Chapter 6: Abandoning All Honor!

Cheng Guang felt a sourness in his heart.

Damn it, I really am just a weakling.

What do you mean by going easy on me!

Even if you insulted me outright, I wouldn’t feel this humiliated!

His emotions were complicated, yet he managed a smile, his expression still calm as he spoke, “I’m done playing. I’ve already tested you out just now; your strength is too weak. I’m afraid I’d hurt you if I used my full power.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Ling was taken aback, her bright eyes staring at him blankly for a moment, as if moved. She sniffled softly.

“My lord, so you’re actually a good person.”

Cheng Guang nearly exploded at her words.

You’re the good person! Your whole family’s good people!

But upon realizing she meant no harm, Cheng Guang decided to let this innocent girl off the hook.

He tried to withdraw his hand from Wu Ling’s grasp, pulling gently, only to find her hold was so tight that he couldn’t move at all.

Now, this was awkward.

Cheng Guang exerted himself in secret, using all his strength, but Wu Ling seemed unfazed, her cheeks merely growing a little pink.

“My lord, don’t scratch my palm, it tickles...” Wu Ling squirmed and muttered.

Cheng Guang’s smile became a touch stiff.

He was using all his strength, and yet she thought he was tickling her?

Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was teasing her!

Speaking of which, just how strong was this girl?

Could someone untrained be this strong?

“Alright, let go. It’s hot, our hands are sweaty,” Cheng Guang said helplessly, giving up and speaking directly, patting the back of Wu Ling’s hand with his other hand.

Wu Ling seemed to realize only then and hurriedly released him, apologizing as she pulled out a handkerchief and carefully wiped his fingers, as if afraid something dirty on her had gotten on him.

In her mind, her status was clearly far below Cheng Guang’s. In the palace, nobles often refused to touch anything handled by servants, let alone sweat.

Afraid he’d mind, Wu Ling took the initiative to clean his hand.

But Cheng Guang’s words had only been an excuse; her hands were cool, perfect for summer, hardly sweaty at all.

Watching Wu Ling attentively wipe his fingers, Cheng Guang couldn’t help but feel that she was far more considerate than his girlfriend in his previous life, who would only tell him to wipe his own hands.

A sense of satisfaction surged within his petty heart, and only then did he slowly withdraw his hand.

“That’s enough, it wasn’t even dirty to begin with. You’ll wear the skin off if you keep wiping.”

Wu Ling’s cheeks flushed, unsure how to respond.

“Let’s forget arm wrestling. I can’t bear to bully you. Let me teach you a new game.”

Cheng Guang stood up, found a pile of black and white stones by the lake, and drew a board on the stone table.

“This is called Five-in-a-Row. Whoever connects five stones in a line wins...”

He demonstrated the rules to Wu Ling, switching from martial games to more scholarly pursuits.

After a simple explanation, he let Wu Ling go first.

At first, Wu Ling seemed to realize Cheng Guang meant no harm and was just inviting her to play, so the suffocating pressure of the palace eased and she relaxed, focusing on the game.

She pondered each move for a long time—Five-in-a-Row was completely new to her. Though simple, winning required strategy.

Determined to complete the task, Cheng Guang decided not to show any mercy.

Taking advantage of Wu Ling’s unfamiliarity with the rules and tactics, he quickly won the first round.

The system’s cold voice echoed in his mind.

[You have defeated the Great Zhou Empress. Task complete.]

[Would you like to claim your reward?]

As expected, this system was rather easy to fool.

Cheng Guang couldn’t help but feel amused.

The reward this time was the Ancient Xia Imperial Bloodline. He had no idea what would happen upon acceptance, so he decided to wait for a private moment before claiming it.

With the task completed and his mother’s conversation not yet over, Cheng Guang, bored, simply continued playing with Wu Ling.

After a slow first round, Wu Ling’s pace quickened with each game.

As soon as Cheng Guang placed a stone, Wu Ling responded immediately, pressing him at every turn.

The difference was like night and day.

In the following games, Cheng Guang lost more than he won. Fortunately, the system’s task was complete, so he felt no pressure—playing with Wu Ling became a pleasant distraction.

As they focused intently on their match, a group of people appeared in the distance.

A mighty procession, several hundred strong.

A nearby eunuch, seeing the approaching party, knelt down immediately to greet them and tried to speak.

But the leader merely waved a hand, walking unhurriedly toward Cheng Guang’s pavilion.

Seeing Cheng Guang in the pavilion and Wu Ling, her face tense in concentration, a trace of surprise flickered through the dignified eyes of the newcomer.

He clearly hadn’t expected these two to be playing together.

He signaled for his entourage to halt and approached the pavilion alone, silently coming up behind Cheng Guang and observing the two before focusing on the board.

It looked like Go...

No, this wasn’t Go—it was something else...

Interesting.

The newcomer nodded slightly. He appeared to be in his fifties, half his hair turned white, his features cold and imposing, intimidating even without a word.

Just standing there, he struck fear into the hearts of the eunuchs and attendants nearby.

This was Emperor Wu Shang of Great Zhou, reigning under the era name Yongtai.

The Yongtai Emperor was a man who had clawed his way up from the bottom, a sovereign forged in the crucible of war.

In his youth, as chaos swept through Great Zhou and its borders fell, demons and monsters poured in from the Eightfold Demon Territories and Tenfold Sea of Demons, leaving devastation in their wake.

The Taizu Emperor died unexpectedly in the turmoil, and only General Cheng Shiyuan managed to hold the line. The Crown Prince Huainan, obsessed with ascending the throne, insisted on holding a grand coronation despite the raging war.

At that time, the Yongtai Emperor was still fighting at the borders, battling demons alongside the soldiers.

He entered the battlefield at ten, earned fame at twelve, and achieved great feats as an adult.

Though the Crown Prince was hundreds of years older, he could not compare.

Traditionally, the Great Zhou throne passed to the eldest legitimate son, not to juniors or those of lesser birth. By rights, the Yongtai Emperor could not inherit the throne. But with Empress Dowager Li’s backing and the support of the generals, Wu Shang ascended, taking the title Yongtai.

After the Crown Prince was deposed, he plotted in the shadows but ultimately failed, fleeing the kingdom and disappearing.

Only under the Yongtai Emperor did Great Zhou finally quell the unrest, even launching a northern campaign deep into the demon and monster realms.

He returned home laughing in the face of the Demon Emperor and Devil King.

Nearly thirty years had passed. He ruled diligently, caring for the people, proving that even one without legitimate birth could be a good emperor.

And now, this legendary sovereign stood directly behind Cheng Guang, who was completely unaware.

Without any cultivation, Cheng Guang couldn’t possibly sense the emperor if he wished to remain hidden.

When the game ended, Wu Ling let out a sigh of relief, ready to speak to Cheng Guang, but then she caught sight of the imposing figure behind him. Her smile faded, replaced by cool indifference as she turned her head away.

Noticing her change in demeanor, Cheng Guang realized something was behind him.

He turned to look.

At the same moment, the ruler of Great Zhou fixed his gaze on Cheng Guang.

Their eyes met.

At a glance, Cheng Guang recognized the man in the bright yellow dragon robe—the Emperor of Great Zhou, Wu Shang.

A trace of unease flickered within him; as an imposter, he felt nervous facing the emperor.

Under that stern gaze, his heart began to race.

“Greetings, uncle.”

Recalling what Qing Luan had told him, Cheng Guang suppressed his emotions, rose, and saluted respectfully.

Under the emperor’s gaze, he dared not speak carelessly. If his ruse was discovered, his death would be certain—a thousand different ways.

All he could do was act as normal as possible.

As Cheng Guang rose and saluted, Wu Ling, though her expression was frosty, also stood and bowed.

“Greetings, Father.”

She finished with a cold snort, showing no respect for the Yongtai Emperor.

The attendants behind the emperor paled with fear. In the entire palace, only this newly arrived princess would dare act this way in front of the emperor.

No one else would dare, not in a hundred lifetimes.

“Rise,” the emperor said indifferently. His gaze swept past Wu Ling before settling once more on Cheng Guang, and he, too, snorted coldly, just as Wu Ling had.

Cheng Guang was a little exasperated—why were father and daughter suddenly acting the same, snorting at every turn?

At least the emperor hadn’t discovered his secret, or it wouldn’t be a snort but a sword.

Perhaps there was some other reason.

But Cheng Guang didn’t dare ask, didn’t dare speak—he could only mutter to himself in silence.

...