Illusion and Reality

Chapter 1: Breaking the Rules to Get Stronger

"Li Luochuan, for failing to uphold your wifely duties, you are now banished to the Cold Palace for reflection."

"You may only re-enter the imperial palace when the Empress deigns to forgive you."

"Furthermore, you must diligently study the 'Book of Three Obediences and Four Virtues' daily."

The reprimand still echoed in his ears as Li Luochuan groggily opened his eyes, finding a group of female officials escorting him in.

This was a Cold Palace, cold and desolate. The vast area felt somewhat eerie, leaving Li Luochuan stunned.

I've transmigrated.

I am now the live-in son-in-law of the new Empress of the West Women Kingdom, Li Luochuan.

Yesterday, I 'married' the new Empress of the West Women Kingdom from the Luochuan Sect. However, I got drunk on my wedding day, angered the Empress, and was banished to the Cold Palace.

Li Luochuan couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. What kind of situation was this? The moment he transmigrated, he became a live-in son-in-law, and to an Empress, no less.

"This is a bizarre world with cultivators, millions of Demonic Beasts, human kingdoms, super sects, ancient noble families, and the West Women Kingdom hidden in the great mountains of the southwest," Li Luochuan recalled the memories in his mind.

The West Women Kingdom was a nation dominated by women, where men were mostly appendages.

Li Luochuan's former sect, the Luochuan Sect, was a super sect outside the West Women Kingdom. Because a marriage contract had been established with the Empress of the West Women Kingdom long ago, Li Luochuan had "married" over after the Empress ascended the throne.

But feeling depressed about becoming a live-in son-in-law, he got himself drunk on his wedding night, ultimately angering the Empress, and was banished to the Cold Palace the very next day.

The dilapidated palace before him was the famous Cold Palace of the West Women Kingdom.

As Li Luochuan was familiarizing himself with everything, a female official beside him said coldly, "Li Luochuan, you are an outsider and do not understand our West Women Kingdom's customs. You angered the Empress. Considering it's your first offense and to avoid further punishment, you are merely ordered to recite the Male Virtue Book in the Cold Palace."

"Recite the Male Virtue Book?" Li Luochuan blinked, looking innocent.

"This contains the Four Books and Five Classics of male virtue. You must memorize them. When you are assessed later, if you pass, you may return to the palace," the female official said indifferently, waving her hand. Immediately, female soldiers brought a pile of books and placed them in the center of the dilapidated palace.

Then the female official added, "Someone will deliver meals daily. Your task is to recite the books."

With that, the female official left with a troop of soldiers, leaving Li Luochuan alone with a pile of books in the cold, dilapidated Cold Palace.

"What is the Male Virtue Book?" Li Luochuan picked up a book and flipped through it.

First chapter: The wife is heaven.

Second chapter: Do not insult or deceive your wife.

Third chapter: You must praise your wife's beauty every morning.

Fourth chapter: Do not initiate intimate conversations with other women.

Fifth chapter: If your wife is unhappy, you must willingly accept punishment and actively appease her.

Sixth chapter: Stay at home to care for your wife and children, proactively clean the house, and prepare delicious meals before your wife returns.

Seventh chapter: Men should bear children!

Li Luochuan initially felt nothing was wrong; after all, one should treat their wife well. But the more he read, the more he felt something was amiss, especially by the last chapter. It made his eye corners twitch uncontrollably, and his gaze involuntarily flickered downwards.

He could bear children?

If he could bear children, why would he need to recite the Male Virtue Book?

"I'm not reciting this. What Male Virtue Book? If you have the guts, lock me up forever," Li Luochuan angrily tore the Male Virtue Book to shreds.

[Detected host has broken the rules. Do you wish to claim your reward?]

Suddenly, a line of text appeared before Li Luochuan's eyes, making him stare in surprise.

A Golden Finger!

It's here, albeit late.

"Claim," Li Luochuan said without hesitation.

[Host has torn up the Male Virtue Book, successfully breaking the rules. Reward: Max-level Spring Rain Sword Technique!]

Another line of text appeared before Li Luochuan's eyes. Simultaneously, a complete sword technique appeared in his mind, accompanied by a surge of powerful energy within his body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.

"What does it mean to break the rules?" Li Luochuan didn't rush to cultivate but instead asked seriously.

[There are numerous rules in this world. As long as the host breaks a rule, it counts as breaking the rules. Upon successful rule-breaking, you will receive a reward.]

Li Luochuan immediately looked at the torn Male Virtue Book.

This was a new rule: men must recite the Male Virtue Book. Li Luochuan had just torn up the book, thus breaking the rule.

"Can I break rules infinitely then?" Li Luochuan asked excitedly.

[Some things can only be broken once, while others can be broken infinitely. However, the rewards for repeated rule-breaking will gradually decrease.]

Seeing this, Li Luochuan's mood greatly improved.

"I've now married into the West Women Kingdom, a nation hidden in the countless great mountains of the southwest, dominated by women. There are numerous rules here, all targeting men. It's perfect for me to break the rules."

"The original host was the son of the Luochuan Sect Master, but his meridians were congenitally closed, making cultivation impossible. That's why he was married off to the West Women Kingdom."

"In this world, powerful cultivators can destroy a nation alone. Legend has it that some can cleave open the heavens with a single sword, and others can ascend to immortality in the mortal realm. Although the spiritual energy in the human world has declined in recent years, powerful cultivators can still be invincible against thousands."

"I'm the husband of the Empress of the West Women Kingdom now. No matter what, they won't kill me. As long as I keep breaking the rules, I can keep getting stronger."

Li Luochuan instantly planned out his future life, and his mood brightened.

He picked up another Male Virtue Book and tore it to pieces, wanting to see if he could break the rules repeatedly.

But after waiting for a while, he heard no notification. Li Luochuan knew that the Male Virtue Book could only be used to break the rules once.

He wasn't disappointed and looked at the Cold Palace.

It had been abandoned for a long time, with spiderwebs everywhere, thick dust, overgrown weeds in the courtyard, and a rotten smell in the air.

This indicated that it had been deserted for a very long time.

Li Luochuan pushed open a room and saw that the tables, chairs, and benches were all corroded by insects. The environment was very harsh.

Seeing this, Li Luochuan wasn't disappointed. He returned to the main hall, which was relatively clean. He sat down cross-legged and began to practice the Spring Rain Sword Technique.

The complete version of the Spring Rain Sword Technique was already in his mind, along with a vast amount of energy circulating through his limbs. He just needed to practice step by step.

"My predecessor's meridians were congenitally blocked. The sect leader of the Luochuan Sect tried many methods, but none succeeded. I thought I would never be able to cultivate in this life. I didn't expect to get the Rule-Breaking System and thus open the threshold to cultivation," Li Luochuan sighed.

The first step in cultivating the Spring Rain Sword Technique was to remodel the meridians.

Coincidentally, Li Luochuan's meridians were congenitally blocked, and he had never cultivated before, so remodeling them was very simple.

For someone who had already cultivated, remodeling would be very difficult, as their meridians would have already taken shape.

Li Luochuan sat cross-legged and began to practice the Spring Rain Sword Technique.

The first step: remodel the meridians.

Along with the reward of the max-level Spring Rain Sword Technique came a vast amount of energy circulating through his limbs, which could now be used for remodeling.

While the first step of cultivation was difficult for others, it was very simple for Li Luochuan.

He practiced the Spring Rain Sword Technique all night. By dawn, he had completed the remodeling of his meridians.

His cultivation directly broke through to the Houtian Martial Artist realm.

Li Luochuan was greatly surprised and wanted to continue cultivating, striking while the iron was hot, and break through to the Xiantian Martial Artist realm.

But at this moment, someone outside the Cold Palace called out softly, "Prince Luochuan, it's time for your meal."

Prince, in other countries, might mean a prince.

In the West Women Kingdom, it meant the Empress's husband.

Someone bringing food reminded Li Luochuan that he needed to eat.

He was only at the Houtian Martial Artist realm and far from the Bigu (grain avoidance) realm; he still needed to eat.

He walked to the entrance of the Cold Palace and saw the half-open door. Outside stood a young girl, dressed simply, petite and lovely. Upon seeing Li Luochuan, she said happily, "Prince Luochuan, I will take care of your daily meals from now on. My name is Yang Jiumei, you can just call me Jiumei."

Li Luochuan nodded and watched as Yang Jiumei pushed in a delicious meal. He sat down on the steps and began to taste it.

As the food entered his mouth, Li Luochuan exclaimed in surprise, "This is so delicious, did you make it?"

Yang Jiumei nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"How do you have such good cooking skills at such a young age?" Li Luochuan asked curiously.

"I've been in the palace since I was young and got to know all the ladies in the imperial kitchen, so I learned over time. Sometimes when I'm hungry, I'll cook something for myself. It's my servant's fortune that Prince Luochuan likes it," Yang Jiumei replied.

Li Luochuan understood. Although the West Women Kingdom was mainly ruled by women, there were still distinctions between nobility and lowliness.

Even though he was a man, he was the man married by the Empress of the West Women Kingdom. His status was not comparable to that of a mere palace maid, which was why she wasn't arrogant like those female officials.

Li Luochuan quickly ate the food, handed the utensils to Yang Jiumei, and returned to the Cold Palace, intending to continue cultivating.

But Yang Jiumei called out to him, "Prince Luochuan, you have class at the Education and Training Department today."

Li Luochuan was confused, "Class at the Education and Training Department?"

"Yes, Her Majesty the Empress said that Prince Luochuan should go and learn the rules of our West Women Kingdom to avoid making mistakes in the future," Yang Jiumei said.

"What if I don't go?" Li Luochuan immediately wanted to break the rules. What good could that damned Education and Training Department be?

"Then I will have to notify the female official, and she will escort Prince Luochuan there," Yang Jiumei said.

Li Luochuan's face darkened.

Although breaking the rules yesterday had opened his path to cultivation, he was only at the Houtian Martial Artist level now and didn't have much room to resist the female soldiers of the West Women Kingdom.

"Where is the Education and Training Department?" Li Luochuan asked resentfully.

"I'll take you there," Yang Jiumei said with a smile.

Li Luochuan had no choice but to follow behind Yang Jiumei to the Education and Training Department.

The Education and Training Department was also within the imperial palace.

The imperial palace of the West Women Kingdom was very large, with many areas divided into outer and inner zones.

The outer zone was the resting place for maids and female soldiers, and the management here was not as strict as in the inner zone.

The inner zone was the Empress's living area, with offices, gardens, rockeries, and a lake stretching for dozens of miles.

The Education and Training Department was located in the outer zone, responsible for teaching the rules to newcomers entering the palace. It was situated in a corner of the outer zone, not far from the Cold Palace.

Yang Jiumei brought Li Luochuan here and said, "This is the Education and Training Department. There are teachers inside giving lessons. Prince Luochuan, you can go in."

Li Luochuan watched Yang Jiumei leave, then looked at the academy-like Education and Training Department and walked in with no will to live.

As soon as he entered, a sharp gaze swept over him.

Li Luochuan looked over and saw an old woman with silver hair, dressed in magnificent robes, sitting inside with a dignified and elegant demeanor. She was looking at Li Luochuan with a cold expression.

At the same time, ten or so people were sitting in front of her, all men, learning the rules.

Li Luochuan's arrival immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Who goes there?" the old woman asked coldly.

Li Luochuan cupped his hands: "Luochuan Sect, Li Luochuan."

The old woman snorted and said, "You might have been able to call yourself that before, but now that you are married to the Empress, you should call yourself the Empress's Consort, Prince Luochuan, from now on."

Hearing the word "married," Li Luochuan's eye twitched involuntarily.

Seeing Li Luochuan's silence, the old woman didn't make things too difficult for him. With a wave of her hand, she said, "Sit down. It just so happens that today we are having a class on male virtues. Prince Luochuan, you need to learn well. The Empress has just ascended the throne, and you are her only Prince Consort. If you serve the Empress well and make her happy, you will have fulfilled your duties as a Prince Consort."

Li Luochuan walked into the hall and saw an empty seat at the back. He walked over and sat down.

Seeing Li Luochuan seated, the old woman began, "You are all new consorts married into the royal family. You come from all corners of the world and are unfamiliar with the rules of our West Women Kingdom. This class on male virtues is mandatory. Regardless of how things were before, from now on, you must strictly adhere to the rules of the West Women Kingdom and serve your respective wives well. Do you understand?"

"Understood..."

A sparse reply echoed.

Li Luochuan remained silent, slumped in his seat, and fell asleep listening to the uninteresting lecture.

The old woman continued to speak. Li Luochuan heard it with one ear and let it out the other, and gradually, he actually fell asleep.

He didn't know how long he slept before he felt someone nudging him, causing him to frown and wake up.

The one nudging him was a handsome young man in the seat next to him. He had fair skin and was pretending to listen to the lecture with a serious expression, but he was secretly pushing Li Luochuan.

Just as Li Luochuan was about to ask what was wrong, he heard the young man's faint voice: "No one has dared to sleep during Granny Jinhua's class before. She's already looked at you several times."

Li Luochuan sighed, rubbed his eyes, sat up straight, and looked at the old woman with a lack of interest.

Granny Jinhua glared at Li Luochuan sternly. Seeing that he was awake, she didn't get angry and continued, "The habits you've developed outside must be changed upon entering the West Women Kingdom. For example, when men relieve themselves, regardless of how it's done elsewhere, in our West Women Kingdom, you must squat. Standing is not allowed!"

Li Luochuan's eyes widened. What kind of ridiculous rule was this, making men squat to urinate?

The handsome young man in the seat next to him also darkened his expression.

The others were much the same.

Granny Jinhua snorted, "What's the surprise? Our West Women Kingdom has been ruled by women since its founding. Your status as men is low, so you naturally must submit to us women. If you stand to urinate, it will splash everywhere, making it troublesome to clean up. Therefore, remember this lesson: from now on, you must squat when you relieve yourself."

"That's all for today's class. There's another class this afternoon, so you can move around for now."

"Class dismissed!"

Granny Jinhua picked up her dragon-headed crutch and shouted with full vigor, then stood up and left.

Li Luochuan watched her retreating figure and suddenly felt the urge to urinate, so he got up and went to the latrine.

The handsome young man who had warned him also followed.

Entering the latrine, he saw several stalls. Li Luochuan looked around for urinals.

None!

The handsome young man found a stall, pulled down his pants, and squatted.

"What are you doing?" Li Luochuan asked.

"Didn't Granny Jinhua just say we have to squat to relieve ourselves?" the other replied.

"Nonsense! I'm a man, how can I squat to pee?" Li Luochuan said disdainfully and stood up to urinate.

"Aren't you afraid of punishment?" the handsome young man asked.

"Even if she punishes me, I'll still stand to pee. This is a man's dignity!" Li Luochuan said forcefully.

"That makes sense!" The handsome young man's eyes lit up. He stopped squatting and stood up to urinate.

Li Luochuan laughed heartily. He finished urinating quickly and even gave a shake.

[Host persisted in standing to urinate, successfully breaking the taboo, rewarded with Eight Thunder Methods.]

A line of text appeared before Li Luochuan's eyes.

A powerful and domineering cultivation technique was also added to his mind.

At the same time, a surge of energy flowed through his meridians, accompanied by flashes of thunderous power.