Shen Yunyun saw his movement and immediately let out an awkward laugh. "Sorry, I didn't know you were eating. Oh wait, that's not right—can't you cultivators just skip meals?"
Xu Zimo's forehead twitched slightly.
He forced himself to stay calm, put down his chopsticks, and smoothed his sleeves. "I didn't eat when I was cultivating, but I'm no longer part of the cultivation world. In the end, I'm just a mortal."
Shen Yunyun: "..."
Xu Zimo cautiously glanced at her expression and tentatively asked, "Next time you summon me, could you give me a heads-up first?"
He was genuinely afraid that she might summon him while he was bathing.
Then he'd end up here stark naked.
Just thinking about that scene made his neck flush red, and he even felt a bit guilty, unable to meet Shen Yunyun's gaze.
Shen Yunyun had been pondering the same issue, feeling that suddenly pulling someone away while they were eating was a bit unethical. But when she noticed Xu Zimo's neck turning red, her mind couldn't help but wander.
She quickly imagined various scenarios—like him being in the middle of using the toilet.
Would she then stick her head in and ask, "Are you here to take a dump?"
She hastily shook that image out of her head. Too horrifying.
She also realized that her sudden appearances were indeed inconvenient. Last time, when she went to find the Empress Dowager, it was right during the morning court session.
Luckily, everyone was bowing to the Empress Dowager and didn't dare look up, or else her sudden materialization might have caused a panic.
This issue really needed improvement.
If only this trading hub worked like a phone call—where the other party had to agree before the transaction could proceed.
This trading system was great in every way except for this one flaw: others had to get her permission to trade.
But when she wanted to trade, she didn't need their consent at all.
That just wasn't user-friendly.
Even though they weren't in the same time and space, they should still be equals.
A trade—whether it was bartering goods, exchanging labor for items, or any other method—should fundamentally require mutual agreement.
Her authority was too centralized, and she really wasn't comfortable with it.
"Ah, sorry about that. I'll see if I can figure out how to fix this shortcoming later."
Xu Zimo didn't dwell on the topic and cut straight to the point. "Just say what you need to say."
"Come with me somewhere."
Xu Zimo looked at her, puzzled.
Shen Yunyun led him to the backyard, scanned the surroundings with her light brain to confirm it was safe, and then directly released the aircraft.
Xu Zimo wasn't surprised that she could produce something out of thin air—storage rings weren't rare in the cultivation world.
But what kind of artifact was this?
"What kind of artifact is this?"
"I'll explain later. For now, just come with me."
She grabbed Xu Zimo and shoved him into the aircraft.
Xu Zimo had a thousand questions for her, but seeing her determined expression, he simply shut his mouth.
Why would a three-hundred-year-old man argue with a little girl?
He'd wait until she couldn't start the artifact.
The moment he thought that, the aircraft powered up.
Xu Zimo's eyes widened. The cultivation world had teleportation arrays, earth-shrinking spells, and sword flight, but all those techniques required hand seals.
Yet this artifact—he hadn't activated it in any way—was moving on its own.
And it was incredibly fast, even faster and smoother than sword flight, with far better comfort.