is this? Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind—Could it be the Sunflower Treasure Canon?!

Well, at least I’m a woman. No need for self-castration.

Just as she gleefully tried to pull the book free, a hand clamped down on her arm.

Looking up, Xuan Jingchi met Leng Qiuci’s piercing, unfriendly gaze.

Remembering her earlier promise—”All treasures go to you”—Xuan Jingchi reluctantly withdrew her hand and gestured grandly. “After you, Heroine Leng!”

Without hesitation, Leng Qiuci pulled out the book. Xuan Jingchi peeked at the last character—”lan” (“orchid”).

Ah, the Orchid Treasure Canon, not the Sunflower Treasure Canon. So much for that hope.

Xuan Jingchi shook her head, her eyes drifting back to the two-headed serpent painting. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw the monstrous snake shift, its heads turning to watch them.

Meanwhile, Leng Qiuci flipped open the Orchid Treasure Canon. Xuan Jingchi stole a glance—it wasn’t a martial arts manual at all. Each page detailed a different orchid species, cultivation methods, and accompanying illustrations.

Xuan Jingchi clicked her tongue in admiration. This is practically an encyclopedia of orchid cultivation!

Oddly enough, the orchid illustrations on each page looked so lifelike that one couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch the leaves depicted.

Just as this thought crossed Xuan Jingchi’s mind, Leng Qiuci’s hand had already reached out to touch it. Immediately, the orchid in the illustration came to life, growing right out of the page and emitting a shimmering glow.

How miraculous!!

Is this some kind of celestial herb?

Both of them were instantly dumbfounded.

In that split second, Xuan Jingchi caught a glimpse of a dark shadow darting toward Leng Qiuci from the corner of her eye. Instinctively, she grabbed at the shadow.

A cold, slimy sensation met her grasp, making Xuan Jingchi nauseous and terrified. This texture… could it be?

She glanced at the painting on the wall—it was now empty. The black two-headed serpent was nowhere to be seen.

Xuan Jingchi’s soul nearly fled in fright. Turning back, she saw that the shadow in her grip was unmistakably that very two-headed serpent!

The snake, now caught, writhed desperately, but Xuan Jingchi held on with all her might.

Then, one of the heads suddenly sank its fangs into the fleshy part of her hand.

The pain nearly made her let go, but she clenched tighter, afraid that releasing it would make the serpent even harder to deal with.

Seeing the other head still struggling to break free and attack Leng Qiuci, she dared not loosen her grip.

Noticing the serpent’s eyes fixed intently on the orchid in the book, a thought struck her—this orchid must be enchanted in some way. Otherwise, why would the serpent, which had been dormant in the painting, suddenly emerge to attack the moment the orchid appeared?

“Miss Leng, put the book back now!”

Leng Qiuci, likely encountering such supernatural phenomena for the first time in her life, stood frozen in shock.

Had Xuan Jingchi not acted swiftly to grab the serpent, she might have already been bitten on the nose or eyes.

Hearing the command, she immediately closed the book and returned it to the flower stand, placing the potted orchid back on top.

As expected, the serpent stopped struggling, and the head that had bitten her released its grip. Still holding the snake, Xuan Jingchi said tensely, “Step back! Miss Leng, be ready—if it lunges again, strike with your sword!”

Leng Qiuci retreated several steps. Without a sword at hand, she drew a dagger from her boot and gripped it tightly.

Xuan Jingchi then hurled the serpent back toward the painting like a grenade.

Fortunately, the moment it touched the painting, the serpent reverted to its original form—coiled up with its two heads resting peacefully, showing no further signs of attack. It seemed the master who had set this trap had no intention of relentless pursuit or total annihilation.

“Miss Leng, let’s leave quickly,” Xuan Jingchi said. “The owner here clearly doesn’t welcome visitors tampering with his belongings.”

No sooner had she spoken than she realized how redundant the statement was.

What host in the world would welcome strangers rummaging through their home?

Xuan Jingchi grumbled inwardly—she simply didn’t have the luck of a wuxia novel protagonist. While others could acquire legendary martial arts manuals unscathed, she nearly got bitten by a guardian serpent just for glancing at a gardening guide!

“Are you alright?” Leng Qiuci asked.

Hearing the rare softening in her tone, Xuan Jingchi nodded with a faint smile. “I’m fine, really.”

Her hand wasn’t itching or numb, and the snake’s colors weren’t particularly vibrant. Clinging to a self-deluding hope, she thought, It probably wasn’t venomous… Right? I can’t possibly be that unlucky.

“Is that so? Look at your hand.”

Hearing this, Xuan Jingchi hurriedly glanced down at her right hand.

Good heavens! It was swollen bigger than a honeydew melon! Black and unrecognizable, it barely resembled a hand anymore!

This was definitely a deadly poison!

Suddenly, Xuan Jingchi felt dizzy, her body swaying unsteadily, her vision blurring. Even Leng Qiuci, standing right in front of her, became indistinct.

As her consciousness faded, Xuan Jingchi finally realized—this time, she was going to die from poisoning.

When Xuan Jingchi woke again, she found herself sitting at the mouth of a cave.

A sharp pain throbbed in her hand. She looked down—though still slightly swollen, the blackness had faded, revealing pale skin. At last, it somewhat resembled a hand again.

“You’re awake.”

Xuan Jingchi lifted her head. Leng Qiuci sat across from her, watching her coldly.

“Did you save me?”

Leng Qiuci replied, “I don’t have that kind of ability. You’re just lucky—the poison didn’t kill you.”

Earlier, when Xuan Jingchi had collapsed from the poison, Leng Qiuci’s first instinct had been to catch the half-burned candle falling from her hand. Then, she bent down to check her condition. Seeing Xuan Jingchi deeply poisoned, with no pulse and dilated pupils, Leng Qiuci’s heart became a battlefield of conflicting emotions.

This woman had destroyed her family and left her with nothing. Now, bitten to death by a snake—it was divine justice! She deserved it!

This great enemy was dead. She should have felt nothing but satisfaction. Yet, she couldn’t summon even a shred of joy.

This woman could have done nothing, letting the snake bite her instead. Why had she grabbed it for her?

She could have done nothing, watching her fall off the cliff. Why had she lunged to pull her back?

Leng Qiuci was furious, wishing Xuan Jingchi had never done any of it. That way, she could have watched her die with a clear conscience.

Gritting her teeth, she abandoned Xuan Jingchi and walked out of the stone chamber alone.

She killed my family. She deserves to die!

She’s a deranged, tyrannical emperor! Good riddance!

Leng Qiuci, how many people have you killed? What’s one more? Besides, it wasn’t even by your hand.

Leng Qiuci strode through the darkness, faster and faster, until she was running—as if fleeing something, almost in panic.

“Xiao Leng, I don’t know what grudge you hold against Her Majesty, but she truly is a benevolent ruler, a wise sovereign worthy of my full devotion.”

“Xiao Leng, I believe I’m not wrong about Her Majesty.”

“Xiao Leng, I hope you’ll let go of your prejudice against Her Majesty. Don’t judge her before you know her.”

Leng Qiuci’s running footsteps suddenly came to an abrupt halt as she turned around and sprinted back. She must be out of her mind, she thought.

Otherwise, why would she go back to save that damned emperor?

She carried Xuan Jingchi out of the stone chamber and propped her up against the cave entrance. Using a dagger, she pierced a small opening in Xuan Jingchi’s blackened, purple hand.

Immediately, dark blood oozed out, spreading a foul, fishy stench.

Leng Qiuci frowned deeply, knowing full well how vicious and potent this snake venom was. An ordinary person likely wouldn’t last even a quarter of an hour.

When she checked Xuan Jingchi’s pulse, she was shocked to find it had returned—and it was surprisingly strong.

This damned emperor’s life was truly tenacious! Even such a deadly poison couldn’t kill her!

She helped Xuan Jingchi sit up, then settled cross-legged behind her, pressing both palms against her back to channel her inner energy and force the poison out.

Indeed, there was an exceptionally pure and powerful force within Xuan Jingchi’s body—one Leng Qiuci had never encountered before. Could this be the divine power she had mentioned, bestowed by the gods?

Once Leng Qiuci’s energy began expelling the poison, that divine force seemed to find its own method. It no longer required her input and began autonomously driving out the toxins. Leng Qiuci was left utterly stunned—so this was the difference between divine power and mortal energy. One was nimble and vibrant as a deer, the other rigid and dull as a wooden chicken.

Since the divine energy within Xuan Jingchi could expel the poison on its own, Leng Qiuci relaxed and moved to sit opposite her, beginning her own meditation to regulate her breathing.

Noticing Xuan Jingchi repeatedly examining her poisoned hand, Leng Qiuci suddenly remarked, “Why are you so nervous? If you really want to save your life, you could always just chop the hand off.”

“Ah! No! No way! Absolutely not! My right hand is very important to me.”

“Which is more important—your hand or your life?”

“Both!” Xuan Jingchi said meaningfully. “Once you and Meng Wan get together, you’ll understand.”

Though Leng Qiuci still wore a puzzled expression, she could tell Xuan Jingchi’s words weren’t exactly decent. Her face flushed inexplicably with embarrassment as she snapped, “Shameless damned emperor!”

Xuan Jingchi didn’t argue, merely leaning against the wall with a smug smirk.