Wang Beiwang felt a sudden roar in his mind, as if struck by thunder from five heavens. His face instantly turned pale, and he stood frozen in place. Wang Xiu had been chosen by the court? The notice had only just been posted yesterday, and already today they were beginning to search for young boys and girls... It made sense—such a thing, even in a feudal society, was utterly appalling. It had to be done swiftly, not gradually. The longer they delayed, the greater the resistance would grow. Zhang Yuancheng, who was in the dungeon, heard the exchange between the two. His heart sank. In his mind, he saw the timid, pleading gaze of the young girl. "Why has Xiu been chosen? Why has Xiu been chosen?" Wang Beiwang's expression twisted, and a fierce, burning anger surged within him, licking at his mind and causing spasms in his limbs. In fact, after the court issued the notice, an emergency meeting had already been convened within the Qinglong Guild, with plans to ambush the imperial officers patrolling the road to the capital, and rescue the children. In their eyes, the court could never have gathered children from the city to serve as human sacrifices, since city dwellers were far more precious than rural peasants—this was the shallow understanding of most people today. Wang Beiwang willingly stepped into the matter, knowing how perilous it was, so he returned home to see his parents and set aside the savings he had accumulated. Unbelievably, Xiuer was chosen instead. Wang Beiwang's eyes, now streaked with blood vessels, widened as he staggered backward, his heart ablaze with a fire that seemed determined to consume everything. "Wait!" came a voice from behind—Emperor Zhao Shun, the incompetent ruler, shouting, "Have you forgotten the orders of Elder Xu?" Wang Beiwang halted, his face contorting once more. He rushed back in a frenzy, speaking with fierce intensity: "Incompetent ruler! All of this has been caused by you. I will kill you right now—there will be no need for me to remain as a guard. After all, you will die eventually, so why wait for the Master to carry out the execution? I will go and rescue Xiuer. Whoever stands in my way, I will kill. This cursed court, this cursed Amidst furious curses, Wang Beiwang produced the key, opened the iron gate, and removed his sword from behind his back with a murderous expression. The long blade pierced straight for his throat. Zhang Yuqing raised his face, calm and resolute: "I can save Xiuhu." The tip of the sword halted, mere half an inch from his throat. Zhang Yuqing repeated: "I can save Xiuhu, but with one condition—you must take me with you." Wang Beiwang glared at him fiercely, pushing the sword forward until it touched Zhang Yuqing's throat: "Do you think I'm going to let you trick me into leaving? Are you trying to make me look like a fool?" "Then now, you can kill me right here and go alone to rescue Wang Xiuhu. In that case, you'll die, she'll die, and your parents will too." Zhang Yuqing spoke rapidly, fearing that the furious man would truly pierce him through. "Don't you find it strange that Xiuhu was chosen? It suggests the court wishes to expedite the heavenly sacrifice ceremony and present this matter as a decisive success. Therefore, they've selected young boys and girls from the city rather than from the "The wars between the northern and southern dynasties have been relentless, forcing large numbers of villagers to flee southward, resulting in significant population loss. To gather three hundred young boys and girls, we'd have to search through various villages. From the moment the orders are issued until the people are transported back to the capital, time will be needed—plus, unforeseen events along the way must also be considered." Wang Beiwang said coldly. "Is that all?" In his view, this information was merely a matter of thought. Zhang Yuancheng spoke calmly: "I want to tell you that the imperial court places great importance on this celestial ritual. With your rather mediocre sword skills, how could you possibly rescue Xiuer? No, you would only burden Wang Uncle and Wang Aunt." Wang Beiwang's expression stiffened. Zhang Yuancheng seized the momentum: "Only I can rescue Xiuer, because I am the reigning emperor, the sovereign of the realm. As soon as you take me out of here, I will help you save Xiuer." Wang Beiwang hesitated, as if weighing his options, then suddenly snorted, "A foolish king. You want to entice me to leave with you—should I truly believe you, I'll end up with the hare killed and the dog cooked. Then you'll just have to wait here and die. I'll save Xiu'er myself." With that, he sheathed his long sword and strode away. Zhang Yuancheng called after his back, "Stupid! Two days ago, I already left the palace." Wang Beiwang paused, stood motionless, as if carved from stone. After a long while, he suddenly turned around, gritting his teeth, "Foolish king! If you dare deceive me, I'll go all the way from the ends of the sky to the depths of the earth—no matter what, I'll kill you!" Immediately, he unfastened the handcuffs and foot chains of Jiang Jingwei and Zhang Yuancheng, lifting one in each hand and walked out. After leaving the underground prison within the manor, he reached the courtyard, where he placed both of them back into the carriage, helped by An Niu, laid down planks, and guided the carriage through the threshold Wang Shu stood outside, looking anxious. When Wang Beiwang appeared, he hurried forward: "Beiwang, Xiu'er has been taken by the soldiers." Beiwang nodded once. "I know. Father, I'll rescue Xiu'er. You go back now." Thinking for a moment, and realizing he wasn't very good at comforting people, he added: "Don't worry—Qinglong Hall won't stand by and do nothing." Wang Shu clutched his arm tightly: "We must absolutely rescue Xiu'er." After bidding farewell to his father, Beiwang took the carriage and headed toward the inner city, the wheels clicking steadily. The Tianji Pavilion was located in the inner city. Inside the carriage, Zhang Yuanqing struggled to sit up. The effects of the medicine that had loosened his muscles had worn off, and though he now had some mobility, he was still pinned at several acupuncture points. Every movement caused sharp pain and felt stiff and sluggish—like someone who had sat on the toilet for too long. "You're going to the inner city?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "You promised to save Xiu'er," Beiwang said coldly. " "Do you know where Xiu'er is?" "Nothing difficult about that—just a little inquiry is all." Zhang Yuanqing smiled warmly. "It seems you don't fully understand my current situation. Didn't Xu the Elder tell you? Then let me explain..." And so he recounted the entire story of Zheng family's rebellion, his own escape from the palace, and his subsequent life among the common people. Wang Beiwang suddenly braked the horse, stopped the carriage, lifted the curtain, and stared wide-eyed. "Really?" Zhang Yuanqing glanced around himself. "Otherwise, what would be the reason for my present plight? Now, if you take me to rescue Wang Xiu'er, it's like throwing a steamed bun at a dog—going there, but coming back with nothing." Wang Beiwang stared at him intently, for about ten seconds, then gritted his teeth. "A foolish king—you've been playing me!" "Stay calm," Zhang Yuanqing smiled gently. "As a cousin and a swordsman, one must learn to control one's temper, remain composed in times of difficulty, and fearless in peril—only then can one achieve great things." Wang Beiwang "Inhaling deeply, he gripped the hilt of his sword and said, 'Now what? You'd better give me a response I'm satisfied with—otherwise, blood will spill at five paces.' Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the bustling street and said calmly, 'Keep going. Don't stop. Be on the lookout for the city garrison asking questions.' Wang Beiwang could only shake the reins and keep driving. Zhang Yuanqing lowered the window curtain and added, 'If we're to save Xiuer and the three hundred young boys and girls, I'll have to personally intervene. But we can't handle this privately—otherwise, the Zheng family will have the opportunity to eliminate the witnesses. It must happen in full view of the court officials and the people of the capital.' 'Therefore, the day of the heavenly sacrifice is when I'll step forward. Brother, you'll have to wait a little longer.' Zhang Yuanqing smiled. 'Don't worry about me playing games—I'm a fallen emperor, barely managing to stay safe. My safety depends on you. Keep me safe through tonight, and I'll help you rescue Xiuer.'" Wang Beiwang remained silent, thinking for nearly half a minute before finally saying, "I'll believe you this time." He had realized he had been 'duped.' When Emperor Zhao Shun had lured him into the dungeon, he hadn't mentioned these details. Once Wang Beiwang had been brought out of Xu Elder's manor, there was no going back. He could only rely on the emperor—though Emperor Zhao Shun was weak, unable to carry heavy loads or lift objects, and his fate was firmly in Wang Beiwang's hands. That was his only leverage. "Where shall we go now?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Wang Beiwang thought for a moment and replied, "I have a place of refuge in the western part of the city, which I've used to evade pursuit from my enemies. It's quite concealed and few people know about it." The carriage stopped at the roadside, turned around, and headed west toward the city's western sector. The capital of the Southern Dynasty was vast, and it took the carriage nearly half an hour to reach Wang Beiwang's destination. It was a modest courtyard built of gray bricks, with a somewhat dull overall tone. The walls showed signs of wear, with many patches of weathered damage. The courtyard gate was small and could not accommodate the carriage. Wang Beiwang therefore unloaded the carriage, separated the vehicle from the horses, left the carriage outside, and brought the horses inside. By midday, Jiang Jingwei, hungry, pressed against his chest and back, and insisted on having a meal. Wang Beiwang, though sharp-tongued and gentle-hearted, took Zhang Yuanqing to the market and bought steamed buns, pig heads, and beef. The three of them managed to settle on a "Uncle, now we're in this together—first, tell me, will the Qinglong Clan settle accounts with you for bringing me out privately?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, satisfied, as he patted his belly. "You practice a fire-based cultivation technique, yet you can't perform point-striking?" "I can only fight—nothing else." "Even in fighting, you don't seem particularly skilled." "Then fight." At that moment, she saw a servant rush in and say, "Your Majesty, a lady outside requests to see you, claiming she is one of your old acquaintances, from the Shen family!" Shen? A spark of recognition passed through Guan Ya's mind. "Bring her to the outer hall to see me." A few minutes later, when Guan Ya was waiting in the outer hall, she saw a servant leading a young woman of ordinary appearance enter. Guan Ya dismissed the servant and examined the young woman, who in turn was gazing at her. After a brief exchange of glances, Guan Ya试探ly asked, "Lingxi?" At this, the young woman beamed with delight. "Guan Ya sister? You're truly the Yang Empress!" Guan Ya smiled. "The emperor is Yuan Shi, and I am the empress—doesn't that make sense?" The young woman of ordinary appearance nodded in agreement. "I am one of the imperial beauties in the emperor's harem." Guan Ya's smile faltered slightly. "Let's get down to business," she said. "What about the others?" Shen Lingxi shook her head. "Today, we stunned a guard of the imperial army and dressed him in our clothes to make our exit from the palace." She recounted to Guan Ya all the details of the assassination that night, her own role and responsibilities, as well as Yuan Shi's analysis of the quest's storyline. "Now I understand why Yuan Shi was so disheveled—he had his level sealed." Guan Ya exclaimed in realization. "What about after you escape the palace? Where do you plan to meet up?" Xie Lingxi replied, "Since we're unfamiliar with the capital, we've agreed to meet at the Tianji Building. Guan Ya, shall we go together?" Guan Ya shook her head. "It's getting dark now, and there's a curfew in the city. Let's talk about it tomorrow." ... The next day, early morning. While still half-asleep, Zhang Yuanqing heard the familiar quest notification sound coming from beside him: 【Ping! Congratulations! You have successfully completed the side quest: Survive for 72 hours.