"Xu Ningying isn’t back yet?"

Su Qing couldn’t help but ask.

’This Xu Ningying, why is she so slow at everything?’

"Young Master Su, I estimate Xu Fairy will be able to return tomorrow."

"There’s news from the Murong Mansion. They say the Murong Family’s second young master was turned into a Human Pig."

"It was supposedly done by a Deceitful Bride."

Hearing this, Su Qing couldn’t help but ask, "A Human Pig? With all his limbs chopped off?"

Hua Nujiao nodded.

"That’s why Xu Fairy will be back tomorrow."

"They say tonight is also the Deceitful Bride’s procession time."

As Su Qing listened, his appetite soured.

He had no choice but to put down his chopsticks.

"Does Xu Ningying still need to stand guard tonight?"

Su Qing grew puzzled.

"Xu Fairy said she must eliminate the Deceitful Bride."

Su Qing couldn’t help but frown.

Su Qing knew Xu Ningying’s skill level better than anyone.

’She’s just a total newbie, yet she actually wants to eliminate the Deceitful Bride.’

That Deceitful Bride was clearly more intelligent than the Demon Fiend Wang Li.

Su Qing always felt that any intelligent opponent was not to be underestimated.

’Xu Ningying is just asking to be killed.’

"Can you help me by going to the Murong Family and telling Xu Ningying to come back?"

"With her meager strength, she almost died fighting that Great Demon Fiend before. Now she wants to take on the Deceitful Bride?"

"How does she dare?"

Su Qing was still waiting for her to return to Shangjing.

Su Qing also needed to go to Shangjing to gather information about the outside world.

After hearing this, Hua Nujiao chuckled softly and said, "I can help convey Young Master Su’s words, but Xu Fairy won’t necessarily come back. I can’t persuade her."

Su Qing shook his head.

’If Xu Ningying hears my message and still doesn’t return, it just means she’s an idiot. And if she’s an idiot, then going to Shangjing with her would be the wrong decision. You only get one life. If she can be that reckless, I’ll just find out what I need to know tomorrow and leave the County City on my own.’

"I will go deliver the message now."

Only then did Su Qing nod.

He looked at the scenery outside, listening to the maids playing music.

There was a stove in the room, so it was never very cold.

A while later, he spoke.

"That’s enough."

"I’m going back to rest."

With that, Su Qing ignored the flustered maids and returned to the room where he had been cultivating before, as if he knew the way by heart.

Su Qing didn’t practice the Five Qi God Demon Technique.

Instead, he began practicing the Cyan Flood Dragon Posture.

After taking a Great Nourishing Pill, the Cyan Flood Dragon Posture still increased his Skill Level by ten points per hour.

Su Qing was overjoyed.

The only thing he wasn’t happy about was that one Great Replenishing Pill could now only sustain three hours of practicing the Cyan Flood Dragon Posture.

This meant that the amount of qi and blood supplemented by the Great Replenishing Pill had become much less effective for Su Qing’s current condition.

That afternoon, there was a knock on Su Qing’s door.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK."

"Enter,"

Su Qing called out.

After hearing Su Qing’s voice, Hua Nujiao pushed open the door and stepped aside, revealing Xu Ningying, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

"Yo, you dare to challenge the Deceitful Bride?"

"Isn’t that just suicide?"

Seeing the woman, Su Qing couldn’t help but taunt her before relaxing from his Cyan Flood Dragon Posture stance.

When Xu Ningying saw Su Qing, her eyes flickered incessantly.

’She couldn’t understand why a mere mortal...’

’Wait, no.’

’He’s emitting fluctuations of Spiritual Qi!’

"You have a Spirit Root?"

Xu Ningying gathered Spiritual Qi into her eyes and saw that the Spiritual Qi around Su Qing was even denser.

This meant he had a Cultivation, but he didn’t know how to conceal it.

"I do."

"All Five Elements."

Hearing his last sentence, Xu Ningying couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

"Having all Five Elements just means you barely qualify for Cultivation."

Su Qing observed Xu Ningying’s reaction, recalling how in his past life, the Five Elements Spirit Root was generally considered a trash-tier Spirit Root.

At this, Su Qing couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

"Are you still going to deal with the Deceitful Bride?"

"If not, let’s head to Shangjing tomorrow."

"I won’t lift a finger to help you."

Su Qing directly cut off Xu Ningying’s unspoken thought.

"..."

’How does he know I was going to ask for his help?!’

Looking at the young and handsome Su Qing, Xu Ningying couldn’t help but have many embarrassing thoughts.

"Why would I ever ask for your help?"

"You must be joking."

Xu Ningying put on an arrogant front.

"We’ll return to Shangjing tomorrow."

"It’s a good thing you reminded me. Otherwise, I might have been tricked by the Murong Family into helping them deal with the Deceitful Bride."

This piqued Su Qing’s interest. "Oh? How did they trick you?"

Xu Ningying shook her head.

She didn’t want to say.

"We’re going back to Shangjing tomorrow. Get up early and pack your things."

Su Qing nodded.

"Since you have a Cultivation now, do you want to join the Demon-Extermination Bureau?"

Su Qing immediately shook his head.

’Are you kidding? My one Cultivation Technique is more than enough for me. Why would I join the Demon-Extermination Bureau?’

"Join? Of course, I’ll join."

"But what do you have to do after joining the Demon-Extermination Bureau?"

"You need to complete the tasks assigned from above,"

Xu Ningying said directly.

"..."

"No, that’s too broad."

Su Qing shook his head.

"Let’s talk about it after we get to Shangjing."

Xu Ningying could only nod, though she was a little disappointed.

"By the way, are there any Immortal Cultivation Sects in our dynasty?"

Xu Ningying immediately shook her head and exclaimed in surprise, "How could our dynasty possibly have a Sect?"

"However, the dynasty is a subordinate of an Immortal Cultivation Sect."

"Hm?"

Su Qing pondered for a moment. ’It’s true. Without Spirit Roots, how could there be so many people practicing Immortal Cultivation in a dynasty? Those with the aptitude would naturally gather together after reaching a certain level of Cultivation. It’s more convenient for everyone. Or they’d gather in places with abundant Spiritual Qi.’

"So that’s how it is."

"Then is there a chance to join one of the Sects?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

After hearing this, Xu Ningying furrowed her brows in thought and said, "Generally speaking, anyone with a Spirit Root can go to a Sect. But those with very poor Talent can only become Servant Disciples."

"You’d be better off staying in the mortal dynasty."

"What about you?"

Su Qing asked.

"Me? I have Three Spirit Roots. My Talent is much better than yours."

"I’m definitely going to enter a Sect."

"It’s just that it’s not time for the Zhengxuan Sect to recruit disciples yet."

"We have to wait until spring next year. That’s when the Zhengxuan Sect will recruit disciples, or some Servant Disciples."

"Someone like me, with Three Spirit Roots, can enter the Outer Sect directly."

Xu Ningying finally found something to be proud of, and she was extremely excited.

Su Qing couldn’t stand to watch anymore.

"Alright, alright. We’re leaving tomorrow."

BAM.

Su Qing pushed the daydreaming Xu Ningying out the door and shut it.

Leaving only Xu Ningying outside in the cold wind, a bit bewildered.

’I was just showing off a little?’

However, the corners of Xu Ningying’s mouth curled up smugly.

’Tomorrow, I’ll get to go to Shangjing and see what the capital of an ancient dynasty is really like.’

「A night passed.」

Su Qing hadn’t slept at all.

In the early morning, he had just finished circulating the Five Qi God Demon Technique one time. This increased Su Qing’s Skill Level by another ten points. He would reach the Master Level after circulating it just fifty times. Su Qing was eager to keep pushing forward.

Su Qing went outside the Shangshui Residence. Xu Ningying was already there with a horse-drawn carriage ready.

"This horse?"

Su Qing looked at the horse’s eyes; they seemed completely devoid of spirit. It looked just like the two Demonic Puppets he had placed in his Synthesizer.

"Get in the carriage. We’re leaving."

Xu Ningying said, poking her head out.

Su Qing nodded, lifted the curtain, and got in.

It was indeed quite spacious inside, as the carriage itself was very large.

"Please, have a seat. We’ll set off now."

Looking at Su Qing across from her, Xu Ningying couldn’t help but feel shy. For one, Xu Ningying had never been in a room alone with a man before. For another, Su Qing had captured her attention.

...