Chapter 39: The Prelude to a Battleground

Outside the guest room door.

The few City Guards who had been preparing to break in suddenly trembled, their eyes turning somewhat blank and vacant in an instant.

The leading Commandant frowned, glanced at the tightly closed door, then looked at the portrait in his hand.

“Strange, didn’t we already check just now? There was no one inside.”

The Commandant scratched his head, looking utterly puzzled.

“Yeah, boss, I remember clearly. We went in and checked just now—searched under the bed and in the cabinets, there was nothing at all,” a soldier beside him chimed in.

“Could we have remembered wrong?”

“That’s impossible, so many of us can’t all be mistaken, right?”

The group looked at each other, each seeing confusion in the others’ eyes.

“Forget it, forget it,” the Commandant waved his hand, growing a bit impatient.

“If we’ve already checked, there’s no point wasting more time here. Let’s go, on to the next one!”

With that, the Commandant led his men downstairs.

Those hurried, chaotic footsteps gradually faded away, finally disappearing altogether.

…

Deep within the imperial palace.

Ji Linglong, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened her eyes, a faint gleam flickering in them.

She murmured to herself: “That’s the aura of the Power of the Lunar Yin… At last, I’ve found it…”

Inside the guest room.

Lu Ning was utterly stunned.

What kind of method was this?

Word becomes law?

Or was it some profound illusion technique?

This rebellious disciple’s strength seemed even more terrifying than she had imagined.

Lu Ning’s heart tightened.

She turned to look at Gu Qinghuan, only to find the other woman watching her with an amused look in her eyes.

“Master, are you satisfied?”

A trace of smugness curled up at the corner of Gu Qinghuan’s lips.

“Mm…”

Lu Ning nodded, her thoughts churning.

“But just a word of approval isn’t enough.”

Suddenly, Gu Qinghuan flipped over, pinning Lu Ning beneath her.

She braced herself on either side of Lu Ning’s body, looking down at her from above.

“Master, your disciple just helped you out of trouble.”

“Shouldn’t you give your disciple a little reward in return?”

Looking at her mischievous smile, Lu Ning felt a bad premonition.

“You… what kind of reward do you want?”

“Your disciple dares not ask for anything else.”

Gu Qinghuan slowly lowered her head, leaning close to Lu Ning’s ear.

“Your disciple just wants to hear…”

“I want to hear Master beg me a few more times, just like you did earlier.”

“As long as Master is willing to open your mouth, don’t say just sending away a few little underlings, even if you want the stars in the sky, your disciple will pluck them down for you.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Ning’s cheeks instantly flushed bright red.

This rebellious disciple!

She was getting bolder and bolder!

“Gu Qinghuan, don’t forget, I am your Master!”

Lu Ning said in embarrassment and anger, trying to use her status to suppress her.

“How can you do such outrageous things again and again!”

“Master?”

Gu Qinghuan chuckled softly, “Do you still have even a shred of a Master’s dignity in your current state?”

She gently hooked Lu Ning’s chin with her finger.

“Besides, Master, don’t you think we’re better off like this?”

“No nagging elders, no endless sect matters.”

“Just the two of us.”

“We could be together like this… forever.”

Looking into those eyes filled with mad possessiveness, Lu Ning felt completely helpless.

She knew there was no reasoning with this rebellious disciple.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

“Qinghuan, listen to me…”

Lu Ning’s tone turned grave.

“This isn’t the time to be indulging in such things. The whole Tiandu City is searching for us. Everything’s in chaos—we must find a way to leave as soon as possible.”

“Leave?”

Gu Qinghuan’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Master, do you really want to leave that much?”

“Is staying with your disciple really that unbearable for you?”

There was an almost imperceptible trace of grievance in her voice.

Lu Ning paused in surprise, realizing her rebellious disciple had misunderstood again.

She hurriedly tried to explain, “No… it’s not that. I just think it’s too dangerous here. Once we’re back at the Heavenly Demon Sect, whatever you want… it’s all… all up to you.”

Just to get out of this, Lu Ning had no choice but to compromise once again.

“Really?”

Gu Qinghuan’s eyes instantly lit up.

“Mm.”

Lu Ning nodded stiffly.

“Then that’s good.”

Gu Qinghuan’s smile returned.

“As long as Master begs me one more time now—beg me to take you away…”

“Your disciple promises, we’ll leave Tiandu before dawn.”

Lu Ning: “……”

She knew it would end up like this.

This rebellious disciple had grasped her weakness, finding new ways to force her to give in.

Lu Ning met Gu Qinghuan’s expectant gaze, feeling utterly helpless inside.

Fine, isn’t it just begging her one more time?

Just as Lu Ning prepared to bow her head once more for the sake of a bowl of rice…

A faint spatial ripple suddenly flashed through the room.

Immediately after, a cold and domineering voice seemed to pierce through endless space, echoing right in their ears.

“A’Ning’s pleading and compromise—such a sight is for this Princess alone. You are not qualified.”

Hearing this voice, Gu Qinghuan’s pupils contracted sharply.

Their location had been exposed.

Gu Qinghuan reacted instantly.

The moment the voice sounded, without thinking, she scooped up Lu Ning and tried to flee the inn.

But she was still a step too late.

A golden rope appeared out of thin air, as if alive—a spiritual snake—swiftly and securely binding Gu Qinghuan.

On the rope flowed profound Daoist patterns, radiating a terrifying force that could imprison even heaven and earth.

It was none other than the true Immortal-Binding Rope.

Once entangled by this treasure, unless one had the power of a Great Ascension stage, it was utterly impossible to break free in a short time.

Gu Qinghuan’s face changed dramatically.

She desperately urged the Lunar Yin Power within her to break free.

But the Immortal-Binding Rope only tightened, suppressing her strength and sealing it within her body, leaving her unable to mobilize even the slightest bit.

The space in the room twisted.

A figure clad in resplendent golden palace attire slowly stepped forth.

It was Ji Linglong herself.

She glanced at Gu Qinghuan, who was rendered motionless by the Immortal-Binding Rope, and a cold sneer rose to her lips.

Then her gaze fell on Lu Ning, whom Gu Qinghuan had been shielding.

The moment she saw Lu Ning’s familiar, stunningly beautiful face, those golden phoenix eyes were instantly filled with the wild joy of recovering what was once lost.

Her eyes reddened slightly, her voice trembling ever so faintly.

“A’Ning, I’ve come to take you home.”