An Invitation from the Palace of Peace and Happiness

Anguo's return gift was quite interesting.

Zhang Xuezhou initially thought that the two servants carrying down a mahogany box contained several hundred taels of silver. However, when he opened the box, Zhang Xuezhou found that it was lined with dried herbs.

In the center of the herbs was a porcelain bottle containing elixirs.

This wooden box only looks big; it's actually quite light.

Looking at the words "One Fortune Pill" marked on the porcelain bottle, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but sigh that Anguo was indeed a remarkable person.

The fact that two servants personally carried it speaks volumes about the value of the Fortune Pill.

For some cultivators, five hundred taels of gold wouldn't even buy a single decent Fortune Pill, which is why these two were so earnest in carrying it into the room.

Anguo's pill clearly contained a wishful thought; it was a heartfelt gift, hoping that Zhang Xuezhou would one day reach the Divine Ability Realm.

If the other party weren't a powerful official, Zhang Xuezhou's sycophancy would easily turn him into a crony. He was genuinely happy to befriend this kind and beautiful great cultivator. In terms of gifts, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't find a single fault with Anguo's gifts and presents, which was far better than making a living under the new emperor.

Having consumed countless counterfeit versions of the Fortune Pill in real life, this was the first time Zhang Xuezhou had obtained the genuine product.

"These pills look really good!"

Li Shaojun was secretly pleased that Zhang Xuezhou's life-cultivation Fate Technique had failed and he had wasted a lot of medicinal herbs, but he never expected that a fool would come to Zhang Xuezhou's door with gifts.

Seeing Zhang Xuezhou open the storage box and take out the nourishing pills to examine them, Li Shaojun could easily recognize them.

He gave a sour compliment, which prompted Zhang Xuezhou to flip his hand after examining the Fortune Pill, and then, with a simple gesture, stuff the porcelain bottle into his storage bag.

He didn't seek any elixirs for nourishment; he simply stuffed the contents into a pouch for safekeeping, lest Li Shaojun tamper with it after he lost consciousness.

"Still wary of me?" Li Shaojun complained.

"When the Empress Dowager bestows upon you the elixir, I'll see where you've stored it," Zhang Xuezhou replied irritably.

"I'm risking my life for medicine, don't you have any ill intentions or schemes!"

Only someone with ulterior motives would think that way!

You're the one with ulterior motives, you're so stingy!

"Hehe!"

"What are you 'hehe'ing about? I hate it when people 'hehe'!"

Zhang Xuezhou inspected Anguo's gifts and then fooled around with the idle Li Shaojun until Cui Yan's voice rang out outside the gate, at which point the two stopped talking.

"We're going to Palace of Peace and Happiness," Zhang Xuezhou warned. "Don't cause any trouble or make too many demands there. Let's get through this first!"

"I know!"

Li Shaojun grunted twice, indicating that he would prioritize the overall situation.

The Empress Dowager was old and blind, and also tainted by the Sha Qi of the corpse. Without special cultivation methods or good fortune, it would be difficult for her to save her life.

Even if Li Shaojun were to argue, he wouldn't bother with someone who was about to die. Even if the Empress Dowager reneged on the debt, he would just laugh it off.

The fact that the new emperor gained fame with the Red Empyrean Sword, yet was still under the jurisdiction of Palace of Peace and Happiness, was something neither Li Shaojun nor Zhang Xuezhou had anticipated.

In addition to gaining the new emperor's trust, Li Shaojun also needed to gain the trust of the Empress Dowager.

The best outcome would be to gain the trust of both, while the worst outcome would be for Li Shaojun to be exposed by the Empress Dowager and thus forced to flee with his life.

"Lord Cui!"

"Thank you so much Lord Cui, for bringing the medicine yesterday. It was thanks to you that this old Daoist priest was able to barely suppress his injuries!"

The two men came out to greet him, causing Cui Yan, who had just entered to check, to blink repeatedly.

Yesterday, Li Shaojun was seriously injured and on the verge of death, but today she is old and frail yet walks gracefully. There is still a hint of unhealthy flush on her face, but her graceful figure makes Cui Yan envious.

"The Empress Dowager has been concerned about Master Li and wants to see if his injuries have stabilized," Cui Yan said.

"Things have stabilized for now. Please thank your Empress Dowager on my behalf," Li Shaojun said politely.

"The Empress Dowager mentioned the close ties within the Daoist community and instructed me to ensure Master Li's good health," Cui Yan said. "As long as Master Li is able, Palace of Peace and Happiness is willing to take him in to care for him and will do everything in Palace of Peace and Happiness's power to help him recover!"

"My body is ultimately... ah~"

Li Shaojun made a few excuses, then quickly covered his chest and coughed, swaying slightly.

"Master Li has just been subdued from a long illness. He is penniless and too embarrassed to admit his mistake. If Palace of Peace and Happiness can treat Master Li, it would be good to send him there as soon as possible," Zhang Xuezhou suggested.

"The Empress Dowager agrees," Cui Yan nodded repeatedly. "I also brought Medical Officer Zhao and Physician Wang with me today, so that the Daoist Master will be taken care of on the way back to Palace of Peace and Happiness!"

"That's good," Zhang Xuezhou sighed regretfully. "I was really afraid that something might happen to Master Li in my house. I recruited him, and if he caused trouble, I might become a sinner against Daoist School!"

"Academician Dongfang, please don't say that!"

Cui Yan's expression changed slightly. He looked at Li Shaojun, who was swaying unsteadily, and then quickly called out to Medical Officer Zhao and Physician Wang.

Two physicians in red robes rushed in immediately.

"This..."

"There are signs that the oil is running out and the lamp is about to burn out!"

"His body is almost completely depleted!"

Medical Officer Zhao rushed over, reached out and touched it, then hesitated before speaking, while Physician Wang spoke quickly and directly.

The medical diagnosis from the two doctors caused Cui Yan's expression to change. He felt that Palace of Peace and Happiness had intercepted the large amount of medicine that Li Shaojun needed, which might have caused him serious health problems.

"Master Li needs some nourishment," Zhang Xuezhou said. "He mentioned last night that he's old and frail, and can only recover slowly through gentle tonics."

"This injury is nothing to worry about," Li Shaojun said after coughing. "I've experienced similar things three or five times over the years, and I've always pulled through. I have some experience in dealing with this kind of injury. It will heal eventually with proper care!"

"That's good," Cui Yan said, wiping his sweat slightly.

For the Empress Dowager, encountering the Daoist Randeng was a chance to survive, but now she is placing a glimmer of hope on Li Shaojun, wanting to see if this Daoist School successor from a side sect in the martial arts world has the corresponding life-saving ability.

He had served the Empress Dowager for many years and was well aware that Palace of Peace and Happiness was currently trying to use Li Shaojun against him in order to facilitate a possible exchange between them.

As long as Li Shaojun can ensure the Empress Dowager's good health, everything Li Shaojun needs will be fine, even if it means depleting the medicinal resources controlled by Palace of Peace and Happiness.

That's the situation; they must bring Li Shaojun back today.

The bad news is that Li Shaojun's health is still very poor. He looks frail and needs extremely careful treatment. Extra caution is needed when the carriage is traveling to prevent him from dying on the way.

The good news is that, as Li Shaojun and the others said, after receiving a batch of medicine from Palace of Peace and Happiness, Li Shaojun's injuries have been suppressed. He went from being on the verge of death and lying down yesterday to being able to stand and walk today.

This miraculous discovery delighted Cui Yan, who felt that Li Shaojun was a truly capable person who might be able to offer some assistance to the Empress Dowager.

If Li Shaojun could survive three to five such physically devastating events, Cui Yan believed that he must be hiding something the Empress Dowager needed.