"You—!" The Empress's chest heaved furiously with rage.
"I brought him over just to let you take a look—don't mistake courtesy for weakness."
"You dare say that to me?"
With a sharp movement, the Empress stood up again, blue flames bursting forth from her body, terrifying to behold.
The Crown Princess stared back coldly, fearless and unflinching.
Once again, the two sisters were at each other's throats.
Qin Ming felt like he was being roasted one second, frozen the next—these two lunatics were on another level.
After a brief standoff, the Empress's expression gradually softened.
She said coldly, "Letting him become a Demon-Suppression Guard Captain isn't out of the question.
Our Great Yan Empire has always valued talent—but not just any random dog or cat can get a captain's badge."
Her gaze suddenly turned to Qin Ming.
"If little Qinzi wants the position, then interrogate those two transmigrator elders for me. I want the exact location of the explosive. Do you dare to take on the task?"
Before Qin Ming could speak, the Crown Princess swept her sleeve in refusal.
"Even your White Feather Guards couldn't get a word out of them, and you expect a newly appointed officer to do better? Are you kidding?"
"If he refuses, then he gets no official seal from me," the Empress replied.
"Try not giving it and see what happens," the Crown Princess snapped.
"You've got a lot of nerve, Han Yuexi! Are you trying to fight me?"
"If that's what it takes! You think I'm afraid of you?"
In a flash, twin blue flames surged into the Empress's hands—immensely powerful.
Qin Ming could feel the Empress's cultivation was significantly higher than the Crown Princess's.
The Crown Princess summoned her icy sword aura, equally fierce.
Qin Ming couldn't bear to let the Crown Princess get injured because of him—it would be a loss for the Taiyin Palace, and he did have a few interrogation tricks from Earth in mind. Maybe he could try...
Just as things were about to explode, Qin Ming stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I am willing to give it a try."
His words made both sisters pause in shock.
The Empress gave him a deathly stare, then nodded in appreciation.
"Good. You have spirit. Then the two transmigrator elders will be thrown into the Demon-Suppression Tower. You have one day. If you succeed, there'll be rewards. Fail, and not only will you lose your title—you might just lose your head."
"I accept, Your Majesty!"
The Crown Princess grabbed the seal and glared at Qin Ming, visibly fuming. She seemed to want to yell at him but couldn't bring herself to.
On the high platform, the Empress turned and left with one hand behind her back.
The Crown Princess also shot Qin Ming a death glare and stormed out of the Fire Hall.
Qin Ming hurried to follow her.
Outside, snow fell thick and fast.
A foot of snow blanketed the ground, the frigid wind howling—a stark contrast to the blazing heat of the Fire Hall.
The Crown Princess didn't summon her sword to fly.
Instead, she walked the long path ahead.
Qin Ming trailed behind, their footsteps leaving a pair of trails in the snow.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Suddenly, the Crown Princess turned and glared at him.
"Tell me—are you stupid?"
"No."
"You are! I told you not to accept that mission, so why did you? Do you realize you could lose your head if you fail?"
"Yes."
"And you still accepted?! Idiot!"She took two steps closer, ice sword aura radiating from her, chilling Qin Ming to the bone.
"Tell me the truth. Are you so desperate to be an officer you'd risk your life? Fine! Here—take the seal and enjoy your post. Let's see how long you last!"
She shoved the captain's seal into his hands.
Qin Ming caught up and shook his head.
"I didn't do it for the title."
He placed the seal back in her hands.
"I told you before—just being able to eat and drink in the palace is enough for me."
The Crown Princess was stunned for a moment.
Hands on her hips, she barked, "Then why take on an impossible mission? Why?"
"Because you're injured."
"What does my injury have to do with anything?"
"If you're hurt, you can't fight the Empress again."
She froze completely.
The icy killing intent in her eyes melted away bit by bit.
Ten full breaths passed in silence.
She looked into Qin Ming's eyes and said, "You really are an idiot. So what if I'm injured? What's it to you?"
Then she spun around with a sharp motion.Raising a hand, her Moonshadow Sword appeared beneath her feet with a clang.
Without another glance at Qin Ming, she took to the sky.
As she soared through the snowy sky, something stung behind her eyes.
"This damned snow… insists on getting into my eyes!"
...
The Crown Princess vanished into the distant horizon.
Qin Ming didn't bother returning to the Fire Hall to get his horse.
Instead, he just walked along the snowy road ahead.
He soon passed the towering Dragon Abyss Shrine.
That massive dragon carving reaching into the clouds gave off an oppressive aura.
It made him feel as small as an ant.
He couldn't help but wonder—did such creatures truly exist in this world?
And if so, what level of cultivation would it take to face one?
A cold wind blew through.
Qin Ming wrapped his robe tighter.
Ever since arriving in this world, every step had been difficult.
The path ahead was long and filled with thorns.
He rubbed his hands together, exhaling into them and muttered:
"Though the ice is thin beneath my feet, I think I'll still make it to the other side…"
...
At Taiyin Palace, a fire crackled in the courtyard, heating a pot of water.
Lingyin and the twelve Zodiac Captains sat around it, warming their hands and snacking on sunflower seeds.
Little Rabbit's tiny mouth worked quickly, her small front teeth clicking rhythmically as she munched through a handful.
Finishing one round, she grabbed another.
Then another.
Seeing this, Lingyin quickly snatched the seed pouch back.
"No more! You eat too fast—these are for Xiao Qinzi."
"Tsk tsk! Lingyin, you weren't like this before. Everything used to be for us sisters, but now Xiao Qinzi comes first."
"Yeah, yeah! Lingyin, you're not... catching feelings, are you?"
The flirtatious Goat Captain leaned over with a smirk and whispered in Lingyin's ear:
"Let me tell you, eunuchs can't you know. Don't go giving your heart to the wrong man."
Lingyin blushed furiously.
She raised her little fist and bopped Goat Captain on the head before fleeing into the house.
"I'm not talking to you anymore!"
The Zodiac girls burst into laughter at her reaction.
Just then—
A gust of snow swirled down from the sky as the Crown Princess landed in the courtyard, clad in black.
Her arrival stirred a flurry of snowflakes.
The Zodiac girls immediately stopped chewing.
Because they could tell—
Their princess was furious.