A moment later.
Su Qing sent the Grand Princess away and happily returned home to inspect the results.
At his side, that shadow spoke again.
"According to the Eldest Miss's request, I can only assist you once."
Compared to before, the magnetic voice had grown somewhat colder.
Clearly, she found his actions utterly contemptible.
"Mm."
Su Qing nodded, not taking it to heart.
From her earlier attitude, it had already been obvious.
Then—
"If you need further assistance, you must personally go to the Listening Rain Pavilion."
"You must personally prove that you are worthy of bearing the title of Young Master of the Realm Protectorate."
The shadow sounded somewhat surprised before continuing.
A jade token emerged from the darkness and was tossed into his hand.
After those words, the shadow rippled and vanished.
Su Qing looked at the shadow as it returned to normal, his heart filled with emotion.
His elder sister's arrangements were truly thorough.
They could ensure his safety while also preventing him from becoming too dependent on her help.
The main purpose was to cultivate him. There was nothing to criticize about that.
Next, it was time to test the results.
The youth toyed with the jade token in his hand, certain that he would obtain the gift his elder sister had prepared.
Why was it a gift?
After the trial ended, he would naturally receive a reward. Wasn't that a gift?
However, he had no time to go there now. There were more important things to do.
Ye Qinglan slowly awoke.
The instant she woke, an idea arose in her mind.
The back of her head hurt a little, and she felt dizzy, as if she had been struck.
The Goddess instinctively reached out to touch the spot, but something felt wrong.
Her hand could not move at all.
The memories from before she lost consciousness slowly flooded into her mind.
Ye Qinglan shifted her body and belatedly realized her current condition.
At that moment, the Goddess in white was hanging upside down in the center of the room.
Though her white robes remained immaculate, no matter how one looked at her, she gave off an unmistakable defeated-cutscene vibe.
After struggling a little, Ye Qinglan discovered that her strength had been sealed.
She could not break through it in a short time.
At last, she realized one thing—she had been captured.
A familiar voice suddenly rang beside her ear.
"Goddess Ye, long time no see!"
Su Qing smiled and greeted Ye Qinglan, who had finally woken up.
Ye Qinglan turned her head and looked at the youth who entered through the door.
When she saw what he looked like, a trace of surprise appeared in her eyes.
Clearly, she had already pieced together what had happened.
I was targeted by him... and outmaneuvered by him?
I was actually outmaneuvered by a chess piece?!
"Goddess Ye, congratulations."
Su Qing smiled as he spoke.
"What?"
Ye Qinglan asked in a calm voice.
Even in such a terrible situation, she could still maintain her saintly composure.
"Don't you remember? You were knocked unconscious with a club."
"As the first Goddess ever successfully knocked out, your name will surely be passed down through the ages!"
"Would you like me to spread the news far and wide and help make you famous?"
Su Qing spoke in a gentle voice.
He was a very kind person, after all. His principle was to treat prisoners well.
If a prisoner had such a request, he was naturally willing to satisfy it.
"You... You ambushed me like a coward! What kind of ability is that?"
Ye Qinglan's voice immediately wavered.
What had happened not long ago was still vivid in her mind, making her want to die of embarrassment.
How had she failed to take precautions? How had she really been knocked unconscious with a single blow?!
Even the Goddess, who had cultivated the Bodhi Heart, was finding it difficult to endure.
Public humiliation was not something just anyone could bear.
The Goddess knew that the problem lay with her state of mind.
She had always regarded herself as the player, yet today she had been thoroughly outmaneuvered.
Ultimately, it was because she had been too confident and had never taken the capital seriously.
After reflecting on herself, she quickly composed her thoughts.
"What do you mean, an ambush? Didn't you flee from the battlefield as well?"
Su Qing shook his head and said with a smile.
If she had not fled at the critical moment, he would never have had the chance to ambush her successfully.
"Actually, I should properly thank you. Thank you for teaching me a lesson."
"I will remember this defeat deeply, and I certainly will not forget it in the future."
Ye Qinglan was no longer angry. Instead, she spoke sincerely.
Her voice had regained its composure, as if her current predicament had not affected her at all.
She had indeed been careless, which was why she had ended up in her current situation.
Having always enjoyed smooth sailing had inevitably made her careless and underestimated her enemies.
Fortunately, after this lesson, such a thing would never happen again.
That blow to the head could serve as the most profound lesson of all!
"Oh? Goddess Ye has fallen into my hands, yet you still think there will be a future?"
Su Qing spoke with great interest.
He heard confidence in her tone—a confidence in the future.
She not only believed that she could leave this place; she even believed that she could turn the tables!
Look at that. What incredible confidence!
If those who lacked self-confidence had even one ten-thousandth of hers, they would surely be able to stand on their feet.
"Young Master Su, what you did was indeed impressive, but this is where it ends."
Ye Qinglan spoke in an indifferent voice.
There was no boasting in her voice, nor any hint of smugness.
There was only calm composure, as if she were merely stating a fact.
"Has anyone ever told you that the way you're acting right now is really irritating?"
Su Qing raised an eyebrow and asked.
The prisoner before him was displaying an astonishingly calm and collected demeanor.
So calm... that it made him want to tear that facade to pieces!
"Oh? But Young Master Su doesn't seem affected at all."
Ye Qinglan maintained her unhurried tone.
Her gaze wantonly sized up the youth, carrying a scrutinizing quality.
It was still as condescending as ever, as if a celestial maiden were examining a mortal.
Such a gaze was enough to unbalance anyone who experienced it.
Su Qing's state of mind was quite calm at that moment.
Just as the Goddess had said, he indeed had not been affected.
That was because he knew very well that the situation before him was merely a tactic the Goddess had always been good at using.
Stirring up another person's emotions, causing them to lose their composure, and thereby making them reveal an opening.
When that happened, she would use that highly persuasive tone to try to convince you.
If the person's will was not firm, they might feel remorse in their heart and even release her.
Unfortunately, such provocation was of no use against him.
In this world, there were probably few people who understood this Goddess better than he did.
Before you continue