Luo Zhao stood where she was.
The bloody scratch on her neck had coagulated and no longer bled.
Yet she could feel a faint, stinging pain, like tiny needles piercing the thinnest layer of her skin.
She did not raise her hand to touch it.
She merely stood there, looking at Emperor Luo.
Emperor Luo had already settled back onto the soft couch.
He wore no shoes; his cloud-brocade boots embroidered with dragon patterns still lay isolated by the couch.
But he had regained his imperial composure.
His back was straight, his gaze as calm as an ancient well.
That brief moment of panic from earlier, the loss of decorum when he rushed over barefoot, the softness in his voice when he quietly asked if it hurt.
All of it was tucked away, hidden in depths only an emperor could reach.
And Luo Zhao remained standing in place, motionless.
If she were to act like an ordinary daughter and step forward to seek her father's comfort at this moment.
Then she would not be fit to be the Crown Princess.
Luo Zhao lowered her eyelashes, completely concealing the complex emotions in her eyes.
All that remained was meticulous reverence.
She gathered her robes and bowed.
Her posture was perfect, her angle precise, without a single superfluous movement.
"Your daughter has offended you today, and begs Imperial Father for a heavy punishment."
Emperor Luo looked at Luo Zhao.
He looked at her bowing figure, her unwavering posture, and the profound calmness beneath her lowered lashes.
With a hint of displeasure, he said:
"Zhao'er."
"You are the Crown Princess."
The statement was short, a mere few words.
But its meaning ran deep.
A Crown Princess should not offend the sovereign in such a manner.
A Crown Princess should not use such methods to force the ruler's hand.
A Crown Princess should not die for love for anyone.
Luo Zhao kept her head bowed; she did not look up.
She simply replied respectfully:
"Your daughter understands Imperial Father's meaning."
"I am the Crown Princess."
"A Crown Princess will not fall in love with anyone, nor should she."
Emperor Luo's brow furrowed slightly.
He looked at Luo Zhao, at this daughter with her head bowed, her posture respectful, and her tone steady.
Since she understood this principle.
Then who was it that just pointed a sword at herself, claiming she would die for love?
And for whom was that bloody mark on her neck left?
A flash of doubt crossed Emperor Luo's eyes.
But he did not ask.
Because in the next second, Luo Zhao spoke.
"Therefore, Imperial Father."
"Your daughter has not actually fallen in love with Gu Chengyin."
Emperor Luo's brow furrowed deeper.
He watched Luo Zhao slowly raise her head, watched those phoenix eyes meet his gaze.
There were no ripples in her eyes, only calmness.
"To me."
"Gu Chengyin is merely my Junior Preceptor, nothing more."
Emperor Luo said nothing, merely looking at Luo Zhao, waiting for her to continue.
Meeting his gaze, Luo Zhao continued:
"My actions just now were born of desperation in a moment of urgency."
"Although I do not harbor feelings for Gu Chengyin."
"I do not wish for him to die by the hands of others."
Emperor Luo narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning complex.
He heard the hidden meaning behind these words.
No love.
But not wishing for him to die by others' hands.
What did this mean?
It meant Gu Chengyin was her sword.
A sword in hand can go unused, can be hidden away, or even snapped by one's own hands in the future.
But it cannot be destroyed by someone else.
Because it was her sword.
That exceedingly faint smile resurfaced on Emperor Luo's lips.
He did not interrupt, just continued to listen.
Listening to Luo Zhao continue:
"As a Junior Preceptor, Gu Chengyin is exceptional, and he has personally taught me many principles,"
"They are engraved in my bones and heart; I dare not forget them for even a moment."
"As a close official, he is the sharpest sword in my hand."
"It is undeniable that..."
"With Gu Chengyin around, I will become a truly outstanding Crown Princess."
These words were spoken plainly, so plainly that there was no concealment at all.
Emperor Luo looked at her, the light in his eyes flickering slightly.
He said nothing, just waiting for the 'but'.
Sure enough.
Luo Zhao paused.
Then her tone turned cold.
That coldness was not feigned; it was a chill seeping from her bones.
There was not the slightest trace of emotion in her voice.
Only resolve.
Unparalleled resolve.
"But, this has a time limit."
"When my tutelage is complete..."
Luo Zhao's gaze locked with Emperor Luo's.
No evasion, no retreat.
Only absolute determination.
"Your daughter."
"Will kill Gu Chengyin with her own hands."
As her words fell.
The warm pavilion plunged into silence.
This silence was heavy.
So heavy that one could hear the faint crackling of the burning candles.
So heavy that one could hear the whimpering of the night wind sweeping past the window.
So heavy that one could hear Emperor Luo's breathing pause slightly.
He looked at Luo Zhao.
Looked at this biological daughter he had raised with his own hands.
Looked at the deep determination in her eyes.
Looked at the completely unwavering curve of her lips.
Looked at her calm, water-like demeanor as she spoke of killing Gu Chengyin with her own hands.
Something flickered in Emperor Luo's eyes.
It was satisfaction.
Extreme satisfaction.
"So Zhao'er has harbored this intention all along."
Emperor Luo's voice carried undisguised approval.
"It seems We have meddled too much this time."
"Indeed."
"Gu Chengyin is a fine talent, one might even call him a genius."
"But such a genius."
Luo Zhao's voice paused slightly.
"Would never be content living under another's roof."
He looked at Luo Zhao, complex emotions in his gaze.
It was the expectation of an emperor for a future emperor.
"Zhao'er."
"You have grown up."
Luo Zhao listened to these words.
Listened to Emperor Luo's praise.
Her expression did not change in the slightest.
There was neither joy nor trepidation.
Only a respectful calm.
As if the words just spoken were merely a routine report.
As if the matter of personally killing Gu Chengyin had nothing to do with her.
Emperor Luo looked at Luo Zhao's posture.
The satisfaction in his eyes deepened.
He nodded and said:
"Since that is the case."
"We shall no longer interfere in the matters between you and Gu Chengyin."
What did no longer interfering mean?
It meant the kill order was completely voided.
It meant that from this day forward, Gu Chengyin's life and death would be decided by Luo Zhao.
Luo Zhao lowered her eyes, gathered her robes, and bowed.
"Your daughter."
"Thanks Imperial Father for his immense grace."
Emperor Luo waved his hand: "Go."
Pausing, he added:
"Have the imperial physician take a look at the injury on your neck."
Luo Zhao nodded slightly.
"Yes."
......
Upon seeing Luo Zhao emerge from the warm pavilion, Shangguan Yunying immediately went to greet her.
"Your Highness."
Luo Zhao nodded slightly without speaking, silently walking toward the palace path.
Shangguan Yunying followed behind with great concern; she wanted to ask how things went.
But seeing that Luo Zhao's complexion was not good, she didn't dare ask too much.
Just then, Luo Zhao, walking ahead, suddenly spoke.
"Yunying, do you know what a Crown Princess is?"
Shangguan Yunying froze, but before she could reply, she heard Luo Zhao continue:
"A Crown Princess."
"Can like anyone, and can kill anyone."
"When she likes them, she can die for love for them."
"When she doesn't like them."
Luo Zhao's voice sank:
"She will personally send them on their way."
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.
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
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.”
