Husband and Wife as One

But becoming the Grand Secretary wasn't something one could simply decide to do.

It required a legitimate and compliant process—moving from Vice Minister of Rites to Minister of Rites.

From Minister of Rites to Grand Secretary, from Grand Secretary to Deputy Grand Secretary, and finally to Grand Secretary.

Every step required the emperor's appointment, the recognition of the court, and the support of countless people.

And every single one of those steps fell within Emperor Luo's grasp.

He only needed to nudge any one link in the chain to bring Gu Chengyin's advancement to a halt.

Gu Chengyin had been willing to wait; he had patience in abundance.

But things were different now. Emperor Luo was openly targeting him.

Staying on that path would be waiting for death.

Fortunately, there was another position of equal stature and even higher prestige than Grand Secretary—

the Supreme Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Hall.

Gu Chengyin's gaze settled on Lin Qingyan's face as he awaited her answer.

He didn't fully understand the rules of the Heavenly Master Hall, so he needed to confirm them with her first.

If it could be done, there was a way to do it.

If not, there was still a way to make it happen.

But either way, the final outcome would be the same:

Gu Chengyin becoming the new Supreme Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Hall.

After all, the Heavenly Master Hall was different from the imperial court—there, only force mattered, not political maneuvering.

And conveniently, he happened to have the two hardest fists in the cultivation world by his side.

Hearing Gu Chengyin's question, Lin Qingyan thought it over carefully.

Her brow furrowed slightly, her gaze resting on some distant point in the air as if recalling something.

Her lips occasionally parted, as if silently reciting certain provisions.

After a long moment, she refocused her gaze on Gu Chengyin's face.

"Technically speaking, it is possible," Lin Qingyan said, her voice clear as a mountain spring, each word enunciated with precision.

As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Gu Chengyin's face, gauging his reaction.

"First, to join the Heavenly Master Hall, one must take an oath."

"That means the cultivators of the hall are all like-minded individuals."

"So the Elders don't care much about secular power and status—that's also why the Supreme Harmonizer position has always been held by the emperor."

"In the Hall's view, it doesn't matter who holds the title."

"What matters is that the Hall fulfills its oath and duties."

Lin Qingyan paused, as if weighing her words, then continued:

"But there is a special provision in the Hall's rules."

"When someone believes the current Supreme Harmonizer is incompetent or unjust, unworthy of the position,"

"they may issue a public challenge. If they can defeat all the Elders of the Hall,"

"they can take their place and become the new Supreme Harmonizer."

After explaining this rule, Lin Qingyan fell silent, waiting for Gu Chengyin's response.

Gu Chengyin listened, then raised an eyebrow. His eyelids lifted slightly, revealing a deep, fathomless glint beneath.

"So, by that logic, I could become the Supreme Harmonizer too?"

His tone carried both jest and sincerity, making it impossible to tell whether he was joking or serious.

Lin Qingyan blinked, a trace of hesitation appearing on her face.

Her eyes swept over Gu Chengyin from head to toe, as if assessing something.

Then, cautiously, she spoke:

"But Chengcheng, you're only at the peak of Foundation Establishment right now."

"The Elders of the Heavenly Master Hall are quite strong—they just happen to lose to me."

Her voice bore a concern that she tried hard to soften, but the worry still bled through.

To become an Elder of the Hall, the minimum cultivation level was the Golden Core stage.

Only with sufficiently hard fists could they keep the cultivation sects in line.

After all, the cultivation world wouldn't listen to political balancing acts.

And issuing a public challenge meant defeating every single Elder without exception.

With Gu Chengyin's current cultivation level, that would be suicide.

But Gu Chengyin only smiled faintly.

He was at Foundation Establishment now, but the moment he became Supreme Harmonizer, he'd be at Golden Core.

It was a simple causal exchange.

The reason the Grand Secretary position could push him straight into Golden Core was because that seat carried the acknowledgment of all under heaven—a blessing akin to divine mandate.

As for the Supreme Harmonizer of the Heavenly Master Hall, as the highest authority in the Hall, the recognition and blessing it bore would only be greater, never less.

The key was that the rule Lin Qingyan had mentioned was vague—ripe with room for exploitation.

What exactly counted as "incompetent and unjust"?

Who sets that standard?

What is the procedure for a challenge?

How does one "defeat all the Elders"? Is it a one-on-one rotation, or can one choose the method and rules of the challenge?

These details Lin Qingyan hadn't specified meant the Hall's rules didn't clearly define them either.

Where there is no clear definition, there is room to maneuver.

The sequence could be rearranged, the rules could be leveraged, and every link in the chain could be carefully engineered.

Gu Chengyin didn't need to genuinely fight Golden Core Elders at Foundation Establishment.

He just needed to find the optimal solution within the bounds of the rules to bypass those seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

What's more, once he became the Supreme Harmonizer, he'd step directly into Golden Core.

At that point, his cultivation would no longer be tied to his personal status and influence—

but to the status and influence of the Green Sword Sect.

And that wasn't even mentioning that if he simply revealed the complete immortal path of the Azure Cloud Scripture,

the status and influence gained would be more than enough to turn Gu Chengyin into the new invincible figure of the Golden Core stage.

When facing absolute numbers, any mechanism was just flashy decoration.

Lin Qingyan couldn't beat him in bed, and she definitely couldn't beat him out of bed either.

Gu Chengyin's gaze fell on the imperial edict before him.

The bright yellow brocade remained quietly spread across the table, the emperor's will etched upon it in upright, forceful strokes.

The handwriting was solemn and dignified—every stroke carried the supreme authority of the throne.

Just moments ago, this edict had been a mountain pressing down on him—a shackle Emperor Luo used to bind him.

But now, as Gu Chengyin's eyes swept over the edict again, his mindset had completely changed.

Emperor Luo had wanted to use this edict to warn him, to make a deal with him, to keep him obediently on the intended path.

But this sovereign had likely never imagined that this edict of marriage—meant to weaken and suppress—

would soon become the sharpest sword in Gu Chengyin's hand.

Gu Chengyin turned to look at Lin Qingyan, who was watching him with a serious expression.

Her eyes held a mixture of confusion, worry, and unwavering trust.

She had no idea what Gu Chengyin was plotting.

But whatever it was, she would support him unconditionally.

"Auntie," Gu Chengyin said, "do you know what it means for husband and wife to be one?"