Liu Xixi

Upon hearing Great Emperor Zhenwu's words, Su Qing subconsciously turned her head toward the doorway.

She was indeed curious to see what her assistant for the coming period would look like.

Just as the Great Ancestral Emperor finished speaking, a dragon girl walked briskly in from outside. She bowed to Su Qing and said, "Greetings, Sovereign. My name is Liu Xixi... I will be your assistant for the foreseeable future."

The dragon girl kept her gaze lowered, not looking directly at Su Qing or the Great Ancestral Emperor.

Su Qing studied the woman before her with curiosity. The dragon girl wore a light blue cross-collar chest-high ruqun, her hair styled in a Flying Apsaras Bun held by a golden hairpin. Combined with her cold yet slightly gentle aura, she looked truly ethereal.

Her features were also quite distinctive. She had a classic oval face that appeared somewhat aloof. Small dragon scales were visible on her skin, particularly near her temples, where a pair of small dragon horns—resembling those of a dragonling—were most prominent.

Su Qing found it quite interesting. This dragon girl clearly didn't look like a hatchling, so why did she have such tiny horns?

Naturally sensing Su Qing's gaze, the dragon girl turned her face away slightly and said, "Sovereign..."

Su Qing snapped back to reality and nodded with a smile. "My apologies. You're very beautiful, so I couldn't help but stare for a few extra moments."

Liu Xixi's lip twitched. She sighed inwardly, thinking, 'The Great Ancestral Emperor was right... this Sovereign truly is fond of women.'

Su Qing had no idea what Liu Xixi was thinking, nor did she realize that her first impression had perfectly aligned with the rumors.

Great Emperor Zhenwu watched Su Qing with a faint smile. He wasn't surprised that she was pleased with Liu Xixi. Firstly, Liu Xixi was indeed beautiful, and secondly, Su Qing truly did have a weakness for the fair sex—especially young dragon girls.

'Is it because dragon girls can conceive with other women?' the Great Ancestral Emperor wondered curiously.

Having lived for so many years, he was well aware of the biological quirks of the dragon race. There were very few things in the world he didn't know.

Beside them, Great Emperor Zhenwu spoke with a smile: "Liu Xixi is the daughter of the dragon who fought alongside me during the northern campaigns... This girl isn't very old, only a little over two thousand years, but her abilities are exceptional. Her only flaws are that she can be a bit stubborn at times—inflexible, even—and she's somewhat strict. She's even lectured her own father before..."

Su Qing looked at the Great Ancestral Emperor in surprise. To think Liu Xixi was the daughter of one of his subordinates.

"No wonder her surname is Liu instead of Ao," Su Qing noted subconsciously.

Zhenwu chuckled and explained, "Her father's surname is also Liu. In truth, the surname Ao is generally reserved for the royalty of the Dragon Palaces. Since her family isn't royalty, they naturally don't use it."

"I see..." Su Qing rubbed her chin. Most of the dragons she had encountered were named Ao, so she had subconsciously assumed it was the only surname for the race.

"That is how it is."

Great Emperor Zhenwu took a sip of tea and said thoughtfully, "In the future, if you need anything done or have any arrangements to make, just order this girl to do it. She's quite reliable. However... if there's an issue with your instructions, she won't hesitate to push back. I hope you won't be offended when that happens."

Su Qing shook her head. "I'm not that petty. If there's a problem, I'd actually find it much easier if she spoke up directly."

Zhenwu nodded with satisfaction. Although Su Qing was fond of women and a bit of a romantic, she was quite excellent in all other aspects. Besides, in the Great Ancestral Emperor's eyes, being fond of women wasn't exactly a major flaw. After all, what man in this world wasn't? Su Qing just happened to be a woman herself. And who said a woman couldn't appreciate the fair sex?

It wasn't a big deal. The Great Ancestral Emperor only liked to tease her about it. He wasn't like Guanyin; he didn't have any disciples for Su Qing to spirit away. And even if Liu Xixi really did get 'spirited away' in the future, the one with the headache wouldn't be him, but his subordinate.

Thinking of this, the Great Ancestral Emperor actually felt a bit of anticipation! Liu Xixi's personality was notoriously difficult to handle. Could Su Qing actually win this girl over in the next few years or decades? If she did, he could use it to tease his subordinate.

Great Emperor Zhenwu cleared his throat and said, "I know you're not petty! Oh, right, I remember you were worried about whether you could command respect. There's really no need to worry about that. With Liu Xixi assisting you, no one will dare to be insubordinate. Just focus on your work with peace of mind."

Su Qing had no idea what the Great Ancestral Emperor had been thinking. Hearing his reassurance, she breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Mhm. I appreciate the trouble you've gone to, Senior," Su Qing said.

Great Emperor Zhenwu shook his head and smiled. "Since I'm asking for your help, I naturally can't make things too difficult for you."

Su Qing smiled and nodded.

Great Emperor Zhenwu then continued, "Alright, Liu Xixi, you may step out for now. Come back after I've departed."

Without a word, Liu Xixi nodded and left.

Once she was gone, Great Emperor Zhenwu turned to Su Qing. "Now that she's gone, let me go over a few other things you need to keep in mind. Once I've finished explaining these, I'll be on my way."

Su Qing wasn't surprised and simply listened. The Great Ancestral Emperor went over quite a few matters, but he didn't really place many restrictions on Su Qing's actions. There was nothing she found unacceptable.

"Additionally, if you need to use anything from the treasure vault, just let Liu Xixi know... Other than that, there's really nothing else to worry about. As for the subordinates, you can deploy them as you see fit, provided you don't have them do anything... strange."

"Alright, I've said all I need to say. I'm leaving the Northern Continent in your hands now."

With those final two points, the Great Ancestral Emperor indicated he was finished.

Su Qing looked at him and nodded. "Rest easy, Senior Zhenwu... I will do my absolute best."

"With those words, I can leave in peace," Great Emperor Zhenwu said with his hands behind his back, beaming. "Alright, I'm off! The rest is up to you."

Su Qing nodded and bid him farewell. The Great Ancestral Emperor said his goodbyes and departed from the Northern Continent's monastery on an auspicious cloud. As for where he was going, Su Qing didn't know and didn't care to guess.

After Great Emperor Zhenwu left, Su Qing drained her tea in one gulp.

'Although I've taken on a troublesome job, this matter also brings me great benefits. The only question is how I can seize this opportunity to collect more Incense Power.'

Su Qing thought to herself: 'It's a pity I can't go too far. I have to consider the feelings of the local minor gods... After all, those incense-based deities are the grassroots protectors of the Northern Continent.'

Thinking of this, Su Qing shook her head and chuckled. 'Then again, it's not like I'm going to rob them. I'm just going to have a portion of the people shift their faith to me.'

While Su Qing was lost in thought, Liu Xixi, who had been waiting at the door, walked back in.

"Sovereign," Liu Xixi said with a calm expression but a respectful tone. "Now that the Great Ancestral Emperor has departed, I shall officially begin assisting you. Therefore... Sovereign, please tell me if you have any taboos or preferences so that I may keep them in mind."

Su Qing looked up at Liu Xixi. " I don't really have any taboos... I'm quite easygoing, so you don't need to worry."

Liu Xixi looked at Su Qing and gave a small, elegant nod that felt truly immortal. "I understand... Then please follow me, Sovereign. I will show you to your chambers."

Su Qing looked at her and said, "Before we go, there's something I'm curious about."

Liu Xixi paused, then nodded. "Please, feel free to ask."

"Your... dragon horns."

"My horns?" Liu Xixi subconsciously looked up toward her own horns and asked, "Is there something wrong with them?"

"My wife is also of the dragon race... why are your horns so small?"

Upon hearing the question, Liu Xixi shook her head. "Is that matter important?"

"I was just curious." Su Qing smiled. "If you don't want to answer, you don't have to."

She really was just curious; it wasn't something she absolutely had to know.

Liu Xixi nodded. "I don't know... I likely inherited them from my mother."

"Is that so?" Su Qing looked at them curiously for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough."

Seeing that Su Qing believed her so easily, Liu Xixi didn't say anything more. If the Sovereign had wanted to hear other reasons, she could have made something up on the spot. But since she didn't care, it was fine.

Liu Xixi said, "Shall we go see the chambers now?"

Su Qing nodded. "Certainly... But don't you have anything you want to ask me? We'll be working together for over a decade; it might be best to get to know each other."

Liu Xixi glanced at Su Qing and lowered her head respectfully. "We have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future... Moreover, I am merely here to assist you. Asking too many questions serves no purpose."

Su Qing rubbed her chin and nodded, saying nothing more. She felt that while Liu Xixi was very respectful, she was also quite difficult to get along with. Much like her appearance and aura, she kept others at arm's length. This wasn't like Su Qing's first clone; though that clone also looked aloof, her inner self was still the same easygoing woman. It was just a facade.

'I wonder if she's a bit dissatisfied with me?' Su Qing wondered. 'Well, it doesn't matter. As long as she's diligent and responsible, it's fine.'

While Su Qing was thinking these things, Liu Xixi was also feeling quite troubled. It wasn't that she was dissatisfied with Su Qing. How could she not respect a super-genius who had achieved the Heavenly Immortal realm at just over a thousand years old? She was simply wary of Su Qing—perhaps overly so. The more peaceful and approachable Su Qing acted, the more vigilant Liu Xixi became. She felt as though Su Qing already had her eyes on her, so she naturally stayed on guard.

Both women had much on their minds as they headed toward the chambers. Before long, they arrived outside. The chambers Great Emperor Zhenwu had prepared for Su Qing weren't his own residence, but a very luxurious side hall. Though it was technically a side hall, it was exceptionally opulent, far surpassing any mortal imperial palace.

'This is quite ridiculous...' Su Qing thought. 'But perhaps this is the kind of grandeur a powerful deity like Great Emperor Zhenwu must maintain.'

Su Qing walked into the side hall. Several maids were waiting inside. Seeing Su Qing enter, they bowed. The maids wore ruquns in four different colors—green, blue, yellow, and white—and all of them were dragon girls.

Su Qing was surprised to see dragon girls serving as maids, but then she realized it wasn't that strange. The Dragon Palaces also had many dragon girls as servants. Not everyone in the dragon race was high-born; they had their own social hierarchies as well.

As Su Qing entered, Liu Xixi followed and looked at the maids. "These are Zi Chun, Zi Xia, Zi Qiu, and Zi Dong... They are the maids the Great Ancestral Emperor left for you, Sovereign. They will be responsible for your daily needs and meals. However... ahem... however, that does not include intimate requests. Though, if they have no objections themselves, then... then it doesn't matter."

At this point, Liu Xixi awkwardly looked away, her voice even stammering slightly. For a moment, her cold aura vanished, replaced by a trace of girlish embarrassment.

Su Qing found it a bit funny, but she was also quite speechless. "I won't make them do those things... so you can rest easy. Also, I know you've likely heard some strange rumors, but please don't think I'll fall for every woman I see or want to do anything to them."

Liu Xixi cleared her throat twice and quickly regained her composure. "Ahem, I understand, of course..."