Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

Before the sun had even risen in the sky, Mu Ling'er pulled Mu An away from the Mu residence.

Bathed in the lingering moonlight, the two walked through the empty streets without disturbing anyone.

Perhaps it stems from reverence for the gods, or perhaps it's a preconceived notion held by some people.

In the eyes of the world, the True Lord and the Mysterious Lady always reside high in the heavens and do not associate with mortals.

Officials in the court and ordinary people in the secular world all took it for granted that the immortal abode of the True Lord and the Mysterious Lady should be far away from the mortal world and free from worldly disturbances.

Even Mu Yong, who had lived in the Mu family mansion for a period of time, had a similar realization.

In Mu Yong's eyes, Mu Ling'er is a gentle person who likes lively atmosphere, but Mu An, the Five Elements True Lord, is a serious and otherworldly deity.

Having lived in the Mu family for nearly ten years, Mu Yong had never been close to Mu An.

Mu An's image in his eyes thus became ethereal and majestic, not to be profaned.

Under the influence of this trend of thought, within a radius of ten miles centered on the Mu residence, not a trace of smoke could be seen; there were only marble-paved streets and guards on high alert.

In the Great Ling Empire, the guards of the Mu family were, in a sense, the guards of the gods, and their status was even higher than that of the imperial guards.

Being able to serve in the abode of the Great True Lord is itself a great honor, a manifestation of being bathed in the glory of the Great True Lord.

For ordinary families, if someone in the family is lucky enough to enter the Mu family, their name must be written first in the family genealogy.

To enter the Mu family mansion, one needs to put in countless efforts and pass numerous tests before even having a sliver of a chance.

Mu Ling'er dislikes the cold and desolate atmosphere of the Mu family mansion, but she will not easily deny the hard work of the people in the mansion over the past half a lifetime.

Her casual remark of dislike could very well be a lifelong rejection for these people.

Mu Ling'er would never do such a thing.

In this atmosphere, over time, the Mu residence became a place surrounded by the bustling city, yet isolated from the world.

……

The bustling morning market in Qing'an Prefecture had just opened, and carriages and horses were already speeding along the main road paved with bluestone slabs.

The peddler, carrying a basket woven from bamboo strips, walked through the alley on one side of the street. The basket was filled with fresh vegetables still covered in soil.

The noodle shop at the corner placed a large pot in front of the shop, and the rising white steam spread half a meter away. Paired with the rich soup carefully simmered with beef bones, it attracted the attention of countless passers-by.

The early-arriving porters handed over two copper coins in exchange for two steaming hot meat buns. Perhaps worried that they might choke, the kind-hearted owner also offered them a cup of warm tea.

A few rough leaves may not be of much value, but they can bring warmth to someone all day long on a cold winter's day.

Freshly baked pancakes, sweet and sticky pastries, large steamed buns filled with beef and mutton, and soy milk pudding that can be either savory or sweet...

The aromas of various foods mingled together, wafting through the bustling streets.

Standing on the right side of the road, Mu Ling'er sniffed hard, tilted her head left and right, and quickly aligned herself with a direction.

"Candied hawthorns for sale! Sweet and sour candied hawthorns, all kinds available, don't miss out..."

The shouts of vendors drifted into her ears on the morning breeze. Standing in the crowd, Mu An looked up and saw Mu Ling'er following the aroma of candied hawthorns, squinting as she approached a mobile stall.

"Shopkeeper, do you make candied hawthorn skewers with strawberries?"

The candied hawthorn vendor, dressed in a thick cotton coat, beamed with a smile when he saw the elegantly dressed Mu Ling'er approaching.

"Young lady, you have excellent taste! These candied strawberries were one of the favorite treats of our great goddess Xuan Nu back in the day..."

The vendor smiled broadly and opened the lid beside him, revealing strings of crystal-clear candied hawthorns.

This dazzled Mu Ling'er, who smiled and spoke up.

"Oh? Xuan Nu also likes candied hawthorns? Then I'll have to buy a couple to try."

The vendor smiled again and assured Mu Ling'er with considerable pride.

"Don't worry, young lady. Our candied hawthorn is made using an ancestral recipe. According to our elders, we've been selling this candied hawthorn for over two hundred years. Although there have been some ups and downs along the way, it has still been passed down to this day. We're sure to satisfy you."

"More than two hundred years?" Mu Ling'er's hand, which was taking the copper coin, paused in mid-air for a moment, before she quickly and naturally handed the coin to the vendor's stall.

"A brand with over two hundred years of history! I'd better give it a try!"

Amidst her silvery laughter, Mu Ling'er accepted the candied hawthorn from the vendor and then casually offered one of them to Mu An's lips.

Before Mu An could even taste it, she had already stuck out her pink tongue and licked the candied hawthorn in front of her twice.

The main body of the candied hawthorn is made of strawberries, coated with a thick layer of syrup. Although it is not covered with a sugar coating, it looks particularly tempting.

As her tongue touched the candied hawthorn, a delicate sweetness bloomed on Mu Ling'er's tongue.

The vendor looked expectantly at the elegantly dressed "rich young lady" in front of him and asked as usual.

"How's the taste? Did the guests like it?"

In front of the vendor, Mu Ling'er gave a thumbs-up, making a gesture that the vendor couldn't understand.

"Delicious! Absolutely delicious!"

"I'm glad the customer likes it." With Mu Ling'er's approval, the candied hawthorn vendor's smile widened, and his mood improved considerably.

For artisans like them, the recognition from customers is the source of their daily happiness.

Seeing the vendor selling candied hawthorns so happy, Mu Ling'er was also in a good mood. She took out another string of copper coins and slapped them on the vendor's stall.

"Give me twenty more candied hawthorns, a mix of different flavors, so I can take them back for the rest of the household to try."

"Alright, please wait a moment, sir!"

As the vendor took the candied hawthorns out of the box, Mu Ling'er started chatting with him, from their family business of making candied hawthorns to their daily lives.

While the vendor was packing the candied hawthorns, Mu Ling'er asked a question seemingly casually.

"What is your surname, shopkeeper?"

The vendor didn't pay any attention, assuming the young lady was just curious, and readily agreed.

"My surname is Wang. It's fate that our family's traditional craftsmanship can be enjoyed by our customers. Today, I'll give you an extra five skewers of candied hawthorns."

"Excellent! Excellent!"

……

While eating candied hawthorns, Mu Ling'er stopped pulling Mu An along and walked briskly ahead of him, moving slowly through the crowd.

Only after Mu Ling'er bit off the last half of the strawberry did she turn around with a smile and point to her lips at Mu An.

I'm thirsty.

Before Mu An could refuse, Mu Ling'er stretched out her delicate white hand and pointed to the dessert shop not far away.

"I just treated you to candied hawthorns, now it's your turn, Da'an, to treat me to a drink."

On the bustling street, the two stopped and looked at the dessert shop not far away.

Seeing that Mu Ling'er looked like she had him cornered, Mu An shrugged helplessly and walked straight toward the dessert shop in front of him.