At this moment, Zhao Douan clearly realized,
that under such power, no living being could resist, they could only submit.
Yet, for some reason, he could clearly feel that his consciousness was not affected at all.
It was as if his soul was immune to the magic of this world.
"So, this is the cultivation power of this world?"
"The Emperor of Great Yu truly is a cultivator... but, in the memories of the original host, wasn't the Empress supposed to be on the path of martial arts?"
"Wait, quickly gather your thoughts, don't show any unusual behavior!"
Zhao Douan's thoughts raced, and he desperately tried to retract his divine soul within his shell.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but that gaze, which had swept over his entire body, was withdrawn. The invisible pressure suddenly disappeared, and all the anomalies subsided.
"Huff..." Zhao Douan gasped for air like a fish out of water, and the scene before his eyes returned to normal:
He was still sitting at the round table, and the Empress opposite him had her eyes return to clear black and white, the wind around her disappeared as well.
It seemed as though everything that had just happened was an illusion.
"Your Majesty..." Zhao Douan inquired, still feeling a lingering fear.
Xu Zhenguan picked up the jade green teacup, took a sip, her expression remaining composed as she lied,
"I heard that when you captured Zhuang Xiaocheng, you were attacked by a mysterious magician, fearing there might be hidden dangers left in your divine soul, I helped you inspect it."
I trust your lie... Clearly, you were just inspecting my body... Zhao Douan said apprehensively,
"What were the results?"
"No harm," Xu Zhenguan replied. After a pause, she added,
"There were some minor damages, but I have smoothed them over for you."
She had indeed suspected earlier that Zhao Douan in front of her was under the influence of magic.
For instance, some magicians possessed the power to "bewitch people's hearts."
It could achieve effects similar to hypnosis.
The recipient would subconsciously obey the commands of the practitioner, yet be totally unaware of it.
It could even warp a person's perception of things; there had been two heinous incidents in history:
A magician bewitched the people of a place, altering male and female copulation as if it were a daily greeting...
The other one was even more deranged,
an entire small town was bewitched, altering their perception of gender, resulting in a collective psychological sex change...
But after her inspection just now, Zhao Douan's divine soul had indeed been slightly impacted, but it was within a reasonable range, not affected by abilities similar to "bewitchment."
With the Empress's level of cultivation, even the Old Heavenly Master from the Heavenly Master Mansion or Master Xuan Yin performing spells would not be able to escape her scrutiny.
"So it's really his own idea without external guidance..."
Xu Zhenguan held the tea bowl, her curiosity not diminished, but rather intensified.
Did she really treat me... no wonder I feel much better... It seems the benefits of crossing worlds still exist, at least I no longer have to worry about being exposed...
Zhao Douan's heart, which had been on edge, suddenly calmed down, knowing he had passed the test of magic.
The most difficult hurdle had been overcome.
Finally, Xu Zhenguan stopped dwelling on her thoughts, her bright eyes fixed on the handsome "gigolo" before her, she asked,
"As far as I know, the abilities you displayed today differ vastly from the rumors of the past. I need an explanation."
Zhao Douan's spirits lifted; it was time for the performance segment he excelled in.
He was silent for a moment, then, as if lost in his memories, he spoke,
"A year ago, I was fortunately recommended, caught the attention of Your Majesty, was given an important role, and became the White Horse Envoy.
From an obscure foot soldier in the imperial guard to the so-called 'favorite' in the eyes of outsiders near Your Majesty, it truly was a fortune cultivated over ten lifetimes..."
Xu Zhenguan did not interrupt him, quietly waiting for the rest.
Zhao Douan carefully glanced at her and said,
"But later, rumors and scandals gradually spread in court and the capital, involving me and Your Majesty... At first, I thought they were baseless and not worth worrying about, but as the rumors intensified, the palace never addressed them.
Even... Your Majesty indeed seemed to treat me slightly differently, unlike other colleagues."
Xu Zhenguan's face remained unchanged, she was not displeased,
Zhao Douan took a breath, and solemnly said,
"I am aware of my limitations, moreover, there was none of the so-called matters between Your Majesty and me from the rumors, yet Your Majesty's attitude faintly... as if, was allowing this narrative to spread intentionally!
I was greatly puzzled, unable to discuss it with anyone, and could only ponder it myself."
"I boldly hypothesized, if this matter was indeed deliberately fabricated by Your Majesty, then what would be the purpose?
I am merely a minor soldier, what specialty do I have? After much thought, only one possibility came to my mind."
Xu Zhenguan showed curiosity, "What possibility?"
"Bait!" Zhao Douan enunciated clearly, saying,
"Back then, Your Majesty had only recently ascended to the throne, the court situation was unstable, countless people had ulterior motives in the shadows, some with connections to rebels, others with vested interests—it was inevitable that they would harbor ill intentions against Your Majesty.
However, Your Majesty's cultivation was immense, and being in the imperial palace, it was difficult for them to make a move against you."
"So, if a bait could be released outside the palace, perhaps, it could lure them in."
"And I, being from a foot soldier background, with shallow scheming and only a superficial appearance, was a suitable choice for bait. As long as the rumors spread that I was favored by Your Majesty and placed in such a government office like the White Horse Hall...
Those lurking in the dark would notice and might use me as a breakthrough point, whether to gather intelligence or to induce defection... I was the ideal apparent choice."
Xu Zhenguan's eyes shone even brighter,
Zhao Douan took a deep breath and said,
"After guessing this possibility, I thought about how I could relieve Your Majesty's worries and complete this task perfectly. I realized that the people in the dark were extremely cautious, and to lure them in, I must ensure they let their guard down with me."
Xu Zhenguan seemed to understand,
"So, you changed your character?"
"Yes!" Zhao Douan said,
"Hence, I followed ancient examples, pretended to be smug due to gaining favor, lived a dissolute life, and became arrogant, associating with the idlers of the capital, tarnishing my reputation.
I even deliberately fell out with the Supervisor who had shown me kindness... in this way, I made people believe that I was a foolish, self-important, schemingless 'gigolo' with nothing but appearance...
Only then could those with intentions against Your Majesty lower their vigilance and dare to contact me, revealing themselves!"
After a pause, he showed a look of regret,
"It's just a pity, whether due to my incompetence or the traitors being overly cautious, in this past year, I've only managed to attract minor figures like Feng Ju and Wang Xian, but the truly great villains have not taken the bait."
Zhao Douan's speech was full of loyalty.
It perfectly portrayed him as a devoted lamb, grateful for his fortune, willing to tarnish his name to relieve the Saint's burdens, and presenting an image of sincere dedication to loyalty.
This was also the most reasonable version he had come up with after thinking it over last night, an explanation that could rationalize his character change.
Zhao Douan had never thought he could truly and perfectly blend with the original host.
After a few days of brief contact, even Zhu Kui could detect his changes, how could he deceive the Empress's keen eyes?
Therefore, when he realized that his identity as a "fake gigolo" was extremely suspicious,
and knowing that the original host had once been appreciated by the Supervisor and was a promising young man before being corrupted by fame and fortune, he came up with this explanation.
This explanation perfectly rationalized why Zhao Douan's wit and means didn't match the rumors.
As for whether he truly was bait deliberately put forth by the Empress to fish, it didn't matter!
As long as he could explain it, it was a victory.
After listening to Zhao Douan's heartfelt words, the Emperor of Great Yu, Xu Zhenguan, was momentarily stunned, and her gaze upon him had already changed.