Only after confirming that his father had recovered did Su Mu leave with his mind at ease.
He could not stay at home for too long. If he did, the two of them would wonder whether he had been fired or something, and the people back home would inevitably gossip.
Besides, Su Mu's focus was now almost entirely on the Immortal Cultivation Realm, so leaving was actually better.
After several hours on the road, Su Mu finally returned to his rented room, lay down on the bed, and returned to the Immortal Cultivation Realm.
The moment Su Mu returned to the Immortal Cultivation Realm, he saw Xiao Wu staring at him with a strange expression, until her gaze left him uncomfortable all over.
"What is it?"
Su Mu frowned.
"Get ready to set off in three days."
"What?"
Caught off guard by her words, Su Mu froze.
"The Demon King specifically invited you to her birthday banquet. The eldest princess has already accepted, so you'll be leaving in three days."
Su Mu's expression shifted slightly. "Can I not go? Besides, what does the Demon King's birthday banquet have to do with me? Why invite me by name?"
Su Mu was a little flustered. A Demon King-just the sound of that suggested someone who ate people. Wouldn't going there with his puny physique be courting death?
"Most likely, your help with the eldest princess's successful Tribulation Transcendence caught the Demon King's attention, which is why she invited you. She might seek your help when the time comes."
Xiao Wu knew something about the matter, so she was able to answer.
Su Mu nearly broke into a cold sweat as he listened. He felt that the eldest princess's successful Tribulation Transcendence had been Heaven helping him.
Now a Demon King wanted his help? What a joke. How could he possibly have that ability?
After producing his second piece of calligraphy, Su Mu had hidden away in the imperial palace to avoid stirring up trouble.
Who could have imagined that trouble would come knocking even though he had never gone out?
"Can I not go?"
Su Mu made one final struggle. Just hearing about a Demon King terrified him.
"The eldest princess has already accepted."
That single, indifferent sentence told Su Mu that he could no longer refuse.
"Rest assured. Given the Demon King's standing, even if you can't help her, she won't make trouble for you. Besides, the eldest princess has also instructed her to make sure you return unharmed."
After offering that reassurance, Xiao Wu glanced around. Once she felt there should be no one eavesdropping, she spoke cautiously.
"Also, the eldest princess learned of your wish to have a body and specifically obtained an Immaculate Lotus from the Demon King. It can help form a physical body for you."
Su Mu froze at her words. "The eldest princess is already a Nascent Soul Cultivator. She can cultivate an External Incarnation herself, so why say she obtained it for me?"
"The eldest princess's cultivation method is unusual, so she can't practice this Secret Method. Just trust me."
Xiao Wu sounded rather emphatic as she said this.
Su Mu was doubtful, but he could only believe for now that Xiao Wu was telling the truth.
It had never occurred to Su Mu that the eldest princess had kept his kindness in mind after he helped her successfully undergo Tribulation Transcendence.
Although Great Liang had spent over a hundred million Spirit Stones to summon Su Mu, and the people of the Immortal Cultivation Realm considered him theirs, with no need to repay his kindness,
the eldest princess's nature had nevertheless led her to keep it in mind.
Knowing that he could not refuse, Su Mu finally resigned himself to his fate.
"Come on. Come out with me to buy a few things."
Su Mu waved a hand, calling Xiao Wu to accompany him outside.
Xiao Wu did not refuse and followed right behind Su Mu, while Xiao Lian was left behind to continue gathering literary works to earn money.
Xiao Lian's face was full of resentment. She wanted to go out with them too, but if Su Mu would not take her, she had no way to force her way outside.
It was not that Su Mu was unwilling to take Xiao Lian along. It was just that the place he intended to visit was a little unusual. Worried about trouble, he felt it would be better not to bring her.
Soon, Xiao Wu and Su Mu left the palace grounds together, and a short while later, they arrived before a building.
"The Ten Thousand Books Pavilion? What are you doing here?"
Xiao Wu glanced at the place, somewhat puzzled.
"To buy some books and cultivation methods to read, of course. The books inside are all about immortal cultivation, right?"
Su Mu had been out a few times before and had made a point of remembering places like this.
"Of course, but the eldest princess has books like these. Why come here to buy them?"
Xiao Wu still did not understand. If the eldest princess already had them, wasn't Su Mu wasting money by coming here to buy them?
"You don't understand."
Su Mu shook his head and walked straight inside.
Taking someone's gifts left your hands tied; eating someone's food softened your tongue. If he had money, wasn't buying them himself better? Besides, with so many books here, Su Mu could choose whatever he wanted. How freeing.
Going to the eldest princess to ask for books felt somewhat awkward to Su Mu, and he could not bring himself to ask.
Watching Su Mu's retreating figure, Xiao Wu shook her head and followed him inside.
The pavilion was enormous. After entering, Su Mu looked at a sign to one side, which listed the categories of books.
Cultivation methods, miscellaneous records, introductory insights, artifact refining, formations, and so on.
Beneath these broad categories were many smaller ones. Under cultivation methods, for instance, there were all sorts of detailed classifications.
Su Mu spent quite a while studying that sign alone.
Finally, he chose a category he was satisfied with and headed in, following the floor indicated on the sign.
"Geomancy and star arts? You're interested in these too?"
Following Su Mu, Xiao Wu saw the books he had chosen, and the corner of her eye twitched.
Neither geomancy nor star arts had anything to do with Su Mu, did they?
Dragon Veins possessed spirituality. For a yin soul like Su Mu, approaching one would be courting certain death.
As for divination and star arts, those were even more far-fetched. Without exceptional talent or an extremely profound cultivation base, observing the stars to calculate fate was impossible.
"Yes. I just want a basic understanding."
Su Mu offered no explanation. After searching the shelves for a while, he found books explaining Dragon Veins in detail and methods of nurturing them, then nodded in satisfaction and left.
Ever since learning that Earth had Dragon Veins too, Su Mu had paid a little more attention to the subject. Now that he was here, he naturally could not pass up books on it.
He also picked up a book on astrology along the way to gain a basic understanding.
After that, Su Mu went to the medicine refining section and began searching the lowest shelves, hoping to find some basic medicinal formulas that would be useful to him.
Apart from Su Mu, there were also many cultivators in the pavilion. Those passing by paused briefly when they saw him, then moved on.
Su Mu noticed this too and inwardly felt glad that he had not brought Xiao Lian out.
Xiao Lian's beauty went without saying. Even now, Su Mu had never seen her face beneath her veil, but he felt that her alluring figure alone would draw plenty of attention.