Pregnant Cultivator, Doted by Big Boss

Celeste Grant smiled faintly and recited two lines of poetry, "To ask the world what love might be, that it compels one to pledge both life and death."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over them, her tone gentle.

"Do you know what these lines mean? I haven’t read many books, so I don’t quite understand them myself—just the literal meaning. True love... it means you stab me, and I stab you, right? Yep, I’m a real genius. You two are truly in love. This is true love. So, the time has come to test that love."

"Now that you’ve fallen into my hands, my original thought..." She made a throat-slitting gesture. "...was to just kill you both. But I’m just too kind-hearted, as gentle as water. I can’t bear to see two lovers die a tragic death together. So, I’ll give you a choice."

As Celeste Grant spoke, her gaze shifted between Sean Lockwood and Jocelyn Grant. She pointed at Sean, then at Jocelyn, and said with a smile, "Come, come... it’s another choice between two options. Only one of you can live. Either you kill her and live, or she kills you and lives."

She paused for a moment, her finger lightly touching her chin. "I know you two are in love, the kind that’s stronger than gold. You love each other so much, you surely couldn’t bear to see the other die. So, you can also commit suicide to let the other person live."

Jocelyn Grant’s eyes were practically splitting with rage.

"Celeste Grant, all you know are these despicable tricks! This time, even if I die, I will absolutely not be manipulated by you again!"

As she spoke, she affectionately pulled on Sean Lockwood, who was beside her. "Senior Brother, don’t listen to her. Celeste Grant is insidious, cunning, and utterly vicious! She’s just looking for an excuse to torture us."

The moment Jocelyn Grant finished speaking,

Celeste Grant waved her hand.

Two daggers appeared before the pair, clearly high-quality Magic Artifacts.

Just as they were wondering what was going on, Celeste Grant spoke.

"Making you kill each other is a bit too hard on you, isn’t it? Alright, I’ll change it up. For example, digging out a Spirit Root. It’s the only real hobby I’ve had my whole life—watching people get their Spirit Roots dug out."

"The rules are simple, too. One of you must have their Cultivation crippled and their Spirit Root dug out. Then, you can leave together. I swear I won’t stop you; I’ll let you go. So, will you cripple her Cultivation and dig out her Spirit Root, or will you let her cripple yours and dig out your Spirit Root? Choose."

’In this book, the heroine and her men all love to cripple people’s Cultivation and dig out their Spirit Roots. It’s the perfect time for them to get a taste of their own medicine. I’m determined to make digging out Spirit Roots a core theme throughout the book, to really flesh out the plot.’

’It’s all about digging out Spirit Roots anyway. It doesn’t matter whose—the hero’s or the heroine’s are both fine.’ Jocelyn Grant was furious.

"Celeste Grant, you’re a devil! To think you could come up with such a malicious and cruel scheme! We won’t choose! I won’t choose!"

"Heh. Not choosing? That’s not up to you. You must choose."

Celeste Grant sneered, flicked her sleeve, and turned her back to the pair.

She raised her hand slightly and began to count.

"Hurry up."

"I’ll count to three. If you don’t make a choice, then you both can just die together. Or I could cripple both your Cultivations and dig out both your Spirit Roots."

"One..."

"Celeste Grant, I hate you!"

"Two..."

Before she could even count to three, she heard a commotion behind her.

Celeste Grant turned to look and saw that Sean Lockwood, dagger in hand, had already stabbed it into Jocelyn Grant’s chest. At that moment, Jocelyn Grant’s face was a mask of utter disbelief.

The dagger was still embedded in her chest. Fresh blood flowed down the blade, landing on the ground. DRIP. DRIP.

"Senior Brother... why?"

It was the heartbroken expression of someone betrayed by their beloved.

Jocelyn Grant couldn’t believe it. ’The Senior Brother who always indulged her, who was always the first to protect her from danger, would do this to her. Was everything in the past a lie? Or was it all just false affection? If she couldn’t even trust him, who could she trust?’

Sean Lockwood didn’t dare meet her eyes, his own face a mask of pain. "Jocelyn, I knew you couldn’t bring yourself to do it to me, so I did it. This is the only way we can survive. Don’t worry. Once we get back to the Sect, I’ll find a treasure to reconstruct your Spirit Root."

’Although he had initially gotten close to her for her Primal Moon Constitution, after spending so much time together, he did have some feelings for Jocelyn Grant. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He’d just have to wrong her this time, and he would do his best to make it up to her in the future.’

At this thought, his tone grew sorrowful, his face filled with reluctance.

"Jocelyn, don’t blame me."

"I love you. I can’t let you die with me. We both have to live." As he spoke, he applied force, intending to twist the dagger and dig out Jocelyn Grant’s Spirit Root, crippling her Cultivation.

But in that exact moment, Jocelyn Grant’s dagger had already slit his throat.

Fresh blood splattered onto her face.

It was a fatal blow, delivered without mercy. The movement was so fast that even Sean Lockwood didn’t have time to react.

"You..."

Sean Lockwood’s face was still frozen in that guilty expression, not yet comprehending. Belatedly, he lowered his head, his gaze falling on the dagger in her hand.

"Jocelyn..."

The moment he opened his mouth,

bloody foam frothed from his lips.

Sean Lockwood couldn’t believe it. ’At the very last second, Jocelyn Grant had struck. Didn’t she love him beyond all reason? Wasn’t she sincere? He had always thought that Jocelyn Grant couldn’t live without him.’

’Oh no... This dagger can not only easily kill Cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Stage, but it can also annihilate their Primordial Spirit.’

His consciousness was fading, his Primordial Spirit dissipating.

In this moment before death,

Sean Lockwood was filled with immense regret for keeping Jocelyn Grant by his side. He had coveted her Primal Moon Constitution, and now he was reaping what he sowed, dying by her hand. If he could do it all over again, he would definitely stay far, far away from this jinx, Jocelyn Grant.

In his final moment,

he finally believed it.

Jocelyn Grant was a jinx to her lovers, and she had jinxed him, too.

And just like that, with a face full of resentment, Sean Lockwood slowly collapsed, dying with his eyes wide open.

Jocelyn Grant seemed to snap back to her senses, reaching out to grab his hand.

"Senior Brother..."

Her gaze fell to her own hand.

"I killed Senior Brother."

Her hand trembled.

The dagger fell from her grasp to the ground.

Tears streamed down her face.

"I didn’t want this... I had no choice. I still have our child. I can’t lose my Cultivation."

Jocelyn Grant looked at Celeste Grant, her face twisted with madness. "This was all you... Are you satisfied now? Making me and Senior Brother kill each other, this is what you wanted to see, isn’t it?! Celeste Grant, you’ll get what’s coming to you!"

Celeste Grant’s gaze shifted to Sean Lockwood’s body on the ground, and she sighed to herself with deep emotion.

’Want to fall in love? The kind where I stab you to death.’

’This was the one thing I truly admired about Jocelyn Grant. She could show genuine emotion, could even be sincere. But when push came to shove, she only consumed others, never herself. One moment, I thought Jocelyn Grant was going to have her Spirit Root dug out by that Lockwood fellow, and the next, she was slitting his throat.’

’With moves like that, it’d be a waste of talent if she didn’t become an assassin. Her specialty was being fast, ruthless, and precise.’

’Making the heroine stab the hero with her own hands would quickly erode her protagonist’s halo and karmic luck. It was far more effective than if I had done it myself.’