Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

Xiao Anran regarded Su Mu as an ordinary eunuch and it was only natural for him to order Su Mu to make tea; however, Su Mu did not think so.

"This pound of tea is worth a year's salary of yours," Xiao Anran added. "Drink as much as you like, this princess isn't that petty."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Princess." Su Mu reached into his robes, took out a milky-white pill, and casually tossed it into his cup.

"Linghua Pill?" Xiao Anran recognized it at a glance.

As a princess of the royal family, she naturally recognized this elixir. But to put the Spirit Essence Elixir into tea... was unheard of.

"Exactly." Su Mu nodded. "Princess, this tea has a strong aroma, but it's a bit bitter. Adding a Spirit Essence Pill will make it taste even better."

After speaking, he raised his glass and took a small sip, looking content and satisfied.

In this palace, Su Mu no longer had many scruples. Now that Xiao Yuanhou had seen through his strength, there was no need for him to deliberately conceal it anymore.

"Putting the Spirit Essence Pill into tea is a waste of its medicinal properties." Xiao Anran frowned. "Most of its medicinal effects will be lost with the tea."

"It's alright, there are plenty." Su Mu didn't care at all.

In Xiao Anran's eyes, it was not strange that he had so many pills—how could he not need a lot of pills to cultivate from an ordinary eunuch to his current level? Xiao Yuanhou must have known this very well.

Besides, given Xiao Anran's personality, she's unlikely to spread the word. And even if it did, what harm would it do?

The more people knew he was "rich in elixirs," the more people were willing to recognize him as their godfather.

The more adopted sons you have, the greater the system rewards.

Now, he no longer needs to be as cautious as he was when he first arrived. He has overcome the most difficult hurdle.

"There are plenty?" Xiao Anran asked, her eyes filled with doubt.

"This is a secret, I cannot tell you." Su Mu shook his head and took a sip.

"Where did it come from?" Xiao Anran pressed.

"A gift from a peerless master." Su Mu thought of the "Many Children, Many Blessings" system—that was truly a "peerless master."

"Put one in my cup too." Although Xiao Anran had no shortage of cultivation resources, the Spirit Essence Pills were not in unlimited supply for the descendants of the Xiao royal family. Each person received a fixed amount each month, with only those with exceptional talent receiving extra rewards.

"No way," Su Mu refused outright.

Seeing Xiao Anran's pretty face darken, Su Mu felt that most of the pent-up anger he had felt earlier had dissipated.

A pound of tea is worth my entire year's salary? Yes, it is. But I don't care.

Can you eat Linghua Pills like candy?

"It's just a Spirit Essence Pill, how stingy." Xiao Anran's tone turned cold after being rejected.

Su Mu ignored her and took out another Qi Condensation Pill, putting it into the cup.

"This..." Xiao Anran's eyes widened - even Qi Condensation Pills are being wasted like this?

"It smells so good! It's delicious." Su Mu wanted to make Xiao Anran understand that she had better to tone down her princess-like airs in front of him. Otherwise, he wouldn't tolerate it.

"What a waste!" Xiao Anran almost wanted to punch him.

She suddenly remembered something and asked urgently, "You just said you had plenty of Spirit Essence Pills, so you must have taken quite a few. Why... can I not sense any fluctuations of spiritual power or true energy within your body?"

"Perhaps my constitution is special and I cannot cultivate, so taking more pills will be useless," Su Mu said casually.

"Really?" Xiao Anran asked skeptically. "Then why did that expert give you so many pills?"

"Princess, the tea is getting cold. If you don't drink it soon, this fine tea will be wasted." Su Mu asked instead of answering, "After all, a pound of tea is equivalent to my monthly salary for a year. It would be such a waste to waste it."

"Hmph!" Xiao Anran was greatly displeased.

How dare a mere eunuch speak to her like that? This is outrageous!

She suppressed her anger—there must be something fishy about this.

This morning, her great-grandfather suddenly asked her about obscure historical allusions, which was already strange; punishing her by sending her here to study for three months was even more unusual; and on top of that, this little eunuch seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of elixirs…

too weird!

"A grandmaster died near the library the night before last, and it's rumored... that it was my great-grandfather's doing." Xiao Anran finished her tea, poured herself another, and said casually, "Since you were guarding this place, did you notice anything unusual that night?"

"How can ordinary people discern the actions of a grandmaster?" Su Mu first flattered, then shook his head, "That night, apart from some stones being shattered by the force of his palm, nothing else happened."

"Why do I always feel... that you're not being honest?" Xiao Anran narrowed her eyes, her bright gaze seeming to see right through him.

"Your Highness is overthinking this." Su Mu stood up and headed towards the library.

Inside the pavilion, Su Mu took out "Ten Thousand Years of Records" and carefully read through it.

This book was written by contemporary scholars and includes many unverified legends as well as a number of bold speculations based on historical materials.

The author is a learned man with expertise in history, geography, and humanities, and also possesses considerable insight into martial arts training. The entire book is devoid of empty rhetoric—in other words, much of the content should be considered quite credible.

According to records, the Tianyuan Continent ten thousand years ago was indeed a land abundant in spiritual energy and resources.

At that time, the Great Qian Dynasty had not yet been established, and the world was controlled by a few super sects. Among those forces, there were even beings who surpassed the Grandmaster level! Their lifespans could reach hundreds or even thousands of years.

However, as time went by, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually thinned out. With the lack of spiritual energy, it became difficult to nurture high-level natural treasures, the cultivation environment deteriorated day by day, and it became increasingly difficult for powerful individuals who surpassed the Grandmaster level to be born.

Gradually, it became what it is today.

This makes it difficult for higher-level powerhouses to emerge, while giving ordinary people with weaker strength more room to survive and fight, preventing them from being easily crushed like ants. This may be one of the reasons why the Great Qian Dynasty has been able to endure to this day—no one can overthrow a country single-handedly. Even Grandmasters face the danger of death when facing a well-trained army full of martial artists. It should be noted that the army also has many martial arts experts, and when they join forces, they can threaten the lives of Grandmasters.

Grandmasters are indeed formidable. But without the presence of Grandmasters and numerous other Grandmasters, the Xiao family of the Great Qian Dynasty could not have dominated this land for nearly ten thousand years. However, the foundation of the Great Qian imperial family's rule is now quietly crumbling.

Xiao Yuanhou's lifespan is nearing its end, and the royal family has yet to produce a new Grandmaster—this is undoubtedly a fatal threat to the Xiao clan of the Great Qian Dynasty. Could it be that the invasion of the northern barbarians and the sudden rebellion in the Northern Desert are both tests of the royal family's strength?

In the evening, a palace maid from the Imperial Kitchen brought dinner to Xiao Anran. The dishes were plentiful, but only enough for one person—clearly, the Imperial Kitchen had no intention of preparing meals for Su Mu and Feng Bao.

After dinner, Xiao Anran faced a practical problem: the night watchman of the library usually only had two bedrooms.

"Little Su, can I sleep in your room tonight?"

"No way," Su Mu refused decisively, his expression unchanged. "My room hasn't been cleaned in a long time, and it smells strange. Please find another room."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Anran walked towards Su Mu's room.

—It does have a bit of a smell. But it's not strong; most men could tolerate it.

But Xiao Anran was no ordinary man, nor was she a common palace maid. She was a princess of noble birth, and she was known for her love of cleanliness. Su Mu's mention of it only made things worse; she pushed open the door, sniffed carefully, and immediately frowned.

Outside the door, Su Mu's lips curled into a slight smile.

"This room is quite nice." Xiao Anran turned around, a sly glint in her eyes. "I didn't smell anything strange. The room is simple, but it's suitable for quiet meditation. I'm sorry to trouble you tonight, but I'll have someone come and clean it up tomorrow."

"Hmm?" Su Mu frowned—he hadn't expected Xiao Anran to "give in" so easily.

Seeing the triumphant smile in her eyes, Su Mu instantly understood: this princess was doing it on purpose. She didn't really want to live in this house; she was deliberately going against his wishes.

—Not very old, but quite rebellious.

"Take good care of Feng Bao tonight and let him sleep in his room," Xiao Anran added. "Don't worry, I'll have someone prepare another room for you in the library tomorrow, one that'll be much better than your current one. You won't lose out by following me; on the contrary, you'll gain some benefits."

"Deal." Su Mu simply closed the door.

He can't touch the library, but the princess can. It would be foolish not to take advantage of such a bargain.