LILY WAS HELPLESS.
"It was a last-minute decision to use the imperial uncle's name," she explained. Her initial plan had been to burn down the palace, kidnap the prince, fake his death, stir public hatred toward the emperor, and eventually push the prince to lead a rebellion and seize the throne. When the previous emperor had been incompetent, the idea of rising to power through revolt had been unthinkably common.
That strategy, however, would take years to implement—depending, of course, on Prince Zak's skill. If he could master his magic faster than expected, the timeline might shorten. Otherwise, she would have to wait.
Despite its flaws, this world was still better than the upper realms. At the very least, the Pei Family could live a long and peaceful life. So Lily considered solidifying their presence here. She might enter the realms eventually, but she still needed a stronghold.
Belladonna let out a sigh. "Hugo is a good man," she said suddenly, "but his family isn't."
Lily's interest was piqued. "What kind of family did Empress Hannah come from?" she asked. Hugo's maternal relatives were certainly something, considering it had taken him years to suppress them.
Belladonna gave her granddaughter a long look before deciding to share some Earth Realm knowledge.
"Your grandfather mentioned that you want to enter the Earth Realm."
Lily nodded. If she needed real power, the Earth Realm was necessary.
Belladonna exhaled heavily. "I'm not sure what your reasons are," she said, "but the Earth Realm is dangerous compared to the secular world. You won't be able to do the same things you do here."
The Earth Realm was divided into two domains: the lower terrain and the upper terrain.
The lower terrain housed the three most famous sects. There were, on average, a hundred sects in total, but only four were dominant. These top sects drew in disciples not only from within the realm but from the secular world too. The lower terrain also had royal families—though they lacked real authority. Those imperial families were no different than the ones in the secular world. The only difference? They could use magic.
The upper terrain, on the other hand, was ruled by five ancient clans. Hugo's maternal family was one of them.
"When I was a kid, you used to tell me bedtime stories about the Earth Realm," Lily complained, "but you never told me the important stuff."
"You told me you didn't want to live there," Belladonna replied. "I asked if you wanted to come with me, and you heartlessly refused, saying you preferred the quiet of this empire. What changed?"
Lily pressed her lips together. All those reincarnations had changed it, obviously. But there was no need to tell her grandmother that.
"I want to grow, of course," she lied smoothly. "And it's good to change scenery once in a while."
"Come with me, then," Belladonna offered. "I'll introduce you as the lady of my sect. At the very least, you won't need to work so hard."
Lily was almost tempted. Still, she suppressed her longing for a slower life. What if she died and reincarnated again? That would mean starting all over. She didn't want to reset her plan and fight the Imperial Family over and over again.
"No," she replied firmly, though her voice nearly faltered at the end. "I'll climb up higher on my own strength!"
Belladonna's expression softened. Her grandchild was growing up. The little girl she and her husband had raised was maturing and becoming independent. She nearly burst into tears.
"Grandma, are you crying?" Lily asked, startled.
Belladonna snorted and blinked rapidly. "Something just got in my eyes," she muttered, wiping her face. "Your parents would be proud of you."
Lily's smile nearly vanished. That comment filled her with guilt. She quickly changed the subject. They chatted for over an hour before Belladonna reluctantly left.
After Belladonna had gone, Lily stood still before the study window. Her mind drifted, contemplating her next steps.
She had been born without any magical energy in her body. Yet she could still use magic. The only problem? She didn't know how to level up. Her grandmother had tried to teach her, but nothing worked. The cultivation methods of this world had no effect on her.
So she had abandoned the dream of becoming a famous magic user like her grandmother. A peaceful life in the secular world had seemed good enough. After all, all beings die eventually, right? Life's purpose seemed only to end in death. So why push yourself to the brink of death just to die anyway?
She didn't even know why she had thought that at the time. Maybe it was because of her grandmother's bedtime stories?
Anyway, she still had no idea how strong her magic could become. She could probably trample Elder Leo to death if she wanted. But once she entered the Earth Realm, would she still be able to hold her head up high?
Bah!
Lily rubbed her brow, chuckled, and shrugged.
Take it one step at a time.
Nothing good would come from worrying about an unknown future. Rather than overthinking, she should go rest. Prince Zak would begin training soon. She needed to conserve her energy. After all, she had to keep watching him—and encourage him too!
---
For the next three days, the imperial family fell silent. No one dared invite the Pei Family to another ridiculous banquet, though rumors spread that the Crown Prince, Olivia, and the others were being trained directly by Elder Leo.
The emperor, for his part, continued performing his duties. But at every court meeting, his face was as black as a yok's behind. Not that the ministers could blame him—his palace had burned down and the Pei Family had snatched his son. It would've been strange if he wasn't in a bad mood. Other than that, nothing particularly newsworthy happened to stir the interest of officials or citizens.
Meanwhile, at the Pei Family's Duke Estate, Shadow Guard Loid entered quietly—accompanied by a broad-shouldered man.
When Lily saw them, she was taken aback. She glanced at the man and asked, "There's no war. Why are you oozing bloodlust?"
The man knelt solemnly. "Your servant, Guohua, is here to serve our Young Miss!"
The weight of his salute was thunderous. Lily quickly moved to help him up, alarmed. "What are you doing?" she scolded. "Will it kill you not to kneel?"
Guohua remained still. "It's been a while, Young Miss," he said. Though his tone didn't change, Lily could feel the depth of emotion behind his words. "The army's been quiet, but we've never let our guard down."
Lily sighed helplessly and opened her mouth to reply—but someone interrupted.
"Guohua! Is that really you?"
Duke Pei approached with wide eyes.
Guohua almost dropped to his knees again, but Lily stopped him.
"Enough of that already," she said. "Save your knees for battle."
Guohua hesitated at first, but her words struck home. "Are we going to war? Has the Imperial Family finally decided to revolt?" he asked seriously.
Revolt?
What revolt?
That was the Imperial Family! If war broke out, the Pei Family would be the ones branded as rebels!
"There's no war," Duke Pei said. "The world's at peace. Let's enjoy it while it lasts." He waved his hand and added, "Come to my study. I want to discuss something with you."
Lily stayed in the hall while the two men left. Once they were gone, she turned to the figure behind her.
"You're too quiet," she said. "You haven't spoken since you came."
Shadow Guard Loid pursed his lips, his eyes flashing with a complicated expression before settling again.
"I'll take my leave, Young Miss," he murmured—and vanished into the shadows without waiting for a reply.
Once hidden again, that complex expression returned.
The Pei Family's army, proudly raised and quietly maintained, had far exceeded his expectations. Their hidden barracks alone were astonishing. He would never have found the place if Lily hadn't given him the route and a personal token.
But what stunned him most was the sheer power of their soldiers. Their battle aura was overwhelming. Even as a high-level magic user, Loid had shuddered.
He thought back to his master's command to protect Lily and the Pei Family.
Protect them?
What protection?
The Pei Family didn't need it at all!
---
"How's the army?" Duke Pei asked. He stood at his study window, eyes vacant.
"You haven't had any real battles in a long time. And if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be stuck here."
Guohua shook his head. "No one forced us to stay, my Lord. You shouldn't blame yourself."
Duke Pei sighed. "My time in this world is drawing to a close," he said as he sat down. "Like my father before me, I won't ask you to stay for Lily's sake. You are free to leave."
Guohua was quiet for a long moment. Then he knelt.
"My Lord, please accept this final salute. From now on, our army will follow only the young miss' command."
The Pei Family had long upheld a tradition: only one person could lead the army at a time. When the former Grand Commander stepped down, the new one would inherit the authority—and the army would follow them without question.
Guohua and his comrades had already made their choice. They would stay with the Pei Family for life.
Duke Pei, overcome with emotion, stood and placed a hand on Guohua's shoulder.
"From now on," he said, "she's in your hands."