Perhaps it was because the encirclement of the three-city alliance had not yet closed in.
The return journey was surprisingly smooth, encountering almost no danger. They marched south from Shuanghe City and then successfully headed west, as if moving through an uninhabited land.
When the familiar outline of Beihe City's walls appeared in the distance, Gu Chengyin did not order a halt or a change of direction this time.
He raised his hand and pointed forward, his voice concise and clear:
"Her Highness orders: Enter the city."
Shangguan Yunying, who was in front of him, quietly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Because they traveled light during this thousand-mile sprint, everyone had only carried three days' worth of rations.
After two days of rushing about, they were almost entirely depleted. She had been wondering whether she should remind Gu Chengyin.
Unexpectedly, with a single order to return, everyone was brought back to this unguarded Beihe City.
The main force of the rebel army had been lured to Shuanghe City, and no new rebel reinforcements had arrived here.
Therefore, Beihe City was simply the most perfect supply point at the moment.
Wait.
Shangguan Yunying's heart suddenly skipped a beat as a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
Could it be that when Gu Chengyin first gave the order, he had already calculated the time, route, and consumption, certain that they would return to Beihe City for supplies within three days?!
If that were the case, then this man's level of control was simply terrifying.
"The map." Gu Chengyin's voice interrupted her thoughts.
A map with the latest military intelligence was quickly unrolled.
Gu Chengyin's eyes quickly scanned the arrows and markers representing the three-city alliance, his mind calculating rapidly.
"The movements of the three-city alliance are even slower than I imagined."
"I overestimated them, but that is fine. This gives us even more time."
Gu Chengyin looked up at Shangguan Yunying and clearly issued a new order:
"Her Highness orders:"
"Upon entering the city, resupply and rest immediately."
"Travel light, carrying only weapons and three days' worth of rations."
"Gather at the west gate in an hour. Do not fail!"
...
It was still the best restaurant in Beihe City, but the previous clamor was gone, making it seem spacious and quiet.
Even the pedestrians on the street were sparse, and the shops were tightly shut.
The Golden Feather Guards appeared much more relaxed now, no longer burdened by the mountain-like pressure from before.
Ever since they learned that the three-city alliance had gone to Shuanghe City, everyone had been thoroughly convinced by Gu Chengyin.
Simply by running a lap outside and coming back, he had directed the rebel army to Shuanghe City. What incredible strategic planning this was.
And an hour was more than enough time for the experienced Golden Feather Guards.
In contrast, the female officials of the Internal Affairs Bureau were much more exhausted. Many sought out rooms to be alone, silently circulating their cultivation methods to accelerate the recovery of their physical and mental strength.
When Gu Chengyin stepped into the deserted hall, he immediately spotted Shangguan Yunying inspecting the area.
Her steps were light and brisk, her expression focused, and there was not much fatigue visible on her face.
"Aren't you going to take the time to rest?"
Gu Chengyin approached and asked casually, "There won't be many opportunities to rest like this later on."
Shangguan Yunying turned her head upon hearing his voice. Seeing Gu Chengyin, she stopped in her tracks, a hint of pride in her tone:
"Deacon Gu, I am at the Foundation Establishment Realm after all. This little bit of exertion is nothing to me."
"Impressive, impressive. Yunying, please help me find General Chen. I have some business with him when I come back down."
After giving the instruction, Gu Chengyin turned and walked toward the stairs leading to the terrace.
Shangguan Yunying nodded in agreement. Seeing his movement, she subconsciously asked:
"Where are you going...?"
Gu Chengyin did not stop walking. He raised a finger and pointed upstairs: "Since we have some time now, I am going to ask Her Highness for permission to have you teach me cultivation methods."
"Ah?!"
Shangguan Yunying instantly froze in place, watching helplessly as Gu Chengyin's back disappeared around the corner of the stairs, her mind suddenly in a chaotic tangle.
The top-floor terrace of the restaurant.
Fake Luo Zhao stood alone by the railing. The hem of her dark robes fluttered gently in the cool breeze, her figure as aloof, arrogant, and peerlessly elegant as ever.
Gu Chengyin did not even knock. He pushed open the carved wooden door and walked right in, his footsteps clearly audible on the spacious terrace.
He slowly walked to the side of Fake Luo Zhao and stood shoulder to shoulder with her, though his gaze carried a scrutinizing look as he carefully observed the peerless beauty so close at hand.
Gu Chengyin did not harbor any improper thoughts; his heart only held a pure curiosity toward the power of hypnosis.
Ever since he successfully hypnotized Luo Zhao, he had either been in dangerous situations busy dealing with crises, or constantly surrounded by others. He had never had the chance to be alone with Fake Luo Zhao.
Thus, he had never been able to explore exactly how this hypnosis operated.
Or what exactly the state of the hypnotized target was.
Was her original personality in a deep slumber, or had it been overwritten and altered by some kind of power?
Could the hypnosis be neutralized? Would it cause damage to her memories?
Gu Chengyin needed answers to all these questions.
This was not only about his understanding of hypnosis, but also crucial for how he would utilize it in the future.
Thus, Gu Chengyin spoke, asking his first question in a calm voice:
"Who are you?"
Fake Luo Zhao was startled by his voice and slowly turned her head.
Those phoenix eyes looked at Gu Chengyin's face, as if confirming his identity.
Then, a cold tone laced with majesty rang out clearly:
"I am the Eldest Princess of the Great Luo, Luo Zhao."
Gu Chengyin frowned slightly.
The answer came quickly, and the content was entirely correct. Even the tone and demeanor were imitated so vividly that it was enough to fool anyone familiar with Luo Zhao.
But... Gu Chengyin astutely caught a trace of incongruity.
This incongruity was not because Fake Luo Zhao showed any flaws in her performance.
It was because she was too perfect.
So perfect that she did not seem human, but rather like a machine.
"It is not a rewritten personality, but more like running a program."
This hypothesis made Gu Chengyin's heart skip a beat. If this was true, then the Fake Luo Zhao before him...
No matter how perfectly she performed, she was merely a piece of code without a soul or emotions.
A program that only operated according to instructions and data.
A perfect AI robot.
After a moment of silence, Gu Chengyin threw out his second, more pointed question:
"Who am I?"
The reaction of Fake Luo Zhao remained swift. Without the slightest hesitation, her voice was steady and unwavering:
"You are Gu Chengyin, temporarily holding the authority of the Deacon of the Internal Affairs Bureau. I have absolute trust in you."
The answer was still accurate, fully in accordance with the program.
Gu Chengyin's eyes narrowed slightly. He took a half-step forward, standing almost face-to-face with Fake Luo Zhao.
He lowered his voice and asked the final question, one that struck straight at the core:
"Who am I to you?"
This question transcended the boundaries of ordinary interpersonal relationships, directly touching upon the underlying logic established by the hypnosis.
The beautiful yet slightly hollow phoenix eyes of Fake Luo Zhao quietly gazed at Gu Chengyin.
On the terrace, there was only the soft sound of the breeze passing through the eaves.
Then, her red lips parted slightly.
With that cold, clear voice identical to the real Luo Zhao, she spoke distinctly, calmly, and even with a sense of matter-of-fact submissiveness:
"You are my..."
"Master."
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.
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!
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
