Are kings and nobles born of noble blood (Bonus update)

Hearing Lin Yu grant her permission to speak,

Ye Mengfu said softly,

"Actually, I think... there's no need to be nervous."

"Aren't we... the neutral faction?"

"They... probably all want to win us over."

"Besides, the game Ying'er designed... losing might mean winning, and winning... might mean losing."

Lin Yu nodded thoughtfully.

He had almost let his nerves drag his IQ offline!

Little Fufu made a good point!

Right now, Lin Yu had no reason to be so tense—they were all highly sought-after treasures.

In the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu, his supposed allies might not be real allies—they could even be spies.

But winning over the neutral faction as teammates? That would guarantee loyal, righteous allies!

If Aunt Ruxue showed any hostility...

They could just latch onto a powerful figure in Shu or Wu and fight back, couldn’t they?

Lin Yu gave Ye Mengfu a thumbs-up:

"In desperate times, it’s always Little Fufu who shines—what an eye-opener!"

[Ding!]

[Brilliant move! The Saint’s sincere praise fills his Dao Companion with joy!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]

Ye Mengfu pursed her lips, stealing a glance at Lin Yu with a faint smile.

Meanwhile,

Ying'er announced the tasks to be completed before the first round began.

Forming alliances by recruiting the neutral faction would only start in the second round.

The first round was more like a preliminary showcase—

A chance for each faction to demonstrate their strength, making it clear to potential defectors which side had the best shot at unifying the realm.

Each faction had to elect a "Lord" before the first round.

Being Lord wasn’t just for show—it came with a private badge.

Ying'er didn’t reveal the badge’s effects yet.

She also clarified that elections would be held before every round,

So securing the position in the first round didn’t guarantee anything.

Of course, becoming "Lord" meant taking responsibility for the faction.

During this round,

If any faction member took damage, the Lord could choose whether to let the teammate bear it or take the hit themselves.

In other words,

This wasn’t just a test of teamwork—it also tested whether the Lord could win greater loyalty moving forward.

While other factions debated,

Lin Yu’s team also began their election discussion.

Though it seemed heated, the Lord position went to Lin Yu without much dispute.

Not because of his charisma,

But because his undead race had no health bar!

Others had three or five HP.

His stat sheet just said: ∞!

Electing an overpowered meat shield like him—was there even a debate?

Since he was already a corpse, wasn’t he meant to take the hits?

Lin Yu accepted the role calmly and moved the discussion forward:

"Even though the game hasn’t started, I want to ask everyone..."

"Do you want to join Wei, Shu, or Wu—or should we carve our own path?"

Ye Mengfu was the first to speak:

"I-I’ll follow the Lord’s lead."

Shen Buyao and Huang Feirong exchanged a glance.

Shen Buyao: "Are kings and nobles..."

Huang Feirong: "...born to rule?"

Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Good. Very good.

Ying'er’s design, though just a game,

Really put human nature to the test!

Especially for their neutral faction—the decision-making process was even more complicated.

Wei, Shu, and Wu were clearly powerful.

Joining them might even land someone the "Lord" role, maybe even the "Ruler of the Realm" someday.

But choosing independence? That was the hard path.

The game hadn’t even started, and they were already facing a trial of conviction.

"Alright, at least we know there are no spies among us."

"For the first round, let’s teach them a lesson—show them what it means to..."

"Start from nothing, grow strong, climb step by step, and rise to glory!"

Shen Buyao: "Hell yeah! Let’s wreck ‘em!"

Huang Feirong: "When Big Yu becomes emperor, I’ll be a founding hero! What should we call our dynasty... the Yu Dynasty!"

Ye Mengfu clenched a small fist under the table: "Go for it."

Lin Yu: "Go for it!"

Yu Dynasty...

Hah, seriously though,

The chuunibyou spirit was burning wild now.

What man could resist the allure of "Heaven’s Mandate, Eternal Prosperity"?

Next,

The neutral faction members laid their cards on the table, sharing their skills.

Only the "hidden skill" column was blank for everyone.

Once discussions wrapped up,

Ying'er recorded each faction’s elected Lord.

The first round officially began!

Standing behind the group, Ying'er raised her voice:

"Everyone..."

"Night falls. Close your eyes!"

The room erupted in shock: "???"

Lin Yu was no exception—joining the collective bewilderment.

He was also shocked that everyone else seemed equally stunned.

Did no one know the rules?

He thought it was just his faction in the dark!

Were there even fixed rules to this game?

Once all eyes were shut,

Ying'er continued:

"Lord with the highest HP, quietly open your big, beautiful eyes~"

Player 1: "Pfft—"

Player 2: "Hahaha, Lin Yu’s gotta open his eyes now."

Player 3: "Next time, just say ‘Lin Yu, open your eyes.’"

All players: "Hahaha..."

Lin Yu: "..."

Did they really need this pointless narration?!

Earlier, Shen Buyao had already revealed Lin Yu’s infinite HP to prove his undead status wasn’t weak.

Lin Yu opened his eyes to see Ying'er holding two cards.

Her left hand held a red "Medicine" symbol, her right a black "Sword" symbol.

"Lord with the highest HP, these are the skills your race can use in the first round."

"Choose left or right, and which faction to target."

Lin Yu steadied himself, sinking into thought...

The symbols’ meanings were easy to grasp—

One was healing, the other attack.

But as an undead, how would his skills play out? That was still unclear.

After a moment’s consideration,

His gaze landed on Du Ruxue, who was still smirking...

Oh really?

Still laughing?

Think it’s that funny?!

Whether Lin Yu attacked Wei or not,

Du Ruxue would probably assume he did anyway.

Better to strike first than be wrongfully accused!

...

(Bonus chapter delivered! Today’s updates are done. Back to the grind tomorrow, dear readers. Your free "Powered by Love" votes mean a lot to this little author—thanks a million!)