The Incompetent Emperor, "He was actually kicked awake, and I couldn't sleep all night because of it!?"

[System detected that the host has a third biological heir. Issuing 'Conception' reward: Directed Spirit Evolution Device (Beast Type) *1]

[Directed Spirit Evolution Device (Beast Type) *1: Allows a Beast Spirit Master to undergo unconditional spirit evolution. This item is guaranteed to succeed and increase spirit power level upon its first use. Subsequent uses carry a risk of failure, with the failure rate proportional to the number of times it has been used.]

[This is a 'Conception' reward. Should the heir fail to be born for any reason, the reward will be reclaimed. Conversely, if the birth is successful, a 'Birth' reward will be issued. Please be advised!]

The mechanical synthesized voice in his mind felt like a bucket of ice water splashed onto his face, jolting Chen Fan from his slumber and into total wakefulness.

He opened his eyes and stared at the bed canopy above, stunned for a full two and a half seconds before reality set in.

A third biological heir... Zhu Qingque?

Well, well!

What a coincidence, isn't it?

In that case, this trip to Star Luo City hasn't been half bad, has it?

But it's a pity, this evolution device... seems to have no call to action?

Thinking this, Chen Fan raised his hand. The space beside his pillow was already empty, though a faint, lingering fragrance still clung to the bedding.

He sat up and noticed a faint rustling sound coming from the vanity. Focusing his gaze, he saw Zhu Qingque sitting before the bronze mirror, holding a wooden comb and slowly smoothing out her waterfall of black hair.

She had changed into a clean, plain-colored dress, and her hair was pinned up once more, adorned with the phoenix hairpin she had brought from the palace.

With her back to him, her posture was as straight as a pine, showing no trace of the humiliation she had endured while kneeling before the armchair the night before.

Chen Fan rolled over, propped himself up on the edge of the bed, and let out a yawn before speaking in a leisurely tone, "Up so early?"

Zhu Qingque's hand paused, and she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were calm—as still as stagnant water—but upon closer inspection, one could detect a hint of complexity beneath her slightly trembling lashes.

She parted her lips and replied in a hoarse voice, "Mm."

"How are you feeling?"

Chen Fan stretched, his bones popping, "The effects of that Cold Sky Stone Ginseng should be pretty good, right?"

Zhu Qingque remained silent for a moment before whispering, "I broke through... to level eighty-six."

She discreetly hid her still-reddened knees beneath the hem of her dress. "And my spirit power is much more condensed than before."

"That's good."

Chen Fan climbed out of bed, his bare feet hitting the floor as he walked over to her. "I honestly didn't expect Dai Li to let you come here."

Zhu Qingque's movements stiffened noticeably. She remained silent for two and a half seconds before resuming her grooming as if she hadn't heard him at all.

Chen Fan didn't pay it much mind.

With a flip of his palm, an object appeared out of thin air.

It was a rectangular box, deep dark purple in color.

The box was small, fitting perfectly in one hand, yet it felt heavy, possessing a strange, tactile quality that made it feel almost like a living creature.

It was the Directed Spirit Evolution Device (Beast Type)!

The moment the box appeared, Zhu Qingque, who had been combing her hair, shuddered violently!

Then.

She whipped her head around, staring fixedly at the object. Her pupils contracted sharply, and her breathing turned ragged.

At this moment, she could feel her own spirit trembling—it was as if it were filled with excitement and longing, forcing her fingers to curl involuntarily until her nails nearly dug into her palms.

"This... what is this?"

Chen Fan didn't answer immediately, offering her only a meaningful smile.

Zhu Qingque's breath hitched.

She remembered a few days ago in the Taihe Hall, when she had watched with her own eyes as the withered, skin-and-bones ancestor of the Xu Family consumed a golden pill and stepped into the realm of a Titled Douluo in one fell swoop!

At the same time!

It was also Chen Fan who had provided a blood-red crystal, granting Xu Wensu a hundred-thousand-year ninth spirit ring!

She hadn't made the connection earlier because the pressure from Chen Jianjun had been too overwhelming to allow for thought, but seeing Chen Fan's meaningful gaze now, it all clicked into place!

This must be... the methods of this young sect master of the Seven Kill Sect!

What kind of power is this?

I have never heard of anything that could make my spirit yearn so intensely. What... what exactly is this?

As thoughts raced through her mind, Zhu Qingque suddenly felt her palm grow heavy. She realized that, at some point, Chen Fan had pressed the object into her hand. "This thing can allow a beast spirit to evolve unconditionally. The first use is guaranteed to succeed, and it will also increase your spirit power level."

Zhu Qingque remained dazed for two and a half seconds, staring blankly down at the heavy, dark purple box in her palm, her mind a complete void.

At such close range, she could feel the craving from her spirit even more acutely.

It was like a beast that had been starving for a lifetime finally catching the scent of meat; the longing was so intense that her fingertips were trembling.

"You... are you sure... you want to give this to me?"

Zhu Qingque's voice was exceptionally hoarse, her gaze locked onto Chen Fan. Her beautiful phoenix eyes were filled with disbelief. "Something like this... you want to give it to me?"

"They say those who recognize the times are heroes. You were quite sensible last night, so consider this a reward for your cooperation."

He paused, his tone indifferent. "I hope you'll be just as sensible next time."

The words were casual, but Zhu Qingque understood them perfectly!

She looked at the box in her hand, then thought back to yesterday in the palace—to Dai Li, who had been so agonizingly, terrifyingly unrecognizable...

Twenty-five years of marriage, twenty-five years of sharing joys and sorrows, and in the end, he had been able to push her into another man's bed without a shred of mercy, as if she were nothing more than a commodity to be traded for gain.

She was right!

Her sister's dying words had been true!

The Dai Family had never viewed her as a person; they had always viewed her as a resource!

At this thought, Zhu Qingque gripped the box tightly, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before placing it on the vanity.

"Hmm?"

Seeing this, Chen Fan was momentarily stunned. He had assumed Zhu Qingque was refusing and was just about to speak when he saw her stand up, face him, and pull at the belt she had just tied.

In an instant, her plain dress slid down from her shoulders!

Such an aggressive, proactive move caught even Chen Fan off guard!

In the Star Luo Imperial Palace, inside the Emperor's bedchamber.

Dai Li bolted upright from the dragon bed, drenched in a cold sweat. His chest heaved violently, his pupils dilated, and he gasped for air. "Haa... haa..."

Sweat covered his forehead, and he looked as if he had just been pulled from the water. His undergarments were soaked through with cold sweat, clinging to his skin, sticky and freezing. "It... it was just a dream..."

He had just had a nightmare.

In the dream, he was pinned to the ground, unable to move, forced to look up at what was in front of him...

His Empress, Zhu Qingque, was sitting atop a blurred, indistinct man, moving up and down, the piercing sounds grating against his eardrums.

He wanted to scream, but no sound would come out.

He wanted to struggle, but his limbs felt as if they were chained to the floor. He could only watch helplessly... until his Empress seemed to notice him and slammed her foot directly onto his face.

Just like that, Dai Li woke up.

He had been jolted awake by terror.

"Qingque..."

It took a full two and a half minutes for Dai Li to catch his breath. He scrambled off the bed in a panic, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and sprinted outside barefoot.

"That... that whole thing, it must have been, it must have been just a dream!"

"It was all just a dream!"

He could walk the palace paths with his eyes closed, but at this moment, the corridor beneath his feet felt agonizingly long, filling him with panic.

Dai Li stumbled as he pushed open the doors to the Empress's bedchamber. Before he could even call out, he saw Zhu Qingque sitting inside, combing her hair.

She sat before the vanity, wearing a plain dress, brushing her hair.

The morning light fell upon her profile, making her features stand out with startling clarity.

But Dai Li's footsteps came to a sudden, jarring halt.

Because...

Through the window, he saw patches of blue and purple bruises on Zhu Qingque's exposed arms, winding out from the edge of her sleeves as if she had been whipped with great force.

Dai Li's pupils contracted. He took a few more steps forward, and from the side, he seemed to discover something else, causing him to freeze in his tracks!

At this moment, Zhu Qingque was sitting on the chair with her legs naturally parted, causing the hem of her dress to spread slightly, revealing her reddened knees...

"This..."

Instinct told Dai Li that something was wrong—something was terribly, undeniably wrong!

But...

Dai Li's throat moved, as if something were lodged tightly inside it.

He wanted to speak, but not a single word would come out. His mind was a chaotic mess, buzzing like thousands of bees.

"You..."

He finally squeezed out a single word, his voice so hoarse it didn't sound like his own.

Only then did she seem to notice Dai Li's arrival.

Zhu Qingque turned her head slowly, her gaze landing on him.

Her expression was calm, but her face was etched with exhaustion, and the dark circles under her eyes made it look as though she hadn't slept all night.

This sight made Dai Li's heart ache once more.

That damn Chen Fan!

His Empress, whom he had always cherished so dearly, had actually been ridden like a bicycle, kept awake all night long!

Thinking of this, Dai Li felt a raging fire burning in his heart, and he wished he could lead the Dai Family's Soul Master Legion right now to trample the Seven Kill Sect into oblivion!

"Your Majesty."

Just then, Zhu Qingque spoke up, "The matter you entrusted to me has been completed."

The very first sentence she uttered was like a basin of ice water poured over his head, causing Dai Li to freeze in place.

He desperately wanted to say, "That's not what I meant," or "I didn't actually want you to go."

But...

The words died on his lips; he couldn't bring himself to say them.

Looking at the situation before him, the boat had already been sailed; what point would there be in saying such things now?

Gritting his teeth, Dai Li took a deep breath, but his respiration suddenly hitched as he felt the air carry... a strange, floral scent?

"If Your Majesty has no other instructions..."

Seeing Dai Li standing there in a daze, Zhu Qingque said calmly, her expression devoid of emotion, "Then please return!"

"This Concubine is a little tired and needs to rest."

"I ask that Your Majesty does not disturb me!"