Late at night.

Su Hongli quickly learned of the Zhou Emperor's attitude toward this situation.

Although the emperor said that he planned to leave this matter to the Su Family, just like last time, Su Hongli’s brow furrowed slightly.

The Daoist elder seemed to sense that something was amiss too. “His Majesty’s decision to remain uninvolved might seem like a show of respect, but his attitude seems a bit overly cold.”

Su Hongli fell silent for a while, then said, “This is a conflict between cultivators and mundane authority. In my eyes, mundane authority is as fleeting as a puff of smoke, and I’ve long since ceased to desire it. However, in His Majesty’s eyes, I’m still his minister.

“Over the past decade, I’ve lived deep in seclusion. I rarely venture outside, do not obey orders, pay no heed to mundane affairs, and have rejected His Majesty’s attempts to offer me an official post on numerous...