Su Mu looked around as he walked along the spirit fields. By now, he understood that what she had eaten earlier had supposedly been wrapped in a skin made from spirit rice husks.
The husks of this spirit rice were unlike chaff. Instead, they were transparent and looked like fruit skin.
A little farther ahead, he saw a stone statue that looked somewhat like a mystic tortoise, with spring water flowing continuously from its mouth.
Wisps of mist rose from the spring water as it emerged, making it look exceptionally clear and cool at a glance.
The sight stirred Su Mu's interest, and he reached out to try the spring water.
"Hey, you can't touch this spring water."
Seeing Su Mu reach out, Xiao Wu hurriedly stopped him.
"This water comes from a spirit spring. You're a remnant soul, yin in nature, so you could easily taint it. Then all these thousand-plus mu of spirit fields would be contaminated, and all the spirit rice would be ruined."
The corner of Su Mu's mouth twitched at her words. He felt that this world was full of unfriendliness toward soul forms like him.
It seemed there was nothing he could touch.
Su Mu withdrew his hand. After looking around and deciding there was nothing else worth seeing, he waved his hand and left with Xiao Wu.
This was too bitter.
All the way back, Su Mu felt that this world was full of malice toward him.
He couldn't eat anything, and there were all sorts of things that countered or restricted him.
Still, this also made Su Mu feel that he had to obtain a body here.
Once he had a body, all these problems would be solved.
Clop, clop, clop.
Just as Su Mu and Xiao Wu were walking back toward the palace grounds, several sets of urgent hoofbeats suddenly rang out. Then they saw several cavalrymen rushing toward the city gates and out of the city.
Su Mu found this rather strange. "Who are these people? They're allowed to ride horses here?"
As Su Mu saw it, riding should have been strictly prohibited in the imperial capital.
Xiao Wu glanced over, her expression turning somewhat grave. "They're from the Demon Extermination Bureau. I'm afraid another demon has started wreaking havoc somewhere in Great Liang."
At this point, Xiao Wu looked deeply worried.
Su Mu was curious. "With Great Liang's strength, can't it keep these demons in check? Didn't the Eldest Princess just successfully pass her tribulation? She's a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator now."
According to what Xiao Wu had said before, a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator was an extraordinary existence.
"How could it be that simple? Although the Eldest Princess is a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, she has only just entered that realm. More importantly, the sacrificial ceremony failed earlier, causing the nation's fortune to decline. That's why those demons and devils have been causing trouble everywhere."
"Have you heard the saying, 'When a nation is about to flourish, auspicious signs will surely appear; when a nation is about to perish, demons will surely arise'? That's how Great Liang is now, beset by danger on every side. These are the symptoms of declining national fortune."
Su Mu nodded. Of course he had heard that saying. It was just that on Earth, "demons" didn't refer to actual demons, whereas here, they really were demons.
"Aren't you afraid someone will impeach you for saying that?"
Su Mu glanced around. He felt that perhaps it would be better not to say such things.
"It's fine. Great Liang doesn't punish people for their words. Remarks like these don't matter."
Xiao Wu was quite unconcerned. There was nothing wrong with saying such things. Those Confucian scholars were far fiercer-their tongues spared no one.
Hearing her explanation, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Still, from what she had said, Great Liang was currently beset by danger on every side. Things looked rather bad.
What if Great Liang was destroyed one day? With the strength of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, could the Eldest Princess escape? Would she take me with her?
No, if she took me along, someone as powerful as the Eldest Princess would surely be surrounded and intercepted by formidable cultivators. Wouldn't that put me in even greater danger?
At this thought, Su Mu suddenly felt that his situation was rather precarious.
"What are you thinking about?"
Seeing Su Mu fall silent, Xiao Wu was somewhat puzzled.
"Ah, nothing. Could you tell me more about those demons?"
Xiao Wu continued toward the palace grounds with Su Mu. "Those demons, huh? Some of them are extremely powerful. Take the Black Dragon King in the Qin River, for instance. Great Liang can't do anything about him and can only keep appeasing him. At the very least, it has to keep him from stirring up winds and waves and causing floods that bring disaster to the people along the banks."
"Then there's that fox demon in Green Hollow. That one's also extremely powerful, with countless great demons under its command. It's already become a force to be reckoned with, so Great Liang can't rashly go to war with it."
"There are other powerful great demons like them within Great Liang's borders, but Great Liang can't move against them lightly."
Xiao Wu explained everything in detail, while Su Mu listened attentively beside her.
He gained a much better understanding of these great demons.
A short while later, the two finally returned to the palace grounds, and Xiao Wu prepared to leave.
"This servant will take her leave. If you need anything, please summon me."
After leaving those words with him, Xiao Wu departed and went to the Eldest Princess.
She then reported their itinerary for the day's outing to the Eldest Princess.
The Eldest Princess was still as languid as ever and merely nodded slightly at the report.
"Someone from the Academy of Righteousness came, asking who produced that six-inch calligraphy work earlier. They want to admit him to the academy. Go ask him later whether he's willing."
"Yes."
At these words, an unusual gleam flashed through Xiao Wu's eyes, and she respectfully withdrew.
Watching Xiao Wu leave, an unusual gleam flashed through the Eldest Princess's beautiful eyes. "You had better not disappoint me."
Her soft murmur rang out, and then silence returned.
After watching Xiao Wu leave, Su Mu thought about how he had nothing to do here anyway and went straight back to Earth.
He wanted to cultivate diligently and become the only immortal cultivator on Earth!
But after Su Mu took rides around to inspect all the places where he had cultivated before, his face instantly fell.
"You've got to be kidding me. How many days has it been? Does this Spiritual Power not replenish at all?"
Su Mu could sense it with perfect clarity. The places that had previously held traces of Spiritual Power now had not a single drop left. Truly, not a single drop.
This left Su Mu bewildered and at a loss. How was he supposed to cultivate without any Spiritual Power? Right now, he could feel very clearly that he was just one final step away.
Surely this doesn't mean I have to trek into the deep mountains and ancient forests to look for it?
But if I really went looking, my wallet...
Su Mu couldn't help taking out his phone and checking his balance. Living off his savings these past few days had left his wallet considerably thinner.
Su Mu didn't think he could abandon everything to cultivate. After all, he still had to eat.
Besides, even if he went, he might not find anything.
Now, Su Mu was thoroughly mired in distress.
His best friend had recommended several more jobs to him, and Su Mu found himself rather tempted as he looked them over.