Please control me, my divine being!

Hearing Su Tangyu's words, Zhou Qing nodded thoughtfully: "Use it? Isn't it something you already possess?"

"Of course not. Cultivators rely on the power of the gods to empower themselves, which is why they have various abilities."

She slowly said, "Therefore, every cultivator in our path is a deity walking among humans, and is highly bound to the deity."

Choosing your own path of cultivation is choosing a deity.

This is the most important thing for a cultivator.

Once Su Tangyu started talking, her pace quickened:

"Your Highness, cultivation is a very painful path. It is neither as wonderful as one imagines, nor is it easy."

If you have a choice, it's best to avoid contact.

The further you go down this road, the more inhuman you'll find yourself becoming.

"Given your status, you have absolutely no reason to suffer this."

Zhou Qing put down his teacup: "Suffering? As a cultivator with immense power, mortals have no power to resist him, so how can they suffer?"

"That's not the case. Cultivators are subject to extremely severe constraints," Su Tangyu said in a deep voice. "Those abilities that possess extraordinary power will cause irreversible damage to the body or mind when they are acquired."

And each use will worsen this damage.

Therefore, cultivators generally do not use mundane techniques to deal with ordinary people.

Moreover, every cultivator has a severe deficiency, and this deficiency will continue to deepen as cultivation progresses.

"Even if there are losses every time I use my ability, it's always better to have it than not to have it. For example, when facing a life-threatening situation, having this ability might save my life."

Zhou Qing shook his head, disagreeing with this statement.

Having a choice is always better than having no choice.

Su Tangyu sighed and continued, "That's true, but in the end, one's life is still in the hands of the gods."

This leads to the second point: there are various taboos surrounding deities.

Even deities walking among humans need to follow these taboos.

In other words, these taboos are rules established by the gods for practitioners like us.

Seeing that Zhou Qing did not answer, she continued, "Next, there are conflicts between Daoist lineages, Daoist sects, Daoist paths, and Daoist traditions."

The clash between various forces: the Demon Extermination Army, the Spirit Immortal Hall, the Celestial Master's Army...

The entire cultivation world was in chaos, with numerous factions vying for power. Without a backer, it was extremely difficult to make any progress.

The resources needed for spiritual practice, and the endless dangers...

She didn't continue speaking.

From the prince's expression, she already knew that he wouldn't listen to her at all.

Cultivation, extraordinary achievements, even immortality!

This is too tempting for people.

Given his status as the crown prince, he has likely already spoken with many cultivators.

However, after several encounters, she developed a very good impression of this Prince Ning's heir, who had a bad reputation.

He was not one of those truly wicked playboys.

However, if the other party comes into contact with cultivation, their personality and temperament will definitely be affected, either becoming cruel and bloodthirsty or becoming gloomy and evil.

Only by showing him the cruelty of cultivation can we possibly make him want to give up.

"Your Highness, the path I cultivate is called 'Actor.' Of course, there are many lineages within this path, since there are many kinds of opera, each worshipping different deities."

Su Tangyu stood up and, without hesitation, pulled open the clothes below her neck.

Inside, a rugged, bluish-red mask, about the size of a palm, was deeply embedded in the flesh.

Zhou Qing narrowed his eyes.

This mask breathes and moves, and it's not a foreign object; it's more like something that grows from under her skin and flesh, a part of her body.

Compare the size of the mask she is wearing.

Clearly, this mask is not yet fully developed!

"This is just the tip of the iceberg. The suffering in spiritual practice is far greater and more difficult than you imagine."

Su Tangyu looked somewhat uncomfortable.

Actively revealing one's inhuman side is like reopening a healed wound.

"Master Su, I'm sorry."

Zhou Qing sighed and said, "The main reason is that I recently learned about some things that happened in Yuyang County, and I feel deeply saddened."

I have learned a great deal about both the expansion of the Five Immortals Sect and the plight of ordinary people in Yuyang County.

It felt like ordinary people were nothing more than weeds in front of these cultivators.

I want to do something, but I also feel like I don't know where to start.

Su Tangyu pulled her clothes up, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

She had assumed that the prince, who was knowledgeable about cultivation, wanted to inquire about his cultivation path and the gods he believed in.

After all, even with guidance from a renowned teacher, it's not a bad thing to understand more about different paths and traditions.

Nuo opera is a rare and precious tradition.

Now that we've talked, I realize that the prince's visit wasn't about anything related to the proper channels or traditions.

Sure enough, my intuition was right.

Contrary to rumors, Prince Ning's heir is not a wicked young master. On the contrary, he is a naive and innocent young man who has not been influenced by the corrupt world of today and has sympathy and pity for these commoners.

Zhou Qing continued, "And then there are people like Master Su, who have to leave their hometowns and come to Jiang'an to make a living, all because of these evil cultivators who are committing evil everywhere."

Su Tangyu grew increasingly excited as she listened, her emotions surging. She couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, have you never heard of these things before?"

"Of course not," Zhou Qing shook his head.

"With your status, you only need to give the order, and the matter in Yuyang County will be resolved quickly." Su Tangyu said in a deep voice, "Whether it is the Demon Extermination Army or the rampant soldiers and generals, they can quell the unrest in the North."

"The Demon-Slaying Army? The Five Witches' Army?"

"Yes, these are all imperial troops, the main force used to suppress the cultivation world. But I don't know much about them. I only saw the demon-suppressing army once when I was a child, when they invaded the northern lands."

A flicker of fear crossed Su Tangyu's eyes.

"What is the Demon Extermination Army like?" Zhou Qing continued to ask.

This time, Su Tangyu did not continue speaking, and shook her head with extreme caution, saying, "Your Highness, I can't recall the specific details of that memory. I only have my feelings about that period of time."

The Demon-Slaying Army: twisted, terrifying, and inhuman.

……

After seeing Su Tangyu off, Zhou Qing gently stroked his teacup.

The Demon Suppression Army should belong to the imperial court's army.

According to current understanding, the imperial court has a very high connection with the mountain, river, temple, god, and Taoist lineage.

The Earth God, City God, River God, Mountain God, Kitchen God, and Door God all had to be officially appointed by the imperial court.

As for the Five Wraiths Army, that belongs to the Heavenly Master's Mystic Arts.

The two lineages are on the same side, and whether they are allies or subordinates, things should be relatively peaceful.

"But I have never heard of these two armies before. Even the official gazettes and local gazettes have never mentioned them. If it were truly a troop movement, it would have required an order from an official."

Unless, above the surface of the imperial court, there is another group operating in the shadows, specifically handling matters within the cultivation world.

Zhou Qing snapped out of his thoughts and put down his teacup.

The person who rolled up the curtain has been found, but the other person's demeanor gives off a feeling of having her figured out and being fearless, making Zhou Qing feel that she wouldn't be able to get anything out of her by talking to her now.

This girl has a sweet tooth, let's starve her for a few days before talking to her.

Zhou Qing took out his book and re-entered the game.

He'd only glanced at the game text a few times when his brow furrowed slightly: "What the hell? They're already making their move?"