The footsteps outside the courtyard were nearing. There wasn't just Lin Qiuhan, but others as well. As Lin Tian's face blanched, his body was trembling, all the while his heart was constantly pounding.
[What do I do? Do I storm out or surrender?] Despite his ideas, he wasn't in a good state given that his lifespan greatly decreased as a result of the backlash of his attack. He could barely walk, let alone run.
At that moment, he felt utterly hopeless, just like how he felt back when he broke through the skies and right as he was reaching the Beyond as he encountered a space-time tear. The similar despair and helplessness gushed in his mind.
[Is death the only way tonight? How can this be? I've only just gotten my second chance at life, so how could I fall before even getting back to my peak!?] Lin Tian screamed in his heart.
All of a sudden, as if the gods heard his scream, he figured out a way to survive as a trace of optimism glowed in his mind.
[I can play dead! That's it!]
In order to make his death seem believable, he brutally stopped his heart and used a hidden technique to protect his cursed spirit, concealing it in the deepest place of his conscience. No one would be able to see through this hidden technique unless they did so with powerful tactics. After all, the soul of Lin Tian's host was seized, and his body was now nothing but an empty vessel. Once his heart stopped beating, there wouldn't be any life force within it.
Moreover, the hidden technique's advantage was that it would automatically dispel after three days, after which he would reawaken as his damaged heart healed. By then, even if he were to be discovered by the Lin Family, he could walk away by claiming that he lost his memories. Swiftly, Lin Tian thought up the strategy.
Without hesitation, he shouted and spewed fresh blood as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. As his body trembled, he immediately collapsed on the ground.
*Bang!*
Accordingly, the courtyard door was pushed open. "Tian, are you alright?
"Lin Tian…" Instantly, everyone including Lin Qiuhan was stupefied by what they saw.
…
The next day, the weather was rather cloudy. Gu Changge opened his eyes, seemingly disrupted by the disturbance outside the palace. After having devoured the Otherworldly Sky Demon along with a portion of Lin Tian's longevity, his Primordial Spirits gained a huge elevation in their strength. The chunk of life belonged to Lin Tian, who was of Enlightened King Realm, so it possessed a substantial amount of life force.
After digesting, Gu Changge fell into a deep sleep. Essentially, unlike other cultivators, he didn't have to stay awake all the time and train. Since the growth of his powers was fast and the speed of him breaking through was unbelievably high, there was no need to torture himself.
"Prince Gu, many are awaiting you outside the palace." Su Qingge was already neatly dressed. Her hair was smooth; her face was elegantly flawless as it glowed alluringly.
As she was talking to Gu Changge, she curiously gawked out to the outside of the palace. Gu Changge did not tell her what it was that happened last night while she was sleeping, so she hadn't the faintest idea.
[Why is everyone from the Lin Family—Ming Lao included—standing so timidly, waiting so respectfully outside the palace? They must be waiting for Prince Gu.]
"They must have captured the culprit," Gu Changge leisurely replied as he stretched his back.
Helping him get out of his bed, Su Qingge confusedly questioned, "What culprit?"
"The one who tried to assassinate me last night," he casually answered.
Under the Lin Family's strict lockdown, even if Lin Tian were born with wings, there was no way he could escape, and Gu Changge was confident of that.
"That happened last night? I didn't even notice…" Hearing that, Su Qingge was taken aback.
[Was I in such a deep sleep last night? I couldn't even sense such a huge thing happening! Or perhaps Prince Gu minimized the noise on purpose so as not to disturb my sleep…] Thinking that, Su Qingge felt moved.
A respected person like Gu Changge was on top of the world, doing anything he desired without a care in mind. He wouldn't be affected by others' feelings and thoughts, yet he was so considerate toward Su Qingge, so there was no way she didn't feel his kindness, but that was also the reason why her affection for him continued to deepen.
Gu Changge, on the other hand, had no idea what Su Qingge was thinking about as he wouldn't be able to fully comprehend a woman's mind. All he knew was the system's notification regarding the increase in his Fortuity which came from the fact that Su Qingge's loyalty for him intensified. It was as he once thought—her feelings would grow over time.
"How would you know? You slept like a pig last night," Gu Changge mischievously teased before he walked out of his chamber.
Su Qingge let a scoff out of her nose and perplexedly inquired, "Is the person who tried to kill you that Lin Tian boy?"
"How do you know that?" Gu Changge was dazed.
"After listening to your conversation with Lady Lin, I could feel something was off with that supposed rascal named Lin Tian," Su Qingge clarified.
"Aren't you a smart one? Guess my affection didn't go in vain," Gu Changge complimented.
Though, Su Qingge remained puzzled. [Why would that Lin Tian boy be so rash and engage Prince Gu? Is he sick of living? Huh, I guess ignorance and jealousy really do get people killed.]
Swiftly, Gu Changge exited the palace. With a sweep of a gaze, all he saw was the countless heads of the Lin Family members.
"Prince Gu, this old one has failed as the founder of the family. I wholeheartedly accept your punishment." Standing in front of the crowd with a shameful grimace, Ming Lao took a step forward and was about to kneel and apologize.
"Have you found the culprit?" Seeing that, Gu Changge feigned some magic and stopped him from doing so. His face remained calm, and none could fathom his emotions.
Right now, he was simply asking despite already knowing the answer. Essentially, Ming Lao wasn't the one at fault as not one member of the Lin Family would ever expect a harmless rascal to be able to perform such a massive act. Regardless, he had to pretend as if he was oblivious. After all, as an outsider, it would be more fascinating to let the Lin Family discover Lin Tian's true identity by themselves than exposing Lin Tian right away.
"Prince Gu, we've located the culprit, but…" Saying that, Ming Lao felt even guiltier.
At the same time, the Lin Family was more than afraid as they held their breath. The leader of the Lin Family was even more agitated as his forehead and back were drenched in cold sweat while his legs trembled. If the young master were to get upset, not only him, but the entire Lin Family as well as the Prime Ancestor would be the casualty of his wrath. Everyone else bore the same fear, panicking in their hearts, as if they were awaiting a brutal punishment from Gu Changge. Among them, Lin Qiuhan also had her face blanched due to her dismay, as if she had yet to recover from the shock she received from the night before.
"Oh, how is the culprit?" Entertained, Gu Changge quizzed. [What cards does Lin Tian still hold? Since there was no way he could escape, did he defend himself, or did he play dumb?]
"Yesterday…" With that, Ming Lao, filled with remorse and guilt, started explaining.