ebookland Chapter 331 Three people are punished and made to reflect on their actions by facing the wall.
Chapter 331 Three people are punished and made to reflect on their actions by facing the wall.
On the other side, Qin Lingxing led Shui'er and Xiao He on horseback, traveling day and night from Jiaxian County.
Finally, a month later, we arrived at the City of Illusions.
The guards at the city gate, holding long spears, stood tall on both sides, scanning the passersby without daring to relax their vigilance for a moment.
When they saw the three men riding towards them in the distance, they didn't even dare to breathe.
Because they all knew that this was Qin Lingxing, the leader of the Nine Spirit Saintess.
The guards dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately bowed in salute.
The guards quickly asked passersby to make way.
The three of them skipped the routine check at the city gate and rode their horses into the city.
The city has recovered considerably compared to before.
The bluestone road is flat and wide, with shops lining both sides.
The sounds of hawking and laughter mingled together.
The aroma of spirit wine wafted from the tavern, while the windows of the Treasure Pavilion displayed dazzling spirit jade artifacts.
But Qin Lingxing had no time to appreciate the city's prosperity.
The question of whether it was the real or fake Spirit King was still weighing on her mind.
The three headed straight for the most magnificent Lingwang Palace in the city.
The Spirit King Palace is located in the center of the Illusionary Spirit City, with its vermilion palace walls soaring into the clouds and its gilded roof shining brightly in the sunlight.
Qin Lingxing and the other two presented the token of the Nine Spirit Saintess, and the guards allowed them to enter.
The three of them passed through layers of palace paths and over pavilions and towers with carved beams and painted rafters, and soon arrived outside the Lingwang Palace.
Inside the palace, King Ling was sitting on his throne, flipping through the documents sent from various places.
There was a thick stack of documents on the table, all of which concerned important matters concerning the livelihoods of the people of El Salvador and the borders.
The hall was quiet, with only the soft sound of turning pages; even the wind outside seemed to be suppressed by the somber atmosphere.
Qin Lingxing led Su Yunyu and Su Yunmeng into the palace.
When King Ling looked up and saw the three of them enter, his brows furrowed even more, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He put down the book he was holding and asked, "Why are you three back?"
The Spirit King's voice was not loud, but it carried a certain majesty.
His gaze slowly swept over the three of them, finally settling on Qin Lingxing.
"How are you treating the epidemic in Jiaxian County?"
Qin Lingxing stepped forward, curtsied, and said in a steady voice, "Reporting to the Spirit King, the patients in Jia County are gradually recovering."
Most of the mild cases have recovered, and the pulse of the severe cases has stabilized. All cases are progressing in a positive direction, and there is no need to worry about subsequent treatment.
"If that's the case, why didn't you stay in Jiaxian County to continue treating the people, and instead rashly returned to Huanling City?"
Qin Lingxing's heart sank. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with an unyielding seriousness, and even her voice carried a hint of worry that she could not hide.
"Reporting to King Ling, I learned about the 'True and False King Ling' from Huang Zichao in Jiaxian County."
Concerned for the safety of the Spirit King, and unable to rest easy, I rushed back with Su Yunmeng and Su Yunyu. I apologize for not having been able to send a message first.
"Nonsense!"
The Spirit King's tone suddenly became displeased, and his sharp gaze seemed to pierce through people's hearts, landing directly on Qin Lingxing with a questioning tone.
"Qin Lingxing, you are the leader of the Nine Spirit Maidens. You should act with discretion. How can you be so rash?"
King Ling let out a furious shout that suddenly exploded. He slammed his palm on the table, and the solid jade table was shaken so hard that a thin crack appeared on it, and the scrolls on the table also shook.
He stood up, and his imposing aura suddenly spread out, as if the temperature in the hall had dropped several degrees.
"Do you think that having the three of you will be of any help to me?"
"You, the leader of the Nine Spirit Maidens, actually abandoned your post based on a mere rumor, and acted so foolishly!"
Hearing the angry rebuke, Qin Lingxing's heart tightened, and she felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
She immediately knelt down, her voice respectful: "Your subordinate knows her sins. I was careless and left my post without permission. Please forgive me, King Ling."
Seeing that King Ling was angry, Xiao He quickly stepped forward and said, "King Ling, please don't punish Sister Qin Lingxing! She was just worried about your safety!"
Shui'er quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said in a soft but earnest voice, "Please, King Ling, do not blame Sister Qin Lingxing."
A month ago, Sister Qin Lingxing heard from Brother Afu that the Spirit King was in trouble.
They immediately told us to pack our bags, and the next day they led us back at breakneck speed.
For the past month, Sister Qin Lingxing has been worried about the safety of the Spirit King day and night, barely sleeping and not even having time to drink more water.
She's always worried about your safety.
The two women thought that after explaining these things, the Spirit King would be somewhat moved.
But to everyone's surprise, the Spirit King showed no gratitude whatsoever. Instead, he let out a cold snort, his eyes growing even more gloomy.
His gaze swept over the three of them, and he said coldly, "Hmph, I will not only punish her, but you two will also be punished!"
Xiaohe was stunned upon hearing this, and the grievances in her heart welled up instantly.
She bit her lip and looked up, her voice choked with sobs as she retorted.
"Why? Are we wrong to worry about the safety of the Spirit King?"
Why are we being punished too? King Ling is unjust!
For more than a month, the three of us have been traveling day and night, enduring wind and rain, and we have been worried about your safety every moment.
Even if they didn't achieve anything, shouldn't they at least have put in the effort?
She is straightforward by nature and can't keep things to herself.
At that moment, all the grievances and confusion in my heart were poured out.
The Spirit King glanced at her, his gaze icy and his tone full of disdain.
"You? One of you is at the Middle Yuan Realm, and the other two are at the Great Harmony Realm. You dare to spout nonsense about helping me? You're simply overestimating yourselves and don't know the immensity of the heavens and the earth!"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured on her heart, leaving her speechless instantly.
All the grievances in my heart turned into bitterness, stuck in my throat, and I couldn't even speak. I could only lower my head and twist the hem of my clothes with my fingers.
Finally, she stubbornly muttered in a low voice, "But we...we were really worried about you..."
"Why should I, a king, need you juniors to worry about me!"
The Spirit King interrupted her sharply, his aura intensifying. Xiao He and Shui'er felt a tightness in their chests, making it difficult to even breathe.
He changed the subject, his gaze falling on Qin Lingxing again, and said coldly, "You said you got the information from Huang Zichao, so where is he? Why didn't he come back to Huanling City with you?"
Qin Lingxing quickly raised her eyes to report, her voice still respectful: "Reporting to the Spirit King, after Huang Zichao separated from Shu Lingxing and Su Ziyun outside Jia County..."
She briefly recounted Afu's journey from Donghai City to Jiaxian City.
But King Ling's expression did not soften at all after hearing this; instead, it became so gloomy that it seemed to drip water, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.
The hall was eerily quiet; even the breathing of the three people could be clearly heard.
After a long while, the Spirit King finally spoke coldly, each word carrying an unquestionable command.
"Hmph! Qin Lingxing, you take both of them to the meditation room to reflect on their mistakes. Without my order, no one is allowed to step out of the meditation room, and no one is allowed to visit them!"