Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

Darkness shrouded over the Xi city as the sky lit up with continuous flashes and loud rumbles.

The ear-splitting thunders rocked the glass windows of the riverside mansion that stood alone in the vast stretch of darkness.

Since it was private property, there weren't any houses or buildings on the premises of the mansion that bordered with grass fields and trees.

However, under the veil of darkness, the entire place was surrounded by the alpha team who skillfully concealed their appearance. 

Ning Jing who stepped out of the bathroom after a warm shower, frowned in displeasure when she was welcomed by the loud rattling of the balcony door.

She walked towards the balcony while drying her damp hair with the towel. 

"Didn't I close it before?" She pauses for a moment, as she reached for the door handles.

A bolt of sudden lightning brightens the entire place, allowing Ning Jing to see the panoramic view of the vast garden of the riverside mansion.

Ning Jing wasn't a person who enjoyed the scenic beauty of nature, but her current lock down life has taught her to observe and appreciate the little things around her.

For someone who stayed in Ahn Lu Shan's house like a caged bird for a fortnight, the riverside mansion that spread over hectares of land was nothing but heaven. 

The view of the garden under the flashes of lightning and the burbling river sent Ning Jing's mind back into her memories. 

On her first visit to Xi city, she was simply an ambitious girl who came to spend time with the man of loves,

The hopes and dreams of starting a life with Tang Wei Sheng made her feel excited as if she owned the entire world.

She was happy, until one day Li Juan came and brutally shattered her dream like a glass castle. 

The diamond ring on Li Juan's finger, shone brightly like the sun and made the seeds of suspicions to bloom.

It didn't take much time for her doubts to become true and it pushed her into the depths of hatred and vengeance. 

Li Juan whom she respected as an intelligent scholar and a great team leader, has become her biggest enemy overnight. 

But looking back now, Ning Jing felt something amiss,

Was it Li Juan who barged into her life and took Tang Wei Sheng away from her?

Ning Jing abruptly stopped her thoughts and slowly the realization hit her.

She unintentionally scanned the room where she stood. 

Wasn't it the same place where Li Juan and Tang Wei Sheng spent quality time together? 

This mansion was the birthday gift from elder Tang to his grandson. However, for Tang Wei Sheng, it held more value since it was the place that has been filled with Li Juan's memories. 

"I have a girlfriend and I'm planning to marry her," Tang Wei Sheng's words rang in Ning Jing's mind.

She still remembered the night when he visited her to clear the misunderstandings regarding their dating scandal.

Tang Wei Sheng trusted his girlfriend and believed that they will overcome every struggle to lead a life together.

Ning Jing was also aware of the fact that, If it wasn't for her schemes and his family's emotional black mailings, Tang Wei Sheng would have married Li Juan a long ago. 

The engagement with Ning Jing was nothing but necessary tool to improve the business relationships. Other than that Tang Wei Sheng had no interest in Ning Jing or any other woman.

For him, it was always Li Juan, she was the one whom he wished to spend his life. 

Since Ning Jing already had a vague idea about his temperament, she didn't even dared to imagine Tang Wei Sheng's response when he comes to know that she is the perpetrator behind Li Juan's death. 

Not only she killed his girlfriend but also absconded to a place that held importance in Tang Wei Sheng's love life with Li Juan.

During the expedition, when she tried to kill Li Juan, she escaped death by a slight chance.

If Li Juan retained her memories after the attack, then things wouldn't have been the same for Ning Jing.

One word from Li Juan and Tang Wei Sheng himself would have been destroyed Ning family without any mercy.

Ning Jing foolishly believed that eliminating Li Juan would bring her happiness, however, only recently she realized that Li Juan's death has placed her future on the tip of a knife.

The moment Tang Wei Sheng knows the truth- it will be her end. 

Even if she tries her entire life to win over Tang Wei Sheng, Ning Jing clearly knew that she can never fill the void that left behind by Li Juan. 

"It's all in past now, there is no need to think about," 

Ning Jing closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.

The people who were aware of the truth had been taken care of by the Tang family and on that note, Ning Jing forced herself to believe that her future with Tang Wei Sheng will be secure.

She let out a sigh and closed the balcony door.

Keeping the towel aside, Ning Jing strode towards the vanity table and picked up the hairdryer.

The moment, she turned on the hairdryer, the light inside the room flickered and quickly darkness engulfed the mansion. 

"Aiishhh," Ning Jing jeered and placed the hair dryer on the table.

Other than occasional thunder sounds and whistling of the wind, the entire mansion was immersed in eerie silence.

For some random reasons, an uneasiness crept over her mind, as if she has been watched by someone. 

Ning Jing glances across the room and when her gaze fell on the dark figure in the corner, the hairs on her body stood up in horror.

"There is someone in the room," Ning Jing's heart began to beat rapidly as she felt a piercing stare bore deep into her flesh.

"What happens to people who died without fulfilling their ambitions or the people who got murdered? Will they turn into a revengeful ghost?" At the very moment, random thought popped into her mind,

"What if Li Juan has turned into a revengeful ghost?"

Gulping in horror, Ning Jing slowly walked towards the bed. Even the light sounds of her own footsteps and heartbeats made her tremble uncontrollably in fear. 

She somehow reached out to take the knife kept on the bedside table.

Though Ahn Lu Shan assured Ning Jing that she will be safe in the riverside mansion, she sneaked a kitchen knife for her peace of mind.

Once she got hold of the knife, Ning Jing let out a sigh of relief and grasped tightly on it. 

"Sec...secretary Ahn, are you there?" She called out, but her feeble voice got lost in the sudden thunder.

"Secretary Ahn!!!"

All of sudden, the lights got turned on and once again the eerie room lit up nicely.

Ning Jing squinted her eyes, unable to adjust with sudden brightness and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

However, when she opened her eyes, colours of her pretty face drained and turned pale in a mere moment when she saw the figure stood silently in the room.

Li Juan who stood before her was unbelievably graceful and composed, the seemingly nonchalant stance of her body draped in black trench coat had a horrifying aura like a death reaper.

The pair of ink-black eyes immediately threw Ning Jing right over the edge of deep pits of hopelessness and fright.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh," she screamed in insanity. 

"Ghost!!!!" Her crackly screams echoed in the room,

No matter, how much she tried, Ning Jing's feet refused to move from the spot as if she is rooted on the ground.

"Stop looking at me like you've seen a ghost," Li Juan's cold and clear voice rang in the room, dragging Ning Jing back to reality.

She calmly leaned on to the door and examined the woman who was petrified to death.

"Or would you like it if I actually were a ghost?" 

Ning Jing couldn't believe what she was seeing.

A mere half month ago, she left Li Juan in a freaking swimming pool to die,

With her limbs shackled and mouth gagged, it was impossible for a human being to come out of the pool alive...

but how did Li Juan escape from death and appear here?

It's impossible!!!!

"You should see your face now," The ends of Li Juan's blood-red lips curled into a mirthful laugh.

Ning Jing's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the figure blocking the door.

Mind-numbing horror hung right over her head as she finally realized that Li Juan is alive.

"How...did...you..aa-" 

"How am I still alive? Or how did I manage to escape from your fault-proof murder plan?" With the corners of her lips perched upwards, Li Juan sneered,

"If not that, then how did I get into this house?"

Ning Jing who was trembling in fear, could not even open her mouth to speak. Seeing Li Juan's ghost would have made more sense.

"You shouldn't have left that place without making sure that I am dead," Li Juan straightened her back and took a step closer towards Ning Jing while speaking out,

"I had my family to rescue me...what about you? Are you sure that the Tang family will protect you from every danger?" 

Feared by Li Juan's advances, Ning Jing's feet moved its own and stepped away from her.

Her mind was in complete chaos.

She believed that Li Juan was dead and even absconded to Xi city to avoid getting caught by police. Not to mention that, Tang family assured to protect her from Bai corporation and even made Ahn Lu Shan to guard her.

But what about now? Li Juan who was supposed to be dead was standing before her and interrogating her.

"Did you really think that you were to send to Xi city for your safety?" Li Juan looked at Ning Jing as a cold smug adorned her face.

"No..they send you away from Jing city so that anyone can kill you like a stray dog,"

Hearing her condescending remarks, Ning Jing's face turned gloomy to the extreme. She never thought about such a possibility,

"Don't try to fool me! Do you think I'll be mistreated like that? Tang family needs me...I'm their daughter in law," Ning Jing argued in a shrilly voice.

"Tang family might have treated you as their daughter in law, but what about Tang Wei Sheng? Did he ever said that he needs you? A person who is willing to die for his love, do you think he will let a person who attempted murder of his sweetheart, go wholeheartedly? I don't think so,"

Li Juan looked at Ning Jing with relish and narrowed her eyes,

"You should have killed me, when you had the chance,"

As the distance between them shortened, Ning Jing tightly clasped on to the knife's handle.

In a glimpse, she charged towards Li Juan's chest.

"Die bitch!!!!!!," 

However Li Juan quickly responded by moving to the side and she avoided the attack.

"Fxxk," Ning Jing cursed in detest and charged again.

She was at the end of her wits and killing Li Juan was the only possible way to save herself from death.

If Tang Wei Sheng knows about Li Juan's existence, or as a worst-case scenario, knows it was Ning Jing who schemed everything- that's it. She will no longer live.

Like a charged Spanish bull, Ning Jing tried to attack her opponent continuously. However, Li Juan swiftly avoided getting hurt like a skilled fighter. 

After leaving the hospital, Li Juan was sent to Yu palace to recuperate. However, instead of taking a rest, the first thing she did was asking Huang Zi Tao to train her how to fight. 

She was adamant on learning to protect herself.

It was her way to lessen the guilt in her heart over their lost child. 

She pushed herself beyond her abilities to become stronger and pledged that she will no longer allow someone hurt her loved ones.

"Your time is up," Li Juan coldly smiled and snatched the knife with her bare hand.

Even before Ning Jing could comprehend the situation, a heavy kick made her flew towards the balcony door. 

"Ahhhh," Ning Jing growled as her back hit on the glass door, shattering it everywhere.

Wincing in pain, she looked at Li Juan who held the knife with bloody hands. 

For some reasons, the entire situation reminded her of the night in Tu valley when she and Mei Lin confronted Li Juan. 

That night, she witnessed the fierce and bloodthirsty form of Li Juan,

At that time, she wasn't a human, but a monster.

And right now, the woman who stood right before her was nothing but a more fierce version of the same monster.

The murderous glint in Li Juan's burning coal eyes imparted a menacing and overbearing aura around her. 

"Do you have any last words?" Li Juan demanded as she walked towards the balcony. 

The crushing sounds of glass pellets under her boots pierced Ning Jing's ears like death bells. 

"No. I will not die here.

I should...I must escape," 

Gritting her teeth in pain, Ning Jing gathered a handful of shattered glass and threw it at Li Juan who was walking towards her. 

As the sharp glass pieces flew towards her, Li Juan covered her face and hunched lower to avoid getting hurt.

At the same time, Ning Jing who took advantage of the situation rose to her feet and jumped from the balcony without any second thoughts.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh," 

A loud shriek followed by a heavy thud sound echoed into the riverside mansion. 

Li Juan rushed towards the balcony railing, ignoring the bleeding wound above her left eyebrow. 

She glanced down and found Ning Jing limping her way out from the thick bushes.

The thick cushiony bushes in the garden has reduced the impact of fall, however, Ning Jing was injured.

Li Juan sinisterly looked at the frail woman who was trying to run away and the alpha team members who were silently cornering her. 

Killing some one like Ning Jing was a cakewalk for them, however, tonight, their only task was to block Ning Jing from leaving the premises of river side mansion.

"Run as much you want, but you are not going to live this place alive," Li Juan shouted from the balcony. 

Under the effect of her threat, Ning Jing looked back and at the same time, a huge bolt of bright lightning flashed upon them. 

Under the momentary glaring light, she clearly saw Li Juan's peerlessly beautiful face painted in scarlet red blood. 

It was a sight that was horrifying yet alluringly beautiful to watch. 

Under the bone corroding stare, Ning Jing rushed towards the gate holding her life. 

Though she tried to ignore her aching body, with every step it felt like thousands of daggers piercing into her body.

Wreathing in pain and fear, Ning Jing raised her eyes at the roaring sky and prayed for a saviour to help her. 

All of sudden, the gate got open with a loud creak sound and a matte black Maybach crawled inside like a majestic beast. 

As the bright headlight beams fell on her, Ning Jing's eyes welled up with tears. 

It was the same car that Ahn Lu Shan took out from the garage as he went out to pick Tang Wei Sheng from the airport. 

The turbulent weather must have delayed his flight, yet Tang Wei Sheng arrived at the right time like a saviour sent by heaven. 

However, Ning Jing was yet to realize that it wasn't heaven but hell that helped her...

By sending the Devil himself.