What met Murong's eyes was a large crimson bed, with nine red curtains hanging directly above it. The curtains were drawn open to either side, surrounding the crimson bed.
"Did you design this so carefully?" A smile touched Murong's lips.
Zhou Hao scratched his head sheepishly and said with a grin, "It wasn't easy getting a bed, so I thought I'd decorate it a little. It feels a bit like newlyweds, since we're pretty much the same as newlyweds anyway."
He had gotten all this red cloth from Ma Hongyun, and it had taken quite a bit of time!
Murong was slightly touched. Smiling, she said, "Then leave it for now. Next time, we can."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "Mm... if you want to do it now, that's fine too. I can."
"I can't." Zhou Hao rolled his eyes at her. This sort of thing couldn't be started, or he would have hell to pay later.
Murong covered her mouth and chuckled, teasing, "If you go limp, you can take that Foundation Strengthening Pill."
"Am I the kind of man who goes limp?" Zhou Hao curled his lip, then changed the subject. "Where are your books?"
Murong looked at him in amusement. With a sweep of her sleeve, twenty-three books appeared atop the crimson bed.
"They cover alchemy, artifact refinement, humanities, geography, and all sorts of other things."
Zhou Hao walked over and picked up the book on top. Its title was A Blind Man's Travelogue.
Looking at the title, he frowned and asked, "What is this book about?"
Murong also walked over, picked up a book, and casually flipped it open. "That one is an autobiography—a record of a man born blind traveling through the universe. He went to many places and explored their local customs quite thoroughly, so it'll be very helpful for you in understanding the world outside."
Zhou Hao nodded and read the character introduction on the preface page, murmuring softly, "Wang Lei? Divine Lord cultivation, known as one of the strongest Divine Lords in history, ranked tenth on the historical Divine Lord list."
He looked up at Murong in surprise. "That's quite the background! But is it really okay to praise yourself like that in your own autobiography?"
Murong flipped a page and answered casually, "That was added by someone else on the first page. Wang Lei truly had that strength, though Divine Lords are still a bit too weak."
The corner of Zhou Hao's mouth twitched. Divine Lords were weak? Divine Lords were even stronger than Mu Jinyin.
Seeing his expression, Murong burst out laughing. "Divine Lords are really nothing much. You'll reach that level someday too. It's only a matter of time."
Zhou Hao nodded slightly, brimming with confidence. "With a genius like me, becoming a Divine Lord will be as easy as taking something from my pocket."
"Are you getting carried away?" Murong suddenly closed her book and stared at Zhou Hao.
Her tone left Zhou Hao stunned. He asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Didn't he have the right to be full of himself?
Thump!
Murong abruptly gave Zhou Hao a hard knock on the head. "Confidence is fine, but getting carried away isn't. Humility makes people progress, understand?"
Zhou Hao rubbed his head speechlessly and curled his lip. "I was only saying it. Did you have to hit me?"
Murong rolled her eyes slightly. "Your entire body is radiating an air of arrogance. Do you think I'm blind?"
"Hehe..." Zhou Hao scratched the back of his head awkwardly. To be honest, he really had gotten a little carried away. Mainly because everything had come too easily.
Murong walked to the window and opened it. Looking out at the scenery, she said, "For those who cultivate, the heart is very important. You are a little impetuous now. Once you have experienced more and settled yourself, you will understand that no matter who it is, no matter how gifted they are, the path of cultivation is difficult.
Talent merely gives you the chance to climb a high peak. But on a peak whose summit cannot be seen, every section is different. One wrong step may lead to an abyss ten thousand fathoms deep.
Therefore, cultivators must constantly question their own hearts, keep a cool head, and see clearly whether the stone beneath their feet is solid. Do not be blinded by everything you currently possess."
Hearing this, Zhou Hao fell silent for a moment. Murong's words did affect him, especially that last sentence. She might as well have pointed right at his face.
In truth, he also felt that he had become somewhat impetuous.
He raised his head, looked at Murong sincerely, and bowed. "Thank you for your guidance. I have benefited greatly."
Murong nodded in satisfaction and waved her hand. "In short, read more books and settle yourself. You've only just begun on the path of cultivation. Steady yourself."
Zhou Hao gave an embarrassed laugh. "Understood."
Murong's stern expression instantly turned into a smile as she changed the subject. "Where are you now?"
Seeing her expression change, Zhou Hao thought helplessly, She truly is an emperor. Her moods are as changeable as the clouds. That expression shift was absolutely classic.
He walked to the window, looked at the stronghold residents moving about below, and said, "This is a mountain stronghold. I'm staying here for the time being. I plan to first learn more about the situation before heading out."
"What is this plane called?" Murong asked blandly.
Zhou Hao immediately answered, "Sky Dome Continent."
"Sky Dome Continent?" Murong murmured, then nodded slightly.
Zhou Hao pulled out a handful and held it before Murong. "Want some?"
He had gotten them from Yezi. These sunflower seeds were made by the people here themselves, and they tasted quite fragrant.
Murong glanced at him, then lowered her gaze to his hand. She reached out with her jade-like hand, took a small handful from his palm, and asked, "What is this?"
She had never eaten anything with such low energy content before.
"Sunflower seeds. The people in this stronghold grow them and eat them themselves," Zhou Hao explained.
Because Shilpo Mountain Stronghold lived far too comfortably, many people had retained the habit of farming and being self-sufficient. After all, the one thing they lacked least here was land.
Murong nodded lightly, glanced at Zhou Hao, and copied him by cracking open one seed. After tasting it, she nodded slightly. "The flavor is alright."
Zhou Hao could not help wanting to laugh when he saw her cracking sunflower seeds. Just imagining an Empress sitting by the window cracking sunflower seeds felt wonderfully absurd and amusing.
Murong continued cracking seeds as she looked at Zhou Hao in confusion. "What is it?"
Zhou Hao smiled and waved his hand. "Nothing. I just think you're very cute."
The moment she heard the word "cute," Murong's icy aura abruptly surfaced.
Zhou Hao immediately shut his mouth and said with an awkward smile, "Don't be rash, don't be rash."
Ever since the last "adorable contrast" incident, he had learned that Murong was extremely sensitive to the word "cute." So he often could not help teasing her. Although he trembled with fear every time, it was still fun.
That was right. Sigh... he just liked messing around~
"Hmph." Murong snorted coldly and raised her fist in warning. "If you call me cute again, I'll hammer you flat."
Zhou Hao nodded with an awkward smile. "Understood. I won't do it next time."
That was what he said, but he thought Murong's current reaction was rather cute too.
Of course, he would not court death by saying it aloud. Murong had only just issued her warning; if he offended her again, she might really give him a brutal beating.
"It had better be so." As Murong spoke, the sunflower seed had already reached her lips. Her movement paused, and after hesitating briefly, she still cracked it open.
How could cracking sunflower seeds possibly be cute? What nonsense.
Thinking this, she shot Zhou Hao another glare.
Zhou Hao merely laughed it off and smiled along with her.
When the sunflower seeds in Murong's hand were gone, she naturally reached into Zhou Hao's palm, grabbed another handful, and continued cracking them.
Honestly, it was not as if these things were especially delicious, but the more she cracked them, the more addicted she became.
Seeing that there were not many left, Zhou Hao grabbed another handful from his Ring of Holding. He had plenty of sunflower seeds—cracking them until the end of time would not be a problem.
Before you continue