41: Running away? No, it's a publicly funded trip! The Divine Child is extorting money from the Elder with tears in his eyes!

"Go out for a walk?"

In Su Chen's dead fish eyes, which had completely lost their luster, a faint spark of life reignited upon hearing Su Qi's words.

He slowly turned his stiff neck and scrutinized Su Qi with an extremely suspicious gaze.

[What bad idea is this old man cooking up now?]

[Isn't he the most afraid of me running around and delaying my Cultivate? Is the sun rising from the west today?]

Su Qi didn't notice Su Chen's wariness at all. Seeing that he seemed to have a reaction, he immediately struck while the iron was hot, the wrinkles on his old face smiling into a brilliant chrysanthemum.

"Yes! Go out for a walk!"

He lowered his voice, like a strange uncle using a candied hawthorn to lure a child, speaking with patient guidance.

"Chener, look, you've perceived the true meaning of the Great Dao this time and solved the eternal hidden danger of the Family; you could be said to have rendered great service."

"As the saying goes, 'Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books.' The path of Cultivate emphasizes a balance between tension and relaxation; blindly bitter Cultivate can sometimes lead to a dead end."

"Why don't you take this opportunity to go out and travel for a bit, experience the various aspects of the Mortal World? Perhaps it will be of even greater benefit to your Dao Heart?"

Su Chen raised an eyebrow and didn't speak, but the little abacus in his heart was clicking away.

[This old fellow's crooked reasoning seems to make a bit of sense.]

[Experiencing the Mortal World is a lie; he's just afraid I'll be annoyed looking at the merit stele here and wants to send me away.]

[However... this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...]

Seeing Su Chen still hesitating and thinking he hadn't decided where to go, Su Qi immediately revealed his true intentions and threw out his ultimate goal.

"Just right!"

He clapped his hands, his face written all over with an expression of seeking credit that said, 'Look how thoughtfully I've considered this for you.'

"In a few days, there will be a 'Myriad Dao Auction' in Tiandu of the Great Xia Imperial City! That is one of the top grand events in the entire Xuan Yuan Continent. At that time, ten thousand treasures will gather, the strong will assemble, and it will be extraordinarily lively!"

"Haven't you always complained that it's boring at home? Wouldn't it be wonderful to go there to broaden your horizons and relax?"

"Moreover, don't you still have an engagement with that Empress of the Great Xia Divine Dynasty? You should take this opportunity to meet her and Cultivate some feelings! This is a top priority concerning the future ten thousand years of Luck for our Su Family!"

So this is what's waiting for me!

Su Chen instantly saw through Su Qi's sinister intentions.

This old fox had gone in such a big circle, and his ultimate goal was still to pack him off to the Great Xia Divine Dynasty to complete the marriage with that Empress!

[Good for you, Su Qi! You really won't give up!]

[So I just used a scheme to avoid a Ling Qingzhu, and you turn around and arrange a Ji Hongxue for me? Are you planning to stuff all the women in the world into my bed?]

Su Chen was about to speak and use the harshest wording to refuse this arranged marriage.

But out of the corner of his eye, he inadvertently caught sight of the nearby merit stele, which was radiating ten thousand zhang of golden light, nearly blinding him.

The words "Greatest Cultivation Madman of All Time" written on it in a flamboyant style were so eyesore-inducing and filled with heartless mockery.

A cold chill rushed from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head.

Two completely different futures immediately appeared in his mind.

Future A: He stays in the Su Family. From then on, every day he would have to face this giant "Social Death Monument" and be worshipped by everyone in the Family as a spiritual idol. Su Qi and a group of old men would "care" for his cultivation from every possible angle; even lying in the courtyard for one extra second might become a sin. His salted fish life would be completely over.

Future B: He goes to the Great Xia Divine Dynasty. Although he might be forced to meet that Empress Fiancée he's never met, which would be troublesome. However, the sky is high and the emperor is far away! Once outside, wouldn't Su Chen have the final say? He could completely find an excuse not to meet the Empress, and then in the most luxurious inn in Tiandu, comfortably lie flat and slack off, eating and drinking the best, and enjoying life!

Of two evils, choose the lesser.

One is being locked at home, facing public execution every day with no peace.

The other is being out and about, where the sky is high for the bird to fly and the sea is wide for the fish to leap, only needing to use his brain a bit to deal with possible troubles.

This choice was simply too easy!

Su Chen had the answer in an instant.

He looked at Su Qi's expectant face, which was written with "please agree to me," and then looked back at the merit stele that made him want to self-detonate on the spot with an extremely reluctant gaze.

A complex expression of intense struggle and hesitation instantly appeared on his face, eventually turning into one of "righteousness."

He let out a long sigh.

That sigh was filled with infinite attachment to the "Great Dao" and deep helplessness towards "mortal affairs."

"Sigh..."

He turned his head and said to Seventh Elder in a heavy tone, as if he had made a huge sacrifice, "Seventh Elder, you are right."

"We Cultivators cannot just work behind closed doors."

"Very well, since the Family needs me, and since this is my inescapable responsibility as the Divine Son..."

Su Chen's gaze became incredibly firm at this moment, as if he had made some sacred resolution.

"This trip to the Great Xia Divine Dynasty, I will go!"

"Good!!!"

Upon hearing this, Su Qi was so excited he almost burst into tears on the spot!

The group of Old Ancestors behind him also showed extremely gratified smiles.

"His Highness the Divine Son is truly sensible; it is indeed a blessing for our Su Family!"

"That's right! To be willing to put down Cultivate and step into the Mortal World for the sake of the Family's future, such breadth of mind, we admire it!"

Listening to these sickening flatteries, Su Chen rolled his eyes internally, but on his face, he still had to put on a tragic look of "for the Family, I am willing to sacrifice everything."

He cleared his throat; since he had decided to go, the terms must be settled.

"However, Seventh Elder." Su Chen's tone shifted, carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty, "My trip this time is called a journey but is actually for enlightenment. Therefore, the pomp cannot be small; otherwise, it would diminish the prestige of our Su Family."

"Naturally! Naturally!" Su Qi nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at rice. "Chener, don't worry, I will arrange the best of everything for you!"

"First." Su Chen held up one finger. "The vehicle must be our Su Family's prized 'nine heavens carefree boat'! I heard it's an Emperor-grade Spirit Boat forged from a single piece of Star God Iron; it flies fast and steady, most suitable for quieting the mind to perceive the Dao during the journey."

"No problem! I'll go to the treasury and get it for you right now!" Su Qi patted his chest in guarantee.

"Second." Su Chen held up a second finger. "The guards cannot be sloppy either. When I'm perceiving the Dao, I hate being disturbed the most. You must arrange a few powerful and obedient Dao Protectors for me."

"Preferably... ones who look a bit better. That way, when I'm tired from perceiving the Dao, looking at them will be pleasing to the eye and helpful for keeping the Dao Heart clear."

Su Qi's mouth twitched slightly, but thinking that His Highness the Divine Son was "experiencing the Mortal World," he immediately felt this request was reasonable and agreed readily. "Leave it to me! I guarantee to pick a few of our Su Family's most presentable peerless Prodigies, with a minimum cultivation of the Great Saint Realm!"

"Finally." Su Chen held up a third finger, a fox-like smile appearing on his face. "The funds must be sufficient. When I'm traveling outside, for food, clothing, and making friends, which one doesn't cost money? Give me eight or ten billion Top-Grade Spirit Stones first as pocket money."

"Pfft—"

Su Qi almost couldn't catch his breath, his blood pressure soaring.

"Eight or ten billion Top-Grade Spirit Stones... as pocket money?!"

"Chener, are you going to buy an immortal Holy Land?!"

But on second thought, what kind of person was His Highness the Divine Son? The money he wanted to spend surely had a deep meaning! Perhaps he was setting up some shocking grand plan!

"Give! We must give!" Su Qi gritted his teeth, his heart bleeding, but his face smiled even worse than if he were crying. "Chener, don't worry! The Family's treasury is your treasury! If you don't have enough money, send a message back anytime, and I will personally deliver it to you!"

"Mm, very good."

Su Chen nodded with satisfaction.

He took one last look at the merit stele that made him wish he could grind it to ashes, then turned and waved his hand suavely.

"Then it's settled. I'll go pack up; notify me when you're ready."

After speaking, he flew towards the sleeping palace without looking back, his departing figure indescribably free and resolute.

"Goodbye, my Social Death Monument!"

"Tiandu, I, Su Chen, am coming to lie flat!"