Chapter 10

On the flower boat, Huang Rong suddenly realized the truth: she had been taken advantage of in her moment of vulnerability.

At her most lonely and helpless, that foolish boy appeared, and incredibly, with just a single meal, he tricked her, the "Number One Beauty of Shooting Condor," into leaving with him!

This was far too undignified!

Huang Rong felt both ashamed and furious in her heart.

Especially thinking about how many owners of diary copies were likely mocking her at this very moment, Huang Rong's cheeks burned hot.

South of Nanzhou, Yan Yan Lingji let out a scoffing laugh.

As expected, little girls are easy to deceive; no matter how clever, they all have moments of foolishness.

And she had actually lost to such a yellow-haired chit!

This made Yan Yan Lingji wish she could immediately bite Jiang Sishui, forcing him to rephrase his words.

[After receiving Rong'er's assistance, Guo Jing seemed to have unlocked a cheat code.]

[In just a few short years, he transformed from a mediocre martial artist into one of the top experts in Shooting Condor, standing shoulder to shoulder with the older generation of masters.]

[Pity that after Rong'er married him, she never enjoyed a peaceful life.]

Seeing this, all the women were stunned.

Never enjoyed a peaceful life? What happened?

Did Guo Jing divorce her? Or did his heart change? Did he marry another woman and neglect her?

But that shouldn't be possible!

Huang Rong was the Number One Beauty of Shooting Condor and the number one extraordinary woman in Jiang Sishui's heart; for such a jade-like beauty to marry Guo Jing was a blessing he must have cultivated over eight lifetimes.

If it were any other man, surely none would have the heart to betray her?

On the flower boat, Huang Rong's gaze hardened, her expression turning tense.

Although she currently had no connection to Guo Jing, Huang Rong's fate in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" still tugged at her heartstrings.

[Because compared to love, Guo Jing valued national affairs far more.]

[Seeing the Song Dynasty in peril under the iron hooves of the Mongol Yuan, he filled with fervor and voluntarily helped the imperial court defend Xiangyang.]

[As his wife, Rong'er naturally followed her husband's lead.]

[And from then on, they never spent a single day in peace.]

[At the same time, as a married woman, Rong'er was long influenced by the Neo-Confucianism used by the Song scholars to brainwash the lower classes; through constant exposure, she transformed from an innocent and lively little demoness into Lady Guo, who strictly adhered to feudal ethics.]

[In the end, Rong'er became the very person she despised most.]

"Me, defending a city for someone? Me, helping that dog-emperor of the Song Dynasty defend a city?!"

"I married a man, and then he made me toil and bustle for my entire life?"

"I strictly adhered to feudal ethics? And ultimately became the person I hated most?"

Seeing this, Huang Rong could no longer sit still.

Who didn't know that her father, Huang Huang Yaoshi, was the most rebellious of all and held the greatest contempt for the rigid principles of those pedantic scholars?

As Huang Huang Yaoshi's daughter, she had naturally been influenced by him, sharing similar likes and dislikes with her old father.

And according to Jiang Sishui's words, in the end she actually... actually...

Huang Rong was so angry she could not speak.

Yet what truly broke her defenses was still to come...

[At the story's end, Rong'er accompanied Guo Jing in defending Xiangyang for thirty or forty years, only to die on the battlefield when the city finally fell; even the entire Guo family perished in that battle.]

[Only one young daughter, who happened not to be at home, escaped disaster.]

"I died? And only one person from my entire family survived?"

Huang Rong was stunned, never expecting that her counterpart in the book would end her life in such a manner.

"That detestable Guo Jing! Rong'er never wanted to risk her life for others! And he even dragged my whole family down with him! Detestable, detestable, detestable!"

Huang Rong clenched her small fists, wishing she could punch Guo Jing straight to the earth's core.

That fool can go be a hero and a great knight if he wants; Rong'er wants to live happily every single day!

[Speaking of which, Rong'er should exist in this world, right?]

[After all, the martial arts world cannot exist without Huang Rong, just as the West cannot exist without Jerusalem.]

[I just don't know what her current situation is.]

[If she is still that innocent and lively little demoness Rong'er, I must snatch her away before Guo Jing does!]

[If she has already become Lady Guo, then I...]

[...must still snatch her away!]

[I will retrain her thoroughly, and surely she can return to her original mischievous self.]

[I, Jiang Sishui, will take Huang Rong as my wife!!]

Seeing the contents of the diary, all the women seemed to hear Jiang Sishui's heartfelt cry, and they fell silent in unison.

It was evident that the diary's owner truly cherished this Huang Rong immensely.

From between the lines, they discerned a single meaning—

I want Miss Huang! And I want Lady Guo too!

Involuntarily, a sense of jealousy arose in some of the women.

At Manuo Manor, Wang Wang Wang Yuyan murmured, "He treats Miss Huang so well; if my cousin were even half like him, I would not have such a bitter fate."

In the Ancient Tomb at Mount Zhongnan, upon seeing Jiang Sishui's declaration to marry Huang Rong, Xiao Longnu suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and shortness of breath for no reason, taking a long while to recover.

South of Nanzhou, Yan Yan Lingji curled the corner of her mouth, revealing a smile: "An interesting little man."

The women reacted differently, but Huang Rong, the very person being confessed to, now felt a complex mix of emotions in her heart.

There was shy joy, and also helplessness.

"Even after I marry someone else, you still want to snatch me away; does that mean I'm destined to follow you for the rest of my life?"

Huang Rong rolled her eyes in annoyance, yet her heart felt little aversion or anger.

"Hmph, regardless, this young lady must see you in person first. If I'm not satisfied, I'd rather die than submit to you!"

Speaking thus, Huang Rong lifted her head to gaze into the distance: "Suzhou; coincidentally, we are also heading to Suzhou. I'd like to see just what sort of person you are."

Suddenly, a celestial sound rang out beside her ear—

[Detected that Jiang Sishui has completed today's diary entry. Congratulations, you have received one month's worth of Qi.]

[Selecting today's prize winner...]

[Congratulations to Huang Rong for obtaining the "Kunji Imperial Seal".]

"It's her!" A stir rippled through the hearts of the women.

Upon hearing that Huang Rong had won, they could basically confirm that the odds of winning were neither equal nor constant.

Perhaps there was some correlation with how often the diary owner mentioned them.

This set many women's minds in motion as they gazed toward Suzhou.

However... what exactly was the "Kunji Imperial Seal"? What function did it serve?

Unlike the "Truth Water" Wang Wang Wang Yuyan had received, its name did not immediately reveal its nature.

Of course, among the women, there were those of broad knowledge whose expressions changed instantly.

Jingzhou, Protecting Dragon Villa.

The Qi within Shangguan Shangguan Shangguan Haitang went haywire, causing her to crush the teacup in her hand into fragments.

"Kunji... Kunji... isn't that an alternative title for the Empress? The Kunji Imperial Seal—does this grant Huang Rong the position of Empress?"

"Then who is the Emperor? Is it him?"

Shangguan Shangguan Shangguan Haitang's expression shifted, alternating between gloom and brightness: "The Empress is the mistress of the harem. If Huang Rong has obtained the seal, it equates to her occupying the primary position in the harem; so whom would she rule over?"

Naturally, Shangguan Shangguan Shangguan Haitang thought of them, the possessors of these diary instances.

"Does this mean he views us all as possessions already in his bag, determined to claim us? How domineering!"

Shangguan Shangguan Shangguan Haitang let out a soft sigh.

Yet facing such a miraculous object as the diary, she seemed to truly lack the ability to resist.

"Jiang Sishui... I really want to see if you can truly make me, Shangguan Shangguan Shangguan Haitang, follow you willingly. Otherwise, you will obtain nothing but a corpse."

On a flower boat in the East Sea, Huang Rong extended her right hand, and instantly a white jade imperial seal appeared in her palm.

The seal was barely an inch square, small and exquisite, its entire body flowing with a lustrous sheen; engraved upon it was a phoenix, wings spread, its lofty head slightly bowed, its phoenix eyes majestic, gazing down upon all directions.