Or perhaps Lin Yue wasn’t clueless; she was just born as a favored daughter of the heavens, naturally believing that all the beautiful scenery in the world should belong to her, no matter the means. But how can one have everything in this world? Gains come with losses. The human dynasty bestowed Lin Yue with honors, but the ruthless Immortal Realm isn’t as accommodating.
“Because the Heavenly Dao does not allow it,” Lou Shuangzui sighed softly. He picked up his wine cup again, his fingers rubbing the beautiful gems adorning it. His golden eyes fell on Lin Yue, devoid of malice but also emotionless. “Spiritual roots are gifts from the Heavenly Dao. If you don’t have them, you don’t have them. If you do, you do. Princess, don’t force it.”
“What if I insist?” Lin Yue, still young, couldn’t control her emotions for a moment. Her eyes reddened as she glared fiercely at Lou Shuangzui. “If you don’t take me, don’t think about taking that bastard either. You won’t see her!”
Lou Shuangzui wasn’t angered by her offense. He simply put down the cup, sighed lightly, and glanced sideways at the emperor, who was already showing displeasure from his high seat.
“Do you think so too?” he asked.
The emperor was silent for a moment. Out of fear of the Immortal’s power, he didn’t speak harshly, but he also didn’t answer. He merely averted his gaze, and this silence was already his answer.
Consort Lan Zhen was about to speak to persuade Lou Shuangzui when she heard someone among the silent ministers speak up. Looking up, she found it was the Prime Minister, an elder over fifty, with half his hair turned silver.
He had been assessing the situation for years, and this was the first time the emperor saw him speak so clearly. He said, “Immortals have been a blessing to our dynasty and all the people. Your Majesty, do not let personal desires dishearten the Immortal Mountain!”
Once one person spoke up, the rest began to speak for the Sixth Princess and Lou Shuangzui.
“The Sixth Princess stayed in the palace during the crisis, staying in the capital and standing with the people. After the emperor returned to the palace, he did not reward the princess, and now he wants to take away her opportunity. This will surely lose the people’s hearts!”
…
One, two, ten…
More and more officials stood up, straightening their backs and kneeling on the ground. The ladies who accompanied them to the banquet also adjusted their clothes and knelt beside the ministers.
Seemingly unprepared for the current situation, the emperor took a step back, looking embarrassed, while Lin Yue was at a loss, standing dazed in the middle of the hall.
“Fine, fine, are you all rebelling?” The emperor stood up angrily, roaring at the ministers.
But no one answered him. They just bowed lower, shouting in unison, “Please, Your Majesty, retract the order and return the opportunity to the Sixth Princess.”
Being angry at one person is one thing, but being angry at everyone…
Moments later, the emperor took a step back, slumping into his throne, conceding. “Someone, bring the Sixth Princess here.”
Reaching this point wasn’t due to the voluntary actions of these cowardly people. It was all part of Lou Shuangzui’s plan. Although he was powerful and quick to kill, there were still some little demons with special talents, not very strong but troublesome enough to blend into the crowd.
So Lou Shuangzui searched back and forth, taking over two months to deal with those miscellaneous creatures. Then he had to find Lin Ran and wait for the court to return to the capital. All in all, it had been three or four months.
Three or four months, and in such chaotic times, even if the current emperor was mediocre, half of the court’s power should have fallen into Lou Shuangzui’s hands by now. Moreover, the current ruler was a foolish emperor, making it all the easier to gather scattered hearts.
At this point, the Immortal, who had watched enough of the show, finally spoke. He put down the hand supporting his head. “Lin Shimei is just outside the hall. No need to fetch her. Your Majesty, just let her in.”
Upon hearing this, Consort Lan Zhen, who had been biting her lip, suddenly looked up. The heavy golden hairpin on her head made a piercing sound. She grabbed the emperor’s sleeve with her rouge-stained nails, but this time she didn’t get a response from the man.
There was a sound of something heavy falling by the window, followed by footsteps. A little girl in old, dusty clothes soon appeared at the entrance of the hall.
Lin Ran and Lin Yue shared some resemblance in their features, but compared to Lin Yue’s rosy complexion and proud demeanor, Lin Ran looked much more frail. However, despite being mistreated, the girl hadn’t developed a timid habit. Instead, she exuded a restrained and elegant aura.
She tidied her clothes before turning to walk in. Lin Ran didn’t greet the emperor but slowly and purposefully made her way to Lou Shuangzui, lifting her small, dust-stained face to look at him.
“I am Lin Ran, the Sixth Princess of the Southern Dynasty, Lin Ran.”
Her personality was unexpected. Perhaps because Lu Mi Que was so lively, the Heavenly Dao gave her two reliable disciples, Yan Zhi Ge and Lin Ran, both appearing dependable.
Lou Shuangzui’s eyes curved, revealing a smile. He already had a delicate face, and when he smiled, the beauty of the twining branches became even more vivid. “Nice to meet you, Lin Shimei. I am Lou Shuangzui, the first disciple of Sword Peak. You can call me Lou Shixiong.”
Lou Shuangzui… Lou Shuangzui?!
Lin Ran’s eyes widened. She had thought the one coming this time was some minor character barely mentioned in the books. Otherwise, with such a face, how could there not be more written about him? But as soon as Lou Shuangzui’s name came out, she immediately understood.
So she poked the system in her mind, “Is this the future sect leader Shixiong? The one who always wears a mask and never shows his face even after two hundred chapters to the end?!”
The system’s tone was calm, “Yes, that’s him. By the way, he can also be your target for strategy. If successful, the final reward will double.”
“Such an attractive condition… but I’m not tempted. He seems like a hell-level difficulty, and I’m not a fool,” Lin Ran refused without hesitation. While talking to the system, she pretended to be a shy little girl, cautiously looking up at Lou Shuangzui.
“Hello, Lou Shixiong.”
Lou Shuangzui smiled and patted Lin Ran’s hair. Instantly, spiritual power spread down, cleaning all the dust and dirt from Lin Ran. Then the Immortal picked up a petal from the table and gently blew on it.
The dusty clothes on Lin Ran disappeared, replaced by a delicate peach blossom pink palace dress. Unlike Lin Yue’s expensive and heavily crafted attire, the one Lou Shuangzui gave Lin Ran was more ethereal, flowing like water.
Lin Ran clearly felt the two gazes from the high platform and behind her become more intense and unwilling, but she wasn’t focused on that now. She was pleasantly surprised, unable to resist looking up at Lou Shuangzui, her eyes bright, screaming internally with the system.
“So attentive! To notice such details at a time like this, my favorability is up, up, up. He must be my dear Shixiong!”
System: “…Rather, he’s at ease, and that’s quite intimidating.”
Consort Lan Zhen and her daughter were grinding their teeth, but the emperor showed no reaction. He just looked at the ministers below with a dark gaze.
The emperor hadn’t ascended the throne smoothly. In his youth, he had experienced the battle for succession. It was only after reaching the highest position that he became complacent and arrogant.
First, the ministers collectively pressured him, then Lin Ran was just outside the palace gates. How could he believe this was a coincidence?
He didn’t dare speculate too much about the Immortal, but his good ministers, did they all harbor rebellious thoughts?
In the end, Lin Ran was granted a seat next to Lou Shuangzui. The banquet ended tastelessly, with everyone harboring their own thoughts.
The emperor didn’t storm off immediately but endured his anger to arrange for Lin Ran to stay next to Lou Shuangzui’s temporary palace before leaving Consort Lan Zhen to go to the imperial study.
—He dared to indulge his beloved because he thought he was safe and sound. But now, with the court in such a state… To appease the ministers and noble families, the emperor inevitably considered marriage alliances again.
But none of this concerned Lin Ran anymore. She was about to ascend the Immortal Mountain, and all worldly matters would become fleeting. Fortunately, she was alone and had few attachments.
So she didn’t enter her palace but followed Lou Shuangzui like a little tail into a palace that wasn’t hers.
The girl tilted her head, “Shixiong, if the ministers hadn’t spoken for me today, what would you have done?”
Having drunk too much, even though he could use spiritual power to digest it, Lou Shuangzui still felt a bit sick of it. He didn’t want to drink any more liquids, so he picked up a green tangerine from the table and slowly peeled it.
“Out of the ordinary? Don’t you think about why it’s out of the ordinary?” The snake-like beauty coldly curled his lips. “They would definitely speak for you. I arranged it long ago. After all, with the country in turmoil and the emperor foolish, the conditions were perfect, so I borrowed a bit of strength.”
“…Foolish?” Lin Ran shivered, looked around, and then sighed in relief. She curiously looked at Lou Shuangzui, “What benefits did you give them? Can Immortals interfere in mortal politics?”
“Consort Lan Zhen has already angered the masses, and some people long for a wise ruler. The remaining ones in the imperial city are mostly useless sycophants. I helped them a bit. After we leave, this place will be in chaos. I just don’t know if they can successfully change the dynasty.”
Lou Shuangzui popped a piece of tangerine into his mouth, giving the rest to Lin Ran. The girl absentmindedly picked it up and ate a slice. It was quite sweet, not intentionally bad.
“As for Immortals and politics, the clearest rule for Immortals is not to use spiritual power in the mortal world. The rules regarding politics are more ambiguous. Plus, since I’m on a mission now, I won’t be punished.”
He patiently waited for Lin Ran to finish the tangerine, then patted her hair with his clean hand. “Don’t worry. I’ve already submitted my resignation to the emperor. Tomorrow, I’ll take you back to Chen Yue Sect.”
Author’s Note: