An Unsolved Mystery

Returning to Mount Tai, time has changed, and everything has changed.

Gongsun Hong was quite ill, and it took Zhang Xuezhou and the others a lot of effort to get him down the mountain.

"My health is about to flare up. You take Master Gongsun to Zichuan, and we'll meet in Chang'an City. Anyone who doesn't go is a dog!"

Zhang Xuezhou made some simple arrangements, and Li Shaojun responded by barking twice.

This almost made Zhang Xuezhou want to slap Li Shaojun to death.

"Going to the imperial court isn't like treasure hunting. As long as you stay calm, it's not difficult to gain some benefits," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"I wanted to get a pill-refining Pill Cauldron, but I couldn't find Pill Cauldron. You said you'd give me the gourd, but now the gourd is gone too," Li Shaojun said. "What can I use to go to the imperial court to refine pills?"

"Gentlemen... if you need to use a fine Pill Cauldron cauldron for alchemy at the imperial court, the court possesses a Nine Dragon Cauldron. This cauldron was passed down from the Qin Dynasty and is the top-tier Pill Cauldron of the Qin Dynasty," Gongsun Hong introduced. "If you two use this cauldron to refine pills, you will surely be able to produce excellent pills!"

"The Nine Dragon Cauldron?"

Zhang Xuezhou asked in doubt.

Li Shaojun seemed to be deep in thought.

Bringing one's own Pill Cauldron and other equipment can enhance one's authority, but obtaining the imperial court's top-tier Pill Cauldron cauldron is also feasible, it just requires changing some of the methods used.

"This Pill Cauldron must be difficult to carry?" Zhang Xuezhou asked hesitantly.

"If it's the imperial court seeking alchemy, it's not you who are in a hurry," Gongsun Hong reminded him. "As long as you specify the cauldron and refine the elixir well, someone will find a way to borrow the Nine Dragon Cauldron for you!"

"That makes sense!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

From proactively offering Pill Cauldron to leaving empty-handed and directly requesting the imperial court to provide top-tier Pill Cauldron, this represents a tremendous shift in mindset.

Zhang Xuezhou and others previously focused on their own professional expertise, making Li Shaojun appear respectable and sophisticated, thus gaining people's trust.

Gongsun Hong, on the other hand, suggested that Li Shaojun and others directly borrow important imperial artifacts.

If the equipment provided by the imperial court is substandard, at least there is a reason for the failure of alchemy, and it also provides a way out.

He spoke a few words in a low voice, which made Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun's eyes light up.

It must be said that although Gongsun Hong's official career was not smooth, he was quite clear about the ins and outs of the court, and his advice could save people a lot of detours.

"In other words, the court failed to meet my requirements, and the failure of the alchemy cannot be blamed on me. If the court could provide the Nine Dragon Cauldron, I would not need to search for the Pill Cauldron myself," Li Shaojun confirmed.

"That makes sense," Gongsun Hong nodded.

"If I manage to gain any benefits from the imperial court, you'll definitely get your share!"

Li Shaojun thought it through and realized that he needed to learn from Gongsun Hong along the way how to secure his position in the imperial court.

He had always been a carefree, uncivilized man and lacked experience in this area, while Zhang Xuezhou was also a novice who was unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the court.

He quickly provided a guarantee, mentioning that he would share any profits he gained with Gongsun Hong.

This made Gongsun Hong nod repeatedly.

The original secret spring has vanished, and Gongsun Hong's family is extremely poor. He has suffered injuries and has few places to seek medical treatment.

As long as Li Shaojun and others can share some of the profits with him, Gongsun Hong will obviously be in complete agreement with Li Shaojun and others on this matter.

Besides offering advice, the other party would even provide assistance to the best of their ability, ensuring that Li Shaojun and others felt that the effort was worthwhile.

"Okay, I'll do as you say!"

After descending Mount Tai, Li Shaojun carried Gongsun Hong on his back to find a carriage, and the two talked frequently along the way.

Zhang Xuezhou found a spot, then leaped away gracefully.

The Taishan area is not far from Hibiscus City; this is the distance Zhang Xuezhou can reach by using the Cloud-Soaring Technique and his demonic wings.

With the time to return to reality drawing near, Zhang Xuezhou tried his best to find a safe place to rest.

As for what happened after he woke up again, it was his journey to find his horse and return to Chang'an City.

"Mr. Gongsun, how come Dongfang Shuo seems to have connections everywhere? How did he get involved with the Immortal Court?"

Zhang Xuezhou flew away, and although his whereabouts were relatively well concealed, Li Shaojun still managed to spot a trace of him.

He thought about Zhang Xuezhou and couldn't help but ask Gongsun Hong, wanting to hear what Gongsun Hong had seen and heard along the way, and whether he had discovered anything different from what he had heard.

"I heard that the Golden Cloud Sovereign is stationed in the secret realm year-round and rarely leaves," Li Shaojun said. "Moreover, they are a long-lived species. Apart from those of their own generation, they have completely severed all other relationships. It is extremely difficult to form friendships with them!"

"This also piques my curiosity!"

Gongsun Hong nodded in agreement.

Apart from a few internal traitors, the Great Han Dynasty was completely ignorant of the Immortal Court Immortal Court and had no way to communicate or maintain contact with it.

Even if they were traitors within the imperial court, Gongsun Hong was certain that even if these people received funding and promises from the Immortal Court, their status within the Immortal Court would still be very low.

He didn't need to confirm; he could judge something simply by the treatment he received at the Golden Summit.

Humans, being short-lived species, have limited lifespans, making it highly unlikely they will receive focused training.

Once they've squeezed out all the remaining value, these people will disappear from the Immortal Court, as if they'd never existed at all.

To be able to join a celestial sect like Jin Ding is already considered very lucky.

As for Zhang Xuezhou's situation, it was rather bizarre. Not only was Li Shaojun curious, but Gongsun Hong was also curious and found it difficult to understand.

"I met Dongfang Shuo before at the Jade Emperor Peak of Mount Tai. At that time, he was with his cousin from the Immortal Court..."

"Rong Tianding?"

"That young man has only just begun his cultivation journey; there's no way he could have any significant connection to it. Besides, his family are butchers; their ancestors weren't particularly distinguished!"

Li Shaojun and Gongsun Hong discussed in hushed tones.

Let alone the fact that a minor cultivator like Rong Tianding couldn't possibly establish connections with the Immortal Court, even someone with Zhang Xuezhou's cultivation level couldn't, and even Gongsun Hong had absolutely no chance of attracting the Immortal Court's attention through sheer strength.

The more they discussed it, the less they could understand how Zhang Xuezhou had involved the Immortal Court.

Even if this kind of relationship is one in a million, Zhang Xuezhou has it.

Just thinking about how they were struggling to row their boat in the sea yesterday, and now they were back in the territory of the Great Han Dynasty, even Gongsun Hong and the others felt a little unreal.

"I initially had some issues with Dongfang Shuo," Li Shaojun complained. "I never got any benefits from following him, but in the end, I still have to thank him!"

"This is just that what we encountered was beyond our ability to deal with. To end up like this is already a blessing in disguise," Gongsun Hong sighed.

"That's true. I'm telling you, I'm really lacking in good fortune in this life. It's very likely that there's a serious problem with my destiny. Do you have the ability to help me?"

"Didn't you have the protection of the Great Ancestor?"

"I've had the worst luck imaginable! My great-grandfather was killed by that immortal wielding the Yin-Yang Mirror!"

"Are you really possessed by the spirit of Mao Zedong?"

"It was a lingering spirit of my great-grandfather, who occasionally passed on some Daoist skills to me, but now it's gone!"

"Yin and Yang are difficult to harmonize. If your destiny is too bad, it's very likely due to the influence of your great-grandfather. It's better that he's gone now!"

Gongsun Hong offered Li Shaojun several words of advice, which caused Li Shaojun's expression to change slightly.

Powerful Aristocratic Clan rely on their wealth, while the poor can only rely on ingenuity.

Li Shaojun made his fortune through this mutation, which led him to embark on the path of cultivation.

Now that Gongsun Hong has mentioned the triggering factors in his discussion, Li Shaojun can't help but feel a little uneasy, wondering if his fate will improve.