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."
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
