Destroy Crimson Firmament

In Room A, Zhang Xuezhou and the King of Huainan were very happy.

One reason is that they benefited from the investment, and the other is that they are confident in the future of investing.

The King of Huainan was not stingy with any external resources as long as they were useful.

For example, he was willing to exchange a thousand-year-old ginseng for the return of Crown Prince Liu Qian, King of Huainan was also willing to give up the authority of the Jiazifang (a high-ranking official position) and even his own transportation equipment.

For the King of King of Huainan, this would not be much of a loss.

A thousand-year-old ginseng can be found again, and the Jiazifang (甲字房) was originally meant for people to see. As for the equipment, he still has the ability to retrieve it after it is sent out.

Just like Zhang Xuezhou's understanding of weapon manipulation, the King of Huainan did not need to engage in tactical warfare at this time. His skill in tactical manipulation was already extremely high. The next step would be to transform into a five-clawed golden dragon and achieve imperial legitimacy, which was far beyond what a single weapon could provide.

The King of Huainan was indeed extremely generous, without any coy stinginess or desire to scheme.

As a practitioner of fortune-telling, even if he doesn't have exceptionally good luck and smooth sailing in all matters, he certainly won't encounter any bad luck.

"Unless His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, or those who practice orthodox cultivation techniques, are the ones who could possibly overcome me!"

He silently considered the worst-case scenario, and seeing that it was getting dark, the King of Huainan did not want to stay in Room A any longer.

"Once we unearth the underwater palace, I'll give you some elixirs to nourish your body!"

He made his promise, and then left leisurely amidst Zhang Xuezhou's respectful farewell.

"What a benefactor!"

Given Li Shang's familiarity with human medicine, the King of Huainan and others must have concocted human medicine, which led to the deaths of the people of Zhang Household Village.

And Jin Chang is also inextricably linked to it.

Zhang Xuezhou's connections with these people are extremely complex.

Regardless of what rewards the King of Huainan bestowed, or what efforts Jin Chang made to encourage his spiritual practice, it was all a matter of mutual benefit.

Of all the connections, the only thing lacking is sincerity.

Perhaps from the moment he left Zhang Household Village, the two had already gone their separate ways and could never intertwine again.

Even Zhang Xuezhou would have to call the Prince of King of Huainan a noble person for his actions. Anyone of average character would probably be extremely grateful and even swear to be loyal to him to the death.

But Zhang Xuezhou could only sigh to himself.

The King of Huainan is indeed a nobleman, but the fact that the Zhang Household Village people were used as medicine creates a barrier, making it difficult for Zhang Xuezhou, no matter how heartless he may be, to show sincerity to the King of Huainan.

He looked at the weapon in his hand, named ' Tenglong '.

Some of the remarks were unintentional, while others were deliberately brought up by Zhang Xuezhou.

What was once unintentional has become intentional, and he now possesses a magical artifact. Zhang Xuezhou even listened to the King of Huainan preach the "Honglie" mantra.

These gains far exceeded Zhang Xuezhou's estimates; he even accomplished his goal of coming to Shouchun City to find Dong Zhongshu.

With the Prince of King of Huainan, Zhang Xuezhou figured out how to avoid conflict with the new emperor's destiny.

"Honglie" not only shifted the predatory manipulation techniques to a gentle and slow absorption, but also made Zhang Xuezhou understand that manipulation tools could be used as a means of obstruction, weakening the direct conflict between them.

These methods cannot completely avoid conflict, but they can certainly reduce its likelihood.

Zhang Xuezhou was already satisfied with getting this far.

"In case His Majesty's magic clashes with mine, this Tenglong should be able to protect me from disaster!"

The ' Tenglong ' is the weapon of the King of Huainan. When worn, it is as if one is being positioned by Technique Method, causing various discomforts.

However, precisely because this magical artifact does not belong to Zhang Xuezhou, if any dispute arises regarding magical abilities, Zhang Xuezhou will not hesitate to involve the King of Huainan.

Just as Emperor Jing and the King of Liang pulled the King of Huainan into a contest of tactics, Zhang Xuezhou could also pull in this way.

Previously, he was too small to pull a large cart like the King of Huainan, but now that the King of Huainan's transport equipment was in his hands, it provided him with the convenience of pulling.

When there is no competition in terms of skill, this ' Tenglong ' can also nourish and benefit one's physical body.

Zhang Xuezhou muttered several lines to himself before fastening the Tenglong pendant to his body.

"Unfortunately, time is limited!"

Zhang Xuezhou scanned the four rooms marked "A".

As the most important place in Huainan Wenying Pavilion, the Jiazi Room contains the most valuable books. However, even after reading hundreds of thousands of words of "Honglie", Zhang Xuezhou found it difficult to be greedy and acquire more.

He looked around and eventually left the room before returning to reality.

Did you just flip through "Honglie" randomly after finishing it?

"Yes!"

"He's still the same as before!"

Zhang Xuezhou's actions in the Jiazi Room were not a secret; if the King of Huainan wanted to know, he could obtain the most accurate information.

Upon hearing Tian Youxu recount that Zhang Xuezhou had been flipping through books haphazardly, flipping through one or two volumes of every kind, the King of Huainan couldn't help but sigh.

Without his presence, the King of Huainan felt that no matter how many times Dongfang Shuo entered the Jiazi Room, it would be of no use.

Even the best books are useless if you don't meet the level of need.

This is a place that only top-tier retainers would seek to enter. The King of Huainan either set requirements for these top-tier retainers to complete risky tasks or set time limits. The top-tier retainers also have three opportunities to enter each year.

Even top-tier guest advisors require such arrangements; Zhang Xuezhou's cultivation is shallow and his accumulation insufficient. Clearly, he has entered the Wenying Pavilion's Class A room three times in just a few years, which is far too many times.

Ironically, this guy did exactly what was required to enter, and he didn't seek any other rewards, which left the King of Huainan only able to marvel at the strangeness of the other man's fate.

"Prepare three Holy Blood Pills and one Lesser Rejuvenation Pill. Send them to him when he emerges from the Huai River Water Palace," the King of Huainan instructed.

"Your Majesty is kind and benevolent!"

Tian You nodded in agreement.

If the Water Palace truly reveals itself, the other party will receive a reward.

If the Water Mansion doesn't come out, the other party should hurry up and leave.

Regardless of whether the Water Palace appeared or disappeared, the King of Huainan either did not pursue the matter or bestowed additional rewards, which made Tian You sigh that Zhang Xuezhou was ultimately lucky; no one else would have such fortune.

He was momentarily confused as to why the King of Huainan was being so generous, but he only needed to carry out the King of Huainan's orders.

"Your Majesty, a message has arrived from the Princess. Would you like to go and take a look?"

As if remembering something, Tian You quickly spoke up to persuade the King of Huainan, who wanted to return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, to stay.

"Ling'er has sent important news so quickly?" the King of Huainan asked doubtfully.

Less than a month after returning from Chang'an City, Liu Ling, who had stayed in Chang'an City to gather information and make connections, sent word.

This made the King of Huainan even more suspicious, feeling that there might be a situation of widespread suffering in Chang'an City.

He agreed to Tian You's request, and then strode towards the royal palace's secret chamber.

After several doors were opened, a large blue bird was indeed found feeding in the secret chamber of the King of Huainan, with strips of cloth tied to its long legs for communication.

The King of Huainan reached out and touched the head of the large blue bird. Only after the bird obediently raised one leg did he untie the strips of cloth binding it.

"His Majesty was protected during his ancestral worship, guarded by the Crimson Sky Sword!"

The words on the cloth strip were simple and easy to understand.

This was Liu Ling's own handwriting, and the contents of the secret message sent a chill down the spine of the King of Huainan.

The mere thought of Emperor Jing's sword strike during the battle sent chills down his spine.

No matter what methods the King of Liang uses, or what the King of Huainan relies on, he will surely be beheaded under the Chixiao Sword.

Having witnessed the power of the Crimson Sky Sword, the King of Huainan had little hope of maintaining his advantage in battle.

Unless he can kill the new emperor in one blow, he must not have any improper thoughts.

However, the conflict between the new emperor and the King of Huainan will not end with the King of Huainan retreating. Once the two sides clash in terms of tactics, it will likely lead to disastrous consequences.

The King of Huainan dared not place his life in the hands of the new emperor.

"The Crimson Sky must be destroyed!"

After much deliberation, the King of Huainan finally determined the conditions necessary for his peaceful and worry-free survival.