I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

Gu Yan's pupils contracted slightly, and her heartbeat quickened.

He looked at Fu Shiwei on the high platform, where she was receiving an award.

Could she be the specific person mentioned in the Book of the World? Is Fu Shiwei's storyline about to unlock?

He remembered that the notes in the Book of the World said that encountering certain people would unlock unexpected rewards.

He hadn't triggered it before, and thought it was just for show, but it lit up today.

His gaze fell on Fu Shiwei, and his mind quickly recalled the contents of the original work.

The book mentions Fu Shiwei conquering the first S-level Black Tide Secret Realm, but only briefly.

It is said that she led several of the most elite troops of the Great Xia Dynasty to charge in and fight for three days and three nights, finally returning severely wounded.

With the core of the secret realm excavated, all the strange beasts in that area scattered, and the Great Xia's defense line advanced three hundred miles.

That's all. There's very little description of her in the first book.

But now that the Book of the World has lit up, it means her storyline is about to unfold.

Gu Yan stared at Fu Shiwei, her amber eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

She stood on the high platform with her back straight, the medals on her military uniform swaying slightly in the wind.

He was so engrossed in his gaze that he didn't notice two pairs of eyes staring at him from the side.

Pei Yuran noticed him staring at Fu Shiwei, and her icy blue eyes unconsciously turned colder.

She reached out and grabbed Gu Yan's sleeve, gripping it so tightly that her fingers turned white.

Gu Yan felt her sleeve being tugged and looked down.

"What's wrong?"

Pei Yuran didn't speak, she just held onto his sleeve and stared at Fu Shiwei on the high platform.

Lin Jinyu noticed it too; her golden eyes changed from disdain to wariness.

"Xiao Yan, what are you looking at? Your eyes are practically glued to the screen."

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head, wanting to explain but not knowing how.

"I didn't see anything special, I just thought the Marquis was very impressive."

Lin Jinyu stared at him, a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, but that smile looked a little dangerous.

"That's amazing. Do you think she's beautiful?"

The question came so suddenly that Gu Yan froze completely.

Pei Yuran also turned to look at him, her icy blue eyes waiting for his answer.

Two pairs of eyes flanked me from the left and right. Here we go again.

Gu Yan took a deep breath, her mind racing.

"She's beautiful, but that's none of my business. I just think she's really good at fighting."

Lin Jinyu didn't let him off the hook, moving closer and scrutinizing him with her golden eyes.

"So, do you think she's prettier or I am?"

Gu Yan's lips twitched; this question was even harder to answer than the previous one.

Before he could speak, Pei Yuran asked a question in a calm voice.

"So, who's prettier, her or me?"

Gu Yan was sandwiched between two people, and sweat broke out on her forehead again.

He opened his mouth and looked at Lin Jinyu's golden eyes and flamboyant eyebrows.

He glanced again at Pei Yuran's icy blue eyes and aloof face.

Then he looked at Fu Shiwei's deep and refined features and his imposing aura on the high platform.

All three are stunningly beautiful, so beautiful that it's impossible to look away.

But can he tell the truth? No, he'd be asking for trouble if he did.

"You are all beautiful, the Marquis is beautiful, and you are beautiful in your own way."

"They're different, there's no comparison. They're all beautiful in their own way, and you're the most beautiful in my eyes."

He spoke quickly and urgently, as if reciting a standard answer, and added a life-saving sentence at the end.

Lin Jinyu stared at him for several seconds, then snorted and leaned back.

"You know how to talk. What's so interesting about that old woman? She's so old."

Her tone was full of disdain, and she deliberately emphasized the words "old woman".

He unconsciously glanced at Pei Yuran.

Pei Yuran didn't seem to understand anything, but she loosened her grip on her sleeve a little, not as tightly as before.

Gu Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was too difficult.

The emperor on the high platform was still speaking, his voice carrying throughout the entire square through the loudspeakers.

"The Marquis of Wu'an deserves immense credit for conquering this S-level secret realm."

"After discussing with the Grand Secretary, I have decided to confer upon the title of General Who Guards the State upon the Marquis of Wu'an."

"Another residence in Jinghai will be granted."

The applause rang out again, this time even more enthusiastic than before.

After the Emperor finished speaking, he stepped back and looked at Chief Minister Zhuge beside him.

The Prime Minister walked slowly and steadily to the microphone, his glasses reflecting the sunlight.

He spoke, his voice not loud, but every word clearly reached everyone's ears.

"I have come today for two reasons: first, to congratulate Marquis Wu'an; and second, to show the world what has happened."

"What does conquering the S-level secret realm mean? It means that our Great Xia now has the ability to launch a counterattack."

"The Black Tide has ravaged the land for a century, causing countless deaths and injuries to our Great Xia. Today, we can finally pay tribute to our fallen heroes."

He spoke very casually, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.

But the people in the square were so excited that some even had tears in their eyes.

Standing in the crowd, listening to these words, Gu Yan felt a surge of indescribable emotions.

Then the Q&A session began, and dozens of reporters raised their hands.

The Emperor pointed to a female reporter in the front row, and she stood up and took the microphone.

"Lord Wu'an, what was the biggest challenge in conquering this S-level secret realm?"

Fu Shiwei walked to the microphone, her amber eyes sweeping across the square.

"The biggest challenge is not the alien beasts, but the defense mechanism of the core of the secret realm."

"That thing devours supernatural abilities; anyone who gets close to it will have their strength suppressed by more than 30%."

Her voice was low and steady, with a husky, magnetic quality, like the strings of a cello being plucked.

Another reporter stood up; he was a young man, his voice filled with excitement.

"Marquis Wu'an, I heard you're almost at SS, and you'll be the first in the entire Great Xia."

"Where do you think you rank in the Great Xia Dynasty based on your current strength?"

Fu Shiwei glanced at him, her lips twitching slightly, it was hard to tell whether she was smiling or not.

"Rank doesn't matter, as long as we can win battles."

This answer was concise and to the point, and many people in the square burst into laughter.

Lin Jinyu snorted and muttered something under her breath.

"What are you pretending for? It's just that you cleared an S-rank dungeon. It's not like anyone can't do it."

Pei Youyi turned to look at her, sighed softly, and said nothing.

Then a female reporter in a red dress stood up, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Lord Wu'an, I have a personal question to ask: Do you have a boyfriend?"

The square fell silent instantly, and everyone pricked up their ears to listen.

Gu Yan also perked up her ears; this was big gossip—the love life of Marquis Wu'an.

Fu Shiwei stood in front of the microphone, her amber eyes as calm as a stagnant pool.

"no."

The female reporter didn't give up and asked again, her tone even sweeter.

"Do you have a fiancé? I've heard that many young masters from top families around the world are interested in you."

"There are also royal princes, several of whom have publicly expressed their willingness to form marriage alliances with Great Xia."

Fu Shiwei looked at her, a hint of impatience flashing in her amber eyes, faint but present.

"I don't have a fiancé, and I have no plans to find someone."

Her voice turned colder, like a blade slicing through the air.

"How can I settle down when the Black Tide has not yet subsided? Let's talk about it when the Great Xia no longer needs me to fight."

That was a very harsh remark, and the square fell silent for several seconds.

Then applause erupted like thunder, and people shouted their approval.

Gu Yan clapped along, feeling a surge of admiration for Fu Shiwei.

This woman is truly ruthless; she risked her life on the battlefield.