When the Senior Monk Xu called out "Zhu Fu," the Queen felt her heart sink halfway. Hearing the word "drowsy ruler," she felt utterly chilled to the core. Zhang Yuanqing felt just as cold from head to toe. Not only was Xu the master of swordsmanship, but he also knew Zhao Shun—this development had effectively blocked his path. Zhang Yuanqing decided to drop his pretense and said coldly, "Do you know me?" Xu's expression shifted from astonishment to excitement, then to resentment and anger. "Three years ago, during the autumn hunt in the southern outskirts, several assassins infiltrated the Sheep Palace to kill you. They failed—three died, one escaped. That one who escaped is me. Has the Emperor forgotten?" The entire realm has been plotting against me! Sensing the strong hostility and contempt in Xu's tone, Zhang Yuanqing remained silent, turned his head slightly, and directed his gaze toward the Queen. As the drowsy ruler whom the Qinglong Sect detested, no matter what he said, she would only scoff—saying too much might only provoke her further. So he said nothing at all. Xu Elder would surely be puzzled—how could a sovereign ruler, so noble and esteemed, have become a petty thief and end up here? Therefore, he will not kill him just yet. Under the current circumstances, it is now the Queen’s turn to take the stage. "Xu Elder, I have something to report," the Queen said, truly a wise and composed leader, having read the Heavenly Sovereign’s gaze and seizing the opportunity to speak. Xu Elder took a deep breath, steadying himself, regaining his serious and composed demeanor, and said, "Northward, bring them to the basement." He then thought for a moment, and personally pulled Zhang Yuanqing down from the carriage, lifting him by the back of his collar, and strode off. Zhang Yuanqing hung in the air like a chicken, feeling somewhat embarrassed and angry, shouting, "I am the sovereign of the land—how dare I be treated so unceremoniously? Set me down!" Wang Beiwang stared in disbelief at the backs of Xu Elder and Zhang Yuanqing, still stunned from the initial shock. Is my younger brother Li Erdan the current emperor, Zhao Shun? How could the Emperor have I spent the entire day with Emperor Zhao Shun, yet I didn't kill him? No—I did stab him with a sword! Did I really stab the emperor with a sword?! Wang Beiwang's mind was in a whirlwind. Only when Xu Elder's figure faded into the corridor did he regain his composure, and he hurriedly grabbed Jiang Jingwei and the Queen, rushing after her. Master Xu sat by the table, holding the porcelain cup in his palm, motionless and silent for a long while—despite being a senior elder of the Qinglong Sect, he needed time to absorb such momentous news. The Zheng family had rebelled; the emperor was in peril, and the Southern Dynasty might soon face an unprecedented political upheaval. Though the Qinglong Sect was a power in the martial world, it also held a deep sense of duty to the nation and its people, and could not ignore such a momentous event. When your father fought for the people and was ultimately executed along with his entire family, Master Zhong admired your father's integrity and thus intervened to save you. Now that your enemy stands before you, you have shown compassion—can you hold your ground with respect to Zhu Administrator and Master Zhong? "Master, allow me to explain." Queen took a deep breath and calmly unfolded her well-prepared remarks: "Zhao Shun is indeed negligent, but he is not the root cause. Based on my observations over the years, Zhao Shun has been content with leisure and pleasure in the palace, indifferent to state affairs. Most of the affairs of the court have actually been decided by Zheng Wenhan. He is like a sword—Zheng Wenhan is the one holding the sword. That is truly the root of the problem." These are all true. Seeing that Master Xu remained unmoved, the Queen continued: "I also have another matter to report to you. I know who the mastermind behind the Zheng family is." Master Xu raised an eyebrow. "There's someone behind the Zheng family?" The Queen nodded vigorously. "It's the Grand Abbot!" Master Xu flushed with anger: "What nonsense! The Abbot is a deeply enlightened master, devoted to healing and serving the people, and to the nation—how could he possibly plot rebellion?" The Queen met Master Xu's gaze steadily. "Master, you have eyes that see into the heart. Whether what I say is true or not, you'll know instantly." They exchanged glances for a few seconds. Master Xu's expression grew increasingly serious. He mused, "The current emperor is incompetent. Perhaps the Abbot's support for the Zheng family is an effort to drive change." Was Master Xu still a devoted fan of the Abbot? The Queen chuckled dryly. "To achieve change through the sacrifice of three hundred young boys and girls? The announcement was issued only yesterday—after the Emperor had fled the palace. It was the Zheng family and the Abbot who pushed it. Does Master Xu still believe the Abbot is truly devoted to the nation and its people?" Master Xu's expression was momentarily stunned. The Queen continued, "There is one more matter to report to the Elders: the Zheng family has been secretly allied with the northern commander, Tuoba Guanghe. Should the Zheng family seize the throne, they will first eliminate the Yang family, then hand over their five-wan-strong frontline troops to the northern court as a token of submission to Tuoba Guanghe—while Tuoba Guanghe's army will advance all the way to the capital, supporting the Zheng family." "Is this truly the case?" Elder Xu snapped the porcelain cup in his hands, furious. The impact of this revelation even surpassed the very sight of Zhao Shun. The Chancellor of the Grand Council, Zheng Wenhan, has been collaborating with the north! He did not wish to believe it, yet Zhu Fu's subtle expressions confirmed that the report was genuine. Seizing the momentum, the Queen added, "Therefore, Zheng Wenhan is the true culprit—not the Emperor. Though he is mediocre, he is far from guilty of death." Realizing his own lapse, he composed himself and spoke calmly, "This matter is of great significance. I shall report it to the Master. As to whether what you've said is true or not, the Master will decide "Queen asked, 'Then the Emperor...' Xu Elder spoke with cold determination: 'As the sovereign of the land, incompetence is the gravest offense. You claim Zheng Wenhan is to blame—incorrect. It is Emperor Zhao Shun, who has favored corrupt ministers, who is truly to blame. He must be eliminated.' The Queen argued firmly: 'But Elder, the Emperor is a vital piece in my strategy. With him, I can defeat Zheng Wenhan.' Xu Elder scoffed: 'That is a matter of court politics, unrelated to Qinglong Clan. Our clan's mission is to depose the incompetent monarch and remove harm to the people. However, I will first preserve his life, and report to the Master for final decision.' The Queen's expression eased slightly, thinking that once Xu Elder departed, she would rescue her allies. Yet, as this thought formed, Xu Elder immediately said, 'You will accompany me to see the Master.' The Queen could only nod and added, 'Before we go, I would like to see the Emperor once.' Xu Elder did not hesitate. The two immediately left the chamber and proceeded to the adjacent room. Gazing at the rigid forms of Jiang Jingwei and Yuan Shi Tianzun seated against the wall, Queen Yingying bowed respectfully, "Your Majesty, I shall accompany Master Xu to see the Master of the Qinglong Sect. The Master is deeply principled and will surely release you." She gave Zhang Yuanqing a steady, serious glance, and then lingered, departing with a sense of reluctance. Wang Beiwang, stationed at the door, immediately closed the iron gate. Master Xu turned to his subordinate and disciple, instructing, "I will be gone for a while. You remain here and ensure no one approaches this place. Should the dull king suffer any mishap or attempt to escape, it will be entirely your responsibility." Wang Beiwang bowed respectfully, "Understood!" As the footsteps of the three faded and eventually disappeared, Zhang Yuanqing could no longer hold back, and let out a breathless sigh. By now, he had almost deduced the nature of the 72-hour side quest—the greatest danger and the primary adversary. The Master of the Qinglong Sect! Once that principled, fiercely righteous hero arrived, he would surely meet his end. After all, Zhao Shun was a genuine, unyielding dull king. Even if he were fluent in eloquence, the Master of Qinglong Sect would not spare him. How could he have arranged a beautiful lady to enter the palace and carry out an assassination, if he didn't deeply detest the current emperor? Trapped in this cursed place, with no hope of reinforcements—what could he do? What could he do? Zhang Yuan racked his brains. Beside him, Jiang Jingwei beamed with delight. "We won't die after all." "When the Master of Qinglong arrives, we will surely perish. But dying a few hours later is still better. Jingwei, what should we do?" Jingwei rapidly turned her eyes, concentrating hard. After a long while, she hesitated and asked, "Shall I self-sacrifice and blow a hole in the wall for you?" "Good comrade, now isn't the time for revolutionary sacrifice. Moreover, if you explode from this position, you'll carry me with you." Zhang Yuan sighed. Since joining forces with Jingwei, he had sighed more often than in all the years of his life. "Can you utilize the prop—specifically, the fire element?" he asked. Jiang Jingwei shook his head. "That old man injured my meridians, disrupting the flow of my spiritual energy. I can't now perform the fire-element techniques, nor can I use any tools." "Then how do you manage your self-explosion?" "It doesn't require any operation." "...Alright!" Zhang Yuanqing sighed again. He thought to himself that he truly was at a dead end—now even beginning to look forward to Jingwei's help. Under the current circumstances, self-rescue was impossible. He could only rely on his teammates or allied forces within the quest. Yet these allies were hidden among the common people, their movements discreet, making it hard for enemies to locate them—or for teammates to be found. Now trapped here, the chances of these allies discovering them were nearly zero. Just as he was growing increasingly worried, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor outside the iron gate. Then came Wang Beiwang's sharp command: "Ah Niu, stop! Xu Elder has ordered that no one be allowed to approach." Standing there, dressed in simple cloth garments and with a sturdy build, Ah Niu halted at a distance, shouting urgently, "Beiwang, it's serious Your father is outside. Your sister has been randomly selected by the court to be offered as a young male and female sacrifice to the heavens.