First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

It was already afternoon when we arrived in the capital.

Having successfully entered the city, the two sisters breathed a sigh of relief. However, the sight of the soldiers at the city gate made them uneasy, and they were already traumatized by it.

"Let's go to the inn to rest first. We might stay for a few days. Let's see how things are in the capital first. There's no rush," Xu Mu said.

He wasn't in a hurry, so he had to be extremely cautious before going to see the emperor again, lest he get involved in trouble.

The two sisters didn't need to rush. After all, their father had already been executed and their mother was dead. Clearing their name was just about getting justice for their father, which wasn't urgent. They could wait a little longer.

"It's entirely up to you, young master," Li Zhiyuan said softly.

Xu Mu nodded and led them to the inn to rest.

Since they addressed Xu Mu as "Young Master," they simply pretended to be maids to avoid being recognized.

To this end, he also made himself a little dirty, so that the three of them looked like they had traveled a long way.

After arriving at the inn, we told the two sisters to clean up and get some rest.

……

In the following days, Xu Mu went out every day to inquire about the situation and see what the current situation in the capital was like before making any plans.

The two sisters already had 100 taels of silver, so they were free to do whatever they wanted, and he didn't need to interfere.

"Rumors circulate that ghosts appeared in Niangzilin and abducted and ate people. Some say they were two young ladies from noble families, others say they were two prisoners, and still others say it was a wedding procession that entered Niangzilin and never came out again."

These rumors, as they spread, became increasingly outrageous.

Xu Mu wandered between teahouses and restaurants, only hearing trivial and uninteresting news.

Fortunately, there was some gain: it was learned that many officials have been investigated recently, mostly for treason.

Many people were puzzled as to why so many people suddenly wanted to rebel.

Although the current emperor is over fifty years old, he is in good health and there has been no bad news about him.

Moreover, there was a layer of supervision from high positions. Although there were incompetent emperors throughout history, the governance of the court did not go wrong.

The only issue was the invasion of enemy states on the border, but this had little to do with the internal affairs of the imperial court.

So it's puzzling why so many officials suddenly want to rebel.

Xu Mu became increasingly certain that this was related to the sect's incense offerings.

It should be understood that the worship of incense is not just lip service. Many mortals' reverence for gods comes from the bottom of their hearts, and if they can do something for the gods, they will do it without hesitation.

Many wars between countries stem from conflicts over religious beliefs.

The so-called rebellion was probably a struggle for power in the imperial court.

Judging from this series of actions, the emperor may also need to eliminate dissidents in order to make decisions on some important matters, including the incense offerings of the common people.

It's also possible that the emperor is in a precarious position and might actually be deposed, so he's trying to protect himself.

Once a powerful sect strikes, even an emperor who calls himself the Son of Heaven will be exhausted from dealing with it.

How could the emperor possibly compare to an immortal?

Or perhaps it should be said that only an emperor aided by immortals is a true emperor; otherwise, he is abandoned by fate and a new emperor should appear.

Xu Mu could no longer obtain any further information about the specifics from the common people; he estimated that only the emperor could provide the answer.

The good news is that there was no chaos in the court, and he doesn't have to worry about being indiscriminately dragged into it.

All I need to do now is be careful; meeting the emperor shouldn't be a problem.

……

Early that morning, Xu Mu arrived at Prince Kang's residence.

Prince Kang is the emperor's younger brother. He is obsessed with appreciating flowers and fighting birds and neglects state affairs.

This suited Xu Mu perfectly. He was there to help Yan Qing handle the royal family's affairs and didn't want to get involved in court politics, so seeking out Prince Kang was the safest option.

When he arrived at the Prince's mansion, he had already transformed into an old, yet spirited, Taoist priest.

Although I don't want to get involved with Bishi Village, this appearance is indeed convenient. If I use a disguise technique to change it, I should be safe.

Upon seeing this, the gatekeepers and servants, as expected, dared not neglect their duties and immediately went in to report.

When Prince Kang heard that an old Taoist priest had come to visit, he was curious and had someone invite him into the mansion, where he was entertained in the back garden.

"Greetings, Prince Kang." Xu Mu bowed first.

"No need for such formalities, Daoist Master. May I ask what brings you to my humble abode?"

Prince Kang was already in his forties or fifties. He was polite and didn't beat around the bush, directly asking about the purpose of their visit.

Xu Mu raised his sleeve and waved it, removing the disguise and reverting to his youthful appearance.

This move immediately startled Prince Kang.

Xu Mu smiled faintly and asked, "May I ask if there is a descendant of the Yan royal family who cultivates in the Immortal Sect and is named Yan Qing?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Kang quickly replied, "Indeed, he is my great-uncle according to seniority, and the Taoist priest is..."

Xu Mu smiled and took out a dragon-shaped jade pendant from his sleeve.

Do you recognize this object?

"A jade pendant adorned with a coiled dragon!"

Prince Kang recognized him at a glance, and was immediately overjoyed, cupping his hands in greeting, "Then you must be him!"

"I am Yan Qing's junior brother, surnamed Xu, given name Mu," Xu Mu said.

"Ah? Oh, I see..."

Prince Kang quickly changed his mood and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "So you are a celestial being from the Immortal Sect. I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please forgive me."

Xu Mu smiled faintly and said, "It's alright. I've come here on the behalf of Senior Brother Yan Qing to deliver this jade pendant to the current emperor. I wonder if Your Highness could introduce me?"

Prince Kang's eyes flashed, and he nodded, saying, "No problem, I will send someone to report to the Emperor right away."

However, His Majesty is extremely busy. If you are not in a hurry, why not stay at the residence for now?

Xu Mu nodded: "No rush, Your Highness, please report this. There's no need for me to stay here; I have other accommodations."

He understood what the other party meant. Although he had the jade pendant and displayed his supernatural powers, he was about to see the emperor, which was not something he could do so easily.

Anyone would be suspicious, lest he have ulterior motives, so he didn't make things difficult for the other party, since he wasn't in a hurry anyway.

Prince Kang nodded repeatedly: "Then let's do as the immortal says. I will write a memorial later, and it should be ready to be presented to the emperor today."

"Yes, that's good. I shouldn't linger in the human world any longer, the sooner the better," Xu Mu said.

"Then I shall take my leave. Your Highness, please go and write your memorial."

After saying that, he got up and left.

Prince Kang had no reason to keep him, and respectfully saw him out of the back garden.

Xu Mu didn't want to be too high-profile, so he told him to stop and walked out of the Prince's mansion himself.

Prince Kang dared not delay, and immediately ordered paper, ink, brush and inkstone to be prepared. After writing the memorial, he had it sent to the palace as soon as possible.

……

The next day, Prince Kang sent someone to invite him, which was faster than Xu Mu had expected.

He took the two sisters with him and first went to the Prince's residence to see Prince Kang.

"These two are the daughters of Li Shijian, the prefect of Chengtian Prefecture. I rescued them on my way to the capital," Xu Mu introduced without hiding anything.

"This humble woman, Li Zhiyuan (Li Zhihua), greets Your Highness." The two sisters bowed respectfully.

"So that's how it is..."

Prince Kang had obviously heard the legend of ghosts appearing in Niangzilin, and now he suddenly realized what was going on.

"Does the immortal wish to take them with him to see the emperor?"

"Is there something wrong with it?" Xu Mu asked back.

Prince Kang thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "It's alright, then I'll take you with me."

After saying this, they stopped exchanging pleasantries and the four of them rode together in a carriage to the palace to meet the emperor.

The whole process was relatively low-key, which pleased Xu Mu.

The Li sisters held each other's hands, looking very nervous.

Seeing Xu Mu's composure, Prince Kang felt even more at ease, sensing that his identity was likely correct and that his task would be completed once he brought him before the Emperor.