System: [Dun dun dun! Your first divine ability: Take Flight!]

Yuan Ruan: !!!
The Emperor: !!!

The first divine ability is flying?!

The Emperor’s chest burned with excitement. As expected of his little bringer of fortune—such a divine ability was… enviable beyond measure!

Yuan Ruan, shocked, grew exhilarated: [Quick, quick! I want to fly!]

System: [Try it at night. What if someone mistakes you for a monster and captures you?]

Yuan Ruan: [… Makes sense.]

The Emperor felt stuck. He wanted to see it but couldn’t ask outright.

Afterward, the Emperor watched Yuan Ruan playing in the snow even more intently, wondering if she might succumb to temptation and secretly fly for a moment—just to let him see.

But no. Yuan Ruan was very cautious, acting no different from any ordinary child who loved snow.

The Emperor was a little disappointed. When it got late, he scooped up the still-excited Yuan Ruan and carried her toward a temporary wooden cabin nearby for warmth and rest.

Just as he stepped onto the stairs—

Yuan Ruan’s thoughts burst out like a blaring alarm:

[Watch out!!!]

The Emperor instinctively shielded Yuan Ruan, drawing his sword from his side without even looking up.

When he did glance upward, his heart sank. It wasn’t an assassin or a wild beast but something worse: two massive beams above had come loose and were tumbling down.

At the moment he looked, the beams were already dangerously close.

Without hesitation, valuing the nation’s fortune above all else, the Emperor turned and crouched, using his own body to shield Yuan Ruan.

“Your Majesty!” The guards in the distance charged forward frantically.

But no human could outrun the speed of a free-falling object.

As despair filled the guards, the beams—which should have slammed heavily onto the Emperor—suddenly stopped mid-air.

The sight was so bizarre that several guards hiccupped in fright.

The guards weren’t the only ones stunned. The Emperor himself could hardly believe his eyes.

In his arms, the little baby had merely lifted her tiny feet toward the falling beams. Yet somehow, this simple motion suspended the beams in mid-air.

But how… how was this possible?!

Just then, Yuan Ruan’s thoughts resurfaced:

System: [That scared me to death! Why did you strike such a dramatic pose?! Ah, was this the divine ability?]

Yuan Ruan (sounding a little sulky): [Yes, it’s the flying ability!]

The Emperor finally understood—it was because of that.

System: [But we avoided a disaster! Why aren’t you happy?]

Yuan Ruan: [I thought I’d use the falling beams’ momentum to take big brother and fly out dramatically. That would’ve been so cool! But you didn’t tell me the flying ability only works one centimeter off the ground! Now I look like a circus performer, balancing beams on my feet without daring to move. Also! Isn’t this supposed to be “Take Flight”? Why is it suspending wooden beams in mid-air?!]

System: [It’s a divine ability, not science! It’s conceptual power. Anything connected to you is within the levitation field. Otherwise, using the ability would leave you, uh… exposed. As for why the beams float, maybe it’s because your feet pointed upward?]

The Emperor stifled a laugh.

He wasn’t one to laugh easily, but this time he couldn’t help it.

Yuan Ruan, now more indignant: [Big Brother is laughing at me! So frustrating.]

Hearing this, the Emperor immediately suppressed his laughter. Remembering how Yuan Ruan had kissed his cheek in excitement earlier, he hesitated before planting a dry kiss on her cheek in return.

By then, the guards had reached him.

They stared at Yuan Ruan in astonishment as they worked in pairs to lift the beams. When they finally managed to remove them, their expressions grew even more awed.

Unable to hold back, they whispered to one another:

[Could this be the legendary prodigy with Herculean strength?]

[It’s unbelievable! Absolutely incredible.]

[Didn’t they say the honeycomb coal was also found due to her luck? This is too amazing.]

…

Rumors, as everyone knows, only grow more exaggerated the more they spread. Especially when they’re tinged with mystery.

Three days later, when the Emperor’s entourage finally entered the capital, the rumors had evolved into:

[The Emperor has a divine child by his side.]

[She can turn stone into gold and break rocks with her chest.]

[The divine child can fly, vanish, and do anything!]

These rumors spread so widely that nearly everyone in the capital knew of them.

Initially, Yuan Ruan had been excited to see the bustling capital. But as soon as the curtain on her carriage was lifted, she was stunned by the sea of people outside.

Hands waved wildly as chaotic voices filled the air:

“Where is she? Where is Heaven’s blessing for Daxia?”

“Divine Child, save me! Deliver me from this tyranny—”

“Shh! Do you want to die? Today’s goal is to catch a glimpse, draw her portrait, and worship her!”

…

Yuan Ruan immediately shut her eyes and burrowed into the Emperor’s embrace, losing all desire to explore the streets.

The Emperor had been considering this for some time. Recognizing her merely as an adopted princess no longer sufficed.

He was particularly wary of palace schemers using her status to harm her. Even if she wouldn’t be physically injured, the Emperor wouldn’t tolerate her feeling upset.

Seeing the fervor outside, he decided to act boldly and capitalize on the momentum.

After settling Yuan Ruan and Wu Yue in a residence near the palace gates, the Emperor summoned the officials from the Astronomical Bureau.

Six officials hurried in and saluted. “Long live Your Majesty!”

The Emperor asked, “You’ve heard the rumors outside, haven’t you?”

They froze.

The Chief Astronomer glared at one of his subordinate, who quickly responded, “It’s my fault, Your Majesty. I’ll put an end to the rumors immediately!”

“Wrong!” The Emperor cut him off. “Let them spread.”

The Emperor continued, “How long would it take to build a National Preceptor’s residence?”

The officials were caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. After a moment’s hesitation, the Chief Astronomer replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty! It would take two months.”

The Emperor instructed, “Choose a site within the rear courtyard of my palace and complete construction within three months!”

The six officials were stunned.

The Chief Astronomer bowed and protested, “Your Majesty, I must speak frankly, even if it offends. A National Preceptor’s residence represents the nation’s destiny and cannot be casually located or improperly revered, let alone disrespected by placing it in the palace rear courtyard—”

“Rubbish! Do you think I’m that kind of ruler?!” The Emperor glared at him sharply, silencing the Chief Astronomer, who immediately grew cautious and resumed his trembling stance.

The Emperor massaged his temples and explained, “The only reason for this arrangement is that the National Preceptor is still very young and will reside in the palace until adulthood.”

The Chief Astronomer sighed in relief but then grew astonished. “So young? Might I ask which esteemed school this child hails from?”

“No school. She’s eight months old,” the Emperor said flatly, watching as the six officials stared at him in disbelief. “She is the little princess I adopted, Yuan Ruan.”

The six officials: !!!

The Emperor rose and left the room.

The Chief Astronomer murmured, “Your Majesty… has he gone mad?”

The other officials exchanged bewildered glances. One of them, the registrar, couldn’t help but suggest, “Chief Astronomer, you’ve always been forthright and honest. You’re the only one in court who dares to speak the truth to His Majesty. Why not continue voicing your opinions?”

The Chief Astronomer cast him a frosty glare. “You go.”

With that, he strode off in large, purposeful steps.

The registrar was stunned speechless.

The deputy astronomer patted the registrar on the shoulder and sighed. “It wasn’t easy for you to rise to the position of registrar—it’d be a shame to lose it. His Majesty’s attitude is so resolute, even the Chief Astronomer wouldn’t dare to provoke him. Just prepare to build the little National Preceptor’s residence. The court may think we’ve gone mad. Other nations will surely mock us for a long while, too.”