Dawn. A grand carriage rolled along the main road, drawing up at the square outside the Tianji Building. The twelve attendants halted their horses. Zheng Wenhan, dressed in a deep crimson robe, stepped down from the carriage on a wooden stool, giving orders to his attendants: "You remain here for now!" Then, with his hands lowered and sleeves flowing gently, he walked toward the Tianji Building. "Does the Master know where Zhao Shun is hidden?" Zheng Wenhan nodded slightly and said, "Please show me the way—I wish to see the Master." The middle-aged Taoist shook his head: "The Master is in seclusion, deep in meditation, at a crucial moment. No visitors will be received before the celestial sacrifice begins." Zheng Wenhan frowned: "I have an urgent matter of utmost importance." The Yang family has already sensed his intentions. Over the past few days, they have continuously submitted joint petitions from high-ranking court officials, demanding an audience with the Emperor. Meanwhile, the Yang family's household guards, their guest scholars, and the garrison troops stationed in the city have been actively mobilizing—seemingly searching for something. This makes it difficult for him to deploy the city garrison and regular troops to search for Zhao Shun. If things continue as they are, the Zheng family will have no choice but to launch a forced rebellion. He must eliminate Zhao Shun before the celestial sacrifice begins, then initiate a military coup under the pretext of purging the court's puppet ministers—thus securing the decisive outcome. Yet Zhao Shun remains elusive. The middle-aged Taoist smiled warmly and produced a silk Zheng Wenhan opened the silk scroll, extracted the scroll inside, and unfolded it. On the paper, it read the characters "Shen Rui." His pupils slightly contracted. The middle-aged Taoist maintained a warm smile. "Over the past two days, Zheng Chancellor has instructed the city's garrison to keep a close watch on both the inner and outer city walls. Should any conflict arise, the army shall immediately encircle and eliminate the involved parties without exception. The celestial sacrifice ceremony will take place three days from now—do not delay." Zheng Wenhan folded the scroll and placed it back in the silk scroll. "I understand." As Zheng Wenhan stepped out of the Tianji Building, the middle-aged Taoist produced another silk scroll. "Sister, go now." A woman in a Taiji Taoist robe appeared—sweet in appearance but with a composed, distant demeanor—receiving the scroll and then vanishing. ... 【Ping! Congratulations! You have completed the side quest: Survive for 72 hours.】 【Ping! Task reward: Unlocked Shengzhe Realm spiritual power and items.】 【Ping! New side quest activated: Rescue Wang Xiu!】 【Ping! New side quest activated: Enlist Zhang Yuancheng’s forehead grew scorching as he lay on the simple bed. The Taiyin seal emerged, transforming into a brilliant nebula, and a vast, pure flow of stellar and Taiyin energies surged into his body. His body, like a dry sponge, greedily absorbed both energies, only ceasing its intake when it reached the peak of Level 4. With his eyes now open, the once dim and weary gaze, weakened by illness, now shone bright and luminous, like stars. "Back to the peak of Level 4!" After assessing his condition, he opened his inventory, retrieved a pill of Saint-level quality, and swallowed it. The pathogens in his body had been transmitted by a Level 6 Saint. Even with the healing power of Ye You Shen and specialized medicinal pills, he could only barely survive, losing all combat capability. Even upon returning to the Level 4 Saint realm, he would still need to rely on his own healing treatments to maintain his health. Then, he checked his inventory again. The low-quality items for the Saint-level realm had been unlocked, while the mid-to-high quality items remained sealed—those corresponding to Level 4, and the others to Levels 5 and 6 "Good thing I collected a lot of lower-quality items during my time in the New Covenant County. Otherwise, as a gear-focused deity with nothing but top-tier gear, I'd be completely at a loss in this situation." Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief, then closed his inventory and reviewed the quest log. The main quest remained unchanged, as did its notes. The side quests had changed—no longer based on survival duration, now they were clearly defined objectives. This was a positive development; completing just one side quest would now unlock a portion of his capabilities, eliminating the need to endure the time-based challenges he faced in the previous two instances. Time-based requirements were rigid and less flexible, making it difficult to showcase a high-level player's strategic execution. Objective-driven quests allowed for more dynamic and skillful gameplay. "Two side quests: rescue Wang Xiu and subdue the Qinglong Clan. Can the Qinglong Clan be considered an ally? Yes—the Qinglong Clan stands for justice, fundamentally different from the Zheng family. They oppose Zhao Shun not because of his incompetence, but because he is a weak ruler whose ineptitude has harmed the nation. At its core, the Qinglong Clan resents those who are detrimental to the country." "But convincing the Qinglong Clan will be quite challenging... Let's first rescue Wang Xiu." Zhang Yuanqing silently mapped out a strategy in his mind. He sat up, pushing aside Jiang Jingwei's leg that had been resting on his stomach, and with a single strong motion, roused her. Jiang Jingwei was full of morning grumpiness, rising to confront him fiercely, but Zhang Yuanqing calmly held her down with one hand, and no matter how much she kicked and struggled, it made no difference. Suddenly, Jiang Jingwei stopped, astonished, "You've recovered? You've regained your level!" She then scolded, "My side quests still aren't complete." "For such a lengthy narrative quest, we don't need to rush," Zhang Yuanqing said, pulling back the blanket, getting out of bed, and donning a coarse cotton coat before stepping out of the room. Outside, Wang Beiwang was feeding his horse with a bundle of dry grass. Seeing Zhang Yuanqing arrive, he said calmly, "I've already thought of a plan. It's well known in the town that the Zheng and Yang families have been at odds. Since the Zheng family seeks rebellion, we should seek aid from the Yang family. I'll "The Zheng family must have anticipated this, so now we need to think carefully about how to safely meet with the Yang family." Last night, he had considered numerous options. The ideal choice would have been to seek the assistance of the senior monks and the master of the Qinglong Sect, but given that the master is fiercely principled and would likely deliver a resounding slap to the current emperor upon seeing him, that plan seemed unlikely. The senior monk, Xu, was more approachable, and indeed, the master has mastered a fire-based cultivation technique, renowned throughout the realm as the "Martial Fire God," known for his fiery temperament and dynamic presence. Therefore, he settled on a more pragmatic approach—visiting the Yang family. "Once we meet the Yang family, what then? You know the Zheng family is undoubtedly watching closely. If I were to take over the Yang family, the Zheng family would be forced to either face certain defeat or launch a full-scale rebellion. Don't forget that the majority of the city's garrison forces are under Zheng's control. With their allies spread throughout the bureaucracy and the State Preceptor backing them, a direct confrontation with the Zheng family would leave me with no chance of victory," Zhang Yuanqing firmly rejected. Wang Beiw Zhang Yuanqing stood with his hands behind his back, scolding, "Brave commoner! How dare you show disrespect to the Emperor? Do you believe I'll send you out and have you beheaded?" Had the weak ruler suddenly become so spirited? Wang Beiwang was momentarily stunned, suppressing his anger and asking, "Then what is your plan?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled with a teasing tone, saying, "Staying here all this time has been rather dull. Does the capital have the Imperial Music Office or any teahouses and courtesan houses? Take me there and let me enjoy myself." Wang Beiwang took this seriously, furious, "Weak ruler! Even now, as your death draws near, you still think of women. I'll send you off to die first!" He seized the sword at hand and charged forward. It was well known throughout the realm that Emperor Zhao Shun, the reigning monarch, was deeply passionate about beauty. With three thousand noble ladies in the palace, he still selected new consorts every year. Each time he left the palace, he invariably claimed one virtuous household. Those of exceptional beauty were brought back to the palace, while those slightly less so were merely visited. Wang Beiwang unconsciously drew his sword, only to find the tip seemingly fused into the昏君's fingers, utterly unable to withdraw it. Despite exerting every ounce of strength, the other's arm remained perfectly still. "You... you..." Wang Beiwang stared blankly at the emperor. ……The wheels rolled steadily as Wang Nobe drove toward the inner city, the king’s words echoing in his mind, deeply stirring him. Years of wandering the martial world, his experience, insight, and judgment told him the king was deceiving him. Yet the tangible facts he had witnessed made it impossible for him to ignore. If that were not the case, how could the king have achieved such a sudden surge in power? After all, cultivation was no easy matter—Wang Nobe had devoted over ten years to refining his sword skills before achieving even modest progress. And how many renowned masters in the martial world had not reached their peak by their forties or fifties? A sudden leap in cultivation in a single night was unheard of. Wang Nobe grew more and more astonished, and for the first time, he felt a sense of reverence toward the king he had long resented—something he himself had not dared to admit. At that moment, a melody of delicate songs and gentle tunes reached his ears, signaling the arrival of the famed "Hong Xiu Pavilion" in the inner city. The Hongxiu Pavilion stands beside the main artery of the inner city, a two-story building draped in colorful red fabric. On the second floor, young women dressed in vibrant attire laugh, shout, scold, and playfully jostle each other, their movements causing the floral arrangements to sway and tremble—deliberately performing for the pedestrians below. At the entrance, a turtle-shaped official bows and nods, warmly welcoming guests and guiding the weary young men into the pavilion. As they entered the hall, Zhang Yuanqing took a quick glance and saw a large platform spread with a thin red carpet directly in front of the entrance—used for performances and musical recitals—now empty and still. The main hall was not crowded; guests gathered in small groups, having breakfast either alone or accompanied by a companion. Those dining alone were mostly the night visitors who had stayed overnight in the building and were now leaving after breakfast; those with companions were there for morning exercises. “Are you three visiting for the first time, or do you know any of the ladies well?” the old man, the Gu Gu, smiled warmly, “The ladies are still asleep. Would you like to have a quick breakfast first?” The three chose an inner, empty table and ordered breakfast. Zhang Yuanqing expressed his regret: “Come so early! I forgot that the pleasure houses operate in the evenings.” Wang Beiwang watched the old man’s back, hesitating, and asked tentatively, “Your Majesty, are you practicing magic?” “Outside, call me simply ‘Lord,’” Zhang Yuanqing pretended to be profound, “Magic is merely a minor art. I—my Lord—am actually practicing the method of commanding spirits and “Wang Beiwang suddenly realized: ‘I’ve heard the Master mention that the State Sage can communicate with spirits and gods, concoct medicinal elixirs, determine seasonal changes, and interpret celestial patterns through divination. Are you one of his disciples?’ ‘He doesn’t deserve it!’ Zhang Yuanqing rolled his eyes, speaking while the breakfast was still being served. ‘Wang Beiwang, I’ve assigned you a task. After you’ve finished breakfast, you’re to pretend to be a beggar, walk around a five-li radius of Tianji Building, and whenever you meet someone, announce: “I am the reincarnation of Yuan Shi Tianzun. I currently need ten taels of silver to return to the heavenly court. Should any kind-hearted person be willing to assist me, upon my return to heaven, I will bestow upon you the title of Jade Emperor.” If anyone asks you where Yuan Shi Tianzun is, simply bring them over.’ ‘I won’t do it,’ Wang Beiwang was visibly excited. ‘To be publicly humiliated like this—after all, I’m a well-known swordsman in the martial world.’ ‘Do you not wish to save Xiuer?’ ‘I…’ Then, carrying his broken bowl, he departed, leaving the beggar's bewildered gaze behind. After walking some distance and distancing himself from the beggar, Wang Beiwang hesitated, glanced here and there, and finally, driven by the resolve that "Xiu'er is most important," he shouted aloud: "I am the reincarnation of the Yuan Shi Tian Zun. I now urgently need ten taels of silver to return to the heavenly court. Should any kind-hearted person lend me a hand, upon my return, I shall bestow upon you the title of Jade Emperor." The passersby responded with looks of pity, astonishment, bewilderment, and even those of someone who had gone mad. A deep sense of shame surged through Wang Beiwang; his cheeks flushed, his voice dropped unconsciously, and he lowered his head, hurrying away. Only after walking far enough did he regain his courage and shout his message again—each time, receiving a distinct, unusual gaze from the onlookers. This repeated several times, and after an hour had passed, as Wang Beiwang was still shouting his lines, he suddenly heard someone tentatively ask: "The Yuan Shi Tian Zun?"