Only after unifying the world did I realize that immortals existed in this world.

"I possess only some mundane possessions; I hope the immortal will forgive me."

Inside the post station.

Liu Bingxuan brought a century-old ginseng and was sent to pay his respects to the cultivator.

"You're too kind, Lord Liu."

This was the first time Xiao Zheng had met this powerful figure from the "pro-immortal faction" of the Great Xia Dynasty in private.

He had been observing the other party from the moment they arrived.

He is well-mannered, has a peaceful smile, and is impeccable in everything he does, making it difficult to fathom what he is thinking.

Lu Junfeng believed that the emperor was not easy to deal with, so he could start by dealing with these ministers. After all, this vast country did not belong to the emperor alone; he needed these ministers to do things for him.

Especially these powerful and trusted key ministers.

Having been rebuffed by Xie Cangrong, Xiao Zheng also acknowledged his disciple's idea.

only……

Given the emperor's trust in them, how could they easily betray him?

The higher the value, the higher the risk.

Even though Liu Bingxuan performed very well, and even though he provided evidence against him, Xiao Zheng still doubted his stance.

The best-case scenario is that this person is adept at navigating both sides, does not consider cultivators to be a threat or scourge to the Great Xia, and, while safeguarding the interests of the Great Xia, befriends cultivators to gain the benefits of longevity and cultivation for himself.

After all, cultivators and the Great Xia Dynasty are not actually in conflict.

Without harming the interests of the Great Xia Dynasty, Liu Bingxuan's pursuit of befriending cultivators and gaining some benefits aligns with his personal goals.

The worst-case scenario... is that this person has the emperor standing behind him, and everything he does is at the emperor's behest.

Public and private interests are contradictory and intertwined in this person.

"My Great Xia is barren. I searched through the treasury and only found this one old ginseng. It is not comparable to the divine herbs of the immortal sect."

Xiao Zheng smiled and said, "Immortal herbs are hard to find. I appreciate Lord Liu's kindness, but this little injury is nothing to worry about."

"That's good! That's good!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bingxuan narrowed his eyes, raised his teacup, and took a small sip.

It seems unlikely that the matter of the immortal herbs and spiritual plants that Xie Cangrong asked him to inquire about can be resolved by dealing with Xiao Zheng.

With his keen intellect, he quickly discerned Xiao Zheng's true nature from the other person's words, tone, and expression. This man was known for his discreet and secretive nature, never revealing his thoughts.

He would no longer proactively probe for information about cultivators, as doing so would only arouse suspicion.

I'll ask Lu Junfeng again when I have the chance.

Xiao Zheng asked Lu Junfeng, "Lord Liu, you have already mastered our sect's immortal techniques. What stage have you reached? Have you encountered a bottleneck? Is there anything else you need?"

Lu Junfeng's gaze swept over the surrounding disciples. A faint breeze was blowing, and something in the entire space seemed to be quietly changing.

He then smiled somewhat helplessly: "I am of dull talent and have barely entered the realm! I have wasted precious pills and have made you laugh at me, Immortal Master."

After saying that, his eyes gleamed, and his entire demeanor suddenly changed.

Sensing the change in Liu Bingxuan's aura, Xiao Zheng narrowed his eyes: "[Xin Zhai]?"

Under the powerful rule of the Great Xia Dynasty, everything on this land is strange.

Officials possess a subtle protective aura, and some even have a unique presence; it's unknown what the consequences of harming them would be. Even if Liu Bingxuan doesn't reveal himself, Xiao Zheng can still confuse his cultivation level.

Now that Liu Bingxuan released his "aura," Xiao Zheng was able to sense the other party's cultivation level.

As expected, I reached the second realm, "Xin Zhai" (Heart Fasting).

The pill that Xiao Zheng ordered Lu Junfeng to transfer was the [Spiritual Wisdom Pill], which he had personally refined. It was quite expensive and could help low-level cultivators greatly improve their cultivation progress and their ability to sense and absorb spiritual energy. Moreover, it was extremely mild and could nourish the body even if one could not break through to a higher realm.

It is still beneficial to cultivators of the five realms.

If he hadn't been worried that Liu Bingxuan was too old and his aptitude was too poor to make any progress, which might lead him to lose faith in cultivators, he would never have given this medicine to such a mortal.

However, he didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he felt that there was something off about the other person.

Xiao Zheng enthusiastically explained to Liu Bingxuan, "Lord Liu, external assistance will ultimately lead to slow progress. If you want to advance on the path of cultivation, the most important thing is to cultivate your mind. Only by being single-minded and focusing on the pursuit of the Dao can you achieve something."

Liu Bingxuan nodded, half helplessly, and said, "What you say is very true, Immortal Master. However, being in the mortal world, it is really impossible to be single-minded. I am already satisfied with obtaining the immortal techniques. Let's take it slow."

"Um……"

Xiao Zheng also fell silent for a while.

He was actually trying to get the other person to make a request to him.

The price you pay for helping someone who asks for your help is different from the price you pay for offering help voluntarily.

Only when the other party had shown him enough gratitude could he bring himself to ask for repayment. After all, their own situation wasn't optimistic either, and he needed the help of the Great Xia.

Cultivation is like poison; once you embark on this path, you're determined to move forward by any means necessary. But Liu Bingxuan wanted nothing more than to cultivate slowly on his own.

Liu Bingxuan and Lu Junfeng were of the same generation and considered each other as friends. Xiao Zheng was naturally a level above them, so he kept his distance and couldn't bring himself to say certain things.

A gentle breeze blows, and the tea is slightly cool.

The two exchanged a few more meaningless words, neither managing to glean anything from the other.

Time flowed slowly, and Liu Bingxuan put down his teacup.

Seeing this, Xiao Zheng lowered his eyes and sighed softly in his heart.

If we don't say anything soon, the other party might leave.

He turned to Liu Bingxuan and said, "Lord Liu, what is His Majesty's opinion of our Immortal Sect? Does His Majesty truly not wish to establish friendly relations with our sect?"

Liu Bingxuan was taken aback, then shook his head: "Immortal Master, why do you say that? My lord naturally yearns for the immortal sect, otherwise, how could I dare to pay a visit?"

He looked around at the surrounding courtyards and residences and said, "This post station is only used when receiving distinguished guests. Even when the barbarian leaders came to my capital, they never received such treatment."

Xiao Zheng then asked, "Then why is His Majesty unwilling to form an alliance with our sect?"

Liu Bingxuan raised an eyebrow and gave Xiao Zheng a deep look: "Immortal Master, do you really not know why my lord is unwilling?"

Xiao Zheng remained silent.

Liu Bingxuan continued, "As the Immortal Master has said, the Immortal Alliance has a hundred sects. May I ask, when your sect allies with other sects and exchanges terms, do you still use the same rhetoric and conditions you use when facing my lord?"

"I don't ask for much, I only ask that your sect regards my Great Xia as a power like other sects."

Liu Bingxuan looked up at the immortal, finally breaking the barrier, his eyes full of sincerity: "I am not afraid to speak frankly to the immortal, my heart is with the immortal sect, and I am willing to mediate between the immortal sect and the Great Xia. I also secretly wish that the Great Xia and the immortal sect would be as close as one family, but if it were to make me betray my country, I would never dare to do so."

Liu Bingxuan was a follower of the immortals, but he was not a lackey of the immortal sects.

He needs to make this clear to the other party.