The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

"Achoo!" Jiang Yunlou sneezed unexpectedly, his whole body trembled, he looked at Ye Lingcheng's plaque, then at the unconscious Lin Piaopiao, his face becoming increasingly pale.

During their journey, Lin Piaopiao's severed right hand had already started to rot, making it impossible to reattach it. Furthermore, Ying Li had come to seek revenge on Lin Piaopiao and himself, and had nothing to do with Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun was only biased towards him and Piaopiao because of the connections between the aristocratic families, and ultimately did not directly harm Ying Li. Therefore, Ying Li did not attack him severely, while he and Lin Piaopiao were seriously injured.

Now, the task of escorting Lin Piaopiao home naturally fell to him. Just thinking of Lin Ying, the patriarch of the Lin family, with his vicious eyes that seemed to want to tear everyone apart, filled Jiang Yunlou with dread. After all, Lin Ying's cultivation was at the second stage of the Spirit Opening Realm, while his father had only just entered that realm and was no match for him. As for the Xiao family patriarch, although he was at the third stage of the Spirit Opening Realm, he had never interfered in the affairs of aristocratic families, let alone defended him.

"Piaopiao, we're almost there, just bear with it." Jiang Yunlou patted Lin Piaopiao, who was lying half-dead in the carriage. Lin Piaopiao's lips were dry, and her face was frighteningly sallow. Hearing Jiang Yunlou speak, she struggled to open her eyes and nodded before fainting again.

Jiang Yunlou smiled helplessly. As soon as the carriage stopped, he picked up Lin Piaopiao and got out of the carriage, entering the Lin family home.

"Clang!" Lin Ying looked at Lin Piaopiao's half-dead state and listened to Jiang Yunlou's account of what had happened. He slammed his right hand on the table next to him, and the table collapsed to the ground and shattered into pieces!

Jiang Yunlou's eyelids twitched as he looked at his father, Jiang Zishang, who was sitting to the side with an equally grim expression. Seeing Jiang Yunlou's pale face, he said angrily, "I thought that little waste from the Ying family had no spiritual power left, but who would have thought she was such a formidable character? Now she has beaten Piaopiao and Yunlou to this state. Brother Lin Ying, we can no longer tolerate this!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ying, the head of the Lin family, glanced sideways at Jiang Zishang. His son was completely unharmed, but his clever and obedient daughter would never be able to cultivate spiritual power again. Thinking of this, Lin Ying roared, "I'll go and beat that little piece of trash to death right now to avenge my daughter!"

He was about to get up and head towards the Ying family when Jiang Zishang's expression changed. He quickly stood up from his stool, stopped Lin Ying, and said earnestly, "Even if we go to seek revenge, we won't have any grounds for argument. So many people from Qingyue Manor saw Yunlou and Piaopiao's fight with Ying Li and even released thirty evil beasts to harm Ying Li. Ying Li fought back without thinking, and even if word got out, he would still win the hearts of the people. But Piaopiao was fierce and ruthless, and her skills weren't up to par, so she lost a hand. And you, as her father, actually want to go to their house like your daughter? Even if you can beat the Ying brothers, Ying Qihan and Ying Qishan, and even if you beat that old codger, you'll still be condemned by others. Besides, although that old codger is seriously ill, he's still at the third stage of the Spirit Master realm. How can the two of us possibly fight him?!"

Lin Ying's face darkened further, his eyes flashing with sharp, dagger-like intent as he glared at Jiang Zishang. He clenched his right hand tightly and said menacingly, "Then tell me, what should we do? I, Lin Ying, absolutely cannot swallow this insult!"

Seeing that Lin Ying's expression softened slightly after listening to the advice, Jiang Zishang leaned close and whispered a few words in his ear. Lin Ying's expression became even more relaxed, and in the end, he even showed a hint of smugness.

"Brother Zishang is indeed very thoughtful. In this way, Ying Li will surely die! Hahahahahaha..." Lin Ying's hearty laughter echoed in the inner hall. Jiang Zishang wore a smiling face, but in Jiang Yunlou's eyes, his father's face was even more terrifying than Lin Ying's.

"Li'er is back?!" Ying Wuyou's face was beaming. Hearing that Ying Li had returned home, he couldn't help but feel happy. Even his body, which had been tormented by illness for days, seemed to have improved.

Ying Qishan, who was serving Ying Wuyou medicine at Yizixuan, was overjoyed to hear that Ying Li had returned. He put down the medicine bowl in his hand, helped Ying Wuyou up, and sure enough, before they could sit down in the outer room, they saw Ying Li rushing in from outside.

They had long heard that Ying Li had made great progress in his spiritual cultivation outside, and that he had even defeated Lin Piaopiao and Jiang Yunlou's group at Qingyue Manor. At first, they didn't believe it and thought it was just a joke based on hearsay. But just now, someone came to report that Jiang Yunlou had secretly brought the severed-handed Lin Piaopiao into the Lin family. Only then did they realize that the rumors were true.

If that's the case, then Ying Li's performance in tomorrow's competition will certainly live up to everyone's expectations.

"Grandpa, Third Uncle, I'm back." Ying Li entered the door happily and immediately knelt down to greet Ying Wuyou.

Ying Wuyou and Ying Qishan were overjoyed to see Ying Li surrounded by a clear aura of spiritual energy. Ying Qishan, in particular, quickly helped Ying Li up and slapped her shoulder hard, saying, "You silly girl, I knew it! You've always been smarter than others since you were little. How come you couldn't learn martial arts well? Now you're famous. You're even more famous than your uncle now."

"Hehe, Third Uncle, not at all. Third Uncle's martial arts are unparalleled, and he is a genius in spiritual cultivation. I, Ying Li, am no match for him." Ying Li was overjoyed, and her tone naturally carried a hint of coquetry.

Seeing that Ying Li was eloquent, Ying Qishan wanted to teach her a lesson, but Ying Li's smile changed. She said with some worry, "Grandpa, Third Uncle, I've caused a huge disaster. Lin Piaopiao's right hand can't be reattached. She was too arrogant back then, and I couldn't help myself. If this brings trouble to the Ying family, then I'll be unfilial."

As Ying Li was about to kneel down again, Ying Wuyou waved his hand, signaling Ying Qishan to stop her, and said, "The Lin family is going too far. Are you saying my Li'er can't even fight back? Besides, that Lin Piaopiao has never been a good person since she was little. If we let her cultivate spiritual energy, who knows how many people she will harm in the future. Even if she is crippled, it's still doing a good deed for others. If the Lin family dares to cause trouble, our Ying family won't be a pushover! Li'er, don't be afraid, Grandpa will stand up for you."

Ying Li nodded heavily with excitement. Seeing her grandfather's medicine bowl, she suddenly seemed to remember something and took out a bright red pill from her bosom, handing it to Ying Wuyou, saying, "Grandpa, this is the Spirit Gathering Pill that I made for you. Your health is not good. After taking this pill, you will surely be free from all your illnesses."

Ying Wuyou looked at the red and purple pills, and a wave of pure spiritual energy wafted into her nose. She was shocked. "This is a Spirit Gathering Pill. We don't have this treasure in Yeling City. Grandpa has been searching for it for a year without success. He went to Bixia Palace to ask for the medicine, but it was always out of stock. Where did Li'er find this?"

Ying Li smiled slightly, fed the Spirit Gathering Pill to Ying Wuyou, and then said, "When I went out to cultivate, I met a master. The spiritual power in my body and the Spirit Gathering Pill in my hand are all thanks to the master. Grandpa, don't be afraid. If you want more, I will find a way to go find more."

Ying Wuyou and Ying Qishan stared at each other, both looking panicked. They wanted to ask Ying Li who the expert was, but seeing Ying Li's mysterious demeanor, they decided not to say more. So Ying Wuyou swallowed the Spirit Gathering Pill in his mouth.

A rich, nourishing energy spread from his throat, and Ying Wuyou felt completely relaxed. Every blood vessel seemed to have been cleansed anew, and his originally tired and cumbersome body instantly became light and agile. In less than half an hour, the effects of the Spirit Gathering Pill had been fully absorbed by Ying Wuyou, and his pale face began to gradually turn red.

"Grandpa feels so relaxed and comfortable. This Spirit Gathering Pill is truly a wonderful thing. His year-long illness has been cured so quickly!" Ying Wuyou's face lit up with joy, and his eyes showed even more relief as he looked at Ying Li.

"That's good. Grandpa can then focus on being the head of the family, and Yingli can go to Bixia Palace to cultivate in peace."

"Very good, very good." Ying Wuyou and Ying Qishan smiled with relief, the gloom of the past few days swept away.

While everyone on one side is having a good time, a storm is brewing on the other.

Ying Qihan looked at his two daughters standing in the room with a worried expression. Ying Luo was at the eighth level of soul cultivation, and Ying Xue was at the sixth level. Logically speaking, they should be able to enter Bixia Palace tomorrow without any unexpected events. However, that fool had returned and suddenly become stronger in just one month. He was unsure whether his two daughters could defeat him. If they lost, their position as the heir to the Ying family head would remain secure. If they won, he would have a reason to shake Ying Wuyou's resolve.

Seeing her father's solemn expression, Ying Luo said nonchalantly, "Father, I know very well what level Ying Li is at. I personally crushed her in the mud back then. What kind of trouble can a mudfish cause?! Father, don't worry. If I face Ying Li tomorrow, I will definitely beat her down again!"

Seeing his daughter's confidence, Ying Qihan's expression softened slightly. However, Ying Xue, standing to the side, disagreed. She hesitated and said, "I heard that my younger sister broke Lin Piaopiao's right hand, seriously injured Brother Yunlou, and even caught that taciturn Xiao Xun, who has been skilled in martial arts since childhood, off guard. How could my elder sister, whose skills are inferior to Xiao Xun's, achieve such a great victory against my younger sister?! Xue'er still feels something is amiss. What if my elder sister loses tomorrow..."

"You good-for-nothing! How could I lose? You're just scared by those rumors. Ying Xue, remember this: among the younger generation of the Ying family, only I, Ying Luo, am number one. There is no one else! Do you understand?!" Ying Luo glared at Ying Xue fiercely and said coldly.

Ying Xue shivered. She had been afraid of Ying Luo since she was a child, not only because Ying Luo was powerful and she couldn't beat her, but also because her father clearly favored Ying Luo, who had a stronger attack, and was always indifferent to her. Now she was afraid that she had said something wrong again. Looking at her older sister and father's cold faces, Ying Xue lowered her head deeply and dared not question them anymore.

"I heard you clearly, eldest sister. Eldest sister will definitely win." Ying Xue said blankly, and seeing that Ying Luo was no longer pursuing the matter, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Ying Qihan's expression softened slightly. He walked over and patted Ying Luo's shoulder, instructing her, "Luo'er, tomorrow's operation must be carried out discreetly. We absolutely cannot allow anyone to catch us red-handed. That girl Ying Li must die! Also, your third uncle's son, Ying Zhe, is returning from Linshui City tomorrow. That kid has always been fond of bluffing. If you run into him, give him a good beating. My third uncle is always going against me; tomorrow I'll make him taste the pain of a parent outliving their child. Understand?!"

"Father, don't worry, Luo'er remembers." Ying Luo nodded, her eyes filled with killing intent.