Chapter 736: Impulse

Zu An was bewildered.

"What do you mean, 'just sleeping with a queen'? Are there multiple queens for me to sleep with?"

Mi Li said, "I overheard many of your conversations with that vixen earlier. It seems the Emperor has been quite harsh on you lately, and you were even flogged by him tonight. So, in a fit of rage, you retaliated against his empress."

Zu An looked embarrassed. "You must be laughing at me."

Mi Li, however, looked serious. "No, I think you did very well."

Zu An was completely confused, unsure if she was speaking out of anger or being sarcastic.

Mi Li saw through his thoughts and snorted. "Of course I'm serious. You are destined to become the strongest person in the world, so how can you be timid in your actions? The Emperor has been toying with you freely lately, and over time, a shadow of fear has settled in your heart, along with the idea that he is too powerful to defy."

"When your cultivation level is low, this isn't a problem. But the higher your cultivation becomes in the future, the greater the impact will be. It could even become your inner demon, preventing you from advancing further."

Zu An was startled. "Is it really that exaggerated?"

Mi Li replied, "Low-level cultivators like you currently train your bodies and cultivate vital energy. But at higher levels, the focus is mainly on cultivating your soul. Cultivating the soul requires a strong inner core. The stronger your heart, the easier it is for your soul to grow powerful. Conversely, if your heart has flaws, you'll encounter more problems during cultivation."

Zu An's heart tightened. Mi Li's cultivation level was very high, so he trusted her experienced advice. He secretly felt fortunate to have such a confidante, who was both a mentor and a friend, accompanying him, helping him avoid many detours others might take.

Mi Li continued, "I was originally planning to find an opportunity to remind you, but I didn't expect you to bravely take a step in defiance of the Emperor on your own. Very good, truly worthy of being my... *cough cough*... truly worthy of being the fellow who was beaten half to death by me yet still fought bravely and unyieldingly."

Zu An awkwardly scratched his head. "It just feels like I impulsively slept with a woman, and you've elevated it to such a level that I'm actually a little embarrassed."

"You, a thick-skinned fellow, feeling embarrassed?" Mi Li rolled her beautiful eyes, then added, "But you need to be careful; that vixen seems to have ulterior motives."

Zu An was also troubled. "I know she definitely has another agenda, but I can't figure out what she's after."

Mi Li looked at him with a strange expression. "She's after your body."

Zu An's old face flushed. "Don't joke. Although I haven't had much contact with her, she's certainly not someone driven by carnal desires."

Mi Li's lips curved slightly upward. "Where did your mind go? I was referring to your super-tier aptitude."

"Super-tier aptitude?" Zu An was momentarily stunned; he had almost forgotten about it himself.

Mi Li said, "She seems to have an injury, and she likely used a seductive method to heal herself through you. At that time, she seemed to be using some charm magic to absorb your essence blood, which is what startled me awake. However, seeing that her method of absorption wouldn't harm your core, I didn't disturb you two."

Zu An suddenly realized. No wonder he felt as if countless small mouths were sucking him dry inside the empress's body, and he had even secretly marveled at how exceptional she was. It turned out she was using a dark art to replenish herself!

Mi Li's expression was somewhat puzzled. "Your super-tier bloodline makes your essence blood a great tonic for cultivators. Logically, if she knew this, she wouldn't have let you go; she would definitely try to drain you completely."

Zu An instinctively touched his neck, feeling a pang of lingering fear.

"But if she didn't know about your super-tier aptitude, then how would she have made such a significant sacrifice, using her body to obtain your essence blood?"

A light bulb went off in Zu An's mind, and he suddenly recalled something from earlier. "It must be something she deduced from Chu Chuyan..."

He then briefly explained to her how he had sent Chu Chuyan to seek help from Liu Ning.

Mi Li's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Hmph, tell your foolish wife not to blab about you healing her injuries in the future. Otherwise, if it falls into the wrong ears, it could easily bring about your demise."

"How could she know the Empress would have such thoughts? She's usually quite clever. She must have been flustered out of concern," Zu An instinctively explained on Chu Chuyan's behalf.

Mi Li's face darkened. "There's no need to display your affection in front of me; she's not here anyway. I'm merely reminding you to be aware of this hidden danger."

Seeing her expression change, Zu An quickly apologized. "All right, I'll remind her to be careful later."

The atmosphere had become heavy. He quickly changed the subject. "By the way, have you expelled all the poison?"

"The poison of the Xiangfei Red Tear isn't that easy to resolve," Mi Li snorted. However, sensing his concern, her expression softened. "But it has stabilized for now, so I won't fall into a coma as easily as before."

Zu An's face lit up with surprise. "That's wonderful!"

Mi Li looked at him with a half-smile. "Are you being sincere or just saying that? Aren't you afraid of having an extra person around to disturb your 'good deeds'?"

Zu An chuckled. "Of course I'm sincere. As for my 'good deeds,' you've seen plenty anyway, and I'm strong enough not to be afraid of you watching in that regard."

Speaking of which, she was a witness to his first time with Chu Chuyan in the Yaoguang Secret Realm. Wait, at that time, she seemed to have possessed Chu Chuyan's body, so wouldn't that mean...

Mi Li seemed to have thought of the same thing. A faint blush appeared on her beautiful cheeks, and her expression became somewhat unnatural. "Ahem, who would care to watch you? Let me state beforehand, from now on, stick to our previous agreement: do not rely on me whenever you encounter danger, otherwise, you won't be able to become a true powerhouse."

"Okay." Zu An's gaze softened slightly as he looked at her.

Mi Li instinctively tugged at her collar, feeling as though his eyes could see right through her. She quickly changed the subject. "By the way, have you found any of those items I mentioned to you recently?"

Zu An knew she was referring to the rare heavenly treasures needed to reforge her body. "I'm really sorry. I've checked the Embroidered Uniform Guard's database, but I haven't found any trace of them."

Mi Li's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Could it be that with the passage of time, those medicinal ingredients have become extinct?"

Zu An comforted her, "Don't worry too much. Perhaps their names have just changed over time. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for them. The more resources I can access in the future, the easier it will be for me to find their whereabouts."

A faint smile appeared on Mi Li's face. "At least you have a conscience. Lately, I've had a strong premonition that I'll find something soon."

"Really?" Zu An was surprised. As a high-ranking expert, Mi Li's premonitions were never mere whims; they were subtle indications of a touch on the threads of destiny.

"Hmm, there's no need to force it; let nature take its course." Mi Li was quite open-minded. "By the way, tell me about everything that has happened recently."

Zu An began to chat with her, recounting the various events that had occurred recently. For some reason, having her by his side always gave him a sense of security.

Although Mi Li wouldn't admit it, she actually felt something similar. To some extent, they were both outsiders in this world, experiencing a natural loneliness and a sense of being out of place. Conversely, they found a sense of warmth in each other's company.

After listening to Zu An recount his actions during this period, Mi Li's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Finally, she unceremoniously criticized him, "You truly only have talent when it comes to dealing with women."

Zu An was speechless.

"Big sister, are you praising me or insulting me?"

At this point, Mi Li continued, "Your methods are merely petty favors. While you might have good relationships with some people, would they really help you at a critical moment just because of that?"

"So, should I build my own direct lineage of followers?" Zu An suggested.

Mi Li still shook her head. "No, your personal strength isn't enough right now. Forcibly building your own faction would be meaningless, and doing such things under the Emperor's nose would easily invite trouble."

"Then what should I do?" Zu An genuinely had a headache.

A glint sparkled in Mi Li's eyes. "There are two things you can do!"