Chapter 50: The Banquet

Mu Yunqing still didn’t tell Mu Si’an what elixir formula he was looking for. The middle-aged man in imperial robes didn’t seem angry, and he said good-naturedly, “Since that’s the case, then it must be some kind of secret, and Brother will have to find it himself.”

“Then I’ll have people clean up the Showa Palace where Brother used to live. Brother and this young lady,” Mu Si’an looked at Su Jiu and nodded politely, “Are you going to stay together, or…”

Without hesitation, Mu Yunqing said, “She’s staying with me.”

Mu Si’an’s lips twitched slightly, his gaze still on Su Jiu, but it made her feel uncomfortable.

Su Jiu frowned and looked up, but he had already looked away.

The palace servants led Mu Yunqing and Su Jiu out of the palace and towards Showa Palace.

Mu Yunqing looked at Su Jiu’s thoughtful expression, thinking that she was unhappy about his suggestion that they stay together. He moved slightly closer to her and explained in a low voice, “If we stay together, it will be easier to find the elixir formula…”

“If you don’t like it,” Mu Yunqing paused, suppressing the thoughts in his heart, and said seriously, “Should I have people clean up another palace?”

Su Jiu’s thoughts were pulled back, and she saw Mu Yunqing’s slightly anxious expression, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Senior Brother, why would you say that? If I can stay with Senior Brother, at least my safety is guaranteed.”

[It’s just that your innocence might not be so guaranteed.]

Su Jiu secretly thought.

She didn’t know what the pattern of the poison in her body was now. Although it had been alleviated in the Luminous Pavilion, if it erupted again…

Su Jiu couldn’t control it herself.

She felt that Mu Yunqing should be more worried about her.

Hearing Su Jiu’s thoughts, Mu Yunqing couldn’t help but feel a little helpless.

If Su Jiu had been poisoned just now, and he had to sacrifice himself to cure her, Mu Yunqing would have agreed, but he would have inevitably hesitated.

But now, he had confirmed his feelings.

He had even subtly confessed to Su Jiu, expressing his willingness to let her know him better.

Therefore, if Su Jiu was poisoned again, Mu Yunqing would actually be very willing to help her cure the poison by putting his body on the line.

But…

He was afraid of scaring Su Jiu, so he didn’t say anything.

Mu Yunqing just smiled gently, “As long as Junior Sister is willing. What were you thinking about on the way here?”

Su Jiu hesitated for a moment.

“Senior Brother, don’t you think His Majesty,” she paused, lowering her voice, “is a little strange? The way he looks at me…”

It wasn’t Su Jiu being narcissistic, it was just that Mu Si’an’s gaze on her really made her feel uncomfortable.

Especially the meaningful smile he had on his lips when he heard Mu Yunqing say that they were staying together.

“I don’t like him.”

Su Jiu said frankly.

Mu Yunqing was stunned, then he was a little speechless.

Junior Sister, she was as straightforward and direct as ever.

But her straightforwardness was enough to make her cute in his eyes.

“You don’t have to like him.” Mu Yunqing reached out and touched Su Jiu’s hair, gently saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle dealing with him. You don’t have to pay any attention to him. If he comes to talk to you, just turn around and leave.”

Mu Yunqing naturally wouldn’t put a mere Mu Si’an in his eyes.

Not to mention that he was now a Yuan Ying stage cultivator who could live for hundreds of years, and his appearance was still as handsome as a young man.

Even if he hadn’t embarked on the path of cultivation, Mu Si’an was far inferior to him.

When he was the revered crown prince, Mu Si’an was just an unfavored prince.

If Mu Yunqing hadn’t gone to Undao Mountain to cultivate with Shen Wangchen, the throne would never have belonged to Mu Si’an.

Mu Yunqing wouldn’t let Su Jiu suffer any injustice in the Li Dynasty.

Seeing Mu Yunqing’s confidence, Su Jiu didn’t say anything about being more cautious.

After all, if she rashly said that there might be demonic creatures in the Li Dynasty palace, even Mu Yunqing, let alone Mu Si’an, might not believe her.

Even so, Su Jiu still increased her vigilance.

They originally planned to go to the library that day to find some old books and papers left by the former Xue Shangguo, but Mu Si’an insisted on holding a welcome banquet for Mu Yunqing, saying, “No matter what, Brother was once the crown prince of the Li Dynasty, and he also received the offerings of the people. Now that he’s finally back, if he could show himself to the people, it would surely make the Li Dynasty more stable and prosperous.”

Mu Yunqing wanted to refuse, but Su Jiu tugged at his sleeve, her eyes shining as she looked at him, and she transmitted her voice to him, “Senior Brother, let’s go take a look.”

She wanted to observe the Li Dynasty’s officials and Mu Si’an more closely during the banquet.

Although so far, the palace seemed to be exceptionally peaceful, and even outside the palace was quiet and harmonious.

But Su Jiu couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy when she thought about the original plot.

If there really was a demonic creature in the Li Dynasty palace that could seriously injure Mu Yunqing, who brought it here?

And how could it have killed Mu Si’an, the emperor of the Li Dynasty? No matter what, as the Son of Heaven, he would always be protected by dragon energy. Moreover, Mu Yunqing had set up a life-saving formation for him. How could he have died without Mu Yunqing noticing anything unusual?

Actually, Su Jiu could ignore all these messy things, just focus on finding the remaining half of the elixir formula, and then return to Undao Mountain with Mu Yunqing.

After all, they were now outsiders, and the decline of these mortal dynasties and the wrongful deaths of emperors were no longer their concern.

But Su Jiu knew that Mu Yunqing couldn’t let go.

Even though he had been the chief disciple of Undao Mountain for over twenty years, in his heart, the Li Dynasty was still his homeland, and the people of the Li Dynasty were the people he had sworn to protect in his youth.

He couldn’t possibly abandon them.

Just like in the original plot, he was barely fifty years old and had already reached the late Yuan Ying stage. If he continued to cultivate, he would surely become a powerful figure in the cultivation world, after Shen Wangchen and Cang Qianxue.

But he still abandoned his immortal path without hesitation, discarded his cultivation, and chose to return to the Li Dynasty to continue protecting his people.

Su Jiu thought, if she could prevent everything from happening, keep Mu Si’an alive, wouldn’t Mu Yunqing be able to continue being the chief disciple of Undao Mountain,

and continue to be her Senior Brother.

Seeing that Su Jiu seemed interested, Mu Yunqing’s refusal was stuck in his throat. In the end, he could only nod gently.

His hand under the table gently squeezed Su Jiu’s, his smiling eyes looking at her, “Okay.”

The banquet was held that night.

Hearing that the crown prince, who had abandoned his inheritance of the throne and gone up the mountain to cultivate over twenty years ago, had returned to the Li Dynasty, the officials and commoners of the Li Dynasty were overjoyed.

Even people from outside the capital city traveled thousands of miles to kneel outside the palace gate, just to catch a glimpse of Mu Yunqing.

That night, the entire Shangjing City was brightly lit, as bright as day.

Inside and outside the palace, there were sounds of silk and bamboo music, and the dancing girls’ sleeves fluttered.

Su Jiu sat to Mu Yunqing’s left, seemingly watching the performance, but in reality, she was observing the many people present, looking for anyone who seemed unusual.

Unfortunately, until Mu Si’an, dressed in imperial robes, slowly ascended the dragon throne with the empress and concubines, everyone seemed to be just ordinary mortals, and no one showed any signs of being unusual.

Su Jiu couldn’t help but feel discouraged.