The Journey of Projection Upgrading
Chapter 162: Plotting

Princess Liang Yao did not disappoint anyone.

Her appearance was elegant and exquisite, but what was even more rare was the imposing noble aura that made people unable to help but feel a sense of awe, sensing the royal grace emanating from her.

Of course, in Chen An's eyes, it was just that.

There were plenty of beautiful women in the world.

Not to mention, just White Qing alone had a beauty that surpassed this Princess Changping.

There were other women whose looks were not inferior to hers, although not many in Xianyuan County, but they could still be encountered from time to time.

Pure beauty held no value.

What truly had value was her princess status.

This status was the reason why she attracted so much attention.

After all, a princess who was not only beautiful but also rare.

Even a woman like White Qing, who was even more beautiful than her, did not shine as brightly as the princess in front of him.

Chen An remained calm.

Compared to the awe of others, he remained calm throughout, even subconsciously turning to look at the side where Bai Zhilan was, comparing the differences between the two.

Hmm, his wife's appearance was not lacking either, not inferior to that princess.

Just kidding.

In fact, he had seen it all before.

Princesses and such, Chen An had only seen for the first time in the main world, but in the Dahua world, he had seen plenty of them.

Various kinds of princesses, from Dahua, Daming, and so on, he had seen too many.

After seeing the same thing too many times, naturally, there would no longer be any feelings attached to it.

That was how Chen An felt at the moment.

Of course, he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Not far away, Bai Changming stood next to a few elders, but his attention was not on the princess, but rather on Chen An.

His gaze was fixed on Chen An, with a somewhat complex expression.

The other elders didn't find this strange either.

Since the day he was knocked out by Chen An, Bai Changming had been like this.

He seemed quite shaken.

In the past, he was the most outstanding talent in the Bai family and anyone who saw him had to praise him loudly.

Although he didn't care about these praises, he was determined to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts and didn't think that there would be anyone in Xianyuan County who was more outstanding than himself.

Until he met Chen An.

It was worth noting that Chen An, now barely nineteen years old, had already advanced to the level of Qi.

And even though he had not yet started a family, he was approaching thirty.

The difference between them was obvious.

For a genius like Bai Changming, this gap was hard to accept.

He knew that Chen An's rapid cultivation was probably due to some incredible opportunity.

But he couldn't help but ask himself, even if he had that opportunity, could he have advanced to the level of Qi at this age?

Probably not.

This was the root of his feeling of defeat.

Admitting that he was inferior to someone was very difficult for someone like him.

But it was a barrier that he had to overcome.

Chen An, however, did not care about Bai Changming's complex thoughts.

What was there to care about?

People with such complex thoughts, he had seen countless times in the Dahua world.

He was used to it.

Meanwhile, in front, Princess Liang Yao seemed to be accustomed to this atmosphere as well. She had a standard smile on her face, looking dignified and graceful, as she slowly stepped down from the carriage.

Under the gaze of Chen An and others, she greeted the elders warmly and engaged in lively conversations.

Regardless of what was being thought behind the scenes, at least on the surface, the elders of the Bai family were giving her plenty of face.

Looking at the lively scene before them, it was hard for anyone to find fault.

Today, the princess was received by Elder Four and Elder Five.

The family head and Elder Two were in seclusion, and Elder Three was still recovering from being injured by a young man named Chen, who did not want to reveal his name and was still healing.

That left only Elder Four and Elder Five to receive her.

After the elders greeted her, Elder Four warmly introduced the talented youths of the Bai family to Princess Liang Yao.

This was a standard procedure.

Princess Liang Yao was used to this and was interested in the talented youths of the Bai family.

As the former top talent of the Bai family, Bai Qing, naturally stood out.

However, due to the embarrassment of losing his internal energy, Elder Four and Elder Five did not introduce him much, but simply mentioned him and were about to pass over him.

But unexpectedly, Princess Liang Yao seemed very interested in Bai Qing.

"I heard that this young lady of the noble family is already engaged to the son of the Cao family and is planning to hold a grand ceremony soon?"

Looking at Bai Qing, Liang Yao smiled, "I wonder if I can come in and have a drink at that time."

This was a very normal thing to say.

For a princess to want to attend your wedding, in a certain sense, was giving you face.

However, when the people present heard this, they fell into silence.

The atmosphere became awkward.

Liang Yao suddenly had a sense of unease in her heart.

And sure enough, her uneasy feeling was realized in the next moment.

After a moment of silence, Elder Four asked in surprise, "Your Highness, where did you hear this news from?"

"But Qing'er and the son of the Cao family do not have a marriage contract, nor do they have any intentions of marrying outside for now."

He said it tactfully, but he was also puzzled.

Although Bai Qing's matter was significant, it was only within the Bai family.

How did Liang Yao know about it?

Did she intentionally inquire about the Bai family's news?

At this thought, Elder Four felt a sense of alertness.

However, Liang Yao showed no such reaction.

Listening to Elder Four's words, she was stunned.

"No marriage contract?"

She pondered Elder Four's words, her face suddenly becoming somewhat pale and her expression seeming off.

How could this be?

This was different from what I dreamt.

She looked at Bai Qing in the distance, her gaze fixed on her.

In her eyes, Bai Qing stood quietly, her features delicate and beautiful, standing out among the Bai family youths.

It seemed as though she felt Liang Yao's gaze, Bai Qing slowly raised her head, revealing a hint of surprise on her calm face.

Liang Yao realized this and immediately reacted, with a smile on her face, "Is that so, perhaps my people outside have inquired about the news and accidentally brought back the wrong information."

"As for this young lady, truly exquisite beauty, truly a pearl in your Bai family's palm."

She smiled, looking seemingly interested in Bai Qing, "I've been traveling this road and happen to lack a companion; I wonder if Miss Qing would be willing to accompany me for a time?"

"And if convenient afterward, you could join me back to the palace and assist me."

As soon as she said this, the people around lit up.

This was a good thing.

Even if the Great Liang royal family tried to recruit someone, they were still the Great Liang royal family.

The Princess Changping's position within the royal family was special, said to be particularly favored by the current Emperor of Great Liang.

If she could accompany her, she might receive favor in the future.

This would also bring great benefits to the Bai family.

After Princess Changping spoke, even Elder Four couldn't help but be tempted for a moment.

But the specifics depended on Bai Qing himself.

After all, Bai Qing also had a background.

So they turned to Bai Qing, their gazes fixed on her.

Several gazes locked onto her.

Bai Qing's expression was calm, despite being somewhat surprised, she didn't show too much emotion, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I am used to a leisurely life and do not wish to leave my hometown."

This was a polite way of refusing.

As her words fell, disappointment crept into the hearts of the people around.

"Is that so."

Liang Yao looked deeply into her eyes before smiling, "Well, I won't force you then."

With that, it seemed that the matter had passed.

In front, Liang Yao was chatting and laughing with the two elders, enjoying their conversation.

But this was only for a moment.

After a while, the two elders turned and left, leaving the rest of the Bai family members to entertain.

After all, in the end, she was just a princess.

If it were the current Emperor of Great Liang himself, then of course, there would be no room for discussion, and even the family head would have to come out of seclusion, otherwise it would be disrespectful.

But for just a princess, having two elders come out to entertain her was already quite good.

With the face-saving gesture done, it was time to move on to other matters.

There was no reason to stay and waste time.

It didn't exist.

Liang Yao clearly understood this, so she didn't comment and kept smiling along the way, looking very friendly.

Bai Qing and the others accompanied the princess forward, moving on.

"She is watching you."

As they walked, the voice of Empress Luoshan rang out in her mind again.

"I know."

Bai Qing replied calmly in her mind.

Since the Empress possessed her, Bai Qing's senses had become particularly sharp.

It was because of this that she could clearly feel the princess's gaze on her.

The princess seemed to be very focused on her, glancing at her from time to time.

But what exactly she was thinking was unclear.

"Sigh, what a pity."

In her mind, the voice of Empress Luoshan continued to speak: "This girl's talent is quite good, although slightly inferior to yours, it is still commendable in the current environment."

"It's a shame that her constitution is not quite suitable, otherwise it would be perfect."

She felt a bit regretful.

Among all the people she had seen so far, Bai Qing's talent was the best.

And the Great Liang princess in front of her was just second to Bai Qing, also considered top-tier talent.

The only regret was their compatibility, as she was far less suitable for her than Bai Qing.

Otherwise, changing the target and choosing the current Liang Yao wouldn't be bad either.

Bai Qing's will was just too firm, she naturally wanted to pursue a more easily attainable target.

The current princess in front of her seemed quite good.

Aside from these two, Chen An was also highly valued by Empress Luoshan.

However, she was somewhat uncertain about Chen An.

From her perspective, on the surface, Chen An's talent should be quite average.

But to be able to inherit the legacy of a Martial Saint and advance to the level of Qi at this age, it meant that his talent was definitely exceptional, perhaps not as outstanding as Bai Qing, but definitely top-tier.

This made it hard for her to read him.

And that was the reason why she valued him so much.

Moving forward, half a day quickly passed.

Arranged by the Bai family, Liang Yao settled down, spending the night in the Bai family's courtyard.

Upon arriving at her residence and being alone, Liang Yao's expression immediately changed.

A figure suddenly appeared before her, standing in front of her.

"Mr. Zhong, have you found out everything?"

Looking at the sudden appearance of the figure, Liang Yao showed no surprise and asked directly.

"I have found out most of it."

Mr. Zhong nodded and briefly stated the information he knew.

If Bai Qing were here at this moment, she would have been extremely surprised.

Because what Mr. Zhong was saying at this moment was all about her.

The information included many things, from Bai Qing's past experiences to recent incidents.

For example, Bai Qing losing all her cultivation, almost getting married and then canceling it, quickly returning to her previous status.

All these changes were explained clearly.

Of course, he didn't know the specific details.

For example, the incident where Chen An took action that day, he was not aware of it.

There were only a few people who experienced that day, most of whom were core members of the Bai family and it wasn't easy to get information from them.

Therefore, it was impossible to find any reliable information in a short period of time.

But even with the information he had found now, it was enough to surprise people.

"It turns out to be like this!"

Liang Yao's expression gradually turned grim: "This is different from what I dreamt of."

"In my dream, that Miss Bai from the Bai family should have been married by now, married into the Cao family."

"What went wrong?"

In reality, there was a secret that Liang Yao had been keeping.

Several years ago, she had found a treasure in the royal treasury of Great Liang.

It was a very old formation map, said to be left behind by the ancestor of Great Liang, which had been stored in the Great Liang treasury for a long time.

This item had been in the treasury for a long time, and in the past, it had never been taken seriously and was just placed there as a special commemorative item.

Until Liang Yao's arrival.

In an accident, she let some blood fall on the formation map and then incorporated it into her body.

Since then, she began to dream constantly.

The dreams showed her future events.

At first, she was shocked by the scenes she saw in her dreams and even feared some of the things that would happen in the future.

But when she saw that the future was unfolding exactly as she had dreamt of, a sense of joy filled her heart.

Following the glimpses of the future she saw in her dreams, she had accomplished many things.

She eliminated the powerful elites, won hearts, became the most trusted daughter of the Emperor of Great Liang, and garnered a group of powerful followers.

And this time she had come to Xianyuan County for the same reason she had glimpsed in her dreams.

"Your Highness, I don't understand."

Looking at Liang Yao's grim expression, Mr. Zhong was puzzled, "Is that Miss Bai from the Bai family so important that you are so anxious?"

In the past, there had indeed been cases where the trajectories of some people deviated from Liang Yao's dreams.

This was normal.

After all, once the future was known, it was only a possibility, no longer a definite event.

Not to mention the influence of Liang Yao.

Although this world didn't have the butterfly effect, there were similar principles.

From this perspective, it seemed that Liang Yao didn't need to be so worried.

"It's different."

Liang Yao shook her head, speaking to Mr. Zhong who looked puzzled, "Although there were deviations in the past, they were mostly not important figures."

"No matter how things change, the trajectories of those key figures generally remain unchanged."

"But this time."

"Is that Miss Bai from the Bai family a key figure?"

Mr. Zhong spoke again, "But she looks plain, even lost her internal energy, seeming powerless."

"Don't underestimate her."

Liang Yao looked deeply into Mr. Zhong's eyes, speaking with profound meaning, "She is not a simple person."

In broad daylight, Bai Qing seemed harmless and posed no threat to anyone.

But in Liang Yao's dreams, she was a dangerous figure indeed.

If everything went as planned, she would lose all her internal energy and be forced by the Bai family elders to marry into the Cao family.

Less than half a year later, an accident happened where the entire Cao family was completely wiped out, even the two Qi-level family elders met a sudden end.

And the perpetrator was none other than Bai Qing, who had already married into the Cao family.

No one knew why Bai Qing possessed such terrifying power, only that she had struck mercilessly.

In the ensuing series of events, she became the absolute protagonist, stirring up the turmoil of the entire Great Liang.

Frankly, Liang Yao's subsequent plans had a lot to do with her.

And that was why she was so shocked by the change of fate Bai Qing was facing.

"In about another half year, the treasure hidden beneath the Bai family ancestral land will emerge."

Liang Yao spoke, "In the original dream, the person who obtained that treasure was this Miss Bai from the Bai family."

Mr. Zhong was startled for a moment, then quickly became serious in his approach.

(End of this chapter)