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

The dim sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden hue over the room.

Time flowed slowly, and the day came to an end.

Gong Qiao hadn't slept for so long or so soundly in a long time.

She frowned, feeling lethargic all over, her eyelids heavy.

After a while, she finally slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), with a simple blanket wrapped around her body.

This seems to be Zhaolin Pavilion. What happened? Who am I? Where am I?

She was in a daze and her mind went blank.

"woke up?"

Suddenly, a soft laugh reached my ears.

Gong Qiao turned her head stiffly and met the other person's teasing gaze.

Xie Cangrong sat on the other side, gently waving a book in front of her eyes: "Laughing like that, can you tell me what you were dreaming about?"

"Forehead……"

Great! The worst has happened.

Gong Qiao forced himself to control his expression and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please do not joke. I am not dreaming."

"Tsk~"

Xie Cangrong shook his head and sighed, saying with some regret, "You looked cuter when you were snoring just now."

Her composure vanished instantly. Gong Qiao abruptly looked up, glaring fiercely at Xie Cangrong: "I! Don't! Snor!!!!"

"Minister Gong, please work hard to develop the technology for recording videos and photographs, so that I can preserve evidence."

Gong Qiao: ...

You mean you want me to research something and give it to you to record my embarrassing moments?

That's why I said you could become emperor!

Who can match your shamelessness?!

Even with her sharp tongue, she couldn't find a way to be sarcastic towards Xie Cangrong for a moment.

All I could do was glare at him resentfully.

As her thoughts raced, the wheelchair not far away made a series of clicking sounds. Without anyone pushing it, it came to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) on its own. The armrests were disassembled and separated from her body, supporting Gong Qiao in mid-air. Even without anyone's help, she could sit down safely on her own.

"Are you leaving?"

Xie Cangrong did not stop her, but simply stood up, walked to her side, and gently tidied her somewhat messy hair.

"Well……"

Gong Qiao's ears turned red, and she said dryly, "The Ordnance Bureau has many affairs to attend to, and I still need to go back to handle them..."

Damn wheel! Spin faster!!!

I'm not feeling well after just waking up, I'll try again another day!

"Go then~"

Xie Cangrong draped the blanket over her: "You just woke up, don't catch a cold."

"Um……"

"Looks like it's more comfortable sleeping here! Minister Gong, if you don't get proper rest in the future, I'll have to invite you to sleep here."

Gong Qiao trembled, and her heart skipped a beat.

She knew Xie Cangrong meant for her to rest well, and there was more of a teasing tone in his words, but she still couldn't help but think about other things.

The heat spread from the noodles, and she avoided Xie Cangrong's gaze, her eyes somewhat unfocused. She even forgot to retort, only saying, "Your subject understands!"

Xie Cangrong seemed to remember something and added, "Oh right, don't forget! I'm holding a celebration this Chinese New Year, and we'll play polo as a team! Let's show them how good we are!"

Gong Qiao: ...

Would a cripple who has never ridden a horse play polo with a group of generals?

It's time to see how impressive official polo is!

"Yes, Your Majesty! I take my leave!"

"Go ahead, go ahead~"

The girl in the wheelchair, accompanied by a waiter, walked out of Zhaolin Pavilion and headed towards the setting sun.

Xie Cangrong stood by the window watching the other person leave, and couldn't help but smile with his eyes lowered.

People are always fickle, but some traits are hard to change. The stubborn girl who sat in a wheelchair as a child seems to have never changed.

……

"My lord, did His Majesty bestow upon you something?"

The small cart walked out of Zhaolin Pavilion. The servant who had been taking care of Gong Qiao had been waiting for a long time. When he came up and saw Gong Qiao's face, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

For some reason, she felt that Gong Qiao seemed a little different. Her cheeks were flushed, and her face looked exceptionally gentle in the glow of the setting sun.

Gong Qiao frowned and asked, "Hmm? What's wrong?"

reward?

What reward?

There's no need for favors or rewards to maintain the relationship between her and Xie Cangrong; it's not that superficial.

She can just ask for whatever she wants, and Xie Cangrong will give it to her; she doesn't need any reward.

"You seem relaxed and happy. You were happy when you went there, but it's a different feeling now."

The waiter couldn't pinpoint the difference.

I felt like a taut bowstring when I went there, but after I came out, I felt much more relaxed.

Gong Qiao gently touched the blanket draped over her and smiled softly: "Yes! I'm very happy now."

"If the adults are happy, then that's good!"

"By the way, I have a question for you. Do I snore when I sleep?"

waiter:?

……

Time flies, and two months slipped through our fingers in the blink of an eye.

As the summer heat dissipates, the autumn winds of Lieyang City begin to carry a chill.

Four months have passed since the cultivators set foot in Great Xia.

Overall, the Great Xia remains stable and seems to have remained unaffected.

Ordinary people tilled the fields, merchants bustled through the markets, and craftsmen toiled for their livelihoods... life flowed on as usual. Local officials diligently performed their duties, maintaining the operation of the Great Xia state machinery.

Many places are still unaware that monks from Great Xia have come to visit.

There were some rumors circulating in Lieyang City, but they were just rumors. The cultivators didn't do anything significant, so they didn't cause much of an impact.

Cultivators may be mysterious, possessing immortality and wondrous magic... Many people admire them, but even the powerful and wealthy find it difficult to establish connections with them, let alone ordinary people.

The extraordinary is ultimately far beyond our reach, something to be discussed casually over tea or after a meal.

Aside from that, it didn't cause any chaos.

Under the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, everything else must take a backseat.

Even powerful cultivators can be arrested and imprisoned if they commit crimes!

The Great Xia can maintain a peaceful environment.

This is the sense of security that the Great Xia Dynasty gave its people.

However, even at the highest levels of the court, an invisible wind had already begun to blow, and change was to occur from the top down.

Even though Xie Cangrong never held another formal meeting with cultivators after that, no news about cultivators emerged. However, everyone knew that beneath the calm surface of the lake, undercurrents were surging, and change was brewing beneath the current stability of Great Xia.

Spirit Stones, Armory... many subtle changes have quietly taken effect.

Today, the Great Xia is still the Great Xia, but one day in the future, the Great Xia may look completely different.

What are the king's thoughts?

What are the duties of a cultivator?

Which side should they take?

A seemingly insignificant choice now may change the fate of many people in the future.

Monk's Inn.

In Xiao Zheng's palm, the jade bead suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, accompanied by a low, resonant chant, and its warm, gentle power overflowed.

Two months as an explorer and miner were finally worthwhile; the damaged treasure was repaired.

The moment the magical artifact was activated, a connection was established between the two worlds.

Sensing the will emanating from the other side of the Azure Sky Pearl, Xiao Zheng let out a soft breath: "Sect Master!"