Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 255 - 175: Calamity Fox

Chapter 255: Chapter 175: Calamity Fox

Jiuyue followed the bionic maid assigned to guide her with quite the agility. Since arriving here, she had sensed the aura of chaos and disorder right from the beginning. It had been quite a long time since she had closely observed such amusement, ever since she met Duan Mingyuan.

Because Mr. Mingyuan preferred docile and well-behaved little fox demons, she had no choice but to suppress a small part of her nature.

The maids assisted her to the dressing table, brought out the most luxurious garments, and unfolded the makeup box before her.

The empress of Mechanical Star greatly admired her beauty, to the extent of fanaticism—so much so that she desired to possess that beauty for herself.

So even if this lie were propagated a thousand times over, it could never truly deceive oneself.

However, Jiuyue found this empress quite a remarkable woman; she had straightforwardly revealed the purpose of dressing her up after sending Duan Mingyuan and Ling Long off to the dungeon, considering it a great honor for Jiuyue to accept her body as a generous gift, for which she should be immensely grateful.

The Imperial Court Doctor of Mechanical Star had informed the empress of an obscure treatment method—transferring consciousness into another vessel, taking over their body, so as to return to health.

Not only that, but also this unrivaled beauty in all the cosmos.

No need for propaganda or brainwashing, nor any reliance on external things; just one look was enough for someone to never avert their eyes again.

This had been the empress’s wish all along.

To this, Jiuyue’s verdict was that it was madness.

It seemed that all the nobles of Mechanical Star were somewhat eccentric.

"Even on this planet, she has hammered the notion that ’she is the most beautiful person in the universe’ into everyone’s minds with her authority, yet she remains perpetually insecure, fearing that people would gossip about her behind her back, viewing her through a colored lens—that’s the obsession formed from longing for something unattainable," she said.

Another voice was present in the room.

The speaker was the Imperial Court Physician, reportedly a master summoned by the Chancellor himself.

And now, he was preparing for the upcoming surgery.

"What would be the consequences after swapping consciousness?"

To Jiuyue, this was akin to a captivating play, and she had been chosen as a crucial cast member. She tried to look worried and asked.

"The empress will persist through your body, while your consciousness will quickly deteriorate just like her exhausted body," answered the doctor, honest and straightforward. As the Imperial Physician to the empress, he had no need to consider the life or death of others.

Quack!

Jiuyue scorned inwardly.

She had seen the finest doctor in the universe—Mr. Mingyuan would never resort to such a life-for-life treatment lightly.

Jiuyue asked, "Was it you who told her to bathe in the blood of young girls?"

She felt that such a quack deserved to be tripped by a doorstep on his way out, only to fall and break his neck on the steps.

"The treatment is called ’Blood Bath,’ an ancient medical practice from Red Lotus Star, which can stabilize a patient’s condition," the doctor explained. Then, shifting his tone, he added, "Once the surgery is complete, your death is certain. The empress’s body is already reaching its limit; if it undergoes an operation of this magnitude, the remaining body will rapidly desiccate... However, perhaps we could strike a bargain. If I were to make some alterations during the surgery, you could survive."

"What kind of alterations?"

"During the surgery, when the empress is at her weakest, to better adapt her body to yours, your consciousnesses will briefly merge, meaning you’ll have the opportunity to glimpse into the empress’s innermost thoughts."

"And then?"

"I need to know the secret about the treasure. If you can uncover that secret for me, I can assure you that after the surgery, the consciousness remaining in this body will still be yours."

"Then wouldn’t the empress..."

"As I said earlier, her body will rapidly turn to dust, and her consciousness will become nothingness," he clarified.

This was a coup, sounding every bit as thrilling as the intrigue that unfolded in the Imperial Court.

And Jiuyue knew neither party involved in this conflict—disliking both sides, whichever failed in the coup would still provide her with ample entertainment.

"This is a win-win deal for you," stated the physician confidently, sure of his bargaining chip. "The success of the surgery is for me to judge. You will not only survive but also naturally claim the empress’s title, becoming the ruler of this planet. Whether you reveal yourself afterward depends on your skills."

"Let’s do as you suggest," Jiuyue agreed.

She feigned fear perfectly.

Jiuyue’s knack for looking pitiable was flawless; even Mr. Mingyuan had been fooled by it time and again.

Dressed in splendid attire and with her makeup done, she followed in the steps of the doctor.

The empress appeared to be eagerly anticipating her arrival, fixating her eyes on Jiuyue as soon as she saw her again, knowing that soon, this impeccable body would be hers.

Jiuyue then got to see another side of the palace.

There was a vast pool filled with blood that had not yet dried, into which the empress disrobed and submerged herself.

With every step Jiuyue took, she felt the tremble of the floor beneath.

The doctor produced a helmet-like device, placed it upon the empress’s head, shielding her vision; her enormous frame relaxed immediately, seemingly falling asleep in the blink of an eye.

The doctor said expressionlessly, "It’s your turn."

"Do I need to take off my clothes as well?" Jiuyue asked.

"Of course," was the reply.

"Then turn around first," Jiuyue demanded.

The doctor snorted disdainfully, but complied nonetheless.

Although the Fox Demon was enchantingly beautiful, she couldn’t compare to the secrets hidden within the treasure.

He stood still for a while, yet all was silent behind him, not a single sound to be heard.

Growing impatient, the doctor asked, "Have you finished undressing?"

"Almost done," she replied.

The doctor suddenly had a bad feeling because Jiuyue’s voice was too close, as if she were less than a step away from him.

"You—" he began.

"Ah! I told you not to peek!" Jiuyue admonished him coyly, pushing him gently. But this insignificant strength made the doctor’s legs go weak, and he fell onto the chair while still turning his head. After the back of the chair touched his neck, his head slumped, and he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Jiuyue admitted that the Imperial Physician’s offer was tempting, as it could help her discover the secrets within the black staff directly, but she wasn’t born yesterday. Those who knew her were aware that she was a highly vigilant fox and would not entrust her body to anyone other than Mr. Mingyuan; taking off her clothes in front of others was out of the question.

She bent down to prop up the doctor’s limp body, placing him next to the empress and fitting another helmet on him.

She had understood the principle of the device.

Once activated, the consciousnesses of both parties would merge, and the controller of the device could swap the consciousnesses during the process.

A body about to die from desiccation swapped with a consciousness that had just passed away seemed like a fair business to Jiuyue, a career manager. No one took advantage of the other.

Thus, the Mechanical Star Empress obtained a body with all organs intact except for a broken neck through the trade; the doctor, in turn, gained access to the secrets known to the empress.

Both parties achieved their goals and looked forward to a bright future.

Jiuyue studied the device, which had many buttons she couldn’t understand and many inscriptions she couldn’t read.

Guided by a spirit of inquiry, she tried every button on it.

The empress in her slumber no longer relaxed; splashing sounds came from the Blood Pool. Even though she was still in the depths of sleep, her limbs struggled involuntarily.

This struggle didn’t last long. Jiuyue observed that the empress’s body visibly turned into cracked pieces of clay and then, the splashing sounds from the Blood Pool ceased.

Having completed all this, Jiuyue picked up the lifeless doctor as if he were a small chicken, dragged him out of the bedchamber, and threw him beneath the throne in the great hall.

She then sat in the oversized throne, leaning back, propping her chin on her left hand, legs crossed languidly, and commanded an attendant in no uncertain terms, "Go, summon the Chancellor. I have matters to discuss with him."

About ten minutes later, she had her desired meeting with the Chancellor of Mechanical Star, the man second only to her in power.

A resolute man of nearly fifty.

Upon seeing her, he first paused, then caught sight of the doctor in the great hall, who appeared to have his neck twisted by someone.

His pupils shrank, and his face turned pale, utterly dumbfounded.

The scene before him was vastly different from their plan; by now, the empress’ consciousness should have dissipated, to be replaced by a puppet they could easily manipulate.

Yet the woman seated on the throne radiated even greater presence than before, seemingly lazy, but her piercing gaze made it impossible for him to meet her eyes, as if... she had completely shrugged off her illness and returned to her peak.

"Do you have any explanation for yourself?" Jiuyue asked, glancing at the doctor’s body dispassionately.

The man under the hall tried several times to argue his case, but didn’t know where to start. This silver-tongued man was unusually at a loss for words.

Eventually, he seemed to give up on defending himself and said, "Right now, your highness, you probably have more pressing issues to deal with than how to punish me."

Gunfire erupted outside the great hall, and this sudden surprise brought a measure of bravery back to the Chancellor, "It seems that the worsening condition of your body can no longer command the loyalty of your subjects."

The sounds grew closer, reaching the front of the great hall.

Fortunately, he always had multiple plans prepared.

"And I," he said, always side with the victors."

The Chancellor heard movement behind him and spread his right arm wide, "This planet ought to undergo a change of dynasty..."

His words cut off abruptly.

Because he saw the person who entered the great hall. It was neither an insurgent seeking to usurp power, nor an assassin planted by the Chamber of Commerce in the throne, but a person he had never seen before.

"Hm?"

Duan Mingyuan, who had just entered, also paused upon seeing Jiuyue on the throne, his brow furrowed, "What are you doing up there?"