Just Keep Delaying

She simply stared at them coldly. There was no fear in her eyes, no hesitation, not even the slightest trace of tension.

Her beautiful phoenix eyes held nothing but calm, as though she were not facing three Golden Core Adepts, but merely three clowns making fools of themselves.

Fang Nu secretly withdrew some of his contempt.

According to the rumors he had heard, Luo Zhao might appear cold, aloof, and solitary, but in truth she was merely a reckless young fool who relied on her status to solve every problem through brute force.

Yet the Crown Prince before him clearly had nothing to do with a reckless fool.

Fortunately, Fang Nu was not unprepared. Although Luo Zhao's method of refusal had been somewhat unexpected, it had not exceeded the scope of his contingency plans. He quickly found his opening.

"Your Highness, that isn't how you can put it."

Fang Nu's voice was unhurried, his tone carrying the polished sophistication of an experienced politician.

There was even a faint smile at the corner of his lips, as though he were patiently explaining something to an ignorant child.

"The Celestial Master Bureau belongs to the people of Great Luo. Does that mean it does not belong to the cultivation world as well? We cultivators are citizens of Great Luo too."

He took half a step forward. It was an extremely subtle movement.

Not close enough to seem aggressive, yet just far enough to make his presence more prominent.

The two Golden Core elders at his back cooperated by adjusting their stances.

The aura of the three men connected into a single whole, pressing slowly toward Luo Zhao like an invisible wall.

"Common citizens can enter the imperial court and become officials through the civil examinations, yet in the enormous Celestial Master Bureau, there isn't a single person from a sect. What kind of logic is that?!"

Fang Nu slowed his voice even further, his words profound and edged with hidden intent.

"Or could it be..."

He deliberately paused, sweeping his gaze across the hall.

Only after confirming that everyone's attention was focused on him did he slowly deliver the trump card he had prepared long ago.

"The Celestial Master Bureau discriminates against sect cultivators?"

The words were like a basin of filthy water, thrown swiftly and viciously.

Class discrimination. Whether in the imperial court or the cultivation world, those four words represented an accusation too heavy to bear.

If the Celestial Master Bureau were branded as discriminatory, the issue would no longer concern Luo Zhao's political credibility alone.

The legitimacy of the entire Celestial Master Bureau would be called into question.

After speaking, Fang Nu began calculating silently.

The reason he had dared to challenge Luo Zhao was that Lin Qingyan had gone out.

But Fang Nu also understood very well that Lin Qingyan was only temporarily absent, not dead.

If Lin Qingyan had still been sitting there in the hall, let alone challenging them, he would have been struck out of the building by golden lightning before he could even finish speaking.

The Celestial Master Bureau's Jingzhe was famous throughout the entire cultivation world for her temper.

If you dared to reason with her, you were this. (b)

If she allowed you to finish speaking, she was this. (p)

That was why Fang Nu would rather force his way into the main hall than miss this opportunity to make trouble while Lin Qingyan was away.

Only with Lin Qingyan absent could he stir things up and make the matter spread far and wide.

And now, the confrontation had already begun.

Even if Lin Qingyan or one of the other Golden Core enshrined elders arrived, they could no longer resolve the matter through force or simply deal with the people involved.

The representatives of the other sects were all watching. If force were used to suppress them at this moment, it would be tantamount to confirming the accusation of class discrimination.

Therefore, whoever came would first have to resolve the issue and give the sects of the cultivation world an explanation.

But Luo Zhao did not respond. She merely stared coldly at Fang Nu.

No one knew that the reason for her calm at that moment was not because she had any solution in mind.

It was because she understood something else clearly. The imperial decree concerning this Taihe War had explicitly stated that the Crown Prince would supervise it.

Luo Zhao understood better than anyone what those words meant.

This was Emperor Luo's test for her—a formal, public test that she could not afford to fail.

Therefore, even though Emperor Luo already knew what was happening, he would not intervene. He would watch and see how she resolved it.

Only if she truly could not handle the situation and everything spiraled completely out of control would Emperor Luo come forward to clean up the mess.

So Luo Zhao could only rely on herself to settle this dispute.

If this had happened in the past, she would most likely have simply turned cold and used her status to pressure them.

Then her opponents would seize upon that weakness and make an issue of it, forcing her to rely on Lin Qingyan or Emperor Luo to step in and clean up the aftermath.

But things were different now.

After being trained by Gu Chengyin for so long, she had not only been thoroughly disciplined in bed; she had also learned plenty of valuable lessons outside of it.

Luo Zhao had learned how to remain calm under pressure, how to analyze an opponent's intentions and bottom line, and how to use rules rather than status to defeat an enemy.

Most importantly, she had also developed a philosophy of dealing with situations all by herself.

When you had no idea what to do, then stall.

Stall until the situation changed. Stall until the adults returned. Stall until the opponent revealed a weakness of their own.

Therefore, although Luo Zhao had no idea how to respond to Fang Nu's counterattack, she did not lose her nerve.

There was not the slightest hint of fear on her face.

She simply sat in the central seat, her back straight as a pine, her gaze cold as frost.

With no more than the strength of the Foundation Establishment Realm, she met Fang Nu's eyes without the slightest fear.

Then something extraordinary happened.

Perhaps because her confidence was almost excessive, Luo Zhao's presence gradually began to suppress Fang Nu's.

It was not suppression in terms of cultivation, but on a spiritual level.

Luo Zhao's eyes were too steadfast, her posture too composed, and her silence too full of meaning.

After meeting her gaze for several breaths, Fang Nu unexpectedly shifted his eyes away ever so slightly.

The sight shocked everyone present.

The female officials of the Internal Affairs Bureau widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.

The Crown Prince had actually overwhelmed a veteran Golden Core powerhouse in terms of sheer presence?

How was that possible?

Yet their eyes had not deceived them. Fang Nu had indeed been the first to look away.

Luo Zhao's gaze had not moved from beginning to end. It was like a drawn sword, pointing straight at her opponent's throat.

After the shock came an indescribable surge of excitement and pride.

The female officials, who had originally been somewhat timid and hesitant, seemed to have been injected with a powerful tonic after witnessing Luo Zhao's performance.

Every one of them straightened their backs a little further.

Their eyes no longer held only respect. There was now more genuine admiration and trust in them.

If Her Highness was not afraid, what did they have to fear?

So what if they were veteran Golden Core cultivators?

Her Highness was not afraid even with only Foundation Establishment cultivation. Although they were just as insignificant as Foundation Establishment ants, if the Golden Core cultivators of the Sun and Moon Sect dared to act recklessly, they would stake their lives to block a blade for Her Highness.

This emotion spread silently throughout the hall. The presence of the female officials from the Internal Affairs Bureau rose collectively by another notch.

Yet only Luo Zhao herself knew that she was not unafraid because she had a way to deal with the situation.

She was unafraid because she understood one fact clearly—and it was also her greatest source of confidence.

Even if Emperor Luo refused to intervene, Gu Chengyin and Lin Qingyan would definitely do so.

Although neither of them was present at the moment, their absence was only temporary.

Therefore, there was only one thing Luo Zhao needed to do.

Stall.

Stall until her Master Daddy and Auntie Mom returned.