Liu Xixi rubbed her temples and said, "Immortal Lin Jiu, please mind your words and conduct... Do not embarrass the Great Ancestral Emperor in front of the Sovereign."
Lin Jiu let out a soft laugh upon hearing this. "How am I embarrassing the Great Ancestral Emperor? He once said that we should just be ourselves and not overthink things... Am I not doing exactly as he suggested?"
"On the other hand, look at you. Why do you always suppress your nature and put on such an act? Isn't it often said that the dragon race is exceptionally lustful?"
Liu Xixi's eyes flashed with displeasure at those words.
She let out a cold snort and said, "Freedom must have its limits; it's not an excuse for reckless behavior like yours."
"Furthermore, I do not like men, nor do I wish to marry one!"
"Secondly, the idea that the dragon race is lustful is merely a rumor. Not every dragon is like those legendary ones who try to mate with everything under the sun!"
"There are plenty of people within the dragon race who keep themselves pure!"
Immortal Lin Jiu didn't seem the least bit upset by this. Instead, she asked with a teasing look, "Since you say you don't like men, does that mean you like women? It seems we are kindred spirits after all, doesn't it? Why so much resentment? Could it be that you're just shy?"
Liu Xixi was rendered even more speechless. She replied, "Who told you that not liking men automatically means I like women? Besides, I am nothing like you."
"You don't like men, and you don't like women? Then what do you like? Oh—I see. You like taking matters into your own hands!"
Lin Jiu remained silent for a moment before continuing her teasing.
Liu Xixi was not naive; hearing Lin Jiu's words, her face instantly flushed a deep crimson from embarrassment.
Gritting her teeth, Liu Xixi hissed, "I do not like that, and I certainly would never do such a thing!"
Watching the scene unfold from the side, Su Qing felt that Immortal Lin Jiu was indeed taking things a bit too far.
At the same time, she finally understood why Liu Xixi had said Lin Jiu had a terrible personality...
If she was constantly badgering Liu Xixi like this, how could Liu Xixi say anything good about her?
However, this farce needed to stop.
She clapped her hands and gave a light cough, interrupting their argument. "Ahem, have you two forgotten there's another person here?"
Upon hearing her, the two finally ceased their bickering.
Lin Jiu offered a slight smile, turned to Su Qing, and asked, "What does the Sovereign think? Would you be willing to give it a try with me?"
Su Qing was momentarily speechless.
Though she had successfully stopped their argument, she had also successfully drawn the fire back onto herself.
However, she was different from Liu Xixi.
She simply said with a beaming smile, "While it's true that I have taken several women as my wives and indeed prefer women, I am not loose. I don't just go with any woman! So, I apologize, but I have no intention of 'trying' anything with you, Immortal Lin Jiu... Furthermore, rumors are just rumors. Listen to them if you must, but do not believe them entirely. I am not the kind of person the rumors make me out to be!"
Su Qing had long since grown weary of those rumors.
When faced with people who already firmly believed them, she usually didn't even bother to explain.
But in this situation, she felt it was necessary to speak up... otherwise, she would likely face endless trouble.
Seeing Su Qing's reaction, Lin Jiu looked slightly disappointed.
However, she didn't believe Su Qing's denial for a second.
"Am I really not the type you like, Sovereign?"
Immortal Lin Jiu looked at Su Qing with puppy-dog eyes and asked, "Then what kind do you like? My Tengshe clan is also quite skilled at transformation."
Su Qing shook her head and said, "It's not that... It's not a matter of appearance, nor is it about personality. In short, let us speak no more of this."
"Eh? Why are you like this?" Lin Jiu looked disappointed, but then, as if she had thought of something, she smiled. "Ah! I understand now~"
Su Qing was about to nod, but she was stunned by the woman's sudden claim of understanding. She couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you understand?"
Su Qing was completely baffled by Lin Jiu.
She had no idea what this woman could have possibly understood in that single moment!
Facing Su Qing's question, Lin Jiu smiled and said, "It's nothing... Rest assured, Sovereign, I have understood your meaning. As for the weapon, leave it to me. By the way, what kind of weapon would the Sovereign like? I can forge sabers, spears, swords, or halberds... It all depends on what you prefer."
Su Qing looked at Lin Jiu, curious about how this person's mind worked.
However, since she was no longer pursuing that other topic, Su Qing didn't intend to dwell on her thoughts.
She rubbed her chin and pondered what kind of weapon she needed.
A sword was definitely out of the question.
If Leng Xiang found out, that jealous spirit would surely flip her lid...
Aside from a sword, what else would be practical?
A saber? Or perhaps a long spear?
After a moment of thought, Su Qing said, "Help me forge a long spear... It doesn't need to be anything extraordinary, just good enough to use."
"Just good enough?" Lin Jiu tilted her head and smiled. "In my workshop, there is no such thing as 'just good enough'!"
"It's only a temporary weapon, there's no need for it to be too great! Once my clones are finished with their work and there are people to manage the Changbai Mountains, I will call Leng Xiang and the others over. So, there's really no need for it to be too high-quality," Su Qing explained with a shake of her head. "After all, I'll eventually go back to using my own weapons."
Forging a top-tier weapon required an immense amount of materials and effort.
Su Qing wasn't the type who liked to take undue advantage of others.
There was no reason to make a temporary weapon into a masterpiece.
Hearing this, Lin Jiu recalled some facts about Su Qing.
"Oh, I almost forgot. One of the Sovereign's wives is a sword spirit? That was an oversight on my part."
Lin Jiu smiled and rubbed her chin. After thinking for a moment, she said, "But since the Sovereign doesn't need a top-tier weapon, there's no need for me to forge a new one. I'll go pick a suitable one from the weapons I've forged in the past! Don't worry, I only ever forge high-quality weapons... I would never bring out some piece of trash to fool you."
Su Qing had no objections to this.
"That's fine. We'll do as you say, Immortal Lin Jiu!" Su Qing nodded.
Lin Jiu smiled and nodded. "Then, does the Sovereign require an artifact spirit?"
"Either way is fine," Su Qing said indifferently.
She didn't particularly care about artifact spirits; after all, they were just the icing on the cake.
Whether a weapon was good or not depended on the weapon itself.
Even though Yudie had looked like a rusty little sword when Su Qing first got her, her inherent foundation was excellent—that was why she was so powerful.
So, having an artifact spirit didn't necessarily define a weapon's quality, and the lack of one didn't mean a weapon was bad.
Lin Jiu nodded, indicating she understood. "Then I shall go fetch a practical long spear for the Sovereign!"
Su Qing had no complaints. "I'll be troubling you, then."
"How can such a small matter be considered a trouble?" Lin Jiu smiled. "I'll go get the weapon for you now! Please wait a moment, Sovereign."
Su Qing nodded, and Lin Jiu turned to leave.
After Lin Jiu was gone, Liu Xixi spoke up from the side. "I apologize for the spectacle, Sovereign... Immortal Lin Jiu simply has that kind of personality. Phew, it's quite frustrating."
Su Qing turned to look at Liu Xixi and nodded with a smile. "It's fine. I don't really mind."
Liu Xixi nodded, then added, "Despite her personality, her skill is truly superb... When it comes to forging weapons, she is undoubtedly the best in this Forging Department."
"Your evaluation of her is quite objective!"
"When I evaluate others, I prefer not to let my personal likes or dislikes interfere," Liu Xixi said seriously with a nod.
Su Qing smiled, glanced at her, and said, "Well, I hope that when you evaluate me in the future, you won't include your personal likes or dislikes either."
"Rest assured, Sovereign, I will not," Liu Xixi said firmly. "I have my own principles."
Su Qing didn't say anything more.
However, it was obvious that Liu Xixi was still wary of her.
She was likely still worried that Su Qing might try something with her.
Su Qing felt a bit helpless. Just how far had those rumors about her spread?
It was truly a headache.
The two didn't have to wait long before Lin Jiu returned.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sovereign!" Lin Jiu smiled. With a wave of her delicate hand, she produced several long spears. "Sovereign, feel free to pick whichever one you like. These weapons are all quite suitable for you."
The spears Lin Jiu brought were indeed aesthetically pleasing, and their grade was not low either.
However, none of them had artifact spirits; they had only developed a vague sense of sentience.
Though Su Qing didn't know much about weapons, her perception was sharp, and she could sense the power contained within them.
Su Qing couldn't help but remark, "Immortal Lin Jiu is truly a master at forging; every weapon you've brought out is of the highest quality."
"Items for the Sovereign's use naturally cannot be poor," Lin Jiu laughed. "But let's skip the pleasantries. Sovereign, please hurry and choose the one you like!"
Su Qing nodded. She picked up a long spear that gleamed with a cold light. The entire spear was silver-white, with a silver dragon coiled around the upper shaft, the spear tip emerging from the dragon's mouth.
Su Qing gave it a few experimental swings and said, "I'll take this one!"
Lin Jiu nodded. "The Sovereign truly does love dragons!"
Su Qing was taken aback, then shook her head with a smile. She said casually, "I wouldn't say I love dragons, but I do have a white dragon at home. Seeing this silver dragon spear felt a bit familiar, so I chose it."
"I see..."
Lin Jiu rubbed her smooth chin and muttered to herself in deep thought.
"So the rumors were true... The Sovereign doesn't just love beautiful women; she especially loves beautiful dragon women. In that case, wouldn't Liu Xixi be even more to her liking? No wonder the Great Ancestral Emperor had Liu Xixi serve as her assistant... instead of someone like me who shares the Sovereign's interests. What a pity... Liu Xixi is such a blockhead!"
Su Qing didn't hear Lin Jiu's silent mutterings. She simply toyed with the silver spear in her hand and said, "Thank you!"
Lin Jiu snapped back to her senses and shook her head with a smile. "It's nothing... Since the Great Ancestral Emperor has placed the Sovereign in temporary charge of the Northern Continent, we must naturally assist you with all our strength..."
Su Qing breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "I'll be relying on you in the days to come."
"As you should!" Lin Jiu said with a faint smile.
Beside them, Liu Xixi watched Lin Jiu's behavior and curled her lip...
This woman was behaving surprisingly well, which was quite unexpected.
However, she didn't feel like criticizing her. As long as this woman didn't pick a fight with her, all was well.
"Since we have the weapon, Sovereign, let us proceed to the next location," Liu Xixi said at the appropriate time.
Su Qing had no objections. She nodded and bid farewell to Lin Jiu.
Lin Jiu smiled and cupped her hands in farewell.
The two then left the Forging Department to meet the next important person.
Once they got busy, time flew by.
Before they knew it, evening had arrived.
Fortunately, Su Qing had finished her tasks and had no need to work overtime.
At that moment, Su Qing had returned to her chambers.
Inside the palace, several dragon-kin maids had already prepared dinner and bathwater, having everything ready for her.
"Sovereign, would you like to eat first or bathe first?" a dragon girl named Zi Qiu asked.
Hearing those words, a certain question from her past life popped into Su Qing's mind...
She shook her head slightly, clearing out the strange thoughts.
"Let's eat first," Su Qing said.
The dragon girls didn't say much more, simply bringing the food over to Su Qing...
They even asked if she needed to be fed...
Su Qing: "..."
'Isn't this service a bit too... much?' Su Qing thought, feeling speechless.
These dragon girls were treating her as if she were physically disabled.
She shook her head. She naturally didn't need anyone to feed her; that feeling was far too embarrassing and completely unnecessary.
During dinner, the maids stood to the side, serving her with meticulous care.
It was so thorough that Su Qing found it a bit hard to adjust to.
"You... go help feed those little meatballs. Don't just keep staring at me," Su Qing said helplessly.
"Yes!" They had no reason to refuse.
After dinner came the bath.
During the bath, the girls also stepped forward to help...
Making the scene rather suggestive.
Su Qing couldn't help but say, "Actually, you don't have to do this. I can manage on my own."
"The Great Ancestral Emperor instructed us... that we must serve the Sovereign well," Zi Chun said. "Please, Sovereign, do not refuse us..."
"We were originally lower-class dragon-kin, destined to be servants all our lives. Being able to serve the Sovereign is our good fortune," Zi Qiu added.
Zi Dong said, "After all, serving the Sovereign is much better than serving those men..."
"Indeed!" Zi Xia said. "We are most fortunate to be able to serve the Sovereign right after completing our training..."
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