Not lifted?
This answer stunned Gu Chengyin.
He stared into Gu Xiaoli's large eyes, trying to find any trace of a lie, but there was nothing.
Her gaze was crystal clear, carrying honesty and frustration.
Yes, frustration.
It felt like the frustration of a scholar who had painstakingly researched for years, only to finally discover that their chosen subject was unsolvable.
Gu Chengyin's mind raced.
Wasn't Gu Xiaoli's mission to protect Luo Zhao's absolute safety?
This was Empress Lin's dying wish, and also the mission of the World-weary Loli.
Then how could she not have lifted it?
It defied logic.
Unless...
"Xiaoli searched through the entire Wanxiang Tower, but couldn't find a way to lift it."
"Xiaoli read many of the ancient texts in Wanxiang Tower regarding the divine soul, consciousness, and control."
"From the most basic Divine Soul Guidance Art to the most obscure Southern Border Heart-Gu Record, from the orthodox Daoist Scripture of Purity and Tranquility to the fragmented remnants of the demonic Soul-Snatching Grand Magic..."
Gu Xiaoli's voice carried a deep sense of unwillingness:
"None of them had it."
Gu Chengyin fell into deep thought.
He called up the system panel in his mind, looking at the interface that only he could see.
His gaze rapidly slid down, finding that crucial hypnosis slot.
Behind Luo Zhao's name, the words Hypnosis Successful were indeed still displayed.
The system did not prompt any abnormalities.
But he was just looking; after all, this damn broken system had a prior record.
The last time Luo Zhao broke free from the hypnosis, it had also displayed Hypnosis Successful without any abnormalities.
Gu Chengyin's frown deepened.
He looked at Gu Xiaoli again.
The World-weary Loli stared at the chessboard pattern on the stone table, her profile looking exceptionally frail in the sunlight.
That appearance truly resembled a young girl blaming herself for her own powerlessness.
Was it really as Gu Xiaoli said, that she hadn't found a way to lift it, and therefore hadn't dispelled the hypnosis?
This explanation sounded very reasonable. Wanxiang Tower housed millions of books, and the texts covering cultivation, the divine soul, and consciousness were as vast as the open sea.
Even for someone with an eidetic memory like Gu Xiaoli, wanting to read them all and find a solution was indeed unrealistic.
But...
Gu Chengyin couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't that simple.
His intuition told him: Gu Xiaoli had absolutely done something.
Even if Gu Xiaoli hadn't told anyone because of a poisonous oath, she had absolutely done something.
Perhaps a protective measure.
Perhaps an early warning mechanism.
Perhaps a countermeasure.
Gu Chengyin stared at her without speaking.
Sometimes, silence itself was a kind of pressure.
Gu Xiaoli's eyes were very calm. Because she was world-weary, she almost never revealed too much emotion.
And once she did show emotion, it meant she was trying to increase her own persuasiveness.
While simultaneously covering up some little secrets.
Her Highness's dying wish was very important; Luo Zhao had to be awake and safe.
But Gu Chengyin was equally important to her.
So ultimately, Gu Xiaoli had awakened Shangguan Yunying and Luo Zhao, but retained the consciousness puppet.
And the true meaning of retaining it wasn't for disguise, but for obedience.
Absolute obedience to Gu Chengyin's System Commands, not verbal orders.
At this time, even if Luo Zhao herself was in control, she would be forcibly switched.
And then watch helplessly as the consciousness puppet executed the System Commands.
This was because the hypnosis hadn't been lifted.
But as long as Luo Zhao always used the consciousness puppet to face Gu Chengyin.
Then this information gap would never be discovered.
Ensuring Luo Zhao was awake and safe was fulfilling the promise of the dying wish.
And planting this hidden backup plan was Gu Xiaoli's own partiality.
"Brother."
Gu Chengyin's attention was immediately drawn over.
He saw Gu Xiaoli raise her head, those large eyes looking straight at him. The frustration from earlier was gone from her gaze, replaced by a stubborn seriousness.
"Although Xiaoli hasn't found a way, this is only temporary."
"Once Xiaoli finishes reading all the books in Wanxiang Tower, I will definitely find a way to save Her Highness."
Gu Chengyin understood.
Indeed, Wanxiang Tower was so large and had so many books, and Gu Xiaoli didn't have that much time, otherwise she wouldn't spend all her free time immersed in reading there.
Once she actually finished reading them all, she might really find a way and lift Luo Zhao's hypnosis.
This was a long-term, continuous threat.
But it was also an acceptable threat.
Gu Xiaoli was telling him: I can't do it now, but I will be able to in the future, so you had better make plans early.
This was a kind of warning, and also a kind of compromise.
Gu Chengyin smiled.
"Xiaoli, aren't you afraid I will lock you up so you can't read books for the rest of your life?"
This was the most simple and brutal method.
Locking up the World-weary Loli so she could never read again would naturally mean she could never find a way to lift the hypnosis.
Gu Xiaoli tilted her head, her tone innocent as she said:
"If Brother locks Xiaoli up, Sister Yunying will definitely know, and Eunuch Lu will also know. If Eunuch Lu knows, that means His Majesty knows."
"When that happens, Brother will have to face more than just one person."
This was a reminder to Gu Chengyin, but Gu Chengyin's focus wasn't on the reminder itself.
Because he heard a key piece of information.
"You know Yunying was freed?"
This question was asked very suddenly, so suddenly that even Gu Xiaoli froze for a moment.
She blinked, and a clear hesitation appeared in those overly calm large eyes.
Gu Chengyin stared at her, not rushing her, just waiting quietly.
Finally, Gu Xiaoli nodded:
"...Sister Yunying told Xiaoli."
"She also asked Xiaoli if there was any way to lift Her Highness's hypnosis, preferably... preferably..."
At this point, Gu Xiaoli's voice unconsciously lowered, as if it were somewhat hard to say.
Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow:
"Preferably what?"
Gu Xiaoli then mustered her courage and said:
"Preferably a way to hypnotize Brother."
Gu Chengyin: "..."
He shook his head somewhat helplessly and said:
"I really didn't expect Yunying to have such ambition, actually starting to think about counter-hypnotizing me."
It was quite reasonable too.
Gu Chengyin even found the idea quite interesting.
"So..." Gu Xiaoli looked at him, asking with some expectation, "Brother, since you have already lifted Sister Yunying's hypnosis, can't you lift Her Highness's too?"
"Her Highness doesn't actually hate Brother that much, she is just too proud..."
Gu Xiaoli didn't finish her sentence, but Gu Chengyin understood what she meant.
Luo Zhao was indeed proud, but she also definitely held grudges.
"No." Gu Chengyin shook his head decisively. "With her temperament, I would be hunted down to the ends of the earth."
"But..." Gu Xiaoli still wanted to say something.
"No buts, Xiaoli. I understand your position, but there is no room for negotiation on this matter."
"At least, not right now."
This sentence left some leeway, a tiny but undeniably existent leeway.
Gu Xiaoli understood.
Her eyes dimmed for a moment, but then brightened up again as that stubborn light resurfaced.
"Even if Brother won't lift it, Xiaoli will find a way sooner or later!"
Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow:
"Then don't even think about it."
"Eh?"
Gu Xiaoli froze for a moment, not understanding the meaning behind his words.
Gu Chengyin spoke, his voice so gentle it was as if he were coaxing a child. "You want to protect His Highness, you want to fulfill Her Ladyship's dying command, and you want to find a way to break the hypnosis. I understand all of this."
"But Xiaoli..."
"You wouldn't want anything to happen to His Highness right now, would you?"
Gu Xiaoli's face instantly froze.
"So," Gu Chengyin continued, his tone remaining mild.
"Swear another deadly oath."
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
