After Entering The Abusive Novel, I Became The Empress - chapter 12

Amidst a haze of white mist came the broken sobs of a child.

“Where is this place?”

“Mother, where are you?”

“Ah Ruan won’t run off again.”

Qin Yuqing keenly caught the key words in the murmurs — ‘Ah Ruan’, ‘Mother’. She cautiously moved in the direction of the sound.

“Who are you?” A little girl sat on the ground crying, cheeks streaked with tears as she eyed Qin Yuqing warily. “Have you seen my mother? I won’t run off again.”

“Who is your mother?” Qin Yuqing crouched down, studying the exquisitely delicate child. Though she was dressed in coarse linen, her round, rosy face showed she was well cared for.

“My mother is the greatest person in the world. She knows so much.” The little girl’s eyes sparkled with pride when she spoke of her mother. “My mother is Chen Yu. Have you seen her?”

Chen Yu — the name of the original heroine, Chen Cairen, the daughter of the Chen family of Yizhou.

The child before her was the heroine in her childhood form, yet she didn’t look dull or blank like the novel had described.

“Who are you?” The girl sensed no malice from Qin Yuqing, so she bravely stood. “Big sister, have you seen my moth—”

Her words cut short. Terror filled her wide eyes as she screamed, “You bad person! Let go of me! Mother, save me! I don’t want this!”

Before Qin Yuqing could react, the girl shoved her hard and ran away.

“You bad person! Don’t follow me!”

“Mother, where are you? Ah Ruan won’t wander again!”

“Wait!” Qin Yuqing jolted awake, the wooden canopy of a river boat above her. Her chest heaved violently, her whole body gripped by a floating, rootless sensation.

“Ah Ruan, what’s wrong?” A familiar voice murmured by her ear, warmth brushing against her arm.

Strangely, that voice and the heat of that touch grounded her. Her awareness sharpened.

Frowning, Qin Yuqing turned toward Lu Jingchuan. Had that been… a nightmare?

“What did you dream of?” He drew back his hand, reached for a cup of tea, and offered it to her.

Slowly sitting up, Qin Yuqing took the warm cup, sipping lightly. “I don’t remember.”

And it was true. Awake, all that remained was a vague shadow — someone crying, someone familiar, a push at the end. Nothing clear.

“It’s nothing. Just a dream.” Lu Jingchuan naturally took back the cup, set it aside, and placed a piece of candy in her hand. “Eat something first. Dinner’s almost ready.”

Qin Yuqing smiled, fox-like eyes crinkling as she savored the sweet. “Thanks, Lu Jingchuan.”

The next moment, she noticed the flush creeping up his neck. Before she could ask, he muttered something about checking on dinner and strode away, not looking back.

She almost laughed. Having been dragged through countless romance dramas by her best friend in the modern world, she instantly recognized it — the cold-faced young General Lu was shy.

Who would’ve thought? The stern little general turned out to be a bashful youth.

But still… Qin Yuqing narrowed her eyes at his departing figure. Something about Lu Jingchuan nagged at her.

He was called Young General Lu — surely that meant he’d been on the battlefield. Yet during the birthday banquet, his father had said he’d never left the capital.

Then why was he called a general?

“Young miss, you’re awake. Freshen up, it’s time for dinner,” the coachman called kindly from nearby.

Qin Yuqing shook her head. What mattered most now was securing her qualification to sit for the imperial examination. As for everything else, she would only know the truth once she set foot in court.

Dinner, as always, was fish. Not unpalatable, but every meal being fish was wearing.

“After dinner we’ll dock,” the boatman said, biting into a fish head and crunching the bones down. “Follow that path upward and you’ll reach Mount Wen.”

When they docked, both coachman and boatman remained aboard.

“Young masters, you’ve arrived at Mount Wen. My duty ends here. From here, you’ll have to continue alone.” The coachman smiled kindly, pointing at the boat. “I’ll wait for you here.”

Qin Yuqing glanced at the shadowed path ahead. Mount Wen was never in the original novel — the heroine had been meant to visit, but had stayed behind because the hero had fallen ill.

She and Lu Jingchuan thanked the men, then set off together.

“There’s a palace atop Mount Wen,” Lu Jingchuan suddenly said. “It’s built into a cliff, with only one entrance.”

Qin Yuqing squinted at the cliff ahead. Under the moonlight, she thought she glimpsed a structure wedged in the rock.

“Run!” Suddenly, Lu Jingchuan seized her hand and sprinted.

Startled, Qin Yuqing followed. Strange sounds echoed through the night woods. Dark figures darted between trees — not few of them, either.

Who wanted them captured so badly?

“Watch out.” Qin Yuqing spotted a suspicious shadow on the ground — a trap.

Sure enough, a thick rope whipped up. She yanked Lu Jingchuan aside, snatching the dagger from his belt. “No more running.”

If a trap had been laid, then the ambush was planned long ago.

Masked men emerged from the trees, long blades in hand, rushing at them in unison.

Qin Yuqing sucked in a sharp breath. She was only human — no training beyond fitness. She barely dodged, but cuts opened on her skin.

Lu Jingchuan, however, was different. Though he’d never left the capital, years of martial training kept him agile. But dividing his attention to protect her slowed him down.

They couldn’t last like this.

“Don’t mind me. I can protect myself!” Qin Yuqing gritted her teeth. Better to let him fight freely than drag him down. “We’ll meet at the summit!”

“Where are you going?” He cut down three men, then turned — just in time to see her sprinting into the forest.

And every assailant, seeing her flee, immediately turned to chase her.

“Could it be him?” Lu Jingchuan’s jaw tightened. “Lu Jiu, let’s go meet him.”

A shadow dropped from the sky. Behind him, five or six men. “Yes, master.” Lu Jiu glanced at the direction Qin Yuqing had fled. “Master, the Sixth Princess may not last.”

Lu Jingchuan’s gaze locked on Qin Yuqing’s vanishing form. These people’s target was her — they wouldn’t stop.

“We must hurry. She can’t hold out long.”

“Yes, master.” Lu Jiu moved to clear the path.

Wait for me, Ah Ruan. This time, I’ll save you.

In the forest, Qin Yuqing tore off the hem of her dress and hung it on a branch to mislead pursuers. Breathing steadily, she ran.

She had often hiked and trekked in modern times. Running through the woods wasn’t foreign to her.

But her pursuers were many, and she heard footsteps ahead too — she was being encircled.

They were here to kill her.

【Life-threatening danger detected. As you are a novice player, would you like system assistance?】

The cold, mechanical voice jolted her bl00d cold. Was she going to die here?

She didn’t answer. Her eyes darted, searching the terrain. Moonlight was scant, but she spotted a steep slope covered in saplings. A wild idea sparked.

She cut her sleeves with the dagger, wrapping them around her hands, and grabbed the trees, kneeling as she hauled herself upward.

Too steep — only this crawling climb kept her from sliding.

“She’s there!”

“Hurry! Don’t let her escape!”

Shouts rang below.

Qin Yuqing let out a breathless laugh. She couldn’t beat them in force, but her brain was still hers. This wasn’t the end yet.

【Life-threatening danger detected. Do you require system assistance?】

The voice chimed again.

No answer. Her palms stung as the cloth tore, bark scraping skin raw. Pain seared her — but it also cleared her mind, sharpening her will.

One hand after another, she dragged herself upward.

Loose earth and pebbles crumbled beneath her knees. Her legs gave no purchase — only her arms kept her alive.

It was a treacherous climb. In modern times, this would’ve needed full gear.

No one had expected her to take this path, so the cliff above wasn’t guarded.

A dead end to others — but her only way out.

She looked back. Her pursuers were close, but many slipped, tumbling into the darkness below.

Not enough. Not safe yet.

She climbed, unknowing how long, until the gap between her and her pursuers was only one man’s length.

The time has come.

Drawing a breath, Qin Yuqing swung her body hard, latching onto a tree, momentum carrying her sideways. She grabbed another branch, repeating the motion, until she hung by one hand, eyes calm as she faced her foes.

They hadn’t expected her daring. Some edged sideways warily.

“Then… goodbye.”

Her gaze was resolute. She let go, body sliding down the slope at speed. Along the way, she pushed off trees, redirecting her fall.

【Life-threatening danger detected. Do you require system assistance!】

The system’s urgent voice hammered at her mind.

Still, she gave no answer. Instead, she silently counted. Trees blurred past until — there, a flash of white.

She clawed at the dirt, snagged a branch, and caught herself. Her shoes were shredded, her feet bleeding, but she stood on a thin trunk.

Below, a dense thicket.

She let go, tumbling into it.

“That crazy wench!”

“Did anyone see her?”

“From that height, if she’s not dead, she’s crippled.”

Voices echoed above.

“Boss, we found a scrap of clothing.”

“She’s slippery. Alive or dead, bring her back.”

“Yes!”

The sounds faded.

Qin Yuqing crouched in the thicket, waiting. When silence returned, she poked her head out.

The sun was rising. Not far away, a cliff loomed.

“Still not enough,” she muttered. They would search again.

She had to reach the palace atop the cliff. Only there might she be safe.