The Crown Prince's Palace.
Luo Zhao sat upright behind a low table, holding a memorial in her hand, but her gaze was fixed on empty space, as if lost in thought.
The tea on the table had long gone cold, yet she seemed completely unaware, only occasionally lifting her eyes toward the direction of the palace gate.
She had been waiting for half an hour.
From the moment the inspection team arrived in the divine capital, news had flooded in endlessly.
The team disbanded, with experts from various ministries and noble houses returning to their own posts.
Gu Chengyong had not shown himself; he had left directly in the carriage of the Celestial Master Mansion.
All of this was within her expectations, and could even be said to have been orchestrated by her hand.
But Luo Zhao still wanted to hear it from Shangguan Yunying's own lips.
To hear about the Gu Chengyong she had seen with her own eyes, his reaction upon hearing the imperial edict, the way he had handled all of this.
Footsteps sounded outside the hall, light and hurried.
Luo Zhao withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup, and took a sip of the cold tea.
Bitterness spread across her tongue, but her expression grew even calmer.
"Your Highness."
Shangguan Yunying strode quickly into the hall, stopped before the low table, and gave a respectful bow.
Luo Zhao set down the teacup and looked up.
Shangguan Yunying's face bore the dust of travel, but her eyes were clear and her breathing steady; she was clearly unharmed.
"Mm."
Luo Zhao said flatly, "Sit."
Shangguan Yunying acknowledged the order and took a seat by the table.
She thought for a moment, then began to recount her story.
From traveling to Luo Du, to meeting Gu Chengyong at Fan Lou, to everything that happened on the return journey.
She was thorough in her account, leaving nothing out that should be said.
As for what should not be said... she mentioned not a single word.
At the very least, she said nothing about Lin Qingyan's relationship with Gu Chengyong, her own rivalry with Lin Qingyan for favor, or the co-celebration.
Shangguan Yunying did not bring any of this up, as such matters would still be far too much of a shock for the current Luo Zhao.
Not to mention, the mere fact that Lin Qingyan regarded Gu Chengyong as her aunt's husband was something Luo Zhao could never accept.
After listening to Shangguan Yunying's full account, Luo Zhao frowned, her gaze sharpening.
"Yunying, are you telling me that Gu Chengyong chose to let Aunt escort him into the Celestial Master Mansion as a prisoner of the imperial court, preferring not to react at all?"
Shangguan Yunying nodded. "Yes, I was right there listening when Gu Chengyong said it."
Luo Zhao did not relax her frown.
She lowered her eyes in thought, her fingers tapping lightly on the table, one beat after another.
The sound was especially distinct in the silent hall, and it weighed on Shangguan Yunying's heart.
"That's not right."
Luo Zhao suddenly spoke, her voice laced with confusion.
Shangguan Yunying's heart tensed, but her expression remained unchanged.
Luo Zhao looked up at her, her gaze fixed directly on her.
"Why would Aunt listen to Gu Chengyong? Didn't you say their relationship was normal?"
Here it comes.
Shangguan Yunying breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad she had prepared for this in advance.
She had thought about this question and rehearsed it.
If Luo Zhao asked, how could she answer without revealing anything, yet still sound reasonable?
"It seems to be because of the Immortal Clan legacy."
Shangguan Yunying spoke without changing her expression, her tone as calm as if stating a fact.
"Gu Chengyong has forged a cooperation with Jingzhe, but he didn't tell me the specifics."
She paused, then added, "But during the journey, it was true that Jingzhe gave Gu Chengyong considerable assistance."
"But it wasn't an intimate relationship; it was more like they needed to maintain a common benefit."
Luo Zhao listened and nodded slightly.
The Immortal Clan legacy.
This explanation did make sense.
Lin Qingyan's breakthrough from the early to the middle stage of the Golden Core was no secret among the higher-ups in the divine capital.
Many had even found it strange—how could a Golden Core breakthrough be so difficult?
Lin Qingyan had been stuck in the early stage for years without any progress, so how had she suddenly broken through?
If it was due to Gu Chengyong's Immortal Clan legacy, then it was no longer strange.
A complete legacy meant a complete Immortal Path.
With Lin Qingyan's talent, it was entirely possible for her to use another's Immortal Path to perfect her own.
So cooperating with Gu Chengyong in exchange for a breakthrough opportunity was perfectly logical.
Seeing that Luo Zhao did not press further, Shangguan Yunying breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
What she had just said was half-truth and half-fiction.
The cooperation was real, and the breakthrough was because of Gu Chengyong.
But as for the specifics of that cooperation, only those involved would know.
For now, it was far from the right time to reveal the truth.
If she were to tell Luo Zhao now about Lin Qingyan’s real relationship with Gu Chengyong, or even that they had already... Shangguan Yunying dared not imagine what would happen.
Her Highness appeared calm and restrained on the surface, but deep down she was more stubborn than anyone.
She could endure, she could wait, and she could suppress her emotions for the greater good—but that endurance had its limits.
Once that limit was broken, the hypnosis, the forbearance, the greater importance of the overall situation—all of it would be cast aside.
At that point, Luo Zhao would surely rush to fight Gu Chengyong to the death.
And Gu Chengyong would not just sit back and wait for it. If it came to that, his only choice would be to flee to some place no one could find and disappear completely.
If that happened, then Shangguan Yunying would have nothing left.
So this secret had to be hidden, for as long as possible.
Until the most opportune moment to reveal it.
Shangguan Yunying lowered her eyelids, completely concealing the emotions in her eyes.
The hall fell silent, broken only by the occasional crackle of the lamp flames.
Luo Zhao was still lost in thought, tapping her fingers lightly on the table.
Her brows furrowed and then relaxed, as if she were weighing something.
Shangguan Yunying watched her profile, hesitated for a moment, and then took the initiative to ask.
"Your Highness, it is clear Gu Chengyong is waiting for the new imperial edict before making a move."
"What should we do?"
Luo Zhao did not answer immediately.
She lifted her eyes, her gaze passing over the flickering lamplight to settle on some empty space.
There was nothing there, only the shadows cast by the pillars.
But as she looked, it was as if she could see farther, to the depths of the Celestial Master Mansion, to the Jingxin Tower within, and to the person inside it.
Respond without reacting?
Luo Zhao suddenly smiled.
There was a hint of coldness in that smile, and also a hard-to-define edge.
"Gu Chengyong, oh Gu Chengyong, you truly are my good Grand Tutor."
Luo Zhao's voice was quiet, but it sent a chill through Shangguan Yunying's heart.
Shangguan Yunying blinked and looked at the young crown prince before her.
The lamp cast alternating light and shadow on her face, lending an air of inscrutability to those refined features.
"Yunying, let me ask you."
Luo Zhao suddenly turned to Shangguan Yunying, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"On the way back, did Gu Chengyong's cultivation level decrease?"
Shangguan Yunying was taken aback, then began to think carefully.
All the way back, Gu Chengyong had never once used his abilities.
Whenever something came up, it was basically Chen Busha who handled it.
Still, because she had been taught a lesson over and over again, she had had the chance to closely observe Gu Chengyong's cultivation level.
As for whether it had decreased...
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!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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.
