357: From Chapter 357 onwards, you shall call me "Sir".

Driven by Aunt Qing's spiritual power, the flying carriage carrying the two of them moved at an incredible speed.

However, when the flying carriage pierced through the clouds and arrived above the Great Qian Imperial City, everything they had anticipated—everything Aunt Qing had worried about—did not happen.

Looking through the carriage window, Aunt Qing and Su Chen simultaneously witnessed a shocking scene below, one worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Linghe Realm.

At this moment, outside the Great Qian Imperial City, the rumored Zhuge Jinyu, who was said to be closing her residence to visitors, was not sitting waiting in the grand chair of the Prime Minister's office.

Instead, she had personally traveled thirty miles out of the city to welcome them.

Behind her stood the entire court of civil and military officials, tens of thousands of Imperial Guards clad in heavy armor, and a carriage pulled by nine Integration Realm demonic beasts—the Azure Phoenix divine birds.

It was the highest-specification ceremonial vehicle, which only the Great Qian Emperor could ride: the Nine Phoenix Carriage.

Of course, in the current Great Qian, the Emperor cannot sit in it. Only the "Nine-Thousand-Year-Old" Zhuge Jinyu is permitted to ride it.

As for why she has such immense power over the court yet chooses not to ascend the throne as Empress, that is a matter of her personal preference, unknown to others.

This grand formation, magnificent enough to make the heavens and earth pale in comparison, sat quietly on the open ground outside the city, as if awaiting the arrival of a deity.

"Aunt Qing..." Su Chen looked at the dense, well-prepared crowd below, feeling a bit confused.

He extended his slender fingers, gently poked Aunt Qing's soft waist, and whispered, "This is not what you said. Why are there so many people down there?"

"Could it be that the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty is holding some kind of national sacrificial ceremony today?"

Being poked by Su Chen, Aunt Qing snapped out of her daze.

Looking at the terrifying formation, which was a hundred times more exaggerated than one meant to welcome an emperor or a sect leader, she was completely stunned, her mind going blank.

"Th-this..."

As the Saintess of the Cangmang Sacred Land, this was the first time she had ever seen such a scene.

Aunt Qing swallowed hard, puffed out her chest with a guilty conscience, and stammered a forced explanation, "That's obviously because... because your Aunt Qing is famous!"

"After all, I am the Saintess of the Cangmang Sacred Land, so the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty naturally has to give me enough face."

She didn't even believe these words herself.

Let alone her, even if her sister Bai Suzhen were to come in person, it was uncertain whether she could receive such a welcome.

"Boom—"

The flying carriage slowly descended to the ground.

Seeing the distinguished guests arrive, the Great Qian ceremonial guard on the ground prepared to step forward to welcome Su Chen and the other according to the highest level of state protocol.

But just at this moment, Zhuge Jinyu, who had been standing on the city wall with her hands behind her back, moved.

She was wearing a simple, elegant white Prime Minister's robe.

Although the dress was simple, it outlined her tall, voluptuous, and proud figure to perfection.

Her snow-white hair was held up by a simple wooden hairpin.

Like a gentle snowflake, she drifted to the ground.

She walked straight through the officials, ignoring the welcoming ceremony that should have been performed by the officials, which had been rehearsed countless times, and walked directly in front of Su Chen.

Seeing their leader completely ignoring the established protocol, the civil and military officials of Great Qian were so shocked that their mouths could fit eggs.

Su Chen, however, did not notice any of this.

He only subconsciously straightened his back and raised his head.

When his gaze fell upon the white-clad female Prime Minister before him—who could blend charm and dignity, with a coldness that carried a fatal attraction—

"Thump."

Su Chen felt his heart as if it had been fiercely plucked by an invisible thread.

An indescribable sense of familiarity welled up in his heart, causing a dull ache in his chest.

For a moment, all the messy etiquette that Aunt Qing had repeatedly warned him about on the carriage—such as "bow your head" and "don't look or speak"—were completely thrown to the back of his mind.

He just stared blankly and intently at Zhuge Jinyu, staring at her beautiful, fox-like eyes.

Immediately after, a scene that turned everyone present into statues occurred.

Under the shocked gazes of countless Great Qian cultivators, important court officials, and young masters of noble families who had long admired Zhuge Jinyu and pursued her in vain,

that icy female Prime Minister, who was rumored to be "unapproachable," "man-hating," and even rumored to be a lesbian,

actually slowly extended her soft hands, which looked like they were carved from mutton-fat jade.

With incredible naturalness and initiative, she grabbed Su Chen's broad, grown-up hand.

Then, their fingers intertwined tightly.

Not only that, but this icy beauty who held power over the entire court actually looked at Su Chen, the corners of her lips slightly raised, blooming into a smile that would make all flowers lose their color.

"Whoa—!"

The crowd exploded.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Those young masters of noble families who had long wanted to win over Zhuge Jinyu were even more jealous, their eyes turning red and green, their hearts shattering all over the ground.

When had this icy female Prime Minister ever been so proactive toward any man? And she even smiled?

For a moment, everyone was at a loss for words.

The only sound in the entire world was the flapping of banners in the wind.

Things having reached this point, although Su Chen was not famous for his strength or reputation, he was, after all, from the Cangmang Sacred Land.

In terms of status, he could barely manage to touch the hem of Zhuge Jinyu's skirt.

After all, Su Chen was just a disciple of the Cangmang Sacred Land.

In terms of status, everyone was from sects in the Spirit River source region.

Except for Bai Suzhen, there was really no one in the Cangmang Sacred Land whose status was equal to Zhuge Jinyu's.

Aunt Qing couldn't do it either.

Immediately after, Zhuge Jinyu held Su Chen's hand and turned around.

Her gaze swept over the officials, and she calmly announced.

"By order of This Prime Minister, for the coming year, Su Chen will stay at the Great Qian Prime Minister's residence to study 'closely' and 'behind closed doors' with This Prime Minister."

"He will be This Prime Minister's only closed-door disciple in this life."

Hearing the words "closed-door disciple," Su Chen was taken aback.

Although he felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to this female Prime Minister, he had not forgotten his own identity.

After all, Bai Suzhen had suffered "serious injuries" for his sake and was still lying in the Sacred Land.

"Um... Prime Minister, I already have a master," Su Chen cleared his throat and explained, feeling a bit awkward.

"Ah—?"

Hearing that Su Chen actually intended to refuse Zhuge Jinyu's request, all the Great Qian people present were petrified.

This was the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old Prime Minister of the Great Qian! To be her disciple!

You have to know, in order to hide his identity, most people only knew Su Chen was from the Cangmang Sacred Land and did not know he was Bai Suzhen's disciple.

Right now, when Zhuge Jinyu proactively offered an olive branch, he actually had the intention to refuse!

But before Su Chen could finish speaking, Zhuge Jinyu extended her other free hand and gently covered Su Chen's mouth.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned close to Su Chen, saying calmly and stubbornly, "I am not your 'master'."

"From now on, you will call me..."

"'Sir'."