The words made Yu Xiang's face go blank due to this stupid fool's short-sightedness, and she felt her blood freeze in her veins when she recalled how dangerous it could have been bringing him alongside her next time.
Initially, the lies she'd fed him, the careful manipulation she'd used to secure his loyalty—it was all coming back to haunt her now.
She recalled the act she had put on—the trembling tears, the false confession of "feelings," the carefully staged desperation that made Zhao Chen believe she was willing to sacrifice her own cultivation just to make him stronger.
At first, her plan seemed simple. She had just broken into the middle core formation and realized the kind of favor she could gain from the Emperor if she played her cards right.
But Zhao Chen's unexplained grudge against the Emperor complicated matters. Strangely enough, the Emperor still gave him a rare pill despite his disrespect.
