Confession

The hall was dead silent.

Luo Zhao felt her cheeks growing slightly hot. She could even hear her suddenly accelerating heartbeat drumming in her chest.

What... what was this?

Even though she knew it was fake, just an excuse, a strategy to deal with the doubts about his identity.

But the words themselves... how were they any different from a direct confession?!

This bastard!

How could he say such things at a time like this, using such a reason!

Luo Zhao subconsciously averted her gaze, not daring to meet Gu Chengyin's deeply affectionate eyes anymore. A faint, barely noticeable blush quietly crept up the tips of her ears.

Forcing herself to calm down, she finally found her voice:

"Would... would anyone actually believe these words?"

Although she was asking about others, her tone was full of doubt, sounding more like she was questioning this outrageous story itself.

Gu Chengyin was not surprised by this question. The deep affection on his face quickly vanished, replaced by the calm and certainty of discussing serious business.

He said with absolute seriousness and matter-of-factness, "Empty words naturally cannot win people's trust, especially not those old foxes in the royal court. Therefore, we need a token."

"A token?"

Luo Zhao paused, her attention drawn back by the word. She looked at Gu Chengyin again:

"What do you mean?"

Gu Chengyin explained with clear logic, "A hidden immortal cultivation family with thousands of years of heritage, no matter how low-profile, should have left behind something to prove its existence, right?"

"For example, a special family token, a jade slip bearing a unique cultivation technique mark, an ancient scroll recording the family's lineage or history, or even fragments of magical artifacts whose use and origin are known only to that family."

"Any single item, as long as it can withstand a certain degree of scrutiny, can serve as supporting evidence."

He looked at Luo Zhao and stated his specific needs: "Your Highness, in the archives of the Internal Affairs Department, or rather, among the royal secret collections, is there anything that matches what I just described?"

"Records of immortal cultivation families or sects that have vanished into the river of history, yet were definitely recorded and might have left behind tokens?"

"Preferably ones with vague records and sparse clues, but still have some physical remnants so that people cannot completely deny them."

Luo Zhao: "......"

The subtle ripples that had just arisen in her heart from the confession were instantly replaced by a surging, nameless anger.

She knew it!

She knew that this bastard Gu Chengyin had no feelings of admiration at all!

Those words just now were indeed all an act to serve this identity setup!

This damn bastard who used every opportunity to achieve his goals!

He didn't even forget to tease her first when fabricating an identity!

Thank goodness!

Thank goodness she hadn't actually believed him and hadn't revealed any more inappropriate emotions!

A sense of humiliation from being toyed with made Luo Zhao almost unable to maintain the calm on her face.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She closed her eyes and supported her throbbing forehead with one hand.

With her other hand, she waved at Gu Chengyin in annoyance, her voice squeezing out through gritted teeth, carrying obvious anger:

"...Go find it yourself in the Wanxiang Pavilion! If you can't find anything suitable..." Luo Zhao paused, ultimately prioritizing the bigger picture:

"Then wait for Yunying to return and have her help you!"

Out of sight, out of mind!

Luo Zhao didn't want to spend another second with this smooth-talking guy who could infuriate her to death!

Gu Chengyin seemed completely oblivious to Luo Zhao's almost materialized anger, or perhaps he noticed but simply didn't care.

Hearing this, he immediately stood up, cupped his hands, and said:

"Alright, I'll go right now."

With that, Gu Chengyin didn't drag his feet. He turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing outside the hall doors, leaving only a dashing silhouette.

Luo Zhao sat alone in the main seat of the empty hall, staring in the direction Gu Chengyin had disappeared. Her chest heaved slightly, and it took a long while before she slowly let out a breath of stale air.

She reached out to touch her cheeks, which still seemed a bit hot, and recalling that moment of accelerated heartbeat and panic just now, she felt even more annoyed.

"Bastard... lecher... as cunning as a ghost!"

She muttered a few curses, but they felt entirely devoid of lethality.

Her gaze fell on the piled-up documents on the desk, and the pressure of tomorrow's morning court descended upon her once again.

The identity issue... the immortal cultivation family... the token...

Luo Zhao forced her attention back to business.

Not only were others curious about Gu Chengyin's identity, but she too wanted to know.

But Gu Chengyin had just said he was going to find an immortal cultivation family to use as a disguise, which meant he didn't actually come from some ancient, hidden immortal clan.

If that was the case, where exactly did he come from?

He couldn't really be sent from heaven, could he?

If Gu Chengyin wouldn't say the answer himself, Luo Zhao had no way of investigating it, and even had to help him cover it up.

At least until they tore up their alliance.

After all, this damn bastard was far too important to her right now.

"It seems I'll have to let Yunying put in more effort..."

Luo Zhao muttered to herself. Thinking of Shangguan Yunying, she then recalled the scene of the two of them looking like a perfect match just now.

Coupled with Gu Chengyin's nonsense confession, the vigilance and inexplicable displeasure in her heart surfaced once more.

"I absolutely cannot let him lead Yunying astray!" This thought grew even firmer.

Gu Chengyin walked out of the Wenli Hall.

He navigated through the palace corridors.

His destination was the forbidden ground located in the core area of the Internal Affairs Department: the Wanxiang Pavilion.

The Wanxiang Pavilion was not an isolated building, but a heavily guarded architectural complex covering a vast area.

It was the core repository where the Internal Affairs Department stored years of confidential documents, legal archives, and royal secrets.

It was also the top-secret location where the Great Luo Dynasty collected and sealed countless top-tier cultivation techniques, sword manuals, formation diagrams, pill recipes, and other cultivation treasures from across the world.

Outside the palace walls, whether it was a profoundly powerful cabinet minister or a patriarch of a wealthy noble family, without a special decree, it was absolutely impossible to set foot here.

The only ones who could freely enter and exit this place were core members of the royal family, high-ranking officials of the Internal Affairs Department, and a few royal enshrines holding special privileges.

Although Gu Chengyin's current identity was merely a manager in the Internal Affairs Department, strictly speaking, he wasn't considered high-ranking.

However, the Crown Prince Token carved with complex phoenix patterns in his robes was the absolute best pass.

Within this deep palace, Luo Zhao's will was, to some extent, more effective than many written rules.

In front of the main building of the Wanxiang Pavilion, the armored Golden Royal Guards stood solemnly like cast-iron statues.

Their armor was bright, their eyes as sharp as eagles, and they exuded the chilling aura of seasoned veterans, vastly different from the demeanor of ordinary Golden Feather Guards.

The moment Gu Chengyin approached, several cold gazes instantly locked onto him.

He didn't say a word. He calmly took out the Crown Prince Token from his robes and held it in his open palm to show them plainly.

The leading captain of the Golden Royal Guards quickly swept his gaze over the Crown Prince Token.

He didn't spare another glance at Gu Chengyin's face, nor did he ask the purpose of the visit.