Even without cheats, we must survive the apocalypse

But he was very concerned about what kind of reward Huang Li would give to Huang Yanyao.

Although Huang Yanyao said that she could not feel the so-called father-daughter affection, Lu Mu, as someone who knew the plot, knew clearly that Huang Li valued his youngest and most imperial daughter very much.

Although the royal family is quite heartless, they are far from being ruthless. Of course, this only applies to the relationship between Huang Li and Huang Yanyao.

The other princes and princesses were always driven by ambition. In this world, killing one's own relatives was not an uncommon occurrence. This was not a tragedy but fun.

Lu Mu tidied his clothes casually and rushed to Fengluan Terrace.

The Fengluan Terrace had been decorated long ago. The terrace was surrounded by Huang Yanyao's elite guards, their armor, flags and halberds shining brightly. They looked fierce and heroic. The wind was blowing, and the flags fluttering in the wind gave it a sense of solemnity.

As soon as Lu Mu stepped into Luantai, all the soldiers saluted with their spears in hand.

Lu Mu waved calmly.

Huang Yanyao walked down the stairs slowly to greet Lu Mu. After her eyes lingered on Lu Mu's face, she smiled and said, "Does it look good?"

He looked down and saw that Huang Yanyao was wearing an extremely complicated black palace skirt today. She had a gold jade pendant around her waist, which was luxurious and beautiful. The skirt was embroidered with lifelike phoenixes everywhere, and the sleeves on both sides were embellished with bright jade. Her jet-black hair was tied up in a high bun, and she wore a jade hairpin inlaid with pearls and a golden hairpin. Her eyebrows were lightly drawn, and her lips were dotted with red nail polish, which was instantly moving.

"nice."

The surprise that flashed in Lu Mu's eyes was clearly captured by Huang Yanyao.

"It took me half an hour to put on this dress."

She said it casually. This palace skirt was obviously only worn for formal meetings. Her daily attire was much simpler. But when she did this occasionally, Lu Mu was feasting his eyes.

Of course, it’s worth it to see how much Lu Mu likes this dress.

"Thank you for your hard work." Lu Mu held Huang Yanyao's wrist and pulled her towards Luantai.

Huang Yanyao pursed her lips and smiled softly, then obediently let him lead her up to the top of the Luantai.

Gu Yunxi and Murong Xue were also waiting here. Murong Xue was a little bored. After all, she didn't need any reward. As the only female disciple of Shura Palace Master, she didn't value those golden and white things rewarded by the imperial dynasty.

Gu Yunxi's gaze stayed on Lu Mu for only a moment, then looked away.

A bit lonely.

Chapter 134: Unwilling to Fight

Lu Mu tried to catch Gu Yunxi's gaze, but failed. She exuded a feeling of entanglement and alienation, like a layer of barrier that was difficult to cross.

This felt a bit strange, as if she was deliberately avoiding his gaze, as if something was separating them. It was obvious that Lu Mu and her were not that distant... For some reason, Lu Mu felt that this was related to Huang Yanyao.

Sometimes girls suddenly want to ignore you, and Lu Mu doesn’t know how to find reasons.

Huang Yanyao seemed unaware of all this. She looked towards Gu Yunxi, her eyes slightly curved and a smile revealed.

At times like this, the only one who could calm her mind was Gu Yunxi.

Lu Mu walked to Gu Yunxi's side, and she finally reacted. The corner of her eyes was hidden between the gaps in her hair and looked over. Lu Mu caught it this time, and their eyes met, although it was only for a brief moment.

She looked away again.

So Lu Mu looked at Gu Yunxi's clothes today.

Like Huang Yanyao, she was also dressed in an elaborate and formal outfit, a bluish-white gauze skirt with silver piping on the waist and neckline, revealing a bit of charm that she didn't usually have. She had her hair in a bun with a phoenix feather hairpin, and the red jade pendants on her earlobes reflected the sunlight.

In terms of appearance and figure, Gu Yunxi is slightly inferior to Huang Yanyao and Murong Xue. She is shorter than Huang Yanyao, but this dress gives her an ethereal temperament. If a woman wears it beautifully, Lu Mu has no reason not to appreciate it.

So his gaze was quite unbridled, wandering over her body.

Gu Yunxi's expression was stiff for a moment, but it was only for a moment, and then she returned to normal, but a smile appeared in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, as if she was waiting for Lu Mu to take a good look at her.

After all, I am dressed so beautifully not to come here to wait for the Immortal Phoenix Emperor to give me an order.

"Are you prepared?"

Lu Mu transmitted the message in secret. Gu Yunxi frowned slightly and also transmitted the message: "If you don't want to watch, don't watch."

"Why are you so distant from me today?"

His fingers touched Gu Yunxi's wrist silently and stroked it gently. Gu Yunxi trembled all over, but her face remained calm. She only looked at him with the corner of her eyes. She didn't say anything and didn't show any special emotions, but Lu Mu read some dissatisfaction in her eyes.

Just dissatisfaction...no resistance.

So he stopped touching her wrist and directly stroked her thigh. Although there was a gauze skirt between them, the smooth touch was so real. He pinched it gently, and then he could hear the kitten-like cry that she swallowed in her mouth.

Gu Yunxi's expression became even stiffer. She suddenly grabbed Lu Mu's restless hand and glared at him.

"Don't mess around, Sister Yanyao is here. If you get caught..."

Her voice was still cold, but her eyes were gentle, her tone was soft, and she showed some weakness. Lu Mu's eyes darkened, and his palm moved up to her waist. The flesh there was softer and more sensitive than her thighs. Huang Yanyao was standing on her right, and was concentrating on waiting for noon to arrive, so she had not noticed the little ambiguity that Gu Yunxi and Lu Mu were playing.

Gu Yunxi was afraid of being discovered, but he was not.

"Isn't this very exciting? She's standing right next to you, and no matter what I do to you now, you won't react too much..."

Lu Mu smiled and began to tickle the soft flesh on her waist. An itchy and numbing feeling immediately spread throughout her body. Gu Yunxi almost laughed out loud, but she held it back. She gritted her teeth and glared at him fiercely.

This bastard!

"So, now are you going to tell me why you are so cold to me?"

Lu Mu paused for a moment, his eyes fixed on Gu Yunxi's profile. Gu Yunxi had put in a lot of effort to hold back her smile just now, and he could see the sweat on her temples and her flushed cheeks.

Gu Yunxi raised her hand to brush away the hair that had fallen from her forehead and sighed, "Last night, I saw Sister Yanyao enter your room."

"Just because of this?"

"I heard everything. She has feelings for you, and there's no way to hide it, but I don't want to compete with him."

After she finished speaking, the blush on her face faded. No matter how quietly she spoke, Lu Mu could hear the loss in her voice. She also knew that Huang Yanyao lacked love, otherwise how could she, with so many brothers and sisters and her father being the most powerful person in the world and an emperor, only find the so-called sisterly love in a rootless drifter like her?

If her most trusted sister were to carve out a place for herself in Lu Mu's heart, it might hurt her.

Although Huang Yanyao didn't care about this, Gu Yunxi was unwilling to do anything that might hurt her.

As for Lu Mu... Gu Yunxi couldn't even say how strong her feelings for him were. In fact, that little bit of excitement could be easily erased by other things, and over time, she might just forget it.

"So the reason you don't want to talk to me and want to distance yourself from me is because of this?"

"Yeah." Gu Yunxi answered without hesitation, with a firmness in her voice.

Lu Mu nodded and said nothing more.

He had no intention of persuading Gu Yunxi. She had to figure this out on her own. The "protagonist" didn't need anyone's persuasion. She was as smart as anyone else, but it wasn't obvious now, and she was still young after all.

Furthermore, he did not spend much time with her, and over time, Lu Mu might feel that he had neglected her... But she did not care about this from the beginning. She only wanted her sister Yan Yao to be well, and her own well-being was secondary.

Gu Yunxi glanced at him secretly, the confusion in her eyes slowly accumulated, but then was swept away.

There was a slight stinging pain in my heart, not too painful, but I couldn't ignore it.

It’s okay, just wait a few days, or a month or two, and the complicated feeling lingering in my heart will slowly fade away... Gu Yunxi thought so.

Maybe she just insisted on having her own way.

……

At noon, the sunlight dispersed the thin clouds, and vast auspicious clouds and rays of light arrived on time, enveloping the entire Tianque City. The people in the city looked at this holy relic, and were inspired by the destiny of the Immortal Phoenix, and they all knelt down in worship.

Normally, the imperial decrees were all carried out by the Grand Clerical Office in the Imperial Palace, but this time the one who came was the projection of the Immortal Phoenix Emperor Huang Li himself.

It is a rare honor for the emperor to come in person to grant an order.

On the Fengluan Terrace, Huang Yanyao, Lu Mu, Murong Xue and Gu Yunxi bowed at the same time. The surrounding soldiers also bowed their heads and knelt on the ground. Only the flags remained standing.

The thousand-foot-tall Dharma image of the Supreme Being walked out from the hazy glow at this moment. He was surrounded by golden light, mysterious and unpredictable, and his imposing aura enveloped the entire sky.

His body gradually condensed into shape, but its true appearance was still difficult to see. The Dharmakāya was so mysterious and unpredictable.

The four of them could feel their gazes falling, and then, above the sky, golden ink condensed in the rosy glow and formed a golden scroll of Dharma decree in front of the Dharma image.

"The Ninth Princess of the Immortal Phoenix Dynasty, Huang Yanyao, accept the order."

Chapter 135: Rewards based on merit

After hearing this, Huang Yanyao took a step forward, knelt on one knee, her skirt trailing the ground. The Emperor's shadow was above the sky, casting a look at her that revealed the mysteries of all things.

The golden scroll of the decree had not yet taken shape, but Huang Li's voice had already descended faintly from the sky, like a huge bell ringing through the ages.

"In compliance with the decree of the Immortal Phoenix Emperor, the evil-hearted sect has not given up its evil intentions. It has joined forces with the rebel king of the southern border and has conspired to plot against the fate of the imperial dynasty, harming the people and destroying the country, causing great suffering to the people and the death of the common people. However, the Ninth Princess took the lead in sweeping away the evil and thwarting their sinister plans. She is the first to be rewarded. All the territories of the rebel king will be ceded to the Ninth Princess, and all the people and surrendered soldiers will be hers. I decree this."

The words he spoke were from heaven. After he finished speaking, the golden scroll of legal decree had taken shape and flew towards Huang Yanyao.

Huang Yanyao reached out and took the golden scroll of the decree hanging in front of her, "Thank you, father, for your grace. I will do my best to support and protect the Immortal Phoenix!"

This volume of decree actually gave her everything she wanted.

King Nanling's territory is now ownerless and is bound to be divided up and fought over by others. Huang Yanyao has few soldiers and a weak foundation, so she cannot hold on to such a big piece of fat meat. But now with the Emperor's decree, these troubles will not arise.

Although the Immortal Phoenix Emperor has always allowed his subordinates to compete with each other, even if people die, it does not matter, because only in this way, the law of the survival of the fittest can the emperor select qualified officials and brave future generations.

But no one dares to disobey the emperor's orders.

Huang Yanyao can now rest assured to gather King Nanling's territory under her command. Hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers and such a vast territory will all become hers with the reward from Huang Li.

But the situation of the territory she got was very bad now. Hong Zhan had worked hard for decades, but the evil cultivator destroyed it in just over ten days. Now the common people were displaced and fleeing everywhere, bandits were everywhere, and some occupied the mountains and became kings. What she got was actually a mess.

As long as no one else interferes, it is only a matter of time before this land regains its vitality.

"Congratulations, sister."

Gu Yunxi's happiness for Huang Yanyao has always been the most sincere.

"I couldn't have done this without your help."

Huang Yanyao smiled and held her hand, their two pairs of crystal clear eyes met each other, the feelings between them were still as harmonious as ever, maybe even deeper.

The Emperor's shadow in the sky cast down three golden scrolls again. This time, they flew towards Lu Mu, Gu Yunxi and Murong Xue respectively.

"My daughter has gone deep into the enemy's lair. Without your help, perhaps her success is still up to fate. If so, you should be rewarded. This is the gratitude of the imperial dynasty and me. Thank you for taking care of her."

Gu Yunxi raised her eyes to look at the Emperor's image. He was still blurry, making it impossible to see his true face. She pursed her lips and smiled, without pretending. But she knew that this Fairy Phoenix Emperor did not look so unkind. At least he could definitely feel the family affection.

The tall and majestic blurry shadow turned into light dust all over the sky and merged into the sky's aura and rays of luck. At that moment, the clouds in the sky rolled up, and the emperor's pressure quickly receded and finally disappeared into thin air.

The sky became calm again.

It came quickly and went quickly, and the decree ended just like that.

This decree was far away, but anyone with a little bit of strength could feel the emperor's imposing aura looming over them.

Gu Yunxi unfolded the golden scroll and scanned it roughly.

"Oh, this reward is really generous."

Lu Mu could see a light flashing in her eyes, like a mouse that had entered a granary, but think about it, the "protagonist" didn't have a rich life for many days. He was either chasing others or being chased by others. Gu Yunxi looked... well, still somewhat greedy for money.

Of course, if it was just to help Huang Yanyao, she would definitely not take a penny, and she would try her best even if it was thankless. But now the person who rewarded her was the Immortal Phoenix Emperor, so this benefit was naturally an unexpected surprise.

"What have you got?"

Lu Mu leaned over to take a look, causing Gu Yunxi to roll her eyes.

"Well... Xia Jiuxie, one of the two Xia demons who was seriously injured, protected Huang Yanyao's safety along the way. He was given the title of Marquis of Zhuiming, and was rewarded with eight cities in the southern border of the imperial dynasty. You can choose any one of them. He will receive a monthly salary of one million spirit stones and enjoy the treatment of an important official. He will also be granted an opportunity to enter the Immortal Phoenix Treasury and take two magic weapons, whether they are skills, elixirs, or formation plates..."

Lu Mu raised his eyebrows.

This reward was extremely generous. Lu Mu remembered that this so-called "Mr. Life-Chasing Title" was the reward that the Immortal Phoenix Empire paid for Xia Jiuyou's life. Of course, no one had ever been able to collect this sky-high bounty until Luo Shuangning pierced his heart with a sword.

Of course, Xia Jiuyou was already dead, but Luo Shuangning was not interested in these yellow and white things at all. Being a powerful marquis was more meaningful to her than practicing sword in the Ten Thousand Swords Mountains.

Xia Jiuxie died. Even though it was Huang Yanyao who stabbed him, it was Gu Yunxi who seriously injured him. So Huang Li’s reward was actually partly motivated by his own selfish desires... He was very clear about the relationship between Gu Yunxi and Huang Yanyao. Perhaps, this was also an attempt to please Huang Yanyao?

"Haha, you are now considered a well-known figure."

Lu Mu pinched Gu Yunxi's soft cheeks, watching the place he pinched quickly turn red, and a sly smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Gu Yunxi, the life-chasing female marquis of the Immortal Phoenix Dynasty, sounds a bit impressive, doesn't it?"

"Stop making fun of me."

Gu Yunxi's eyes darkened, and her fingers pinched the soft flesh on his waist hard.

It doesn't hurt.

Lu Mu endured it with a smile, but he took the opportunity to attack her lips again, which almost made her punch him. But when she thought that Fengluan Terrace was such a solemn place, it would be stupid for her to join him in making trouble, so she endured it with an unhappy look on her face.

"What is your reward?"