Two Requests

Zhuang Qingdi is buying an insurance policy.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Zhuang Qingdi's insurance policy would be of no use, but it could save his life in the event of an attack by a master of the level of Zhu Jiuyin.

Several years have passed, but the events that occurred in Yangling have not faded away; on the contrary, they have taken root in the hearts of high-ranking officials in the court.

"Master Li is not easy to invite!"

Having understood Zhuang Qingdi's purpose, Zhang Xuezhou felt more at ease and readjusted his mindset.

"I hope Lord Dongfang will introduce me!"

Zhuang Qingdi looked at Zhang Xuezhou, and from the moment Zhang Xuezhou uttered those words, he knew that the matter was half accomplished.

He didn't mind being humble, after all, this wasn't the time to be assertive.

"An introduction is not a problem," Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

Li Shaojun had been away from Chang'an City for less than two months, and Zhang Xuezhou knew that he had nowhere else to go and had most likely returned to his old hideout, so finding Li Shaojun wouldn't be too difficult.

However, how to pair Li Shaojun with Divine Lord Zhenyuan is a big problem.

Zhang Xuezhou's statement that Master Li was difficult to invite was not just a perfunctory remark; he genuinely felt that the two of them working together would be extremely challenging.

Playing Li Shaojun alone is useless, since Li Shaojun can't control the situation.

Playing Divine Lord Zhenyuan alone won't work either. Divine Lord Zhenyuan was planning to visit Daojun, Zhu Jiuyin, Nine Spirits Primal Sage, and other successful figures who ventured out from the Kunlun Sacred Land, but it would be difficult for him to clash with these experts right afterward.

For things to go smoothly, it requires the cooperation of Li Shaojun, who is in the public eye, and Divine Lord Zhenyuan, who is in the shadows, in order to compensate for the deficiencies of both.

The pairing of Li Shaojun and Divine Lord Zhenyuan is problematic, and the cost of controlling the two in a coordinated manner is also a problem.

Li Shaojun would certainly not want to get involved in trouble of this level, and Divine Lord Zhenyuan's needs are scarce.

"If you can gather a certain amount of high-quality sulfur, lead oxide, realgar, orpiment, and turquoise, you can successfully invite Master Li to lend a portion of his strength," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Five-tenths of the strength?"

Zhuang Qingdi opened his eyes slightly.

He had never seen such an invitation before, where even after successfully inviting someone, there was still the issue of how much effort they would put in.

"What's the situation with the five-point strength?" Zhuang Qingdi asked calmly.

"Let's test each other's strength with a single move," Zhang Xuezhou said. "If the opponent is easy to deal with, then we'll take them down; if the opponent is too strong, we'll just leave!"

Zhang Xuezhou considered the possibility that Li Shaojun would be killed in one move and concluded that this was the best Li Shaojun could do.

If Zhuang Qingdi can't meet the requirements, it's a good thing that Li Shaojun would come and risk his life to collect some materials.

"If I want Master Li to exert his utmost effort, what would I need?" Zhuang Qingdi asked.

"Law Treasure cloth, top-grade Law Treasure cloth!"

Zhang Xuezhou held up one finger.

Zhang Xuezhou also possessed a Law Treasure cloth; he obtained a roll of celestial silkworm cloth from the Venerable Weaver Emperor when he was preaching at the Yedie River Holy Land.

Zhang Xuezhou was not a stingy person, and he had even communicated with Divine Lord Zhenyuan.

This roll of Heavenly Silkworm Cloth felt like a chicken rib to Divine Lord Zhenyuan; it was usable but not exactly what Divine Lord Zhenyuan wanted, offering limited assistance to his strength and not worth the effort Divine Lord Zhenyuan wasted on refining.

"How top-tier do you want?" Zhuang Qingdi asked.

"He didn't like my copy!"

Having broken some of the power of the Locking Yang at the King of Huainan's Household, Zhang Xuezhou was now able to open the storage bag by performing a spell.

He strained to gather the Law Power he could from his acupoints, cast a spell, and then took out the Heavenly Silkworm Cloth from his pouch.

The silkworm cloth has a delicate and long-lasting texture, making it suitable for making binding items that are difficult for people to break free from. However, when used on Divine Lord Zhenyuan's large sleeves, it appears too light and flimsy, which also makes Divine Lord Zhenyuan dissatisfied.

Zhang Xuezhou Zhuang Qingdi felt that Zhang Xuezhou's method of retrieving items from a bag was somewhat lacking, but the Heavenly Silkworm Cloth that Zhang Xuezhou took out immediately silenced Zhuang Qingdi.

"His Law Treasure is broken, and he needs top-grade Law Treasure cloth to reforge Law Treasure," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Only top-grade Law Treasure cloth can allow him to unleash his full power!"

"I see!"

Zhuang Qingdi nodded with a heavy expression.

The cost of bribing Zhang Xuezhou was minimal; it could be resolved with just some material possessions.

However, the cost of inviting top experts for help made Zhuang Qingdi feel uncomfortable.

It was one thing for him to deal with high-quality sulfur, lead oxide, realgar, orpiment, and turquoise; he could take some from the imperial armory. But the top-grade Law Treasure cloth that Zhang Xuezhou mentioned put Zhuang Qingdi in a difficult position.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be Heavenly Silkworm Silk?" Zhuang Qingdi asked.

"Lord Zhuang has keen insight," Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

"Heavenly Silkworm Cloth is very rare," Zhuang Qingdi said. "This kind of cloth can be used to control puppets, to make cloud-walking shoes that leave no trace, and to make the golden rope that Prime Minister Xu used to bind you. How could he not even want such a Law Treasure cloth?"

"He thought the fabric was too light and too easily torn," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Lightweight? Fragile?"

Zhuang Qingdi's face showed bitterness, as if each level of understanding was a new world, and the treasure that the other party was suited for had already surpassed the ordinary.

But these high standards also reflected his capabilities, which reassured him quite a bit.

Zhang Xuezhou's explanation made it clear to him that it wasn't entirely due to the poor quality of the silkworm cloth; it simply didn't meet the other party's requirements.

"I am fortunate to have inherited some Law Treasure treasures from my ancestors, and my family has indeed amassed a collection of them over the years. However, I wonder if they can meet Master Li's needs," Zhuang Qingdi said in a deep voice. "Lord Dongfang, could you please invite Master Li to my residence for a look?"

"Difficult," Zhang Xuezhou replied briefly.

"That..."

"You can send the Law Treasure cloth to me," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Master Li might come to my place every ten days or so. If he's satisfied, he'll accept it; if not, I'll send it back to you!"

"So?"

Zhuang Qingdi's expression changed slightly.

He wasn't worried that Zhang Xuezhou would covet the Law Treasure cloth, but since Zhuang Qingdi couldn't see him, there was no way to gradually verify the information, let alone bind him through verbal pleas, threats, or promises of mutual benefit.

This method of selection and decision-making made him feel terrible, but he didn't know what to do about it.

The reason for all this was simply that he was less skilled than others, and in order to nip problems in the bud, he had no choice but to suffer this hard loss.

Even if time were to rewind, Zhuang Qingdi would still choose to side with the aging Empress Dowager and would inevitably become the top henchman of Anle Palace.

The interests involved are one thing, and he couldn't have made any other choice at the time; otherwise, he might not be standing here today.

"I will go back to the treasury tonight to check the documents, and I will send them over tomorrow!"

Zhuang Qingdi didn't take long to consider it.

For someone like him, he can patiently wait for ten days or half a month during torture and interrogation, and he can also choose the accurate answer in the shortest amount of time.

Zhuang Qingdi was serious about seeking help from Li Shaojun. He did not want to repeat the fate of the former Prime Minister Wei Wan when he fell seriously ill, nor did he want to repeat the death of the former Imperial Censor Zhi Buyi.

For Zhuang Qingdi, only the living are qualified to discuss the value of treasures.

As long as he can safely weather the risky period, sacrificing material possessions is not unacceptable to him.