Regardless of what Si Han was thinking, Lu Xingzhou’s proposal was immediately approved on the spot.

In fact, Ye Tinglan thought Si Han could also announce that the Heavenly Jade Holy Land would be designated as a holy site for the Heavenly Frost Nation. Logically, there shouldn’t have been any obstacles, but Lu Xingzhou never brought it up. Since she had entrusted the conversation to Lu Xingzhou, she didn’t interject.

Night falls quickly in the Heavenly Frost Nation. The two had spent a long time just traveling during the day, and after all their activities, it was already approaching dusk.

Si Han naturally invited them to stay overnight, and Lu Xingzhou did not refuse. However, he requested to stay in Shadowmoon City, not within the sect, and also opted out of the evening banquet.

The two walked side by side along the central avenue of Shadowmoon City, which was lit with lights everywhere. Lu Xingzhou remained keenly interested in observing the city, so much so that he didn’t even tease the Master beside him.

Ye Tinglan should have felt more at peace, but for some reason, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable all over.

After walking for a long time, she couldn’t help but speak, “Why are you so quiet? Are you thinking about something?”

“Oh,” Lu Xingzhou replied casually, “I’m observing what kind of template a royal city would be like under this system.”

“So, what have you observed?”

“There are fewer ordinary people, and the city has the feel of a cultivator’s market, as I imagined, but it’s not quite complete yet.” Lu Xingzhou’s gaze fell on a brothel by the street. Ye Tinglan followed his gaze, and her face turned ashen.

“Care for some fun, young master?” A madam was already soliciting customers at the entrance. Seeing Lu Xingzhou looking as if he couldn’t tear himself away, she came out with a smile to pull him in. “Oh, madam, what’s with that expression? Jealousy is one of the seven grounds for divorce…”

Ye Tinglan stared blankly at Lu Xingzhou, who was sweating profusely. “Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, I wasn’t looking at you all!”

“If you ask me, young master, your wife is indeed pretty, but look at that stern face. Can our girls serve someone like that?” The madam had already sidled closer.

Lu Xingzhou immediately pulled away, sweating. “This is my first time seeing someone solicit customers right in front of their wife. Your business doesn’t seem so bad; aren’t there a lot of customers?”

The madam chuckled, “But a handsome customer like you is a rare sight. If you’re willing to come, I’ll personally entertain you, free of charge…”

“Dream on.” Lu Xingzhou grabbed Ye Tinglan’s hand and fled.

Ye Tinglan glanced at her hand, which he was holding, suspecting he was doing it on purpose. However, she didn’t struggle for a moment, and coldly asked, “Why are you running? Weren’t your eyes glued there?”

Lu Xingzhou stopped abruptly. “I wasn’t looking at that; I was observing cultivation!”

“Huh?”

“Even the courtesans are cultivators; I saw some as high as seventh rank! Good heavens, was I only at a courtesan’s level half a year ago?”

Ye Tinglan felt a little like laughing. “So what? The Lustrous Maiden Sect is being heavily suppressed in Great Gan right now, but years ago, when the Demonic Path was rampant, you could also see female cultivators in brothels in Great Gan. The highly cultivated ones were quite expensive; I heard eight hundred spirit stones a night.”

“Are they encrusted with diamonds? Why are there cuckolds here too?”

Ye Tinglan: “?”

“Ahem.” Lu Xingzhou quickly changed the subject. “Even the Lustrous Maiden Sect wasn’t this obvious back then, were they? They’d hide it a bit, wouldn’t they? It wouldn’t be visible on the surface.”

“That’s true. So what are you trying to say?”

“I’m thinking, if this situation where even courtesans are cultivators becomes more extreme, to the point where there are completely no ordinary people, then perhaps there won’t be a need to consider things like sweet potatoes or grain production, like in Great Gan.”

Ye Tinglan shook her head. “Completely no ordinary people is unlikely. Everyone starts cultivating as an ordinary person. Unless ordinary people live separately from cultivators, then perhaps there would be no mortals in cultivator cities. Our cities outside the Heavenly Jade Holy Land are like that now; they are formed solely by cultivators coming and going. What you just called a cultivator’s market, that’s what it is. Did you really need to come to the Heavenly Frost Nation to see it?”

Lu Xingzhou looked up and mused, “Is this the original source of the divide between immortals and mortals? It’s just that the divide has persisted until now, and if mortals cultivate to a higher level again, the cycle continues.”

Ye Tinglan frowned slightly, her expression turning serious.

Lu Xingzhou, however, smiled. “Just elaborating on a thought; don’t overthink it. After all, even if it were true, it wouldn’t mean much to us.”

“Discovering the truth is the meaning,” Ye Tinglan said seriously. “Cultivation, in a sense, is about seeking truth and knowledge, and exploring origins.”

“Not for power and immortality, then?”

“Most people are like that… I just wanted to hear your thoughts.” Ye Tinglan paused. “Your habit of observing and pondering like this whenever you visit a place… it aligns with the essence of cultivation.”

“Why are you interested in my thoughts?”

“You…” Ye Tinglan knew he was starting to tease her again. She secretly regretted bringing up the topic; he could observe cities all he wanted! The result was not only getting tangled up with a courtesan, but also having him hold her hand and not let go until now.

Oh, right, why hasn’t he let go yet? Ye Tinglan instantly pulled her hand back.

However, she couldn’t leave the question unanswered at this point, so she replied with a straight face, “I am your mentor. Do I need any other reason to understand my disciple’s thoughts?”

“This disciple just realized how responsible Master is.” Lu Xingzhou chuckled apologetically. “Then, as my Master, shouldn’t you be responsible for your disciple’s three meals? I’m hungry.”

Ye Tinglan then remembered that this fellow hadn’t eaten for at least three days and three nights. He hadn’t yet achieved grain abstinence, so it was normal for him to be hungry. She couldn’t help but ask, “Then why did you refuse Si Han’s dinner invitation just now? Were you afraid of an ambush?”

“Of course not. With Master by my side, I’m perfectly safe.”

“Then why did you run out?”

“Because such banquets are bound to be fake and boring, full of flattery. How can they compare to the freedom of us, master and disciple, eating out at a restaurant?” Lu Xingzhou grabbed Ye Tinglan’s hand and led her towards a nearby eatery. “I know Master also dislikes that kind of social event. We’re not cut from the same cloth.”

Ye Tinglan secretly thought that was true, but only realized she had been pulled along again after entering the eatery…

By the time she thought of struggling, they were already inside a small private room. Lu Xingzhou naturally let go, and they sat opposite each other. The waiter followed them in, smiling as he handed over the menu. “What would the esteemed guests like to eat?”

Lu Xingzhou looked through it, quite surprised. “There’s actually so much exotic beast meat.”

The waiter paused, “Are the guests from Great Gan?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“The Heavenly Frost Nation has desolate mountains and many exotic beasts. Only people from Great Gan would make such a fuss.”

Lu Xingzhou casually pointed at dishes, asking with a smile, “Do people from Great Gan often come here?”

“Not many… though a white-haired young lady visited some time ago. She left a deep impression.”

The waiter didn’t know what he had said wrong, but ever since that sentence, the man and woman had fallen silent.

Lu Xingzhou cleared his throat twice. “What happened to that young lady?”

“She just had a meal here and left. Who knows what happened to her?”

Lu Xingzhou nodded, handing the marked menu to the waiter. “That’s all. Please bring them out… And could you close the door on your way out?”

Compared to some seniors who first became close with their disciples and later with their masters for various reasons, Lu Xingzhou and Dugu Qingli’s relationship was still far from intimate. The two truly hadn’t engaged in romantic love, so Lu Xingzhou hadn’t thought much about Dugu Qingli when he was with Ye Tinglan. However, it was still true that they had had accidental intimate contact, and once it was brought up, awkwardness was inevitable.

It was also a bit late when he discovered Master Ye’s true identity. If he had known earlier, he probably wouldn’t have had any intentions.

Similarly, Ye Tinglan hadn’t broken up a relationship between her disciple and a man, so there wasn’t much embarrassment. However, because Qingli was friends with this man, it was also inevitably awkward for her, as an elder, to be holding hands with her disciple’s friend, which seemed disrespectful.

Ultimately, it was this man’s problem. Were they even of the same generation? Why was he pursuing her like an idiot? Why didn’t he pursue Qingli? If he pursued Qingli, she could even “break up the mandarin ducks” and enjoy herself for a bit, but why pursue her?

The atmosphere remained stagnant for a long while before Lu Xingzhou finally broke the silence. “Um… Qingli said she was going on a mission to a very distant place. Could it be the Heavenly Frost Nation?”

Ye Tinglan simply “hmm-ed.”

“Your sect has a secret communication method, right? Should we contact her and see if we can meet up in the Heavenly Frost Nation?”

Ye Tinglan gave him an annoyed glare.

Meet up? Wouldn’t that be awkward?

She actually took out a communication jade slip. “Now that you mention it, I remember I need to notify Elder Su Yuan and have him come here to take full charge of matters in the Heavenly Frost Nation.”

No sooner had she finished explaining the situation to Su Yuan than another signal came through the jade slip.

When Ye Tinglan saw who it was, her eyes widened in disbelief, and she then secretly glanced at Lu Xingzhou.

Just then, the waiter served their dishes. Lu Xingzhou, thinking Ye Tinglan was still communicating telepathically with Su Yuan, didn’t disturb her and began to eat.

Ye Tinglan surreptitiously connected her spiritual sense to the jade slip, and soon her younger sister’s voice, which she hadn’t heard in ten years, came through: “Ye Tinglan! Are you with Lu Xingzhou?!”

Ye Tinglan would never have imagined that the first time she heard her sister’s voice in so many years, it would be this very sentence.

Yuan Muyu had just received Ji Wenchuan’s report.

Previously, Su Yuan had relayed Lu Xingzhou’s words to Ji Wenchuan and Anuo, so the two didn’t foolishly wait on the glacier. Ji Wenchuan rode a bone dragon to send Anuo back to Xia Province.

On the way, he thought it best to organize the information from Frozen Moon Cold River and report it to Lord Yama. After careful consideration, Ji Wenchuan adopted Anuo’s suggestion, reporting only the events and omitting any gossip. However, he dared not deceive Lord Yama about the events, especially regarding Lu Xingzhou’s whereabouts. Ji Wenchuan cautiously reported that Lu Xingzhou was suspected of accompanying the Heavenly Jade Holy Lord south to the Heavenly Frost Nation, with an unknown purpose.

Previously, Yuan Muyu had completely disregarded any rumors, whether they concerned Liu Yan’er, Shen Tang, or Sheng Yuanyao, or Pei Chuyun. At this moment, however, she nearly crushed the communication jade slip.

Others wouldn’t be a threat…

But an elder sister who looked very much like her? That was hard to say!

Of course, by common sense, it was impossible for a rigid old maid like Ye Tinglan to have any romantic involvement with Xingzhou. This “accompanying south” most likely implied other important matters. However, the interaction between these two still made Yuan Muyu restless and unable to calm down.

Ye Tinglan replied leisurely from the other end: “Yes, Lu Xingzhou is the top scholar of this year’s Great Gan Alchemy Academy. As the Great Gan National Preceptor, I see potential in this young man and am bringing him along to do some work. Do you have any complaints?”

“You…”

“If you’re not satisfied, then return to the Heavenly Jade Holy Land. In the future, for missions like this, I can send you along. How about that?”

Yuan Muyu gritted her teeth. “Why would the Heavenly Jade Holy Lord personally deal with a mere young man! Aren’t you approaching him to use him against me?”

“So what if I am?”

“I warn you, if you dare harm a single hair on his head, don’t blame me for disregarding our sisterly bond!”

“I’m just educating my sister; why would I hurt anyone? Besides, he’s so smart; wouldn’t he be clearer about things than you are? What exactly are you afraid of?”

Yuan Muyu didn’t answer for a long time.

Ye Tinglan recalled that this seemed to be the first time her rebellious sister had been put in her place by her. Unsure of her own mindset, she surprisingly prodded again: “Oh, you’re not afraid that if he stays with me long enough, he’ll sell out his former superior, Lord Yama, are you?”

Yuan Muyu immediately retorted, “You’re overthinking it… He simply sees that you bear some resemblance to me and is using you as a substitute… merely to recall an old acquaintance. Tsk tsk, the esteemed Heavenly Jade Holy Lord, aren’t you ashamed?”

“Look at you, acting like a shrew… Good thing it’s only a slight resemblance. If it were a complete resemblance, it would truly affect my temperament.” Ye Tinglan leisurely cut off the communication.

Outside Miaoyin Mountain, many pedestrians suddenly felt as if there was an earthquake.

From within the mountain’s core, sounds of “clanging and crashing” seemed to emanate, and even the mountain itself was shaking.