Thinking of these things, Yu Xiu’s handsome face twisted into a faint snarl, unable to maintain the regal composure befitting a sovereign.
He was born into privilege. Even if Dayu was but a small, remote kingdom, as crown prince, he had grown up in splendor, naturally proud of his station. Who would willingly bow his head before his wife? The thought of all glory gathering upon her alone made his chest tighten; he had to draw deep, ragged breaths to calm the storm inside.
Now, as he studied the delicate features of the daughter before him, his gaze grew darker still. His expression turned grim. Were it not for the pressing matter at hand, he would never have chosen to see this child again.
Her presence dragged him back to memories he would rather forget.
Yet his plan demanded it. His eyes flickered, and after a long pause, he finally spoke to the girl—who looked at him without joy, without expectation: “After so many years, you’ve grown ever more ill-mannered! When an elder comes to see you, you don’t even know to pay your respects?”
This dull, unresponsive girl was a constant irritation, so unlike his other daughter. He thought of the child who had just clung to his arm, coquettish and affectionate, and his heart hardened: all happiness should be lavished upon that tender, devoted child—not wasted on this ungrateful wretch.
Yu Sangsang’s reply was blunt. She was no fool desperate for fatherly love, willing to grovel for scraps. She had no use for such things. Besides, even if she did bow and scrape, this scoundrel would only grow harsher, never kinder.
So she answered without courtesy: “Never had a father to teach me.”
If a child is untrained, is it not the father’s fault? Her lack of manners was nothing but proof of his failure.
After fourteen years apart, her first words were defiance. Yu Xiu’s face darkened, his glare sharp as he barked: “You dare defy me!”
“Not so bad,” Yu Sangsang laughed lightly. “At least I’ve honored the ancestors. Unlike someone who ignored them for fourteen years straight.”
Who had failed to set foot in the ancestral hall all these years? The ancestors knew well who was truly unfilial.
As king, Yu Xiu was accustomed to flattery. Never had anyone dared rebuke him so. Fury surged through his veins—he looked ready to choke down bitter herbs just to cool his rage.
But this was not the time to quarrel with a little white‑eyed wolf. He had more pressing business. Drawing a long breath, Yu Xiu sneered: “Sharp tongue. I won’t waste words on you. I came today to ask you something.”
Yu Sangsang yawned, poured herself plain water, and sat.
Yu Xiu’s gaze lingered on her face, searching for a flicker of emotion. Slowly, he asked: “Do you still remember, back then… your mother…”
He thought of his late wife—gentle, yielding, never once belittling him despite her noble birth. For a moment, he faltered, then his eyes hardened again as he continued: “Your mother once took you to pay respects to Immortal Shangyong of the Danxia Sect. Do you recall if the master ever spoke to you alone, in secret?”
This realm was vast, rich in spiritual energy, and gave rise to countless powers and sects. At its very heart lay the Central Plains, blessed with the densest aura and rarest treasures. There, the great sects gathered. Danxia Sect was one of them. Renowned for its alchemy, it produced master pill‑makers and provided its disciples with abundant resources—thus raising many outstanding cultivators.
This Immortal Shangyong was one of them—among the most trusted Grand Elders of the Danxia Sect, a cultivator of the Immortal rank. Though his cultivation was somewhat hollow, built upon the aid of spirit pills and lacking in combat prowess, his mastery of alchemy set him apart, granting him an exalted position.
For a small kingdom like Dayu, such an Immortal elder was far beyond reach; ordinarily, even fawning courtiers would never earn so much as a glance.
But Yu Xiu had married well. Though being forever overshadowed by his noble wife left him bitter and resentful, he could not deny the benefits of her connections. Through her, he gained entry into circles of power he could never have approached alone, just like Immortal Shangyong. The elder had once been close friends with Yu Sangsang’s maternal grandfather. Even after the old man’s passing, he continued to show kindness to the child of his departed friend. Thus, years ago, Yu Sangsang had accompanied her mother to pay respects to this gentle, amiable elder.
But that was fourteen years past. Since her mother’s death, every elder who had once shown her courtesy had vanished from her life. She had not seen Immortal Shangyong again.
So when Yu Xiu suddenly mentioned him, Yu Sangsang blinked in surprise, twitching her ears as she sipped her plain water in confusion.
It wasn’t her imagination. The name Immortal Shangyong rang strangely familiar—not the faint memory of childhood, but as though she had heard it somewhere else, in another place entirely.
“You didn’t hear me?” Yu Xiu snapped, angered by her absent‑minded air, as though she held him in no regard.
“I don’t know!” Yu Sangsang turned her head, wide‑eyed and innocent. She was telling the truth. A soul that had crossed over could hardly be expected to recall the memories of the body’s early childhood—what was wrong with that? Nothing at all. Her Highness the Princess was perfectly justified.
Seeing her refusal to cooperate, Yu Xiu narrowed his eyes. Every word from this girl seemed designed to choke him, and his disgust deepened all the more.
Thinking further, Yu Xiu sneered inwardly. If she were ever allowed to rise above her station, she would never devote herself to Dayu with filial loyalty. He gave a cold hum and said lightly, “Since you refuse to speak, then forget it.”
Their words had already clashed; his mouth twisted as he added, “From now on, you will remain here in the imperial mausoleum forever… behave yourself, don’t harbor wild ambitions, and don’t even dream of competing with Xianzhu.”
Fixing his gaze on the girl, whose expression grew stranger at his words, he continued, “For the sake of my bloodline—so long as you stay obedient—I will at least see you fed.” With that, he turned, flicked his sleeve, and left.
Between father and daughter, there were only these few cold sentences.
No affection. No longing. No remembrance of her mother. Only interrogation and warning.
Yu Sangsang watched his back as he departed, silent. How strange. She herself was not his daughter, so his attitude only went into her mental ledger as: “One day, when I return in strength, we’ll see how you die.”
Yet the body she inhabited felt nothing at all—empty, indifferent. No trace of yearning for a father, no shadow of hope. It was as if, over more than ten years, the child had already given up on such things. Perhaps that was for the best. After all, judging by his manner, he held no fondness for her or her mother, and spoke only in defense of another child.
That one called “Xianzhu”…
Yu Sangsang paused. The name struck her as oddly familiar. Thinking harder, her eyes widened—she recognized the feeling.
Yu Xian’er, Xianzhu, Immortal Shangyong, Dayu… This was the story from a sweet romance novel she had once read to pass the time. And of course, being a “sweet romance,” it had left her rolling happily across her bed back then. It told of a kind, pure young girl who, despite being born into a despised background, won hearts with sincerity, was cherished by all, and ultimately ascended to immortality. Back then, the tale of how every great cultivator doted on her was intoxicating to read.
Of course, Yu Sangsang only now realized why the story had felt so familiar. When she had read it, the perspective was that of the cherished girl herself. The romance novel’s lens was all about how that little girl won everyone’s love. But her own transmigrated perspective was the opposite—a stark contrast.
Thinking of the novel’s beginning and recalling the Dayu king’s grim face just moments ago, Yu Sangsang’s lips twitched. She hadn’t expected to land right at the start of the story.
This was the very moment when she and the pampered girl called “Xianzhu” were both seventeen, the age when everything was about to begin.
Xianzhu—born of an unknown father, brought into the royal family when her mother married into Dayu—was the girl who strove to be kind to everyone. In the end, she won her stepfather’s recognition, and the three of them lived happily in the palace.
Because he loved her as his own, the king of Dayu could not bear to see such a gentle, gifted child waste away in a remote little kingdom. He wished to give her a broader world.
But Dayu was weak. Its strongest cultivator was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. No mighty sects or clans would ever take notice of such a small country.
After much thought, her stepfather devised a “solution”—a substitution.
The king’s first wife, of noble birth, had borne him a daughter. From birth, that child had been promised to her mother’s sect: the Taixu Sect.
Taixu was one of the most powerful sects in the realm, home to four Immortal‑rank cultivators, radiant with glory. Her mother’s clan had served Taixu for generations. Out of gratitude, the sect vowed that no matter where the clan’s bloodline wandered, even a single drop of it would be welcomed back—straight into the inner sect, with the highest training and care.
Thus, countless elite cultivators had sprung from that family. Even as time washed away their brilliance, Taixu still cherished every child of that lineage.
Years ago, the king’s first wife had pleaded with the sect: she did not want her baby taken away in swaddling clothes, severing ties with her father’s family. So Taixu agreed to wait until the child turned seventeen before reclaiming her.
After the wife’s death, the sect honored its promise. They did not take the girl early, nor even visit her. No one had seen her…
And to the king of Dayu, that was an opportunity. Xianzhu and his first wife’s daughter, Yu Xian’er, were both seventeen. Since Taixu had never laid eyes on his late wife’s child, all he had to do was let Xianzhu take Yu Xian’er’s place. Then his beloved girl would step into a completely different life.
Yu Sangsang: …
A sweet romance novel. Utterly indulgent!