All The Female Disciples Want To Kill Me

"How dare you!"

Su Bei had already turned. With his back to her, he said, "Su Mou was unaware of the Empress's presence here... It was not my intention to offend..."

Lin Jinyu's eyes flickered. Under the moonlight, her face possessed a noble, ethereal beauty. Her voice was icy as she commanded, "Leave at once!"

Su Bei took a deep breath. He casually picked up his long robe from the ground and walked away.

Yet, the scene from moments ago replayed in his mind, refusing to fade.

A featherless phoenix.

Among common folk, she would be called a husband-cursing woman.

Hearing the soft rustling from behind, Su Bei clutched his clothes, his heart stirring restlessly. He quickly activated his Selfless Realm to calm his agitated mind.

Lin Jinyu, dampness clinging to her, picked up her clothes from the ground and casually draped the Phoenix court dress over herself. Her gaze flickered as she watched Su Bei, who hadn't left.

If this were Luo City and someone had seen her... their eyes would have been gouged out, and they would have been sentenced to death.

But this was the Sword Sect, at their Cold Pool. No one could have known someone would be bathing here; it wasn't his fault!

But that was not reason enough for her to forgive him.

Her body, which even the Emperor had never seen, had been exposed to a strange man. This... by any measure, was a grave transgression!

The night wind rustled, and Lin Jinyu's mind was a maelstrom. To preserve her chastity for the Emperor, she felt she had only two choices: kill the man before her, or take poison and end her own life.

But she was unwilling. Why should she?

He had made her Empress for a century, yet never shown her the slightest affection.

The sole Empress of Dongfeng—a grand title, yet her life was akin to a century of confinement in the Cold Palace. Who in this vast world could possibly understand this indescribable loneliness?

A sliver of a crescent moon cast its serene light upon the Empress's exquisite face. She took a deep breath, strands of damp hair clinging to her palace attire.

Barefoot, her steps were light but unsteady as she approached Su Bei. A voice carrying regal authority addressed him, "Elder Su, what brings you to the Cold Pool?"

Su Bei had no idea he had already died over eight thousand times in the Empress's thoughts. Hearing that dignified, imposing voice, he turned, offered a wry smile, and looked at the Empress with utmost 'sincerity,' saying, "Empress, Su Mou did not intend to offend. I have come here merely to cultivate."

Cultivate?

Lin Jinyu's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Su Bei's composed demeanor. She peered intently into his eyes, searching for the slightest flicker of desire.

Gazing into Su Bei's eyes, she sensed an ineffable sincerity, as if he were genuinely artless...

Sincere, overly sincere.

An inexplicable strangeness stirred in the Empress's heart. She raised a delicate eyebrow and asked coolly, "Oh? Cultivate?"

"Then, Elder Su, did you see anything just now?"

Her tone was heavy with implication.

Su Bei regarded the stunning woman before him, his expression serene, and replied nonchalantly, "Su Mou saw nothing. The moment I realized the Empress was here, I turned away."

Internally, he marveled at the 'Sincere Facial Expression Pack' provided by the system! This thing was truly miraculous.

The Empress narrowed her eyes again, silently assessing Su Bei's heartbeat and the slightest change in his expression.

She was confident in this ability; no one could lie and deceive her. Even Ji Nanjue sometimes relied on her to discern falsehoods.

Su Bei's heart remained perfectly calm, his expression unchanging. After her scrutiny, the Empress sighed in relief. It appeared Su Bei was indeed telling the truth.

She turned, picked up the embroidered shoes she had left by the Cold Pool, and said softly, "Elder Su, you may leave. This One is tired and wishes to rest."

Somehow, the guilt in her heart lessened considerably. After a pause, she spoke again, her voice now laced with a faint threat, "This One hopes that no third party learns of today's event."

Amusement flickered in Su Bei's eyes. Maintaining his Selfless Realm and the mask of sincerity, he replied calmly, "Su Mou was never at the Cold Pool today. I'm afraid I don't understand what the Empress means."

Lin Jinyu glanced back at him, her expression indifferent. She nodded once and ascended to the pavilion without another word.

Su Bei breathed a sigh of relief. Clutching his long robe, he quickly disappeared from the scene.

Lin Jinyu returned to the pavilion. She gently removed her damp Phoenix court dress, turned, and leaned against the windowsill, resting her cheek on her arm as she replayed the recent encounter in her mind.

A flicker of suspicion suddenly crossed her eyes, and she murmured to herself, "Strange... when he claimed he hadn't come to the Cold Pool, his expression and heartbeat didn't change in the slightest, did they?"

She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it. Rising, she laid her clothes out on the brocade couch, smoothing each piece carefully.

Suddenly, the Empress's phoenix eyes narrowed, her delicate brows furrowing. It was as if she realized something incredibly important was missing!

Lin Jinyu frantically searched through the layers of her intricate Phoenix attire. Confirming it wasn't there, still undressed, she peered out the window once more.

Where had her bellyband gone?

She meticulously replayed every detail of what had just happened. Su Bei's robes had seemed to fall to the ground... and then he had picked them up.