My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

Outside the gate of the Prince of Qin's mansion.

A luxurious carriage bearing the emblem of the Cui family of Qinghe slowly came to a stop.

Li Chen leaned lazily against the soft couch covered with thick white fox fur, holding a folk tale of the strange and supernatural that he had somehow found, reading it with great interest.

Beside him, on an exquisite rosewood table, a small red clay stove was making a soft, bubbling sound.

Qin Wan'er, the eldest daughter of the Qin family, changed into a light pink personal maid's outfit today.

Her long, flowing hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, with a few playful strands falling down her fair neck, adding a touch of charm and gentleness.

She was gracefully cleaning the purple clay teaware, her slender hands moving nimbly through the rising steam, her movements fluid and pleasing to the eye.

"Your Highness, the tea is ready. Please moisten your throat."

Qin Wan'er held a cup of perfectly warm tea in both hands, a gentle smile on her lips, and carefully offered it to Li Chen's lips.

Li Chen didn't even put down the book; he simply turned his head slightly and took a sip from the girl's hand.

"Hmm, your skills have improved; the heat is just right."

Li Chen nodded in satisfaction.

Upon hearing this praise, Qin Wan'er's clear, beautiful eyes instantly curved into two lovely crescent moons, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Her heart felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Over the past few days, Li Chen has had to admit a cruel truth—

It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality

Someone serves tea and water, does laundry and folds blankets, and even picks out the fish bones before feeding the food. This corrupt feudal young master's life is the ultimate poison that erodes the Dao heart of a cultivator!

But Li Chen was perfectly content lying down, even feeling that if he could live like this for the rest of his life, he wouldn't trade it for being an immortal.

Just as the master and servant were enjoying the peaceful afternoon.

"Squeak—"

The heavy vermilion gate of the Prince of Qin's mansion was knocked on again from the outside, and then slowly opened automatically.

Immediately afterwards, a series of light footsteps, tinkling with the sound of jade pendants, followed the corridor toward the backyard.

Li Chen didn't even bother to use his divine sense; he could tell who was coming just by listening to their footsteps.

After a while.

Cui Wanqing, the eldest daughter of the Cui family of Qinghe, walked calmly into the moon gate of the backyard, accompanied by her guard Cui Meng and maid Huan'er.

"Your humble daughter, Cui Wanqing of Qinghe, pays respects to Your Highness Prince Qin and to the Immortal Master."

As soon as Cui Wanqing entered the backyard, she immediately bowed her head and performed a perfect, flawless salute.

however.

As she raised her head, ready to get closer to the immortal as she had done before.

Her gaze instantly froze on the light pink figure beside Li Chen!

Cui Wanqing's beautiful eyes widened suddenly, and her usually calm and beautiful face was now filled with undisguised astonishment and shock.

"Qin...Qin Wan'er?!"

Cui Wanqing blurted out, her voice filled with disbelief, "The eldest daughter of the Duke of Yi's mansion, what are you doing here?!"

Both of them were young ladies from the top elite circles in Chang'an. Although the Shandong aristocratic families and the Guanzhong military leaders did not usually get along, the two had met at various high-profile royal banquets and flower viewing parties.

In Cui Wanqing's memory, this eldest daughter of the Qin family was exceptionally low-key and gentle in personality because her father was bedridden for many years, and she rarely went out.

But now.

This noble lady, dressed as a servant's maid, is humbly serving tea and water to the sixteenth prince with a blissful expression!

Hearing someone call her name, Qin Wan'er stood up straight.

She turned her head and looked at Cui Wanqing, whose face was full of shock.

Both being the most beautiful women in Chang'an, their unexpected encounter in the backyard of the Prince of Qin's mansion created an inexplicable undercurrent in the air.

Although Qin Wan'er's gentle face was adorned with a polite smile, her eyes revealed a hidden hostility, as if her territory had been invaded.

"So it's Sister Cui."

Qin Wan'er bowed slightly, performing a standard maid's curtsy, her tone revealing a cool and aloof demeanor.

"My father was seriously ill, and Your Highness saved him, giving him a second chance at life. I have no way to repay you, so I have sworn a blood oath to stay in the palace and become Your Highness's personal maid."

A personal maid?!

Or was it a voluntary blood oath?!

boom!

These words struck Cui Wanqing like a thunderclap from a clear sky, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

Cui Wanqing was an exceptionally intelligent daughter of a prominent family, and in just a short moment, her brain began to work frantically.

"What a fine Duke of Yi! What a fine military leader of the Guanzhong region!"

Cui Wanqing gritted her teeth inwardly, a strong sense of crisis flashing in her eyes.

"Those military officers usually seem like roughnecks, but I never imagined they were so treacherous and cunning! To curry favor with the immortal, they even sent their own eldest daughter in as a maid without hesitation!"

"What gratitude? It's clearly a case of 'first come, first served'! In the Qin Prince's mansion, a lone man and woman, and Qin Wan'er is so pitifully beautiful. Given time, she won't just be a maid; she'll be a future immortal couple!"

Cui Wanqing instantly felt unprecedented pressure.

Her family sent her to befriend the immortal. She originally thought that with her looks and the background of the Cui family of Qinghe, as long as she proceeded step by step, she would eventually be able to occupy a place in the immortal's heart.

And what a surprise! This was only my second visit, and the Qin family had already used both a "honey trap" and a "self-inflicted injury" strategy, completely taking up all the available spots!

Facing Cui Wanqing's ever-changing and complex gaze.

Although Qin Wan'er felt shy, she straightened her back without flinching.

She even deliberately took a small step forward, blocking Li Chen half a body length behind her, making her assertion of dominance all the more obvious.

"Okay, okay, that's enough."

Watching the intense, almost explosive exchange of glances between these two stunningly beautiful girls.

Li Chen reluctantly put down the supernatural novel in his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Women, indeed, are the most complex creatures in the world.

They usually seem so gentle and dignified, but why do they act like two little hens guarding their food as soon as we meet?

"Wan'er, go and get a new cup to pour Miss Cui a cup of tea."

Li Chen broke the deadlock by speaking up.

Qin Wan'er obediently replied "Yes" and immediately turned to prepare tea. But in the instant she turned around, she still secretly gave Cui Wanqing a proud look that said, "His Highness has spoken, so you'd better behave yourself."

Li Chen leaned back on the soft couch, his gaze calmly fixed on Cui Wanqing, who stood in the center of the courtyard.

"You don't come here without a reason. Tell me, Miss Cui, this is your second visit today. What good things have you brought me this time?"

Upon hearing Li Chen's question, Cui Wanqing immediately composed herself and forcibly suppressed the chaotic sense of crisis in her mind.

The most important thing now is to fulfill the family's important mission and absolutely not let the Immortal Elder look down on the Cui family of Qinghe!

"Replying to the Immortal Master."

Cui Wanqing smiled slightly, regaining her dignified and elegant demeanor as a legitimate daughter of a prominent family.

"After receiving tea from the immortal last time, Wanqing benefited greatly. The elders of the family also admire the immortal's demeanor."

"This time, I specially instructed Wanqing to send some rare ancient books that our family has treasured for hundreds of years, as well as several top-quality wild Ganoderma lucidum that are over five hundred years old, as a small token of our respect to the immortal."

After Cui Wanqing finished speaking, the guard Cui Meng behind her hurriedly placed the several sandalwood boxes he had brought on the stone table.

Li Chen scanned the contents of the wooden box with his divine sense and saw through it.

Those ancient books were all lost Taoist classics. Although they were of little use to him, a Golden Core cultivator with a complete lineage, they were good for passing the time.

As for those few 500-year-old Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms, they are indeed extremely rare natural treasures in this mortal world where spiritual energy is low.

"The Cui family of Qinghe is truly thoughtful."

Li Chen waved his hand without any politeness, putting all the wooden boxes into his storage bag.