My mother, the Consort, had been replaced by a demoness from the Demon Sect.
'Then where did my real mother go?'
Although Zhao Ci saw himself as a transmigrator who had usurped another's body, he thought the blood ties were at least something he could rely on.
He was starting to lose it.
Seeing his nominal emperor father's wish, his heart went cold.
Then he saw his nominal mother consort's wish, and his heart froze solid.
Now he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, and every hair on his body stood on end.
'At first, I thought I was just being pushed around by the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, that life was just a little tough.'
But now...
'Whoa!'
'Holy crap!'
'My house is so full of enemies, a praying mantis would get ambushed just by jumping in.'
'And now my last pillar of support is gone!'
He paused for a little too long.
Gu Xiangzhu's elegant brow furrowed. "I am asking you a question!"
Zhao Ci: "..."
'How am I supposed to answer that?'
'She's from the Demon Sect. We're not related by blood at all. Why would she give a damn if I live or die?'
No matter how brave Zhao Ci was, he couldn't stop the panic from rising. But as soon as it appeared, that panic swiftly morphed into rage.
'So everyone's out to get me, huh?'
"Why aren't you speaking?"
Gu Xiangzhu was focused on the matter of his enfeoffment, and her tone grew irritated.
Pressed for an answer, Zhao Ci's anger flared.
He looked at Gu Xiangzhu. With the 'blood relative' filter gone, he felt this Demoness was suddenly ten times more beautiful.
A graceful figure.
A cold, stunning face.
Before, his mindset was one of pure appreciation for her beauty, but now his heart was filled with a desire for destruction.
'No blood ties, huh?'
'Then don't blame me for my filial piety turning... twisted!'
He strode right over to her.
Gu Xiangzhu was confused, wondering what he was about to do.
'But Zhao Ci has always been so respectful,' she thought. 'He wouldn't do anything inappropriate.'
But to her surprise, Zhao Ci walked right up, his eyes red-rimmed, and threw his arms around her.
Gu Xiangzhu: "..."
It happened so suddenly that she didn't have time to react.
'What's happening? Why is he hugging me?'
'This is bad!'
'Have I been exposed?'
Her gaze turned icy. If Zhao Ci couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, she would have to take action.
She raised her right hand, True Qi gathering in her palm.
"Mother! Your son has been unfilial!"
Zhao Ci no longer held back, his voice low and grief-stricken.
"Hmm?"
Gu Xiangzhu froze. 'From the sound of it, I haven't been exposed.'
'As long as I'm not exposed, it's fine!'
She let out a sigh of relief. But as her guard dropped, she suddenly became aware that she was in a young man's embrace, his warmth radiating against her.
'This is too close!'
The intimacy felt deeply unsettling, but she couldn't act on it. She had no choice but to dissipate the True Qi in her palm.
She asked softly, "Ci, what's wrong?"
Using his sobs as a cover, Zhao Ci leaned in and took a few good sniffs.
'Heh! This Demoness smells amazing!'
His voice was thick with sorrow. "Just now, I was preparing to bid farewell to Father Emperor, but a few words from the Grand Scholar made me realize my mistake. He said my intentions were good, but I had forgotten that people have feelings too. He said that for me to leave like this would be to inflict a heart-wrenching pain upon my parents."
The words, fraught with emotion, were carried on a warm, moist breath that brushed against Gu Xiangzhu's earlobe before whispering into her ear.
The strong, warm arms held her body in a firm lock.
His hot, ragged breaths ghosted across her neck and the skin behind her ear.
It was like a faint electric current, tracing a path over her skin, aiming for her heart.
A shiver went through Gu Xiangzhu.
'Something's wrong!'
'This isn't right!'
'Why is my body reacting so strangely?'
She could feel her breath hitch for a moment, her blood quicken, and even the temperature of her skin begin to rise.
This had never happened before. Her internal alarms were blaring, but she couldn't immediately think of a way to handle the situation.
She had slaughtered countless foes and navigated the treacherous tides of the business world, yet this was a situation she had never before encountered.
'What reason could I possibly give to assuage the guilt of my dear, filial son?'
'I have no experience with this!'
'No experience at all!'
'Why is this Demoness so sensitive?'
Zhao Ci felt a thrill of successful revenge, but he was also puzzled. 'She's been undercover in the Imperial Palace for so long. Does she not have... a marital life?'
Outwardly, he asked with concern, "Mother! You feel a little hot, and you seem weak... you're trembling, too. Are you getting sick?"
"???"
Gu Xiangzhu fought back the urge to strike him. She gave Zhao Ci a gentle push and sighed softly. "Sending you to your fief... I can't bear it either! Ci, I know your intentions. Now, please, let go!"
"I won't!"
Zhao Ci shook his head like a toy drum. "The Grand Scholar said, 'While one's parents are alive, one should not travel far.' I've only just had a rude awakening—I nearly caused a tragedy, wanting to care for my parents only when it's too late! I want to be a filial son to Father Emperor and you, Mother. I'm not going to my fief!"
He showed no intention of letting go. In fact, he pressed even closer.
'This body... is incredible!'
He didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt.
'You're all plotting to kill me!'
'And all I want is a simple hug.'
'Am I wrong for that?'
Gu Xiangzhu: "???"
This was the first time she had been so violated. All she wanted was to give Zhao Ci a swift kick.
But this was supposed to be a touching mother-son moment. Never mind kicking him, even a single harsh word would be out of character.
Yet the strange sensations from this close contact made her body recoil.
Worse, by forcefully controlling her breathing to keep it steady, she actually started to feel like she was suffocating.
"Let's put the matter of the fief aside for now. Ci, just let go first!"
Of course, Zhao Ci was reluctant to let go of the first-rate sensation, but just then, Gu Xiangzhu's wish appeared as blue text.
[Gu Xiangzhu's Current Wish]: My dear son, let go! I'm suffocating! Reward for completion: Insight Value +10, Suffocation Talisman x1.
'She's dropping loot?'
'Alright! I'll let you off the hook this time!'
Zhao Ci released Gu Xiangzhu.
[System Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward granted: Insight Value +10, Suffocation Talisman x1.
[Suffocation Talisman]: Apply to a target to prevent them from breathing. Effects vary depending on the individual.
Huh?
'A blue-tier wish actually gives ten points.'
"Phew..."
Gu Xiangzhu took a deep breath, free at last. She quickly regulated her breathing, and the strange sensation mostly dissipated, but a lingering trace of it refused to fade.
She composed herself. Seeing Zhao Ci's guilt-ridden expression, a look of gentle, maternal love swiftly spread across her face. "Actually, it's good for you to stay in Lingge. I couldn't bear to send you to such a remote place!"
'It would have been best if Zhao Ci went to his fief,' she thought, 'but now that he doesn't want to leave, Zhao Huan surely won't let him go either.'
'Since the outcome can't be changed, there's no point in forcing it.'
She leaned back slightly, gesturing to a chair a few paces away with a smile. "Ci, don't just stand there. Have a seat!"
'To her, this "filial, dear son" was no different from a violent thug.'
'He could lash out at any moment and give her another "piety-filled" hug.'
While not physically harmful, it was having a tremendous impact on her state of mind.
She still remembered what her master had warned her when she first joined the Demon Sect: "There are eighty thousand words in the world, but the one for 'love' is the most wounding of all."
'Looking at it now, how true that was.'
This move, this "Filial Piety" Iron Fist, was terrifying enough.
Gu Xiangzhu stared at Zhao Ci, her eyes urging him to sit down at once.
However...
Zhao Ci showed no sign of moving toward the chair.
'Are you kidding me?'
'The hug felt great, but did she think a few moments of that could erase my fear and rage?'
'You think you can get away that easily?'
Seeing that he wasn't sitting, Gu Xiangzhu's guard went up again, but her voice grew even softer. "Ci, why don't you..."
Zhao Ci's gaze drifted down to her pale, delicate ankles. His heart raced, but his tone was tragic.
"Mother! Your son wants to be filial!"
"Hmm?"
A bad feeling crept into Gu Xiangzhu's heart. "And how do you plan to be filial?"
Zhao Ci wore a serious expression. "All my life, you've never let me suffer the slightest wrong, while you've worked tirelessly for the Imperial Family's enterprises. I heard you've been busy handling the Gongdan Conference. You must be exhausted. I... want to wash your feet!"
"..."
Gu Xiangzhu's expression faltered. She subconsciously pulled her feet back.
The satin uppers of her shoes buckled slightly as her toes curled, gripping the floor beneath.
But she waved her hand, her expression one of pleasant surprise. "There's no need! Cui already washed them for me when I woke up..."
But Zhao Ci had already rolled up his sleeves. "How could a Palace Maid compare to your own son? Mother, you just sit tight. I'll go get some warm water!"
"I am so pleased you have such a filial heart!"
Gu Xiangzhu put on a moved expression, but she had already shot to her feet, her words tumbling out faster. "I have a great deal of business to attend to today, and we mustn't let this delay it. Be a good boy now, Ci!"
[Gu Xiangzhu's Current Wish]: Don't wash my feet! Reward for completion: Insight Value +10, Illusion Step Talisman x1.
'Another blue one?'
'But Zhao Ci wasn't going to give in so easily. If he obeyed now, it would be harder to pull this off next time.'
'If we go back to our old, polite way of interacting, then haven't I been played for a fool?'
Zhao Ci looked crestfallen. "Do you really have business to attend to, Mother, or do you just not want your son's filial affection?"
"Of course I have business to attend to!"
Gu Xiangzhu's expression turned serious. "You saw for yourself just now, the matter of the Gongdan Conference is urgent. Don't you believe me?"
Zhao Ci quickly shook his head. "Of course I believe you, Mother. It's just... you've always been so strict with me, keeping your distance. You're not affectionate with me like Father Emperor is. It made me wonder if we were even truly mother and son."
This sudden guilt trip left Gu Xiangzhu at a loss.
His jesting-but-not-jesting doubt about their relationship sent another chill through her. "Don't be ridiculous! I was only strict with you before because I wanted you to become a capable man!"
Zhao Ci took a deep breath. "Then, Mother, from now on, will you allow me to show my filial piety like the son of any ordinary family?"
Gu Xiangzhu: "..."
She was screaming "no" internally, but could only force a gentle smile. "Of course!"
Zhao Ci sighed in relief. "In that case, I won't keep you from your work! By the way, Mother, when will you be free? I'll come and keep you company!"
'When will I be free?'
Gu Xiangzhu never wanted to be free again.
It felt absurd. In the Demon Sect, she had never shown a hint of warmth to anyone. In Lingge, she was met with nothing but awe and reverence.
And yet here she was, being backed into a corner by this little bastard and his suddenly awakened 'filial piety'.
She pondered for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "I might have some free time tomorrow afternoon. For now, you should calm yourself. Go back and rest."
"Yes! I'll take my leave, then!"
Zhao Ci didn't press his luck. He shot one last, lingering glance at her fair, delicate ankles, then took his leave, thoroughly satisfied.
'You don't want me to have fun, huh? Well, if I can't have fun, nobody can!'
'I've got this weird quirk. When I get scared, I get an urge to lick something salty.'
'Sometimes, it's the blood on the tip of a blade.'
'And sometimes... it's something else.'
[System Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward granted: Insight Value +10, Illusion Step Talisman x1.
[Illusion Step Talisman]: Apply to self. Your feet trace the Big Dipper, and after one breath, you will randomly reappear anywhere within a one-li radius.
Gu Xiangzhu watched the spot where Zhao Ci had disappeared. The gentle, loving expression vanished from her face, replaced by the cool, noble mask of the Consort she usually wore.
But the strange feeling still lingered, like a hot, humid wind trying in vain to melt a sheet of ice.
She felt that her earlier advice to "calm yourself" was more fitting for her own state of mind.
"Why did that happen?"
Gu Xiangzhu was very displeased with her performance. While using the persona of a Kind Mother to placate Zhao Ci was undoubtedly the optimal solution—and she was a master of feigning any emotion—letting her state of mind be affected was a grave mistake. For a master like herself, it was a dangerous sign.
'Whatever.'
'What's so difficult about handling one little bastard? It was just a brief emotional lapse. It will pass.'
'Preparing for the Gongdan Conference is what's truly important.'
...
Zhao Ci returned to his own manor, collapsing onto his bed, feeling utterly drained.
The experience had been incredible, but it was just an act of revenge, a way to vent his emotions.
Now that he was back, the crushing pressure returned.
'How do I turn this around?'
He couldn't think of a way out.
'Let's see what my trusty system can do!'
He sat up, and with a thought, a panel materialized in his mind's eye.
[Insight Value]: 139
[Current Items]: Money-Eyed Talisman x11, On-Spot Relief Charm x1, Suffocation Talisman x1, Illusion Step Talisman x1, Organ-Swapping Secret Tome (Learnable).
[Xiang's Spear Technique]: Novice (7/10)
[Emperor's Extreme Body Refining Technique]: Qi Recognition Stage (8/10)