Chapter 7 — The Golden Crow Reclaims Her Fate

My brothers, completely unfazed by the stern, frigid gaze of our father, the Heavenly Emperor, only grew more entrenched in their stubborn defiance.

“Executing Jiang Rou is out of the question,” the Crown Prince declared, his voice ringing with a cold finality. “There is absolutely nothing to negotiate here!”

“If Father insists on taking her life,” another brother chimed in, stepping forward with a reckless glare, “then you shall have to execute me alongside her!”

Watching our father teeter on the very edge of an explosive rage, I hurriedly stepped forward to soothe the storm. “Father, please, the wrath of the Heavenly Emperor is no small thing. When the heavens are angered, the mountains crumble, the rivers wither, and the very color of the Three Realms drains away. You must not succumb to this fury!”

The Emperor turned his gaze toward me, his expression softening into one of profound regret and weariness. “I knew from the very beginning that your destiny was entwined with this specific tribulation, which is why I commanded your brothers to protect you. I never imagined that these incompetent fools would become the very source of the peril you faced. It puts me in an impossible position.” He paused, his eyes hardening as he gestured toward the room. “Since your nine brothers have chosen to treat you with such callous disregard, I shall grant the throne of the Three Realms to you instead.”

The Crown Prince recoiled as if struck, his face pale with disbelief. “Father, what are you saying? Are you truly prepared to strip me of my title and birthright simply for the sake of Jiang Ning?”

Our father’s eyes seemed to ignite with a searing, volcanic flame. “You have allowed yourself to be blinded by a woman of low and wretched origins, treating your own flesh and blood with such cruelty. You have neglected the governance of the Three Realms entirely, instead dedicating your days to these preposterous and shameful antics. How could I ever entrust the fate of all living beings to someone so easily led astray?”

Hearing this, I felt the time for mercy had passed. I pulled my expression into a mask of chilling authority, ready to establish my dominance. “As for the immortals who just now pleaded on behalf of Jiang Rou, strip them of their divinity and cast them all down to the mortal realm!” I commanded, my voice cold as winter frost. “I will not keep those who seek my ruin lingering in my palace.”

A wave of shock rippled through the gathered immortals. They exchanged frantic glances, clearly expecting that if I were to be the next Empress of Heaven, I would surely prioritize a reputation for benevolence to win their loyalty. Jiang Rou looked at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“Jiang Ning, how can you be so ruthless? How can you possibly be fit to rule over the common folk of the Four Continents?” she cried out. “Are you not afraid that by casting so many immortals into the dust, the mortals will mock your lack of grace?”

I turned my focus to the Crown Prince, who had been glaring at me with unconcealed hatred, and retorted, “Compared to the treachery of my own brother, what do the opinions of these lackeys matter? Besides, I have no fondness for traitors. With such people lurking at my side, how could I ever sleep soundly?” I gestured dismissively toward them. “Furthermore, they have spent these past days basking in the luxury provided by a fraud; it is high time they faced the consequences of their choices.”

Though I had been reborn and had altered the course of my fate, the memories of my past life remained seared into my mind like a brand. Every day, they reminded me that these very people were the architects of my agonizing death. How could I ever forgive them? The only way to deal with Jiang Rou and her sycophantic followers was to silence them forever. With a sharp snap of my fingers, every possession remaining in the Princess’s chambers flew toward me. As she watched her stolen treasures return to my side, Jiang Rou’s complexion turned the color of ash.

“Those are mine! Put them down!” she shrieked.

I offered her a cold, mocking smile. “You claim these things as your own—it seems you have grown quite comfortable in the skin of someone else, haven’t you? But remember, Jiang Rou, a mask worn for too long eventually becomes impossible to peel away.”

I spotted the phoenix crown Father had commissioned for my wedding day nestled among the pile. Seeing it covered in the unsightly, glistening slime left behind by snails, I felt a wave of profound disgust. “Jiang Rou, you still fail to comprehend the chasm between us. These items are merely things I discarded with a wave of my hand; I can acquire finer treasures whenever I wish. Yet, you treat what I cast aside as if it were a rare and priceless heirloom.”

I laughed, a hollow sound of contempt. “Do you not realize how pathetic you look? You have spent years treasuring the very refuse that I find beneath my notice.”

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned a divine fire, instantly engulfing the pile in flames. Anything Jiang Rou had touched was now irrevocably tainted. As the fire roared, she wept and wailed as if the world were ending. “No! Those were the things I painstakingly collected! How could you?”

Watching her display of grief, the Crown Prince’s face was etched with misplaced pity. “Do not fret, my dear Nhu. As Crown Prince, such trivialities mean nothing to me. I shall provide you with even better things!”

Our father watched this display of obsession, his expression one of utter defeat. “I cannot fathom it. You would truly ruin your own future for the sake of a common, wretched spirit. Your infatuation is beyond salvation.”

The Crown Prince ignored him, his focus entirely on coddling the sobbing woman. Just then, the Great Emperor of Gou Chen, who had previously fled the scene, returned. Seeing him, Jiang Rou’s face lit up as if she had finally found a lifeline, and she began to scream his name.