Breaking the Rules to Grow Strong
"Li Luochuan, because you failed to uphold a husband's duties, you are hereby sent to the Cold Palace to reflect."
"Only when the Empress forgives you may you return to the imperial palace."
"You must also diligently study the books on male virtue every day."
The admonishing voices still echoed in his ears as Li Luochuan groggily opened his eyes and saw a group of female officials escorting him inside.
This was the Cold Palace—frigid, desolate, and somewhat eerie despite its vast grounds. Li Luochuan was dumbfounded.
"I transmigrated."
"I'm now Li Luochuan, the husband taken in by the new Empress of the West Women Kingdom."
"Yesterday, I 'married' the new Empress of the West Women Kingdom from the Luochuan Sect. But because I got drunk on our wedding day and angered the Empress, I was thrown into the Cold Palace."
Li Luochuan could not help but smile bitterly. What kind of situation was this? The moment he transmigrated, he had become a husband taken in by his wife—and he had married an Empress, no less.
"This is a bizarre and fantastical world. There are Cultivators, millions of Demonic Beasts, human kingdoms, great sects, millennium-old aristocratic clans, and the West Women Kingdom hidden among the vast southwestern mountains." Li Luochuan recalled the memories in his mind.
The West Women Kingdom was a nation ruled by women, where most men were merely dependents.
As for Li Luochuan's former Luochuan Sect, it was a great sect outside the West Women Kingdom. Since he had been betrothed to the Empress long ago, Li Luochuan had married into the kingdom after she ascended the throne.
But he had been depressed about becoming a husband taken in by his wife, so he drank himself senseless on his wedding night. In the end, he angered the Empress and was thrown into the Cold Palace the very next day.
The dilapidated palace before him was the famous Cold Palace of the West Women Kingdom.
Just as Li Luochuan was getting familiar with everything, a female official beside him said coldly, "Li Luochuan, you are an outsider and do not understand the customs of our West Women Kingdom. You angered the Empress, but considering this is your first offense, you were not punished too severely. You are only required to recite the Male Virtue Book in the Cold Palace."
"Recite the Male Virtue Book?" Li Luochuan blinked innocently.
"These are the Four Books and Five Classics of male virtue. Memorize them well. When the assessment comes later, as long as you pass, you may return to the palace." The female official waved her hand coldly, and female soldiers immediately carried over a pile of books and placed them in the center of the ruined palace.
Then the female official said, "Someone will bring you meals every day from now on. Your task is to memorize the books."
With that, the female official led a squad of soldiers away, leaving only Li Luochuan and a pile of books in the cold, ruined palace.
"What is this Male Virtue Book?" Li Luochuan picked up a book and flipped through it.
First: The wife is heaven.
Second: You must not insult or deceive your wife.
Third: Every morning, you must praise your wife's beauty.
Fourth: You must not initiate intimate conversations with other women.
Fifth: If your wife is unhappy, you must willingly take a beating and comfort her until she is happy.
Sixth: At home, assist your wife and teach the children, actively clean the house, and prepare delicious meals while waiting for your wife to return.
Seventh: Men should bear children!
At first, Li Luochuan did not think much of it. Once you married a wife, it was only natural to treat her well. But the more he read, the more wrong it felt. By the final passage, his eye twitched, and his gaze involuntarily drifted below his waist.
Could he bear children?
If he could bear children, would he still need to memorize the Male Virtue Book?
"I'm not memorizing this. To hell with the Male Virtue Book. If you've got the nerve, lock me up for life." Li Luochuan angrily tore the Male Virtue Book to pieces.
[The host has been detected breaking the rules. Would you like to claim the reward?]
A line of text suddenly appeared before Li Luochuan, leaving him staring at it in shock.
A Golden Finger!
Late, but it had arrived.
"Claim it." Li Luochuan did not hesitate.
[The host tore apart the Male Virtue Book and successfully broke the rules. Reward: max-level Spring Rain Sword Technique!]
Another line of text appeared before Li Luochuan's eyes. At the same time, a complete sword technique appeared in his mind, along with a surge of rich energy that emerged within his body and left him feeling thoroughly refreshed.
"What does breaking the rules mean?" Li Luochuan did not rush into cultivation. Instead, he asked seriously.
[There are countless rules in this world. As long as the host breaks one, it counts as breaking the rules. Upon successfully breaking the rules, the host may obtain a reward.]
Li Luochuan immediately looked at the shredded Male Virtue Book.
This was a new rule: men had to memorize the Male Virtue Book. He had just torn up the book, so that counted as breaking the rules.
"Then can I keep breaking the rules endlessly?" Li Luochuan asked delightedly.
[Some matters can only be used to break the rules once, while others may be repeated endlessly. However, the rewards for repeated rule-breaking will gradually diminish.]
Seeing this, Li Luochuan's mood soared.
"I've married into the West Women Kingdom, a female-dominated nation hidden among countless southwestern mountains. There are countless rules here, and they all target men. This is perfect for me to break them."
"Although the original owner was the son of the Luochuan Sect's Sect Master, his meridians were innately sealed, leaving him unable to cultivate. That was why he was married into the West Women Kingdom."
"In this world, powerful Cultivators can destroy a nation alone. Legends say some can split open the gates of heaven with a single sword, while others become immortals in the mortal world. Although spiritual energy has declined in recent years, powerful Cultivators are still capable of facing ten thousand enemies."
"I'm the Empress's husband in the West Women Kingdom. No matter what, they won't kill me. As long as I keep breaking the rules, I can continue growing stronger."
In an instant, Li Luochuan had planned out his future life, and his mood immediately brightened.
He picked up another Male Virtue Book and tore it apart, wanting to see whether he could break the same rule again.
But after waiting for quite a while without hearing any prompt, Li Luochuan understood that the Male Virtue Book could only be used to break the rules once.
He was not disappointed and instead looked around the Cold Palace.
This place had been abandoned for a long time. Cobwebs covered every corner, dust lay thick on the ground, weeds ran wild in the courtyard, and the air carried a rotten stench.
It was clear that this place had been deserted for many years.
Li Luochuan pushed open a room and saw that the tables, chairs, and benches had all been eaten away by insects. The environment was dreadful.
Even so, Li Luochuan was not disappointed. He returned to the main hall, which was relatively clean, sat down cross-legged, and began cultivating the Spring Rain Sword Technique.
The complete Spring Rain Sword Technique was already in his mind, and a massive current of energy was coursing through his limbs and bones. He only needed to cultivate step by step.
"The original owner's meridians were sealed from birth. The Sect Master of the Luochuan Sect tried countless methods without success. He thought he would never be able to cultivate in this life, but I unexpectedly received this rule-breaking system and opened the door to cultivation just like that." Li Luochuan sighed.
The first step of cultivating the Spring Rain Sword Technique was to transform the meridians.
Li Luochuan's meridians happened to be innately blocked, and he had never cultivated before, making them easy to transform.
For someone who had already cultivated, however, transforming them would be extremely difficult, since their meridians had already taken shape.
Li Luochuan sat cross-legged and began cultivating the Spring Rain Sword Technique.
The first step was transforming his meridians.
Along with the max-level Spring Rain Sword Technique came a tremendous amount of energy coursing through his limbs and bones, and now it was just right for the transformation.
The first step of cultivation was difficult for others, but for Li Luochuan, it was incredibly simple.
He cultivated the Spring Rain Sword Technique throughout the night, and by dawn, he had completed the transformation of his meridians.
His cultivation directly broke through to the Houtian Martial Artist realm.
Li Luochuan was overjoyed. He wanted to continue cultivating while the momentum was strong and break through to the Xiantian Martial Artist realm.
But at that moment, someone outside the Cold Palace called softly, "Prince Luochuan, it is time to eat."
Prince might mean a royal prince in other nations.
In the West Women Kingdom, it meant the Empress's husband.
Only when someone delivered food did Li Luochuan remember that he needed to eat.
He was only at the Houtian Martial Artist realm and nowhere near the fasting realm, so he still needed food.
When he reached the entrance of the Cold Palace, Li Luochuan saw the half-open gates. Outside stood a petite, charming young girl dressed simply. Upon seeing him, she happily said, "Prince Luochuan, I will be responsible for your daily meals from now on. My name is Yang Jiumei. You may call me Jiumei."
Li Luochuan nodded. Watching Yang Jiumei push over a tray of delicious food, he sat down on the steps and began eating.
The moment the food entered his mouth, Li Luochuan said in surprise, "This is so delicious. Did you make it?"
Yang Jiumei nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"You're so young. How did you acquire such good cooking skills?" Li Luochuan asked curiously.
"I have been in the palace since childhood and know all the aunties in the imperial kitchen. Over time, I learned from them. Sometimes when I was hungry, I would make something for myself too. It is this servant's good fortune that Prince Luochuan likes it," Yang Jiumei replied.
Li Luochuan understood. Although the West Women Kingdom was dominated by women, there was still a distinction between the noble and the lowly.
Even if he was a man, he was a man the Empress of the West Women Kingdom had married into the palace. His status was far beyond that of a lowly palace maid, so she did not carry herself with the arrogant airs of those female officials.
Li Luochuan quickly finished the food, handed the utensils to Yang Jiumei, and rose to return to the Cold Palace, intending to continue cultivating.
But Yang Jiumei called out to him, "Prince Luochuan, you need to attend classes at the Education and Training Department today."
Li Luochuan was completely confused. "Attend classes at the Education and Training Department?"
"Yes. It was Her Majesty the Empress's order. Prince Luochuan is to learn the rules of our West Women Kingdom, so that you do not offend again in the future," Yang Jiumei said.
"What if I refuse to go?" Li Luochuan immediately wanted to break the rules. What was there worth going to at that damned Education and Training Department?
"Then I will have to notify the female official. She will escort Prince Luochuan there herself," Yang Jiumei said.
Li Luochuan's face darkened.
Although breaking the rules yesterday had opened the path of cultivation for him, he only had the strength of a Houtian Martial Artist. He had little 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 toward the Education and Training Department.
The Education and Training Department was also inside the imperial palace.
The imperial palace of the West Women Kingdom was enormous, with many separate areas divided into the outer and inner sections.
The outer section was where maids and female soldiers rested, and it was not managed as strictly as the inner section.
The inner section was where the Empress lived. It contained offices, gardens, artificial hills, and a great lake stretching for dozens of miles.
The Education and Training Department was located in a corner of the outer section. It was responsible for teaching palace newcomers the rules and was not far from the Cold Palace.
Yang Jiumei brought Li Luochuan there and said, "This is the Education and Training Department. There are instructors teaching inside, so Prince Luochuan only needs to go in."
Li Luochuan watched Yang Jiumei leave, then looked at the academy-like Education and Training Department and walked inside without the slightest will to live.
The moment he entered, a sharp gaze swept over him.
Li Luochuan looked over and saw an elderly woman with silver hair. Dressed in magnificent robes and carrying herself with stately elegance, she sat inside with a cold expression as she stared at him.
At the same time, more than a dozen people sat before her. They were all men, learning the rules.
Li Luochuan's arrival immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Who goes there?" the elderly woman asked coldly.
Li Luochuan cupped his hands. "Li Luochuan of the Luochuan Sect."
The elderly woman snorted. "Perhaps you could call yourself that in the past, but you have now married the Empress. From this day onward, you should refer to yourself as the Empress's husband, Prince Luochuan."
When Li Luochuan heard that he had married into the family, the corner of his eye twitched.
Seeing that Li Luochuan remained silent, the elderly woman did not make things too difficult for him. She casually waved a hand. "Sit down. Today happens to be a lesson in male virtue, so Prince Luochuan should study well. The Empress has only just ascended the throne, and you are her only prince. If you serve the Empress well and make her happy, then you will have fulfilled your duties as prince."
Li Luochuan entered the classroom and saw an empty seat near the back. He walked over and sat down.
Seeing Li Luochuan seated, the elderly woman said, "You are all husbands newly married into the imperial family, coming from all corners of the world and unfamiliar with the rules of our West Women Kingdom. You must take this male virtue course. No matter what you were like before, from now on you must strictly follow the rules of the West Women Kingdom and serve your respective wives well. Do you understand?"
"Understood..."
Scattered responses rang out.
Li Luochuan said nothing at all. He slumped over his desk, listened to the boring lesson, and simply fell asleep.
The elderly woman continued talking without pause. Li Luochuan let her words go in one ear and out the other, and gradually, he truly fell asleep.
He did not know how long he had slept when he felt someone nudging him, causing him to wake with a frown.
The one nudging him was a handsome youth in the seat beside him. Fair-faced, he pretended to listen to the lesson seriously, but his hand was secretly pushing Li Luochuan.
Just as Li Luochuan was about to ask what was wrong, he heard the youth's quiet voice. "No one has ever dared sleep during Granny Jinhua's class. She has looked at you several times already."
Li Luochuan sighed, rubbed his eyes, sat upright, and stared lifelessly at the elderly woman.
Granny Jinhua shot Li Luochuan a stern glare. Seeing that he was awake, she did not get angry and continued, "The habits you formed outside must be discarded once you enter the West Women Kingdom. For example, when men relieve themselves, no matter what you do elsewhere, in our West Women Kingdom, you must squat. Standing is not allowed!"
Li Luochuan's eyes widened. What kind of damned rule was that? Men had to squat to pee?
The handsome youth beside him also had a dark expression.
The others were much the same.
Granny Jinhua snorted. "What are you so surprised about? Since the founding of the West Women Kingdom, women have ruled. You men are of low status, so naturally you must accommodate us women. When you relieve yourselves standing up, you splash everywhere, making it troublesome to clean. Remember this lesson well: from now on, you must squat whenever you relieve yourselves."
"That concludes today's lesson. There will be another class this afternoon. Go about your business for now."
"Class dismissed!"
Granny Jinhua picked up her dragon-headed cane and shouted energetically, then rose and left.
Watching her retreating figure, Li Luochuan suddenly felt the urge to urinate, so he got up and headed for the latrine.
The handsome youth who had warned him followed along as well.
Upon entering the latrine, they saw several stalls. Li Luochuan looked around for a urinal.
There was none!
The handsome youth chose a stall, pulled down his pants, and squatted.
"What are you doing?" Li Luochuan asked.
"Didn't Granny Jinhua just say that we have to squat when relieving ourselves?" the other boy replied.
"Bullshit. I'm a man. How can I squat to pee?" Li Luochuan said disdainfully, then directly urinated standing up.
"Aren't you afraid of being punished?" the handsome youth asked.
"Even if she punishes me, I'll still pee standing up. This is a man's dignity!" Li Luochuan declared forcefully.
"That makes sense!" The handsome youth's eyes lit up, and he stopped squatting as well, rising to pee.
Li Luochuan laughed heartily. He soon finished urinating and even gave himself a shake afterward.
[The host insisted on urinating while standing and successfully broke the rules. Reward: Eight Thunder Methods.]
A line of text appeared before Li Luochuan.
A domineering and formidable cultivation method also appeared in his mind.
At the same time, a stream of energy traveled through his meridians, accompanied by flashes of thunderous power.