Regardless of the turmoil in the capital and the south, Long Qinghuang quickly arrived at Yaodu with Lu Xingzhou’s envoy group.

Yes, very quickly…

Because Long Qinghuang had continued to observe for a few more days, confirming that Lu Xingzhou and Sheng Yuanyao truly were not “that kind” of couple, but rather a “female bro” relationship that was incredibly hard to tolerate, she could no longer stand it.

During one instance when Lu Xingzhou and Sheng Yuanyao were exploring the forest together, Long Qinghuang snatched Lu Xingzhou up, and together with Anuò, flew directly back to Yaodu, leaving Sheng Yuanyao to bring the envoy group to follow the main army at their own pace.

Sheng Yuanyao looked around, and the large Lu Xingzhou was already gone.

Lu Xingzhou cupped his hands, unsure what he had been doing before.

“I said we were just exploring the forest because, as an alchemist, I wanted to see the unique plants here. Do you believe me?”

“I believe you.” Long Qinghuang said expressionlessly, “But do you really need to explain to me? After all, who is Long Qinghuang, and what could she possibly have to do with you?”

Lu Xingzhou: “Then why didn’t you let me look at the plants? There was a tree just now…”

“If there’s something you want to see, I’ll have someone move it for you. Is there any need to follow a woman into the forest?”

Lu Xingzhou shut his mouth.

Long Qinghuang said, “Actually, if it weren’t for your cleverness in wanting to bring a guard, I could have brought you back earlier. But then I thought, it probably makes no difference whether you have a guard or not, so let’s go first. Your female bro can eat dust behind us.”

Lu Xingzhou was speechless. Sometimes he felt this Yao Huang was very childish.

“May I respectfully ask… in terms of a dragon’s lifespan, roughly how many human years is a thousand years equivalent to?”

Long Qinghuang thought for a long time: “I don’t know how to calculate it. After all, cultivation differences are vast. I was born in the Huàxíng Realm. Can I be considered the same race as some useless beings who haven’t even awakened their spirit?”

Lu Xingzhou couldn’t even comment on her. You’re talented, you’re amazing, but why are you still not as strong as Ye Tinglan after a thousand years?

“What if we calculate based on the lifespan of a super-grade cultivator?”

“You humans, Huīyáng, have a lifespan of over a thousand years? Perhaps those who cultivate in a way that promotes health can live even longer?”

“Something like that.” Anyway, it’s said that the Huángjí Jīngshì Jīng isn’t good for lifespan, while the Tiānyáo Xuányuè should be very strong in that regard. Different cultivation methods are different, so it’s hard to compare. Just a rough estimate will do.

“Then dragons, with five thousand years of lifespan in my cultivation, would that mean I’ve lived one-fifth of a year? Compared to a mortal’s hundred years, does that mean I’m twenty?”

Anuò’s eyes bulged.

Is there something wrong with this comparison…?

According to this, the Ye family sisters, whose lifespans are less than one-tenth of a year, compared to a mortal’s hundred years, would mean they are less than ten years old this year, making them Anuò’s younger sisters.

Dragon Sister’s calculation method is truly genius.

Or perhaps the Ye family sisters are just too exceptional; no matter what, if you put them there, general logic collapses.

In fact, Lu Xingzhou was quite happy to consider Long Qinghuang twenty, the age of a university student, which would explain her occasional girlishness.

Unfortunately, whether Long Qinghuang’s calculation was correct or not, this matter couldn’t be compared this way… After all, she had truly lived for a thousand years, and by rights should be very knowledgeable, not directly convertible to the knowledge and temperament of a twenty-year-old girl. Heaven knows what was going on with her…

Perhaps there was a possibility… she had never had friends to interact with, but was deliberately trying to do so, thus appearing somewhat naive?

Thinking of this, Lu Xingzhou felt a stir in his heart. No matter what, this Yao Huang陛下 was indeed trying to interact with him in a more equal way… even if the prerequisite was still snatching people away without a word.

Amidst various thoughts, Yaodu, which usually took more than half a month to reach, was now close at hand.

This was the largest city Lu Xingzhou had ever seen in his life.

In the center of the city was an extraordinarily tall mountain, with dragons circling around it. That was Longyá, the sacred land of the dragon race, and also where the Yaodu imperial palace was located.

Just how big would a mountain that could accommodate thousands of giant dragons circling around it be?

Yet, it was merely a mountain within a city.

Not like the mountains of Dānxiá Shān in the suburbs of Xiàzhōu… it was a mountain within a city.

With this giant peak as the center, the city spread out from its surroundings, expanding circle by circle, larger and larger. All the counties in the entire Dōngjiāng Commandery combined might not even be as large as this city.

At least the capital of Dàgān was not this big. Although cities cannot be simply compared by size, looking down from above was indeed awe-inspiring.

Long Qinghuang did not allow the master and disciple to look down for long, directly bringing them down to the summit of the cliff.

The majestic imperial palace stood on the mountaintop.

The imperial palace was not too large, similar to Dàgān’s, and the architectural style was also comparable, suggesting that Long Qinghuang resided here in human form.

Lu Xingzhou let out a breath. He had worried that Long Qinghuang usually used her true form; how would he interact with a giant dragon several zhang long…? Speaking of such a large dragon, how big would her waste disposal area be?

Amidst his random thoughts, the palace guards, seeing Long Qinghuang landing with two people clutched to her sides, bowed and greeted her: “Your Majesty.”

Long Qinghuang waved her hand: “These two guests will stay in the palace for now. Remember their faces.”

Just as Anuò thought she meant remembering their faces to provide convenience, Long Qinghuang added: “After you remember them, if they dare to leave without permission, arrest them and bring them back to me.”

Anuò: “…”

Lu Xingzhou chuckled, not bothered, and leisurely walked into the palace, leading Anuò.

Long Qinghuang secretly glanced at him. Seeing that he wasn’t displeased, she felt a slight relief, coughed twice, and led the way: “How does it compare to your Dàgān imperial palace?”

Lu Xingzhou followed, appreciating his surroundings, and replied: “I’m ashamed to say, I’ve never even been inside the Dàgān imperial palace.”

“So what in Dàgān is worth lingering for you?”

Lu Xingzhou smiled without answering, instead changing the subject: “I thought Your Majesty would decorate buildings with shiny things. It turns out you don’t.”

“Am I crazy? If the outside is decorated with shiny things, the sunlight would reflect and sting whose eyes?” Long Qinghuang said unhappily, “Don’t always mock me for liking shiny things. Everyone has something they like! Like you going to look at plants midway, to me, that’s also crazy. Did I laugh at you?”

“No, it’s not mockery. People are always curious about things they don’t understand. Your Majesty’s thoughts and habits intrigue me, that’s all.”

Long Qinghuang sneered, “You want to understand me? I didn’t realize. After so many days of being so intimate with your female bro, did you remember to say a word to me?”

Lu Xingzhou said, “I just contradicted Your Majesty; I didn’t want to come seeking more scolding.”

Long Qinghuang said coldly, “You’ve offended me in many ways. Have I ever held it against you?”

“For example?”

“What about a carriage full of Yàoyè Pearls in exchange for so many soldiers? Did you think I was a fool? Did I hold it against you?”

Lu Xingzhou sighed: “I need to build my reputation, to create the image of achieving the most with the least cost…”

“So you’re costing me? If you were really my consort, losing a bit of money would be fine, but you want integrity and my money too? Are all the good things going to you?”

“I learned it from a celestial maiden from another world.”

Long Qinghuang was stunned: “Can that even be called a celestial maiden?”

Lu Xingzhou finally smiled: “How about I cover Your Majesty’s losses out of my own pocket?”

Long Qinghuang squinted at him: “You’re merely a third-rank cultivator, and a recently breakthrough one at that… what could you possibly pull out?”

As they spoke, the three finally passed through layers of halls and pavilions, arriving at the inner palace.

Long Qinghuang directly pointed to a bedchamber: “You two will stay here.”

Anuò lowered her head and smiled.

She didn’t even need to look to know that it was a palace designed for a consort, perhaps even the empress’s quarters… Anuò was skilled in divination, and the eight trigrams were fundamental; wasn’t this chamber located in the Kūn position…?

“Alright, alright, I love Kūn too, this is it.” Lu Xingzhou seemed to have forgotten how principled he had been earlier, and casually entered the hall.

This left Long Qinghuang, who had expected Lu Xingzhou to stubbornly refuse, quite stunned. It wasn’t until Lu Xingzhou had already led Anuò inside that she reacted, chasing after them into the door: “I asked what you could pull out!”

Before her words finished, she saw Lu Xingzhou pull out a glittering gem.

The gem was beautiful, iridescent with flowing light, emanating seven colors, perfectly hitting Long Qinghuang’s aesthetic. She liked it at first glance.

Its beauty alone would have been enough, but the intense energy aura contained within the gem made even Long Qinghuang, who was well-traveled and owned countless treasures, narrow her eyes: “Ancient aura… where did you get this?”

“Does Your Majesty like it?”

Long Qinghuang seemed a little embarrassed, but still kept a straight face: “What if I like it?”

“I’ll use this to compensate Your Majesty for the loss. Is that sincere enough?” Lu Xingzhou stepped forward and placed the gem directly into Long Qinghuang’s hand.

Long Qinghuang didn’t even realize that her hand had been held by him during this process; her mind was entirely on the gem.

A gem containing ancient aura, so beautiful and appealing to her aesthetic.

A perfect kill.

“I didn’t expect you could actually pull out something.” Long Qinghuang’s expression finally couldn’t hold any longer, and she gleefully turned the gem over and over: “Consider yourself passed… where did you get it?”

Lu Xingzhou said, “A treasure is just a key… it can open…”

Anuò continued in her mind, “your heart.”

But Lu Xingzhou did not say that, instead saying: “It can open the topic we should have been discussing.”

Anuò covered her face, she had guessed wrong again.

Long Qinghuang’s thoughts finally pulled back a little from the beloved gem, and she asked curiously, “You mean?”

“The ancient realm.” Lu Xingzhou said, “They attacked your sacred mountain… shouldn’t this be the main topic we should discuss?”

Long Qinghuang looked at him, somewhat stunned: “So you willingly entered the empress’s bedchamber because it’s the most private place to talk?”

Lu Xingzhou again showed that doting, helpless smile: “There’s not that much to it… wherever you arrange for me to stay, I’ll stay. It’s just a residence; there’s nothing worth debating. Besides, it’s good to live closer to you. We have many private topics, not just the ancient realm, but also those around you… things that shouldn’t be overheard. Letting people think you are indulging in male beauty, but in reality, plotting something else, might not be a bad idea.”