The Plan Begins

Li Shaojun has arrived in Chang'an City.

He and Zhang Xuezhou worked together very well, but Li Shaojun never gained any significant benefits; instead, he died time and time again.

Normally, Li Shaojun would never want to work with someone like Zhang Xuezhou again.

But he couldn't resist the tempting offers Zhang Xuezhou made each time.

Whether it's the Beast Taming Sect, the three immortal islands overseas, or refining elixirs for the emperor, all of these matters are linked to great interests.

Li Shaojun thought to himself that he was very unlucky, but he couldn't be unlucky every time.

After his first failed attempt, he felt that things couldn't be repeated, but the disastrous second voyage made Li Shaojun believe that things shouldn't happen more than three times.

Now it was the third time. After much deliberation, he decided to hurry from the Northern Border to Chang'an City in no time.

Using the address left by Zhang Xuezhou, Li Shaojun found the Zhang residence in Old Tree Alley with great ease.

But as soon as Li Shaojun stepped into the Zhang residence, he felt terrible.

Looking at the gloomy and melancholy face in the courtyard, he couldn't help but shudder.

"You're only thirty-eight years old, how did you become like this? Did you take the wrong medicine or did you use some kind of aging Technique Method to change your appearance?"

As expected, the sound came, and Li Shaojun felt extremely uneasy.

He had barely entered Chang'an City when his dignified, sage-like appearance was already seen through.

If this woman before him was connected to the emperor of Chang'an City, Li Shaojun felt he could pack his bags and go home.

Cultivators who cultivate life are very rare. These cultivators don't have many different Technique Method abilities; their only way to protect themselves is to fight with others to increase their lifespan, exchanging their own life for their opponent's.

After just one or two battles, the cultivator is practically doomed.

These cultivators are impossible to defeat; their only advantage is that they live a long time without engaging in combat.

This made it difficult for cultivators to adapt to the struggles among cultivators, and they gradually disappeared into the cultivation trend, leaving only some interesting stories from their past cultivation.

Li Shaojun never expected that after hundreds or even thousands of years, he would still see such ancient cultivators.

His Aging Technique was meticulously crafted, flawless in every aspect from Technique Method to Technique Method, yet the cultivator of destiny saw through its true nature, making Li Shaojun feel that his Aging Technique had encountered an opponent it shouldn't have.

He couldn't say anything other than "bad luck" about this.

This unfavorable start severely impacted Li Shaojun's mentality, prompting him to consider fleeing Chang'an City.

"Master Li is here?"

When Zhang Xuezhou's voice came, Li Shaojun looked back with a grim expression, feeling that there was no joy left in taking advantage of Zhang Xuezhou.

"Damn it, I don't think this can be done!"

Li Shaojun glanced at Cai Ma and replied listlessly.

"What, you're scared by just one sentence from Cai Ma?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"This is a warning sign for me," Li Shaojun said seriously. "I've never gotten any benefits from following you, and now things are like this right from the start. How can you expect me to feel at ease!"

"If you don't have the right mindset, don't come!"

Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand, signaling Li Shaojun to leave quickly.

"You can be Li Shaojun, and he can be Li Shaojun too. As long as you know how to refine pills, everyone can be Li Shaojun!"

Zhang Xuezhou stretched out his five fingers, and after wiping them on his face, he raised his head again, his hair now white and his face ruddy with age.

"I could even be Li Shaojun!"

Li Shaojun has been elusive and mysterious over the years, leaving behind a considerable reputation, but few have ever seen Li Shaojun true face.

The fact that no one has ever seen Li Shaojun means that he can be imitated and impersonated.

If Li Shaojun cannot help Zhang Xuezhou complete the task in the imperial edict, Zhang Xuezhou might, in a moment of desperation, stage his own drama.

He remained calm and composed, and when he reached up to wipe his face again, his expression returned to normal.

This change amazed Rong Li, who was cooking meat nearby, while Cai Ma looked incredulous, and Li Shaojun's face grew even uglier.

"Don't mess with me like this," Li Shaojun muttered, "I never said I wasn't going to play with you anymore!"

With Zhang Xuezhou's attitude made clear, Li Shaojun had no choice.

If Li Shaojun doesn't work out, Zhang Xuezhou will definitely put forward someone Li Shaojun.

The thought of Zhang Xuezhou living a life of luxury and receiving large sums of medicine, while he could only watch from afar, made Li Shaojun feel worse than if he were dead.

He felt the start was unlucky, but not so unlucky as to be fatal.

As soon as Zhang Xuezhou changed the subject, Li Shaojun eagerly moved closer.

"You have to help me out," Li Shaojun pleaded. "You can't keep all the benefits for yourself!"

"Your attitude is wrong!"

"I have a great attitude. Whatever you ask me to do, I'll just smile and not flinch at all!"

"Real?"

"Real!"

"Don't blame me when you mess up and get your head chopped off!"

Zhang Xuezhou gave him repeated instructions, which made Li Shaojun take several deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I need to make this clear beforehand: if there are people practicing Fate Technique in the palace, we're all doomed," Li Shaojun warned after taking a deep breath. "The royal family has the most secret manuals passed down through generations; who knows what unexpected people might pop up and cause trouble!"

How did you know that Cai Ma had practiced the Fate Technique?

"High cultivation level, but not much Law Power; youthful appearance, yet her eyes lack naivety and instead possess a mature quality, which I find very strange!"

Li Shaojun casually mentioned a few key elements.

This is similar to Zhang Xuezhou's feeling when he first met Cai Ma.

Zhang Xuezhou even suspected that Cai Ma's cultivation had already reached the Sole Self Realm and the True Self Realm, making it difficult for him to see Cai Ma's cultivation level clearly.

Zhang Xuezhou sensed something was amiss, while Li Shaojun, with his vast experience, immediately thought of cultivators.

"Since you can tell, you should just avoid those who might practice Fate Technique," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"It's impossible to guard against!"

Li Shaojun sighed helplessly, feeling that Zhang Xuezhou's demands were too high.

How could he possibly know who in the Great Han royal family practiced the Fate Technique, or who was it that came to expose him?

If he were surrounded by dozens or hundreds of onlookers, he wouldn't have the sharp eyesight to discern the difference.

Perhaps it was just a eunuch, or a concubine, or even a palace maid who practiced these cultivation methods that are obsolete in modern times.

If someone were to call out to Cai Ma like that, or if whispers were overheard by someone with ulterior motives, it could ruin everything.

"Since that's the case... then you might need to put on some airs!"

Zhang Xuezhou's initial plan was to recommend Li Shaojun to the Imperial Medical Hall to practice alchemy, with Yi Shuo's help as a cover, and with the help of Zheng Wukong and others, so that Li Shaojun could gain a foothold in the alchemy world.

This process will subject Li Shaojun to scrutiny and examination, but it will also grant Li Shaojun the qualifications of a Grand Alchemist, allowing him to refine elixirs in Chang'an City for an extended period.

In this way, it will be very convenient for him and Li Shaojun to get whatever medicinal herbs they want.

Little did Zhang Xuezhou know that the plan had ended before it even began.

Having encountered the unexpected factor of Cai Ma, Li Shaojun also began to plug the loopholes.

The consequences of deceiving the emperor are dire. Every oversight must be guarded against. People are more afraid of the unexpected than the inevitable. If someone suddenly appears and says that Li Shaojun is an imposter, a thorough investigation will bring disaster upon both Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun.

No matter what the two of them did in the Great Han Dynasty, their efforts would all come to naught.

If an emperor were to issue an order to exterminate nine generations of a family in a fit of rage, the number of people who would be beheaded would certainly not be limited to just those two.

Li Shaojun exchanged a few words in hushed tones, and Zhang Xuezhou's attitude quickly became serious.

He pondered for a long time and felt that Li Shaojun needed to be an enlightened master who was not tainted by worldly interests, neither entering the palace nor easily refining elixirs. Everything he needed could only be provided by the new emperor, and he could not tamper with it to covet it.

Only by staying outside the palace for an extended period could Li Shaojun reduce the chances of encountering unexpected events.

Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun discussed it in hushed tones. Li Shaojun nodded repeatedly, feeling that Zhang Xuezhou's consideration was quite thorough. If he didn't enter the palace, it would be much easier for him to escape if something happened in the future.