Rebirth as the Richest Woman in the World
Chapter 727 - 729, keep it (second update)

Chapter 727: 729, keep it (second update)

"Father, don’t be too confident," Gan Yuying casually said, "The Phoenix Empress is already a thing of the past, after reincarnating through so many lifetimes and growing up in the mundane world, she has probably become an ordinary person by now! Otherwise, would Gu Qinian dare to challenge the Empress’s authority?"

In fact, what Gan Yuying said had its own logic.

No matter how formidable the Empress used to be, that was all in the past.

Now, she was merely Chu Jin.

This trial competition had attracted so many talented people with special abilities, whether Chu Jin could win was still an unknown.

If Chu Jin were really that powerful, it’s likely that Gu Qinian wouldn’t dare to be so arrogant.

The Phoenix Empress was just a former Empress, whereas Shangguan Lingluo was an Empress of the present.

If these two stood opposed to each other, Shangguan Lingluo would definitely be more formidable.

"Nonsense!" the old King of Hades’s face turned cold, "The majesty of our lord is not something you younger generations can presume to speculate about! If I hear you speak disrespectfully about our lord again, I will no longer acknowledge you as my daughter!"

The old King of Hades had followed the Phoenix Empress from the beginning and knew how difficult and challenging her path to becoming Empress had been!

Without the Empress’s pioneering and arduous efforts, how could there be a prosperous and peaceful future for the people to enjoy?

Thus, he wouldn’t allow anyone to slander the Phoenix Empress, not even his own daughter.

"Is it really that serious?"

Disowning her as his daughter? Gan Yuying pouted, somewhat confused, thinking that the old King of Hades was being hyperbolic. How long had the era of the Phoenix Empress been over for him to still be taking it so seriously?

The Phoenix Empress became who she was with the support of many people. Without it, could she have united the Nine States by herself and established a golden age of peace?

Why did people of later generations only remember the Phoenix Empress and forget the others?

This wasn’t fair to those other people.

In any case, Gan Yuying could not understand the old King of Hades’s emotions.

"Do you know why the Phoenix Empress became Empress?" the old King of Hades’s eyes were downcast, his expression very serious.

"I don’t know," Gan Yuying touched her nose.

She really didn’t understand, since the founding of mainland China, not to mention ancient times, even in modern society, the phenomenon of male superiority over females existed.

In the distant past, this mindset was even more deeply ingrained.

Yet the Phoenix Empress, just a woman, managed to stand out among many women, achieving parity with men, and willingly submitting to her, finally reaching the zenith of power. This precisely demonstrated her extraordinary ability!

The old King of Hades suddenly stopped walking, raising his eyes towards the horizon, slowly exhaling four words, "Because of belief."

His tone was even, neither fast nor slow, yet it struck a chord, immersing one in a complex mood that was hard to escape.

Gan Yuying was stunned, just staring at the old King of Hades, half-understanding.

Perhaps, some things could only be fully understood after one had personally experienced them.

"But..." Gan Yuying hesitated and then expressed the thoughts in her heart.

"The Empress is indeed noble, but without the support of her loyal ministers, she couldn’t have built a prosperous and peaceful realm. This vast territory, without the soldiers charging into battle, could she have conquered it by herself? Yet, later generations only remember the majesty of the ancient Empress, forgetting those who shed blood and tears for it, isn’t that a little unfair?"

A great general is made at the expense of many soldiers.

The Phoenix Empress united the Nine States, but in the process, countless lives were lost. However, subsequent generations only remembered the Phoenix Empress!

Those who died for it were forever buried underground.

Even after a thousand years.

No one knows them.

The old King of Hades stroked his beard, looking at Gan Yuying with a far-reaching gaze, "Throughout history, which sovereign’s realm wasn’t secured through blood and tears? Which era didn’t involve soldiers’ sacrifices? What’s dreadful is not their sacrifices, but that those sacrifices do not result in a wise ruler."

Gan Yuying frowned slightly, her gaze full of confusion, "I don’t quite understand."

She only knew that many soldiers had died to achieve the Empress’s prosperous Nine States, and that this was inherently unfair.

She was just a young girl and didn’t understand the profound truths the old King of Hades was speaking of.

The old King of Hades sighed and continued, "You’re young, it’s normal for you to not understand these grand principles. Let me give a simpler example, do you know the story about the three visits to the thatched cottage?"

"I know that," Gan Yuying said with a smile, "Three visits to the thatched cottage, a strategy for uniting the realm, and devotion of an elder minister’s heart, it’s the story of Liu Bei inviting Zhuge Liang to assist him."

Although Gan Yuying was mischievous, she still loved to study.

Especially classical Chinese literature.

"That’s right," the old King of Hades nodded in approval, "Take Zhuge Liang, for example. He was full of talent, but if Liu Bei hadn’t recognized it and invited him to come out of seclusion, he would have just been an ordinary countryman dying in the mountains."

Zhuge Liang is praised by generations because Liu Bei discovered his talent.

If not for Liu Bei, how could Zhuge Liang become world-famous and remembered by future generations?

A steed needs a Bole to realize its potential.

To the old King of Hades, the Phoenix Empress was not just a belief, but also a Bole, a guide to brightness.

A Bole is nothing without a steed.

But, if a steed never meets a Bole, everything is in vain!

Before meeting a Bole, no matter how talented a steed is, it’s all for naught without recognition.

There are always fine steeds, but the true horse connoisseurs are rare.

In that chaotic era of war and strife, only those of high birth with ample food and wealth could stand at the top of the food chain, relying on mutual protection among officials, running for office, peddling posts, using money to pursue officialdom, and inheriting positions from fathers—who would care about your inner qualities after being well-fed and secure in their own positions?

The children of officials would follow in their fathers’ footsteps, assured a career in governance, an unending cycle of officialdom.

Those at the bottom of society could only lead lives of toil, farming and tilling the land.

But the Phoenix Empress was different.

The Phoenix Empress looked not at one’s birth or wealth, but only at one’s ability.

Whether they were adept in literature or martial arts,

as long as they were truly talented, they could fully utilize their capabilities under the Phoenix Empress’s leadership.

Those with ability, rise to the top.

The appearance of the Phoenix Empress gave hope to those oppressed people.

She abolished the old systems and created a brand new Nine States.

An era of great prosperity under heaven.

The Phoenix Empress won the hearts of the people.

This is also why the Phoenix Empress was so supported by everyone.

Even after a thousand years, the Phoenix Empress still remained the Empress in their hearts.

Moreover, the Phoenix Empress’s own abilities made many men feel inferior.

The position of Empress was not inherited, but fought for and established by the Phoenix Empress herself.

She was virtuous and benevolent.

With a heart that embraced the entire world,

thus, she could secure an era of prosperity for the Nine States.

Hearing this, Gan Yuying seemed to understand something. She nodded and summarized, "There are fine steeds because there are horse connoisseurs. Father, you’re saying, you’re the fine steed, and the Empress is the horse connoisseur, right?"

Even in the new era, not every woman could sit in the position that the Phoenix Empress did, and in the male-dominated Ancient Times, for the Phoenix Empress to make the men willingly submit and remain faithfully devoted—indeed, it was something miraculous.

Such a woman was truly extraordinary.

"Correct," the old King of Hades continued, "Yuying, you just need to remember, that our lord Phoenix Empress’s sacrifices were far greater than you could imagine, and that would suffice."

It wasn’t without reason that the Phoenix Empress remained unforgettable and loyally admired by them over a thousand years.

Only those who lived through the Phoenix Empress’s era could understand.

That era.

Everyone held a common belief.

It was.

The Phoenix Empress.

Immortal and eternal.

"Oh," Gan Yuying nodded and then said, "That Empress from the Spirit Country seemed quite formidable just now. Father, do you think I stand a chance against her?"

Since she became an Empress, her strength was undeniably real. Gan Yuying was somewhat worried; she didn’t want to confront the Empress and be swiftly defeated.

That would be too embarrassing.

The old King of Hades spoke with an air of indifference, "The Leader of Spirit Nation is young and inflated with pride, just a facade with no real substance; you don’t have to worry." He didn’t take Shangguan Lingluo seriously.

Shangguan Lingluo’s style of conduct revealed that she was too arrogant, and when arrogance goes too far, it becomes conceit.

"Then I’m relieved," Gan Yuying watched as the Spirit Country Empress walked out with the qualifying jade plate then slowly retracted her gaze, adding, "Let’s head back to the inn first, I bet Uncle Mu and the others are getting anxious."

"Mhm," the old King of Hades turned and stepped forward.

In truth, he was somewhat concerned.

In the trial competition, aside from the Spirit Country Empress, there were also many high-status individuals who had passed. It would be a significant challenge for Chu Jin the next day.

If she won, her reputation would be well-deserved.

If she lost, her previously assumed wisdom could be ruined in an instant.

That’s why the old King of Hades must find a way to help Chu Jin.

Meanwhile, at the Chu Family residence.

Chu Jin showed no signs of anxiety as she sat cross-legged beside the low tea table, leisurely brewing tea, her fair hands moving ceaselessly among the verdant tea wares.

The sound of the tea ware clinking was crisp and melodious, soothing to the body and mind.

Tea smoke curled up, adding an air of mystery to her clear and distinct features as if she were a fairy perched on the clouds.

The air was fragrant with a light aroma of tea, refreshing to the senses.

Delightful to the nose.

"Sis, what exactly does brother-in-law mean by this? Does he truly wish to marry you? To stir up a trial event like this—isn’t that just causing trouble?" Chu Xiu grimaced as she gulped down a cup of tea, expressing her annoyance.

Thinking of tomorrow’s trial competition, Chu Xiu felt extremely indignant.

The little loli chimed in, "Right, Jin-ge, what exactly does uncle mean by this? If he doesn’t want to marry you, then there’s a whole queue of people waiting behind! What trial competition? This is really disrespectful! Is he doing this on purpose?"

If Mo Zhixuan didn’t want to marry Chu Jin, Mo Qianjue would be very pleased.

If Chu Jin couldn’t become Madam Jiujun, being a City Lord’s wife was also quite good.

No one could understand what was really going on. To outsiders, it all seemed as if Mo Zhixuan intentionally created a problem because he didn’t want to marry Chu Jin.

With Mo Zhixuan’s abilities, he could easily ignore the rumors and just marry Chu Jin.

However, they only saw what was on the surface.

But they failed to see the underlying issues.

If Mo Zhixuan married Chu Jin against everyone’s wishes, he would only sink Chu Jin deeper into dire straits.

"What’s the matter?" Chu Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, speaking in a subdued tone, "Are you afraid I’ll lose?"

"It’s not that," Chu Xiu shook her head, "I just feel that what my brother-in-law is doing is wrong."

"This isn’t Mo Zhixuan’s fault, you’ve misunderstood him," Chu Jin picked up a cup of tea, about to take a light sip, but then seemingly remembered something, put down the teacup, and picked up the glass of plain water instead, taking a drink before continuing, "I myself want to participate in this trial competition."

She didn’t elaborate further.

Fortunately, both Chu Xiu and the little loli did not press her for more details.

"Jin-ge, this tea smells so good, why aren’t you drinking it but instead going for plain water?" the little loli asked offhandedly.

"My stomach isn’t feeling too well, just smelling it is the same," Chu Jin replied, lifting the teacup and gently sniffing it.

Chu Jin was fond of tea, yet today she only drank plain water, which was indeed strange, but the two children, the little loli and Chu Xiu, didn’t think too much of it.

"Jin-ge, Jin-ge!"

The voice arrived before the person did.

Mo Qingyi came running in hurriedly.

"What’s wrong? Why all the rush?" Chu Jin put down her teacup and looked at Mo Qingyi with a light smile.

"Jin-ge, this is the list of participants for the trial competition, take a look." By then, the sky had already darkened, and so the registration time for the trial competition had ended, and the participants had been finalized.

There were more than 120 people in total.

The list of participants was very detailed.

The list was organized according to each person’s strength.

Ranked first was the Empress of Spirit Country, Shangguan Lingluo.

Because she was an empress, Shangguan Lingluo’s description was brief with only eight characters: a neighboring country’s empress, a phoenix among people.

Although it was just four words, many people were already apprehensive.

The second place was Xi He.

Xi He’s introduction was that he had Divine Race bloodline, a direct disciple of the third and fifth elders of the Superpower World, with unfathomable strength.

The third place went to the only female bounty hunter in the three realms, Su Yuqiao.

The fourth place was the Little Princess of the Underworld, Gan Yuying.

The fifth place belonged to the number one beauty of the Superpower World, Mu Xianxian.

Chu Jin looked at her own ranking.

Well...

She was ranked 120th.

Perhaps to contrast with Spirit Country Empress’s introduction, Chu Jin’s description was also eight characters: Reincarnation of the Phoenix Empress, from the mortal world.

Both of them were empresses of their countries.

One was ranked first.

The other was ranked last.

Now that was interesting.

Moreover, the list clearly stated that the rankings were based on the strength of the contestants.

That is to say, the higher the ranking, the greater the hope of winning.

Conversely, the lower the ranking, the less hope there was.

Those ranked after the one-hundredth place were just cannon fodder.

What was even more interesting,

was that the list clearly marked Chu Jin as a reincarnation of an Empress yet also specifically pointed out her mortal origins, which was an evident sarcasm directed at her.

Therefore, many people who saw Chu Jin simply smiled and passed her by.

In their eyes, a mere mortal person wasn’t worth their attention; some even questioned the organizers as to how such a person was chosen to participate.

Others felt it was a pity.

The Empress reincarnated.

Indeed, a promising seedling.

A reincarnated Empress born in the secular world is no different from an ordinary person, but if she were born in the Superpower World or another realm, she’d certainly be a formidable character contending for power.

Without a doubt, I know this matter of the rankings was done by the second Elder and the others.

They deliberately placed Chu Jin last and specifically noted her identity as the reincarnated Empress.

This move was also deliberately made to draw hatred towards Chu Jin.

The ancient Empress was an existence many dreaded, possessing infinite glory.

If a person stands too high, they invite envy.

Now, the once illustrious Empress has become an insignificant commoner, and of course, many would want to step on her.

Chu Jin remained indifferent. Seeing this, she merely curved her lips into a smile and didn’t take it to heart.

In this world, those who can bully her are probably yet to be born.

However, Mo Qingyi was not taking it lightly, worried that Chu Jin might misunderstand Mo Zhixuan, and quickly said, "Jin, don’t be angry. My brother definitely doesn’t know about this, and if he did, he certainly wouldn’t let them do such a thing."

Actually placing Chu Jin at the very bottom of the rankings!

Are these people brainless?

Even Shangguan Lingluo, who is ranked first, may not be a match for Chu Jin!

Chu Jin chuckled nonchalantly, "I know, it’s just a ranking without any real value. I’m not upset, and neither should you be."

Chu Xiu snatched the list and frowned, "Who are these people? They really have no vision! To rank my sister last!"

That’s really underestimating someone too much!

Are people from the secular world all weaklings?

This bunch really is superficial.

In fact, people from the secular world aren’t weak at all.

Chu Xiu stayed in the secular world for a while and still has several good friends there.

The people of the secular world value relationships and righteousness, and they are all incredibly intelligent.

Their wisdom surpasses all life in the universe.

It’s just that they aren’t as lucky as those from the Superpower World.

People from the Superpower World simply rely on their innate special abilities.

If you take away their abilities, they’re not even as good as ordinary people!

Now, on what basis do they look down on the ordinary people of the secular world?

And to look down on Chu Jin simply because she comes from the secular world.

Truly shallow to the extreme.

It’s time for Chu Jin to correct their perspectives.

The little loli then cheered Chu Jin on, "Go Jin, make them cry for their parents in tomorrow’s trial!"

Mo Qingyi continued, "Jin, there’s a total of 120 participants including you. I’ve investigated, and you don’t have to worry about the others. Only Shangguan Lingluo requires caution. She is skilled with hidden weapons and poison. Be careful of her launching a sneak attack."

"Mhm, got it," Chu Jin nodded slightly.

After contemplating for a while, Mo Qingyi added, "And there’s Xi He too. But since she comes from an upright sect, she won’t resort to despicable tactics. Oh, and there are the bounty hunter Su Yuqiao and Gan Yuying, the Little Princess of the Underworld. Both are skilled at combat, and even when fighting alone, they’re not to be feared. The biggest concern is if they team up against you..."

Barely skimming off the tea’s foam, Chu Jin replied with a light tone, "If they really do team up, that would actually make things easier."

One against three, isn’t that simpler?

"You’ve got a point," Mo Qingyi rubbed her chin and then said with a smirk, "Jin, suddenly I feel sorry for those in tomorrow’s trial. They could never imagine the one they’ve completely overlooked from beginning to end would turn the tables and become the king."

With Chu Jin’s skills, dealing with those people would just take a few seconds.

With the important matters discussed, Mo Qingyi, like a magician, magically produced four strings of candied hawthorns from behind her.

She handed one to each—Chu Jin, Chu Xiu, and the little loli. "Let me tell you, these candied hawthorns are delicious, both sour and sweet!" She said while unwrapping one and took a big, willful bite.

"Wow! It’s so good!" exclaimed the little loli, her eyes shining with stars.

Even Chu Xiu, who was usually indifferent to culinary temptations, praised, "It’s really delicious. Qingyi, where did you buy this?"

"Right on Ancient City Street!" Mo Qingyi spoke while munching.

When her gaze fell on Chu Jin, Mo Qingyi spat out the pit, puzzled. "Jin, why aren’t you eating? It’s really tasty, you should try it!"

Chu Jin also loved to eat. If this were any other day, she’d be feasting without restraint, but today, she simply drank water calmly, which seemed somewhat out of the ordinary.

Candied hawthorns are made of hawthorn.

Hawthorn contains a variety of organic acids, fruit acids, hawthorn acids, citric acids, and so forth, which are not suitable for certain individuals.

"My sister’s stomach feels a bit uncomfortable." Before Chu Jin could speak, Chu Xiu had already begun to explain.

Chu Jin added, "Yes, perhaps it was something unclean I ate last night. My stomach’s been a bit upset today so I have to avoid raw and cold foods. You enjoy them, I’ll save mine for Mo Zhixuan."