Three Separate Routes

Zhang Xuezhou left Qilin Pavilion because he wanted to see the continuous rain.

If Ao Li could give him some face, he hoped the rain would fall somewhere else to avoid flooding his house.

Zhang Xuezhou just didn't expect to run into Xu Chang delivering treasures on the road.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't particularly like the Flowing Wind Pendant, since he didn't lack the boost from such a treasure under normal flying conditions.

On the contrary, having an additional flying artifact that requires the infusion of Law Power will cause him to suffer negative effects when performing actions such as turning and dodging in the air.

Although Xu Chang was very sincere, Zhang Xuezhou really didn't have any needs.

"I guess I'll have to give it to my cousin!"

Zhang Xuezhou was heading to Zhishui anyway, and he wouldn't mind picking up a treasure along the way.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou doesn't need it, there's always Rong Tianding.

Things become much simpler if you change your perspective.

"Please!"

After the invitation was successfully granted, Xu Chang pointed, and one of the three riders following behind him immediately stood up on his horse.

"Lord Dongfang, please take a seat and ride with me!"

The horses used by the Prime Minister's residence were not ordinary horses. Perhaps for wading through water, these horses were not only robust, but their legs were also a foot longer than those of ordinary horses.

Zhang Xuezhou was pulled onto the horse by the rider's hand.

"Brother, you have excellent skills!"

The horseman spurred the horse, causing Zhang Xuezhou to bounce up and down as the mount lurched along. He felt that the other man's riding skills were a little poor.

"Zhang Tang, an official from Chang'an, greets Lord Dongfang. I rarely ride such a tall horse; I hope I have not disturbed you!"

Zhang Xuezhou praised the rider's skill, not his horsemanship. The horseman was not stupid; he knew he was inferior in riding.

"Shall we switch seats?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"Thank you for everything, sir!"

Zhang Tang nodded in agreement. He stepped on the stirrups and pushed off, his body flipping to the side. As Zhang Xuezhou lurched forward, Zhang Tang grabbed the reins and pulled, then switched to the back seat.

"Run obediently!"

The intense jolting of the ride was followed by shouts, but the ride quickly returned to normal.

"So, sir, you are skilled in horsemanship!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuezhou was controlling his mount without even pulling the reins, Zhang Tang couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Taming a mount is not difficult, especially a mount already tamed like those in the Prime Minister's residence. However, taming it in a short period of time is undoubtedly a difficult task, and to achieve perfect control and harmony between rider and horse is something that very few horse riders can accomplish.

The imperial court had one of the Nine Ministers, the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, who was in charge of the imperial horses and the national horse administration, but Zhang Tang felt that the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud could only manage to do so much.

"Some little tricks!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

Compared to enduring the hardships of traveling dozens or even hundreds of miles, Zhang Xuezhou preferred to demonstrate his Technique Method abilities.

Having mastered his mount, his body moved rhythmically with it, allowing him to steadily follow the rider ahead without needing to control the horse, and without worrying about the rain affecting their journey.

"Sir, you possess the talent to ride horses and have been invited by the Prime Minister, so you must hold a very high position in the court," Zhang Tang couldn't help but praise.

"I think so!" Zhang Xuezhou nodded in reply.

"Once?"

Zhang Tang was taken aback.

The officials of Chang'an were responsible for maintaining order and collecting taxes in the Chang'an City area. Although they appeared to be officials in Chang'an City, Zhang Tang was actually a local official and did not understand many of the core affairs of the imperial court.

Even if he were to travel with Xu Chang now, this would still be the result he had waited for since yesterday at the Prime Minister's residence.

Zhang Tang was taken aback for a moment, but quickly came to his senses and realized that he was facing a high-ranking official who had been impeached, so he asked some questions he shouldn't have.

"Sir, you are skilled in both flying and horsemanship; it is no exaggeration to call you a pillar of the nation. If you gain His Majesty's favor, you will surely be promoted again!"

Zhang Tang forced himself to reply, not daring to pry any further for the time being, and could only keep quiet, also pointing to the details of the upcoming journey.

"Yesterday we noticed the rain carried a fishy smell from the river, concluding it was from the Jing and Huai rivers, and that a demon must be at work. We tried to enter the Prime Minister's residence to request an imperial edict, but were unable to get in. Only today, when the Prime Minister himself braved the rain, did we realize that things had turned out differently than we initially expected!"

"Did Lord Zhang discover this yesterday?"

"Yesterday's rain lasted only a short while, but we immediately sensed something was wrong. Unfortunately, we were unable to resolve the issue!"

"Oh, can an imperial decree really stop the rain?"

"This rule has existed since ancient times: regardless of whether one is a demon, human, god, or immortal, anyone who wishes to reside in this kingdom must abide by the law and not act recklessly," Zhang Tang said. "If they disobey, we can wage war against them. No matter who their backers are, if they die after being defeated, it will be a pointless death!"

"This regulation is good!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded in approval, while Zhang Tang wore a slightly bitter expression.

When a nation is powerful, a single law is a decree; when a nation declines, it becomes nothing more than a piece of paper.

Zhang Tang had not yet figured out whether the Great Han Dynasty was strong or weak, or whether it could exert any deterrent effect, and his approach to solving problems was somewhat idealistic.

Looking at the prime minister galloping ahead in the rain, he felt that the Great Han Dynasty was probably very weak at present.

"It's a pity that His Majesty the Great Emperor did not live to be a hundred years old!"

Zhang Tang sighed regretfully.

The founding emperor of the Great Han Dynasty is a legend, but his successors were progressively worse than the last.

This generation of monarchs inherited the throne at a young age, and after several years on the throne, they achieved nothing and implemented few new measures to benefit the people.

If Zhang Tang were to insist on promoting him, he could only find one reason: the imperial court was preparing to Zhunti.

But Zhang Tang didn't even need to wait for a bountiful harvest; he already knew that this new policy of the imperial court had nothing to do with ordinary people, and that the position of agricultural official was unlikely to fall into the hands of someone who actually knew how to farm.

Such foolish tactics only prove the incompetence of the current court's think tank, and the fact that a prime minister had to personally leave Chang'an City to deal with the demonic disaster and floods further proves that the court has no one capable.

He felt regret and lament that such a talented person as Zhang Xuezhou had lost his official position, and for a time he found it difficult to understand the court.

But in any case, at least they can now address the flooding.

After galloping for half an hour, once they were outside the Chang'an City, they could see knee-deep pools of foul water.

This is the floodwater that is constantly being drained out of Chang'an City. When the canals and waterways can no longer drain the water, it will not only fail to drain outwards, but will also flow back and intrude into Chang'an City, causing widespread flooding.

"The Grand Historian mentioned that demons fought at the confluence of the Jing and Wei Rivers. Two hours have passed, so the demons have likely moved. We urge everyone to do their utmost to search and stop these demons from causing harm!"

Xu Chang was rushing ahead, bowed to the crowd, clearly unsure of his destination amidst the vast floodwaters.

The knee-deep sewage made it feel like being in a small river, and made the road conditions even more unpredictable. The further you went into the Jinghe and Weihe River areas, the deeper the water became, and there were still more than 30 miles to go to reach the center of the Jinghe and Weihe Rivers.

"Lu Bode, you can traverse waters and search along the Jing River. If anything happens, you must turn back and rejoin us!"

After Xu Chang found himself in a dilemma, one of the two riders following behind spoke up, and the other immediately nodded in agreement, leaped off his horse, and rode away, splashing through the water.

"Is it possible for Lord Dongfang to fly long distances on the water?"

When the other person spoke to Zhang Xuezhou, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the other person's voice was a little strange, unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar.

"Although it's a newly learned version of the 'Great Wind Sutra,' there shouldn't be any major problems!"

Zhang Xuezhou shrugged, leaped down, and landed on the water, already gripping the saddle.

"Please search towards the Wei River; if there are any changes, immediately turn back and rejoin the search!"

Lu Bode chose a direction, Zhang Xuezhou chose a direction, and the rest of the people obviously headed straight towards the riverbank.

Xu Chang did not object, and Zhang Xuezhou had no objection either.

The troops were split into three groups, each tasked with a separate search.

Just as Zhang Xuezhou was about to step into the dirty water and fly away, he heard whispers in his ear.

"If you encounter a water demon, Lord Dongfang, you may only observe from afar, and must not approach!"

Perhaps out of excessive unease, or perhaps knowing some of Zhang Xuezhou's background, the commander of the cavalry continued to send messages.

"This is a matter of the Human Dynasty in Xu Chang. We'll do what we can, and we won't do what we can't. The Empress Dowager and His Majesty have calculated the rainfall and are already mobilizing the naval forces in Chang'an City to prepare for the extermination of the demons..."

When the repeated instructions came, Zhang Xuezhou finally understood the identity of Commander Li Guang.