After that day, the people craned their necks to wait for what would happen next, but no one knew the specific details.
All that is known is that although the Taoist priests survived, they left the palace in dejection, leaving only a young Taoist priest to serve by Liu Xian's side.
Cart after cart of scriptures and classics were transported to the palace from various major Taoist sects under the "protection" of guards sent by certain unknown emperors.
After discussing with his ministers, Emperor Zhu was very pleased to decide to appoint Liu Xian as the Imperial Preceptor and to allocate a piece of land in the capital to Liu Xian and his disciples—at present, only Bai Susu could be considered as such.
It's quite simple. After all, under the internationally renowned Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, who was notorious for his ruthless exploitation of officials, there was never a shortage of officials whose homes were confiscated. As a result, land prices in Nanjing were at an unprecedented low!
In addition, Liu Xian received extremely extravagant treatment and privileges.
In response to these questions, I said, "Thank you for the invitation." It's perfectly natural, as these are all basic operations.
Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and it's early autumn.
In Empress Ma's palace, Crown Prince Zhu Biao of the Ming Dynasty personally escorted Bai Susu out, casually lifting the beaded curtain as they walked, speaking as if by chance:
"My mother's condition has gradually stabilized, and in the past few days she has been able to live and sit as freely as a normal person."
I was overjoyed, but I wondered if the Immortal Willow had mentioned when I could stop taking the medicine.
After speaking, he looked at Bai Susu, waiting for the disciple of Liu Xian to reply.
"Nourish your body and cultivate your spirit," Bai Susu said calmly, adjusting her outer robe as she faced the crown prince.
"As Liu Xian said long ago, Empress Ma's illness is only being delayed; a complete cure is not a matter of medicine, but will require much effort."
She paused, her dark eyes fixed on Zhu Biao, her still somewhat childish voice seeming to carry a hidden meaning:
"Your Highness need not worry. Isn't Liu Xian currently drawing upon the wisdom of Taoist scriptures to find a way to cure the Empress?"
Do you even believe what you're saying? Looking at Bai Susu's matter-of-fact expression, Zhu Biao couldn't help but sigh.
Liu Xian extorted the Taoist sect's secret cultivation techniques. A demon asking for the cultivation classics of its natural enemy? Nobody would believe it was to find a way to save people.
However, his own father was very supportive, and he and Liu Xian colluded and hit it off immediately. The previous dynasty revered Taoism and Buddhism, and these two families were incredibly wealthy.
The emperor wanted money, and Liu Xian wanted scriptures; their cooperation was very pleasant.
I've heard that they've almost squeezed the Taoist sect dry these days, and they're thinking about how to find an opportunity for the wealthier Buddhist sect to contribute to the dynasty!
Zhu Biao wanted to say something, but met Bai Susu's "watch out or I'll tell on you" look.
I promptly shut up. This disciple of Liu Xian, well, he doesn't suffer any loss whatsoever.
After being escorted outside the palace and parting ways, Bai Susu boarded the carriage, immediately relaxing completely. A lively voice suddenly popped into her mind:
"Susu, you did a great job today!"
"Really, spirit?" Bai Susu finally showed the expression of a little girl and said happily.
"Of course it's true. You don't know, Immortal Liu even said you're her best disciple. I, the spirit, heard it with my own ears..."
"Is he better than that stinky Taoist priest?" Bai Susu felt a surge of anger when she thought of that stinky Taoist priest who always looked melancholy and unwilling.
In her eyes, the stinky Taoist priest was just being pretentious by taking advantage of his blood relation with Liu Xian, the "former demon."
"How could Su Su think like that? How can he compare to you? You are Liu Xian's only disciple!"
The system casually crossed its legs and helped the host to bolster the morale of the employees.
I'm amazed at how hard I work; I'm such a great system!
However, competition does indeed bring pressure. Ever since that young Taoist priest arrived, Bai Susu has become much more assertive.
After getting off the carriage, I looked up and saw an incomparably magnificent palace. The towering halls seemed to reach into the clouds, like the legendary abode of immortals who roamed the rosy clouds by day and plucked stars from the sky by night.
Bai Susu held her breath. Who would have thought that this unparalleled palace was built in just a few days?
This is divine power!
System: Yes, he's much more experienced now after that practice session...
Stepping into the most luxurious main hall in the center, Bai Susu lowered her eyes and, having only stood outside the door for a short while, heard a languid and alluring voice:
Come in.
The door opened automatically to both sides without any wind, and Bai Susu calmly walked in. She saw books, bamboo slips, jade scrolls, and even tortoise shells and bronze tripods scattered all over the floor.
They might open a page or two, or stack them neatly together, and most of them contain characters from even more ancient times, such as bronze inscriptions and oracle bone inscriptions.
It records various once earth-shattering methods. In an era when Taoist magic was manifest, any one of these methods could have caused bloodshed, but here they are merely a drop in the ocean.
Bai Susu walked through the crowd without looking to the side, her gaze settling on the precious couch in the center, piled high with pearls and jade.
The beauty was otherworldly, with white hair flowing down her back and a long, graceful snake tail swaying gently.
She held a jade book in her hands and looked at it again, while the Taoist priest in the green robe beside her bent over and deciphered the jade book word by word.
At first glance, the scene seems to carry a subtle, ambiguous tension. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the young Taoist priest is trying his best to remain calm, with sweat pouring down his back—as if facing a man-eating beast.
In the young Taoist's eyes, even the most venomous and ferocious beasts in the world were no match for the strange snake demon before him...
Ling Xiao withdrew her attention from the profound and difficult-to-understand Taoist scriptures, waved her hand dismissively, and casually dismissed the translator, looking at Bai Susu with a smile:
"You're back. How was your trip to the palace? I hope no fools dare to provoke my disciple again."
Ling Xiao thought to himself, if any more foolish princes acted provocatively, he could extort money from Zhu Yuanzhang again.
Bai Susu, who was originally delighted, blushed and shook her head vigorously:
"Of course not. By the way, Empress Ma is recovering very well. The Crown Prince even asked when Liu Xian could completely cure Empress Ma."
Ling Xiao stretched out his hand, lazily yawned, and casually said, fiddling with the snake scales with his fingertips:
"Although Empress Ma is my benefactor and her influence on my cultivation path cannot be underestimated, I must first heal my injuries. If my strength is insufficient—"
She slightly propped herself up, looked at the young Taoist priest, and chuckled, "Otherwise, the Taoist sect would be the first to kill me, wouldn't they?"
"Immortal Liu is joking," the young Taoist priest uttered dryly.
Seeing his appearance, Liu Xian chuckled and remained silent, but Bai Susu made up her mind to keep a close eye on this guy who was loyal to one side but not to the other.
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