Lu Jingming wore a well-tailored set of black casual clothes. His short white hair reflected a soft luster in the sunlight, and his handsome face carried a trace of a lazy smile.
After he appeared, he did not immediately acknowledge Wei Na, who had stood up; he didn't even give her a second glance. His gaze fell straight upon the small bed in the corner, on the toddler who was slightly wrinkling his small brow and seemed about to wake from a deep sleep due to the sudden presence in the room.
He stepped forward, walking soundlessly to the side of the bed. He leaned over, his movements gentle. His fingers, long and powerful, lightly pinched the chubby, pink cheek of his son, Lu Xingtong.
Perhaps sensing his father's familiar aura, Lu Xingtong's wrinkled brow smoothed out. His small mouth smacked twice, and he rolled over to continue sleeping soundly, the corner of his lips even curving upward in a cute arc.
As Lu Jingming looked at his son's charming sleeping face, the depth and indifference in his eyes completely melted away in that moment. The scene was quiet and warm.
Xu Jiujiu looked at the pair, father and son, and an unconscious smile of happiness and contentment blossomed on her face.
Wei Na, meanwhile, stood frozen in place. Looking at the scene before her, her heart was a whirlwind of complex emotions. She saw a side of Lu Jingming that no one knew—not the decisive Master of Sea Abyss City from the rumors, nor the hegemon who controlled the Star Luo Empire, but a gentle father immersed in domestic bliss.
To her at this moment, however, this warmth was like a sharp needle stabbing ruthlessly into her already battered heart. Once upon a time, she too had an Imperial Father who would look at her with such tenderness. Once upon a time, she too had the most beautiful aspirations for such a mundane and happy future.
But now, everything had vanished like bubbles. Her nation was gone. Her home was shattered. And the culprit behind it all was currently enjoying the fruits of victory.
An indescribable sense of desolation and bitterness surged from the depths of her heart, nearly drowning her.
Just then, Lu Jingming slowly straightened his body. He finally turned his head, his gaze falling upon Wei Na.
"Princess Wei Na, I can grant your request."
"Jingming..." Xu Jiujiu started to speak but hesitated.
Lu Jingming did not say anything; he only gave Xu Jiujiu a slight shake of his head. He knew what she was thinking, but when it came to something like hatred, it was better to guide it than to block it.
The current Wei Na was like a barrel filled with gunpowder. The more she was suppressed and prevented from seeking revenge, the more that energy would accumulate within her until the day she blew herself to pieces. Let her go; give her a channel for catharsis and a clear goal. Even if that path was dangerous, at the very least, it would give her a reason to keep living.
Moreover, the banner of Wei Na was still useful. The remnant forces of the Heavenly Soul Empire needed a core to coalesce around. Rather than letting them scatter across the continent as unstable factors, it was better to keep them firmly within his grasp as a pawn for the future integration of the continent.
In an instant, several layers of considerations flashed through Lu Jingming's mind. He had many reasons for taking Wei Na in. Furthermore, Wei Na's relationships with Robin, March 7th, and the others were quite good. In the complex extended family of Sea Abyss City, interpersonal relationships needed maintenance. Out of respect for them, giving Wei Na a chance to avoid sinking completely into despair was a simple favor to grant.
He turned his gaze back to Wei Na, saying nothing more, simply waiting quietly for her choice. He had given her the opportunity, but the road was hers to walk.
Looking into Lu Jingming's deep eyes, the surging complex emotions in Wei Na's heart strangely settled down. She knew that in front of this man, any pretense or concealment was meaningless. A bitter smile, one that looked more painful than crying, appeared on her face.
"I am no longer a princess."
She shook her head gently, her voice raspy but exceptionally clear.
"Brother Lu, just call me Wei Na."
The sentence "I am no longer a princess" represented her complete abandonment of the past and her acceptance of the reality that her nation was destroyed and her family gone. At this moment, she was no longer the high-and-mighty pearl of the Heavenly Soul Empire who needed protection. She was just Wei Na, a revenger burdened by a blood feud.
She bowed deeply and solemnly to Lu Jingming.
"Thank you, Brother Lu, for being willing to give me this chance. Wei Na will never forget this kindness. If I can slay my enemies in the future, Wei Na's life will belong to you."
In her words, there was no haggling or posturing. There was only the purest gratitude and the resolution of one who has bet everything they own. She was well aware that in her current situation, aside from her life and the illusory banner of Heavenly Soul legitimacy, she had nothing. Yet Lu Jingming was willing to pull her up at her most desperate moment. Regardless of his motives, this kindness was as heavy as a mountain.
"There is no need for that."
Lu Jingming's tone was flat; he neither accepted nor rejected her fealty.
"Go and do what you must. The Star Luo Empire's intelligence system will cooperate with you fully."
"Yes."
Wei Na straightened up and gave Xu Jiujiu one last look—a look filled with complexity. Then, without further hesitation, she turned and strode out of the warm and magnificent palace courtyard.
She did not stay a moment longer. Ahead of her was a road of revenge paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. She was going to gather those still loyal to the Heavenly Soul Empire who were hidden in various corners of the continent. She was going to contact the members of the Body Sect who had survived the Battle of Heaven Dou City and who harbored a bone-deep hatred for the Sun Moon Empire.
She had been silent for a year, and the Sun Moon Empire had rested for a year as well. She could feel that the terrifying beast of war could no longer restrain itself and was about to open its bloody maw once again. She had to gather all the forces that could be united before that happened.
Watching Wei Na's lonely back disappear at the end of the courtyard, Xu Jiujiu finally couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"Is this... really okay? Jingming." She turned and leaned into Lu Jingming's arms, her voice filled with worry. "Now that she has taken this path, there is no turning back. I'm afraid she..."
"Everyone has their own destiny and choices," Lu Jingming said, reaching out to gently circle her waist and pull her into his embrace. He rested his chin against her forehead and comforted her softly. "You cannot walk her life's path for her. Letting her live in a false tranquility, tormented every day by hatred and a sense of powerlessness—that would be the true cruelty."
Xu Jiujiu fell silent. She knew Lu Jingming was right. But logic was one thing; emotion was another.
"I understand," she said, burying her face in his chest.
The Star Luo Empire of today was no longer the Star Luo Empire of a year ago. Lu Jingming was the undisputed uncrowned king of this empire. Her Imperial Father, Xu Jiawei, had already handed over the empire's military, political, and economic power to Lu Jingming step by step, almost without reservation. He himself was happy to be a "salted fish," spending his days traveling the mountains and waters with the Empress and enjoying his grandchildren, completely letting go of the burden of power.
As for the old-fashioned opposition in the empire who couldn't see the situation clearly? They existed, certainly. How could the ancient families of dukes and marquises that had been passed down for ten thousand years willingly hand over power to an outsider? But most of them were practical. After a few tentative attempts at opposition were ruthlessly crushed by Lu Jingming's lightning-fast methods—even to the point of family heirs being replaced following various "accidents"—they all wisely chose to shut their mouths.
As for that small portion of the most stubborn and radical dissenters...
Xu Jiujiu thought of that cold and merciless young girl—Ji Yingying. The Wuchang Department she managed had now replaced the empire's original supervisory and intelligence agencies, becoming a Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of all nobles. Those most restless dissenters would often quietly vanish from the world in the middle of the night, and all their criminal evidence would be laid upon the Emperor's desk.
Cutting through the tangled knots with a sharp blade. Before Lu Jingming's absolute power and cold political hand, any plots or schemes appeared pale and laughable.
Therefore, she knew that any decision Lu Jingming made inevitably carried profound considerations. What she needed to do was support him unconditionally.
"Alright, don't overthink it," Lu Jingming patted her back gently and said with a smile. "Wei Na joining us is a good thing for us as well."
"A good thing?" Xu Jiujiu looked up, somewhat confused.
"Of course," Lu Jingming laughed. "Though the Heavenly Soul Empire has fallen, it had a heritage of several thousand years. Those die-hard loyalists to the Imperial Family, especially the remnants of the Body Sect, are a force that cannot be underestimated. Among them, there must be quite a few surviving Titled Douluo. If left alone, this force would be a group of desperate outlaws filled with hatred, extremely difficult to control. But now, with Wei Na as a banner, we can legitimately incorporate all of them. Accepting them also sends a signal to the entire continent."
A meaningful smile curled at the corner of Lu Jingming's mouth.
"When everything is over, when the Sun Moon Empire is overthrown and a new order is established, Wei Na can lead this portion of the Heavenly Soul forces to join us legitimately as part of the new whole. If possible, I still hope she can have a relatively complete ending."
Hearing Lu Jingming analyze all the pros, cons, and personal favors so thoroughly, the last trace of doubt in Xu Jiujiu's heart completely vanished. She looked at the man before her, her heart filled with peace. He was always like this; behind every seemingly casual decision lay countless layers of deep meaning and planning.
"I understand." She stood on her tiptoes and took the initiative to kiss his lips. "Thank you, Jingming."
The silence was broken. After a year of unsettling digestion and consolidation, the terrifying war beast of the Sun Moon Empire finally opened its hungry eyes once again. This time, its gaze was cast toward the rich but weak land in the east of the continent—the Dou Ling Empire.
The clouds of war gathered over the entire Douluo Continent almost overnight. Tens of thousands of soul tool aerial warships blotted out the sun as they crossed the border. On the ground, the integrated and expanded Mecha Legions, Antimatter Legions, Borisin Legions, and countless soul teacher units formed an unstoppable iron torrent, advancing toward the heart of the Dou Ling Empire with crushing force.
Panic spread through the Dou Ling Empire like a plague. Dou Ling's strength was already a level lower than the Heavenly Soul Empire's had been. Although they had spent the past year watching their neighbor collapse and feeling the terror of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," and had worked day and night to reinforce defenses, expand the army, and prepare for war, all these efforts appeared pale and powerless before the generational gap of the Sun Moon Empire's war machine.
Battle reports from the front flew into the Dou Ling Imperial Palace like snowflakes, and every single missive was stained with the blood of defeat and despair.
"The first defensive line was completely breached within three hours."
"The key western border town of Wangyue City has fallen; the thirty-thousand-strong garrison has been annihilated."
"The Sun Moon Empire's Antimatter Legion... they are monsters; we cannot resist them at all."
"Defeat... another defeat... a total collapse across the line."
In the Dou Ling Imperial Palace, the Deliberation Hall. The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like solidified lead. The Dou Ling Emperor, an elderly man who had long since lost his imperial majesty and was left with only a face full of exhaustion and terror, sat powerless on his golden throne. His eyes were vacant as he listened to the generals below report one blood-weeping failure after another.
"Where are the reinforcements? Where are the reinforcements from the Star Luo Empire?!" he suddenly roared, as if grasping at the last straw. "Where are the envoys I sent? What do they say?!"
A minister responsible for diplomacy stepped forward tremblingly, his voice shaking: "Your... Your Majesty, the Star Luo Empire... replied saying they are gathering their army, but... but they need time..."
"Time? Time? What we lack most right now is time!" The Dou Ling Emperor slammed a battle report onto the floor, falling into a state of hysterical frenzy. "By the time they finish gathering, my empire will long be gone."
The hall was deathly silent; no one dared to respond. The Dou Ling Emperor panted heavily, his bloodshot eyes darting wildly like a trapped beast pushed into a corner, searching for any possible way out.
Suddenly, he thought of something. He snapped his gaze toward his Prime Minister, his voice turning sharp with urgency: "The Black Tortoise Sect. Send someone to the Black Tortoise Sect immediately to ask them for aid."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire court was in an uproar. Who didn't know that the relationship between the Dou Ling Imperial Family and the Black Tortoise Sect, located within the borders of the former Heavenly Soul Empire, had long ago reached a freezing point? Years ago, the Sect Master of the Black Tortoise Sect had audaciously eloped with the Emperor's favorite daughter, Princess Xue Lingxun. This scandal had caused the Dou Ling Imperial Family to lose all face, and the Emperor had been so enraged that he once ordered the Black Tortoise Sect to be listed as a faction forever unwelcome in the empire.
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