Luo Zhao was overjoyed, but she put on a look of concern on her face.
"Of course I can, but Xiaoli, there’s something you have to promise me."
Luo Zhao’s expression turned serious, and she said earnestly,
"You and Auntie are both extremely powerful. If you really came to blows, the entire divine capital would be buried with you."
"So no matter what, don’t ever start a fight, understand?"
"If something comes up, talk it out properly. Auntie is such a reasonable person; she’ll definitely listen to you."
These words were half sincere advice and half a preemptive warning.
Though Luo Zhao wanted to see Gu Chengyin flustered and overwhelmed, she didn’t want to see the divine capital razed to the ground.
If those two really fought, the consequences were not something she could bear.
Hearing this, Gu Xiaoli’s urgency eased slightly, and she nodded earnestly.
"Don’t worry, Your Highness. The Empress Dowager said the same thing."
"Xiaoli and Sister Qingyan both know when to hold back, so we’ve never actually fought before."
The Empress Dowager had said it too.
A flicker of warmth stirred in Luo Zhao’s heart.
Though her mother was no longer here, the influence she had left behind was everywhere.
That was fine. With that warning, neither Lin Qingyan nor Gu Xiaoli would actually come to blows.
At least, they wouldn’t bury the entire divine capital.
"Go ahead," Luo Zhao said gently.
Gu Xiaoli turned at once, her small figure quickly walking out of the hall.
Her crimson skirts fluttered in the moonlight like a little moth diving toward a flame.
Luo Zhao watched her go until the tiny silhouette vanished into the night, and only then did she slowly curl her lips into a smile.
Moonlight pooled like water, casting a faint depth over her smiling face.
"Gu Chengyin, oh, Gu Chengyin,"
Luo Zhao murmured to herself, her tone brimming with smugness.
"No matter how clever you are, a fire in your own backyard—let’s see how you handle it."
Lin Qingyan and Gu Xiaoli, two of the most formidable figures in the world,
both pieces she couldn’t bear to discard.
Now, because of Gu Chengyin, they were at odds.
Who would he help?
Who would he protect?
If he helped Lin Qingyan, Gu Xiaoli would be hurt.
If he protected Gu Xiaoli, Lin Qingyan would grow distant.
No matter which choice he made, it was a dead end.
Luo Zhao’s smile deepened with sly satisfaction.
She rose and walked to the window, standing still as she gazed at the solitary moon in the sky, her thoughts turning over and over.
Today’s move had been brilliant.
Without spending a single soldier or an ounce of effort, with just a few words, she had stirred up conflict between Lin Qingyan and Gu Xiaoli.
No matter the final outcome, she would come out on top.
If Lin Qingyan won, Gu Xiaoli would inevitably feel disappointed in Gu Chengyin.
She would no longer be his cat, but instead, obediently become Luo Zhao’s cat instead.
A half-step Nascent Soul demon cat—who wouldn’t want that?
If Gu Xiaoli won, Lin Qingyan would surely give up on Gu Chengyin.
Then Luo Zhao could take the opportunity to drive a wedge between Lin Qingyan and Gu Chengyin.
A former lover at the peak of the Golden Core stage—enough to give Gu Chengyin a headache.
The more Luo Zhao thought about it, the more delightful it seemed, and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
After laughing for a while, she remembered another matter.
Shangguan Yunying.
Today, she had used Shangguan Yunying as a pretext, promising Lin Qingyan to restrict her, and then bringing it up in front of Gu Xiaoli.
That chief female officer had no idea she had already become a target in so many people’s eyes.
But it couldn’t be helped.
After all, Gu Chengyin happened to be fond of her.
Exactly for that reason, only by getting a hold on Shangguan Yunying could she get a hold on Gu Chengyin.
...
In the eastern market of the divine capital, dusk settled.
Lanterns began to glow along the long street, bright as daylight.
Shops lined both sides, their banners fluttering.
An old vendor with a pole selling sugar figurines ambled past. A girl from a rouge shop closed the awning at her door. The scent of wine and the sound of laughter wafted from the taverns.
Gu Chengyin and Shangguan Yunying walked side by side through this worldly bustle.
He wore a moon-white robe, a jade ornament hanging from his waist, his ink-black hair tied up with a jade crown, making his handsome, refined face stand out even more brilliantly.
Shangguan Yunying, on the other hand, was dressed in a lotus-petal skirt, a small velvet flower pinned in her hair.
Her brows were curved and her lips carried a smile. She occasionally stole a glance at Gu Chengyin, then quickly looked away.
The two had just wandered through the entire eastern market, from the ink-and-brush shop in the west to the cosmetics stall in the east, from the jewelry store in the south to the bookshop in the north.
Shangguan Yunying had bought a hairpin, and Gu Chengyin paid for her.
She then smiled so wide her brows scrunched up, as if she had gotten some incredible treasure.
Now, the two were seated at the highest restaurant in the eastern market, waiting for the roasted mutton to be served.
This restaurant, called the Star-Plucking Tower, stood five stories tall. The top floor had windows open on all sides, offering a panoramic view of the entire eastern market.
At this moment, the myriad household lamps resembled countless stars scattered below, a magnificent sight to behold.
Shangguan Yunying had booked the entire Star-Plucking Tower well in advance.
It wasn’t that she liked putting on airs—it was simply unavoidable.
The Shangguan family had long been a wealthy clan in Luodu, with generations of noble lineage.
Now that Shangguan Yuan had entered the Cabinet as a chancellor, he added even more prestige to their status.
Whether in the divine capital or Luodu, the Shangguan family was undeniably top-tier aristocracy.
And Shangguan Yunying, as the only legitimate daughter of the Shangguan family, had naturally become the most sought-after jewel in the eyes of countless young gentlemen.
Matchmakers had nearly worn down the doorstep of the Shangguan mansion.
One day, a Mr. Cui would send a poem; the next, a Mr. Li would deliver a letter; the day after that, the old Madam of the Wang family would personally come to propose.
A dazzling array of ploys—quite the lively scene.
Though none had succeeded, Shangguan Yunying had become the brightest pearl of high society.
Of course, "brightest" excluded Luo Zhao.
Mostly because no one was foolish enough to court the crown princess.
So, to avoid unnecessary trouble, especially when she was with Gu Chengyin,
Shangguan Yunying always made careful arrangements. She knew very well the little schemes those young gentlemen had.
If they saw her walking side by side with Gu Chengyin, there would inevitably be arrogant fools trying to pick a fight.
Outwardly, it would be flirting; secretly, they would try to catch her attention.
Picking a fight wasn’t scary—what Shangguan Yunying feared was ruining Gu Chengyin’s mood.
Those useless sons of noble families could never compare to Gu Chengyin in her heart.
After all, even Luo Zhao, in her mind...
So Shangguan Yunying absolutely would not let such a thing happen.
Though in terms of status, Shangguan Yunying was inferior to both Lin Qingyan and Luo Zhao,
in all of Daluo, she was only inferior to those two.
Gu Chengyin withdrew his gaze from the night view of the divine capital and turned to look at Shangguan Yunying beside him.
From just now on, this eldest daughter of the Shangguan family had been staring at him without blinking, not shifting her eyes for a moment.
Her apricot eyes were bright and glittering, as if filled with starlight, or as if hiding some little secret.
She was simply staring at him upright, openly and daringly, as if it were perfectly natural.
Gu Chengyin couldn’t help but ask with a smile,
"What are you staring at me for?"
Shangguan Yunying answered without thinking, "Because you’re beautiful!"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than she realized what she had said, and her cheeks flushed bright red.
She quickly averted her gaze, looked down, and mumbled sheepishly,
"I just like looking at you, that’s all."
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.
] [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!"
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
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!
