After being reborn, the villain comes with a spoiler tag.

Upon hearing this, the cultivator surnamed Sun was momentarily stunned.

Looking at Huo Yu, who calmly drank his tea the whole time, and then at Long Yucheng sitting to his left, she realized that this kid also had a handsome face that attracted attention, but she didn't know why she had overlooked him.

The cultivator surnamed Sun's gaze darted back and forth between the two for a long time before finally settling on Su Yixuan, seemingly waiting for her confirmation.

As if afraid he wouldn't believe him, Long Yucheng added:

"Really, the love token my junior sister gave me yesterday should still be in the trash can at the back entrance of the inn. You can go and check if you don't believe me."

Su Yixuan finally realized how wrong her previous plan had been, and she was so angry that she almost vomited blood.

But seeing that the cultivator surnamed Sun was about to lash out in public again, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and put on his most innocent and pitiful expression, trying to use the "white flower" offensive to get by for now:

"Senior brother, can you go back first... Everyone's watching us..."

The cultivator surnamed Sun looked around and, sure enough, found that the other guests in the hall were watching their little group's farce, whether openly or secretly. When they met his gaze, they all lowered their heads, some drinking tea and others eating.

Realizing he had chosen the wrong rival right off the bat, the cultivator surnamed Sun was somewhat annoyed by his unsuccessful attempt. He forced himself to say a few more words of advice to Su Yixuan, telling her to have some self-respect and to go back as soon as possible, before leaving the inn in a huff.

Having finally managed to get rid of this lunatic who had gone mad from cultivating, Su Yixuan cursed him in her heart.

[What a crazy, domineering man! I can give gifts to whomever I want, who does he think he is, daring to boss me around?]

But when she turned her head and met the blank expressions on Long Yucheng and Huo Yu's faces, and thought of the brocade pouch lying in the trash can, even the mask on her face, like that of an Oscar-winning actress, almost fell off.

The system then provided a timely new prompt:

[Target number one, Long Yucheng, has had his favorability reduced by five; his current favorability is zero.]

Su Yixuan took several deep breaths in her heart before she could barely maintain her frail and delicate persona and apologized to Long Yucheng and Huo Yu:

"I'm so sorry, Senior Brother Sun has completely misunderstood... I've caused you so much trouble because of me. If there's anything you need, I'll do my best to compensate you within my power..."

As she spoke, Su Yixuan cast her most pitiful gaze at Long Yucheng.

To her surprise, it was Huo Yu who spoke this time, someone who hadn't said a word to her since they met:

"It's inconvenient to talk here."

Su Yixuan understood immediately and took out an exquisite array from her storage bag, instantly enveloping the three of them and blocking the curious prying eyes of others in the hall.

She then turned to Huo Yu and asked softly:

"There shouldn't be any problems now... May I ask how this fellow Daoist is addressed?"

"Huo Yu".

Huo Yu responded calmly.

Long Yucheng was still regretting the loss of one thousand spirit stones, but he still followed his senior brother and announced his name:

"Long Yucheng".

Su Yixuan already knew their names from the system, but she pretended to be learning them for the first time and nodded gently.

"I am Su Yixuan. Although I have already given a brief introduction... I wonder how I can help Fellow Daoist Huo. Although my cultivation is not high, I will do my best."

Huo Yu then made a startling statement:

"We want to enter the palace."

Upon hearing this, not only Su Yixuan, but even Long Yucheng looked at Huo Yu in surprise.

Then, as if remembering something, a warm feeling welled up in Long Yucheng's heart.

I never expected that my senior brother would remember the Eighth Prince's casual remark!

"This……"

Despite having made a boastful promise, Su Yixuan was still stumped by Huo Yu's difficult request.

She didn't feel much belonging or loyalty to the Zoroastrianism or the Vermilion Bird Kingdom's royal family. Even when Huo Yu and Long Yucheng planned to infiltrate the palace to assassinate the current emperor or the next emperor, she only cared about whether helping to hand them the knife would increase her favorability rating.

However, this matter is indeed not easy to handle. In important places like the imperial palace of a mortal dynasty, there are always Golden Core cultivators of the Zoroastrian sect guarding it.

Especially with the grand ceremony approaching, the guard force in the palace has doubled, with even Foundation Establishment stage disciples being sent to join the Imperial Guard's patrol teams. It should be noted that this was previously the job of Qi Refining stage disciples.

Su Yixuan frowned slightly, pondering the information she had recently obtained from the Zoroastrian Church regarding the palace's movements. Unfortunately, her mind was preoccupied with her strategy and she couldn't recall anything. Luckily, she still had her cheat code:

[Check if there are any recent recruitment notices for servants or guards at the palace.]

[Retrieving information previously received by the host... Search results: None. However, there is a potentially useful finding: It's currently the time for young women to enter the palace, and they are most likely for the upcoming Eighth Prince.]

Su Yixuan glanced at Huo Yu, feeling somewhat hesitant. But when her gaze fell on Long Yucheng, she immediately rejected the idea.

"This matter is somewhat difficult... I need to go back and plan it carefully. Please wait patiently for a few days while I prepare a foolproof plan."

Huo Yu nodded. He had expected this all along and had never hoped that Su Yixuan would bring them into the palace immediately.

After these two brief encounters, Huo Yu had already made some guesses from Su Yixuan's words and actions, especially the few flaws revealed by her not-so-clever mask, which made him even more convinced that this person must have some intentions towards Long Yucheng.

They belong to the type of people whose motives are unclear and whose stance can be exploited.

After all, Vermilion Bird City is the territory of the Fire Worship Cult. If Su Yixuan's schemes were detrimental to Long Yucheng, she would not have needed to go to such lengths.

Given her status as a Foundation Establishment disciple of the Zoroastrianism, it would be incredibly easy for her to cause them trouble or even eliminate them. There's no need for her to stage these two clumsy dramas for mortals to watch, unless she suddenly gets a sudden urge to act.

Huo Yu had another consideration in mind: since he made his request to enter the palace, his Heavenly Dao Value had increased by a tiny bit. This change made him more determined to push Long Yucheng to complete the Heavenly Dao's arrangements in order to increase his Heavenly Dao Value.

In contrast, Long Yucheng seemed somewhat uneasy. As soon as Su Yixuan left, he couldn't wait to ask in a low voice:

"Senior brother, do you think that woman might turn around and betray us? Does this count as... plotting a rebellion?"

"will not."

Long Yucheng didn't know why he was so certain, so he didn't ask any further.

He now had a mysterious trust in what Huo Yu said: if his senior brother said no, then it definitely wouldn't happen.

So he stopped worrying and started eating the tea and snacks on the table without any worries.

The snacks on the table were ordered by Guan Fengyue while she was waiting for the two of them. Later, they were so busy drinking tea that no one touched the snacks. Long Yucheng took a bite and his eyes lit up.

This pastry is made from some kind of glutinous rice flour. It doesn't look particularly appealing, but it has a delicate osmanthus fragrance and a hint of sweetness that isn't overly sweet. It has a soft texture that melts in your mouth.

Long Yucheng hurriedly pushed the tea and snack dishes in front of Huo Yu:

"Senior brother, try this pastry, it tastes much better than the tea."