Chapter 8 — The Golden Crow Reclaims Her Fate

Gazing at the heaps of gold, silver, and precious jewels that the Great Emperor Gou Chen had brought as offerings, a flicker of raw greed instantly crossed Jiang Rou’s face. She cast a glance in my direction, her eyes gleaming with a touch of smug triumph.

“I have not yet lost, princess,” she sneered. “Regardless of what you think, the one who truly holds Gou Chen’s heart is me, not you.”

I watched her display with nothing but detached amusement. However, seeing me remain as calm and undisturbed as drifting clouds, Jiang Rou suddenly descended into a frenzy.

“I do not believe it! You must be suffering, knowing that the man you love has come to seek me out instead!” she shrieked, clutching at her robes. “Jiang Ning, I am still the high and mighty princess of this realm!”

I stared at her, utterly speechless. Great Emperor Gou Chen had once been a mere servant under my father’s command; he was a man so consumed by the pursuit of status and wealth that his sycophancy knew no bounds. I had no desire to spare him even a single glance, let alone feel jealous over his presence. Whether he chose to wed Jiang Rou or a mountain troll was of no consequence to me. To my surprise, the Great Emperor suddenly lashed out, striking Jiang Rou across the face with a look of profound disgust.

“What sort of creature are you?” he spat. “I have come to seek Princess Jiang Ning! How dare a common earthly spirit like you soil the reputation of a Great Emperor?”

Turning away from her, he groveled before my father, pressing his forehead to the cold stone floor. “Heavenly Emperor, these are the betrothal gifts I have prepared. I humbly beg you to accept them. I consulted the Matchmaker, and he confirmed that there remains a significant bond of fate between Princess Jiang Ning and myself. Since seven days from now is an auspicious date, I hope to take her as my bride then.”

Gou Chen’s words left me gaping in disbelief. To think he could be so entangled with Jiang Rou and still have the audacity to propose to me! My father did not immediately consent; instead, he began to make calculations with his fingers, his expression darkening with each passing second.

“You, who once caused my daughter such grievous harm while chasing after that imposter, Jiang Rou,” my father’s voice rumbled like thunder. “And now you dare to ask for her hand in marriage? How is such a thing possible?”

Though his intentions had been laid bare, Gou Chen showed no shame, keeping his head pressed low against the ground. “Heavenly Emperor, I pray you listen. Princess Jiang Ning and I were childhood sweethearts, pure and innocent in our affections. In truth, she has always been the one I wished to marry. I was merely deceived by those around me, which led to this unfortunate series of misunderstandings.”

I could stomach no more. With a flick of my wrist, I unleashed a flare of immortal spirit fire, searing the hair from Gou Chen’s head. “A man of your filth, coveting me? To think you imagine yourself fit to be the Emperor of the Three Realms—you are dreaming in broad daylight!”

Gou Chen stared at me, trembling, apparently still clinging to the delusional hope that I harbored feelings for him. He seemed stunned that I would show him no mercy. Ignoring his dignity, he scrambled toward me and clutched at my robes, tears and snot streaming down his face. “Ning, I am sincere! I was led astray by them, I swear it! Please, for the sake of our childhood, give me one more chance!”

I kicked him away with utter loathing. Seeing this, Jiang Rou hurried to help him up, her voice trembling. “My love, do not fear. If Jiang Ning will not have you, then you have me! Do not forget that I have already given myself to you!”

Enraged, Gou Chen struck her again. “You common, lowly spirit! If it were not for you, I would have secured the position of Great Emperor long ago. That night we spent together was nothing but your own wicked sorcery. You are a disgusting slug of a creature—every time I remember, I feel nothing but nausea!”

Jiang Rou collapsed to the ground, sobbing in desperation.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the hall. The Crown Prince, having heard the confession that Jiang Rou had already lost her virtue to Gou Chen, struck her with all his might. His eyes burned crimson as he glared at Gou Chen, his hatred cold and absolute. My other brothers joined in, their faces contorted with rage, wishing nothing more than to tear Gou Chen limb from limb.

“We did not even dare to touch our dear sister, yet you…” The Crown Prince grabbed Gou Chen by the collar, his breath coming in ragged gasps of fury. “I wondered why she was no longer a maiden. So it was you!”

Gou Chen, finally realizing the implications of his actions, lunged at them in a fit of reciprocal rage. The vast halls of the Heavenly Court descended into total chaos.

“Enough!”

My father massaged his temples and shouted, silencing the room. They all froze, though their eyes remained filled with resentment. I watched their pathetic spectacle with genuine fascination, unable to hide my delight.

“I wonder,” I said, my voice cutting through the silence, “did I not warn you all of her true nature long before you were bewitched? When I first rescued her, I found her gasping for breath in a common brothel.”

The look on their faces—as if they had swallowed something truly foul—was worth every moment of frustration. I could not help but burst into laughter. Seeing them stand there as if struck by lightning was so absurd that I secretly pulled out a recording stone to preserve the memory for posterity. The eldest prince was the first to act, lashing out to strike Jiang Rou down for the final time. Afterward, they collapsed into pathetic, wailing pleas for my forgiveness. But by then, I had already ascended the Heavenly Emperor’s throne.

“Dear brothers,” I said, looking down at them from my seat. “The time has come to settle our debts.”

The End.