Chapter Sixteen: The Sage Is More Terrifying Than Death

The main offices of the Sacred Palace and the residences of the ministers were all concentrated on the eastern side. The vast remaining space belonged entirely to the Sage.

Lucia’s residence was not far from the Imperial Study. She chose not to use the helicopter but instead sprinted back all the way.

As twilight deepened, the white domed building’s roof was bathed in the magnificent rosy glow of the sunset.

She strode briskly and pushed open the door to her residence.

“Welcome back~”

A petite figure came flying toward her with a joyful cheer.

It was Mary.

Quick as a flash, Lucia raised her hand and pressed it precisely against Mary’s small, round face. Then, twisting her waist, she executed a neat turn and, as if tossing a ball, lightly flung her toward the large sofa in the center of the living room.

Mary flipped nimbly in midair and landed steadily on the soft cushions, wearing a mischievous smile as she teased, “How rare! You actually chose to work overtime.”

“The Sage hasn’t clocked out yet. How dare I, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, sneak away first?” Lucia retorted with a hint of annoyance, then immediately adopted a serious tone. “I need to ask you something…”

She poured out the contradiction of the Sage telling her to “leave on time” while seemingly implying she should stand guard outside the Imperial Study in the future. Finally, she earnestly asked, “Do you think I should still stand guard outside the Imperial Study tomorrow?”

“Guarding the Imperial Study is just the beginning,” Mary said, crossing her legs and wearing an all-knowing expression. “At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if you ended up standing guard by the Dragon Throne itself.”

“Hey, don’t talk nonsense!” Lucia was taken aback and quickly scolded her.

“I’m not making it up,” Mary said, dropping the joke and counting on her fingers. “You’ve worked with the Sage for so many years—has he ever joked with you or patted you on the shoulder?”

Lucia was silent for a long time before honestly responding, “No. The Sage always talks about official matters.”

“That’s exactly it.”

Mary clapped her hands confidently. “The Sage used to be pure and uninterested, so naturally, he didn’t appreciate your charm. But recently?”

“I heard the Sage and that Nangong Lin are inseparable, even sleeping in the same chamber.”

“A lone man and woman spending so much time together—do you think nothing’s going on?”

Speaking like a seasoned veteran, she added, “Fishing is a hobby for middle-aged men. But those tasting love for the first time are like fierce tigers who just turned carnivorous—they want meat at every meal.”

Mary deliberately dragged out the last words, then looked at Lucia, who stood tall at 1.7 meters with a generous chest.

“If you lift it up a bit, you’d lose five kilos instantly. The Sage wanting a taste of something new—isn’t that perfectly normal?”

“Shut up! No more nonsense!” Lucia blushed with embarrassment and anger, scolding again.

Mary spread her hands and posed a soul-searching question: “Fine, then I’ll ask you—if the Sage really meant something, would you reject him?”

“I…”

Lucia was momentarily speechless, a look of struggle and hesitation crossing her face.

She was not afraid of death.

To hold the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard required the empire’s finest combat skills, not political maneuvering.

But fearlessness did not mean she could calmly defy the Sage.

From the moment she was born, her parents had repeatedly praised the Sage’s greatness in her ears.

She had always held a deep admiration for the Sage, but after actual contact, she found he differed somewhat from her imagined ideal of a “diligent and devoted ruler.”

He was more like a helmsman who took control only at critical moments.

This had transformed her from a passionate young girl into the “hands-off manager” she was now—handling only major affairs and leaving trivial matters to Mary.

“Can’t refuse, right?”

Mary saw through her thoughts and sighed softly. “Of course not. That’s the Sage.”

Her tone was filled with a near-fatalistic reverence.

Not only Lucia but even someone like Mary, who had no interest in men, would probably find it impossible to say “no” to the Sage’s will.

In some ways, the Sage’s will was more terrifying than death itself.

…

March 20th, early morning.

Bai Yujing awoke leisurely on the Dragon Bed in the royal chamber.

With his power, sleep was no longer a necessity.

Yet, over the long years, he still kept the habit of sleeping, indulging in the brief moments when his mind could be completely empty and at ease.

Sometimes, he even relived the passionate and glorious days of the empire’s founding in his dreams.

At first, he was often unaware it was a dream, immersing himself fully as if the past were repeating.

Only midway through would the overly vivid and unreal sensation suddenly awaken him.

When consciousness returned to reality and he found the vast chamber still empty except for himself, an indescribable loneliness would quietly engulf his heart.

Fortunately, he rarely dreamt.

Bai Yujing rose swiftly, his gaze sweeping over the figure on the distant sofa who was always engrossed in a book.

“You really love studying, holding a book all day long.”

“Absorbing new knowledge brings me joy,” Nangong Lin replied, her voice as gentle and composed as ever, carrying the refined elegance cultivated by her extensive reading, as if nothing in the world could disturb her inner tranquility.

Bai Yujing leapt from the bed, casually smoothing the slight wrinkles on his crimson dragon robe, then strode out.

Nangong Lin closed her book in time and rose to follow.

Pushing open the heavy doors of the royal chamber, brilliant morning light poured in.

Lucia stood like a spear at the entrance. Upon seeing Bai Yujing, she immediately clenched her right fist, struck her chest firmly, and bowed her head in salute. “Good morning, Sage!”

Then she quickly raised her head, her eyes flickering nervously, avoiding Bai Yujing’s gaze.

He keenly detected her subtle unease, furrowing his brows. “You look off. What’s wrong?”

“No—nothing!” Lucia hastily shook her head in denial.

Her guilty attempt to cover something only confirmed Bai Yujing’s suspicion.

His expression darkened, the imperial aura naturally emanating from him. “If there is something, tell me honestly!”

When he referred to himself as “I” in this way, he spoke not as Bai Yujing the man, but as the Emperor of the Great Han Empire.

His words were imperial edicts—not to be questioned or disobeyed.

Lucia frowned, forced herself to speak, and told him everything she had been pondering after the Sage’s joke the previous day—though she omitted Mary’s analysis.

Bai Yujing was stunned for a moment before bursting into a hearty laugh. “Haha, I just patted your shoulder and you thought all this. What if I had held your hand? Would you have already chosen a baby’s name?”

Nangong Lin spoke up softly beside him, her voice still gentle. “There’s no such relationship between the Sage and me as you imagine. He keeps me by his side only to make sure I don’t run away.”

Lucia’s face instantly flushed as red as a ripe shrimp, so embarrassed she wished she could vanish, stammering without knowing what to say.

Bai Yujing stopped laughing and turned to Nangong Lin, his gaze serious. “You’re mistaken. I keep you by my side not to monitor you, but because I want to be your friend.”

He paused. “After all, the day when I attend your funeral is still far, far away.”

As an immortal, Bai Yujing never saw eternal life as a curse.

He loved life, savored existence, often wandering through the empire’s great cities, meeting all kinds of people, never forming deep bonds to avoid witnessing their deaths.

But Nangong Lin was different. Her equally long life made Bai Yujing rare in feeling the desire to befriend her.

“A friend…” Nangong Lin whispered the word, a subtle, indescribable feeling stirring deep within her.

She could understand the loneliness born of endless time.

Lucia suddenly took a deep breath nearby, tears of emotion welling in her eyes as she blurted out, “Sage, if you don’t mind, I can be your friend too!”

Bai Yujing glanced at her with mild disdain. “Your lifespan is too short.”

“Huh?!”

Lucia was startled, then hastily defended herself. “Isn’t cultivation possible now? I’ll work hard to become long-lived!”

“Let’s see if you really can live long first.”

Bai Yujing said this slowly, then fell silent, walking forward.

Lucia watched his tall figure, clenching her fists tightly, silently vowing:

She would live long, she would succeed in cultivation, and she would never let the Sage feel lonely again!