The Water Duckweed Flower Blooms

Zhuang Gaoxian watched the young man prostrate himself below Danbi Terrace with keen interest. It wasn't the young man's performative loyalty that moved him.

He had heard words like those a thousand times, if not ten thousand. There was nothing remarkable about them.

Still, he couldn't help comparing Zhu Weiwu with the young man before him. Compared with that proud genius who always held his head high, this outstanding young man, willing to crawl on the ground, gave him a greater sense of superiority as a ruler—and a stronger taste of the pleasure that came with power.

He had always thought himself capable of tolerating any genius's temperament, including Zhu Weiwu's fiery pride.

But only now did he realize that the pride he could tolerate was pride kept within his control.

When Zhu Weiwu chose to betray his country, that pride became especially loathsome.

"Control"—that was what he had always cared about most.

Or rather, no one who had tasted power could tolerate losing control.

That was why Han Yin had held power for centuries and treated his son like a puppet, and why Han Xu had risked murdering a True Person.

"Rise, my subject."

Zhuang Gaoxian spoke calmly.

Lin Zhengren climbed to his feet, then stood with his head still respectfully bowed.

Only then did Zhuang Gaoxian continue. "The human heart is hard to fathom. Han Yin slaughtered his own nephew, Han Xu murdered his own father, and Zhu Weiwu, after receiving the state's kindness, betrayed it against his conscience. Even as a Current Era True Lord, I cannot know whether a person's heart is true or false."

Lin Zhengren hurriedly said, "The sun and moon can bear witness to my loyalty..."

Zhuang Gaoxian raised a hand, cutting short his professions of loyalty.

"Whether it's true isn't important. What