Stepping out of the side hall, the sunlight felt a bit warmer, shining down on the golden tiles of the Crown Princess's palace and reflecting a dazzling light.
Gu Chengyin walked unhurriedly along the palace path. Following half a step behind him was Gu Xiaoli, who had changed into a pale lotus-colored female official's dress.
She tried her best to match her pace with Gu Chengyin's, maintaining a respectful posture with her head bowed and eyes lowered.
However, her small, world-weary face, exceptionally pale in the sunlight, formed a bizarre contrast with the magnificent palaces around them.
The closer they got to the area where the Wenli Hall was located, the more palpable the sense of solemn silence on the palace path became.
Gu Chengyin's expression remained as usual and his steps were steady, but the true qi within his body began to circulate quietly, elevating his five senses to their absolute limits.
Sure enough, just as they turned a corner and the outline of the Wenli Hall became visible in the distance...
Gu Chengyin clearly sensed several streams of divine sense, carrying clear probing intentions, lock onto him instantly like cold eyes quietly opening in the dark.
But they did not linger on him for long, only for a brief breath or two.
Once they recognized it was Gu Chengyin, that cold scrutiny immediately receded like the tide, vanishing without a trace.
On the surface, the road leading to the Wenli Hall remained empty, with only a few squads of guards patrolling routinely.
But beneath this calm facade, the number of hidden sentries and the level of alert had increased by more than several times compared to before.
Just as the probing divine senses on Gu Chengyin rapidly faded, the body of Gu Xiaoli beside him suddenly and uncontrollably stiffened!
Gu Chengyin immediately noticed her anomaly. Compared to the friendly probing he had received, the divine senses falling on Gu Xiaoli were far more numerous and much less polite.
Gu Xiaoli's footsteps faltered. Her back was ramrod straight, but she was faintly trembling, and her fingers, crossed in front of her, tightly gripped her cuffs.
Although Gu Chengyin did not stop walking, he reached out and gently rubbed Gu Xiaoli's short hair.
The movement was casual and gentle, like a master comforting a frightened little pet.
At the same time, a wisp of pure and gentle true qi flowed from his palm into Gu Xiaoli's body.
Carrying a pure intention of comfort and protection, it instantly coursed through Gu Xiaoli's tense limbs and bones like a warm current.
Gu Xiaoli's body visibly relaxed, and the invisible pressure that had almost crushed her was suddenly alleviated by more than half.
Right after Gu Chengyin made this intimate gesture, the numerous divine senses that had firmly locked onto Gu Xiaoli vanished abruptly, as if scorched by a branding iron.
It is fine now. Let us go.
Gu Chengyin withdrew his hand, his tone flat, as if he had merely brushed away some non-existent dust from her hair.
Gu Xiaoli gave a soft affirmative murmur, lowered her head again, and followed behind Gu Chengyin, her steps recovering their previous stability.
The two finally stepped through the tall, heavy doors of the Wenli Hall.
The scene inside the hall was not much different from the last time Gu Chengyin visited; if anything, it was even busier.
Gu Chengyin led Gu Xiaoli through this busy sea of books, acting as if there was no one else around.
A senior female official was already waiting at the hall entrance. Seeing Gu Chengyin arrive, she immediately stepped forward, bowed, and then turned sideways to lead the way: Marquis Gu, Her Highness is waiting upstairs. Please follow me.
Gu Chengyin nodded slightly and followed her up the wooden stairs leading to the second floor.
Gu Xiaoli followed closely behind, her footsteps light.
The staircase was not long, and they soon reached the second floor.
At the entrance was a tightly shut copper-clad wooden door, guarded by two female officials with restrained auras.
The leading official stepped forward and exchanged a few words in a low voice, and only then did the two guarding officials slowly push open the heavy door.
The moment the door opened, a massive space completely different from the ground floor was suddenly revealed before Gu Chengyin's eyes.
The feeling this place gave him was somewhat similar to the Inner Secretariat.
Similarly, an extremely spacious hall had been transformed into a giant office space. Dozens of wide desks crisscrossed and were arranged neatly.
Behind each desk sat a person dressed in eunuch attire. They were all buried in the account books and abacuses in front of them, their pens flying rapidly, and the sound of colliding abacus beads was crisp and dense.
There were also many eunuchs carrying thick files, walking quickly between different areas, exchanging documents or discussing in low voices.
Unlike the Inner Secretariat, the windows here were completely covered by heavy, dark curtains, blocking out all light, clearly for the sake of absolute secrecy.
However, above them, the area that should have been a caisson ceiling had been cleverly transformed into a completely open, massive skylight.
Sunlight poured down without obstruction, forming a bright and thick pillar of light that provided ample and stable natural illumination for the entire space.
Gu Chengyin's gaze was like lightning as he quickly scanned the room.
At the very front, on a platform slightly raised above the ground, sat an exceptionally large desk draped in brocade.
Behind the desk, Luo Zhao sat upright in the seat of honor.
She had changed out of her everyday clothes and was wearing a dark, narrow-sleeved riding outfit designed for ease of movement, her black hair simply pinned up.
Shangguan Yunying stood attentively beside her, similarly dressed in a neat scarlet martial outfit. Holding a document, she leaned forward slightly, pointing at a spot on the paper while reporting something to Luo Zhao in a low voice.
Gu Chengyin delayed no further. He strode through the aisle between the desks toward the raised platform.
As he stepped onto the wooden stairs of the platform, Luo Zhao and Shangguan Yunying stopped their conversation and turned their heads.
The two women's eyes first landed on Gu Chengyin.
Then, almost simultaneously, their gazes could not help but sweep past Gu Chengyin in unison.
They landed on the unfamiliar young girl standing half a step behind him, dressed in the pale lotus-colored female official's dress.
Gu Chengyin walked up to the desk, cupped his hands, and bowed: Your Highness.
He then turned to Shangguan Yunying beside her and also nodded: Master Yunying.
Luo Zhao withdrew her gaze from sizing up Gu Xiaoli, looked at Gu Chengyin, and said in a calm tone: You are here.
She paused, her eyes unable to resist glancing behind him again: And this is...?
Gu Chengyin stepped sideways to reveal Gu Xiaoli behind him and introduced her: To answer Your Highness, she is Li'er.
He immediately instructed: Xiaoli, hurry and greet Her Highness and Chief Yunying.
Gu Xiaoli took a step forward and performed a standard curtsy, her voice carrying a uniquely ethereal quality: Gu Xiaoli greets Her Highness, and greets Chief Yunying.
Gu Xiaoli?!
Almost at the exact moment Gu Xiaoli's voice faded, a question filled with astonishment escaped Shangguan Yunying's lips.
Shangguan Yunying's eyes widened as she looked at Gu Xiaoli, and then at Gu Chengyin.
She had never expected that this suddenly appearing maidservant, who already possessed such a unique appearance and temperament, would actually share the surname Gu?!
Luo Zhao's level of surprise was no less than Shangguan Yunying's, but she controlled it very well. Her pupils merely contracted slightly before she regained her composure.
However, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Gu Chengyin became extremely subtle.
She... Luo Zhao spoke slowly, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Gu Chengyin and Gu Xiaoli: Why is her surname Gu?
Gu Chengyin completely failed to sense this subtle shift in the atmosphere, nor did he mind Luo Zhao's inquiry. Looking perfectly at ease, he answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world:
"The name Li'er ultimately sounds too informal, more like a pet name or a nickname."
"Since Her Highness gave the order for her to remain by my side as a maidservant, she is naturally my person now."
He paused, his tone as casual as if he were remarking on the fine weather.
"My person taking my surname—isn't that perfectly normal?"
"Therefore, I changed her name to Gu Xiaoli. Why, is there something inappropriate about that?"
Luo Zhao was momentarily at a loss for words. According to custom, Gu Chengyin's reasoning was perfectly sound. It was indeed common practice for a master to bestow their surname and a new name upon a servant, especially a personal attendant.
However, the swift and intimate manner in which Gu Chengyin had taken the girl under his wing exuded a strange vibe that left her feeling deeply displeased.
Yet, she could not find a suitable reason to object. After all, she was the one who had personally ordered Gu Chengyin to take the girl in.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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."
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
