“What are you waiting for me to do?” Huang Quan was perplexed by the students’ behavior, as neither she nor the original Huang Quan had any prior interaction with them.
“Why are you gathered here?” She inquired.
“We’ve been waiting for you because we heard that you killed Prime Minister Qin,” one student replied eagerly. “Is it true?”
Realizing their curiosity, Huang Quan responded, “Yes, I did.”
“And we heard that you killed an eighth-level spiritual master with a single move. Is that true?”
“Why do you keep asking?” Another student chimed in with impatience, seeking their turn to inquire.
“And the next question?”
What were they up to?
“I finished him with a single move,” Huang Quan confirmed.
“Great! Now, it’s my turn!” The students couldn’t contain their excitement as they volleyed questions: “Huang Quan, we’ve heard that you have no spiritual roots, and it appears you’ve never practiced martial arts. How did you become so powerful?”
“Yes, can you please tell us?” another student asked. “We also want to learn.”
Huang Quan found herself at a loss for words. These students were so eager to learn from her.
“Well,” she began, “the martial art I practice is quite different from conventional martial arts, and not everyone can learn it. It depends on one’s physical attributes.”
Her response led to silence among the students.
Huang Quan sighed and continued her fabrication, “The martial art I practice is a special technique, and I’ve taught my brother. He’s now a sixth-level spiritual master, but my martial art can defeat an eighth-level spiritual master with just one move, surpassing his abilities.”
“I’ve been telling my brother to teach it to everyone, but there’s a price to pay for practicing it.” She gave them more false information, creating an aura of mystery around her abilities.
As Huang Quan shared her fabricated martial arts secrets with the students, she suddenly began coughing violently. Her face turned red during the fit, but when the coughing subsided, it was replaced by a rapidly fading pallor, making her obvious illness impossible to ignore. This was not a ruse.
Witnessing Huang Quan’s genuine frailty, the students realized the true cost of learning her martial arts, and it was too high. In exchange for extraordinary power, they would have to endure a debilitating illness.
These students were all from the capital, and they knew about Huang Quan’s persistent illness that even the best doctors and alchemists couldn’t cure. Learning her techniques would mean inheriting her health issues, a steep price for greater power.
They began to distance themselves from Huang Quan and some of the students advised her to be cautious due to the recent developments involving Prime Minister Qin.
Huang Quan turned to Ye Qin and asked if the emperor would truly intervene in the matter. Ye Qin reassured her, “It’s just a pretense. You don’t need to worry.”
Huang Quan expressed her annoyance, saying, “I’m not worried; it’s just frustrating. If the emperor gets involved, they might send people to confront us, and I’ll have to deal with more killing.”
Ye Qin, unfazed, assured her, “Nothing like that will happen. I’ll discuss this with the dean.”
Huang Quan sighed and said, “I hope everything turns out for the best. Why does the Qin family have to be so troublesome?”
