"Want to strangle me?"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow, his expression half-smiling, half-serious, and said, "You can try."
Juzi: "..."
I'm afraid if I try, I'll die.
Although Su Yu was smiling, Juzi could sense a deep malice from him.
If she dared to do anything, she feared she wouldn't make it out of here alive today.
It was a gut feeling.
And Juzi had always trusted her instincts.
She looked up at Su Yu. Although his face was still as handsome as ever, he now felt strange and unfamiliar to her.
Her previous idealized image of Su Yu had completely shattered.
She had thought of him as a righteous and upright man, a true powerhouse who relied on his strength rather than scheming.
Because of this, she had been worried that Su Yu might fall victim to Xu Tiannan's tricks and had even considered warning him to be more cautious.
But she hadn't expected the real Su Yu to be far scarier than she imagined.
Su Yu's cunning and depth were no less than Xu Tiannan's, and Su Yu was even more assertive and powerful in his actions.
From the very beginning, everything had been within Su Yu's grasp.
Thinking about it sent chills down Juzi's spine.
Yes, it was terrifying.
She couldn't figure out Su Yu's intentions and had no understanding of his true personality, which made her even more cautious around him.
She had no idea what this man wanted.
Xu Tiannan's ambitions were clear: he wanted to become emperor and unify the continent. While intimidating, Juzi understood him well.
But with Su Yu, she had no clue what his true goals were.
Nor did she understand what she meant to Su Yu.
Did he see her as Xu Tiannan did—as a possession, a weapon, or simply as a tool he could use?
After all, she was just an ordinary girl. She didn't have the influential background of Meng Hongchen or the exceptional talent of Wang Dong'er.
Yet, Su Yu still wanted her to work for him.
What could she possibly do for Su Yu?
Taking a deep breath, Juzi steadied her chaotic emotions and said calmly, "Su Yu, can we have a proper conversation?"
"A calm and peaceful one."
Su Yu glanced at her and replied with a faint smile, "Aren't we already talking calmly and peacefully?"
Juzi: "..."
You're either scaring me or making me angry. This is what you call calm and peaceful.
Is this your interpretation of calm and peaceful?
Juzi wanted to point at Su Yu and give him a proper scolding, but she didn't dare.
After all, Su Yu was the youngest eighth-level soul engineer in history, while she was just a weak fifth-level one.
Considering the disparity in strength between them, Juzi could only try to behave as obediently as possible.
After a long pause, she said, "Su Yu, can we have an honest conversation?"
Su Yu paused for a moment, intrigued, and said, "Interesting. Go ahead."
Juzi looked at Su Yu seriously and asked, "You said that if I worked for you, I could have a chance to get revenge. Is that true?"
Su Yu said indifferently, "I wouldn't stoop to lying to you."
Juzi's eyes flickered, and she asked, "How can I believe you?"
"Do you think you have a choice?" Su Yu countered.
Facing Su Yu's indifferent gaze, Juzi shuddered. Her expression turned bitter as she asked with some resentment, "You won't even bother explaining, will you?"
Su Yu's eyes paused for a moment before he said, "You'll know what you need to know in time. If I don't tell you now, I have my reasons."
"But there's one piece of information I can share with you."
"You've heard about the incident at the White Tiger Duke's mansion, right?" Su Yu asked.
Juzi nodded. "I've heard a bit. I heard that Dai Hao and his sons were all crippled by a mysterious person, wiping out the Duke's lineage entirely. It's a huge relief."
"At the time, I was... Wait!" Juzi's expression suddenly shifted as if she'd thought of something. She looked at Su Yu with a mix of amazement and apprehension and asked, "The incident at the White Tiger Duke's mansion—was it your doing?"
Su Yu gave a mysterious smile. "What do you think?"
Juzi suddenly became certain. Her gaze on Su Yu grew intense, filled with excitement and joy. "It must have been you!"
Su Yu smiled faintly and said, "Shouldn't you thank me, then?"
Juzi froze for a moment, then stood up and gave Su Yu a deep bow. "Su Yu, thank you."
Regardless of Su Yu's motives for targeting the White Tiger Duke's mansion, this was a favor she owed him.
Heaven knew how happy she had been when she first heard about the downfall of the Duke's family.
Finally, justice was served—Dai Hao and his despicable family had met their end.
But now she understood it wasn't divine justice, but rather Su Yu's doing.
Juzi stared blankly at Su Yu, her eyes filled with a strange emotion.
However, she quickly suppressed it. Looking at Su Yu, she smiled and asked, "Su Yu, may I ask—did you have a personal grudge against the White Tiger Duke's mansion?"
"Or..."
"Or what?" Su Yu asked.
Juzi lowered her head slightly and didn't answer.
Su Yu glanced at her and said coldly, "I simply didn't like the White Tiger Duke's mansion. They foolishly challenged people under my protection."
"In my plans, they were destined to be dealt with sooner or later. So, you don't need to worry about your revenge."
Juzi's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"What, you think I'm joking?" Su Yu replied.
Juzi froze, then smiled softly. Her expression blossomed like a flower.
She hesitated before asking again, "Then... what about the Star Luo Empire?"
Her main enemies were Dai Hao and the Star Luo Empire.
Her lifelong goal was to kill Dai Hao and destroy the White Tiger Duke's family.
So, she desperately wanted to know Su Yu's stance on the Star Luo Empire.
Su Yu glanced at her and said impatiently, "You're asking too many questions."
Juzi's previously joyful mood froze, and she slowly lowered her head.
"I see."
Su Yu didn't look at her and merely said, "After all this, what's your decision?"
Juzi sighed and looked at Su Yu with a mixture of bitterness and sorrow. "Do I even have another choice?"
"Knowing this many of your secrets, if I refuse, I'll probably die, won't I?"
Su Yu glanced at her but didn't respond.
Juzi steadied herself and asked again, "What do you need me to do?"
This was what she was most curious about.
Why did Su Yu want her? What role could she possibly play?
Was it to infiltrate Xu Tiannan's side and act as a spy?
But considering Su Yu's understanding of Xu Tiannan, she suspected Su Yu probably even knew the color of Xu Tiannan's underwear. He did not need her as a spy.
"You don't need to do anything. Just keep doing what you've been doing. When I need you, I'll let you know."
Su Yu picked up his teacup and took another sip.
Juzi stared blankly at Su Yu. Do nothing?
Keep staying by Xu Tiannan's side?
She couldn't understand what Su Yu was planning.
Wasn't he worried that if she stayed by Xu Tiannan's side, Xu Tiannan might harm her?
Or did he truly not care about her at all?
Even though she always told herself to be realistic, deep down, she'd never stopped hoping for more.
Especially after learning about Su Yu's actions against the White Tiger Duke's mansion, those hopes had been reignited.
In the end, it was hard for her to let go of her feelings.
"Then… then how should I respond to Xu Tianran? After all, you said you didn't want to meet him."
Juzi said softly.
Su Yu replied casually, "Say whatever you want. However you'd like to respond is fine."
"You can also tell him plainly that I don't like dealing with eunuchs."
"A eunuch shouldn't have any unrealistic fantasies."
"Since ancient times, there has never been a eunuch who became an emperor. He should recognize his own identity and act accordingly."
Su Yu's light and breezy words completely stunned Juzi.
What the—this was explosive!
With a mix of bewilderment and shock, Juzi left, questioning her entire existence.
Su Yu remained seated in the living room, calmly sipping his tea.
From upstairs, Meng Hongchen and Wang Dong'er descended and sat beside Su Yu.
"Yu, what's so special about this Juzi?"
Meng Hongchen was puzzled.
A mere Juzi—why would he recruit her?
Was it because the Illustrious Virtue Hall lacked talented people?
In her mind, Juzi was in her twenties and still hadn't joined the Illustrious Virtue Hall.
Was someone with such mediocre talent worth Su Yu's attention?
Su Yu glanced at her and smiled faintly, "Everyone has their strengths. While Juzi might not seem remarkable, she does have certain talents."
After all, Juzi and Dai Hao were among the rare few in the Douluo Continent who had some skill in military strategy.
Though their abilities were nothing extraordinary, compared to others who commanded like fools, they were already quite capable.
In the Douluo Continent during the first era, even a simple tactic like cutting off enemy supplies, as used by Yu Xiaogang, was considered a brilliant strategy. The military level was nothing to boast about.
You could only make do with what you had.
At least Juzi was better than Yu Xiaogang.
Meng Hongchen nodded skeptically. "Yu, are you sure you're not just captivated by her beauty?"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow. Looking at Meng Hongchen's dazzlingly beautiful face, a thought surfaced in his mind. "Captivated by beauty?"
"I'm only captivated by your beauty."
With that, he suddenly pounced, scooping Meng Hongchen into his arms.
"Ah!"
Meng Hongchen let out a startled cry as Su Yu held her tightly.
Before she could say anything, Su Yu carried her and darted into a room.
The next moment, the door slammed shut with a loud bang and locked from the inside.
Wang Dong'er: ?????
She glanced at the closed door, then pointed at herself.
What? Were they just pretending she didn't exist?
She clenched her fists, shaking with frustration.
Wang Dong'er: (〝▼皿▼)
Wang Dong'er: (▼皿▼#)
Wang Dong'er: (╬◣д◢)
Wang Dong'er: (▼ヘ▼#)
She was completely furious!
...
The previously serene Crown Prince's residence erupted with the sound of crashing objects and a hysterical roar.
"Su Yu! I WILL KILL YOU! AAAAAHHHH!!!"
Inside a grand hall, Xu Tianran was losing control, smashing vases and decorations to the floor in a fit of rage. His face was twisted with madness and hatred, like a vengeful demon.
He had just heard Su Yu's words from Juzi's lips.
As the saying goes, lies don't hurt, but the truth cuts like a knife.
Su Yu's words—calling him a eunuch unworthy of being emperor—deeply pierced Xu Tianran's fragile and self-loathing heart.
Without a doubt, he had been utterly broken.
Even with his cunning and scheming mind, he could not endure such words.
Eunuch.
What a glaring, humiliating label. And Su Yu had dared to call him that.
How could Xu Tianran accept this?
Especially since, if such news spread, he would be completely disqualified from competing for the throne.
Eunuchs couldn't become emperors.
No matter how outstanding he was, if people learned he was infertile, he would inevitably be cast aside.
At that point, he would be the first to be eliminated from the race for the throne.
No one would support him.
For someone like Xu Tianran, whose obsession with power bordered on madness, this was an untouchable taboo.
And now, Su Yu had crossed that line.
"I'll kill him. I must kill him."
Xu Tianran muttered incessantly about killing Su Yu.
Only by killing him could this secret be buried forever.
Yes, that was the solution.
Xu Tianran's face turned icy, and a chilling murderous aura emanated from his entire being.
Juzi stood silently to the side, watching Xu Tianran's insane outburst.
She had followed him for a long time but had never seen him so unhinged.
Su Yu's words had struck a nerve with Xu Tianran, delivering a devastating blow.
Beyond his rage, Xu Tianran was surely consumed by an unspoken fear.
After all, his infertility had always been a closely guarded secret.
Juzi herself had not known.
She never expected that Xu Tianran would suffer from such a condition.
But what shocked her even more was that Su Yu knew this secret so clearly.
Once again, Juzi was reminded of Su Yu's terrifying nature.
It was as if he knew everything—nothing could escape his grasp, and everything seemed to be within his control.
This godlike omniscience made Juzi feel an even deeper sense of awe toward Su Yu.
"Damn it!"
"Hateful!"
"That vile man—he deserves to die!"
Seated in his wheelchair, Xu Tianran roared in impotent fury, venting his wrath.
Juzi remained silent, watching him quietly.
After a long while, Xu Tianran finally caught his breath and growled with murderous intent, "That man must die. He must die."
Juzi seized the opportunity to speak, "Your Highness, this may not be wise."
"What do you mean?"
Xu Tianran turned to her with a wolfish glare, his eyes filled with malice. "Are you trying to defend Su Yu?"
"Have you fallen for him?"
In his state of fury, Xu Tianran's paranoia and sensitivity were heightened.
Even the smallest hint of suspicion could provoke his intense vigilance.
Juzi quickly knelt and spoke earnestly, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. Su Yu is the young master of the Ice God Palace, a figure of extraordinary status."
"He is also constantly protected by the Ice Emperor, Haibodong. Killing him would be nearly impossible."
"Moreover, it's unclear how many people know about this matter. If…"