Some matters need not be rushed. Qi Xuansu’s top priority was still to return to the capital and report on his duties. He could hardly abandon Huangfu Ji and deal with this first, as that would be entirely inappropriate.

Qi Xuansu still had a long road ahead, and he was young, so there was no need to hurry. To accomplish earth-shaking feats, one must first tread upon thin ice.

Since Li Ping was safely kept in Ye Qingshuang’s territory, ensuring secrecy was no difficult task. Once Qi Xuansu had time, he would find an opportunity to gauge Li Zhuyu’s stance before making further arrangements.

At this point, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. There were still too few people he could truly rely on.

That was because he lacked family backing and had risen too quickly. Though he had subordinates, he did not have time to cultivate true confidants.

Lin Yuanmiao was one, but he mainly followed Zhang Yuelu, and his primary duty was to look after Little Yin.

Thus, Qi Xuansu often had to entrust matters to Zhang Yuelu. Fortunately, she never fussed over such things.

Qi Xuansu had no patience for dealing with a temperamental, troublesome woman. Though Madam Qi liked to tease him, when it came to serious matters, she was always decisive and efficient. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu was an unwavering ally.

Besides Lin Yuanmiao, Chen Jianchou could also count as a confidant, but he was still somewhat inexperienced, not yet ready to be entrusted with independent responsibilities.

In truth, Qi Xuansu did have confidants, such as Genki and Chen Jianqiu, but they were outside the Daoist Order, making it inconvenient for them to intervene. Within the Daoist Order, he had no shortage of allies but too few reliable subordinates, so he still had to handle many things personally.

Qi Xuansu and Huangfu Ji did not remain in Sahul for long. This incident was but a minor interlude. Soon, the delegation departed for Poluo, Qi Xuansu’s home ground.

The lineup in Poluo was far stronger than in Sahul. There was a Great Sage and an Omniscient Sage as Mansion Masters, with many Deputy Mansion Masters who were high-level Sages.

The reception was held at the Sheji Palace in Thanglong Prefecture. Below Great Sage Lan were Yao Shu, Zhang Yuelu, Xu Jiaorong, Pei Xiaolou, Ji Jiaozhen, and Lin Yuanmiao—six second-rank Taiyi Daoists.

The Solar Ark slowly descended onto Guijian Lake, and Great Sage Lan made an exception by personally coming to the lakeside to receive them, showing great respect.

After stepping off the ramp, Huangfu Ji quickened his pace and approached Great Sage Lan, addressing him as Elder Lan.

“Elder Lan, I feel incredibly honored that you have come to receive me in person,” Huangfu Ji said.

“You are a guest. It is only proper,” Great Sage Lan replied with a smile. “How have Great Sage Tantai, Great Sage Gong, and Great Sage Huangfu been lately?”

Not long ago, the Golden Tower Council had elevated Huangfu Zhao to a Great Sage, though it was largely nominal without the actual authority of a Virtuous Great Sage.

“Thank you for your concern, Elder Lan. All three Great Sages are well,” Huangfu Ji replied.

Lan Hexu sighed, “The last time I saw your father was in the 23rd year of the Jiushi Era. In the blink of an eye, 20 years have passed. At our age, each meeting may be one fewer to come.”

Huangfu Ji said, “Elder Lan, whenever you have the time, you are welcome to visit the Southern Continent so that I may play the host next time.”

Lan Hexu readily agreed.

It was all polite formalities.

Huangfu Ji then greeted Yao Shu, Zhang Yuelu, Xu Jiaorong, and the others in turn.

Qi Xuansu stood beside Huangfu Ji, exchanging only glances with Zhang Yuelu without speaking.

At the same time, Qi Xuansu noticed that Little Yin was also present. She stood beside Lin Yuanmiao and waved her short little arms enthusiastically at him.

Qi Xuansu smiled brightly and waved back.

Huangfu Ji noticed this as well. Following Qi Xuansu’s gaze, he could not help but feel a slight shock.

With the Zhang family’s resources, Lin Yuanmiao had already regained Pseudo-Immortal cultivation and even retained the possibility of restoring Lin Lingsu’s former level.

It was precisely because of Lin Yuanmiao’s protection that Zhang Yuelu could remain safe in Nanyang. Zhang Yuelu herself was formidable, but with Lin Yuanmiao guarding her, all underhanded attempts to target her proved futile.

Huangfu Ji was also a Pseudo-Immortal. But seeing someone of the same cultivation level who was merely an ordinary second-rank Taiyi Daoist and not even a Deputy Mansion Master left him somewhat stunned.

Was this the foundation of the Daoist Order? Were high-level cultivators so abundant to this extent?

That aside, Huangfu Ji was also shocked by Little Yin because he could not see through the little girl at all. She seemed not entirely human, yet her true nature remained unclear.

It turned out that Qi Xuansu’s home base was filled with hidden formidable figures.

Huangfu Ji had heard of Nanyang, which was said to be less refined and more complex, with plenty of activity and influence from the Buddhist Sect and secret societies. At its peak, five Immortals had coexisted there—the Lord Buddha’s remains, Golden Patriarch, Great Sage Jiang, Great Sage Lan, and Chen Shuhua. This was not even counting Wu Luo and True Lord Siming, whose incarnations had been shattered. Pseudo-Immortals were even more numerous, such as Wang Jiaohe, Sun Heyu, and Wu Guangbi.

At first, Huangfu Ji had his doubts. After all, the Southern Continent’s top-tier strength was only somewhat stronger, and Poluo seemed exaggerated. But seeing it today, he knew it was no exaggeration, because even Pseudo-Immortals served as a mere assistant.

Huangfu Ji gained a new understanding of Qi Xuansu’s foundations. Being able to establish himself in such a place was no small feat.

For both sides, treating each other as strategic support was only beneficial.

Next came the usual routine—a reception banquet and a tour.

This time, Qi Xuansu did not join in on the tour. Mansion Master Yao Shu handled it alone. Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to slip away and meet with Zhang Yuelu and Little Yin.

Although Zhang Yuelu usually resided in Lion City and rarely returned to Thanglong Prefecture except for official meetings, she still had a residence here, which was the Fire Palace within the Sheji Palace.

The moment Qi Xuansu entered the residence, Little Yin dashed over and hugged his leg, catching him slightly off guard.

The little girl was usually carefree, so it made no sense for her to change so much after just a few days apart.

“Old Qi, I missed you so much!” Little Yin sobbed, pretending to wipe her tears while sneaking glances at Zhang Yuelu behind her.

Qi Xuansu immediately understood. When he was around, he balanced out Zhang Yuelu’s strictness. But once he left, only Zhang Yuelu remained, and the balance was gone.

Unaccustomed to such close contact and mindful of propriety, Qi Xuansu lifted Little Yin by the back of her collar and scolded. “Stand properly when you speak.”

Little Yin pouted. “Old Qi, didn’t you miss me?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Of course I did! I brought you a gift.”

With that, Qi Xuansu handed her the box of wind-up toy soldiers.

Little Yin had never seen anything like it before. Filled with excitement and curiosity, she asked, “What is this?”

Qi Xuansu opened the box, took out a toy soldier, and wound it up.

The soldier—wearing a black tall hat, a red uniform, blue trousers, and black boots—sprang to life. It first shouldered its bayonet-fitted rifle and marched in step, then raised the rifle and fired a few times. Even the miniature rifle was exquisitely crafted, capable of shooting tiny pellet-like projectiles.

Little Yin’s eyes sparkled as she clapped excitedly. “This is fun!”

Qi Xuansu placed the entire box of toy soldiers into her hands. “There are infantry, cavalry, and artillery. They’re all yours. Go play with them.”

Little Yin cheered, hugged the box, and ran off happily.

Children sure were easy to please.

Throughout it all, Zhang Yuelu said nothing and simply watched the two quietly.

Qi Xuansu walked over to Zhang Yuelu. “Don’t worry, you’ve got something too.”

With that, Qi Xuansu took out the prepared red wine. The bottle looked quite elegant, adorned with gold-embossed patterns.

Zhang Yuelu accepted it with a faint smile. “What’s this?”

Qi Xuansu said, “Victory wine I seized from the battlefield. Unfortunately, its original owner never lived to attend the celebration.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded slightly. “We’ll drink it later to welcome you back.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Wasn’t the earlier banquet enough?”

“That’s different. That one was for Sage Huangfu. This time, it’s just for you,” Zhang Yuelu replied.

Qi Xuansu smiled. “Sounds good. But we can’t just drink. What has the host prepared for me?”

Zhang Yuelu said, “Knowing that you’re coming back, I purposely made time to cook for you!”

Qi Xuansu’s smile stiffened briefly before returning to normal. “Oh... Great... Thanks...”

The two walked into the side hall together. Qi Xuansu saw that food had indeed been prepared. There was a plate of fried peanuts, a plate of scallions with tofu, and a pot of plain rice porridge, all simple dishes.

Since Zhang Yuelu had not tried anything fancy this time, everything was well-made. There were no mishaps.

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “Eating this with red wine feels mismatched. People might say we’re like wild boars trying to eat fine grain.”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “We don’t live for others. Why care about what they say?”

As she spoke, Zhang Yuelu took out a decanter and two luminous cups, pouring the wine in. Being well-versed in drinking, she had all the proper utensils. She added, “Serve the porridge.”

Qi Xuansu served two bowls of porridge while Zhang Yuelu poured two glasses of wine.

They sat facing each other and raised their cups together.

Qi Xuansu suggested, “Shall we drink a cross-cupped wine?”

Under the glow of the crimson wine, a blush spread across Zhang Yuelu’s face. She did not refuse.

Their arms intertwined as they drained their cups in one motion.