My Mother Was Murdered… So I Seduced the Emperor’s Sister for Ultimate Revenge!
Chapter 13 - Cultivating the Eternal Life Method! Soaring Strength! First Meeting with Lin Wan'er!

Chapter 13: Cultivating the Eternal Life Method! Soaring Strength! First Meeting with Lin Wan’er!

The voice was quiet, yet it reached Li Changsheng’s ears with perfect clarity.

“Young Master.”

A ripple of emotion stirred in Li Changsheng’s heart.

Before him knelt a figure on one knee, Yuan Tiangang, the legendary Grand Preceptor of the Great Tang Dynasty, now the foremost subordinate under his command.

A living, breathing Grandmaster.

In this world, Grandmasters were akin to walking nuclear weapons, the pinnacle of martial might capable of stabilizing entire regions.

And now, he possessed one, one bound by absolute loyalty.

A sense of security unlike anything before enveloped his tiny infant body like a warm current.

He was no longer just a helpless prince, at the mercy of others and at risk of dying young.

He now had the foundation to survive, even thrive, in this treacherous world.

“This subordinate has already gathered the remnants of the Buliangren,” Yuan Tiangang reported, his voice steady yet carrying undeniable authority. “Three hundred captains and three thousand operatives lie in wait, ready to move at your command.”

“From this day forward, I will guard the Young Master from the shadows.”

“The Buliangren stand ready to serve.”

Li Changsheng blinked.

His infant body limited his responses, but he managed a faint, almost imperceptible nod.

It was enough.

Yuan Tiangang seemed to sense the silent acknowledgment. With another respectful bow, his figure melted back into the shadows as soundlessly as he had appeared.

His presence vanished.

As if no one had ever been there.

The room returned to silence, bathed only in the cold moonlight.

Li Changsheng lay in his swaddling clothes, feeling the subtle changes in his body from the Marrow-Cleansing Pill and the strange new perspective granted by the Qi Observation Technique.

The information about the Buliangren was crystal clear in his mind.

He had security now, but it wasn’t enough.

Emperor Qing, Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, the Princess Royal…

This palace, this capital, the entire Qing Kingdom, all were steeped in schemes and danger.

He needed to grow stronger.

Sign-ins.

He had to keep signing in, collecting more rewards.

And then… there was the Eternal Life Method.

Li Changsheng silently recited the name in his mind.

This was the greatest secret his soul had carried over from his past life, a cultivation system that transcended this world’s martial arts.

Grandmasters?

Before the true Eternal Life Method, they might be nothing more than slightly stronger ants.

But cultivating the Eternal Life Method demanded vast resources.

Elixirs, rare treasures, all were indispensable.

Such things were exceedingly rare in this world.

But perhaps the system’s sign-ins could provide a shortcut.

Li Changsheng closed his eyes.

An infant’s energy was limited, and drowsiness soon overtook him.

The path to strength was long, but he had time.

Dawn

Morning light filtered softly through the window screens, illuminating the palace.

The air carried a faint mix of milk and incense.

A palace maid picked Li Changsheng up, fed him, and changed his swaddling clothes.

He lay quietly, observing his surroundings like any curious infant.

Then, footsteps.

Li Yunrui entered, clad in resplendent palace robes.

Her figure was graceful, her beauty peerless, but an inescapable coldness and madness lingered in her bearing.

The maids hurriedly bowed.

With a wave, Li Yunrui dismissed them.

She approached the crib, gazing down at Li Changsheng.

His skin was fair and soft, his eyes dark and bright like grapes, his tiny lips slightly pursed.

Adorable.

Her slender finger tapped his cheek lightly.

Warm. Soft.

A faint, inscrutable smile curved her lips, playful, scrutinizing, and laced with something deeper.

“Little Changsheng.”

Her voice carried a unique cadence.

Li Changsheng blinked up at her, feigning innocence.

Keep pretending.

Li Yunrui’s fingertip traced his cheek, gentle, yet it set off alarms in his mind.

This woman was unpredictable.

“You’re quite handsome,” she remarked idly, withdrawing her hand. “Far more pleasing to the eye than your worthless father.”

(The “father” she referred to was, of course, Emperor Qing.)

Li Changsheng inwardly scoffed but maintained his infantile facade.

Li Yunrui’s gaze darkened as she studied him.

Ye Qingmei.

That peerlessly talented woman who had once shaken the world.

Your son is in my hands now.

No matter how deeply you schemed, what does it matter now?

The dead are gone.

This child is your legacy, and your weakness.

Her thoughts churned, but her expression remained unreadable.

If anything, she found this amusing.

Playing with an infant might at least alleviate some of the palace’s tedium.

Then, light footsteps at the door.

A small figure, led in by a maid, peeked shyly inside.

A girl of about three years old, dressed in delicate silk, her features doll-like.

Her large, clear eyes brimmed with curiosity and slight unease.

Lin Wan’er.

At the sight of Li Yunrui, her little face lit up with adoration.

“Mother.”

Her voice was soft, sweet with childish innocence.

Li Yunrui’s cold demeanor thawed slightly, a rare hint of warmth.

“Wan’er.”

She beckoned, and Lin Wan’er hurried to her side, looking up eagerly.

Then, the girl noticed the crib.

The tiny infant swaddled within.

“Mother, who is he?” she asked curiously.

Li Yunrui glanced down at Li Changsheng.

“He is your brother.”

“Your little brother.”

Brother?

Lin Wan’er blinked, then looked at Li Changsheng.

The baby was looking right back.

Their eyes met.

One, innocent and curious.

The other, internally conflicted.

“Brother…”

Lin Wan’er repeated the word, her face breaking into a delighted smile.

“So cute…”

She carefully approached the crib, reaching out with a small, soft hand to touch Li Changsheng’s cheek.

Warm.

Soft.

Even softer than her dolls.

Li Changsheng felt the gentle touch.

This was Lin Wan’er, his nominal older sister.

Finally.

A normal person.

If he had to keep dealing with Li Yunrui’s brand of beautiful insanity, he’d start questioning his own sanity.

Lin Wan’er seemed instantly fond of her new brother.

Her tiny fingers stroked his cheek as she giggled brightly.

Playing along, Li Changsheng curled his lips into a toothless smile.

Their first interaction was, against all odds, harmonious.

Li Yunrui watched silently from the side, her expression unreadable.

She observed Lin Wan’er’s pure joy, then the seemingly harmless infant in the crib.

No one could guess what thoughts churned beneath her calm surface.

…