How Did the Reborn Empress Become My Bootlicker? - Chapter 25:

Chapter 25: Nurturing-Style Game—Begins Now!

“This way of exerting force… that penetration, that destructive power…”

“It’s definitely Nine Slaughtering Spear!”

“And to execute three strikes in a row like that—that’s the mark of the [Mastered] level!”

Leaning back in her chair with arms crossed, Shangguan Ru stared at the fierce and sharp figure of the youth on the screen, unable to suppress the curve of her lips.

“How long has it even been? Not even an afternoon! Even if his practical combat course at school focused on spear techniques, this is still outrageous.”

“Top-tier physique, top-tier aptitude, top-tier comprehension… tsk tsk tsk… he’s practically a gift from the heavens.”

“Good thing big sis has her eye on that little girl, so she’s not fighting me over him.”

“Otherwise… that would’ve been troublesome…”

“You said what was going to be troublesome~?”

A sudden voice beside her made Shangguan Ru jump nearly out of her chair!

Somehow, without her noticing, Shangguan Meng was already standing behind her like a ghost, face carrying a sweet but knowing smile.

Shangguan Ru really wanted to scream ‘Get lost!’ at this damn woman, but years of being beaten senseless growing up made her instinctively shut up instead. Clenching her teeth, she asked, “Weren’t you already gone? Why are you back?”

Shangguan Meng blinked innocently, “First tell me—who were you just calling ‘old—sister’?”

Shangguan Ru froze, then immediately stepped forward to hook arms with Shangguan Meng and said with righteous sincerity, “You must’ve misheard! I obviously said ‘young, adorable, beautiful, and lively big sister’…!”

WHAM!

Shangguan Ru was sent flying.

She only stopped when she hit the wall, using Source Energy to soften the impact and land safely.

Getting up, she looked helpless, “Sis, I’m already grown up. Why are you still hitting me?”

Shangguan Meng pouted and said proudly, “If I don’t hit you for a day, you’ll start tearing off the roof…”

Shangguan Ru: “…”

Shangguan Meng plopped onto the sofa and said, “I was going to leave, but then I heard that two people from the Murong family were coming. So I decided to stay a few more days—maybe I’ll get a chance to beat them up.”

“Murong family?” Shangguan Ru frowned.

The Murong family was also one of the top noble clans of the Great Xia Empire, on equal footing with the Shangguan family. Both bore compound surnames and had strong ties—considered close family friends.

But that only applied to the previous generation.

Shangguan Meng and Shangguan Ru both found the Murong family… rather repulsive.

“Who from the Murong family?”

“Murong Xiao and Murong Bai.”

“…”

When she heard Murong Xiao’s name, a flash of disgust crossed Shangguan Ru’s beautiful eyes. “Why are they coming to Lan City?”

While unwrapping a lemon candy and tossing it into her mouth, Shangguan Meng replied casually, “Maybe someone from our side told the Murong family you were stationed here, so Murong Xiao chased after you~”

“As for Murong Bai—he’s a senior this year. Just awakened an SSS-grade Talent… starting this year, the top two scorers in the martial arts entrance exams for each administrative region get selected for the ‘Starworld Program.’ You know about it, right?”

Shangguan Ru nodded, “I do.”

Although she was based in Lan City, her information network was still sharp. Of course she knew about the so-called Starworld Program.

It was the newest policy launched by the Council of Twelve Elders of Great Xia. The details of the program hadn’t been made public yet, but it was rumored to come with unimaginable benefits.

“Several monsters emerged from the Imperial Capital this year. Even with Murong Bai’s SSS-grade Talent, there’s no way he’d place in the top two there. So he’s playing the ‘borrowed-region exam’ trick and coming to steal a spot in the Nanjing Administrative Region~”

“The Council of Twelve isn’t stopping it?”

Shangguan Meng gave her sister a look that screamed, Are you dumb?

“How would they stop it?”

“The Council watches from the top, so noble families don’t dare to blatantly snatch the slots. But stuff like forging residency records—simple.”

“This is playing within the rules. As long as the rules aren’t broken, they just turn a blind eye.”

Shangguan Ru sighed, “At this rate, noble families will end up becoming parasites on Great Xia.”

Shangguan Meng shrugged, “When the Council was first formed, noble families only had four seats. Now they have seven. What can you do?”

“Besides, we’re part of the noble families too. Say that in front of me and it’s fine, but if you say that outside, people will just say you’re being hypocritical.”

She had a point.

Still, Shangguan Ru leaned in with a cheeky grin and said, “Sis, you’re so strong. If you break through the ninth realm one day, you could suppress the whole empire… What’s that old saying? ‘Dare to make the sun and moon shine anew!'”

Hearing that, the crimson and blue heterochromatic light in Shangguan Meng’s eyes flickered slightly. Tilting her head, she smirked and asked, “You serious? If that day comes and I go all ‘justice over family,’ whose side would you be on?”

Shangguan Ru froze, “Of course I was joking…”

Shangguan Meng looked away, lazily twirling her silver hair with her fingers, then said in a teasing tone, “If the old farts in our family heard a joke like that, things would get pretty messy~”

Shangguan Ru fell silent.

She knew her sister didn’t have a great relationship with the family, but… surely it wouldn’t come to swords drawn?

They didn’t speak further about noble families or the Great Xia Empire. Instead, they shifted back to the topic of Murong Bai trying to steal a spot in the regional entrance exam.

“If the Murong family wants Murong Bai to take one of Nanjing’s top two slots, then we just have to stop them.”

“Right now, we’ve got two excellent seeds in our hands—”

Shangguan Meng paused. “That girl named Xu Anyan… I have a feeling she’s like me.”

“You… think that highly of her?” Shangguan Ru was stunned.

That girl Xu Anyan had awakened an SSS-grade Talent, and her shadow-manipulating ability was indeed very special. But… was she really comparable to her sister?

In the upper circles of Great Xia, Shangguan Meng was recognized as the greatest prodigy in history.

As the youngest titled Marquis in the empire, she carried the hopes of the nation—destined to break into the 9th realm and stand atop all of Great Xia.

And Xu Anyan…

What had she done to earn her sister’s attention?

“Not saying I think highly of her. It’s just… a gut feeling.”

Shangguan Meng didn’t say more about Xu Anyan and turned the topic to Su Yuan instead.

“By the way, I watched that battle footage earlier. He’s still a bit behind where I was at his age, but he’s decent.”

“With proper guidance, he should definitely surpass that Murong Bai brat.”

Shangguan Ru scoffed, “If my experimental training works out and Su Yuan learns to master the power of ‘Qi,’ he’ll flatten Murong Bai easily.”

As usual, Shangguan Meng encouraged her sister’s ambitions, then extended her fair hand with a bright smile:

“Nurturing-style game—”

Shangguan Ru caught on and smiled sweetly, reaching out to clasp her hand.

“—begins now!”

Buzz—Buzz!

Just as the sisters reached a consensus, a new message popped up on the computer at the desk.

Shangguan Ru walked over and glanced at the screen.

“Hmm?”

“He challenged a high-tier 1st stage beast… and succeeded?”

“And it’s also… an S-rank rating?”