A voice laced with supreme majesty cut off Xue Tian's roar.
Upon the dragon throne, Emperor Luo leaned forward slightly. His eyes, usually as placid as an ancient well, narrowed slightly at this moment, like a slumbering giant dragon slowly opening its eyes.
A terrifying pressure, heavy as a mountain and cold as the polar regions, silently spread out with him at the center, instantly enveloping the entire grand hall!
Under this oppressive aura belonging to an emperor and a top-tier powerhouse, Xue Tian's furious roar came to an abrupt halt, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly seeped out on his forehead.
All the officials felt their breath hitch, involuntarily lowering their heads, not daring to look directly.
Gu Chengyin still maintained his bowing posture, as if the heaven-piercing remarks he had just made did not come from his mouth.
Luo Zhao's heart leaped into her throat, and the hands hidden within her sleeves clenched even tighter.
How would her imperial father rule? Would he reprimand Gu Chengyin for his arrogant framing? Would he take the opportunity to warn or even punish Xue Tian? Or perhaps... punish both sides equally?
As Emperor Luo's narrowed eyes slowly opened, the oppressive aura enveloping the hall quietly receded like the tide.
He did not look at Xue Tian, nor did he look at Gu Chengyin. He merely cast his gaze into the void, as if he had already made a decision.
"The matter of the Golden Feather Guard is of great consequence. It cannot go uninvestigated, nor can we listen to and believe only one side."
Pausing for a moment, his gaze fell upon Xue Tian: "Xue Tian."
Xue Tian hastily knelt on one knee and respectfully said, "This general is here!"
"Regarding the unauthorized mobilization of troops." Emperor Luo's tone was flat and unrippled, yet every word carried the weight of a thousand pounds. "The details still need to be sorted out. Whether there are other hidden circumstances remains unknown."
"Chen Busha once made great contributions to the Great Luo and can be called a hero, and so are you."
"Then let a hero investigate a hero, and a good man investigate a good man."
"This matter."
Emperor Luo's voice grew slightly heavier. "It shall be left to you, together with the Internal Affairs Bureau, to carefully investigate and verify, ensuring the truth comes to light."
He raised his hand slightly, as if merely assigning a routine official duty. "Once the investigation is clear, report back to Us."
Shedding his previous anger, Xue Tian regained the demeanor of a commanding general. With a calm face and a composed voice, he said, "This general receives the decree!"
Emperor Luo no longer looked at him, as if this matter had come to a close.
His gaze slowly shifted toward Gu Chengyin, who was still bowing respectfully.
This time, his gaze lingered a little longer, carrying an undisguised scrutiny and probing.
"Gu Chengyin."
Emperor Luo's voice sounded out, carrying an elusive hint of warmth.
"Your remarks just now showed extraordinary courage and unparalleled resourcefulness."
These words caused the imperial court, which had just relaxed a bit, to tense up once again.
Was His Majesty going to praise Gu Chengyin? Or was this a prelude to a reprimand?
"Now We finally understand," Emperor Luo continued, his gaze profound. "How you managed to achieve such merits for Zhao'er."
These words once again closely linked Gu Chengyin and Luo Zhao together, but the tone was not one of blame; instead, it felt like a deeply meaningful acknowledgment.
Gu Chengyin's heart trembled slightly, and he spoke in a sincere tone, "This humble subject is terrified. Her Highness is blessed by the heavens and devises strategies from within the command tent. This humble subject merely acted according to Her Highness's orders and exerted some meager effort. I truly dare not claim credit."
He pushed all the credit to Luo Zhao, answering flawlessly. It not only aligned with his duty as a subordinate but also secretly re-emphasized Luo Zhao's dominant position.
Emperor Luo listened quietly, noncommittal.
After Gu Chengyin finished speaking, he slowly opened his mouth, only to drop an even heavier bombshell:
"With your abilities, to serve as a mere minor steward..."
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials below who suddenly pricked up their ears, especially the several old ministers of the Grand Secretariat, before slowly and methodically saying:
"It is somewhat a waste of your talents."
As soon as these words came out, countless hearts pounded wildly! What did this mean? Did he feel Gu Chengyin's official rank was too low? Was he going to promote him?
Sure enough, Emperor Luo's next sentence plunged the entire grand hall into a silent storm of shock once again:
"Recently, the affairs of the Grand Secretariat have been heavy, and the several old ministers have also been toiling hard. As it happens, there is still a vacancy within the Grand Secretariat."
There is still a vacancy within the Grand Secretariat!
These words repeatedly exploded in everyone's minds like a thunderclap!
The Grand Secretariat! The highest administrative hub of the Great Luo, the true core of power!
Entering the Grand Secretariat and becoming a minister was the ultimate lifelong dream pursued by countless civil officials!
But the position of a Grand Secretary could not be attained unless one was of high moral standing, deeply experienced, and possessed outstanding achievements!
Usually, it required decades of navigating the turbulent sea of officialdom and climbing up step by step just to have a sliver of a chance to touch the threshold!
And now, Emperor Luo was actually speaking to a young man, saying words about a seat in the Grand Secretariat?!
This was no longer simple appreciation! Countless gazes looking at Gu Chengyin completely changed.
What virtue and ability did this young man actually possess?!
Standing at the front, the moment Luo Zhao heard her imperial father's words, she felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen!
The Grand Secretariat?! Imperial Father actually wanted to let Gu Chengyin enter the Grand Secretariat?!
Following the immense shock was an unprecedented panic and a trace of loss and sense of crisis that even she herself was unwilling to admit.
She indeed wanted to kill Gu Chengyin, viewing him as a threat and disgrace that had to be eliminated.
But after the thrilling series of mind games just now, Luo Zhao had to admit that she could not lose Gu Chengyin!
At least, before thoroughly clearing away all obstacles, Gu Chengyin was her indispensable assistance! Even a lifesaving straw!
If it hadn't been for Gu Chengyin's table-flipping counterattack just now, twisting Zhao Wuji's fatal accusation into a crisis of trust regarding the Golden Feather Guard, and forcing Emperor Luo to temporarily shelve the matter, she would probably be in a situation of eternal damnation right now!
If... he really agreed to Imperial Father and directly entered the Grand Secretariat?
The Grand Secretariat belonged directly to the emperor, and the Grand Secretaries were the Son of Heaven's close ministers. Once Gu Chengyin entered the Grand Secretariat, he would no longer be a steward of the Internal Affairs Bureau, nor would he be her subordinate.
When that time came, would he still be subject to her control? Would he even turn the blade around and become a knife used by her imperial father to check and balance, or even deal with her?
This possibility made Luo Zhao shudder with fear.
She realized that what she could give Gu Chengyin seemed to be only a position in the Internal Affairs Bureau and false trust, while her imperial father could let him ascend to the heavens in a single step!
The temptation of the two was worlds apart!
What to do? Speak out in opposition? On what grounds? Could she say Gu Chengyin's abilities were insufficient?
His performance just now was witnessed by everyone. Say his seniority was lacking? Imperial Father obviously didn't care about that.
Just as Luo Zhao's mind was in a tangled mess and countless officials harbored different thoughts, all believing Gu Chengyin would immediately give thanks for the imperial grace.
Gu Chengyin, however, bowed deeply once again and spoke, his voice carrying a steadiness and humility inconsistent with his age:
"Your Majesty's heavenly grace is vast. This humble subject is moved to tears of gratitude and terrified beyond measure."
He raised his head, his clear and frank gaze looking toward the dragon throne, his tone so sincere that no one could find fault with it:
"However, the Grand Secretariat is the core of the Great Luo's government affairs. It is not something that someone who lacks high moral standing, rich experience, and a thorough understanding of policies and the true conditions of the people can be competent for."
"This humble subject is young and shallow in knowledge. I am completely ignorant of many aspects such as local governance, finance and justice, and military affairs of the state."
"To be lucky enough to serve by Her Highness's side and do a little bit of minor work is already a profound favor from Her Highness to this humble subject."
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
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!
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.”
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.
