Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

The night before that shocking massacre that annihilated an entire family.

Inside the inner city of the Great Zhou capital, all was silent, the long night stretched out, and the palace lanterns glowed faintly.

In a study deep within the Forbidden Court, candlelight flickered, and only two people sat inside.

A man dressed in a dark ink-colored cross-collar robe with dark cloud patterns, and wearing a matching dark-patterned cloak, was hidden behind a carved screen. He was tall and looked quite young, but his furrowed brows revealed an air of authority beyond his years.

The other person, dressed in a moon-white wide-sleeved scholar's robe, with a handsome figure and a gentle face, was sitting upright under the desk.

He looked down at the files spread out on the table, his expression complex.

"Will this quell their anger?"

"We can't hide any longer. This is the best course of action; there's no other way."

The voice from behind the screen rose slowly, dignified and heavy, devoid of any emotion.

"Since you obeyed His Majesty's wishes back then, how can you now claim you don't?"

"Yu'er, don't blame me for being heartless. I rule the Great Zhou Dynasty and hold the lives of hundreds of millions of people in my hands. I can no longer act according to my own preferences. Every step I take is beyond my control."

Lu Yu slowly stood up, a bitter smile playing on her lips.

"How dare I complain about Your Majesty's actions? On the contrary, I rose from humble beginnings and have been appreciated by Your Majesty. Now I hold a high position and enjoy great favor. I should be devoted to serving Your Majesty and thank you for your grace."

"Yu'er..."

The voice was still authoritative, but the tone had changed.

Lu Yu took a deep breath, looked up at the screen, and spoke with a mixture of pleading and determination:

"I have no other request but that Your Majesty protect the lives of my wife and children, and keep them away from this strife so that they may live in peace and tranquility."

"I grant your permission."

The young voice sounded somewhat tired.

"In that case, I can die without regret."

Lu Yu bowed respectfully, his tone calm, as if he were accepting something insignificant.

After bowing, he turned and walked steadily out of the study without looking back. His figure appeared particularly lonely in the candlelight.

After Lu Yu left, the study fell into a brief silence, with only the crackling of the burning candlelight.

"With Lu Yu dead, you'll be completely alone. Is it really worth it?"

At that moment, a clear and cold female voice rang out from the shadows of the study.

The figure behind the screen paused, startled.

"I never question whether my actions are worthwhile; I only act for the sake of the people and for the stability of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"Ha, that sounds nice."

The voice carried a hint of mockery.

"Chen Suining, I'd like to ask you, is it worth it for you to betray the immortal sect and act for me at all costs?"

"Of course it's worth it," the woman replied crisply. "Besides, I'm not acting for you; I'm just doing what I want to do, according to my own preferences."

The person behind the screen sighed softly, their tone regaining some calmness, yet tinged with seriousness:

"Alright, tomorrow you will go and protect Lu Yu's wife and children. His son, Lu Chen, cannot die yet. He holds a glimmer of hope for the future of the Great Zhou."

"You don't need to tell me."

As soon as the words were spoken, a slender figure emerged from the shadows.

She was dressed in a brocade robe from a celestial sect, with a slender figure and an exquisite face. Without lingering, she silently turned and walked out of the study, her figure quickly disappearing into the night.

......

The night after that, the Lu residence had become a living hell, and the sounds of burning, killing, and screaming gradually subsided.

"Damn it, how could they be so generous, even sending a Nascent Soul stage cultivator!"

Chen Suining's breathing was somewhat unsteady, and her hair was disheveled, clearly indicating that she had just gone through a fierce and deadly battle.

She exerted all her strength to barely kill the Nascent Soul stage cultivator, which wasted a lot of time, and she was already feeling quite anxious.

She steadied her breathing, released her divine sense, and searched for the two people's whereabouts.

Guided by her divine sense, she made her way with difficulty to the outer perimeter of the East Garden of the Lu Mansion. She seemed to have no intention of keeping a low profile, still wearing that dazzling immortal robe.

She was confident enough to kill everyone who saw her in that outfit; the dead cannot reveal any secrets.

Just then, her expression suddenly froze, her gaze fixed on the ground not far away, and she stopped in her tracks.

Her gaze finally settled on a corpse lying in a pool of blood. The body was slender, and although the clothes were stained with blood, a familiar outline could still be discerned.

Upon seeing the corpse, Chen Suining suddenly relaxed. She gave a self-deprecating smile and murmured softly:

"We're still too late."

She slowly walked forward, squatted down, and gently swept her gaze over the corpse.

When he saw the object hanging from the corpse's waist, his pupils contracted slightly. He then reached out and carefully removed a jade pendant that was pure white, lustrous, and translucent from the waist.

She ran her fingertips along the smooth surface of the jade pendant, murmuring softly to herself, her tone complex:

"You've actually been carrying this with you all this time?"

Chen Suining simply sat down on the ground, toying with the jade pendant between her fingertips, a faint smile playing on her lips.

His tone was casual and teasing, as if he were chatting with an old friend:

"I didn't mean to miss your wedding, you should forgive me, right..."

She paused, then smiled again:

"To be honest, I haven't seen what your little guy looks like yet. He'll probably be a mischievous troublemaker. You know, I hate kids the most. If he gets on my bad side, I might just kill him."

"......"

"I was just kidding."

Just then, several chaotic footsteps approached, and a few assassins dressed in coarse cloth came looking for the sound.

They had wanted to see what was going on, but when they saw a woman sitting on the ground talking to a corpse, they all looked at each other in bewilderment.

A hint of fear and doubt flashed in their eyes, and they subconsciously began to whisper among themselves.

"Don't you have any common sense? Don't you know you should be quiet at a time like this?"

Chen Suining slowly turned around, the smile on her face instantly vanished, her eyes turned icy cold, and the murderous aura around her spread once again.

She remained seated firmly in place, without moving an inch. With a flick of her finger, several moon-white silver needles shot out, accurately targeting the whispering assassins.

With a few muffled groans, the four people in front of them instantly collapsed to the ground, lifeless and completely silent.

Chen Suining breathed a sigh of relief, her tone regaining some calmness, and gently hung the jade pendant back on her waist: "Phew, finally it's quiet. Let me go find your little one first, just in case something happens to him. I'll come back to keep you company later."

As she spoke, she got up and carefully helped Lu Yu's body to a secluded corner, placing it in a relatively safe location.

Then, with a flash, he transformed into a blur and disappeared into the night, preparing to search for Lu Chen's whereabouts.