Chapter 923: When Heaven Wants Rain, No Marriage Allowed
According to the traditions of the White Emperor clan and the customs of the entire demon race, if one could not cultivate the royal clan's techniques to the highest level, they were not qualified to inherit the throne.
Over the past tens of thousands of years, there had been no exceptions, and never had a demon princess managed to cultivate the royal techniques to their peak.
If there were no other princes, the royal clan would hold a consort selection. The chosen husband would be enfeoffed as a prince, and once he cultivated the royal techniques to the highest level, he would become the heir to the demon throne.
That Her Highness Luoluo was to be married seemed perfectly natural to many demon subjects. The real question was whom she would marry.
Because the man she chose would very likely become the next White Emperor.
Xuan Yuan Po did not see it that way.
Like Her Highness Luoluo, he was a student of the National Academy and also a patient of Chen Changsheng.
He knew better than anyone that Her Highness Luoluo's meridian problems had long been cured by Chen Changsheng. Given enough time, she could certainly cultivate the royal techniques to the highest level. When that happened, she would be the undisputed next White Emperor. Why would she need a consort selection?
Well, even if Her Highness Luoluo became the next White Emperor, she would still marry eventually.
Xuan Yuan Po sat on a rock by the banks of the Red River when he suddenly felt a slight dampness on his face.
Raindrops fell with the morning breeze.
Heaven wanted rain, and Her Highness wanted to marry—these were natural things.
But why did he feel so sad?
Of course, it wasn't because he harbored secret feelings for Her Highness.
He was a member of the National Academy, and Her Highness was its vice principal. He had a duty to protect her.
He knew that Her Highness had no desire to marry anyone else.
If something happened to her, how could he ever face Chen Changsheng again?
How much would Zhe Xiu look down on him?
Would Su Moyu strike his name from the roster?
And then... there was Tang Thirty-Six's mouth.
Thinking of this, Xuan Yuan Po found it terrifying, and his face turned pale.
"Your Highness, I won't let you marry!"
He slammed his fist heavily into the rock beside him.
His right arm was severely withered, appearing utterly powerless. Moss covered the stone, and the blow only produced a faint sound.
Only by looking closely could one vaguely see, beneath his sleeve, countless tiny threads of electricity coiling around his arm.
Xuan Yuan Po left the banks of the Red River.
Half an hour later.
A thunderclap echoed along the Red River.
A sudden downpour arrived.
The hard, massive rock on the bank split apart from the middle, crashing into the river with a rumbling sound.
The moss on the stone's surface was completely scorched to death.
...
...
Four years had passed since she returned from the capital to the Imperial City.
Luoluo's days had been quite normal.
Just as in her childhood, she wore fine clothes, ate exquisite food, studied, cultivated, practiced music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and climbed high to gaze into the distance.
Apart from worrying about Chen Changsheng and the old friends at the National Academy, nothing else could affect her mood.
Her smile was still as sweet, her eyes still as lively, as if they could speak.
Today, Her Highness Luoluo was to study the Dharma Sword of the Lishan Sword Style.
Over the years, Chen Changsheng had only sent her one letter, but that letter was very long, filled with many words.
In that letter, he had meticulously arranged all of her lessons for five years.
From this perspective, although Chen Changsheng was not particularly diligent as a teacher, it couldn't be said that he had put in no effort at all.
As for why she had to learn the Lishan Sword Style, it was because Chen Changsheng believed it was the best, and coincidentally, the general formula of the Lishan Sword Style was already in Luoluo's hands.
The morning wind carried raindrops against the window. Luoluo's gaze left the sword manual and rested on the window, watching the spreading raindrops as if looking into the distance beyond the threads of rain.
Over these four years, she had studied very diligently, never wasting any time.
Once she mastered the Dharma Sword of the Lishan Sword Sect, the lessons Chen Changsheng had arranged for her would soon be completed.
This was a full year ahead of the time estimated in that letter.
"If I finish all of this, will the teacher come to see me? At the very least... he should write another letter with new lessons."
Luoluo thought silently, then focused her mind and continued studying the sword manual.
Lady Li watched her with adoring eyes, feeling both proud and pained.
Raindrops tapped lightly against the window. Sounds of kneeling and footsteps arose.
Luoluo was momentarily startled. She looked up, let out a joyful cry, and rushed over.
She hugged Lady Mu's arm, gently shook her head, and smiled sweetly, a mix of playfulness, longing, and closeness.
Lady Mu smiled and touched her face, asking a few caring questions in a gentle voice.
After some casual conversation, Luoluo began to ask about some cultivation difficulties, and Lady Mu answered them very seriously.
Time passed slowly like this.
Lady Mu left.
Luoluo stared at the direction she had disappeared, the smile on her small face gradually fading. For some reason, she looked somewhat sorrowful.
"Has it really been confirmed?"
"Yes, the news has spread through the city... the source should be the guards of the Abyss Pearl Pavilion."
Luoluo's sorrow deepened because Lady Mu hadn't told her until just now.
She looked at Lady Li, a hint of hope in her eyes, and asked, "Is there any chance Father will emerge from seclusion within half a year?"
Lady Li said quietly, "Probably not."
Back then, the White Emperor and the Demon Lord had fought a cataclysmic battle in the snowy plains north of Cold Mountain, both suffering severe injuries.
The Demon Lord was directly forced off the throne by Black Robe and the Demon Commander, cast into the abyss, and finally killed in the Snow Ridge by his own son using the Starry Sky.
The White Emperor was also gravely wounded and had gained some insights from that great battle. After returning to White Emperor City, he entered secluded cultivation to heal his injuries and hope for further advancement.
To this day, that domineering and unparalleled demon sovereign had not appeared for five years.
Luoluo looked at the sharp, imposing lines on the sword manual, was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about Chief Historian Jin?"
"The surveillance is still very tight. If we try to make contact, it will be hard not to be discovered."
Lady Li hesitated for a moment before saying, "Even if we reach Chief Historian Jin, there's nothing he can do."
"That makes sense."
Luoluo then asked, "Is Xuan Yuan Po still at that little tavern?"
Hearing Xuan Yuan Po's name, Lady Li couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "And he comes to the palace every day to check the menu."
Luoluo smiled and said, "Have someone watch him. If he tries to do anything, knock him out directly and send him back to the capital."
Lady Li quietly agreed, then couldn't help but sigh.
Luoluo's status and position were extremely noble, but now that her mother wanted to control her, she couldn't find any allies.
The only one who could help her and had always wanted to—that young bear clansman—she couldn't bear to let him fall into a deadly trap because of her.
"Do you know what I fear most?" Luoluo said softly.
Lady Li was slightly startled.
Luoluo was silent for a moment, then said, "What I fear most is—isn't Mother afraid that Father will be furious afterward?"
This was also something Lady Li had never understood.
"If Mother isn't worried, then there are only two possibilities. One is that their centuries of feelings are all fake, and Mother intends to harm Father. The other, most terrifying speculation is that Father knows about this too."
As she said this, Luoluo's expression was somewhat dazed, making her look very helpless and weak.
Lady Li finally couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, why don't we send a letter to the human race?"