33: My lady, why are you so heartless?

Silence filled the pavilion, and Cao Nie's gaze fell upon Su Yunxia.

Su Yunxia’s brows furrowed slightly: “Xiao Bei, mind your manners.”

She warned in a low voice, her spiritual power gently rippling from her sleeve, forcing Cao Nie back a few steps.

Her fair hand rose, but was firmly clasped in mid-air.

With a slight exertion of force from Cao Nie, Su Yunxia stumbled into his embrace: “Your Majesty, why must you be so heartless?”

Su Yunxia struggled, her eyes growing colder: “Xiao Bei, do you know what you are doing?”

Cao Nie’s lips curved upwards, answering irrelevantly: “Are you truly willing to let Lingxi become a widow at such a young age?”

“Besides, even if this matter reaches His Majesty’s ears, do you think the Crown Prince’s position as heir apparent can still be preserved?”

Su Yunxia scoffed: “Nonsense. My relationship with His Majesty spans hundreds of years; how could it be so fragile?”

“Is that so?” A dark glint flashed in Cao Nie’s eyes: “If news of my affair with you gets out, will His Majesty choose to believe you, or choose to… silence the rumors?”

“At that time, more than just you will be implicated.”

Su Yunxia trembled all over, glaring at Cao Nie.

Why hadn’t she discovered Cao Nie was such a person back then?

Had she known, she would never have agreed to their marriage.

“Don’t let it happen again.”

Su Yunxia felt somewhat helpless. Faced with betrayal, no one could forgive it. Perhaps it was baseless, and His Majesty might believe her, but would the citizens of Spiritual Firmament believe it?

The pressure His Majesty would endure was imaginable.

“Brother Xiao Bei, I’m back.” Lingxi ran over from a distance, completely oblivious to the unusual tension between them.

“Mother, here.” Lingxi handed the fish food to Su Yunxia.

Su Yunxia secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Lingxi had returned.

Otherwise, if Cao Nie had done anything out of line, she truly wouldn't have known how to handle it.

She took the fish food Lingxi offered and began to feed the fish.

Her entire heart was in turmoil.

“Brother Xiao Bei, you come too.” Lingxi, carefree, pulled Cao Nie along.

Soon after.

A sharp voice came from behind the three: “Empress, Ninth Princess, Imperial Son-in-Law, dinner is ready. His Majesty is already waiting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”

“Xiaoxi, let’s go.” Su Yunxia put down the fish food, eagerly pulling Lingxi away from there.

Cao Nie followed behind the two.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The Lingxiao Emperor sat at the head of the round table.

The table was laden with over a dozen dishes and wine.

Beside him were a man and a woman.

The man was handsome, well-proportioned, his python robe accentuating his noble demeanor.

The woman wore a bridal phoenix coronet and robe, possessing a cold, aloof aura and exquisite beauty, exuding a sense of keeping people at a thousand miles’ distance.

“Yunxia, quickly take a seat. Today, our family is finally perfectly reunited.”

Seeing Su Yunxia approach, the Lingxiao Emperor proactively rose, stepped forward, and took Su Yunxia’s hand to lead her to her seat.

The man and woman rose, calling out with smiles: “Mother.”

Su Yunxia looked at the two with a kind expression: “Ling Jiu, Ling Shuang, long time no see.”

After the Lingxiao Emperor and Su Yunxia were seated, he pointed to Lingxi and Cao Nie, who had just entered, and said: “Ling Jiu, Ling Shuang, this is Xiao Bei, your brother-in-law.”

Lingxi, seeing Ling Jiu and the other, said with delight: “Big Brother, Big Sister-in-Law, you’re finally back.”

Crown Prince Ling Jiu’s face showed a doting smile: “Xiaoxi, Big Brother was wrong. We came back late and couldn’t attend your wedding ceremony.”

Lingxi smiled and waved her hand: “It’s alright, as long as Big Brother and Big Sister-in-Law are back.”

Cao Nie appropriately cupped his fists: “Greetings, Crown Prince. Greetings, Crown Princess.”

Ling Jiu’s gaze fell upon Cao Nie, and his expression turned cold: “Xiao Bei, I, the Crown Prince, did not agree to you being with my sister. Since Imperial Father has already tested you, I, the Crown Prince, trust that you can take good care of my sister. Do not disappoint Imperial Father, Mother, or me, the Crown Prince, otherwise, don’t blame my Lingxiao Immortal Dynasty for turning hostile.”

Cao Nie retorted with a cold face: “Don’t worry, Big Brother. If anyone dares to harm Xiaoxi, they’ll have to step over me, Xiao Bei, first. Even if Big Brother tries to harm her, it’s the same.”

The atmosphere on the scene became tense.

The Lingxiao Emperor and Su Yunxia seemed not to notice this scene.

Cao Nie and Ling Jiu stared at each other. Suddenly, Ling Jiu burst into laughter: “Good, I, the Crown Prince, acknowledge you as my brother-in-law. From now on, in the entire Lingxiao Immortal Dynasty, besides Imperial Father and Mother, if anyone dares to touch you, just mention my name, Ling Jiu.”

A look of gratitude appeared on Cao Nie’s face: “Thank you, Big Brother.”

Lingxi looked at the harmonious scene between the two, her heart overflowing with joy.

She had been worried that her Big Brother wouldn’t acknowledge Xiao Bei, but now it seemed she had worried for nothing.

“Alright, Ling Jiu, you just arrived and are already trying to intimidate Xiao Bei. Where do you place me?” At an opportune moment, the Lingxiao Emperor intervened, bringing a perfect end to the matter.

Ling Jiu faced the Lingxiao Emperor and Su Yunxia, immediately retracting his earlier aura, and respectfully said: “Yes, Imperial Father.”

The Lingxiao Emperor nodded: “Alright, everyone sit. There’s no Manchu Han Imperial Feast arranged today; it’s just a family gathering.”

Regarding the father and son’s act.

Cao Nie saw it all but did not expose it.

However, this Crown Princess made his heart stir a little.

Daughter of Fortune: Zhao Ling Shuang (Luoshen Yin)

Cultivation: Penetrating Void Realm Third Layer (Gui Xu Realm First Layer)

Talent: Superior (King-tier)

Identity: Lingxiao Crown Princess (Disciple of Heaven Sword Manor Master)

“System, is this one body, two souls?”

“No, Zhao Ling Shuang’s primordial spirit has been sealed by this wisp of Luoshen Yin’s primordial spirit. She is currently watching everything from within her body, unable to break free. Only when this wisp of Luoshen Yin’s primordial spirit disappears or leaves can Zhao Ling Shuang’s primordial spirit emerge from the seal and control her own body.”

Cao Nie pondered. To not be discovered by the Lingxiao Emperor, it seemed this Luoshen Yin had extraordinary treasures helping her conceal herself.

Why was she occupying Zhao Ling Shuang’s body?

Could it be… to enter the Lingxiao Secret Realm?

Cao Nie could only think of this for now.

After failing to comprehend it further, Cao Nie withdrew his thoughts and began to drink heartily with the Lingxiao Emperor and Crown Prince Ling Jiu.

The entire hall was filled with celebration.

Su Yunxia suddenly felt a subtle, almost imperceptible touch on her skirt hem.

At first, she thought it was accidental, but then it became increasingly obvious.

Her eyes shifted, and her peripheral vision caught Cao Nie’s shoetip seemingly accidentally brushing against her skirt.

This discovery made her fingertips tighten, almost crushing theGlass cup in her hand.

This Cao Nie was simply audacious.

He dared to do such a thing even in front of His Majesty.

Su Yunxia lowered her gaze, forcefully suppressing the surging anger in her eyes.

Luoshen Yin’s hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly.

From her angle, she had a clear view of the scene under the table.

She calmly took a sip of the nectar, and a teasing telepathic message echoed in her sea of consciousness.

“Little girl, your family’s relationships are truly complicated.”

Within the sea of consciousness.

Zhao Ling Shuang’s primordial spirit angrily said: “What nonsense are you talking about? That was clearly an accidental touch.”

Luoshen Yin lightly twirled her cup: “It seems I misjudged.”

Zhao Ling Shuang angrily said: “Imperial Father and Mother are very much in love. He must have used some despicable means.”

Luoshen Yin let out a bell-like giggle in the sea of consciousness: “Your Mother is unwilling to make a fuss, so she must have some unspeakable leverage in his hands.”

“Let’s put this aside for now. What do you mean by occupying my body without destroying my primordial spirit?”

“Sister has no interest in killing you. As for the purpose, you’ll know soon enough.”

“Soon enough? You want to enter the Lingxiao Secret Realm?”