The Evil Deity's Second Career - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ji Lanci offered three sticks of incense to me every day without fail, accompanied by the freshest offerings of fruit. I felt quite guilty, having done nothing for her in return.

I’ve never been one to sit idly by, so after the Imperial Concubine pushed Ji Lanci into the water, I pushed her in as well.

The servants and maids were all watching. After Ji Lanci fell, the Imperial Concubine somehow lost her footing and tumbled in right after her. It was simply her bad luck; the water barely reached her knees, yet she managed to drown.

I thought I had exacted a bit of revenge for Ji Lanci, but to my surprise, the Emperor threw her into the Cold Palace. His reasoning was that someone had to pay for the Imperial Concubine’s life, or else he couldn’t give her father a proper explanation.

Damn him! Wasn’t it the Imperial Concubine who struck first?

What happened to that “lifelong devotion” he promised?

Is this it?!

Before Ji Lanci left for the Cold Palace, she brought my statue with her.

“Great One, I am truly sorry for dragging you into this suffering with me.”

I didn’t dare tell Ji Lanci that I was the one who pushed the Imperial Concubine; I was afraid she might smash me to pieces.

“This is nothing. I’ve had it much harder than this before.”

I had intended to comfort her, but the guilt on her face only deepened when she heard my words.

“Don’t be afraid, Great One. Even in the Cold Palace, I will ensure you live with dignity!”

Ji Lanci was a woman of her word. She unfurled the bundle she had brought with her, revealing a hoard of gold, silver, and jewelry.

I asked her, “When did you pack all this?”

“I’ve kept everything the Emperor bestowed upon me since the day I entered the palace.”

“I knew long ago he couldn’t be relied upon. A ruler’s favor is like flowing water-here today, gone tomorrow. I am not so foolish as to entrust my fate to a man.”

“I don’t want his heart anyway. Just give me the money.”

Seeing my stunned expression, Ji Lanci gave a sly smile. “A person must always leave themselves a way out. That is what my father taught me.”

When Ji Lanci spoke of her father, her eyes were filled with admiration.

She said that the most far-sighted person in the world was her boastful father, who reeked of nothing but money.

“I am the daughter of a merchant. My family ran the largest bank in the Great Zhou. We had nothing but money.”

I was a bit surprised. When I first met Ji Lanci, she had been dressed in plain clothes, seeking my help on a rainy night.

“Then why did you…?”

“Why did I come to the temple to beg a deity to save me?”

“My family met with disaster. My father and my elder brother were both killed. My sister-in-law, who was heavily pregnant, was also murdered. They even used a sharp blade to cut the unborn child out of her womb, just to see if it was a boy or a girl.”

“They slaughtered my family, robbed us of all our money, and set the manor ablaze to cover up the massacre as an accidental fire.”

As she spoke, the usual smile vanished from Ji Lanci’s face, replaced only by hate-a thick, concentrated hatred.

“Those people were very discreet. It seemed as though there were no leads to follow, but there are always traces.”

I leaned against the wall of the Cold Palace, which shed dust at the slightest touch, and watched Ji Lanci.

“But my father fought with everything he had to protect me. He wanted me to live well.”

“If you seek revenge, I will help you.”

Ji Lanci looked at the hand I extended toward her. After a long silence, she placed hers upon it.

“The deity is merciful.”