Wang Qingci knew—it was over.
When she first developed feelings for the King of the North, her heart had been filled with nothing but agony. All she could think about was revenge, about how to kill him with her own hands and reclaim her dignity.
But now, just half a month later, those bitter thoughts had faded. As her connection with the King of the North deepened again, the pain that once tormented her dissolved, replaced by a dangerous and intoxicating sense of indulgence. She was utterly lost in it.
Just like that for next few hours the only thing that can be heard from that room was bed creaking, passionate soul stirring moans and a man deep grunts.
Afew hours later.
Chu Yuqin was on her routine patrol around the North Courtyard when she heard suspicious sounds coming from one of the rooms. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
She had just passed through the East Courtyard not long ago, and she clearly remembered seeing Mu Zixuan and the two Zhou sisters chatting there. So who could be causing such noise here in the North Courtyard?
Could it be that someone had sneaked in? A man from the outer courtyard—perhaps having an illicit affair with one of the inner maids?
Absolutely not!
Determined to investigate, Chu Yuqin approached the source of the noise. Quietly, she poked a hole in the paper covering the door and peered through.
The moment her eyes landed on the scene inside, her body stiffened.
She quickly recoiled, shutting her eyes tightly as her face turned crimson. Spinning on her heel, she muttered in frustration as she walked away, "That little scoundrel… brought a woman back and didn't even tell me!"
She had thought someone had broken into the North Courtyard for an affair, but no—it was Lu Chen himself. And clearly, he was the one misbehaving.
The image still lingering in her mind made Chu Yuqin feel even more agitated than before. She tried to center herself, using her cultivation techniques to calm her racing heart. She had to suppress these stray thoughts before they spiraled out of control.
At sunset.
The sun dipped lower into the horizon, casting brilliant red hues across the sky. Clouds blazed with golden fire as the day neared its end.
In the distance, Mu Zixuan and the two Zhou sisters strolled toward the North Courtyard, chatting and laughing as if nothing was amiss. They knew perfectly well what had occurred here.
Meanwhile, within one of the rooms, Wang Qingci lay unmoving in Lu Chen's arms.
The sunset's fiery glow filtered through the window, casting a warm bronze hue across Wang Qingci's snow-white skin which is tainted with sweat and something while in some places. She had long since sobered up.
And in that stillness, reality hit her like a hammer.
She had been played.
No—not just her. The entire Xia Dynasty had been deceived.
The man beside her, the infamous "waste" known as the King of the North—the same man who had taken her innocence—not only wasn't a weakling, but might very well be the most dangerous man she had ever met.
Back then, after losing her innocence to him, she'd been consumed by fury. She hadn't even entertained the possibility that the King of the North might be more than he appeared.
But now, in hindsight, everything seemed suspicious.
First of all, no ordinary man could endure hours of physical activity without exhaustion. It was known throughout the capital that the King of the North had long been drained of vitality by alcohol and women—yet he hadn't shown even a hint of weakness.
Even more alarming was how easily he had sealed her internal energy without alerting her at all. That kind of mastery couldn't possibly belong to an ordinary man.
And today, after drinking the Muscle Softening Powder, he remained completely unscathed. If someone could resist such a potent concoction and still function perfectly, could they still be called useless?
What a joke.
If that counted as useless, then most of the world's martial artists would be crippled.
His previous act—complaining of a headache and weakness after drinking the powder—was all a ruse. A ploy to get her to lower her guard and escort him into the room… to make things easier for his plan.
The more she thought about it, the more foolish she felt. She'd been naive enough to believe he was truly poisoned.
But regret changed nothing. What was done, was done.
In a soft voice, she finally murmured, "Your Majesty… you knew who I was from the very beginning, didn't you?"
There was no more need for pretense. The truth could no longer be avoided.
Lu Chen had sealed her energy with ease. That alone revealed he was aware of her cultivation level. And his resistance to the Muscle Softening Powder—he must've known what it was from the start.
It was time to be honest.
Lu Chen casually ran his fingers across her smooth, bare back, a lazy smile tugging at his lips. "Hmm? What identity? Qingci, I don't quite understand what you're saying."
Wang Qingci's tone grew colder. "My Lord, drop the act. Sealing a ninth-rank warrior's internal force instantly… that's not something just anyone can do. Stop pretending like you didn't know who I was."
"Go on. Tell me—what are you going to do with me now? I've fallen into your hands. You can kill me or dismember me. It's up to you."
Lu Chen shifted his body, leaning over her. With both arms propped beside her head, he stared down into her eyes.
"Why would I kill you?" he asked. "My Eighth Brother was kind enough to send me a ninth-rank beauty. If I killed you, wouldn't that make me an ungrateful bastard?"
Wang Qingci's eyes widened.
So he did know the truth.
She laughed bitterly. "Everyone says the King of the North is a waste. Even His Majesty looked down on you and cast you away to the border. Yet you never tried to defend yourself… and came here without resistance."
"You hid so deeply. Clearly, you're plotting something big."
"Now that I know you've been faking it all this time, are you sure you won't silence me to protect your secret?"
She locked her gaze on him. There was no illusion of survival in her heart. Her powers were gone, and the man beside her was clearly not the powerless royal the world believed him to be.
The mysterious master that had stirred rumors throughout the realm… perhaps that had been the King of the North all along.
Lu Chen gently cupped her cheek, his fingers brushing her flushed skin. His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable dominance.
"Someone else might kill you," he said. "But I won't."
"Not only will I keep you alive… I'll make you my slave. My forbidden woman. You'll bear my children."
Wang Qingci froze.
Then she sneered. "That's absurd. Do you really think I'll willingly stay by your side and serve you like some loyal concubine?"
"Even if you sealed my cultivation… I can still end my own life when you're not watching."
Lu Chen chuckled. "Suicide? And why would you go that far?"
She glared at him. "You want to lock me away as some plaything, a vessel for your rage and lust. And now you ask why I'd kill myself rather than live in disgrace?"
"I'd rather die than endure that kind of humiliation."
But Lu Chen remained unbothered. "I never said I'd keep you locked up in the palace forever."
"I'll let you go."
Wang Qingci blinked.
She thought she had misheard him.
Let her go? Was he serious?
The truth had been exposed—if he released her now, it would be no different from letting a tiger loose into the wild. He had spent years pretending to be weak; she could ruin it all with a single word.
A man like him, capable of hiding his strength for so long, couldn't possibly be reckless.
Unless…
Unless he was confident she wouldn't—or couldn't—say anything.
Still stunned, she asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll leave the Northern Palace and expose your secret to the world?"
Lu Chen smiled faintly. "First of all, no one would believe you. Second… I don't think you will say anything."
And he was right.
After two rounds of "cultivating feelings," Wang Qingci's affection toward Lu Chen had reached ninety.
Especially after today, her emotions had been thoroughly shaken. She had been conquered—mind, body, and soul.
With a favorability score above eighty, betrayal was impossible.
And she was already at ninety.
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