For a moment, He Yingying couldn’t tell whether her senior brother had seen through her little plan and looked down on her, so he was rejecting her tactfully—or if he was just that… dense.
That straight-up, clueless kind of guy.
After a bit of fidgeting, she finally spoke in a bashful, whispery tone.
“Um… Senior Brother, I… I was wondering if I could sleep in your room tonight?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her face turned scarlet.
She clutched the pillow tightly to her chest and peeked up at Lin Wuming with caution.
That had to be obvious enough, right?
“…Huh?”
Lin Wuming’s expression showed slight irritation.
Was it possible he’d been taking care of this girl for too long, and she’d become dependent on him?
That wouldn’t do—he had to put a stop to it before it got worse.
She was supposed to be a future Empress—if he spoiled her into uselessness, it’d be his fault.
And so, in a firm and righteous tone, he said:
“Don’t you have your own room? Why are you coming into mine? You’re not a child anymore…”
He Yingying’s body trembled.
She pouted, looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes, a trace of disappointment flickering in them.
“…Okay.”
She mumbled like a scolded child, trying to act obedient, but her emotions were anything but stable—like a sulking kid who just got rejected.
Lin Wuming sighed and shook his head.
Really now, this junior sister… she was way too much trouble.
And this girl was supposed to be a future Empress?
He reached out and gave her head a vigorous ruffle, completely messing up her long purple hair.
“Your injuries aren’t fully healed yet. Go get some rest.”
And with that, he slammed the door shut in her face, crushing her hopes.
Still caught in the fuzzy warmth of that head pat, He Yingying stared blankly at the door as it shut with a heavy thud.
She stood there frozen for a long time, then felt a sudden urge to cry.
She bit her lip, held back her tears, and carried her pillow back to her room.
She understood the message loud and clear: her senior brother was telling her that they were just brother and sister in the sect. ‘She shouldn’t harbor any other thoughts.
And he was right… With his exceptional talents, incredible skills in both medicine and music, and overall good nature—how could someone like him possibly like someone like her?
He Yingying reflected on herself.
Her talent was mediocre, her looks weren’t bad, but certainly nothing exceptional in her senior brother’s eyes.
Aside from being a royal princess, she was basically useless.
But what did a mere royal title mean to a once-in-a-millennium genius like him?
If she were him, she wouldn’t think much of a “little ugly duckling” like herself either.
‘But people can change, Senior Brother.’
She bit her lip and clenched her tiny fists, brimming with determination.
“Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years it flows west. Don’t you dare look down on a girl just because she’s down now!”
Sure, right now he seemed out of reach—but that might not always be the case…
One day, she vowed, he would fall for her—utterly, completely.
He’d tell her how much he loved her, and just the sight of her would make him want to stay close, cuddle, and dote on her all day long!
“Just wait, Senior Brother… That day will come!”
Back in her room, she shut the door, but didn’t sleep.
Instead, she sat cross-legged on the bed, gathered her focus, and began to cultivate.
During her recent meridian restoration, something strange had happened—something she couldn’t quite explain.
Her body felt subtly different, and even the imperial cultivation technique she’d practiced since childhood seemed to have changed in some fundamental way.
She didn’t know whether that was good or bad, but one thing was certain—her cultivation was going a lot smoother than before.
‘Hopefully this isn’t just my imagination…’
She shook off all distractions and focused on circulating her energy.
She would work hard—all night long.
Only by doing so could she keep up with her senior brother.
***
Meanwhile, Lin Wuming was staring at the new system task that had just appeared before his eyes… and fell deep into thought.
[Mission Description: Empress Development Plan]
[Your cute and innocent junior sister has immense potential and may one day become the Empress of All Realms. ]
[As her senior brother—and her best mentor—it’s your duty to guide her there.]
[However, a true master does good deeds without seeking fame. During her rise, you must not steal her spotlight or overshadow the “protagonist.”]
[Mission Objective: Help He Yingying grow stronger and rise in status until she becomes the Empress of All Realms.]
[Mission Rewards: Rewards are based on how useless your junior sister thinks you are.
The more she sees you as a harmless background character, the higher the rewards.]
[Note 1: This is a long-term, multi-phase mission.]
[Phase 1 Goal: Make He Yingying the Crown Princess of the Yanhuang Empire.
Top reward for Phase 1: One scroll of the Creation Saint Dao Manual and one cultivation breakthrough opportunity.]
[Note 2: This is a main storyline quest. Theoretically, the rewards have no upper limit. Please take it seriously.]
[Note 3: Due to your previous F-tier performance, where you barely met the minimum, the system has enhanced the minimum guarantee. Even if you only barely succeed, you’ll still get a partial technique scroll and a cultivation upgrade.]
“…”
Not gonna lie, this was a lot of info.
Three footnotes alone…
Yeah, Lin Wuming was just gonna pretend he didn’t see the system insulting him again.
First, the mission goal was clear: help his junior sister grow stronger and more influential until she becomes Empress of the Multiverse.
Second, it had phases. Phase one: make her Crown Princess of the Yanhuang Empire.
That alone gave Lin Wuming a headache.
Like, seriously… did the system even know what it was asking?
The Yanhuang Empire wasn’t just any kingdom—it was the Empire, the only nation on the continent qualified to be called one.
It had risen at the end of ten thousand years of chaos, rumored to be the successor of the First Emperor’s ancient dynasty.
After inheriting that legacy, it had reigned for nearly 10,000 years.
At its peak, it united all under heaven:
“All land under the heavens belongs to the Emperor. All people are his subjects.”
Both righteous and demonic sects, even beast tribes and Buddhist clans, were under its rule.
Every powerful sect received imperial titles.
Even sect leaders and elders served as court officials—a true empire that ruled all!
Although the past 2–3 thousand years had seen its decline and the rise of independent sects, the Yanhuang Empire remained the strongest and most powerful force in the world.
Even top powers like the Taixu Hall and Heavenly Demon Palace couldn’t compare.
The Empire’s Dragon General was a peerless warrior—second only to the legendary White-Clothed Demon Emperor.
The Imperial Advisor was a master of both power and politics, with the mind of a divine strategist.
The current Emperor, though slightly overshadowed by these two, was still wise and capable—a ruler groomed by the Imperial Advisor from childhood.
And the Empire’s heirs?
Its princes and princesses were each uniquely gifted, outrageously talented.
And now… the mission was to somehow make a girl with no ties to the empire, no imperial blood, the next Crown Princess?
What was he supposed to do?
Walk up to the Emperor and say: “Hey, my junior sister has the destiny of an Empress, how about you adopt her and name her heir?”
This system… was it trying to screw him over or what?!