SWNOVELXO Chapter 16:
Chapter 16: Requesting Another Pill Again:
“No, no! I’ve heard this story too many times!”
“What?!” Shen Yuan was taken aback. “You’ve heard this story too many times, Your Highness?”
That couldn’t be right. The Three Attacks on the White Bone Demon was a story from Journey to the West—a tale that shouldn’t even exist in this world.
Moreover, he had never told this story to Princess Qianrou before. How did she know about it and even claim to be tired of it?
There was only one explanation—
There was another transmigrator in this world besides himself!
“Princess, may I ask where you first heard this story?”
“Isn’t it from Journey to the West?”
“Journey to the West!?”
“Yes, Prime Minister. Don’t you know? It’s a book published in Dongyi, and it includes The Three Attacks on the White Bone Demon.”
Dongyi!
Shen Yuan’s mind clicked. Another transmigrator must be in Dongyi, using their knowledge of past-world literature to publish Journey to the West and earn money.
Dongyi… Could it be Ye Fei?
Before transmigrating, Shen Yuan had read other books by the same author. Though they were all formulaic, indulgent harem fantasy novels, they shared a common world-building theme.
For instance, Qin Yang’s story took place in the Northern Qi Immortal Empire, while Ye Fei’s was set in the Dongyi Immortal Empire.
It seemed his transmigration wasn’t limited to Northern Qi alone…
Ye Fei.
Of course, Ye Fei was currently far away in Dongyi Immortal Empire and posed no immediate threat to him. However, Shen Yuan now held a key piece of information—Ye Fei was a transmigrator too.
“I am in the shadows, while he is in the light.”
Indeed, Ye Fei fit the typical trope of a show-off protagonist, using plagiarized works to establish his fame in Dongyi. First, he shocked the empire with the Four Great Classical Novels, then gained recognition in court by composing three hundred poems while drunk, even impressing the Dongyi Emperor himself.
Though all those poems were stolen from ancient Chinese poets like Li Bai, Du Fu, and Su Shi…
“Prime Minister, what’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Princess Qianrou’s innocent words pulled Shen Yuan back from his thoughts. There was no need to overthink this right now.
Ye Fei was far away and not an immediate threat. Shen Yuan could ignore him for now, but if they ever crossed paths as enemies, he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.
Both were transmigrators—whoever had better means would survive.
“Since the princess already knows this story, I shall tell you another one instead. This one is called The Little Mermaid.”
“Yay! I haven’t heard this one before!”
“…”
After finishing the story and playing with Princess Qianrou for a while, Shen Yuan finally took his leave.
Not long after he left, Empress Yaoshi arrived at Sunset Palace, embracing Qianrou tenderly.
“Qianrou, how are you feeling? Are you better now?”
“I’m great! The Prime Minister treated me so well, and I had a wonderful nap.”
“That’s good, that’s good…”
The Empress let out a sigh of relief. Although she was reluctant to part with the Saint-Breaking Pill, Shen Yuan had at least genuinely treated Qianrou.
“Your Majesty…”
Eunuch Li stepped forward cautiously.
The Empress gently set Qianrou down. “Go and play for a while, my dear.”
“Okay!”
Turning to Eunuch Li, the Empress asked, “What did you find out?”
“Your Majesty, please forgive this servant. I do not know. The Prime Minister dismissed all palace maids and eunuchs during the treatment.”
“Did I not order you to keep an eye on Shen Yuan no matter what?”
“But… but the Prime Minister asked this servant to place talismans and infuse them with spiritual energy. There was no one else to do it, so I had to leave…”
“So no one witnessed Shen Yuan’s treatment process?”
“There is one person who might know.”
“Who?”
“Imperial Physician Zhou Weiping. He was the only one the Prime Minister summoned to inquire about the princess’s condition.”
The Empress frowned in deep thought.
“Hmph. Shen Yuan better be smart. I gave him the Saint-Breaking Pill—if he fails to cure Qianrou, I will deal with him personally!”
“Your Majesty, please don’t worry too much,” Eunuch Li quickly consoled. “The Prime Minister is only a half-step Supreme. The Saint-Breaking Pill is meant to help Supremes break into the Saint realm. It will take him years to cultivate to that level.”
“Besides, even if he does reach the peak of the Supreme realm, breaking through to Saint—especially with his crippled leg—will still be extremely difficult.”
Hearing this, and recalling Shen Yuan’s limping gait, the Empress’s expression softened slightly.
“Hmph! After the way he treated me, he deserves to limp for the rest of his life!”
Then she ordered, “Summon Zhou Weiping to see me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Soon, Imperial Physician Zhou arrived.
“Your humble servant greets Your Majesty. Long live the Empress!”
“No need for formalities. Tell me—what did the Prime Minister discuss with you today?”
“You must answer truthfully.”
Zhou Weiping knelt and answered carefully, “Your Majesty, the Prime Minister merely asked me about the princess’s condition yesterday. He also instructed me to monitor her health after each of his treatments and report back to him the following day.”
“That’s all?”
“I dare not hide anything from Your Majesty. This servant speaks only the truth.”
Had she been overthinking things?
The Empress waved him away, signaling him to leave. Then, she turned to Eunuch Li again.
“What do you think?”
“Your Majesty, from what we have observed, the Prime Minister truly seems to be focused on the princess’s recovery.”
“Just thinking about this matter makes me angry. Have we still found no clue as to what caused Qianrou’s soul injury?”
“Your Majesty, please quell your anger. There are no leads at all. Not even the slightest trace has been left behind. This servant has scanned the entire palace and found no anomalies.”
The Empress closed her eyes, red with frustration. She had also used her divine sense to scan the entire imperial city, yet even at her Supreme level, she found nothing unusual.
Could it really be that Qianrou’s soul injury was due to some natural soul ailment and not external interference?
“Forget it. Prepare gifts and send an envoy to Dongyi. Have them visit the Myriad Pill Sect and request another Saint-Breaking Pill, no matter the cost.”
The Myriad Pill Sect was recognized as the pinnacle of alchemy across the empires. Unfortunately, it was located not in Northern Qi but in Dongyi.
Fortunately, the Northern Qi royal family maintained good relations with them, so with the right price, they might be willing to refine another pill.
“As you command!”
Once Eunuch Li left, Empress Yaoshi rubbed her temples, trying to calm her frustration.