After the Emperor said a few more words of congratulations, the great hall filled with song and dance.

The court officials and subjects all silently ate the food on their tables.

Su Qing was no exception.

It was his first time attending such a grand event.

Su Qing felt a great sense of novelty.

He continuously ate while looking around.

He even spared a few glances for the Emperor.

’But how could the Emperor be as good-looking as the dancing girls?’

Even the serving maids attending to him were beauties of the highest caliber.

Xu Ningying, beside him, was also beautiful.

’This world... aside from the initial cruelty, it seems to have become wonderful ever since I started my Cultivation.’

’If I had the ability to return to my previous world, would I still go back?’

Su Qing raised his wine cup, silently sipping the low-alcohol fruit wine.

It was a little sweet and sour, quite nice.

His gaze grew distant.

He was like someone who had suddenly become rich but didn’t know how to spend the money.

Gradually, the great hall grew boisterous.

Su Qing noticed that the Emperor was no longer on his throne.

Many of the powerful and influential figures were walking around, wine cups in hand, making conversation.

Su Qing silently ate the dishes on his table.

Xu Ningying had also gone off to socialize.

These dishes on the table...

Many would have been considered rare treasures even in his past life, and quite a few were what would have been protected species.

It just went to show how extravagant the Imperial Palace was.

"Young Master, why are you sitting here all alone, eating by yourself?"

"Are these dishes really that delicious?"

A fragrant scent wafted over.

Su Qing looked up. It was Shangguan Muling, who had settled in on his right side since a maid was busy on his left.

"Miss Shangguan, is there something I can help you with?"

Su Qing’s mouth was greasy from eating, but a nearby maid noticed and gently wiped it clean.

Shangguan Muling feigned displeasure. "I just wanted to get to know Young Master Su a little better. It seems I’m not very well-liked by you."

Uh!

’Those words are so passive-aggressive.’ Su Qing found it hard to refute her.

"Miss Shangguan, it’s not that I dislike you."

"It’s just that I’ve always preferred peace and quiet."

Su Qing said with a straight face, looking completely serious, "Besides, Miss Shangguan is an unparalleled beauty. I’m afraid of being drowned by a femme fatale."

"Pfft~"

Shangguan Muling was delighted when she heard this, especially seeing him say it with such a solemn expression.

It was strangely hilarious.

The key thing was that Su Qing was complimenting her. How could she not be happy?

"I didn’t realize Young Master Su was such a sweet-talker."

"No wonder little Ningying likes you."

After saying that, Shangguan Muling gestured with her head. "Look, little Ningying is coming over. The way she’s glaring at me is so scary."

Shangguan Muling pretended to be frightened, but the smile in her eyes held an extra spark of delight.

’She’s teasing me!’

Su Qing knew this, but he also understood that he was meant to be alone in this life. His Synthesizer must never be exposed.

"You’re joking, Miss Shangguan. Miss Xu’s fondness for me is merely that for an ordinary friend."

"We are both Immortal Cultivators; we should know that fate is fickle."

After Su Qing said these few words indifferently, Xu Ningying had already walked over.

She looked at Shangguan Muling. "Sister Ling, what are you and Su Qing talking about?"

Shangguan Muling smiled and said, "I was just asking Young Master Su if he is betrothed."

"I’m getting on in years, you know. Sister Ling needs a Dao Companion, and Young Master Su is quite to my taste."

"Sister Ling~"

Xu Ningying could tell at a glance that Shangguan Muling was teasing.

How could Immortal Cultivators like them choose Dao Companions so quickly?

Shangguan Muling had Dual Spirit Roots, after all.

She was only one year older than Xu Ningying.

She was going to the Zhengxuan Sect in the spring; how could she possibly choose Su Qing?

No matter how strong Su Qing was now, he was still just a mortal.

But the grand figures of the Zhengxuan Sect could practically fly through the heavens.

As for burrowing into the earth, even their own superior could do that.

Su Qing remained impassive at the side.

It would be best if they weren’t interested in him.

Because Su Qing truly had no interest.

The women from the brothels were more straightforward and gentle.

Even if he paid to free a woman from a brothel and took her home, she would make a virtuous concubine.

But as for Immortal Cultivators...

Su Qing had no intention of getting too deeply involved with them.

He ate his food, silently watching the two of them.

Xu Ningying also glanced at Su Qing.

From his initial naivete to how calmly he was eating now, his ability to adapt was clearly very strong.

Xu Ningying speculated internally.

It was true that she had a strange, inexplicable affection for Su Qing.

After all, Su Qing had seen her body under unclear circumstances.

But Xu Ningying was also proud. With her Three Spirit Roots, she always felt that she wouldn’t end up with someone like Su Qing.

Yet Su Qing was also exceptionally handsome, which left Xu Ningying conflicted.

Su Qing, however, was not. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Su Qing, what are your plans for the future?"

Xu Ningying asked.

It was obvious she wanted to know what Su Qing planned to do after he had helped her.

"Plans?"

"I’ll take it one step at a time. What plans could I have?"

Su Qing said nonchalantly.

In this world, he had no family, no friends, no one to rely on.

Only his Golden Finger could help him.

Since he didn’t have a Spirit Root, Su Qing felt he would eventually have to find out how to join a Demonic Sect.

Without a Spirit Root, joining a Demonic Sect was his only option to be able to continue his Cultivation without revealing too many of his secrets.

"Then... are you willing to continue being my Guardian?"

Su Qing shook his head.

"Don’t even think about it. I just wanted to repay the favor."

"You’re a Fairy, high above. I’m just a man of the earth who wants to go see the world."

Su Qing smiled after he finished speaking.

With a calm gaze, he glanced at Xu Ningying, then lowered his head and continued to eat.

Xu Ningying saw the look in Su Qing’s eyes and his tone of voice; he seemed completely unconcerned.

She felt indignant and sulked a little.

Seeing this, Shangguan Muling said with a beaming smile, "That’s true. Young Master Su defeated the Great Demon Fiend with his Martial Dao skills. People of the martial world consider the whole world their home."

Su Qing paused for a moment, then looked at Shangguan Muling and suddenly laughed. "Now that you put it that way, I guess it makes no difference."

Su Qing’s gaze grew distant as he looked at the laughing and cheering crowd around him.

Every face was overflowing with smiles.

But Su Qing was different.

Just a few months ago, he had been weak, powerless, and at the very bottom of society, someone who could be toyed with at will.

Back in Flood Village, he had to give up his land because he couldn’t even afford the land tax.

On the roads, outside the city, the scenes he saw were always so different from this.

In the end, both Shangguan Muling and Xu Ningying went off to socialize.

They paid no mind to Su Qing, who remained in his seat.

Su Qing paid them no mind either. He had no relationship with anyone here.

Nor was there any need to build one.

Right now, the most he coveted was the advanced Qi Cultivation technique from the Demon-Extermination Bureau.

He didn’t seem to care much about anything else.

’There’s still a long time until spring.’

Su Qing thought to himself. He still felt that his Five Qi God Demon Technique could be synthesized again, allowing him to become even stronger in the Gathering Spirit Stage.

However, Su Qing had yet to try replicating his current Five Qi God Demon Technique one more time to see if he would pass out.

This was the most crucial point.

More importantly, Su Qing was now even more interested in the Demon-Extermination Bureau’s cultivation techniques.

Because Su Qing could sense that even though Xu Ningying said her Qi Cultivation Stage superior was very strong, to Su Qing...

...they seemed really weak.

His Gathering Spirit Limit and Body Tempering Perfection were no joke.

The key was the boost from his Five Qi God Demon Body, which allowed Su Qing to clearly sense that the Qi Cultivation Stage didn’t seem any different from the Gathering Spirit Stage.