Chapter 47: Recollection

That damned Su Chen, no matter how he tried his myriad charms and exhausted his methods, remained consistently the same.

Especially…

After she learned through some channels what Su Chen had done for Liu Liyan, the Imperial Princess felt her heart and mind shaken, finding it hard to believe, unable to believe that a man could do such a thing for a woman in this world.

Even during her meditation practice, the Imperial Princess's wandering thoughts were all filled with imagination.

It wasn't because she liked Su Chen, but in her living environment and her worldview, a man simply could not dote on a woman to such an extent, to the point that even she couldn't help fantasizing and yearning.

"A gentleman stays far from the kitchen, and cultivators have long abandoned grains, subsisting on dew and mist—so why would he personally cook for her?"

"How could he be so meticulously considerate even during her period?"

"Upon learning that she was deficient in yang energy and qi and blood, he would personally consult ancient texts, brew medicinal porridge, and regulate her body?"

"How could he personally seek out Flame Yang Jade when her cultivation was invaded by cold, polish it into a wearable accessory? These… these could never come from a man's hands—I've never heard of such a thing!"

"Why can Su Chen treat her like this… what exactly is he relying on…?" The Imperial Princess muttered incessantly, murmuring while shaking her head.

In the Eastern Wasteland Region, there are not no loving dao partners, but most emphasize matching families, and both spouses possess some cultivation.

Or it is simply taking by force, for in the Northern Abyss Continent the strong are revered, and the stronger one's cultivation, the more love they command.

Just like the Imperial Princess's father emperor, who had countless consorts and concubines, with three thousand beauties in his harem.

Ye Xuan also has a heart of great love; otherwise he would not have been moved by Liu Liyan's Bodhi Holy Body.

Women are drawn to the strong; sometimes they are merely tools for breeding offspring, with no choice in loving or being loved.

Thus, inequality between men and women exists, and it is impossible for them to be equal.

But after observing the Imperial Princess for these days, she discovered that Su Chen never had feelings for anyone other than Liu Liyan from beginning to end.

Moreover, he openly did not conceal his indulgence of Liu Liyan, truly cherishing and doting on her.

Achieving what no man in the world could, without pursuing the so-called cultivation, longevity, or becoming an emperor……

Not the fawning, servile pursuit of Lin Jianran, but genuine respect, equal treatment, and cherishing of Liu Liyan.

"Imperial Elder Sister, what giving up cultivation, what cold? What are you talking about?" Seeing the Imperial Princess again lost in thought, the Prince began to ask softly.

The Imperial Princess turned her head.

A hint of complexity flashed in her eyes as she stared at the Prince for several seconds.

Then she suddenly asked a rather abrupt question: "Imperial Younger Brother, Imperial Elder Sister has two questions I'd like to ask you."

"Imperial Elder Sister, just speak plainly."

"Suppose… I mean suppose, if your fiancée were invaded by cold, her yin and yang unbalanced, would you personally seek out Flame Yang Jade, personally refine it into an accessory for her to carry, to resist the cold invading her body and regulate her yin and yang?"

Upon saying that,

The Sixth Prince's face suddenly changed, as if hearing a ridiculous joke, his expression freezing: "Imperial Elder Sister, isn't enduring cold invading the body something cultivators must experience? This isn't a big deal."

"Moreover, women are naturally yin; if they are deficient in qi and blood, taking a Blood Supplement Pill would fix it."

"Flame Yang Jade—what material is that? It's saint‑grade material, a rare refining treasure; to use it to craft an accessory is who would be so wasteful of heavenly resources?"

As expected…

A glimmer seemed to appear in the Imperial Princess's eyes, then instantly dimmed.

She parted her lips slightly and couldn't help asking another question: "Then if your fiancée fears bitterness and dislikes taking pills, what would you do? Would you personally cook her spiritual porridge?"

"Spiritual porridge?" The Prince's warm pupils shrank sharply, revealing a rare disbelief: "Isn't cooking porridge and refining medicine something only girls do? Shouldn't men be busy cultivating, pursuing the great Dao for freedom?"

"To prepare spiritual porridge—if word got out, wouldn't that be humiliating?"

"Imperial Elder Sister, are you alright lately? Why do you keep speaking mysteriously, talking about nonsense?"

Indeed!

In a world where strength is supreme and all beings pursue the great Dao,

Preparing spiritual porridge—even apothecaries wouldn't bother; it's too lowly, let alone seeking Flame Yang Jade, that rare refining material, to forge it into an accessory.

If a man did these things, he'd be seen as worthless and neglecting his proper duties.

The Imperial Princess lowered her phoenix eyes: "If I were to tell you that someone in this world could do this for a fiancée—could put aside his own face, not care about others' opinions, and cherish and dote on his fiancée to this extent?"

"Ha ha, Imperial Elder Sister, that joke of yours isn't funny at all—there's no such person in the world."

Indeed.

Impossible.

The Imperial Princess understood; perhaps in the Northern Abyss Continent, only Su Chen would not put these worldly rules in his eyes, would not care about others' gazes, and wholeheartedly bestow these kindnesses upon Liu Liyan.

But,

Clearly, before he had also tried every means to win over Lin Jianran, even to the point of abandoning his dignity.

But at that time the Imperial Princess only thought Su Chen was hopelessly foolish, a waste who thinks only with his lower half.

Now… she actually felt that Su Chen possessed a courage unafraid of worldly eyes, disregarding worldly rules, bearing an indescribable aura that made her unable to stop fantasizing and yearning to be treated that way herself.

If,

If Ye Xuan, as an older brother, could also be so meticulously considerate toward her, how wonderful that would be?

Her mother, the Empress, died in childbirth because the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy had raged when she gave birth; having just delivered the child, her cultivation waned and her ability to resist cold invading her body was weak, and ultimately, due to yin-yang imbalance and deficient qi and blood, she died in the delivery room.

But his father the emperor, having retreated into closed‑door cultivation, had not yet emerged, so he never even got to see her one last time.

He departed this life carrying regret to the very end.

If it were Su Chen instead……

"Imperial Elder Sister, you still haven't said—will Su Chen call off the engagement or not? Ye Xuan's brother‑in‑law side is already preparing to set out."

"If we don't clear up the relationship, Your Highness worries that the Holy Maiden Liu will be implicated, and moreover Ye Xuan's brother‑in‑law might inevitably be moved by the Bodhi Holy Body." The Prince's repressed question had just been uttered.

Outside the door.

Suddenly the steward's respectful voice rang out: "Sixth Prince, Your Highness, word has come from the Ye family."

"The Su Sect Master brings a Martial Sovereign‑rank Holy Beast descendant, along with a host of demon troops and human youths, to go to war against the Ye family."

What?

Swish!

The Sixth Prince suddenly stood up, a hint of shock welling in the depths of his eyes.

He immediately thought of something, rose and hurried toward the Ye family manor, but as he lifted his foot, he turned his head to glance at the ever-silent Imperial Princess.

Their eyes met.

The Sixth Prince gazed at his Imperial Elder Sister right before him, and for a moment he could barely discern the emotion in her eyes.

"Imperial Younger Brother." The Imperial Princess lightly stroked her phoenix robe, rose to her feet, her tone much as before, yet somehow different: "Regarding the matter of Su Chen and the Holy Maiden Liu, Imperial Sister is unable to help."

Sixth Prince: "??"

What does that mean?

Could it be that Elder Sister can tolerate two women sharing one husband?

The Imperial Princess's face showed a hint of complex emotion, gazing at the Sixth Prince with a look that words could not describe: "Because I feel that no man in the world can treat his fiancée as Su Chen does."

You can't do it, Brother Ye Xuan can't do it, Father Emperor can't do it.

I will always remember the day Mother gave birth to us two, when her blood and qi were deficient, her yang essence insufficient, causing yin-yang imbalance within her body; yet at that moment Father, having chanced upon a breakthrough opportunity, chose to abandon Mother and retreat into secluded cultivation.