Forensic Imperial Concubine by Erika Black

As they stood at the entry point of the Labyrinth Swamp, everyone looked ahead with a lot of fear in their heart. The obscure
stretch that lay ahead of them and the sickening odor coming from the swamp made them feel like going back. At that moment,
Harper handed over an antidote pill to each one of them. These pills were meant to protect people from the miasma that
pervaded inside the Labyrinth Swamp. Taking the pills in their hands, all her followers glanced at Harper. The resolute look on
her face indicated that no matter how bad the path was, there was no turning back. Harper gave a pill to Diana as well. If she did
not take the antidote pill, she would die inhaling the poisonous gas within a matter of two hours.
Diana looked at the antidote pill in her hand with a frown and said, "There is no use of taking this antidote pill. It will not work
here. The Labyrinth Swamp is a dead end. Nobody can get out of it alive. The miasma in the swamp is more than ten times
stronger than outside. Since I will die anyway, it doesn't matter whether I take it or not."
Harper got irked at Diana's remark. She grabbed Diana's chin and forced her to swallow the pill. "Now that I have made up my
mind to enter the Labyrinth Swamp, it means I'm not afraid of this place no matter what lies ahead."
Laughing grimly, Diana said, "You outsiders have no idea how dreadful the Labyrinth Swamp is. Even the best shamans in the
South Kingdom can't survive the deadly poisons here. Even if you..."
Diana paused as soon as she remembered who she was talking to. She was reminded that Harper's blood could kill even the
most poisonous creature. Hence, Harper might be braced against all the poisonous elements in the Labyrinth Swamp. Maybe
she could survive. But that did not apply to others.
"I understand that your special physical abilities can protect you from the dreadful miasma in the Labyrinth Swamp. But what
about the poisonous insects and fearful beasts? How will you save yourself or us from them?" Diana's face looked pallid and
ghastly. Catherine's attack not only injured her shoulder but it impacted her internal organs as well. Although Harper had
administered the necessary pills to treat her internal injury, her face still looked exhausted out of pain and fatigue.

"Let her walk by herself," Harper ordered the secret guards who had been supporting Diana. Then, she took a glance at Diana

and added, "Your lives are more important than her. If she wants to die, just let her be. No need to care so much about her."
"What do you mean, Harper Chu?" Diana refuted immediately. "Humph!" Harper snorted. "Look at you! I don't feel pity for you.
Catherine injured you so badly. In fact, she tried to kill you. But that doesn't make any difference to you. Instead of turning
vengeful towards her, you are tirelessly courting death since we have left the Starry Palace. I never imagined it was this easy to
bully you."
"I don't know what you are talking about," Diana argued, setting her eyes on Harper's face, as her brows stitched into a tight
frown. "There have been countless attempts of murder on me. Sometimes there were people from my own family and sometimes
there were enemies in the guise of friends. But look at me. I have never denied myself the chance to live my life to the fullest.
When others want me to die, I try to be alive more than ever. I will not only live but also live a better life than anyone else,"
Harper said with gritted teeth, grabbing Diana's collar. "If I was in your place and my elder sister wanted to kill me, I would not
ask for death to fulfill her wish. Instead, I would make her feel more miserable than death!" There was pin-drop silence as Harper
spoke. She seemed to be wanting to ignite the fire within Diana. All the secret guards stood in silence. Only Howard's eyes
flickered slightly. Every word that Harper uttered was true. When she was in the Chu Clan mansion, everybody else except her
grandmother, wanted her to die. However, she fought back each time. Not only did she
defend her own life but she had pushed all the people who wanted her to die in hell.
"What are you saying? Catherine is my biological sister. Blood is thicker than water!" Diana said.
"Huh!" Harper snorted again. "Even my biological father tried to kill me, let alone sisters. Besides, does affection between sisters
really exist in a royal family?" Harper looked into Diana's eyes with a formidable look on her face and then, in an instant,
released her grip on Diana's collar. Unprepared for this sudden stance, Diana fell on the ground with a thud. "Go away if you
want to die. I don't want to see your face again," Harper said, turning her back at Diana.
Diana looked up at Harper's back. Harper's strong and broad shoulders seemed to be proving every word she said. Diana could

not help but feel moved and her eye softened. Diana thought to herself, 'I don't owe anything to Catherine. On the contrary,.

Catherine had taken the position of the Holy Maiden from me.' Since their childhood, whenever they had a common liking
towards something, Lance had never hesitated to give it to Catherine. If at all anyone owned me anything, it was Catherine. Yes!
Catherine owed a lot to her. But Catherine always made it look like she had made a lot of sacrifices. With such thoughts in mind,
Diana made up her mind that she would stay alive and get out of the Labyrinth Swamp, so that she could get even with
Catherine. "No! I'm not going to die. I'll go out of the swamp alive to get back at Catherine!" she announced in a resolute voice.
However, Harper did not look back at her. Instead, she gazed ahead at the Labyrinth Swamp. The swamp was filled with heavy
miasma making the visibility blurred. "Go ahead. Be careful along the way. Take care of each other," she ordered in a low yet
stern voice.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Harper led the group by taking very slow and calculated steps into the Labyrinth Swamp. Howard followed right after her. Harper
took each step with much caution. Once inside the Labyrinth Swamp, it was very difficult to make out whether your next step
would land on the ground or into the swamp. Harper decided to use her flying skills. The Labyrinth Swamp was overwhelmed by
the thick miasma. Even the slightest carelessness could lead to death.
After walking at a stretch for six hours, they sat down to take a rest. In the meantime, they even got drenched in a spell of heavy
rain. Despite her injury, Diana tried her best not to fall behind. At the moment, she was sitting on the ground, gasping for air and
her air of being a noble lady had just disappeared from her face.
Howard was found to twist his body every now and then, furrowing his brows. It seemed as if he felt quite uncomfortable. But due
to his good upbringing, he restrained himself from scratching his body. Nevertheless, he looked awkward.
"What's wrong?" Harper asked politely.
Howard squeezed his eyes and said in a suppressed voice, "I feel painful and itchy on my back." Harper was taken aback by his
answer.
"Take off your clothes. Let me take a look," Harper said immediately.
Howard was rendered speechless as Harper made haste to unfasten his waistband. He stood still while his mind was in turmoil.
He wanted to say that it was improper for a man and a woman to touch each other's bodies even though they were siblings. But
almost immediately, he remembered that there was no blood relationship between him and Harper. Lost in his thoughts, Howard
could only hear gasps one after another.