My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

As a martial artist, he knew that internal energy could be projected outward to strike objects from a distance. But to achieve such precision and finesse, to hold a cup of boiling tea and move it steadily in mid-air, was a level of skill that martial arts could never reach!

Cui Wanqing took a deep breath.

She reached out her slightly trembling hands and respectfully accepted the cup of tea from mid-air.

The tea was clear and bright, exuding a refreshing herbal fragrance that soothed the soul.

Without hesitation, Cui Wanqing brought the teacup to her lips and took a small sip.

The tea went down my throat.

It wasn't as scalding hot as I'd imagined; instead, it transformed into a warm, sweet current that slid down my throat and into my stomach.

Immediately afterwards!

With a loud bang!

Cui Wanqing felt the warm current explode in her abdomen, turning into countless tiny streams of cool air that rushed wildly to her limbs and bones!

She felt as if she were soaking in a hot spring, every muscle, every bone, and even every pore greedily absorbing this strange power.

The fatigue from working on family affairs for days was instantly swept away!

Her already fair skin now shone with a faint, luminous glow, and she seemed to have been reborn, her energy reaching an unprecedented peak!

"This...this...this!"

Cui Wanqing's beautiful eyes widened as she felt the lightness in her body, as if she were about to fly. She uttered the word "this" three times, but couldn't find the right words to describe the shock she felt at that moment.

Is this some kind of magic elixir?!

"It's just a cup of coarse tea, no need to make such a fuss."

Li Chen leaned back in his chair, finding Cui Wanqing's discomfiture quite amusing.

He had merely added a tiny wisp of wood-elemental true energy to the tea. For mortals, while immortality is impossible, cleansing the body of its weariness, strengthening the body, and prolonging life is still quite easy.

"Thank you for the tea, Immortal Master!"

Cui Wanqing snapped out of her daze, her face flushed with excitement, and bowed deeply once again.

The value of this cup of tea is a hundred times greater than the box of gold and silver jewelry they brought!

Li Chen waved his hand, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Actually, I was quite surprised."

Li Chen looked at Cui Wanqing, a mocking glint in his eyes.

"I originally thought that you powerful and influential families would bring plenty of manpower to cause trouble after you learned of my existence."

Li Chen sneered, "For example, they could use some grand righteousness about the common people to morally blackmail me; or they could simply send a bunch of assassins with swords to threaten me and force me to hand over the method to become an immortal, or the elixir of immortality or something."

Hearing Li Chen's blatant teasing...

Cui Meng was terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, fearing that this immortal might start a massacre at the slightest provocation.

Cui Wanqing covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh as clear and melodious as a silver bell.

"You jest, Immortal Master."

Cui Wanqing looked at Li Chen with a smile, her eyes revealing the clarity and shrewdness of a woman from a prominent family.

"Our aristocratic families have been able to survive for hundreds of years during the chaos of dynastic changes, and even reach their peak to this day. This has never been due to any moral blackmail, much less to reckless courage."

Cui Wanqing said earnestly, "What we rely on is our self-awareness."

"A mortal threatening a god? That's not greed, that's courting death."

"The Cui family of Qinghe would never do something so foolish as to bring about their own destruction."

"Oh?"

Li Chen raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, then what about those thirty-odd assassins who scaled the wall and broke into my manor a few nights ago?"

This statement came out.

Cui Wanqing's expression changed slightly, and she quickly stood up, her expression extremely serious.

"Your Excellency, please bear witness! I swear to Heaven that this matter has absolutely nothing to do with the Cui family of Qinghe!"

Cui Wanqing hurriedly clarified, "Those were foolish actions taken by several other families out of greed. Our Qinghe Cui family has never been involved in anything!"

"Okay, don't be nervous. I was just asking casually."

Li Chen waved his hand, "If it were someone from the Cui family, you wouldn't be able to enter this courtyard today."

Just as the two were talking.

"Ya-ha!"

Suddenly, a childish cheer came from the corridor not far away.

Immediately afterwards, a small figure, like a happy little rabbit, hopped and skipped into the backyard.

It's the little ox that just woke up.

The little girl had two messy little buns on her head and was still sleepy. She clutched the black ice crystal staff tightly in her arms and rushed to Li Chen like a gust of wind with her short legs.

She skillfully climbed onto the wicker chair, plopped down in Li Chen's lap, and found a comfortable position to lean back.

"Sixteenth Brother!"

Xiao Si rubbed his eyes and suddenly noticed Cui Wanqing and the others sitting opposite him.

She opened her big, watery eyes wide with curiosity and pointed at Cui Wanqing, asking, "Sixteenth Brother, who is this beautiful older sister?"

Li Chen smiled and ruffled the little girl's messy hair.

"She's just an older sister who came to chat with Sixteenth Brother. It's none of your business, go play somewhere else."

Little Sizi pouted, "But Sizi is hungry and wants to eat fruit."

"Little glutton."

Li Chen affectionately rubbed her nose.

He raised his right hand and casually grabbed at the air.

What happened next.

This caused Cui Wanqing, Cui Meng, and the maid Huan'er, who were sitting opposite, to experience another violent shock, as if their hearts had stopped!

A faint light suddenly appeared in Li Chen's palm.

Immediately afterwards, a strange fruit the size of a fist, entirely green, and emitting a rich, exotic fragrance, appeared in his palm without warning!

There was no hidden movement or any trace of trickery.

It's completely—creating something out of thin air!

"Wow! It's a Green Spirit Fruit!"

Little Sizi cheered, grabbed the fruit, and took a big bite.

The sweet juice overflowed, and the rich aroma of the fruit instantly filled the entire yard.