Then Nobody Plays

Luo Zhao's gaze lingered for a moment on the hand where Lin Qingyan was holding Gu Chengyin's arm.

Then it lingered for a moment on the way Gu Xiaoli was pressed against Gu Chengyin's side.

She suddenly felt her temples throbbing twice.

What was the meaning of this?

She, the Crown Princess, was standing right here, and Gu Chengyin was already embracing one woman on each arm?

Wasn't being forced to serve as a teaching example in the courtyard earlier enough? Now he had to enjoy the pleasures of multiple beauties right in front of her face?

No, wait—in the eyes of the world, wasn't it her and Lin Qingyan who were the pair?

If people found out that Gu Chengyin also had a half-step Nascent Soul catgirl loli, they'd go insane.

So this was a provocation!

This was clearly a provocation!

Luo Zhao's chest began to feel tight again.

That anger she'd barely managed to suppress now felt like it had been doused with a ladle of hot oil, flaring up again in an instant.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her gaze cut toward Gu Chengyin like two small daggers.

But Gu Chengyin didn't pay any attention to Luo Zhao's glare. Instead, he raised his hand.

His fingers landed on the imperial edict and tapped it lightly.

The tips of his fingers touched the surface of the bright yellow silk brocade, producing a faint rustling sound that was nonetheless clearly audible throughout the hall.

"Little Aunt, could you become the Grand Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Manor?"

"Hmm... Hmm!?"

Before Luo Zhao could even react, she was stunned by Gu Chengyin's question.

Her pupils contracted sharply, her mouth fell slightly open, and the expression on her face froze in an instant.

From anger to shock, there was no transition in between.

It was like a lamp being suddenly extinguished, then suddenly relit—but with an entirely different flame.

The Grand Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Manor?

Lin Qingyan?

Luo Zhao subconsciously repeated the title, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

Her gaze shifted from Gu Chengyin's face to Lin Qingyan's face.

Then back to Gu Chengyin's face, back and forth several times, as if confirming she hadn't misheard.

The current Grand Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Manor—wasn't that her father?

The Grand Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Manor was the supreme authority of the Heavenly Master Manor, and also the symbol of the orthodox lineage of the Great Luo cultivation world.

Since the founding of Great Luo, this position had always been held concurrently by the emperor.

And by the generation of Emperor Luo, it was naturally no different.

It had almost become an unwritten rule.

The emperor is the Grand Harmonizer; the Grand Harmonizer is the emperor.

Although the Heavenly Master Manor was a transcendent entity, its supreme authority had always remained in the hands of the royal family.

This was one of the crucial foundations for the long-term peace and stability between Great Luo and the cultivation world.

Was Gu Chengyin trying to drag her father down and put Lin Qingyan in his place?

This thought exploded in Luo Zhao's mind like a thunderbolt striking the crown of her head.

She blinked in shock, then blinked again.

Her long eyelashes fluttered up and down like two small fans, unabashedly revealing the shock within her heart.

Luo Zhao could now be certain that Gu Chengyin must have seen something in the edict that she didn't know about.

Otherwise, why would he suddenly ask whether Lin Qingyan could become the Grand Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Manor?

This meant that Emperor Luo had already posed a tremendous threat to Gu Chengyin, forcing him to overturn the table in self-defense.

When Lin Qingyan heard Gu Chengyin's question, she didn't show any sign of shock on her face.

She simply tilted her head slightly, as if earnestly considering the feasibility of the question.

And Luo Zhao glanced at Lin Qingyan, then looked back at Gu Chengyin.

Gu Chengyin's expression was remarkably calm.

His demeanor hadn't changed in the slightest from before. His fingers were still resting on the edict, lightly tapping the bright yellow brocade.

The rhythm was unhurried, like a chess player who had already thought through his entire plan, merely waiting for a confirming answer.

This calmness made Luo Zhao's heartbeat quicken involuntarily.

Because she knew Gu Chengyin too well.

The more calmly he appeared, the more it meant he had already conceived an extremely bold plan in his mind.

And that plan would always leave everyone who heard it with their jaws on the floor.

Making Lin Qingyan the Grand Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Manor.

Was he serious?

Gu Chengyin was indeed serious.

His thoughts became exceptionally clear at this moment.

If Emperor Luo hadn't understood the significance of influence to him, then Gu Chengyin could have continued with his original plan.

Step by step, he would have built his power and reputation in the imperial court, eventually entering the Grand Secretariat as a minister through natural progression.

That path was the safest, without any unexpected complications—though it did require a bit of time.

But compared to cultivation, which could take decades or even centuries, it was nothing at all.

With Gu Chengyin's skills and ability, half a year would be more than enough.

But Emperor Luo knew.

Not only did he know, he had already responded with targeted measures.

This edict was just the appetizer, yet it had already caused fluctuations in his cultivation.

If the appetizer was already like this, what would the main course be like?

Gu Chengyin didn't need to think to know that since Emperor Luo had made his move, he wouldn't stop at just one.

This edict was only the first step—both a test and a signal.

Emperor Luo would certainly have follow-up measures.

The next move would strike his weak spot with even greater precision.

It would truly erode his influence and cause his cultivation to regress substantively.

But Gu Chengyin was not a man to sit idly by and wait for death.

He had never been one to watch others attack him without doing anything in response.

That wasn't his style.

Since you want to move against my foundation, don't blame me for flipping your table.

The edict had only just been issued. Everything was still within reach.

The news had begun to spread, but it hadn't yet reached the point where everyone knew.

The world's perception hadn't fully solidified, and those colored glasses hadn't yet been firmly fixed on everyone's nose.

As long as he made a powerful countermove at this moment, he could minimize the impact of this edict.

And the simplest way was to flip the table.

If we can't play by the rules, then nobody plays.

Did Emperor Luo want to use rules to bind him?

Did he want to use the edict to put colored glasses on him?

Did he want to use imperial mind games to gradually erode his influence?

Then Gu Chengyin simply wouldn't play by the rules anymore.

He wouldn't place his pieces on the chessboard Emperor Luo had set up—instead, he'd flip the entire board over.

For Gu Chengyin, what he originally wanted was the position of Grand Secretary.

That was the path he had planned for himself.

The Crown Princess faction was the starting point, the Minister of Rites was the springboard, and the Grand Secretary was the goal.

Once he became the Grand Secretary, he could use the world's recognition carried by that position to break into the Golden Core stage.

The Golden Core stage was a watershed moment—the true threshold where a cultivator entered the path of immortality.

As long as he entered the Golden Core stage, then the skies would be his limit, and the seas would open for him to leap.

By then, the rules of the court could no longer bind him, and Emperor Luo's political schemes could no longer affect him.

Gu Chengyin could calmly step off the chessboard, transforming from a piece on the board to one who watches the game from above.