Chapter 143

Furious and unchecked, Ling Qingxiao unleashed his full cultivation. With a single breath, they were already back at the Celestial Palace. Luo Han, her hands still bound, struggled for a while...then gave up, exhausted. She curled quietly in his arms, letting herself be carried.
Soon, the familiar structures of the Celestial Palace came into view. Luo Han assumed they were headed toward the Hall of Illumination, but to her surprise, Ling Qingxiao didn’t turn, he headed straight for the Jade Purity Palace. Something was off.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked warily.
“Ordinary immortals can’t keep you locked down. And I can’t bring myself to throw you into the Heavenly Prison. So, I’ll guard you myself.”
He really was furious, furious enough to disregard his own nature. Luo Han knew how much he hated disturbances, yet now he was going to supervise her personally? Still, she didn’t dare provoke him any further. It’s just a few days in a side hall, she thought. Palace quarters are all more or less the same.
She kept quiet. The Jade Purity Palace was peaceful, save for the soft rustling of starlit leaves falling like silver rain. Ling Qingxiao carried her through the starry veil and stepped directly into his inner chambers.
That was when Luo Han’s sense of unease flared. He wasn’t just locking her in a hall, he was taking her into his bedroom.
“What are you doing?” she cried, panicked. “Put me down!”
Ling Qingxiao said nothing. He approached the bed and unceremoniously tossed her onto it. Luo Han landed amidst the soft, fragrant bedding, the air thick with his faint, wintry scent. The Jade Purity Palace had a front hall for court affairs and vast rear quarters for private living. This bed, this entire room, belonged solely to Ling Qingxiao.
Luo Han tried to scramble up, but her hands were still bound, and she couldn’t push herself upright. She barely had time to react before Ling Qingxiao sat beside her and flicked his fingers. The spiritual restraints around her hands transformed into a delicate ring, a cold, seamless bracelet that locked around her wrist. A chain grew from the other end, snapping securely to the bedpost.
She tugged, but the chain was incredibly solid, forged from Ling Qingxiao’s own spiritual essence. There was no key.
“Ling Qingxiao, have you lost your mind?!” she yelled, yanking at the manacle. “This is your bedroom! You’ve locked me up here — what are you going to do when dawn comes? What will the court officials say? You’re the Celestial Emperor. Do you even care about your reputation?!”
Ling Qingxiao paused for a moment, genuinely stunned. He didn’t quite understand modern sensibilities, but...of all things she could say after being chained up, this was what she cared about? His reputation?
If this was really the case, then Ling Qingxiao thought it might be time to clean up the moral compass of the Celestial Realm. Those filthy, chaotic books from the Demon and Beast Realms were fine if kept in their own lands, but once they started corrupting young immortals in the Heavenly Realm, that was crossing the line.
He sat beside Luo Han, watching her half-heartedly struggle, and asked coolly, “You’re not the least bit afraid I’ll do something to you?”
Luo Han really wasn’t. She replied with complete calm, “You wouldn’t do that kind of thing.”
“Oh? And how do you know that?”
“The Ling Qingxiao I know is cold and reserved, indifferent to the world, but never once has he acted against his own principles,” she said softly, meeting his eyes. “I trust him. He’s never let me down.”
Ling Qingxiao’s expression darkened, saying nothing.
Luo Han jangled the chain lightly with a flick of her wrist and cautiously asked, “Are you calm now?”
“Don’t try to gloss things over,” he replied, his voice still cold. “I’m not him. I won’t be coaxed with a few sweet words.”
Luo Han didn’t respond, but in her heart she quietly added, The Ling Qingxiao from the Era of Revelation wouldn’t have been fooled either. He just...didn’t want to call me out. Whoever holds back first, loses.
Of course, there was no need to say any of that out loud, not when the current Ling Qingxiao was already teetering on the edge of reason.
“All right,” she said. “You’re different. You’re the cleverest of all. And since His Majesty is still perfectly rational, perhaps we can finally talk about the issue with the Demon God.”
Luo Han sighed. “You must have heard it that day too. Before the Demon God died, he said I couldn’t kill him. You should know that the other him still carries a heart demon. It was from the Great Middle-Era War, when we were fighting the Demon God he was struck by a fragment of the demon’s soul. The Demon God shares the same origin as that fragment. I’m afraid...he may do harm.”
Ling Qingxiao’s tone was still sharp. “A heart demon is his own issue. Is he a child now, unable to even confront that on his own?”
That was just being unreasonable.
It was the first time Luo Han had seen Ling Qingxiao act so petty. “That’s not fair. He’s young. It’s natural to need help in times of danger. Besides, the Six Realms are filled with endless scriptures. Once I return, I’ll search for any secret arts that may help us solve the space-time issue. I never intended to disappear without a word. But some things...can’t wait. His heart demon needs to be handled.”
Smooth words, dodging the real point.
Ling Qingxiao silently evaluated her excuses, and yet, despite himself, the fire inside him had already cooled. Still, logic was logic. No matter how persuasive Luo Han sounded, he would not forget: she had planned to leave him tonight. Why should youth be an excuse for being favored without consequence?
“You can stay here,” he said. “Think of a solution for his heart demon from the Jade Purity Palace.”
“No,” Luo Han immediately refused. “You’ve never seen it, so you can’t understand. His heart demon is dangerous, and I’m the root of it. I must be the one to resolve it. Don’t worry, once I’m back, I’ll find a way.”
“And if there is no way?”
That shut her up. She had no answer.
Ling Qingxiao looked into her eyes and already understood. This, this was the fundamental difference between them. He didn’t believe in fate, didn’t believe in gods or luck. He only believed in himself. Why gamble on a hazy future, when he could simply keep her by his side forever?
He leaned closer. He didn’t care that they were on a bed. Any gesture now would seem intimately ambiguous, and yet he did not stop. Luo Han instinctively shrank away until her back was pressed into the corner of the bed.
Ling Qingxiao gently stroked her cheek. “What does he have that I don’t? Why are you so set on leaving?”
Luo Han hesitated, then answered quietly, “You’re already exceptional. Wise, strong, self-disciplined. There’s no need to compare yourself with anyone.”
Though her words were praise, Ling Qingxiao heard only the rejection behind them.
He smiled faintly. “You’re right, I’m not like him. The things he can’t bring himself to do, I don’t hesitate.”
Before Luo Han could react, he seized her wrist. Her storage ring shimmered into visibility. She immediately realized what he was doing and began to struggle, but her hand was firmly caught, there was no escaping.
Ling Qingxiao wrapped his fingers around the ring and slowly, inexorably, pulled it off.
Inside were all the fragments of her journey, the trinkets and artifacts she had collected over years of trials, and countless mementos from the Tianqi Era and from Ling Qingxiao himself. That ring held her most precious memories, the entire arc of their story, from strangers to adversaries, then finally to something tender.
And now, all of it was being stolen by the very man who had given her so much of it.
“Ling Qingxiao, stop!” she cried, clawing at his hands to no avail. She could only watch helplessly as her ring left her finger. This time, Luo Han was angry. She flung herself at him, trying to snatch it back. “Give it back! That’s mine!”
Ling Qingxiao easily caught both her wrists and pinned her down onto the bed.
“It’s better this way,” he said softly. “Out of sight, out of mind. If you can’t see him, you’ll forget him. We have eternity ahead of us, I can wait.”
With that, he stood up, waved his sleeve, and cast layer upon layer of restrictive seals over the chamber.
“It’s late,” he said. “Rest well, Luo Han.”
Luo Han tried to get up, only to be jerked back by the chain on her wrist. She glared at his retreating back and shouted, “If you walk out that door, I swear I’ll never forgive you! I’ll be furious!”
Ling Qingxiao opened the door and disappeared without looking back.
Luo Han cursed under her breath, pressed her fingers to her temples, and muttered, “Don’t be mad. You chose this. You chose this. You chose this.”
But she was livid. With a flick of her wrist, the supposedly unbreakable chain snapped. She could’ve freed herself at any time, she’d only played along because he was her boyfriend.
Now, though? Luo Han rubbed her wrist and gave a low, icy laugh. “Ling Qingxiao...you’re so dead.”
The next day, when the Celestial Court officials arrived at the Jade Purity Palace for their usual reports, they immediately noticed something strange.
There were suddenly far more fairy attendants in the palace, their heads lowered, bustling back and forth like they were in a rush. It was utterly out of character, everyone in the Celestial Realm knew the Emperor hated noise and disturbance. For years, the Jade Purity Palace hadn’t had a single servant.
And today…? Something was definitely wrong. To think not just one or two, but a whole crowd of fairy attendants had appeared today, and all of them were women.
The assembled lords were visibly stunned. One sharp-eyed cultivator noticed something even more alarming: these attendants were none other than those who had once served the Heavenly Dao.
This discovery was no small matter.
Startled, they quickly shifted his gaze, pretending not to have seen anything. Everyone in the Three Pure Heavens knew just how delicate the relationship between His Majesty and the Heavenly Dao had become. Lately, rumors had even begun circulating, quiet whispers that the Celestial Emperor had fallen out with the Dao, and that he had imprisoned her.
Of course, the Celestial Emperor would never do something so dishonorable as “imprisonment.” No, it was “protection.”
Thankfully, the Great Luo Heaven wasn’t crowded, and the attendants were careful and discreet. The whispers had remained mere speculation, nothing concrete. The officials of the Three Heavens had long since learned to turn a blind eye to things better left unsaid.
But today, without warning, they saw those very attendants inside the Jade Purity Palace. Everyone lowered their eyes, feigning oblivion, and entered the palace to proceed with morning court as usual.
Halfway through deliberations, a young celestial maid appeared at the hall entrance. She lingered at the doorway, glancing repeatedly inside. Naturally, the True Sovereigns noticed — how could they not? Every person here was a seasoned cultivator, their senses sharper than blades. They all saw her. They just pretended not to.
After finishing his report, one lord stepped back in silence, waiting respectfully for the emperor’s verdict.
Ling Qingxiao sat in the highest seat, still and poised. After a moment, he stood and said, “The matter of the Demon Realm’s territorial cession is of great importance. Continue discussing it among yourselves. I will return shortly.”
With that, he walked toward the side chamber, hands clasped behind his back, stride unhurried. The officials stared after him in shock.
Since ascending the throne, His Majesty had always been the embodiment of diligence, swift in judgment, never late, never early, and certainly never one to leave mid-session. For him to walk out now, could it mean something dire had happened?
Faces grew solemn. Whatever it was, it had to be grave enough to shake the Heavenly Court itself. The celestial maid quickly followed him as he exited. When they reached the corridor, Ling Qingxiao asked, “What is it?”
The maid wore a strange expression and answered cautiously, “Your Majesty, Lady Luo has just awakened.”
“Mn.” Ling Qingxiao nodded. “She may cause a fuss today. Leave her be.”
“But...Lady Luo said...she’s on a hunger strike.”
Even though he’d been expecting it, Ling Qingxiao still froze for a split second when he heard the words “hunger strike.” Hunger strike?
“Ridiculous.” He flicked his sleeve, anger flashing across his face. “She’s not a mortal. She’s a cultivator. What’s she going to do, starve herself to death? If she wants to fast, let her. No need to report this kind of nonsense again.”
The maid bowed her head, too afraid to speak. His Majesty always put on a strong front, but give it some time, and he’d be the first to go check on her. Best not to make eye contact now; things would be less awkward later.
Ling Qingxiao sighed internally. Luo Han really was his nemesis. He hadn’t even had breakfast and already felt full, full of irritation.
He strode off with a cold face, only to pause after a few steps. “…When did it start?”
See? Just a moment ago, he said not to report it anymore.
The maid, well-trained, replied tactfully, “Around the hour of the Dragon. Lady Luo woke then and refused her morning meal.”
She won’t die from skipping one meal. Expression unreadable, Ling Qingxiao returned to the hall, acting utterly indifferent.
Inside, the lords were discreetly exchanging theories, convinced that some great upheaval had taken place. Yet before long, His Majesty returned. The cold, elegant, and impossibly handsome emperor resumed his seat as if nothing had happened. Every movement exuded the unshakable dignity of a ruler.
“The matter of the Demon Realm’s land cession, continue.”
Two nearby officials exchanged glances, both uncertain. If something serious had happened, His Majesty didn’t seem rushed. He even picked up the prior discussion. But if nothing had happened, why did he seem so distracted?
Just what was going on?
As Ling Qingxiao sat on the throne, the voices of debate swirled around him, but his mind wandered. He should have been weighing strategies, analyzing pros and cons, yet for some reason, he couldn’t focus.
His eyes drifted again to the water clock in the corner. It’s already midday...she didn’t eat breakfast. Is she feeling unwell? She said she took care of herself as a child, surely she wouldn’t truly starve herself, would she?
Eventually, even the ministers noticed his inattention. When a ruler checks the clock repeatedly, it’s a sign of impatience. His Majesty had done it several times now. Was he dissatisfied with their proposals? Ling Qingxiao coughed softly, eyes lowered. This was the first time since taking the throne that he, personally, had disrupted the flow of court.
“…Peace negotiations are not a one-day matter. Dismissed. We’ll continue tomorrow.”
A moment of silence. Then all the officials stood and replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
The sun must be rising in the west today. The famously tireless, perfectionist Celestial Emperor had actually delayed court himself? Tch.
One by one, the officials filed out. Once the hall was empty, Ling Qingxiao composed himself, adjusted his robes, and left the palace, for a walk, of course. To clear his head. And perhaps, just perhaps to stop by the bedchamber. Just what kind of nonsense was Luo Han up to now?

Inside the sleeping quarters, Luo Han sat cross-legged on a short couch, scribbling something onto paper. The chain on her wrist knocked lightly against the table, producing crisp metallic sounds.
She could’ve broken the chain at any time, but today, she left it on. She moved around the palace freely, chain trailing behind her.
The chain, forged from spiritual power, could stretch and contract freely. But still, one end around her wrist, the other locked to the bedpost, it was hard not to imagine things. And Luo Han, of all people, had the gall to wear a completely disillusioned, dead-inside expression. From the moment she woke, she’d refused even a bite of food.
The attendants had no idea what happened last night. One moment, everything was normal, the next, they were all inexplicably asleep. None of them awoke until the break of dawn. Something was clearly off. Nervously, they’d knocked on the doors to check if Lady Luo needed assistance. And sure enough, something had gone very wrong.
She was gone. The attendants had turned the Hall of Illumination upside down, frantically searching. No sign of her anywhere. They had prepared themselves to be dragged to prison at any moment until, just after dawn, a messenger from the Jade Purity Palace summoned them to serve Lady Luo there.
Soon after, the maids in the Jade Purity Palace laid eyes on a weary and disheartened figure, the Heavenly Dao herself, with a spirit-dampening chain still clasped around her wrist. They were terrified, not daring to ask, let alone speculate. They placed her favorite dishes within reach, hoping she might eat. Luo Han didn’t spare them a single glance.
The maids hovered nearby, completely at a loss. “Lady Luo, it’s already noon. You’ve been busy all morning, maybe you should take a rest?”
Luo Han ignored them.
It was at this moment that Ling Qingxiao entered the hall and was greeted by this exact scene. At the sight of their emperor, all the celestial maids fell silent, not even daring to breathe.
He cast a sweeping glance around the chamber and gave a calm order: “You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The attendants bowed and filed out in silence, leaving the room to just the two of them. Ling Qingxiao stood near the doorway, unmoving. Luo Han remained focused on her drawing, completely pretending he didn’t exist.
In the end, he made the first move. He approached her and asked, “What are you drawing?”
Just as he spoke, his gaze fell on the half-finished painting atop the table, his expression instantly darkened.
Luo Han didn’t care. She spoke each word slowly and deliberately: “It’s a sketch of Lingjiang City. Since you stole the last one, I’ll just draw it again. The images live in my mind and you can’t control my thoughts.”
Ling Qingxiao discovered that Luo Han had a particular talent: she could anger him in an instant.
He reined in his temper. “If you want to draw, draw. If you run out of ink, there’s more in the front hall. But enough is enough. You can’t play games with your health. You’re not a child anymore, what’s with the hunger strike?”
“That food,” she said coolly, without looking up, “I used to eat it with him. The moment I see those dishes, I remember the way he used to feed me.”
Her tone sharpened. “You said I shouldn’t touch anything from the past, didn’t you? Lest old memories stir up old feelings? Then fine, I won’t even eat.”
Ling Qingxiao pressed a hand to his brow. If not for years of emperor’s restraint, he might have unsheathed a sword and cut down a man who didn’t even exist. The most infuriating part? That man was intangible, unreachable and also himself.
Ling Qingxiao had learned something: arguing with Luo Han was a losing battle. He’d be the one dying of rage first. He let it go and sat across from her, calmly adjusting his sleeves. “Fine. I’ll feed you.”
Luo Han pulled every trick in the book while eating, passive aggression, impossible requests, obstinate silences and yet Ling Qingxiao responded with flawless patience. No matter what she demanded, he complied without complaint, meticulously adjusting until everything was just as she wished.
That meal lasted an eternity. She exhausted all her provocations, and only then did she finally settle down. Ling Qingxiao signaled for the dishes to be cleared away. “Satisfied now?”
Luo Han said nothing, turning her attention back to her sketch. In this world, who else dared treat the Celestial Emperor so dismissively?
The maids dared not even breathe, and yet Ling Qingxiao remained unbothered. “Throw your tantrum if you must. But eat properly. Every time you go on a hunger strike, I’ll feed you myself. I don’t care how long you want to keep this up, I’ll see it through to the end.”
With those words, he left the inner hall to return to court matters. He had barely written for an hour when the same maid from before hesitantly approached again.
Ling Qingxiao immediately recognized her. He opened a new scroll, dipped his brush into ink, and said without looking up, “Come in. What is it now?”
The maid braced herself. “Lady Luo says...the chain is bruising her wrist.”
The tip of the brush paused. The maid, clearly resigned to fate, continued quickly: “She said it’s too heavy. Her wrist’s hurting so much she can’t even sleep.”
Ling Qingxiao set the brush down. Of course, he knew the chain couldn’t have truly injured her. It was a spiritual artifact and couldn’t restrain her if she didn’t allow it. But still, guilt struck deep. Last night, in a moment of anger, he had put that chain on her. Looking back now...it had been too much.
Without another word, he stood and made his way back to the sleeping quarters. When he entered, Luo Han was lying on the bed and sure enough, her wrist was mottled with what looked like a bruise.
His heart clenched. But as he drew closer, a flicker of doubt arose. The color wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t a real bruise. Relief washed over him, but he still sat beside her and asked gently, “What happened?”
Luo Han cast him a sideways glare. “What do you think happened?”
Ling Qingxiao knew he was at fault. He took her wrist and began gently massaging it, infusing it with a cool stream of spiritual energy. “You said it hurts too much to sleep. Let me help move the blood and ease the pain. Don’t worry about me. Just rest.”
Luo Han said languidly, “There’s healing ointment in my storage ring.”
“What kind?” he asked. “I’ll have it prepared immediately.”
Ah. So he still wouldn’t give the ring back.
Luo Han huffed. “I don’t remember. Guess you’ll have to keep massaging.”
She turned her back to him, showing only a cold silhouette. Ling Qingxiao wasn’t upset. He continued the careful massage, working over her nonexistent bruise with quiet devotion.
At first, Luo Han had only been pretending. But his hands...his hands were strong yet gentle, the infusion of cool spiritual energy oddly soothing. Before she knew it, she had drifted off.
She didn’t know how long she slept. When she woke, the light was dim and golden — and Ling Qingxiao was still seated beside her, holding her wrist in one hand, the other flipping through court documents.
The moment she stirred, he set his brush down and tucked away the scrolls.
“You’re awake,” he said. “Did you sleep well? Anywhere else uncomfortable?”
Luo Han flexed her wrist. He released it.
She looked at him in disbelief. “You...kept rubbing it the whole time I was asleep?”
“Yes,” he said. “There was bruising. Better to disperse it early.”
Luo Han opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. There was no bruise. She had painted it herself with ink and pigment.
Ling Qingxiao, seeing her hesitation, asked, “Would you like dinner?”
She nodded reflexively, then caught herself and quickly turned cold: “No. I’m on a hunger strike, remember?”
“Enough,” Ling Qingxiao said. “Dinner’s ready. Refresh yourself and come to the side hall later.”
“I said no.”
Ling Qingxiao sighed, leaned forward, and swept one arm behind her waist and the other beneath her knees, effortlessly lifting her.
Luo Han kicked her legs. “Respect my noble integrity! If you keep doing this, I’ll eat on your bed! I’ll wear my shoes and roll around until you go mad!”
“As you wish,” Ling Qingxiao said calmly. “I haven’t even used that bed as much as you have. It’s yours for now. If you’re fond of it, do as you please.”
Luo Han choked on her words, somehow, it felt like she was the one being threatened now.
By the time she recovered, they had already reached the side hall. The moment the attendants saw the Celestial Emperor carrying the Heavenly Dao in his arms, they all quickly lowered their heads and dared not look.
Ling Qingxiao set Luo Han down gently, gesturing for the maids to withdraw. He then picked up a bowl and pair of chopsticks. “What would you like to eat?”
The way he moved steady, practiced, calm sent a shiver of unease down Luo Han’s spine.
Don’t tell me...he’s actually planning to feed me every meal from now on?
She stared at him in silence, then finally asked, “Do you really have this much free time?”
“So you won’t be distracted by memories and lose your appetite,” Ling Qingxiao replied lightly. “Since you can’t eat alone, I’ll feed you.”
“…”
Luo Han abandoned the act with impressive speed, bowing her head to the greater force. “Forget it. I’ll eat myself.”
She’d assumed that eating would placate him, that he’d return to his usual self. But after the dishes were cleared, Ling Qingxiao had the servants bring ink and scrolls to the sleeping quarters. Clearly, he intended to handle state matters right here.
Luo Han’s hair practically bristled. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“You’re not safe on your own. Starving yourself, getting hurt, what if you try something reckless again?” he said mildly. “I’ll stay with you.”
“No need.” Luo Han gritted her teeth. “It’s already night. You staying here is inappropriate.”
“This is my sleeping quarters,” Ling Qingxiao said leisurely, as if discussing the weather. “I’m just handling court documents in my own room. What’s wrong with that?”
Luo Han glared at him, hard. Ling Qingxiao acted like he didn’t even notice, completely composed as he resumed his work. Fine, Luo Han thought. Let’s see who blinks first. I’ve been alone with him before. I’m not scared. She moved to a far corner of the room, keeping maximum distance, and sat down like a scholar preparing for a duel of endurance.
Luo Han opened her interface, ticked off all her completed tasks, and even managed to read a bit. She sat there diligently finishing backlogged duties. After a while, her shoulders grew sore from sitting too long.
But Ling Qingxiao was still there, perfectly straight-backed, reviewing memorials like a model emperor. He hadn’t moved an inch. Finally, Luo Han couldn’t take it anymore. But she still refused to speak first.
Ling Qingxiao noticed the rising tension. He put his brush down and gently asked, “What’s wrong?”
“…It’s late.”
“Hm?”
“I want to bathe,” she said flatly.