Chapter 20: I'll Give You a Chance to Become My Follower

Maid?

Luo Bingyao shivered all over, startling awake from her petrified state.

She looked at the red‑haired hulking man before her, his face twisted in a mischievous grin.

She also glanced at the indifferent‑looking youth, and a nameless sorrow rose in her heart.

I, the illustrious Profound Heaven Empress, could I truly be reduced to serving as someone's maid?

She clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palm.

Humiliation, resentment, anger… all these emotions tangled within her, but in the end they turned into a profound sense of helplessness.

Resist?

Resist with what?

A single glance from him could erase her very being.

Now she was merely fish meat on a cutting board, at the mercy of anyone's slaughter.

"Maid?" Gu Yuan glanced at Luo Bingyao.

I must admit, though this woman's clothes were a bit tattered, her foundation was undeniably solid. She was tall, stunningly beautiful, and her cold yet stubborn aura was a rarity among the pampered saint‑princesses of the Fairy Realm.

However, he already had enough maidservants.

Qing'er and Zhu'er, both Dao‑servants of the Saint Realm, mastered qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, excelled at making the bed, and kept him comfortably attended, so he didn't wish to add more for the time being.

"Never mind, I'm not short of people," Gu Yuan waved his hand, disinterested.

He looked at Luo Bingyao, his gaze treating her like a dispensable object.

"But…" he shifted tone, stroking his chin as if recalling something.

"This world is now in ruins, with not even a single capable administrator. From what I see, you seem to be the highest‑cultivated native here," he said.

Luo Bingyao's heart tightened; unsure what mysterious young master's gourd was selling, she forced herself to nod.

"In… in response to Your Excellency, I, Luo Bingyao, am an emperor of the human race of the Profound Heaven Continent," she stammered.

When she uttered that final "emperor," her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.

In front of these people, she truly had no face to call herself emperor.

"Oh, a female emperor," Gu Yuan nodded, wearing an expression of "I see."

"Fine then, since you are a female emperor, from now on this world will be yours to govern," he said casually, as if assigning a trivial matter.

"What?" Luo Bingyao froze again, doubting whether her ears were playing tricks.

He… what did he say?

Hand this world over to me to manage?

What does that mean?

"What I mean is, from today onward, you, Luo Bingyao, are my agent in this world," Gu Yuan said, looking at her naïve expression and explaining impatiently.

"Your task is to help me manage this world, restore order, soothe living beings, and, incidentally… gather any heavenly materials, earthly treasures, or any interesting items this world possesses,"

"Of course, you won't be working for free."

"From now on, you're mine. With me shielding you, you can stride across this world. If anyone dares to defy you, just invoke my name."

Gu Yuan crossed his arms, lifted his chin slightly, his posture impeccably poised.

"I'll give you a chance to become my follower. How about it? Will you?"

Follower?

Agent?

Luo Bingyao's mind was completely unable to think.

Joy… no, it was shock, arriving far too suddenly!

She had originally thought the best outcome for herself was to be taken as a humble maid, losing freedom forever, at others' disposal.

But she never expected that he would not only refrain from harming her, but also grant her a promise she never dared dream of!

Become his follower?

Manage the entire Profound Heaven Continent?

Is this… real?

She looked at the youth before her; though his tone was flippant and his demeanor arrogant, his clear eyes bore an innate, unquestionable authority.

His words were truth.

Any promise he voiced would inevitably be fulfilled.

It was a confidence born of absolute power and supreme status!

"How? Still unwilling?" Gu Yuan frowned as she stayed silent for a while, "I tell you, those who want to be my followers can line up from the South Heavenly Gate of the Fairy Realm to the North Heavenly Gate. I give you this chance because you're still decent, don't look down on it."

Gu Xue Dao, standing nearby, chimed in: "Exactly! Little girl, think it through! This is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime destiny! Who is our young master? He is… ahem, in short, the most honored existence of the Gu Family! Being his follower is a blessing cultivated over eight lifetimes!"

Luo Bingyao trembled all over, finally regaining her senses from the overwhelming shock.

She stared at Gu Yuan, her phoenix‑like eyes, once filled with despair and caution, now brimming with boundless excitement and fervor.

She knew this was her only chance!

It was not only her own, but the Profound Heaven Continent's sole chance!

Grasping his impossibly massive thigh, she thought that not only rebuilding the Profound Heaven Continent, but also leading it to unprecedented brilliance, might indeed be possible!

She hesitated no more, faced Gu Yuan, knelt on one knee, placed her right hand on her chest, and performed the oldest and most solemn knightly bow of the Profound Heaven Continent.

"Luo Bingyao, I vow to follow the young master, swear to serve to death, and never betray!"

Her voice rang clear and powerful, striking the ground with resonance!

From this moment, she was no longer the struggling, isolated Profound Heaven Empress.

She became a member of the Eternal Emperor Clan, the foremost celestial pride of all ages, Gu Yuan's follower!

"Hmm, very good." Gu Yuan nodded satisfactorily.

Finally found a free laborer; from now on, I won't have to worry about the miscellaneous affairs of this world.

He then took out another token engraved with the character "Gu" from his storage ring and threw it to Luo Bingyao.

"This is my identity token; take it. If you ever encounter trouble you can't solve, crush it and I'll send someone to help you."

"Besides, don't call me Young Master anymore; it sounds awkward. Just call me Sir."

"Yes, Sir!" Luo Bingyao received the token with both hands, as if obtaining a precious treasure.

She could feel that this seemingly ordinary token contained a power that made her heart race, as if it had established a connection with some great existence in the dark.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go attend to your duties." Gu Yuan waved his hand, as if dismissing a servant, "Right, remember to gather all those defeated troops under your command; the junk... uh, I mean the spoils that my Third Uncle and they dug up still need to be moved."

Luo Bingyao: "……"

She glanced at the pitted Bury Heaven Ancient Land and the piles of divine materials and precious medicines stacked like mountains around it—any one of which would drive a saint mad—and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

These... are all trash?

Young Master, do you have a misunderstanding about the definition of trash?

However, she dared not ask further, and could only reply respectfully: "Yes, Sir, Bingyao will get on it right away."

Having said that, she rose and turned into a stream of light, flying off into the distance.

But this time, her back was no longer one of decisiveness and tragedy; instead, it was filled with unprecedented hope and... vigor!

Watching Luo Bingyao's retreating figure, Gu Xue Dao sidled up to Gu Yuan and chuckled: "Yuan'er, that move of yours is brilliant! Without spilling blood, you've subdued a quasi-saint as an enforcer and incidentally solved this world's management issues—just like your father back in the day!"

Gu Yuan gave him a sideways glance.

"What do you mean by enforcer? This is talent recruitment."

"Come on, Third Uncle; we've pretty much finished digging here. Take me to check out the next forbidden zone."