BXBX NOVEL Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Reborn Empress
But before making any moves, Aric needed more information. He summoned one of his mind-controlled followers, Fuji Tenjou, a disciple closely connected to Long Tianyun. In a dark, secluded chamber deep within the sect, Aric questioned the disciple about Long Tianyun\'s movements and the places he frequently visited.
The disciple, spoke in a monotone voice. "Master Long Tianyun often visits Iron Lotus City. It\'s one of the places he goes to frequently, though he keeps his reasons to himself."
"Iron Lotus City," Aric repeated, the name rolling off his tongue like a secret finally revealed. "Interesting. What else do you know about this city?"
The disciple continued, "Iron Lotus City is known for its iron mines, which supply high-quality iron to the surrounding regions. The city itself is prosperous, filled with blacksmiths and merchants who thrive on the iron trade. However, Master Long\'s reasons for visiting are unrelated to the mines. There\'s a house on the outskirts of the city—he visits it often.
The locals believe it belongs to a wealthy but reclusive woman."
Aric\'s eyes narrowed in thought. A wealthy woman living in seclusion on the outskirts of a mining city… it had to be Daniela. Her brother had ensured she lived in comfort, providing her with all the luxuries she needed to live an ordinary, yet privileged life. But what would a girl like her be doing in a place like Iron Lotus City?
He needed to know more, especially about her day-to-day life and any potential weaknesses he could exploit.
Without wasting time, Aric dispatched his network of spies and followers to Iron Lotus City. They were to observe and report on everything related to the mysterious woman living in the luxurious house. Days passed as his agents infiltrated the city, blending in with the local populace to gather information.
One of his most trusted spies soon returned with a report. "Master, we\'ve located the girl. She lives in a grand house on the outskirts of Iron Lotus City, just as you suspected. Her name is Long Daniela, but the locals know her simply as Lady Daniela. She\'s known for her generosity and kindness, often helping the poor families of the city.
Although she doesn\'t need to work due to the wealth provided by her brother, she spends her time managing a small workshop where she teaches local women how to sew and embroider. It\'s a humble place, but it\'s well-regarded by the townsfolk."
Aric nodded, absorbing the information. "A kind and charitable soul, living quietly among the common folk. It makes sense; she\'s building a life for herself, separate from the cultivation world."
Satisfied with the details his spy had provided, Aric began to formulate his next move. Approaching Daniela directly was too risky; it would draw unwanted attention, especially from Long Tianyun.
Aric knew he had to play this carefully, weaving a web of deceit that would leave no trace back to him. But the question remained—how should he present himself to Daniela?
"How should I approach her? Should I approach her as Ye Chen or as Aric Lei?" Aric pondered, pacing back and forth.
After a moment, a wicked grin spread across his face. "I guess Ye Chen would be better. She would fall in love with me, but for everyone, I am Ye Chen, and when Long Tianyun finds out his sister is with me, who will be the biggest scapegoat? It will be Ye Chen."
The thought of the chaos that would ensue thrilled Aric. "Then the protagonists will fight each other while I enjoy the scene from the shadows. Ha ha ha," Aric laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber.
Yet, in the kind of novels he had read in his past life, such a setup often had hidden layers. Aric knew that it was entirely possible Daniela might already harbor feelings for Long Tianyun, even if neither of them was aware of it yet.
"In these kinds of stories, it\'s almost inevitable," Aric mused to himself. "They just need a reason—a revelation that they\'re not truly related—and the rest will fall into place. Once they find out the truth, their suppressed feelings might just explode."
"But if she falls for me first," Aric smirked, "it will make the whole situation feel delicious."
But first, he needed a legitimate reason to be near Iron Lotus City, something that would allow him to move freely and observe Daniela without drawing suspicion. The sect\'s mission hall provided the perfect cover.
Aric strode into the mission hall the next day, the bustling activity around him barely registering as he scanned the list of available tasks. It didn\'t take long for him to find what he was looking for—a mission that required investigating disturbances near Iron Lotus City.
According to the details, rogue cultivators were causing trouble, harassing the local population and disrupting trade routes. The mission was ideal, offering him a plausible reason to be in the area and setting the stage for his plan.
With the mission accepted, Aric left the sect grounds and began his journey to Iron Lotus City. His mind was already working through the steps he needed to take.
Iron Lotus City was as bustling and vibrant as Aric had anticipated. The clang of hammers on anvils echoed through the streets, mingling with the shouts of merchants hawking their wares. The city\'s prosperity was evident in the well-maintained buildings and the busy market square, filled with people from all walks of life.
Yet, despite the noise and commotion, Aric\'s focus was unwavering, his thoughts centered on the task at hand.
Aric made his way through the city, keeping a low profile as he headed toward the outskirts. He soon reached the edge of the city, where the grand house that belonged to Daniela stood. It was a beautiful structure, built with refined taste and surrounded by a well-tended garden.
The house itself was an elegant blend of traditional and modern designs, with polished stone walls and intricate woodwork that reflected the wealth and care invested in it. But Aric\'s interest wasn\'t in the architecture; it was in the woman who lived there.
From his vantage point, Aric could see the workshop Daniela managed, a modest building next to the main house where women from the city gathered to learn sewing and embroidery. But as Aric watched her, he couldn\'t help but notice more than just her kindness.
Daniela was a vision of beauty, the kind that could make even the most disciplined cultivator falter. She wore a viel to hide her face. But Aric could easily guess that she was beautiful. Daniela wore a viel that masked her face. But aric can easily identify beauties. He has a natural gift for that.
So, he can clearly identify her beauty. He can easily see a perpetual smile as she spoke to the women in the workshop.
But it wasn\'t just her face that caught Aric\'s attention. Daniela\'s body was the epitome of perfection, the kind that would turn heads in any setting. She had an hourglass figure, with a narrow waist that accentuated her ample curves. Her breasts were full and perfectly proportioned, drawing the eye with every subtle movement.
Her hips were wide and shapely, leading down to long, slender legs that moved with a grace that seemed almost ethereal. The simple dress she wore, though modest, did little to hide the voluptuousness of her form.
Aric\'s eyes lingered on her, taking in every detail. She was exactly the kind of woman who would captivate any man, including himself.
As he watched her interact with the women in the workshop, her demeanor warm and gentle, Aric couldn\'t help but smile. It was easy to see why the townsfolk admired her.
"Let\'s first check whether she is actually a heroine or not?", Aric thought.
Aric mentally commanded the system to display the status of Long Daniela, his eyes narrowing with anticipation as the familiar interface materialized before him. Soon, the Stautus Screen came in front of him.
[Name: Long Daniela (Reborn Empress)]
[Age: 17]
[Cultivation Level: Mortal]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 15]
[Intelligence: 35]
[Charm: 200]
[Physique: Veiled Empress Physique (Dormant)]
[Bloodline: Bloodline of the Reborn Empress (Unawakened)]
[Cultivation Techniques: None]
[Skills: None]
[Favourability: 0]
[Protagonist Halo (Luck): 70,000]
Aric\'s eyes widened as he read through Daniela\'s status, unable to suppress his shock. The numbers and details flashing on the screen were far beyond what he had anticipated.
"What is that? Is it real? Holy shit," Aric muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. His gaze zeroed in on one particular stat that made his heart skip a beat. "Her charm is 200. I haven\'t even reached that figure."
Aric\'s mind raced as he tried to process the implications of what he was seeing. Daniela was not just some ordinary girl. The dormant Veiled Empress Physique, the Bloodline of the Reborn Empress—it all pointed to a destiny of immense power and influence. And her charm, already sky-high even as a mortal, would only increase as she grew into her true potential.
"And an empress?" Aric marvelled, shaking his head in amazement. "This is what they call a protagonist."
Long Daniela was currently just a mortal, but the system revealed far more than what met the eye. Her Veiled Empress Physique was something Aric recognized from the cultivation texts he had studied. It was a rare and powerful physique, one that could elevate its bearer to unimaginable heights—but only after it had fully matured.
The note about her physique being "dormant" caught his attention. It was something that couldn\'t be activated prematurely; it required time to reach its full potential. According to the system\'s analysis, her physique was still in its dormant state and wouldn\'t fully awaken until she turned 18.
At that point, her true power and memories as a reborn empress would be unlocked, transforming her from a simple mortal into a formidable force.
"She\'s a ticking time bomb," Aric mused, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Right now, she\'s vulnerable, unknowing of her true potential. But in a year, she could become something entirely different."
"Now I know, what would have been the original plot for her.", Aric smirked
The Bloodline of the Reborn Empress, unawakened as it was, hinted at a past life filled with power and dominance. The system hadn\'t provided specific details on her previous life, but it was clear that Daniela\'s former self had been someone of immense importance, likely an empress.
"She will soon awaken her memories and she will become stronger over time", Aric thought. "And most likely she will have some past memories. Maybe she knows what might happen in the future?"
Aric\'s thoughts turned to the Heavenly Demonic Sect\'s evaluation of her. They had deemed her talentless, which made sense now. Her Veiled Empress Physique was beyond the understanding of most sects. Most likely, they wouldn\'t have been able to detect her Physique. Otherwise, she would not have been left alone.
"Fools," Aric thought, almost pitying the sect for their shortsightedness. "They had no idea what they let slip through their fingers."
The final piece of the puzzle, the Protagonist Halo of 70,000, made it clear why Daniela was so important. That level of luck was exceptional, even by protagonist standards.
It meant that fate itself was bending to ensure her safety and success, and it also implied a connection to Long Tianyun\'s destiny, possibly through her eventual awakening and the role she was destined to play.
Aric\'s mind raced with possibilities. Daniela was the perfect candidate to exploit—currently weak and unaware, yet destined for greatness. He could manipulate her before she became too powerful, ensuring that when she did awaken, she would be under his control.
"This changes everything," Aric murmured, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "She might just be the key to toppling the protagonist and securing my own rise."
Aric arrived at Iron Lotus City with a clear objective in mind, and his first order of business was to secure his place within the city. As a disciple of the Heavenly Demonic Sect, he knew that the sect\'s reputation often preceded its members. Although the sect was often seen as ruthless by outsiders, the truth was more nuanced.
The Heavenly Demonic Sect wasn\'t inherently cruel; rather, it emphasized strength, survival of the fittest, and the belief that power was the ultimate justice. They simply followed a different philosophy than the orthodox sects, but at their core, they weren\'t all that different.
Aric\'s assignment in Iron Lotus City had been requested by the city\'s mayor, a pragmatic man who understood that while orthodox sects might be more popular, the Heavenly Demonic Sect had its merits—especially when dealing with rogue cultivators who operated outside the law. The mayor had petitioned the sect directly, seeking assistance to rid his city of a growing threat.
Aric\'s arrival was met with a mixture of fear and respect; the people of Iron Lotus City knew his sect\'s reputation, but they also recognized that they needed someone strong enough to deal with the rogue cultivators.
END OF THE CHAPTER.
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