Chapter 298: Treating Me Like a God?

The summer sun blazed as dawn shattered the night's hold. The city gates creaked open, and already the sky had turned a relentless shade of blue. Two groups were outside, saying their farewells, the air heavy with unspoken weight.

The three younger ones decided to leave on the same day as Hua Zhi.

She was sharp, neat, and full of energy, her hair tied up in a practical bun. The moment she stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted. She didn’t waste time with pleasantries, just a few biting words: “Pay attention. Think ahead. Stay alive. Above all, stay safe.”

Yang Sui’an didn’t hesitate, "Eldest Sister, don’t worry. I’ve got this."

It struck Hua Zhi, a fleeting thought she couldn’t shake—when had Sui’an started calling her "Eldest Sister"?

It used to be "Cousin"—but this felt different. More personal. It hit her that she had, perhaps, gained yet another younger brother.

“Don’t stress,” she continued, her gaze piercing. “You’ve got each other. Stick together. Always talk things through before making any calls. And there’s one more thing I need you to promise me." Her voice sharpened as she made eye contact with all three. "No matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, none of you are walking off mid-journey. You’re not allowed to leave, not even for a second. You all come back together, or don’t bother coming back at all.”

The three exchanged a silent look, then nodded without hesitation.

“I trust you. You’re men of your word,” she said, her expression softening as she mounted her horse. “This is where we part.”

“Take care, Eldest Sister.”

“Stay safe, Sister Hua.”

As she disappeared into the distance, Hua Bailin muttered, “First time I’ve seen her ride. She’s better than I am.”

Xiao Liu shrugged, settling into his saddle. “She’s probably covered more miles than we’ll ever know. She has to be a master by now.”

Bailin watched the spot where his sister had vanished, eyes burning with newfound resolve. He wouldn’t stay useless. He’d catch up. He’d become just as capable as Xiao Liu—he’d show them all.

*

Hua Zhi's group kept it light and fast. The weather was perfect—no need to worry about camping out for a night, even in the open. Hua Zhi’s riding had sharpened. Whenever she was worn out, she’d let Yan Xi take the reins, speeding up their progress compared to last time.

They stopped in front of a half-collapsed house. A fire crackled as Hua Zhi stirred a pot of soup, its scent rich and inviting in the air.

“It’s ready,” Hua Zhi motioned for everyone to grab their bowls.

She’d planned this trip well. Everyone had their own bowls, and she’d stocked up on dried vegetables, mushroom powder, and salt. Whenever they stopped to rest, she’d boil up a pot of soup to soften the dryness of their meals, making it easier on their throats.

Hua Zhi also packed dried meat for Yan Xi and his four subordinates. But for herself and the guards, who were still deep in mourning, there was no such luxury.

The others who’d taken their soup knew the drill and moved aside. Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi did the same, setting themselves further from the fire. It was too warm to sit too close.

Sipping the soup Hua Zhi had carefully prepared, Gu Yanxi realized it was better than anything he’d had in the palace. “I’d heard about the drought in Bingzhou, but seeing it firsthand… it’s far worse than I imagined.”

Entering Bingzhou, it was impossible to ignore the damage.

Most fields were cracked, the crops wilted and scattered across the ground. Even the healthier plants were weak, the kind usually pulled out to save the good ones. But now, those were being carefully nurtured—they were the only hope for the season’s harvest.

Ah Zhi’s mood darkened. She’d seen people sitting by the fields earlier today, weeping.

She'd come from a world where survival was never truly in question—where hunger was a distant concept. She couldn't fully grasp their misery, but she knew the truth: this year, many families would be forced to sell their children just to stay alive.

"Ah Zhi, what can we do about this?"

Ah Zhi chuckled bitterly, cutting him off. "Yanxi, do you think I'm some kind of god?"

Gu Yanxi wasn’t backing down.

Stubborn as ever, he insisted, "You figured out how to save the Xiangyang dam from collapsing. You’ve got to have something up your sleeve for this too."

"It’s not the same thing," Ah Zhi shot back. "We could stop the dam from falling apart, but I can’t make it rain when there’s no rain. What’s the Imperial Astronomical Observatory saying?"

"They said it’ll be dry for at least ten days, but now it looks like it’s going to be a whole damn month with no rain," Gu Yanxi replied, pouring the last of his soup into Ah Zhi’s bowl. "I’m not trying to put you on the spot, it’s just... whenever there’s a problem, I think of you first. Maybe you’ll see something I missed. I’m sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Ah Zhi said, cutting him off. "Actually, we can turn this around."

"Turn it around? What do you mean?"

Ah Zhi’s eyes flickered with a sharp glint. "Haoyue only said the Xiangyang dam would collapse in August, but she didn’t mention anything about the catastrophic effects of a drought in Bingzhou. If Bingzhou dried up to the point where people were dying of starvation, wouldn’t that give her more power to control the situation?"

"..."

Gu Yanxi grinned at Ah Zhi, and it hit him again—he’d been right. Every time he had a question, asking Ah Zhi led to something he hadn’t expected, some truth just waiting to be uncovered.

Ah Zhi flinched under his smile, quickly wiping her mouth. "What’s so funny?"

"I’m laughing because I’m just that lucky."

Hua Zhi, sharp as ever, caught on to the silent message in his words immediately. She gave him a sideways glance, then lowered her head to sip her soup, clearly choosing not to engage.

"You really put a lot of faith in Haoyue’s prophecies, don’t you?" Gu Yanxi said, his smile only deepening.

Hua Zhi didn’t miss a beat. "Prophecies are just about knowing things that are about to happen—things connected by cause and effect. The important part isn’t whether she predicts it, it’s why she’s doing it. Haoyue wants something, and no one does something for free. She’s no different."

Gu Yanxi gave a small nod. "Before we left, I got a message from Chen Qing confirming that Haoyue's target is the leader of the Seven Stars Bureau."

A chill ran down Hua Zhi’s spine, an uncomfortable feeling creeping into her chest like something precious was being eyed by the wrong person. She shoved that thought aside and forced her mind to focus.

The leadership of the Seven Stars Bureau wasn’t just handed out. It was passed down from generation to generation. If Haoyue was after the power that came with that position, then she was probably plotting something bigger.

But what if it wasn’t just the position she wanted?

What if it was the person behind the mask of the Seven Stars Bureau leader?

This whole situation felt familiar, like a story she had heard before.

"Did she mention Xiao Liu?" she asked.

"No," Gu Yanxi replied, his voice low, as if the thought had just crossed his mind. "She seems to have a soft spot for me. More than for the other princes, anyway. Chen Qing tried to get her to talk about them, but she dismissed them, said they were all useless."

They were both sharp as hell, and they instantly saw the connection.

Ignoring the princes and going after the leader of the Seven Stars Bureau?

That meant one thing—this leader’s future would outshine anything the princes could ever achieve. And to outshine the princes...

There was only one way to top that.

One single position in the world that could trump a prince’s status!

Hua Zhi felt a sharp pain in her chest, as though something had driven a needle right through her.

She couldn’t buy into the idea that Haoyue had it all figured out. She herself was an unpredictable wild card, and Xiao Liu was another factor she threw into the mix.

And Haoyue? She was just as much a variable.

By giving Yanxi that "gift" and unveiling the hidden Yuan Shifang, everything spiraled out of control. She wondered—could even Haoyue handle the fallout from what she’d set in motion?

———TN: One hour left until 2025 hits!

Time is running out fast—get ready because we’re about to step into a brand new year.

No more time to waste—gear up for what's next!