Wouldn't Shangguan Yunying be the perfect person to take you out of here?
Before Gu Chengyin could voice the doubts in his heart, the door to the room was pushed open from the outside.
Shangguan Yunying, dressed in a crisp, neat martial outfit, strode inside.
When she saw Gu Chengyin standing perfectly fine in the center of the room, wearing a helpless smile on his face, the worry and tension in her eyes instantly dissipated, replaced by a bright gleam of relief.
She closed the door behind her, walked straight up to him, opened her arms, and gave Gu Chengyin a tight hug.
"It's so good to see that you are alright!"
Shangguan Yunying buried her face in Gu Chengyin's shoulder, her voice still trembling with lingering fear.
Despite having various procedures and safeguards in place, she had still endured immense psychological pressure.
Gu Chengyin raised a hand and gently patted Shangguan Yunying's back in a soothing gesture.
At the same time, his gaze drifted involuntarily toward the bed. Through a gap in the brocade quilt, Cui Zilu was secretly peeking out.
The corner of Gu Chengyin's mouth twitched.
He decided not to expose this 'little thief' for the time being; business came first.
"What could possibly happen to me?"
Gu Chengyin gently pulled Shangguan Yunying from his embrace and led her to a chair by the table.
"What is the situation outside right now?"
Shangguan Yunying allowed herself to be seated, her mind and attention completely focused on Gu Chengyin.
She didn't notice the anomaly on the bed at all.
Knowing that business was paramount, Shangguan Yunying immediately began to explain:
"After learning that you were taken away by the Qingli Department, Her Highness immediately took me and rushed to the Cabinet."
"She forced the Cabinet to issue an order requiring a joint dispatch of special envoys from six parties to station at the Ministry of Personnel. They are to supervise the entire interrogation process to ensure everything is legal and compliant, without any lynching or shady operations."
Gu Chengyin nodded; this was within his expectations.
Shangguan Yunying continued, "Afterward, Her Highness reached an agreement with Yuan Zhengqing. The Censorate will officially merge their case with the Crown Palace."
"Right after that," Shangguan Yunying lowered her voice, a hint of excitement lacing her tone, "Her Highness used that stack of documents to persuade Cui Shifan, and they entered the palace together to seek an audience with His Majesty."
Hearing this, Gu Chengyin's gaze became focused.
"After His Majesty saw those things, he was furious."
Shangguan Yunying described with lingering fear, "He immediately ordered Lyu Fang to intervene in the case, mobilizing all the forces under the Imperial Household Department to take charge of collecting and securing the key evidence."
"His Majesty also issued a clear decree, requiring Her Highness to complete the collection and organization of all evidence within three days, and then present it at the morning court."
Having said all this, Shangguan Yunying looked at Gu Chengyin, waiting for his reaction.
Gu Chengyin nodded thoughtfully. Looking into Shangguan Yunying's expectant eyes, he smiled and praised,
"You all did very well. Her Highness truly lives up to her title. Even if I were the one doing it, I couldn't have done it any better than her."
Hearing these words, a radiant smile bloomed on Shangguan Yunying's face.
She nodded vigorously, "Mhm! I will definitely pass these exact words on to Her Highness!"
"If Her Highness knows you praised her like this, she will definitely be overjoyed!"
However, Gu Chengyin abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning serious:
"Well, there is one thing. When you go back, tell Her Highness that she must be careful of the Xiao family."
The smile on Shangguan Yunying's face froze, and she asked in confusion, "Be careful of the Xiao family?"
Gu Chengyin's eyes grew profound. "Xiao Jie had a private chat with me today."
He briefly recounted his conversation with Xiao Jie and then analyzed,
"Reading between the lines, it seemed like he was admitting defeat and yielding, only seeking self-preservation, but I always felt things weren't that simple."
"Xiao Song has been in control of the court for so many years; he would never willingly accept defeat just like that."
"Otherwise, there would be no need to drag me into the Qingli Department. This shows they must be planning to do something, but they are afraid of my interference."
"So I guess Xiao Song might be trying to drag someone down with him as a scapegoat."
Hearing this, Shangguan Yunying instantly became extremely nervous and pressed, "A scapegoat?! Could it be the Cui family?"
Gu Chengyin shook his head, his brows slightly furrowed.
"I'm not sure. It could be the Cui family, or it could be Her Highness, but I need more information to judge."
"And right now, I'm trapped in the Qingli Department, completely unable to see the Imperial Household Department's intelligence network."
"But it must be a very important figure. Only then can they make people hesitate for fear of collateral damage and avoid being completely wiped out."
He looked at Shangguan Yunying, his tone solemn. "Therefore, you must remind Her Highness to be extra careful."
Shangguan Yunying nodded repeatedly, firmly memorizing every word Gu Chengyin said.
A sharp glint flashed through Gu Chengyin's eyes as he proposed a bold suggestion:
"If worst comes to worst, have Her Highness find an excuse to bring my case up for trial at the morning court."
"Ah?!"
Shangguan Yunying gasped in shock, her eyes widening. "But if that happens and it's publicly tried at the morning court, there will be no turning back!"
"I've already found your original file. It's not the one I made at all; it was filed under a humble origin."
"The only person who could do this in the Imperial Household Department is Lyu Fang. This must be His Majesty's intention!"
Gu Chengyin, however, appeared very calm. "It doesn't matter."
"If His Majesty really wanted to deal with me, he wouldn't need to find an excuse."
"He actually just wants to throw me away from Her Highness's side."
"So that Her Highness can independently drive this storm against the Xiao family."
"So that's how it is..." Shangguan Yunying thought aloud, deep in thought.
"Therefore," Gu Chengyin nodded, "my case is not the key."
"The key lies in whether the Xiao family will throw dirty water on Her Highness and catch her off guard."
"If I can be at the morning court, at least I can try to think of a way to block them."
"It's better than sitting here waiting to die."
After listening, a look of realization dawned in Shangguan Yunying's eyes. She said with a serious face:
"I understand! I will definitely relay everything to Her Highness exactly as you said!"
After speaking, she abruptly stood up, ready to immediately return to the Crown Palace.
"Wait!" Gu Chengyin grabbed her wrist.
Shangguan Yunying turned around in confusion. "?"
Gu Chengyin showed a helpless expression and pointed to the bed. "Help me take someone with you."
"Take someone?" Shangguan Yunying became even more confused. Was there someone else in this room besides the two of them?
Then, she watched as Gu Chengyin walked to the bed, reached out, and pulled off the brocade quilt.
"Ah!" A short gasp.
A figure curled up into a ball, holding her head with both hands, wishing she could hide herself into the bed boards, was exposed right before Shangguan Yunying's eyes.
Shangguan Yunying: "...???"
She froze at first, then her eyes widened as she cried out involuntarily:
"Cui Zilu?!"
Caught red-handed, Cui Zilu knew she couldn't hide anymore. She sheepishly released her hands from her head.
Forcing a flattering smile onto her face, she guiltily greeted the dumbfounded Shangguan Yunying:
"What a... what a coincidence, Sister Yunying..."
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
