the empress livestream
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jiang Pengji reigned in her playfulness and turned serious as she looked upon the nobility in the shack who treated her as if she were their pillar of support.
“Be patient. Once the time is right, we can leave, and those bandits will start an internal strife…”
She started playing with the hair accessory Shangguan Wan handed to her. Dissatisfaction started to show on her face.
This was not a gold or silver hair stick but one made of high quality jade. Even if she were not knowledgeable about the value of precious stones, she would know that this jade was not cheap.
The jade felt warm and smooth in her hands. It would look adorable if it were used in a hairstyle. The hard work and detail that the master craftsman had put into this were evident.
This jade hair stick was expensive; however, it was just not as sharp as a metal one.
Shangguan Wan sat down beside her and rested her chin in her palms. “You like this hair stick, Brother Lanting?”
“No.” Jiang Pengji looked at the girl and truthfully said, “It can’t kill a person. It isn’t sharp enough.”
Shangguan Wan’s face turned pale as she remembered the beheading of the bandit that happened not too long ago. It was hard for her to reconcile the respectable Liu Lanting with this cold-hearted person before her.
“Brother Lanting, when you do cut off someone’s head, don’t let me see it,” she replied in a hushed tone.
Jiang Pengji felt like laughing. She rolled her eyes before she cheekily replied, “How can I use this to cut a person? At most I can stab them in the throat…”
She pretended to stab someone, which scared the rabbit-like Shangguan Wan. She jumped and quickly ran off to hide behind Wei Jingxian.
The other girls, except the two familiar with Liu Lanting, sat far from them now that they had escaped danger. Some of the girls started tidying their clothes and hair. None of them initiated any conversation.
They hardly knew Liu Lanting, making it it difficult to initiate any small talk.
“This is for you. Wan’er’s hair stick can’t even hurt anyone…”
Wei Jingxian had no idea what to feel for Jiang Pengji. But because both of them were in the same disastrous situation, it felt like they shared the same fate.
She handed over a palm-sized dagger inlaid with gold, silver, and gemstones. Jiang Pengji accepted the dagger with a small thanks. She did not ask why Wei Jingxian carried a dagger with her, though she knew that Wei Jingxian had planned to end her life with this dagger. How would a noble lady like her withstand the humiliation?
Tsk! Women of the past were all just like that, choosing death over a tarnished reputation.
Jiang Pengji looked at the beautifully embellished dagger. She felt a sense of frustration that she could not place.
She felt somewhat reassured by the fact that the dagger was sharp. “It should be time now. You take Wan’er to the room in the back and wait. It’ll be bloody, and I’m worried you girls can’t handle it…”
The dagger’s blade gave off a faint cold glow as it reflected the candle’s light. The dagger also had a slight sweet smell… The blade was coated in poison!
Wei Jingxian pursed her lips, and her voice was much gentler when she said, “You be careful.”
The sky was dark outside. She could guess what Jiang Pengji was about to do and also how dangerous it would be.
The bandits were doing just what Jiang Pengji had predicted. They had started an internal conflict and were killing each other.
The boss bandit had finally sought revenge for his loved one, and the burden in his heart was lifted. At that moment, all he needed was some time to himself.
Yet, none of his underlings understood his unspoken feelings and started yapping away. They were noisier than 500 ducks. Their words were all the same: do not let the beauties go. They were bandits. There was no need for them to keep their promise.
Leaders Two and Four were baffled at the development of the events. Leader Two had killed two men who were behaving oddly and were from the same hometown as him.
“Are you crazy, second boss!”
No one predicted that the quarrel would have led to slaughter.
“I am not crazy. They ate my son. They deserve to die.”
Leader Two had not believed what Jiang Pengji told him. But upon questioning the bandits, they had started behaving oddly. His suspicions grew as they stuttered their replies.
During their exchange, he had killed them in a fit of rage.
Leader Four had rushed forward to stop him, but Leader Two pushed him away. Leader Two had angrily said, “You’re defending them? No wonder your wife cheated on you so many times. You deserved it! Did you know these two slept with your wife?”
Silence fell over the shack and no one dared a peek at the Leader Four’s expression.
Leader Two’s state was still unstable as he paced in a circle, pointing at a few bandits. “Him, him, and him! These men slept with your wife. Aren’t you angry? Are you a man? These two men ended my line. What’s wrong with killing them? My poor son… He died such a horrible death…”
The men who were singled out took a step back in fear, their faces pale with fright. Their guilty reactions were telling, and Leader Four turned pale with anger.
Somewhere else, Jiang Pengji held her hand tight against a bandit’s mouth as she slit his throat with the dagger. Blood spurted out, and the bandit collapsed without even making a gurgle.
Cloaked in darkness, her movements were soundless. She used a technique that made her breathing quiet in the silent night and reduced her sense of existence.
Thankfully, this new body was not fond of fragrances or powders. If it were, she would have been discovered immediately.
The System thought Jiang Pengji was overthinking things.
These bandits might have been strong and brave when it came to killing, but if they were really that powerful, they would have found some other way to survive. Why would they hide in the wilderness and only attack when they needed to survive?
The System was an unfeeling entity. It did not have any opinions about Jiang Pengji’s killing, but the System did think this was too cruel for the livestream.
But we have a viewer right now! What was supposed to be an ordinary ancient Chinese romance is now a horror flick. What the heck?
Jiang Pengji wore mask of indifference as she assassinated the bandits one by one. Her movements were quick and efficient, and her methods were that of a true professional.
A slit to the throat swiftly ended the bandits’ lives without even a grunt. Even when they were aware that someone was behind them, they could barely blink before their lives ended.
Toudu Feiqiu grit his teeth and shivered, though his eyes never left the streaming screen. It felt as if he were doused in cold water; goosebumps covered his skin. His back was soaked in cold sweat, and it felt as though someone would slit his throat from behind at any moment.
This was most definitely a restricted level stream. The content was too bloody and gory. How was it approved? He should report it!