The first disciple of the Three Pure Ones, Little Sizi's immortal brother

"Excuse me, this mortal is disturbing you. May I ask your name, sir?"

Just as Shi Ming and Si Zi were playing around, Princess Chang Le's voice suddenly caught their attention.

"No need for formalities." Shi Ming stood up. "I am Shi Ming. As for how to address me, please do so as you see fit."

"This mortal woman greets the celestial being."

Shi Ming was taken aback when he heard Li Lizhi address him.

The term "Shangxian" (上仙) is a term used in Taoism.

As far as Shi Ming knows, Taoism in the Tang Dynasty classified immortals into nine levels: Supreme Immortal, Spiritual Immortal, Divine Immortal, True Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, Mysterious Immortal, Great Immortal, High Immortal, and Upper Immortal.

Princess Li Lizhi shouldn't be so knowledgeable about these things; she must have been focusing her efforts on this area recently.

but……

My master will one day have an incarnation that will establish Taoism among the human race. My identity in Taoism should be worthy of being called an immortal. However, my master has not yet become a saint, so it feels strange to be called that.

Seeing the strange look on Shi Ming's face, Li Lizhi quickly changed her words.

"Master Shi, this mortal has never seen an immortal before. I hope you will forgive me for my inappropriate address."

"It's fine, just call it that. As I said before, whatever you like is fine." Shi Ming waved his hand dismissively.

When Li Lizhi saw that Shi Ming had not refused the title of "Immortal" because of a mismatch in their status, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

This time, Shi Ming miscalculated; he didn't actively try to freeze time around him when he arrived.

After returning last time, Shi Ming found that he hadn't been affected by anything bad, so he felt much more relaxed.

I originally thought there would only be a few maids, and I could just ignore them.

But unexpectedly, the person accompanying Sizi was her own sister, Princess Changle, Li Lizhi.

Shi Ming couldn't treat Si Zi's older sister so casually; that might not be good for Si Zi in the future.

Fortunately, it wasn't Li Shimin or Empress Zhangsun here, so I wasn't afraid of being bothered by them. My main concern was that it would spoil my mood for playing with Sizi.

"You must be Sizi's older sister, Li Lizhi, right?" Shi Ming said. "I'm planning to take Sizi out for a stroll, and I'd like to ask Miss Li to pass on a message that I'm taking Sizi out to play."

Li Lizhi was not surprised that Shi Ming knew about the relationship between the two, after all, in their view, immortals should be omniscient.

Remembering her father's instructions, Li Lizhi still mustered up the courage to make a request.

"Immortal Master, please wait!"

"Hmm? Miss Li, is there anything else? Please rest assured, there will be no danger for Sizi to go out with me."

"You may simply call me Lizhi, Immortal Master," Li Lizhi said quickly. "I wonder if you could take me with you on this trip, Immortal Master?"

After saying that, Li Lizhi looked nervously at Shi Ming.

Based on the speculations of Li Shimin and many ministers, since the immortal favored Princess Jinyang, he would most likely not dislike Princess Changle, who shared the same father and mother as Princess Jinyang. With this connection, Li Lizhi would not have to worry about any danger.

Moreover, compared to Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, Li Lizhi was more innocent and wouldn't cause the immortals to have any doubts, which was the most important thing.

A hint of surprise flashed in Shi Ming's eyes, but he still nodded.

I'm only here for a short time, so I just plan to take Sizi around Chang'an. It doesn't really matter if I bring one more person or one less.

If it's just a trip to have fun...

"Of course, that's possible." Shi Ming nodded.

Li Lizhi was overjoyed. She gave an instruction to the maid outside and then came to Shi Ming's side, closing her eyes.

Several question marks appeared above Shi Ming's head. What... does this girl want to do?

After a long silence, Li Lizhi opened her eyes and saw two pairs of eyes, one big and one small, looking at her curiously. Her face immediately turned red.

"Why does the immortal master look at me like that?"

"It's nothing, just that you're beautiful. What's wrong with you...?"

"Hey, wasn't the immortal planning to take us out for fun? I heard from Sizi that you always fly..."

"Haha, that's true. But this time we're not going too far. We just plan to look around Chang'an, so we don't need to fly. Walking is just as good."

"Is that so..." Li Lizhi awkwardly took two steps back, quickly changing the subject and volunteering, "Then I'll take the immortal out of the palace!"

"That would be perfect..."

Shi Ming didn't try to break up the girl's awkwardness. He carried Sizi and followed Li Lizhi out of Fengyang Pavilion.

Since Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun had long anticipated that Shi Ming might return, they had given prior instructions to prevent their subordinates from offending the immortal.

If Li Lizhi were to appear in the palace with a stranger who looked extraordinary, then seeing that person would be like seeing Li Shimin himself!

Of course, even if Li Lizhi hadn't encountered the immortal, with the immortal's abilities, the palace guards and maids would probably have been unable to do anything to him.

Therefore, Shi Ming and his group traveled almost unimpeded, with no one daring to stop them.

Shi Ming understood what was going on. He glanced at Li Lizhi in front of him but didn't say anything more.

Less trouble is not bad; it's a bit strange to feel like you're kidnapping a child every time.

Now, he could rightfully take Sizi out.

Li Lizhi originally intended to call a carriage outside the palace, but Shi Ming waved his hand and refused.

With a little magic, Shi Ming and his group quickly left the palace.

This experience also greatly surprised Li Lizhi.

Upon entering the neighborhood, the scene before Shi Ming felt both unfamiliar and familiar.

The street was over a hundred feet wide, and the bluestone slabs of the central imperial road were polished smooth by time. The newly sprouted buds of the official locust trees on both sides were adorned with morning dew, and when the wind blew, dappled sunlight flowed on the shoulders of pedestrians. An old man selling steamed cakes pushed his cart along the street, calling out his wares. The ruts left by the wooden wheels on the road were about 1.3 meters wide, silently telling the story of the grand Tang Dynasty's "standardized cart tracks".

Upon reaching the entrance to the West Market, the noise suddenly intensified. This "World Trade Center," covering a thousand acres, was divided into nine sections by a grid pattern. On the main street, merchants from Central Asia led their Bactrian camels slowly, the crisp sound of camel bells mingling with the cries of shopkeepers. The camels were laden with brightly colored Persian brocades, and the exotic fragrance emanating from spice sachets mingled with the aroma of wheat from the roadside flatbread shops, enticing passersby to stop and admire. Merchants from the Western Regions, dressed in Western-style robes with turned-down collars, were haggling with shopkeepers from Chang'an, their fingers deftly moving across the abacus beads. Nearby, in a tavern, a Central Asian woman was performing a graceful dance, her flowing sleeves billowing, the sound of a pipa drifting out of the window, attracting the frequent glances of scholars and literati—a scene reminiscent of the poem, "Laughing, I entered the tavern of the Central Asian woman."

The morning bell of Da Ci'en Temple rang out from the direction of Jin Chang Fang on the east side of the street, creating a wonderful echo with the hustle and bustle of the West Market. Several officials in scarlet round-necked robes hurried by, their fish-shaped pouches at their waists swaying slightly with each step—a mark of officials of the fifth rank or above. Ladies in flowing skirts and blouses walked by carrying gauze lanterns, their shawls fluttering in the wind, their floral ornaments shimmering in the morning light. At the corner of the street, the bookstore had just taken down its doors, and classics of history, philosophy, and literature were neatly arranged on the shelves. Several scholars were discussing poetry and prose with the shopkeeper, the scent of ink mingling with the sweet fragrance of locust blossoms wafting through the street.