Gu Chengyin sat in the carriage, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was reviewing everything that had happened just now and last night.
Although his doubts had mostly disappeared, what he cared about now was no longer the hypnosis itself.
Instead, it was an invisible sense of oppression, as if a pair of eyes had been watching him all along.
Whether it was that inexplicable nightmare or this bizarre smoothness and perfection.
Both made it impossible for Gu Chengyin to completely relax.
This was a caution carved into his bones, and even more so, a profound lesson learned from experiencing Luo Zhao breaking free from the hypnosis.
He must have overlooked something extremely crucial!
In Gu Chengyin's mind, Luo Zhao's vacant, stagnant phoenix eyes resurfaced, along with Shangguan Yunying's emotionless obedience, and their perfect reactions when facing his boundary-crossing probes.
No instinctive resistance.
No emotional fluctuation.
Not a single trace of someone who was awake.
There were only two possibilities. The first was that they were indeed hypnotized.
The second was that they had broken free from the hypnosis but tolerated his overstepping.
Gu Chengyin felt as if he had thought of something, yet he couldn't grasp that thread of inspiration.
So he simply continued down this line of thought.
Assuming Luo Zhao and Shangguan Yunying had broken free from the hypnosis and tolerated his overstepping.
That would mean this wasn't their true bottom line.
Then what if he went a bit further, for example, crossing the line completely with Luo Zhao?
If they still maintained such a perfect hypnotized state even then, there would be nothing more to say.
But the more troublesome part was Emperor Luo's side...
Wait.
A flash of insight hit Gu Chengyin; he finally knew what he had overlooked.
How could he have forgotten about that old schemer, Emperor Luo!
And Gu Xiaoli, she was the encyclopedia of the Wanxiang Pavilion!
Moreover, she was currently living with Shangguan Yunying!
But last night, he hadn't seen a trace of Gu Xiaoli at all!
Gu Chengyin suddenly took a deep breath; he finally knew where the problem lay.
Whether Luo Zhao and Shangguan Yunying had broken free from the hypnosis, he didn't know.
But he knew that old bastard Emperor Luo was definitely waiting somewhere to scheme against him again.
Gu Chengyin opened his eyes and said through gritted teeth:
Old schemer, since you want to mess with me again, then don't blame me for taking drastic measures.
The carriage stopped.
The driver's respectful voice came from outside the carriage: Lord Gu, we have arrived at the Ministry of Rites.
Gu Chengyin suppressed all his chaotic thoughts, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped down.
As soon as he stood firm, an official wearing a green robe hurriedly came forward, bowed respectfully, and spoke with obvious urgency:
Lord Gu, you are finally here!
Gu Chengyin glanced at him and asked:
You are?
The man immediately replied: To answer Your Lordship, this humble official is Cui Gong, a secretary of the Ministry of Rites. I was ordered by the Minister to wait here specifically for you.
Cui Gong, surnamed Cui.
Gu Chengyin understood in his heart.
The Ministry of Rites was the department where the Cui clan's influence was the greatest, just like the Xiao clan's control over the Ministry of Personnel.
Cui Gong's next words made Gu Chengyin slightly taken aback:
Anyway, Lord Gu, you should go to the main hall first and take a look! Madam Jiang is clamoring to see you!
Gu Chengyin frowned slightly:
Madam Jiang? Which Madam Jiang?
Could it be...
Cui Gong immediately nodded, his tone filled with helplessness and anxiety:
It is Madam Jiang from the Shangguan Manor!
She is the plenipotentiary representative of the Green Sword Sect in the Divine Capital. After hearing about your matters, Your Lordship, she came to the Ministry of Rites early in the morning, saying she wanted to see you.
The Minister told her you had not arrived yet, and she said she would not leave until she saw you! She is sitting in the main hall right now...
Gu Chengyin blinked, his mind turning rapidly.
If Madam Jiang wanted to find him, would it not be fine to just go directly to the Crown Prince's Palace, or send someone to pass a message? He would naturally visit her residence.
Why make such a big show of it and block him at the Ministry of Rites' office?
Although Gu Chengyin was puzzled, he still ordered:
Understood. Lead the way.
The main hall of the Ministry of Rites.
This was the place where the Ministry of Rites received important guests. It was spacious and bright, with solemn furnishings.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the main hall was somewhat delicate.
The Minister of Rites, Cui Zhenji, held a teacup in his hand, looking calm, but his slightly furrowed brows revealed his true feelings.
And sitting in the guest seat below was a woman.
It was none other than Jiang Jianli.
Behind her stood two maids, their auras restrained and their eyes vigilant.
The moment Gu Chengyin stepped into the main hall, everyone's eyes focused on him.
Cui Zhenji visibly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stood up: Vice Minister Gu, you are finally here!
Jiang Jianli also put down her teacup, raised her head, and her gaze fell on Gu Chengyin.
Gu Chengyin took a few steps forward and cupped his hands in greeting:
Lord Minister.
Then he turned to Madam Jiang and bowed, saying:
I was unaware of Madam's arrival and failed to welcome you. Please forgive this junior's negligence.
A trace of a smile appeared on Jiang Jianli's face. She stood up and said:
Vice Minister Gu, there is no need to be so polite. It is I who came uninvited and disturbed the official duties of the Ministry of Rites. I hope Vice Minister Gu will forgive me.
Gu Chengyin nodded, then looked at Cui Zhenji and said:
Minister Cui, leave this place to me.
The Minister of Rites nodded, patted Gu Chengyin on the shoulder, and led the other officials out.
Soon, only Gu Chengyin, Jiang Jianli, and the two maids behind her remained in the main hall.
Gu Chengyin raised his hand in a gesture of invitation:
Please sit, Madam.
The two sat down again.
After fresh tea was served, Gu Chengyin finally spoke, his tone sincere:
Please forgive me, Madam. This junior has just taken over as the Right Vice Minister of Rites and am not yet familiar with the department's affairs. I am truly ashamed to have arrived late today and kept you waiting.
He paused and continued:
If Madam has business with this junior, you could have actually sent someone to the Crown Prince's Palace to pass a message, and I would have definitely visited your residence. Why go through the trouble of coming to the Ministry of Rites in person to wait?
Jiang Jianli shook her head. The smile on her face remained gentle, but her eyes held a bit more profound meaning:
Vice Minister Gu is mistaken.
Whether in the Crown Prince's Palace or the Shangguan Manor, my identity is the wife of a Grand Secretary.
But that is not the case in the Ministry of Rites.
Here, my identity is the liaison envoy of the Green Sword Sect stationed in the Divine Capital.
The difference between these...
Jiang Jianli looked at Gu Chengyin, her smile deepening:
You should be clear about it, right?
Gu Chengyin understood in his heart.
So Jiang Jianli had come in her capacity as the liaison envoy of the Green Sword Sect.
In the Crown Prince's Palace or the Shangguan Manor, she was an elder, the wife of a Grand Secretary, and her interactions with Gu Chengyin were private relations and family matters.
But in the Ministry of Rites, she was the representative of the Green Sword Sect. Her interactions with Gu Chengyin were official business, a connection between the sect and the dynasty.
Different identities, different occasions, the nature and content of the conversation would be completely different.
Gu Chengyin immediately nodded, his tone becoming much more formal:
This junior understands. Thanks to His Majesty's profound grace, I am now the Right Vice Minister of Rites, responsible for interfacing with immortal cultivation sects.
May I ask what brings Special Envoy Jiang here this time?
Hearing Gu Chengyin change his address from Madam to Special Envoy Jiang, a look of satisfaction appeared in Jiang Jianli's eyes.
She liked smart people.
Especially those who knew how to assess the situation and understood proper boundaries.
And Gu Chengyin possessed all of the above virtues.
No wonder her precious daughter liked him so much.
The smile on Jiang Jianli's face faded, and her expression turned solemn:
Of course, it is regarding the matter of you, Vice Minister Gu, being the heir of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan.
"Regarding the fact that you used the Azure Sword Sect as a bluff during yesterday's morning assembly, I can let it slide."
Gu Chengyin's heart skipped a beat.
Jiang Jianli continued:
"I can even help you legitimize this identity."
These words caused Gu Chengyin's pupils to constrict slightly.
Help him legitimize it?
What did that mean?
Was the Azure Sword Sect going to publicly acknowledge his status as a descendant of the Immortal Clan?
Alarm bells blared in Gu Chengyin's mind, but his face remained perfectly calm:
"What do you mean, Special Envoy Jiang?"
Jiang Jianli looked at him and said with absolute seriousness:
"But there is a condition."
"You must come with me to the Azure Sword Sect."
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
