A Leaky Vessel

"Princess, Dongfang Shuo has left with Miss Aqiao!"

"He didn't make a scene after he found out what happened?"

"No more fuss!"

In the main hall of the King of Huainan's Household's residence, Liu Ling, whose cultivation was not weak, was unusually dressed in a long fox fur robe.

She wrapped her long robe tighter, took another sip of the bright red medicine in the bowl, and then frowned deeply.

"It's good that there's no commotion!"

Upon hearing Li Shang's report, Liu Ling breathed a sigh of relief, though a hint of lingering fear remained on his face.

The Eight-Step Immortal Elixir was sent back to Shouchun City via communication means. While the King of Huainan greatly praised it, he also gave Liu Ling extremely severe criticism.

If those with great fortune could so easily seize and plunder, then everyone should just become robbers.

Using Technique Method to exploit and seize is one thing, while Zhang Xuezhou offering it willingly is another. The latter will not cause any trouble, and if there is appropriate reciprocation, it can even strengthen the relationship between them. The former, however, is more likely to induce serious problems.

Liu Ling used to disbelieve in this superstition, but Zuo Wu, Mao Bei, and others who were seriously injured and lying in hospital beds suffered the same fate.

She herself even suffered the backlash of the bewitching spell and had to calm down and adjust for a period of time.

"Zuo Wu, Mao Bei, Tian You, and Su Fei were injured, and the maid A Qiao who serves you was also sent away. Princess, our King of Huainan's Household has never suffered such a humiliating defeat before. Should we...?"

Li Shang made a hand gesture.

Li Shang wasn't targeting Zhang Xuezhou; his gesture was clearly directed at Divine Lord Zhenyuan.

No matter what kind of cultivator they are, no matter how strong their cultivation level is, they still need to rest and sleep, and it is difficult for them to resist the continuous attacks of despicable methods.

As for the King of Huainan's Household, they did not lack talent in this area.

With a single command, someone will always find Divine Lord Zhenyuan, and someone will always be able to subdue him.

If the King of Huainan were to personally intervene, the outcome could be seen very quickly.

Li Shang asked in a low voice, which made Liu Ling's face blush slightly.

"What Elder Li said makes some sense," Liu Ling coughed before continuing, "But Elder Li, have you considered that perhaps Dongfang Shuo has once again had good fortune and thus gained the protection of such a master?"

You mean...?

"If we can establish friendly relations, perhaps our King of Huainan's Household might be able to find such a master to assist us!"

After Liu Ling finished coughing, she thought about the strange Daoist priest with a young face but silver hair, and her heart skipped a beat.

The King of Huainan's Household boasted of gathering the best talents in the world and also housed many masters of various schools of thought.

Although the schools of thought these people belonged to have been destroyed, each of them was highly talented, and some were even arrogant and conceited.

The top-tier guest advisors were the elite among these elites, and their abilities were in no way inferior to those of the top officials in the imperial court.

However, Tian You and the others couldn't withstand a single move from their opponents and were quickly and decisively beaten into serious injuries.

Liu Ling had never heard of such a master before. She felt that if she could recruit him, he would undoubtedly be a powerful weapon.

Inviting Zhang Xuezhou was inconvenient for her, but sending someone out to keep an eye on Zhang Xuezhou was easy.

It was a bit of a coincidence, but also quite convenient, as Liu Ling directly sent his trusted maid out.

Even if she couldn't befriend Divine Lord Zhenyuan, with Aqiao keeping an eye on Zhang Xuezhou, Liu Ling could at least find out when Zhang Xuezhou would have another stroke of good fortune, making it easier for her to demand more from him.

Putting everything else aside, the secret formula for the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill alone is enough to withstand all losses.

As long as Tian You and the others weren't killed, Liu Ling felt he had still won.

"You're skilled in alchemy, and Dongfang Shuo is also knowledgeable in Yin-Yang School alchemy. You should visit him more often in the future," Liu Ling said. "His illness is a good reason to visit him, and you can even bring some medicine to show your goodwill. A conversation about the Dao would also be beneficial for you!"

"The princess is right!"

Li Shang nodded, and his words quickly changed to reflect Liu Ling's instructions.

Contrary to Li Shang's expectations of frustration, Liu Ling seemed remarkably open-minded, even enthusiastically plotting to leverage Liu Ling's influence, planting a seed of trouble while treating Zhang Xuezhou's illness.

As Liu Ling's head maid, A Qiao experienced the ups and downs of her parents' official career. She was reborn from despair and was instilled with many ideals. She was as loyal as a death knell. It would be normal for her to give up her body or even her life for the King of Huainan's Household.

If Zhang Xuezhou lives longer, the other party can be considered to have found a good husband; if Zhang Xuezhou dies young, the other party can return to the King of Huainan's Household in the future.

The King of Huainan's Household treated Aqiao well, and being a powerful feudal lord's family, it was highly unlikely that Aqiao would betray them.

Liu Ling waved his hand, indicating that Li Shang could leave.

"By the way, how much longer do I have to drink this bitter water to get rid of the backlash in my body?"

As Li Shang bowed slightly to take his leave, Liu Ling took another sip of the medicinal soup in his bowl, and then asked Li Shang a question as he left.

"This..."

"Just say it if you want to, why are you beating around the bush like this!"

Li Shang hesitated slightly, while Liu Ling was somewhat displeased.

"Princess, this yin energy cannot last. You have been harmed by this technique. If you do not learn Dongfang Shuo's quick cure, I'm afraid you will have to drink the Heart-Clearing Soup for a year or two!"

Li Shang reluctantly responded, but when Liu Ling called out "Get out," he had no choice but to excuse himself and quickly leave the hall.

"If I were to seek a mediocre man to solve my physical problems, I'd rather drink bitter medicine for a year or two!"

After driving Li Shang away, Liu Ling picked up the bowl of medicinal soup and drank it down in one gulp.

The bitterness made his eyes tremble and tears stream down his face. Then, Liu Ling felt a sudden wavering in his heart. He suddenly thought that resolving the Technique Method as simply as Zhang Xuezhou did wasn't so bad.

Moreover, Li Shang's estimate of a year and a half is likely an understatement; the actual medication period is probably much longer.

"As long as the man isn't too bad, it's okay to let him take advantage of you a little!"

As a princess, Liu Ling had very high standards for choosing a spouse.

When it comes to using humans as medicine to treat illnesses, she feels the conditions can be more lenient: anyone young, handsome, skilled in poetry and prose, and possessing considerable cultivation and strength...

After painstakingly removing the requirement of family background, Liu Ling found that there were very few people who met the requirements.

It's not that the Great Han Dynasty lacked such talent, but rather that such men already had multiple wives and concubines, and were even numerous in number, making it unlikely that they would become her intimate companions.

This forced Liu Ling to lower his standards once again.

Are all the good men in the world dead?

After considering it for a while, she realized that very few people met the requirements.

"If Dongfang Shuo hadn't had his head ripped open, and who knows how long he'd live, he'd be a good match, especially since Li Shang said he's still a virgin, meaning he's probably devoted all his time to cultivation. There are very few men like him in the world..."

Liu Ling spread out the bamboo slips and wrote down a bunch of names.

Some are too old, some have bad habits, some are ugly with yellow teeth and foul breath, but most are already married, making it inconvenient for her to seduce them, let alone have a happy marriage.

Thinking about Zhang Xuezhou's departure from the King of Huainan's Household, Liu Ling also felt that Zhang Xuezhou was equally regrettable.

Compared to many others, Zhang Xuezhou met 90% of Liu Ling's requirements, but his one flaw was simply unbearable.

"He's such a blunder! He's good at everything, but he just misses the crucial point!"

As the King of Huainan said, Zhang Xuezhou had all sorts of good fortune, but he just couldn't hold onto it.

Liu Ling thought Zhang Xuezhou was good in every way, but his short lifespan was a major disadvantage; no woman with the right to choose her own spouse could choose such a person.

Even if he were to use the other person as medicine, Liu Ling was still afraid that Zhang Xuezhou would suddenly die in his bed.

She pondered for more than ten seconds, then crossed out Zhang Xuezhou's name written on the bamboo slip, having to lower her standards once again.