First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

Li Zhiyuan slowly woke up and found that it was already dawn.

She quickly recalled the terrifying scene that had occurred the previous night, and realized she had fainted from fright.

But when she looked around, she found herself lying on the ground with nothing wrong with her body, and her younger sister was next to her, so she quickly went over to wake her up.

"Sister? How did we get here?" Li Zhihua asked, looking confused.

Li Zhiyuan shook her head: "I don't know either..."

"Sister..." Li Zhihua was overcome with grief again and burst into tears.

Li Zhiyuan couldn't hold back either, and hugged her while crying.

Although he survived the ordeal, his future remains uncertain.

"You two are awake."

The sudden sound startled the two sisters, who quickly looked over and saw a young man standing there. He had an elegant demeanor, like a scholar, and was quite polite, keeping a distance from them.

"Who, who are you..." Li Zhihua asked nervously.

"Was it you, young master, who saved us last night?" Li Zhiyuan asked cautiously and politely.

Xu Mu was not wearing a Taoist robe at this moment, nor did he transform into an old man. His purpose was to distance himself from the image of Bishi Village, so as not to cause trouble here and implicate his own little home.

He smiled faintly and said, "It's good that you two are alright. Let's think about what to do next."

Upon hearing this, the two sisters looked at each other, their expressions somber.

"Thank you for saving me, young master." Li Zhiyuan stood up and bowed to express her gratitude.

"Thank you, young master." Li Zhihua also thanked her sister.

"My sister and I have lost our family and home, and we have nowhere to go in this world. Young master, you are very capable. If you don't mind, please take us with you," Li Zhiyuan said sincerely.

"Please take us with you," the younger sister added.

"I'm going to the capital. Are you still going?" Xu Mu asked.

The two sisters froze, exchanging bewildered glances, speechless with sadness and confusion.

"I heard your father was wrongly accused?" Xu Mu asked.

"He must have been framed! How could my father possibly commit treason!" Li Zhihua cried out urgently, her voice trembling with tears.

Li Zhiyuan nodded gently, wiping away her tears, and said, "My father was the prefect of Chengtian Prefecture. He was loyal to the Emperor and never plotted rebellion."

He had some exchanges with Prince Jing, but they didn't have much personal relationship. However, the court was turbulent, and some people formed cliques for personal gain, using this as an excuse to bring down my father.

The emperor was also muddle-headed, indiscriminately killing a loyal minister and allowing treacherous officials to rise to power.

She got so emotional that she even dared to curse the emperor.

"What's the situation with this Prince Jing? Why did you get involved with him and end up like this?" Xu Mu asked again.

"Prince Jing is the third prince of the current court, and his fiefdom is in the Shiqi City area. He may really have designs on the throne, and in the end, it was my father who became the sacrifice..."

"The throne..." Xu Mu finally understood; it turned out to be this kind of trouble.

Whoever becomes emperor might determine whose lineage will flourish more? It could very well be a microcosm of the power struggles between different sects.

He looked at the two sisters and said, "You are safe now. I will give you 100 taels of silver. You can leave on your own, find a place to live in anonymity, and start a new life."

As he spoke, he took out a money pouch from his sleeve and tossed it over.

The two sisters were somewhat taken aback. Even if their home hadn't been ransacked, they wouldn't have been able to come up with 100 taels of silver so easily.

Xu Mu casually tossed it away, without any hesitation.

Li Zhihua looked blankly at her older sister, leaving the decision to her.

Li Zhiyuan pursed her lips, knelt down before Xu Mu, and said, "Young master, you are exceptionally capable. I beg you to help me clear my father's name, and I will repay your kindness for the rest of my life."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhihua also knelt down, crying, "Please, young master, help us."

Xu Mu frowned: "I don't have time for this. Take the money and leave quickly."

Li Zhiyuan shook her head and cried, "Please, young master, have mercy on my sister and me. If you cannot clear the name of my Li family, what is the point of living?"

"Yes, please, young master, please, young master," Li Zhihua cried and kowtowed repeatedly.

Xu Mu felt a little helpless.

"Fine, if you insist on this, I am indeed on my way to the capital to see the Emperor. I can take you into the palace to see the Emperor. As for whether you can clear your name, that depends on what the Emperor says."

"The young master can see the emperor directly?" The two sisters were both shocked and delighted.

Li Zhiyuan nodded hurriedly and said, "Thank you, young master! Take us to see the Emperor and ask him to reinvestigate the matter and give my father justice."

Xu Mu shook his head: "It's best not to have too much hope. I heard that the emperor himself issued the decree on this matter, so it's an ironclad case. How could the emperor admit that he was wrong?"

I don't plan to interfere too much; it's up to you to decide.

After exchanging glances, the two sisters gritted their teeth and said, "Please help us, young master, we'd like to give it a try."

"I will only take you to see the emperor; I will not concern myself with anything else," Xu Mu emphasized.

"Okay, okay..." The two sisters could only nod, not daring to push their luck.

Only then did Xu Mu agree to give them a ride.

"Let's go then, lest we don't arrive in the capital before dark."

After saying that, he lent them the horse; it was no problem for two young girls to ride it.

"Neither of us knows how to ride a horse..." the two sisters said awkwardly.

"Then figure it out yourselves." Xu Mu waved his hand dismissively, showing no intention of helping them.

If you help too much, people will easily become dependent on you.

The two sisters looked at each other, sensing that he had an unusual indifference, even a touch of coldness, and didn't offer any comfort to the two women in distress.

However, Li Zhiyuan was still sensible. She bowed respectfully to express her gratitude and took the hundred taels of silver, intending to return it to Xu Mu.

Xu Mu shook his head and said, "You don't need to pay me back. Keep it for your livelihood. You'll definitely need the money in the future."

After thinking for a moment, Li Zhiyuan bowed again to express her gratitude.

"Your kindness and virtue, young master, will never be forgotten."

"Thank you for your great help, young master." The younger sister also bowed, her manners were impeccable.

Xu Mu nodded and said nothing more.

He was only afraid of being taken advantage of by the two sisters. As for the help he provided, it was just a small favor and not worth mentioning, so he didn't care whether the sisters would repay him or not.

As the saying goes: Just do good deeds and don't worry about the future.

After discussing it for a while, Li Zhiyuan helped her younger sister onto the horse, while she held the reins and walked with Xu Mu.

She was naturally very tired. Having been pampered since childhood, her physical condition wasn't very good, but she was quite strong and took the initiative to take care of her younger sister.

Xu Mu had a good impression of her. He had heard people say that the two young ladies were both talented and beautiful when he was in Shiqi City. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed true. Even though she was a bit disheveled now and her jewelry had been removed, she still retained her elegance.

"Young Master..." Li Zhiyuan said softly.

Xu Mu looked at her.

"Won't it be... if we go directly to the capital like this..." Li Zhiyuan asked with concern.

"It's alright. Although your home was raided, you are not wanted by the authorities, so entering the city will definitely be no problem. I will make the arrangements afterward."

"Alright, thank you very much, young master." Li Zhiyuan nodded gratefully and then silently continued on her way.

A moment later, the younger sister dismounted and took her older sister's place, allowing the older sister to rest on the horse.

Li Zhihua had composed herself and finally stopped crying, though her eyes were still red.

"Young master... did you use celestial magic last night?" she asked softly.

Xu Mu nodded: "I had the opportunity to learn some techniques."

"That's amazing," Li Zhihua said softly, with genuine admiration.

"I've heard that those who know immortal magic are all cultivators. Are you a cultivator, young master?" she asked softly.

Xu Mu found his curious yet fearful demeanor amusing and felt less annoyed by the trouble.

I guess so.

"Then... can I cultivate like you?" she asked cautiously.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhiyuan also looked at Xu Mu.

Xu Mu shook his head: "I'm afraid you don't have the aptitude; you won't amount to anything."

Li Zhiyuan, on horseback, quickly said, "We don't seek the Great Dao, we only hope to have a place to live and cultivate in seclusion."

"Yes, even if we clear my father's name, our family is destroyed. After this matter is over, we want to become nuns and not stay in this world anymore..." Li Zhihua said, choking with sobs.

"Then you'll have to find a Taoist temple yourselves. I'm all alone and can't take you in." Xu Mu shook his head, showing no mercy.

The two sisters looked disappointed and didn't say anything more.

Then Li Zhihua changed the subject, seemingly trying to relieve her emotions by chatting.

Xu Mu didn't mind chatting with them more.

He himself was unwilling to reveal too much information, but the two sisters were completely open, talking about their family background, age, and special skills, and reminiscing more about their happy past life.

The two were indeed quite young; the younger sister was only sixteen and the older sister was eighteen. They should have been getting married, but this unexpected turn of events led to this tragedy.

They walked and chatted, taking turns riding horses, until they reached the capital.

Xu Mu always went his own way and didn't interfere with them.

He had trained the horse, so it would obediently follow him and wouldn't be difficult to lead.

Moreover, having suffered such a calamity, they should learn to rely on themselves.

This behavior put the two sisters at ease, as they no longer worried that he had any ill intentions, and they felt even more grateful.