Chapter 10: The Empress’s Test

Shen Mu's soul had already left his body at this point.

An Earth Immortal was kneeling.

A Heavenly Empress was bowing.

And the entire world seemed to have gone insane.

He forced himself to breathe. Okay. Think, Shen Mu. How do you get out of this?

Step 1: Don't panic.

Step 2: Convince them you're not some unfathomable Grandmaster.

Step 3: If all else fails… run.

Slowly, he swallowed his fear and forced a calm expression.

"…Seek my wisdom?" he repeated, trying his best not to sound like a clueless mortal.

Empress Yue lifted her head, her silver eyes piercing into him. "Indeed."

The way she looked at him sent a chill down his spine. She wasn't like the others.

Bai Ling, Elder Zhao, and Elder Huo had been easy to mislead because they were already convinced he was a legendary expert.

But Empress Yue? She wasn't blindly worshipping him.

She was observing. Studying. Testing.

And that made her dangerous.

Shen Mu forced a polite smile. "What… kind of wisdom are you looking for?"

The Empress's gaze remained unreadable. Then, she slowly extended her hand.

A small, glowing jade token appeared in her palm, its surface engraved with ancient celestial runes.

Shen Mu frowned. This thing was powerful. Even as a mortal, he could feel an overwhelming pressure radiating from it.

"This is a fragment of the Heavenly Dao Scripture," Empress Yue said softly. "It has remained indecipherable for over a thousand years."

She held it toward him.

"…I would like to see how you interpret it."

Silence.

Bai Ling sucked in a breath.

Xiao Lan stiffened.

Elder Zhao's hands shook.

And Shen Mu?

Shen Mu was internally screaming.

'SHE WANTS ME TO DECIPHER A CELESTIAL SCRIPTURE?! I CAN'T EVEN READ REGULAR CULTIVATION TEXTS!'

His fingers itched to just grab the token and chuck it off the nearest cliff.

But he couldn't.

If he refused, she'd think he was being mysterious.

If he hesitated, she'd get suspicious.

And if he admitted he was clueless—

…Actually, no. That had never worked so far.

Shen Mu took a deep breath.

Alright. He had one option left.

The oldest trick in the book.

The Grandmaster's Evasion Technique

Step 1: Look at the object with deep, thoughtful eyes.

Shen Mu narrowed his gaze at the jade token, pretending like he could actually read the glowing inscriptions.

Bai Ling shivered. 'S-So intense…!'

Elder Huo gulped. 'T-This pressure…!'

Empress Yue's silver eyes flickered with intrigue.

Step 2: Let out a long, meaningful sigh.

Shen Mu exhaled deeply, shaking his head as if he had just seen through the mysteries of the universe.

Empress Yue's fingers tightened slightly around the jade token.

"…You understand it?"

Step 3: Say something vague and mysterious.

Shen Mu's expression turned solemn.

"…Understanding is not the problem." He paused, then added, "The real question is… are you ready to accept the truth?"

BOOM.

Everyone's minds exploded.

Bai Ling nearly fainted on the spot.

Elder Zhao froze in enlightenment.

Elder Huo's soul nearly left his body.

And Empress Yue…

For the first time in her life—

She faltered.

"…I see," she murmured.

Shen Mu almost collapsed from relief.

Step 4: Change the subject before they start asking more questions.

Quickly, Shen Mu turned and picked up a random wooden carving from his workbench.

"This," he said, holding it up, "is more important right now."

Everyone snapped to attention.

The object in his hand was…

A small, wooden duck.

Silence.

Empress Yue stared at it. "This…?"

Shen Mu nodded seriously. "The Dao of Simplicity is often overlooked. Too many cultivators seek complex truths when the greatest wisdom is often found in the most ordinary things."

BOOM.

Another mental explosion rippled through the crowd.

Bai Ling gasped. "O-Of course! The Dao of Simplicity…!"

Elder Zhao clutched his chest. "T-To think… I never realized…!"

Elder Huo's knees shook. "This… This duck… it is not just a duck, is it?"

Shen Mu resisted the urge to cry.

IT'S JUST A DUCK!

Step 5: Leave them to overthink everything while you quietly escape.

Shen Mu placed the duck down on the table and clapped his hands.

"Alright. That's enough for today. Everyone, go home and reflect on what you've learned."

Empress Yue stared at him. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"…I understand. I will take my leave."

Without another word, she turned and stepped onto her golden chariot.

The celestial beasts roared, and within seconds, the Empress vanished into the heavens.

Elder Huo wiped his eyes. "To witness such wisdom… I am truly blessed."

Elder Zhao was still shaking.

Bai Ling clenched her fists. "Senior Shen… one day, I will comprehend even a fraction of your teachings…!"

Shen Mu smiled weakly. "Y-Yeah. Good luck with that."

Then, finally—

FINALLY—

Everyone left.

Shen Mu collapsed onto his chair, burying his face in his hands.

"…I can't keep doing this."

Little did he know—

The "Dao of Simplicity" was about to become a massive, world-changing philosophy.

And his wooden duck…

Was about to start a new cultivation trend.

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End of Chapter 10