Sunlight illuminated her brows and eyes, illuminated her contours, illuminated every inch of her skin.
That face remained stunningly beautiful, that figure remained uniquely transcendent.
But upon that stunning beauty lay an endless lifelessness.
Like an object without life.
Caring about nothing, and cared about by no one.
Watching this scene, Gu Chengyin said nothing, calmly stepped forward, and walked toward the door.
Morning light fell upon him, enveloping him entirely.
The light was warm and bright, shining on Gu Chengyin’s face, softening his features.
Gu Chengyin stopped, turned his head, and looked back.
Lin Qingyan was right behind him.
A single step away, neither close nor far.
She stood in the light, she stood behind him, like a shadow.
A shadow that couldn’t speak, had no warmth, and no presence at all.
Looking at Lin Qingyan like this, Gu Chengyin suddenly recalled the first time he met her.
Back then, she was cold and otherworldly like an immortal.
Her eyes still held light, still held spirit, still held an aloof detachment from on high.
She looked at him like he was an ant—though scornful, at least she was willing to look.
Now, she looked at him like he was a rock.
Not scorn, but genuine indifference.
Whether he existed or didn’t, made no difference to Lin Qingyan.
Gu Chengyin withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
Behind him, the shadow followed closely, silent and soundless.
The venue for the Three-Section Tribunal was in the Censorate, not too far from the Celestial Masters’ Residence, but not close either.
Along the way, they passed several streets and lanes, crossed several market wards, before reaching their destination.
Gu Chengyin did not take a carriage; instead, he walked ahead on foot, with Lin Qingyan following behind.
The two moved in single file, passing through the bamboo grove outside Still Heart Tower and stepping onto the blue-stone road leading to the Imperial City.
The capital at dawn was already bustling.
Vendors selling breakfast had set up their stalls, steaming buns came out of the baskets, their fragrance wafting far into the distance.
Hawkers carrying loads on poles peddled their goods along the streets, their voices high-pitched and drawn out.
People heading to the early market strolled in twos and threes, some carrying baskets, some bearing bundles on their backs, their faces marked with the unique weariness and anticipation of the early morning.
Gu Chengyin walked among the crowd, his steps unhurried, his expression calm.
No one noticed him. No one noticed Lin Qingyan following behind her.
Lin Qingyan was like a true shadow—clearly standing there, yet drawing no one’s attention.
Among those who passed by her, not a single person turned to look, as if she simply didn’t exist.
Gu Chengyin knew why.
Because the aura of absolute indifference she exuded had grown strong enough to influence those around her.
She cared for no one, so no one noticed her.
It was a strange law: the more you disregard the world, the more the world disregards you.
Like a rock. A rock sits there, but no one spares it a second glance.
From the Celestial Masters’ Residence to the Censorate, Gu Chengyin thought the whole way.
He didn’t walk fast; in fact, his pace was slow.
Slow enough for every passerby to see his face clearly.
Slow enough for every hidden pair of eyes to keep up with his steps.
But the path Gu Chengyin treaded wasn’t merely a street—it was a journey through a person’s heart.
The shadow behind him followed steadily, always a single step away, no more, no less—as accurate as if measured by a ruler.
Gu Chengyin didn’t look back, but he sensed her.
Her Golden Core stage pressure was reined in completely, like a sword returned to its sheath, its edge hidden.
But the sword was there, the hilt in her hand, the blade in the sheath, ready to be drawn at any moment.
Gu Chengyin was observing her.
Observing this new Lin Qingyan.
Back in Still Heart Tower, he had only made a deal with her, only confirmed that she would protect him.
But that wasn’t enough.
Gu Chengyin needed to know more, needed to see how she would react to different circumstances.
To know her limits, to know her weaknesses.
That was why he chose to walk.
Through streets and lanes, through markets, through bustling, noisy places full of the mortal world’s liveliness.
He noticed how, passing the breakfast stalls, she paid no attention to the fragrant buns.
How, passing children at play, those innocent giggles fell on deaf ears.
How, passing couples arguing, those heated debates provoked no reaction.
This Lin Qingyan had no interest in this world.
Those people, those happenings, the noise and commotion—they settled upon her sight like wind leaves no trace, water passes without sound.
She looked at all of them the same way she looked at a rock, a tree, a fallen leaf.
Gu Chengyin silently took notes: this was a Lin Qingyan he had never seen before.
The previous Lin Qingyan, though cold and aloof, still chose to look.
But this one wouldn’t even look.
Her eyes were closed.
Not physically closed, but rather she had refused to connect with the world any further.
It was as if she didn’t belong to this world, like a fading afterimage waiting to disappear.
Gu Chengyin didn’t know how this Lin Qingyan had become like this.
Didn’t know what she had gone through to seal herself to such an extent.
Didn’t know how heavy those pains were to make her prefer becoming a rock over touching the world.
But there was one thing Gu Chengyin knew.
He needed to understand her.
Deeply, thoroughly, completely, from the inside out.
Only that way could he be certain she wouldn’t fall through at a critical moment, wouldn’t lose control like before.
But all that would have to wait for now.
Gu Chengyin collected his thoughts and looked ahead.
They had arrived.
An imposing government building stood before him, with vermillion gates, high walls, soaring eaves, and interlocking brackets.
Above the lintel hung a plaque bearing the emperor’s personal calligraphy, three gold characters gleaming in the morning light.
The Censorate.
Gu Chengyin stopped at the entrance. He would first get through today’s Three-Section Tribunal before dealing with anything else.
He looked back once.
Lin Qingyan stood behind him, still in that state.
Her blood-red eyes, her detached expression, her infinite emptiness toward everything in existence.
Sunlight fell upon her, but could not reach her eyes.
But as long as she was present, Gu Chengyin would never come to harm.
On the contrary, this very session of the Three-Section Tribunal would further expand his influence.
Gu Chengyin never forgot that his level of cultivation was tied to his status and influence.
That was the nature of his technique, the foundation of his survival.
The greater his influence, the higher his cultivation.
The higher his cultivation, the greater his influence.
They depended on each other, each serving as the other’s cause and effect.
Thus Gu Chengyin never avoided anything, and the Three-Section Tribunal before him was no exception.
Letting Lin Qingyan tear the place down would be simple and easy.
If the Celestial Masters’ Residence’s Jingzhe acted, who could stop it?
But that would mean the influence fell on Lin Qingyan, with little connection to him.
] [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!"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
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!
