Ren put Gao Yun and Mianmian to sleep back in the place where they were staying. He left by himself, knowing they needed rest after receiving all that information. It was fortunate that he didn't continue, even though it would have benefited their cultivation. It was simply too much for them to handle at that moment.
As he walked alone, he noticed people celebrating the arrival of a royal family member from the empire. The crowd cheered with reverence and enthusiasm, much like fans would for their favourite idols.
Ren thought about his best friend Nara, who hadn't come with him. He stayed behind on Earth with his family. Nara's daughter, Ha-rin, was famous—part of Sweet Dreamers, the top idol group on Earth. Ren had last seen her when she was 100 years old. Now she'd be 102. Two years had passed since he left.
"It'll be good to see you again, Nara—your family too. You've been a loyal friend, right to the end."
Ren moved closer to the crowd, curiosity tugging at him. He leaned toward an old mortal man and asked, "Who's this royal everyone's so devoted to?"
The man squinted up at him. "You're not from here. That's the royal princess. She vanished five years ago and then decided to return, seemingly without warning—a remarkable woman—brilliant, beautiful, like her mother, the empress. And more than that, she's a warrior. General of her army. One of the pillars of our magnificent empire.
Ren had a bad feeling about who she was. He already had a suspicion—she was a protagonist. A headache curled behind his eyes, the kind that came when instinct sharpened into certainty. Of all places, she'd ended up here, in his orbit.
"What a drag," he muttered.
The older man beside him squinted, puzzled. "What are you going on about, young boy?"
Ren glanced at him, amused. Young boy? He smirked inwardly. I'm older than you, old man. I'm the ancient one.
"Don't mind me," he said. "Just remembered something annoying, that's all."
Ren kept talking, his tone edged with disbelief. "She's adored over there. They keep showering her with gifts—so many that it's absurd. And she takes them by hand, riding in her royal carriage like it's a procession meant for her alone. Doesn't even let a soldier deliver them for her later. No, she wants to be seen."
"What's wrong with you, boy? She's a royal princess—famous across provinces, respected even among cultivation empires and sects. We may just be a mortal empire, but we've endured this long because of the royal family."
Ren didn't respond aloud. If only you knew… he thought, gaze shadowed. the precious royal family line is descended from one of the Three Ancient Clans—the very ones who forged this realm into existence.
"There's nothing wrong with that, old man," Ren said, his voice casual. "I'm just saying what I'm thinking. Apologies if I'm blunt."
Then again, when he'd played the Eternal Royal Prince on Earth—back in the year 102,502—he'd done something strikingly similar. That world had been far more futuristic: silver towers, neural parades, and devotion rendered through augmented ritual. He still found it ridiculous, even now, how they'd worshipped him. Names etched into starships. Children were named after his titles. All for a role he'd slipped into like a borrowed coat.
Typical of a world that echoes a Chinese cultivation novel. She's the protagonist—worshipped without pause, praised with relentless devotion. And she's not the only one. This realm's crawling with them… golden chosen ones, each more beloved than the last, Ren thought.
Ren watched as the royal carriage stopped near the palace stairs. Then she stepped out.
He was right. It was that jade beauty dancer he'd met—not even that long ago—and left behind just as quickly.
Of course, it was her.
Her brother would be a protagonist too if this were a Chinese cultivation novel.
Ren had met him as well, not that long ago.
Ren was minding his own business when the royal prince accidentally ran into him.
"Big Sister! You finally returned!" the prince exclaimed. "I missed you! I kept my promise—I protected Father and Mother while you were gone! Praise me, Big Sister!"
But his sister didn't respond. She was distracted—her eyes locked onto Ren's face.
She couldn't believe it. That guy who disappeared out of nowhere… here, of all places?
She'd searched everywhere, pulling threads through markets, palaces, and murmurs of distant cultivator trails. And yet, the one place she never imagined—he was at her home.
"Young boy, do you know the royal princess personally? Why didn't you tell me? If I had known, I would've shown you far more respect. Even though you're… plain looking—I apologise."
The older man was calling him ugly.
He should see Ren's real face.
Ren was the epitome of handsome.
"Big Sister, who's that boy you're looking at? Do you know him?" the prince asked, glancing between her and Ren. "I almost forgot—I should've apologised to him. How rude of me."
He stepped closer. "I'm sorry, young mister. It was my fault, knocking into you. I apologise."
Ren nodded. "It's fine, young prince. I appreciate your apology. I shall cherish that a prince apologised to my face—thank you for that."
"It's no problem," the prince said. "I might be royalty, but I don't want to be arrogant."
Ren liked this royal prince. He was a protagonist type—but not an arrogant one, it seemed, unlike his sister. Ren could tell she was full of herself; he'd seen it from the first time they met at the Jade Beauty Inn.
The royal princess stepped closer to her brother and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
He was barely ten years old, still full of childish excitement.
She—elegant and composed—was well over a thousand.
And yet, the gesture felt perfectly natural.
Age mattered little between immortals. To him, she was his big sister. To her, he was still a family member.
"I never thought I'd see you so soon, handsome man," the royal princess said, stepping closer. "Your name was Shen, wasn't it? Where's your friend Gao Yun—and that little companion perched on your shoulder? A spirit beast, I presume?"
She smiled sweetly, but her tone carried a thread of mockery.
"You're all alone? For someone so handsome, that seems... unlikely."
But beneath the teasing, there was something else. A strange unease. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. It made her hostile—threatened, even. How could someone so plain-looking unsettle her like this?
Then came the shock.
She sensed it. He was mid-stage, step 200.
She had just reached late-stage, step 180.
The last time they met, he was at peak stage, step 150—while she was at step 160. And now, he'd surpassed her effortlessly. So quickly. So quietly
"I thought you were a stalker," Ren said, deadpan. "That's why I bolted. You creeped me out."
He let the silence linger—just long enough to be uncomfortable—then added with a faint shrug, "Royal princess, wasn't it? You never did tell me your name. And honestly… I've already half-forgotten your face. Strange, isn't it? I figured it'd be more memorable.
"You—how dare…"
The princess's voice rose, indignation gathering like thunderclouds—
But it was sliced through by a child's voice.
"Her name is Lianhua," said the boy plainly. He didn't flinch under Ren's gaze, didn't measure his words for drama or effect. "You should remember it."
He said it as if it were nothing—just a name.
But Ren felt it differently.
Lianhua. A name offered not in threat or ceremony, but in innocence. No fanfare. No mask.
His eyes lingered on the boy a beat too long. Then he nodded, half to himself.
"I will," Ren said quietly.
"What's your name, royal prince?" Ren asked, crouching slightly to meet the boy's eyes. "I do so wish to remember it—more than your big sister's, honestly. I like you far better. But don't tell her that."
He leaned in, whispering conspiratorially into the boy's ear.
The boy just smiled, vast and secretive.
"Okay," he whispered back. "I won't. I promise.
On my name. It's Mingyu."
"I can hear you clearly, Shen," Lianhua snapped, voice sharp with royal entitlement. "You ought to show more respect to a princess—especially one born from the Empress herself."
Ren didn't flinch.
"The Empress," he said softly, as if tasting the memory. "Yes… I remember her face. Vividly."
Then, colder:
"Much more than I remember yours."
Lianhua's eyes narrowed.
"You didn't inherit that from her," Ren added. "The kind of face that lingers. Even your father had it. I recall him well. And your little brother, too."
"You! I should punish you for your disrespect," Lianhua snapped. "How dare you call me ugly? I'm one of the most beautiful women in the world. I could even compare my beauty to Empress Lingxi of the Shattered Epoch. I'm that breathtaking."
Ren tilted his head, unimpressed.
"Really? That's interesting," he said. "But I couldn't say if that's true or not. I've never seen her. Never heard her name, either."
He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"Maybe I should find a painting of her," he added, voice dry. "Then I'll tell you whether your claim is divine truth… or just royal confidence.