Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Outside the Dragon Palace, in the courtyard, Zhu Cici sat dazedly on a chair.

In her mind, Xu Ming’s words from not long ago kept echoing.

Scenes of her meeting with Xu Ming played over and over in her head.

As she thought about it, Zhu Cici couldn’t help but sigh.

Absentmindedly, she stretched out her hand, placing it on her knee, making a small gesture, and softly murmured to herself, “Back then, he was only about this tall…”

Ten years ago, Xu Ming barely reached her knee. At that time, she was even half a head taller than him.

And now, he had grown so much.

“Hmph, so what if he’s taller now? Compared to when he was a child, he’s not as cute anymore. He used to be all chubby, and his voice was so sweet. Now… well, he does look good, but not as good as before. And the way he talks—it’s not nice at all.”

Pouting, Zhu Cici lay down on the table.

“And that princess—what’s so great about her? You think so highly of her? Your praise for her is so much higher than anything you’ve ever said about me. Actually… have you ever even said anything about me?”

Zhu Cici shrank her arms inward, burying her face in the crook of her elbow. Her muffled voice came from within.

“Liar. That poem you gave me for my birthday—wasn’t that just your way of saying you wanted to marry me? But in the end, I’m the only one who remembers it, like some kind of fool.”

“Liar. You were so good to me when we were kids, but now you treat me so coldly.”

“Liar. Couldn’t you at least lie to me a little? Do you really not even know how to tell a small lie?”

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

“Liar! I’ll never talk to you again! I don’t ever want to see you again!”

—

On his way back to his residence, Xu Ming passed by a place called Qingxin Courtyard.

After repeated reminders from Yu Wen Xi and Miao Feng, he couldn’t help but know—this was where the White Deer Academy’s leading envoy, Zhu Cici, was staying.

Xu Ming hesitated, wondering if he should go find her and have a proper conversation.

He walked up to the courtyard gate, raising his hand as if to knock.

But in the end, he withdrew his hand.

“Forget it. It’s a tangled mess that won’t be easily sorted out. If I go to her now, I’ll only make her thoughts even more chaotic. It’s better to let her think things through on her own.”

Turning away, Xu Ming continued toward his own courtyard.

When he arrived, he saw a palace maid in court attire already waiting at the entrance.

“Greetings, Miss Xiaolan.” Xu Ming cupped his hands and bowed.

Seeing him return, Xiaolan smiled and stepped forward, offering a respectful bow. “This humble servant has been waiting for Young Master Xu for quite some time now.”

“My apologies, I was just having a meal with some friends.” Xu Ming asked in confusion, “May I ask what business Miss Xiaolan has with me?”

Xiaolan covered her mouth and chuckled. “What business could I have with Young Master Xu? Naturally, it is Her Majesty who wishes to see you.”

“Her Majesty?”

Xu Ming was even more puzzled.

He had already been eliminated—why would she want to see him again?

Could there have been an issue with the test? Was he supposed to retake it?

No, no, that didn’t seem likely either.

“Does Young Master Xu have time to spare?” Xiaolan asked.

“Of course.”

Could he even say no? Even if he were busy, he would have to make time.

“In that case, I must trouble Young Master Xu to follow me to meet Her Majesty once more.” Xiaolan bowed.

Xu Ming nodded. “No problem at all. Miss Xiaolan, please lead the way.”

Xiaolan nodded and walked toward the inner palace of the Dragon Palace, with Xu Ming following behind her.

If the Dragon Palace were divided into three rings—

The innermost ring was the Dragon Empress’s private chambers, accessible only to her maids. No men were allowed inside.

The second ring was where Xu Ming had previously visited—the rear garden. Likewise, the Imperial Study was also located in the second ring, and morning court sessions were usually held there as well. Essentially, the second ring was primarily designated for political affairs and governance.

The third ring, commonly referred to as the “outer palace,” was where the Dragon Palace’s imperial guards were stationed and where foreign envoys were received.

Xu Ming had assumed that if he were to meet the Dragon Empress again, it would be either in that garden or in the Imperial Study.

But to his surprise, he realized that this maid, Xiaolan, was leading him toward the first ring!

Now Xu Ming was truly confused.

What exactly did the Dragon Empress want?

Even if she thought he had failed the previous test and wanted him to retake it, that should still take place in the garden.

Or had this Xiaolan girl made a mistake? Was she leading him to the wrong place?

Entering the Dragon Empress’s inner palace without permission—that was a crime punishable by death!

And he was the envoy from Wu Kingdom, which meant an even greater risk of triggering a diplomatic crisis.

At this point, all sorts of bizarre speculations started surfacing in Xu Ming’s mind.

Could it be that the Dragon Empress, for some unknown reason, wanted to act against Wu Kingdom and was using the excuse of “Wu Kingdom’s envoy trespassing into the inner palace” to provoke conflict?

Or had he unknowingly violated some kind of Dragon Palace taboo?

“None of this makes any sense!”

Xu Ming was utterly baffled.

He was just an ordinary human—at most, someone with a bit of fame on the Qingyun Ranking.

And ever since he arrived, he had mostly stayed within his courtyard, hardly venturing out.

The few times he did step outside, it was just to wander around aimlessly.

How could he possibly have broken some mysterious taboo?

When he met the Dragon Empress for the first time, he hadn’t felt nervous at all. In fact, he had been rather relaxed, even treating it like a casual stroll to see just how beautiful the legendary Dragon Empress really was.

But this second meeting—this didn’t feel like anything good.

Now Xu Ming was genuinely uneasy.

“Miss Xiaolan? Would it be… inappropriate for me to go any further?” Xu Ming asked cautiously.

Xiaolan gave him a polite smile, clearly noticing his concern.

“Young Master Xu, please don’t worry. There’s no conflict between our nations, and we have no reason to make enemies for no reason. Her Majesty simply wishes to see you.”

“…”

Just wants to see me?

What’s so special about me?

Don’t tell me I just happen to match the Dragon Empress’s taste in men?

Has she decided to abandon her old lover and come after me instead?

That’s ridiculous!