Chapter Seven: Complete Exposure

The woman in white spoke and then turned to leave.

Han Tianyue seized the moment, swiftly pulling off the white veil covering her face. Someone noticed and exclaimed, “Isn’t this our former queen?”

“Yes, the former queen!”

Thus, under Han Tianyue’s urging, everyone came to know that their original queen was still in the Women’s Kingdom. When this news reached the ears of the old shaman woman, she hobbled over with her cane, trembling as she looked at the woman in white and shouted, “It’s this woman! It’s this woman who caused the queen’s death and brought ruin to the Women’s Kingdom! It’s all because of her, everything—she’s the source of all our misfortune!”

Hearing this, Han Tianyue and the others were stunned. “How could this be?”

The woman in white covered the scar on her face and wept bitterly. “I never meant any harm. I only wished for the Women’s Kingdom to flourish!”

“For the sake of the Women’s Kingdom, you must die!” the old shaman declared.

“Very well, I will die!” The woman in white did not resist.

“Drag her to the Queen’s Hall and burn her at the stake to appease the queen in heaven!” the shaman commanded.

“What?” Han Tianyue and the others paled. Although the woman in white had always been mysterious, she bore them no ill will. This time, it was Han Tianyue’s own test that had inadvertently brought her harm. “We have to save her!”

“How?” Mao Xuanzi surveyed their surroundings. The women of the kingdom had already surrounded the woman in white.

“No time to hesitate, charge!” Fang Zhe tore open his women’s attire, cradled the zither, and broke through the crowd, plucking the strings. “Harmony’s Melody!”

As the notes rang out, it was like a towering wave crashing against the women.

Though the old shaman hobbled unsteadily with her cane, she struck it sharply against the ground, instantly dispelling Fang Zhe’s “Harmony’s Melody.”

Han Tianyue and Mao Xuanzi also tore off their disguises and leapt out. “Ice Blade!” “Scorching Fire Palm!” One of ice, the other of flame, they struck toward the old shaman.

The women of the kingdom cried out in unison, and a colossal shield sprang up, blocking Han Tianyue and Mao Xuanzi’s attacks. A booming sound followed, forcing the two to retreat ten steps.

Fang Zhe lifted the unresisting woman in white onto his back. “Where is your ambition? Do you truly wish to die so needlessly?”

“But I—” the woman hesitated.

“No more hesitation. For the future of the Women’s Kingdom, you must live. Because only you can save it!” Fang Zhe said, his voice firm. They all saw how much she had sacrificed for the kingdom.

“Really?” The current state of the Women’s Kingdom was one of ruin and defeat. The woman in white’s heart ached with worry.

Fang Zhe nodded. “You will be a great queen.”

Hearing this, tears streamed down the woman’s face for the first time. She pressed tightly against Fang Zhe’s back. For the first time, this fiercely strong woman felt a tender closeness, stirring something in Fang Zhe’s heart—a surge of protectiveness and a deep desire to comfort her.

Having made their move, Han Tianyue and Mao Xuanzi were already at a disadvantage. They could not linger. Seeing Fang Zhe catch up, the three, along with the woman in white, headed toward the Purple Bamboo Grove.

“Pursue them!” the old shaman shouted.

Ten women, each adorned distinctly, dashed off in pursuit of Han Tianyue and the others.

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