The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Little White was being rubbed so much that it shook its head and swayed, but it wasn't angry at all. Instead, it squinted its eyes as if enjoying it.

Although these beautiful souls touched her body very lightly, like a feather brushing against her, she loved the feeling of being surrounded and pampered.

In fact, based on her real age, Xiaobai is now over a hundred years old, far exceeding the age of these beauties who were at most twenty when they died.

However, dragons have long lifespans, and a hundred years old is indeed like a child. In addition, Xiaobai is innocent and naive, so after transforming, her appearance has always remained that of a twelve or thirteen-year-old loli. When facing these gentle and considerate "beautiful older sisters", it is only natural for her to act coquettishly and call them "older sister".

As for the title—initially, the beauties respectfully called Xiaobai "senior," after all, Xiaobai's cultivation was at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, while their soul bodies were mostly at the early or middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Not to mention that Xiaobai was also the personal maid of a Golden Core True Monarch, and her status was highly respected.

But after spending more time with him, they found that this little white dragon was really adorable, so the beauties added the word "little" before "senior".

Calling him "little senior" was both respectful and affectionate, which Xiaobai appreciated.

"Alright, alright, you guys play." Little White jumped down from the tall chair with great agility, landing almost silently.

She patted the hem of her red cotton-padded jacket, turned around, and walked out of the hall, the white dragon tail swaying behind her. "Hmph, I'm not feeling well today. I'm going to find my sister and ask her to improve my luck!"

"Take care, senior!" the beauties said in unison, their voices like the clinking of jade pendants, clear and melodious.

As soon as Xiaobai left, the empty seat immediately became a hot commodity.

More than a dozen beautiful spirits rushed forward, pushing and shoving each other to grab them:

"My turn! My turn!"

"I said it was my turn to play last round!"

"Let me try! I'm really good at cards!"

Finally, Ninth Sister gently presided over the justice: "Let's go in order. Who didn't play last time?"

After another round of laughter and merriment, a new game of mahjong quickly began. The rustling of the tiles, the crisp clinking of the dice, and the soft laughter of the beauties filled the cave hall with warmth, creating a stark contrast to the icy, snowy landscape outside.

-

Little White wags its tail, humming an off-key tune, as it walks along the jade corridor of the cave.

The walls on both sides of the corridor were inlaid with fluorite, emitting a soft, milky-white glow that made her shadow appear to grow longer and shorter.

Beneath her feet was a floor paved entirely with jade, polished to a mirror shine, reflecting her red coat and the swaying dragon tail.

The corridor was long and winding, passing several hidden caves along the way.

Some indoor spaces are filled with all sorts of exotic flowers and plants that never fade;

Some of them contained all sorts of rare and precious treasures, each one priceless;

Some of them were filled with bookshelves; those were Zuo Qingqiu's library, which contained not only Taoist scriptures but also a large number of travelogues, miscellaneous essays, and even vernacular novels.

My sister once said that those who cultivate the Tao cannot just read Taoist scriptures, or they will become blockheads.

Xiao Bai wholeheartedly agreed with this. The stories her sister told her were much more interesting than those dry scriptures and classics.

At the end of the corridor is a heavy rosewood door.

The door was not decorated with any tacky dragon and phoenix patterns; instead, a few strokes of flowing clouds were outlined using an intaglio technique, making it simple to the point of being plain.

The door knocker was still a bit high for Xiaobai, so she stood on tiptoe and pushed it open with all her might.

The scene inside the study was completely different from the hustle and bustle of the hall outside.

This is a room about ten feet long and wide, with three walls lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, densely filled with books.

The scrolls are made of various materials, including bamboo slips, silk, paper, and even a few scrolls made of jade pieces strung together.

In the center of the room was a huge snow bear skin rug, its fur white and soft, so soft that bare feet would sink in half an inch when they stepped on it.

A tea table was placed on the carpet, with the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) on it, as well as a bronze incense burner. The incense burning inside was "Tranquility Incense," with a clear and refreshing scent, like the aroma of a pine forest after a snowfall.

Zuo Qingqiu sat on the chair behind the coffee table.

She was wearing winter clothes today.

The upper body is an ivory-white stand-up collar satin vest with a front opening, the edges of which are embroidered with fine lotus scroll patterns in silver thread.

She wore a dark blue brocade horse-face skirt with gold thread flowing subtly at the hem, exuding both luxury and elegance.

He wore a brocade cloak lined with silver fox fur, which was not tied tightly but casually draped over his shoulders, adding to his languid and elegant demeanor.

Her long, black hair was simply tied into a bun with a plain jade hairpin, with the rest cascading down her shoulders.

She was holding a book in her hands, her fingers long and slender, white with a healthy pale pink hue.

While reading, her expression was focused and peaceful, her long eyelashes slightly lowered, and occasionally, as she read, a glimmer of understanding or contemplation would flash in her deep, pool-like eyes.

The luminous white light of the pearl reflected on her jade-like face, as if gilding her with a layer of radiance. Her intellectual and serene temperament blended with her stunning beauty, creating a unique and captivating charm.

In fact, both reading and changing into the corresponding ordinary clothes according to the seasons were deliberate actions by Zuo Qingqiu.

She knew all too well that the path to immortality was long and lonely, and that the passage of time could easily be measured in centuries. If she were to pursue power and engage in seclusion and ascetic cultivation, she would easily lose her emotions and perceptions as a "human" under the erosion of time, and eventually become a "stone" that possessed only power but was numb and cold.

These everyday, seemingly useless trifles—reading a leisurely book, sipping a cup of tea, changing into seasonal clothes—are all "anchors" she sets for herself to maintain that indispensable humanity.

Little White tiptoed over, stood on tiptoe, rested her chin on the edge of the table, and blinked her big eyes: "Sister, what book are you reading?"

Zuo Qingqiu raised her eyes.

Her eyes appear gentle and clear, but upon closer inspection, one can discover that countless lightning bolts are hidden deep within them, their interplay causing a chilling sensation.

"Jingguang Sanren's 'Travels in the Eastern Lands'." She closed the book, revealing the seal script on the cover. "It mainly describes the local customs and people he encountered while traveling in the Eastern Lands."

"Eastern Land?" Little White blinked her big eyes.

She gets sleepy as soon as she starts reading, and doesn't know much. She's only half-educated, and her little head is practically empty. Most of her geographical knowledge of the Old Earth comes from her older sister's occasional casual recounting: "Is it that place that's really, really far away, and you have to take a really, really expensive inter-domain teleportation array to get there?"

The five regions of the Old Earth Continent are vast and boundless. For ordinary cultivators who wish to cross regions, the fastest and most reliable method is to use the inter-regional teleportation array.

The resources required to activate a teleportation array are astronomical, and it will never be activated lightly unless the sect has an urgent matter to attend to.

Apart from that, there are only two other ways:

One option is to escape into the "Great Void." A cultivator of the Purple Mansion realm can fly at full speed through the Great Void and reach the Eastern Lands in about a few months. However, the Great Void is extremely dangerous and is generally only suitable for short, urgent journeys, not long-distance travel. Of course, there are exceptions; if there is a spaceship providing protection, the danger will be much less.

Secondly, one can honestly fly using the escape light—that requires years of hard work, and even cultivators at the Purple Mansion level would need to fly for several years to reach the destination.

However, all of the above are restrictions on cultivators below the Golden Core stage.

For a Golden Core True Monarch, a single movement can cover millions of miles. If he truly wishes to travel across domains, he can escape into the void and fly at full speed, reaching the Eastern Land in a few days at most.

"Hmm." Zuo Qingqiu put the book on the table, reached out and rubbed Xiaobai's head. "The Eastern Land is the second richest land in the Five Realms after the Central Land. Not only is it vast and rich in resources, but it is also adjacent to the East Sea, a great treasure trove, with countless rare and precious treasures in the sea."

Little White rubbed against her palm following her touch, its dragon tail wagging even more enthusiastically: "What's the Eastern Land like? Is it the same as the Central Land?"