Uninvited

If the house is not near the palace, the commute time will be longer.

Zhang Xuezhou only had one hour in the palace, and less than an hour to go to the Imperial Household Department, but the time he spent traveling by carriage and waiting exceeded two hours.

He went to the palace at dawn, and by the time he returned to the Zhang residence, the Western Mountain had already set.

There isn't much time left before he returns to the real world.

Zhang Xuezhou could only be thankful that things had gone very smoothly. If the embroiderers in the Imperial Household Department had been more diligent, he would have faced a barrage of criticism or even impeachment from his colleagues once he regained consciousness.

The matter was resolved so quickly that Zhang Xuezhou was somewhat pleased, feeling that he was indeed a highly efficient person.

"Zhenyuan, come on, come on, let's have something to eat and drink!"

"No, I've already eaten plenty of pork!"

Zhang Xuezhou returned to the Zhang residence and warmly welcomed the expert he had relied on to save his life for the past ten days.

"Your cousin keeps feeding me meat; I might eat all the pork I'll ever eat in my lifetime!"

Divine Lord Zhenyuan pointed to Rong Tianding in the Zhang residence, feeling that this cousin was exactly the same, and his enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for him.

"The Daoist priest only ate half a pig!"

Rong Tianding used the word "talent," but the turmoil in his heart never subsided.

Rong Tianding knew about this eating ability; Zhang Xuezhou was an extremely voracious eater, a condition only Grain Avoidance Instruction Technique.

Zhang Xuezhou went on a long trip and brought back a very strange-looking great cultivator, who was very likely from Zhang Xuezhou's sect.

Rong Tianding felt that his fortuitous opportunity had come again. He hadn't gone on Zhang Xuezhou's long journey, but Zhang Xuezhou had brought him back.

If a great cultivator like him were to offer even a little guidance, Rong Tianding would avoid many detours.

He used food and drink to get closer to Divine Lord Zhenyuan and even received a few pointers.

"Half a head?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise, "Then the Daoist priest should have eaten most of it!"

Zhang Xuezhou glanced at Divine Lord Zhenyuan, whose stomach was stuffed with over a hundred pounds of meat, and thought that Divine Lord Zhenyuan had most likely overeaten.

In the Kunlun Sacred Land, few people would incessantly urge others to eat and drink, while in the Southern Jambudvipa Continent, etiquette regarding drinking at the table is extremely prevalent, and the urge would almost never stop unless one refused.

This was clearly the first time Divine Lord Zhenyuan had encountered such a situation of being urged to eat and drink, and he was Rong Tianding.

The Divine Lord Zhenyuan could eat so much attracted many people from Zhang Household Village to come and see the spectacle.

Although the sun had already Western Mountain, many people had gathered at the Zhang residence, and others were also eating and drinking, making it extremely lively. Only after Zhang Xuezhou returned to the Zhang residence did some people feel a little more restrained, and they grinned foolishly at Zhang Xuezhou.

"I've taken on a job outside. That rich young master who was collecting food last time wants to go hunting in the mountains. He'll pay us to guide him. Let's make the arrangements!"

Zhang Xuezhou found the simple-minded Zhang Baojia and told him about the new emperor's idea of hunting wild beasts in the mountains, mentioning that the other party would offer a lot of money and he would accept as much as they were willing to pay.

"No problem, we've got it all covered. Your dad said you've been craving bear bile lately, so we've found several bear dens and set up some traps. We're just waiting for you to come back so you can go hunting. We'll take some men to collect it this time!"

The village head of Zhang Household Village is Zhang Baojia. After more than half a year, Zhang Baojia has obviously begun to adapt to life in Chang'an City.

In particular, this area of houses was bought up in a row, leaving only the Zheng family's house opposite the Zhang family's. This almost formed the prototype of the village's past communal living. Many people felt much more comfortable living there, and their hunting, which they had grown stronger and healthier, was able to sustain their lives normally.

Zhang Baojia was overjoyed to have taken on extra work, feeling that life was getting better and better.

"Bear bile has remarkable effects in clearing heat and detoxifying, calming the liver and improving eyesight, killing parasites and stopping bleeding. Bear bile from aged bears is of excellent quality for medicinal use," Divine Lord Zhenyuan interjected.

"The Daoist priest likes to eat bear bile, so we'll boil bear bile and eat it then," Rong Tianding said.

"I won't eat it!"

"We'll feed you to your heart's content, Master, please don't stand on ceremony!"

"I wasn't being polite!"

"Don't be shy, eat as much as you want!"

Rong Tianding's attempts to persuade him to eat fell into a cycle of persuasive rhetoric. Zhenyuan touched his swollen belly, which looked like it was filled with ascites, and felt that the other party was being too enthusiastic, so enthusiastic that he couldn't stand it.

If Divine Lord Zhenyuan were to stay in such a place for an extended period, he felt there was a good chance he would die from overeating.

With this matter at hand, Divine Lord Zhenyuan didn't interfere, but simply watched as these people chattered amongst themselves.

"Master Li has arrived!"

Zhang Xuezhou took his seat.

He hadn't expended much energy these past two days, just eating a little something and chatting aimlessly with everyone before returning to the real world.

After chatting for a short while, Zhang Xuezhou heard Cai Ma calling out from outside, and the door of the Zhang residence was pushed open again.

"I, Li, have come uninvited; please forgive me!"

Li Shaojun now held a whisk in his hand. He used the whisk to dispel the pungent smell of pork before bowing respectfully in a refined manner.

During Zhang Xuezhou's absence, Li Shaojun clearly developed a master's style, his movements flowing smoothly and pleasing to the eye.

Even Divine Lord Zhenyuan was slightly taken aback when he looked at Li Shaojun. He felt that Li Shaojun's cultivation level and strength aside, his words and actions were undoubtedly excellent. Compared with him, the more normal behavior of the people in Zhang Household Village appeared inferior and somewhat crude.

"It's been a long time since we've seen Master Li! Please come in quickly!"

Zhang Xuezhou stood up and greeted him politely.

Zhang Xuezhou's polite manner greatly disappointed Li Shaojun, who felt that she had to remain tense and unable to relax.

"Fellow Daoist Cai Ma, please enter as well!"

Zhang Xuezhou gritted his teeth and muttered something, only then did Divine Lord Zhenyuan notice the Holy Maiden Cai Ma with two buns on her head behind Li Shaojun. His eyes widened slightly, and for a moment he couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Dongfang Shuo, God... God..."

"Seeing me come back again, isn't that amazing? Don't say anything more, hurry up and sit down and have a couple of bites of hot pork!"

Zhang Xuezhou invited Li Shaojun to sit down, then pulled Cai Ma, who was looking at Divine Lord Zhenyuan, and stuffed a piece of pork into Cai Ma's Cai Ma, silencing him.

A slight thought crossed his mind, while Divine Lord Zhenyuan frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over a corner of the Zhang residence.

Although he didn't know why, Zhang Xuezhou did notice that he was being followed.

The feeling of being spied on does not originate from someone watching from afar; it can only be due to observation through incantations or the gaze of a wandering spirit.

Zhang Xuezhou hadn't yet accurately discerned the true situation, after all, quite a few people had been looking for him recently. Then, he saw Divine Lord Zhenyuan stand up and wave his sleeve towards a distant corner of the wall.

"Who are you hiding here, sneaking around?"

Divine Lord Zhenyuan flicked his sleeve, only to feel its emptiness, and he couldn't help but snort.

"If you dare to offend me again, the owner of this house may spare you, but this old Daoist priest will teach you a lesson so you'll know the rules!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bluestone at the corner of the courtyard wall collapsed with a rumble, raising a cloud of blue stone dust, and a soft groan filled the air.

This caused Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun's expressions to change slightly, as they felt that Divine Lord Zhenyuan's sleeve might have actually beaten up the Empress Dowager.