First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

When the two sisters woke up, it was already dark outside.

Recalling what had happened, the girl's face flushed red. When she realized that the other person was the same, the two lay on their sides, staring at each other.

"Sister, what are you thinking about?" Li Zhihua asked.

"I... I was thinking about what you were thinking..." Li Zhiyuan said, blushing.

Li Zhihua laughed, reached out and hugged her, nuzzling her affectionately: "Sister, we'll always be together from now on, and never be apart."

Li Zhiyuan smiled and gently stroked her hair.

"If only it could be like that..."

"It'll definitely work! That guy... I don't believe that we sisters are completely unattractive, don't you think?" Li Zhihua blushed and giggled.

Li Zhiyuan was very shy and avoided eye contact, saying, "Alright, there are still many things to do. Let's talk about this later."

"Sigh, sister, it's only been a little while since I was feeling a bit happy..." Li Zhihua pouted, almost crying again.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." Li Zhiyuan quickly hugged her to comfort her.

Li Zhihua wiped her eyes and smiled, "Alright, I'm so hungry, I haven't had dinner yet."

Li Zhiyuan smiled and nodded gently, then pulled her out of bed together.

There were maids who were responsible for serving them and bringing water for them to wash their faces.

The two sisters were born into a respectable family, so they were naturally used to this. However, they were a little dazed, as everything that had happened so far had taken an unexpected turn, as if it were a dream.

Recalling the scene at home, they couldn't help but feel sad again, so the two of them dared not think too much about it. After washing their faces, they asked someone to prepare some food.

As for Xu Mu, given their current disheveled state, they dared not face him.

Xu Mu didn't care about them; they were always free, and he even hoped they wouldn't bother him.

Now that he has a place to stay, he can focus on studying the "Samadhi True Fire Technique" without worrying about staying for ten or eight years. He's just afraid of trouble coming his way.

He also specifically emphasized to the emperor that unless he was required to take action, no one should disturb him, including the emperor himself.

As for the spiritual spring, he collected some water from it but then became too lazy to go there. After all, it was inside the palace, and having to go to the Imperial Garden was too much trouble, and the effect was only so-so. It was better to save himself the trouble.

So for the rest of his days, he planned to stay in the mansion and not go out.

……

A few days later, the emperor issued an edict pardoning the crimes of the rest of the Li family, restoring their household registration, and returning their property.

Many officials found it strange. They had heard that the two young ladies of the Li family had been captured and eaten by ghosts, and that Madam Li had also committed suicide. What was the point of issuing this decree now?

Unexpectedly, the two young ladies of the Li family came to claim their family's valuables and property, with help from people in the palace.

Those who were smarter understood that this was the work of a master, so they naturally obeyed the order and dared not make things difficult for him.

"Young master, we wish to return to Shiqi City to bury my father and mother," Li Zhiyuan said softly.

"Okay, go ahead, go home," Xu Mu said.

Li Zhiyuan bit her lip, looked at him and said, "We will come back."

Xu Mu raised an eyebrow: "Why did you come back?"

"I'm coming back to find you," Li Zhihua said, her eyes wide.

Xu Mu sighed helplessly, "Don't bother me anymore. I've done more than enough to help you. Let's meet again sometime."

With that, he cupped his hands in farewell.

The two sisters were both angry, but after looking at each other, their gazes became firm.

"We're looking for you!" Li Zhihua said, pursing her lips, her face tense yet stubborn.

"My dear ladies, there are plenty of fish in the sea. We are not from the same world," Xu Mu sighed.

"To be honest, I have a long lifespan, while you will all die in a hundred years, so I don't want to have too much to do with you..." he said sincerely in a soft voice.

"Young master..."

Li Zhiyuan's expression darkened. So it really wouldn't work...

"So what?" Li Zhihua said stubbornly.

"Many people keep cats and dogs. Cats and dogs have shorter lifespans than humans, but they still keep them, don't they? We... we'll just be your maids, serving you by your side to repay your kindness. We don't ask for much..."

As she spoke, her momentum gradually weakened, and her eyes were filled with pleading.

Li Zhiyuan felt a little embarrassed when she heard her compare herself to cats and dogs, but she still looked at Xu Mu and said softly, "Please grant us your request, young master. My sister and I can play the zither for you and find some refined pleasure."

Xu Mu thought about it, and these comments about cats and dogs did appeal to him. Taking two adorable "cats" back to his own little home and playing with them in his spare time didn't seem like a bad idea...

"Hmm... okay."

Anyway, as long as you are loving enough, you don't need to be troubled by relationships.

So he nodded in agreement, telling the two of them to go home first to handle the funeral arrangements, and then come back to serve him as maids.

The two sisters smiled happily.

She's gone from being a pampered young lady to a maid, yet she's so happy.

After the two sisters left, Xu Mu continued to stay in the mansion and cultivate in peace, never going out.

Food and daily necessities will naturally be taken care of by others.

This feeling is indeed quite nice; at least I don't have to spend time cooking myself.

Once he brought the two maids back to the valley, he could leave the cooking and other chores to them, which would make things easier for him. It was definitely more beneficial than harmful, so he stopped worrying about it.

Since they've insisted on it so much, let's just go along with them; it's like letting nature take its course.

On this day, the Imperial Advisor Shang Yi came to visit, and he did not refuse.

The two drank tea and chatted together, discussing philosophy and principles.

But this imperial advisor lives in the mortal realm and has obviously given up on cultivation long ago, so why would he care about how to cultivate at this time?

Therefore, Xu Mu immediately realized that this person was there to cultivate good relations, probably in order to increase his own political influence.

This cultivator has already integrated into the imperial court, becoming a powerful minister who manipulates power.

Fortunately, the Imperial Preceptor also had ways to help him, such as his experience as a rogue cultivator and his location in the cultivation world's marketplace, which were exactly what Xu Mu needed.

In this way, both sides benefited, and the communication became more harmonious.

Not long after, Xu Mu was finally summoned to court by the emperor. As Yan Qing's junior brother, he endorsed Yan Qing and pushed him into the imperial shrine to receive incense offerings.

This matter quickly spread to the Qinglan Sect.

After learning about this, Elder Cuixin went to Yan Qing to inquire.

Yan Qing did not hide anything and frankly admitted that he was preparing for the formation of the Golden Core.

Elder Cui Xin nodded, not seeing any problem. How could someone who didn't know how to utilize resources go further on the path of enlightenment?

"Who is that junior brother of yours? How come he was able to go to the mortal realm to help you with this matter?" she asked curiously.

"He is an outer disciple who used to be a medicine maker in Jade Dragon Field," Yan Qing briefly introduced Xu Mu.

"He came up from the mortal realm to cultivate, then only farmed after joining the sect, and now he's back in the mortal realm. What a remarkable person." Elder Cui Xin laughed.

"Yes, he was a man without any ambition, like a free spirit. With such a state of mind, even if his life is short, perhaps he can live a life without regrets," Yan Qing said with a smile.

Elder Cui Xin nodded and said nothing more, tacitly acknowledging that this had happened.

Yan Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Entrusting Xu Mu with this task was indeed the right decision; it was much better than doing it himself.