This was the first time that Su Changzhao left the Holy Palace after so many days.

She had never been to the Elders' Council before, and at most she had accompanied Jiuchen to the Shrine.

After finally getting out, she acted like Granny Liu when she entered the Grand View Garden. After entering the Council of Elders, she expressed curiosity about everything.

"Wow, what kind of flower is that? It's bigger than the pot!" she asked.

Jiuchen said patiently, "That's not a flower, it's a tree."

"Oh my God, is that another tree? The pink one is so beautiful!" Su Changzhao pointed at an unknown plant in the distance and exclaimed.

"That's a flower, called Eumandra." Qi Lan couldn't help but explain it to her, and finally added in a low voice, "You don't even know this~"

Su Changzhao pretended not to hear: "..."

Looking at the flower: So that's the Yumandra from the border. I heard it eats people. Why is the Council of Elders planting this? To protect against assassins?

It seems that I have made the right decision to come here. If I encounter these man-eating creatures on the way out, no matter how good my martial arts skills are, I will not be able to defend myself.

Soon, they came to a place that looked like a square.

The venue has been decorated with countless easels standing in it, and it looks like a work of art from a distance.

Having come here, Qi Lan can no longer follow.

Although he is also a divine servant, he is not as lucky as Su Changzhao to receive the blessing of Jiuchen's earrings.

After entering the venue, Su Changzhao discovered that everyone who was able to come in had more or less a token of their master on them.

Whether it's a jade pendant or a bracelet, they all have the logo of their owners.

The earrings on Su Changzhao's right ear have been replaced with the same pair as Jiuchen's. They are no longer the sapphire earrings he wore when he was the Son of God, but diamond earrings. There are also gold inlays on them that symbolize the sun and the moon shining together. The sophistication of the craftsmanship makes Su Changzhao marvel.

"Look, it's the Holy Son!"

When Jiuchen and her walked into the venue in their best attire, it was no surprise that they attracted a crowd of onlookers.

"Greetings to the Holy Son!"

"May the Holy Son be safe and sound!"

Jiuchen greeted these people respectfully and nodded politely.

During the process, he noticed that Su Changzhao beside him did not show any stage fright in such an occasion. Instead, he was calm and composed, as if he had seen a lot of big occasions. This was very different from his naive appearance in the carriage before. He couldn't help but smile.

"Eh? Who is the woman next to the Holy Son?"

"What a beautiful person~"

"Even she doesn't know?"

"I don't know, who is she?"

"She is the Su Shenshi."

"Oh, I've heard of her name. She's the woman who ruined Fang Tan's appearance some time ago. It's said that she has a hobby of destroying people's appearance!"

"Ah? Why does the Holy Son want to stay with such a femme fatale?"

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let her hear you."

Everyone lowered their voices and said, "Not only that, I heard that this Su Shenshi seemed to be seriously ill when he entered the Holy Womb, and he was bedridden for several days.

The Council of Elders suggested that the girl be left outside, but the Holy Son insisted on protecting her and brought her into the Holy Womb."

"Yes, yes, yes. I also said that the Son of God prayed to God day and night, and this girl miraculously recovered without any medicine."

"Why is the Holy Son so kind to her? Could it be..."

"Don't guess blindly. I have reliable information here. It says that when the Holy Son was persecuted by Master Zong Xu, he almost died. It was this Su Shenshi who saved Master. Master was grateful for her life-saving grace, so he treated her extra well."

Everyone nodded, "I see~"

"..." Su Changzhao was standing in front of a painting. She had good hearing, so she could hear clearly what those people were whispering to each other just now.

At this time.

Several elders, led by Elder Wang Xiu, came over.

Now Jiuchen is the Holy Son. In the past, he had to bow to them when he saw them, but now it is completely reversed.

"Greetings to His Excellency the Holy Son." The elders said in unison.

Jiuchen Xu gave him a helping hand, "Teachers, there's no need to be so polite."

Elder Wang Xiu insisted, "Etiquette cannot be abolished. I hope that Master Saint will always remember his identity."

"..." The smile on Jiuchen's lips gradually disappeared, but soon returned to normal, "Yes, the teacher is right to remind you." He withdrew his hands and let them finish the ceremony.

Then they chatted for a while and left.

Before leaving, Wang Xiu deliberately glanced at Su Changzhao who was beside Jiuchen.

Su Changzhao immediately helped him up.

Wang Xiu left without saying anything.

But Su Changzhao felt that Jiuchen didn't seem very happy to meet these teachers.

"Don't pay attention to what those people say." Jiuchen suddenly said after the people walked away.

"..." Su Changzhao realized belatedly that he was referring to those people who had criticized her before. He replied with a warm heart, "The same goes for the master."

"!"

Jiuchen turned his head to look at her and saw that she was smiling at him.

I immediately realized that she was referring to Elder Wang Xiu and others.

She was so sharp that she could perceive her own thoughts?

I couldn't help but recall my childhood experiences -

Ever since he could remember, people around him always had high hopes for him, countless pairs of eyes were looking at him, and he had never let them down.

This is a good thing.

But as he grew up, he gradually discovered that adults only care about what they want to see.

He remembered one time when he wanted to play in the garden with other children like Zong Xu did. Elder Wang Xiu squatted down, grabbed his young shoulders and told him: "Jiuchen, you are different. You don't have to waste time like those ordinary people."

Jiuchen turned his little head and looked at the happy smiling faces of the children playing, and suddenly he felt puzzled:

Are they wasting their time? But why are they so happy?

His attention was inevitably drawn to that direction, but the next second, his vision was blocked by a book handed to him by Wang Xiu.

“…”

Jiuchen stared at the book in front of him in amazement, and then he heard Elder Wangxiu explain: "This was written by the previous Saint Son himself. Although the content of the book is profound, the Saint was only two years older than you when he wrote it. Jiuchen, take it and flip through it to see if you can understand it?"

Jiuchen took the book in his little hands, and heard the laughter of the children on the grass. He thought of how he had accidentally seen Elder Wangxiu punishing his eldest disciple with a cane some time ago. It was because that senior disciple had sneaked out to play without finishing his homework, and when he came back, he was severely punished by Elder Wangxiu.

Therefore, Jiuchen knew that Elder Wangxiu would not want to see his disobedient side, so he could only take the book and nod obediently: "...Yes."

Elder Wang Xiu narrowed his eyes in satisfaction and patted his little head: "Not bad, not bad~"

Until he left, Jiuchen didn't even look at the kids again.

There have been many more such stories over the years.

For example, in response to the people’s demands, on the annual Blessing Day, the people in Yundu City can see the shrine’s larks taking to the streets to parade.

And he, Jiuchen, will become the object of all people's pursuit.

"Master Jiuchen, please give me your blessing."

"Master Jiuchen, I finally see you! Please... please touch my head..."

"Ah, it's Master Jiuchen..."

"Master Jiuchen..."

The elders hoped that he could become excellent, at least as excellent as the previous Holy Son.

The people long for his blessing; he is their faith.

This feeling of being expected and needed was gradually swallowing him up.

Later, when he saw Zong Xu, he seemed to see hope.

He suddenly realized that he was still a brother.

Perhaps Zong Xu, as his closest relative, can see the real him.

But that day, he saw with his own eyes Zong Xu pushing him into the pool, but he couldn't swim at that time.

"Go to hell, Jiuchen, it will be better without you..."

Jiuchen didn't understand why Zong Xu hated him so much...hated him so much that he wanted to kill him.

A few years later, when he had grown up a little, he used magic to get Zong Xu's true thoughts. It turned out that over the years, it was not only him, but also Zong Xu who was locked up by those invisible shackles.

No matter how much Zong Xu achieved, everyone naturally turned a blind eye to it. When they could no longer turn a blind eye, they attributed all the credit to Jiuchen.

"Ah, Zongxu completed his homework so well this time. It must be Jiuchen's help."

"Yes, that child was not outstanding to begin with. The fact that he was able to perform so well must be due to Jiuchen's efforts."

One sentence negates all a person's efforts.

Jiuchen saw Zong Xu standing at the door with his fists clenched. At that moment, he could understand Zong Xu's inner anger very well.

Because if it were him... he would also be angry and hateful.

Therefore, from then on, no matter the expectations of the Council of Elders, the desires of the people, or the hatred of Zong Xu, Jiuchen chose to accept everything.

He found that as long as he accepted it, these things would no longer be a constraint.

Gradually.

Life has become orderly and meticulous, but at the same time, it has lost its vitality.

When one day your life becomes stagnant, you will find that the whole world has turned gray.

Until that day when he met Su Changzhao, he suddenly felt as if something had changed.

I thought she would be like everyone else, focusing only on his identity and wanting something from him.

The result is not.

Su Changzhao was a woman whom he could never understand.

She remembered that day when she mistook Zong Xu for herself, hugged herself and said to Zong Xu, "Let me tell you this today, I already have someone I like...it's him..."

That was the first time someone confessed their love to him regardless of their identities.

He could see that although Su Changzhao's words were untrue, in her eyes, he was not the 'Jiuchen' in the eyes of the world, he was just himself.

The reflection in her beautiful peach eyes is the real me... the me that others never care about...

.

.

“This is a good painting.”

"It took Elder Wang Xiu eight years to collect these paintings. The quality is really good."

I could hear people talking in the meeting hall.

Jiuchen seemed to be appreciating the painting, but in fact his mind was already wandering away.

In the past, on occasions like this, he always went through the motions patiently, but today was different. He turned his head and looked at the people around him.

I saw Su Changzhao looking at a painting casually. He clearly didn't understand it, but he pretended to appreciate it.

"This is a good picture," Su Changzhao frowned and nodded heavily, stroking his chin and said seriously, "A bear is holding a rabbit in its mouth and a pot in its hand. Is it going home to make rabbit soup?"

"Puff! Hahaha..." Jiuchen couldn't help it.

Su Changzhao immediately knew that what he said was wrong, "No, huh? I'm just giving a brief comment, a brief comment~"

In fact, the moral of this painting is that the bear uses the collected honey to feed the baby rabbits, which symbolizes benevolence and implies that even an animal as ferocious as a brown bear has a kind and compassionate side.

Su Changzhao realized something that went against his own thinking, but what did it matter?

Jiuchen raised the corner of his lips, "You're right, I also think this bear is hungry."

"Really? Hahaha..."

"Haha, let's go, there are a few more over there, let's go take a look."

"Okay."

After they left, a group of people gathered around the painting of "Bear and Rabbit".

"This bear... is hungry?" Someone repeated Jiuchen's words.

Others: …………