This night, from being struck by lightning to the rampage of inner demons, from the forced descent of oppressive aura to the deep kiss of blood-red eyes, finally settled into this embrace at the break of dawn.
Lin Qingyan let down all her defenses, weeping silently in his arms like an ordinary woman.
Gu Chengyin sighed silently in his heart.
Regarding Lin Qingyan, his thoughts had always been very pure.
If he could draw their relationship closer, he would.
The closer the relationship, the better.
This was not entirely out of calculation, but it was by no means pure affection either.
It could be said that Lin Qingyan was the most worthwhile existence to win over among everyone he had met so far.
In terms of status, she was the Celestial Master Mansion's Jingzhe, a Golden Core cultivator with a transcendent position; even Emperor Luo had to give her face.
In terms of strength, she was a genuine Golden Core realm expert and a cultivator of the Nine Heavens Lightning Attraction Art, rendering her combat power invincible among her peers.
In terms of relationships, she was Luo Zhao's aunt, the elder Luo Zhao trusted and relied upon the most.
If such a person could truly stand by his side and become his aid.
Then the path ahead would be much smoother.
Not to mention, Gu Chengyin did indeed like Lin Qingyan very much.
No man could reject such a fairy: when aloof, she was like the profound ice of the nine heavens; when enchanting, she was like the demonic flower of the other shore; when shy, she was like peach blossoms in March; and when crying, she was like pear blossoms battered by the rain.
The contradictory feeling she exuded, a mixture of strength and fragility, rationality and sensibility, coldness and fiery passion.
It was like the strongest wine, the most poisonous honey, the most tempting poppy, making it incredibly difficult to quit once tainted.
If possible, Gu Chengyin would even use his third hypnosis quota after reaching the Golden Core realm on Lin Qingyan.
Not to control her.
But to ensure she would never become an enemy.
This thought flashed through Gu Chengyin's mind and was immediately suppressed into the deepest depths of his heart.
It was still too early now.
He couldn't rush.
He couldn't reveal any flaws.
He couldn't let Lin Qingyan perceive it.
How much calculation was hidden within this tenderness.
...
The morning light just pierced through, and the thin mist had not yet dispersed.
The long streets of Dawn City were still bathed in the pale cyan light of the sky, and the leaves of the parasol trees by the roadside were hung with last night's dew.
As the wind passed, a few drops rustled down, smashing onto the ground to bloom into tiny splashes.
The copper bells on the south city gate tower emitted clear and melodious chimes in the morning breeze, one after another, as if seeing off this team that was about to set off.
The inspection team had finished regrouping.
Chen Busha rode on a fine horse, positioned at the very front of the convoy.
At this moment, he was slightly narrowing his eyes, looking at a group of figures slowly walking over from inside the city gate.
It was the City Lord of Dawn City, Li Tianming, leading seven or eight subordinate officials who looked like civil servants, walking towards the convoy.
General Chen.
Li Tianming cupped his hands in greeting, This subordinate official has come under the orders of the Lord Governor to see the inspection group off.
Chen Busha dismounted, stepped forward two paces, and similarly cupped his hands in return, City Lord Li is too polite. Is the Lord Governor still well?
This question was asked with profound meaning.
Li Tianming's smile stiffened for half a breath.
But he quickly recovered as usual, his tone remaining respectful, The Lord Governor is perfectly well, only that he caught a slight chill last night and felt somewhat unwell upon rising this morning. Therefore, he was unable to come personally to see you off, and specifically ordered this subordinate official to apologize on his behalf.
Saying so, he turned sideways to signal a subordinate official behind him to step forward.
The subordinate official held a red sandalwood box about a foot long in his hands, its surface carved with intricate cloud patterns.
Li Tianming took the wooden box and presented it with both hands to Chen Busha, This is a small token of appreciation from the Lord Governor. It is the specialty spirit tea of Dawn City. Please have Young Master Gu and the lords use it to quench your thirst and soothe your throats on the journey.
Chen Busha did not take it immediately.
His gaze fell on that wooden box, and his divine sense probed out like invisible silk threads, gently sweeping over the surface of the box.
There were no spiritual energy fluctuations, no hidden mechanisms or concealed weapons; it was indeed just an ordinary tea box.
Only then did he reach out to take it, his tone flat, This general thanks the Lord Governor for his kindness on behalf of Young Master Gu.
I wouldn't dare.
Li Tianming bowed, keeping his posture very low, I wish all you lords a smooth journey.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Li Tianming led the subordinate officials to retreat to the side of the road, standing with their hands by their sides, watching the inspection team depart.
Chen Busha mounted his horse and raised his hand to order, Move out.
The order was passed down level by level, and the convoy slowly began to move.
Inside the carriage of the Celestial Master Mansion, Gu Chengyin sat on the soft couch by the window.
He was slightly leaning sideways, lifting a corner of the window curtain, and looking outside.
His gaze swept over Li Tianming and the others standing with their hands by their sides at the city gate; Li Shiyuan's figure was nowhere to be seen there.
Then he released his hand, the curtain fell, cutting off the line of sight from the outside world.
In the next second, Lin Qingyan pressed herself against him.
She leaned over Gu Chengyin's shoulder from behind, resting her chin lightly against the side of his neck, her arms wrapped around his waist, her palms pressed against his lower abdomen.
This posture was extremely intimate, so intimate that if outsiders were to see it, it would absolutely cause a massive uproar.
But there were only the two of them inside the carriage.
Li Shiyuan didn't come.
Lin Qingyan's voice rang in Gu Chengyin's ear, carrying a bit of the lethargy of someone who had just woken up within its coldness:
Does this mean he misunderstood, or has he come to a realization?
After last night's entanglement, Lin Qingyan's attitude towards Gu Chengyin had clearly become much closer.
Although she still maintained the posture of an aloof fairy on the surface, when they were alone, she would naturally press close to him, completely devoid of her usual alienation.
Of course, this was only limited to when the two were alone.
In front of outsiders, Lin Qingyan was still the unprofanable Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion.
Li Shiyuan didn't show up.
Gu Chengyin pondered thoughtfully, It means he has at least received it.
Received what? Lin Qingyan asked curiously.
Received my show of goodwill.
Gu Chengyin said slowly, Of course, I can only guess, just like Li Shiyuan can only guess my intentions.
But it doesn't matter. This is just a seed; when the time is right in the future, it will naturally take root and sprout.
Lin Qingyan let out an oh and said disapprovingly, That's why I don't like dealing with people like you.
Why? Gu Chengyin asked with a smile.
Too many schemes.
Lin Qingyan said lightly, A single sentence has to twist and turn seven or eight times, a single look has to hide three or four layers of meaning. Isn't it tiring?
Cultivation is still simpler. When your realm is reached, it's reached; when your strength is high, it's high. There aren't that many twists and turns.
These words were spoken bluntly, even somewhat naively.
But Gu Chengyin heard the deeper meaning within them. Lin Qingyan wasn't belittling him; she was stating a fact: she had seen too many schemes and calculations, and she was tired of those hypocritical dealings.
Compared to the complexity of the human heart, the purity of cultivation actually made her feel more at ease.
Therefore, Gu Chengyin didn't mind it.
Instead, he felt that Lin Qingyan's words were actually complimenting him.
If I didn't have this bit of skill, how could I help Her Highness ascend the throne in the future?
Gu Chengyin lowered his voice, so low that only the two of them could hear:
After all, His Majesty is the one who is truly unfathomable.
Lin Qingyan's breath caught slightly.
The arms wrapped around Gu Chengyin's waist tightened a bit, and the carriage fell quiet again.
Outside the window, the sky was getting brighter and brighter.
After a while, Lin Qingyan suddenly thought of something and leaned into Gu Chengyin's ear.
Faintly, asking with a double meaning:
Tell me, after we go back, if Zhao'er knew...
What would she think?
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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!
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.
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
