The Reversal of Offense and Defense

When this thought surfaced in Luo Zhao’s mind, her heartbeat suddenly quickened, then soon returned to normal.

The change was so slight that no one could have noticed it—not unless they were Luo Zhao herself.

She could even feel the rhythm of her heart beating within her chest. It had stumbled for a brief moment, then been forced back into order by her formidable willpower, becoming steady and even once more, without the slightest flaw.

This would require careful preparation, as well as the right opportunity.

So she couldn’t afford to be impatient.

Fortunately, Luo Zhao now possessed more patience than her enemies, more restraint than her opponents, and more endurance than anyone else. She could wait longer than any of them.

Thus, the first thing she had to do was prepare, then begin applying pressure of her own.

She would push matters in the direction she wanted them to go.

Opportunities were not something one simply waited for. They had to be created.

What Luo Zhao had to do was wait until the perfect moment appeared—

then strike decisively, seize it firmly, and never let go.

Besides, Luo Zhao possessed an astonishing degree of restraint when it came to Gu Chengyin.

She had endured so much that even she could hardly believe it was truly her.

She could suppress every emotion in front of Gu Chengyin and maintain the most perfect obedience before him.

She could become the person he wanted her to be.

Not because Luo Zhao had been born knowing how to do these things, but because she wanted Gu Chengyin.

She wanted him badly enough to pay any price, including grinding away every sharp edge of her personality and molding herself into the most obedient version of herself.

This was her bargaining chip—and her weapon.

And now, after making up her mind, after forcing all her thoughts into the deepest corner of her heart, Luo Zhao suddenly wanted to ask a question.

Or rather, she had begun to make her move.

This question had been circling in her heart for a long time. It had begun back when she made her request on the third floor.

It had followed her all the way to the top of the tower, through Gu Chengyin’s words, until she finally made her decision.

Luo Zhao lifted her head. Her eyes were still red, and undried tears clung to her lashes. The tip of her nose was flushed from crying.

Her entire face looked like a flower drenched by rain, possessing a delicate beauty that stirred one’s pity.

Yet there was light in her eyes—a burning light, as though something was aflame within them.

Luo Zhao parted her lips slightly, her voice as soft as a passing breeze.

It sounded as though she were asking a question whose answer she already knew.

“Master, before you leave… will you consume me?”

Silence.

Gu Chengyin fell silent.

This was not the kind of silence that came from needing to think. It was the silence of a boulder pressing down on his chest.

He did not answer immediately. In fact, he gave no response at all.

He did not nod, shake his head, or sigh.

There was no body language that could be interpreted in any way.

Gu Chengyin simply held Luo Zhao in silence, as motionless as a statue, as quiet as a mountain.

So quiet that Luo Zhao’s heart sank little by little.

Because Gu Chengyin’s refusal to answer was the best answer of all.

If he said he would, he would be lying to Luo Zhao.

Gu Chengyin knew very well that the reason he had never consumed Luo Zhao was that he would leave after breaking through to the Core Formation Realm.

It was not that he didn’t want to.

It was that he couldn’t.

In his view, one either refrained from doing it altogether, or took responsibility after doing it.

Especially when it came to someone as extraordinary as Luo Zhao.

She was the Crown Princess, the future Empress, and the heir to the Great Luo Empire.

Every influence he had on her would invisibly spread throughout Great Luo, reaching its people, its land, and the fate of the entire realm.

This was not something that could be treated lightly. It was not something one could do casually.

Nor was it something that could be decided solely by considering the feelings between two people.

Too many things were entangled in it—so many that even a ruthless and decisive man like Gu Chengyin had no choice but to stop before this question.

He had to weigh it carefully and repeatedly, examining it from every possible angle.

Gu Chengyin could not allow Luo Zhao to stray from the proper path, much less become a tyrant with a twisted mind.

Fortunately, he had never truly done anything heinous, nor had he destroyed Luo Zhao’s values.

Instead, through both word and example, he had taught Luo Zhao that a wise ruler followed the Way of Kings.

Even when scheming, one should rely on open strategies and rules—not underhanded plots and despicable tricks.

That was also why Luo Zhao had become increasingly outstanding.

Now, when facing the old hands at court, she not only held her own but could even suppress them in turn.

It was only when she faced Emperor Luo and Gu Chengyin that she still unconsciously showed weakness, making herself appear less remarkable than she truly was.

Of course, it was also possible that she was merely pretending to be sweet and obedient while biding her time.

After all, only Luo Zhao herself knew what she was really like.

So Gu Chengyin chose not to speak.

Silence was the only answer at that moment that would neither hurt Luo Zhao nor deceive her.

Although his Dao Heart prevented him from suspecting Luo Zhao, reason still made one final struggle:

Whatever happened, he must not consume Luo Zhao.

Otherwise, something unforeseen would happen.

As for Gu Chengyin’s silence, the last trace of uncertainty in Luo Zhao’s heart vanished.

She had actually known the answer long ago. From the moment Gu Chengyin took her by the hand and led her to the top of the tower, she had sensed it faintly.

Gu Chengyin would not consume her.

At least, not now.

This realization stirred a complicated feeling within Luo Zhao.

It was not disappointment, nor grievance, but…

a sense of victory.

The feeling of finally finding a crack in Gu Chengyin’s impenetrable armor.

If Gu Chengyin truly would not consume her, then…

the balance of offense and defense had shifted.

When this thought emerged from the depths of Luo Zhao’s mind, a glint flashed through her eyes.

It was swift—so swift that it vanished like lightning streaking across the night sky.

Yet the brilliance and heat of that light, along with the dangerous intent hidden behind it, were enough to make anyone who saw it feel a chill in their heart.

Gu Chengyin did not see it, because Luo Zhao’s face was buried against his chest, while his gaze rested on the distant nightscape of the divine capital.

Lin Qingyan did not sense it, because she was sleeping soundly on the third floor.

Shangguan Yunying noticed it even less, as she was curled up beside Lin Qingyan.

No one saw that glint.

Only Luo Zhao herself knew it had appeared.

The corners of her lips curved ever so slightly before she raised her head.

Her exquisite, delicate face slowly emerged from Gu Chengyin’s chest.

First her forehead appeared, then her eyes, followed by her nose, and finally her lips.

Her eyes were still red, and tears still clung to her lashes, but the tear stains and swelling had now become the perfect disguise.

Who would suspect a well-behaved little puppy who had just finished crying and still looked so pitiful?

Then Luo Zhao’s lips drew close to Gu Chengyin’s ear.

She was so near that her lips almost brushed against his earlobe. Near enough that she could feel the warmth of his skin.

Her voice was gentle and soft, yet it carried a chill-inducing tone of challenge.

Like a dagger wrapped in velvet, it appeared soft and harmless.

But by the time one felt its sharpness, it had already pierced the heart.

“Master~ You’re not secretly just a useless little trash fish, are you~?”