Hypnosis Success

The top-floor terrace had been cleared, its heavy curtains hanging low.

A peerless beauty stood leaning against the railing. The night breeze lifted the hem of her dark, gold-embroidered robes. In the flickering lamplight, the gold-threaded dragon patterns seemed to flow and ripple, as if ready to break free from the fabric.

Below, the myriad lights of thousands of households formed a river of stars. They reflected in her clear eyes, yet only revealed a bottomless, freezing chill.

She was the rightful and sole Crown Heir of Great Luo.

The Eldest Princess of Great Luo: Luo Zhao.

"Your Highness."

Shangguan Yunying's footsteps were as light as falling snow. When she stopped three zhang away and dropped to her knees, her fingertips were still trembling slightly.

Luo Zhao did not turn around. "Still no news from Shendu?"

"This humble servant is incompetent."

Shangguan Yunying's voice carried a trace of unconcealable frustration. "It is not just Shendu. The Luoshan Tokens used to contact Luodu and the other twelve commanderies... have all lost connection. Only the ones within our commandery are still functional."

"It is as if a hand has wiped the entire Luoshui Commandery off the map."

Luo Zhao laughed. Her laughter was clear and crisp, yet colder than the night wind.

"Wiped off? Then we shall chop off that hand."

She turned around slowly, the dark hem of her robes sweeping across the terrace's grey bricks, the golden patterns brushing past her pale fingertips.

"The day I descend upon Shendu as its ruler shall be the day those scurrying rats meet their demise."

Luo Zhao's voice was not loud, but every word fell like beads of ice shattering on the ground.

"Has the news been spread?"

Hearing this, Shangguan Yunying's shoulders gave an almost imperceptible tremble.

"Answering Your Highness, it has been spread. The rebel forces from the other cities have already dispatched troops."

Shangguan Yunying lowered her head, her voice hushed to a whisper:

"The closest ones will arrive at Beihe City within two shichen."

"Excellent."

Luo Zhao's approval did not bring the slightest bit of warmth. Shangguan Yunying's fingertips turned slightly cold.

Eventually, she raised her head and looked at the figure leaning against the railing.

"Your Highness, is this move... perhaps too drastic? General Chen... after all, he has rendered meritorious service in protecting you..."

The moment her words fell, the air on the terrace seemed to freeze.

Luo Zhao slowly turned around.

There were no ripples in those phoenix eyes, yet they made Shangguan Yunying feel as if she had plunged into an icy abyss.

"Are you telling me what to do?"

"This humble servant would not dare!"

Shangguan Yunying abruptly prostrated herself, her forehead touching the freezing grey bricks:

"I misspoke! I beg Your Highness for punishment!"

The terrace fell into a long silence, with only the soft rustle of the night wind passing through the heavy curtains.

After a long while, Luo Zhao's voice sounded again, so flat that no emotion could be discerned:

"Speak not of titles and honors; a single general's success is built upon the bleached bones of ten thousand."

"When success is achieved in the future, I will personally erect a monument for Chen Busha and generously compensate his clan."

She took a step forward, the gold-embroidered hem of her dress stopping at the edge of Shangguan Yunying's lowered line of sight:

"Shangguan, you have accompanied me for many years. You should not have acted so."

A simple change in address caused cold sweat to soak the back of Shangguan Yunying's collar.

Before this, Luo Zhao had always called her Yunying.

But at this moment, saying anything more would be a mistake. She could only say in trepidation:

"This humble servant is... slow-witted. I beg Your Highness for a severe punishment!"

"The current situation is still unsettled. I shall note it down for now."

Luo Zhao shifted her gaze, casting it back into the distant darkness:

"Go down and prepare."

"Yes."

Shangguan Yunying rose and backed away. Her footsteps gradually faded until they could no longer be heard.

The terrace returned to silence.

Luo Zhao's gaze fell to the floor below. Where the lights were dimming, Chen Busha was raising a bowl, drinking merrily with his soldiers. Faint laughter drifted up with the wind.

Those faces were bright and vivid in the warm yellow light, completely unaware that in two shichen, this place might become an Asura battlefield.

Favors are severed before beauty fades; the most ruthless of all is the imperial family.

...

Gu Chengyin stood at the end of a dark alley, the shadows completely swallowing his figure.

After taking a glance at that peerless, magnificent woman on the terrace,

he lingered no longer and strode directly toward the main building of the tavern.

But before Gu Chengyin could get close to the main building, several figures blocked his path like iron towers.

"This place is cordoned off. Please turn back."

Their tone was relatively restrained, but the smell of alcohol could not mask the lingering killing intent radiating from their bodies.

Several more gazes swept over from the darkness, their hands resting on the hilts of their sabers in perfect unison.

Even their breathing was kept extremely light, their eyes scanning the surrounding darkness like falcons.

Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow slightly, unable to help but sigh in admiration inwardly. Even while drinking and resting, they still maintained a high level of vigilance. The strictness of Chen Busha's military discipline was evident.

"What is the matter?"

A steady voice sounded from behind. The soldiers immediately stepped back two paces, cupping their fists and bowing: "General."

They then pointed at Gu Chengyin, their tone growing a bit heavier: "This person intends to force his way in."

"Force his way in?"

Chen Busha walked up to Gu Chengyin. His gaze first swept over the patch on his shoulder, then returned to his calm face. His brows slowly furrowed.

Given his temper, it would save trouble to just cleave such a suspicious person in half with a single saber strike.

But this time, after all, there were orders from Her Highness 'not to disturb the civilians', so he could not act recklessly.

"This place has been entirely booked. Sir, please go elsewhere."

Chen Busha's voice was steady and full of power.

Gu Chengyin seemed oblivious, merely smiling faintly: "It was Her Highness who asked me to come."

"Her Highness?"

Chen Busha's brows twitched almost imperceptibly, and his hand resting behind his back silently made a gesture.

Two personal guards shifted their steps soundlessly, the soles of their boots grinding against the bluestone slabs without the slightest noise. In the blink of an eye, they formed a triangular formation with Chen Busha, sealing off all of Gu Chengyin's escape routes.

Gu Chengyin likewise caught these changes. In a flash of lightning, he had weighed his options clearly: abandon the idea of hypnotizing Chen Busha.

This man's will was like iron, his guard extremely high. The risk was simply too great.

"Do you have a token?"

Gu Chengyin shook his head candidly: "No."

The veins on Chen Busha's temples bulged faintly, his knuckles turning white as he forcefully suppressed his killing intent.

He slowly narrowed his eyes, and just as he was about to order the capture of this man...

Suddenly, Gu Chengyin raised his hand and pointed behind him: "I didn't have one just now, but I do now."

"Hmm?"

Chen Busha abruptly turned his head.

The doors of the tavern opened, and Shangguan Yunying walked out. Her scarlet palace dress flowed like blood under the lamplight, and she tightly clutched a Luoshan Token in her hand.

Traces of shock and trepidation still lingered on her beautiful face, as if she had just experienced a massive shock and had not yet regained her composure.

"Lord Shangguan!" Gu Chengyin seized the opportunity and spoke first, his voice clear and bright.

Shangguan Yunying was immersed in the regret of having misspoken. Hearing someone suddenly call her, she subconsciously turned her head to look.

She saw Chen Busha in a standoff with a strange man, and the one who had called her was precisely that strange man.

If it were any other day, given her current state of mind, she would absolutely ignore such an inexplicable person.

But when her gaze touched Chen Busha's resolute face—a face completely unaware of its sealed fate—a trace of complex pity and guilt quietly welled up within her.

In the end, she still walked over.

Seeing Shangguan Yunying actually respond and come over, a distinct flash of surprise crossed Chen Busha's eyes, and he began to re-examine Gu Chengyin.

His thoughts raced: Could this person truly be connected to Her Highness? I wasn't disrespectful just now, was I?

"Lord Shangguan, you are finally here."

Gu Chengyin took the initiative, his tone carrying just the right amount of helplessness and familiarity.

"General Chen is strictly fulfilling his duties. He absolutely refuses to let me in."

These words immediately seized the initiative and completely drew Shangguan Yunying's attention.

Her gaze fell onto Gu Chengyin's face, and then, crashed into a pair of eyes.

She had never seen... such profound eyes.

They were as calm as an ancient, bottomless pool, without a single ripple.

They were as clear as newly fallen snow, untainted by the slightest speck of dust.

Making her involuntarily...

take a few extra glances.

Just as Shangguan Yunying parted her lips slightly, about to ask who he was.

The next second.

The thought vanished into thin air.

[Hypnosis Successful]