Chapter 65: Saying One Thing and Meaning Another

Su Xi was slightly stunned, then looked toward the Cui Fu opposite.

Although she had let Er Miao set up a defense when Zhou Chuchen came over, so that nothing happening here could be seen or heard, the light from Rong Shou's Teleportation still caught the attention of the guards at Cui Fu, who kept peering toward Su Zhai.

"Let's talk after we return to the palace," Su Xi said to Zhou Chuchen and Fang Lao.

As soon as Zhou Chuchen heard that Su Xi was going back to the palace with him, he immediately scooped her up, "I will send you back tomorrow morning!"

Su Xi: "..."

Fang Lao stroked his beard, his smile exceptionally kind.

The main room of the inner courtyard of Su Zhai.

Su Mu, just about to fall asleep, suddenly opened her eyes, "No, I have to go check on Xi Niu'er; I hope that child hasn't been lured into the palace by the Emperor again."

Su Fu pulled her back, "Leave it be, go to sleep quickly; there will be plenty to do tomorrow morning."

"It's only two steps away, I'll come back to sleep right after I check," Su Mu insisted.

Meanwhile, Su Xi, who was in the palace, had been keeping an eye on the situation at home. As soon as she saw Su Mu arrive at the door of the Dong Xiang Fang, she hurriedly used Teleportation to return.

"Has Xi Niu'er fallen asleep yet?"

"Almost, Mother, please go get some rest."

"Good, good, good, my sweet girl."

Su Mu returned, feeling satisfied.

Su Fu asked, "Is she there?"

Su Mu nodded, "Our girl is sensible; she didn't go to the palace, she's in the Dong Xiang Fang."

Su Fu replied, "Mm, go to sleep now."

Su Mu suddenly laughed, "Do you remember? You said before that the Emperor might have taken a fancy to our girl; you were really accurate."

"The Emperor being able to wait for our girl for so long shows he has heart; he is worth entrusting her to," Su Fu laughed.

"As for the Guozhang Fu, should we move?" Su Mu was used to living here and didn't want to move house.

Su Fu said, "The neighbors here are all familiar; that house over there is big but lacks the liveliness. Besides, the feng shui here is prosperous for our family, so let's not move for now."

Su Mu shared the same thought, "I'll listen to the head of the house. However, if that place needs repairs or maintenance, we should still handle it ourselves. Right now, our girl is favored and the Emperor is compliant with her every wish, but flowers don't bloom for a hundred days, and people don't stay good for a thousand; we should plan ahead to avoid being caught in a bind later."

"Mm, you can discuss it with our daughter-in-law later." Su Fu only concerned himself with earning money for the family; he didn't care about the rest.

As the old couple talked, they blew out the lamp and went to sleep.

Su Xi returned to the palace and smiled at Zhou Chuchen, "Flowers don't bloom for a hundred days, and people don't stay good for a thousand; Emperor, do you think this saying is correct?"

"I should be the one asking you that," Zhou Chuchen replied, raising an eyebrow. How long could he occupy a place in her heart?

Su Xi leaned in close to him and kissed the side of his neck, "Until this flower withers."

"Ahem~" Fang Lao reminded them that he was still there.

Zhou Chuchen glared at him, "You have no sense of propriety."

Fang Lao: "..."

Su Xi composed herself, "Back to the main topic, what does Fang Lao know about Sect Leader Rong?"

Fang Lao let out a long sigh before saying, "He and I are from the same village; we grew up playing in the mud together. After we grew up, he entered the Southern Dao Sect, and I joined the Heavenly Sword Sect."

Once these words were spoken, not only was Su Xi surprised, but even Zhou Chuchen was taken aback.

Zhou Chuchen said, "Then why are you so aged, while he maintains the appearance of a man in his prime?"

"... It is merely a facade, depending on one's Dao heart." Fang Lao gradually changed his form, finally turning into a handsome young man.

"Fine, I find your previous appearance more pleasing to the eye," Zhou Chuchen replied.

Fang Lao changed back into an old man with white hair and beard.

"What we see is his Immortal side; in reality, he also has a Demonic side. I have known him for so many years and have only seen it once. His Demonic cultivation strength is far higher than his Immortal cultivation."

"I know this; my Master practices Immortal-Demonic Dual Cultivation, but I have never seen his Demonic cultivation form."

"Most of the time, he uses True Essence Power to suppress it, which is why he rarely leaves the Southern Dao Sect, especially the Ling Shou Yuan. The dense spiritual energy can make his Demonic nature feel repulsed and remain calm. But Rong Shou once said that there will eventually come a time when he cannot suppress it."

"Then what does that have to do with me?" Su Xi didn't understand; whether her Master was Immortal or Demonic, wasn't he still her Master?

If he hadn't taken her as a disciple first, she might have recognized Xie Guanyu as her Master—that man was a genuine Demonic cultivator.

By the way, she hadn't notified Xie Guanyu of her wedding yet; she had to fleece him for a gift no matter what.

【Er Miao, you have Xie Guanyu's sound transmission talisman, right?】

【I do.】

Fang Lao replied, "After reaching the Emptiness Refining Realm, a Dao Body can create an external avatar, but the avatar is constrained by the main body. If Rong Shou's Immortal nature cannot suppress his Demonic nature, he will very likely be forced into his avatar. If the main body becomes Demonic, he will no longer be able to control it, and I fear it would be detrimental to the Empress."

"I, a fellow Daoist who grew up with him, was also nearly killed by his Demonic nature. Later, he broke off relations with me quite decisively."

"Could it be that his Demonic side doesn't recognize anyone?" Su Xi asked.

"Except for the appearance still being Rong Shou, everything else is not," Fang Lao said with a grave expression.

Su Xi said to Er Miao: 【Open the System Map and see if you can keep an eye on him. If what Fang Lao says is true, it is very likely he can no longer control his Demonic nature. Also, look for Xue Fuyi; she appeared outside my house tonight, and it just so happened she encountered the Emperor. If the Emperor hadn't been there, she surely would have had other motives.】

【Yes, Host.】 Er Miao responded.

"Anyway, we are no longer Master and disciple, so what he does has nothing to do with me," Su Xi took a piece of osmanthus cake from the snack tray and took a big bite.

【The Host is being insincere again; you clearly care about your Master very much.】

【Just keep watching.】

Zhou Chuchen wiped a bit of cake crumb from her lips, "A teacher for a day is a father for life. Even if there is no longer a Master-disciple relationship, the past connection will still be recorded in the Dao fruit. If he needs help, one must be duty-bound."

Su Xi nodded, "I know."

After practicing martial arts with Zhou Chuchen for a while longer, Su Xi returned to Su Zhai.

She took Xie Guanyu's sound transmission talisman out from the System Space—【I am getting married today, Brother~ do you want to send your little sister off?】

The sound transmission talisman did not fly far, but instead flew toward the outside of Su Zhai.

Very quickly, Xie Guanyu appeared in her room holding a sound-transmission talisman, "Big brother will carry you onto the Phoenix Carriage."

Su Xi laughed, "I have a younger brother."

Xie Guanyu gave her a golden storage bracelet, "Have you considered fleeing the marriage? Big brother will take you to Mo Yu."

"Not considering it," Su Xi replied with great certainty.

"Tch~ Boring," Xie Guanyu sat on a stool, "Ask you something, answer truthfully."

"Alright," Su Xi put the golden storage bracelet on her wrist; it fit quite well.

"Your nature is free and unrestrained, why do you want to marry the Human Emperor?" Xie Guanyu looked into her eyes.

After a moment of silence, Su Xi loosened the hair bun on her head and sat before the vanity mirror, "Perhaps one day I will say, but not now."

Xie Guanyu walked behind her, picked up a jade comb, and combed her hair from top to bottom.

Su Xi smiled, "You are not a lady of complete fortune."

Xie Guanyu put down the jade comb, lowered his body, and looked at her exquisite, flawless face from inches away...

Su Xi also couldn't help but hold her breath.

"Little sister, big brother will send you only this far," Xie Guanyu straightened up and flicked her forehead with his finger.

Su Xi beamed, "Thank you."