1.22

Li Luo stood in the middle of the room, while Jing Chun Empress Dowager and Qin Yan stood outside. Both sides locked their gaze for a full quarter of an hour, only then Jing Chun Empress Dowager and Qin Yan slowly came inside.

After they entered the room, Jing Chun Empress Dowager looked at Li Luo with a sneer. Her pair of beautiful eyes revealed a disgusted and sarcastic look. "Bengong [1] never expected Qin Yu, that little bastard, would discard you right away as if you're nothing. Bengong initially wanted to use you to threaten that little bastard Qin Yu, and make him have a bit of propriety. Unexpectedly Bengong's prediction was wrong."

Jing Chun Empress Dowager stopped speaking. She bowed her head, and seemed to be carefully observing her own fingers that were covered with gloves engraved with precious stones. Her glossy lips slightly opened, and then said, "That little bastard simply doesn't care about your life or death. A few days ago, he captured Rong City. As long as he continues to attack cities, he will eventually arrive at Bian Capital City."

The more Li Luo listened to Jing Chun Empress Dowager's words, the more stupefied he felt in his heart.

Wait a minute! Why was it that he felt extremely familiar with those words, but he didn't understand what they meant? They had kidnapped him to threaten the protagonist? He didn't mishear, right? Strictly speaking, he was only the protagonist's brother. Please don't hope that he would have the same role as the female protagonist, okay?!

Seeing that Li Luo just quietly listened to her talk and didn't say a word, Jing Chun Empress Dowager's downcast eyes flashed a hint of an unknown look. She suddenly lifted her eyes and looked up at Li Luo. She lightly covered her mouth with her fingers and laughed silently, "But even so, you have been with that little bastard for so many years. Personally killing you in front of him, it would at least be able to make him feel a little heartbroken, right?"

Qin Yan, who was standing beside Jing Chun Empress Dowager, did not speak even a single word. From the very beginning, he had just sized up Li Luo in front of him. His pair of eyes which gazed at Li Luo were filled with ruthlessness, just like a poisonous snake, which made Li Luo's entire body feel uncomfortable.

After Jing Chun Empress Dowager finished speaking to Li Luo, she turned to the two palace maids who stood quietly on the side with their heads lowered, "Carefully serve him, whatever he wants, just satisfy his demand. However, you cannot let him out of this room."

"Yes, Nubi [2] will remember." The two palace maids quickly replied.

Jing Chun Empress Dowager left the two palace maids behind as she turned around and swiftly left. Qin Yan gave Li Luo one last glance and then followed Jing Chun Empress Dowager.

Only once they left Li Luo's residence and were far away from it, the silent Qin Yan finally opened his mouth and asked, "Muhou [3], since that kid has no use, why do you still want to keep him?"

Jing Chun Empress Dowager slightly raised her lips. She smiled with narrowed eyes as she glanced at Qin Yan, "Huang'er, you just don't understand a man's mind. With that little bastard Qin Yu's temperament, he maybe calm on the outside, but in his mind he was the most concerned about this boy. We can see it from his urgent actions. He even told us, we must not act rashly toward this boy, otherwise we will pay a painful price. Hahaha, let's pressure him again with this boy to know how precious he is to him."

"If that was the case, Muhou, why did you say that kind of thing to that boy?" Qin Yan asked puzzledly, as he frowned.

Jing Chun Empress Dowager slightly raised her chin, and faintly said, "This was to plant a seed of suspicion. Even if it was unremarkable at this moment, it will grow even stronger with the passing of years."

Jing Chun Empress Dowager's sleeves swayed. The wind was making the silk cloak that was almost dragging on the ground gather together. There was a cunning expression on her face, "Once the seed of suspicion is formed, it is difficult to eliminate. Even if Qin Yu, that little bastard, is able to rescue the boy smoothly, I too want to make their hearts become distant. I believe Qin Yu, that little bastard, will love this gift I prepared for him."

...

However, what they did not know, was that Li Luo was not as they thought. After he listened to Jing Chun Empress Dowager's words, he forgot what Jing Chun Empress Dowager had said to him immediately.

He let the two palace maids prepare his meal. After he was full, he wondered how to escape from this place.

Although he was the author of this book, he didn't know anything about this imperial palace's topography.

After sending away the two palace maids from the room, Li Luo immediately sat on the chair inside of the room as he thought of a way to deal with the situation he was in. At this moment he was just an ordinary person who did not even have martial arts. Even if he still had his previous skill, he was afraid that it still would be too difficult for him to deal with those Imperial bodyguards who're guarding outside.

Li Luo rubbed his fingers a few times. Then he immediately remembered the system, Xiao Qi, that brought him to this world. Even if it couldn't find a way to deal with the situation he was in, the system looked like a high technological product, it should be have some usefulness, right? Moreover, he also wanted to ask about the parts in the storyline that seemed to have been changed. He wanted to know if it would have a negative impact on him.

Because he was with Qin Yu almost all the time, he didn't have much personal time. So, it had been a long time since he called out Xiao Qi.

Li Luo tried to call out the system, Xiao Qi's name in his mind.

After a moment, a soft childish like voice sounded in his mind,[Great host, long time no see (づUど)~]A series of Japanese-style emoticons rolled around several times in his mind before Xiao Qi's voice sounded again,[What's the matter host for you call out Xiao Qi? ]

Li Luo directly asked in his mind, [Xiao Qi, at this moment I'm inside the Imperial Palace. This plot doesn't exist in the book. It will not affect my way of returning back home, right?]

Xiao Qi sent an emoticon that portrays a tiger touching it's face & shaking it's head within Li Luo's mind, [It would not. Host doesn't have to worry too much. As long as the ending of story where the protagonist dominates the world hasn't changed, it'll be alright (☆ _ ☆). Just a moment ago I took a look at the progress of it, and it was proceeding very smoothly. As long as it keeps going like that, host, you will soon be able to return to your original world.]

Li Luo sighed in relief, and then asked, [Do you have any way to help me escape from the imperial palace?]

He didn't want to stay here and wait for Qin Yu to save him. Moreover, Qin Yu was far away from here, water from afar can't quench the near fire, who knows when Qin Yu would make it to this place, Qin Yan and Jing Chun Empress Dowager, those two villains, would definitely come up with a plan to defeat him.

[Wait a minute, I'll take a look~]Xiao Qi dropped this sentence and then immediately disappeared.

Li Luo poured a cup of tea. He raised the teacup and calmly took a drink while awaiting the news from Xiao Qi. To an outsider, he just fell into a daze as he stared blankly, that's all.

After about one burning of incense, Xiao Qi appeared again, and said,[Great host, Xiao Qi found the map of the imperial palace. Just a moment ago Xiao Qi took readings of them and found there is a secret tunnel that leads to the outside of the imperial palace at the large garden not far from this room ~ Great host doesn't have to worry, Xiao Qi can guide you to that place where the secret tunnel was (づ ¯ 3 ¯) づ. ]Xiao Qi's voice become more and more soft, just like a spoiled child, he was acting coquettishly to Li Luo to take the credit for his achievement.

Li Luo nodded his head, and said sincerely in his mind, [Thank you, Xiao Qi.]

Xiao Qi was shy for a moment, and then happily said: [This is what I'm meant to do.]

Li Luo once again asked, [Can you unlock my power that is being sealed?] At this moment he was just like an ordinary person. He didn't have much confidence that he would be able to leave this room smoothly.

Xiao Qi,[…No…I'm not able to, because I can't intervene in this world except for with advice >_<...]

Li Luo had a very disappointed expression on his face.

Seeing the disappointed expression of his host, Xiao Qi suddenly felt that he was very useless_ (: з) ∠) _.

Xiao Qi thought deeply for a moment, and then carefully said, [However, I can scan the bodies of the people around me and display their stats. Oh, also, I'm able to find their weaknesses. This should be useful, right? ]