Seeking medicine
When the new emperor left the palace, Li Guang would always accompany him, and the new emperor's identity was that of the Marquis of Pingyang.
However, the new emperor did not have Li Guang accompany him when he left the palace this time, nor did he use his title of Marquis of Pingyang.
He wore the official robes of a Zhongsan Dafu (a high-ranking official) and took Han Yan's token, choosing to sneak out of the palace with Zhang Xuezhou to visit the Yunyi Daoist Temple.
The Yunyi Daoist Temple, which facilitated the interactions between the Empress Dowager and Li Shaojun, was not far from the palace, which was also why the new emperor was less wary.
He mingled among the officials who were granted special access today, and exited through the Sima Gate holding Han Yan's badge.
"Security checks at our palace are a bit too lax!"
Seeing the new emperor leave the palace so easily, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but grumble.
The fact that the new emperor could easily enter and exit the palace under the guise of Han Yan also means that it could be repeated by others.
It's not without reason that powerful cultivators have been coming and going from the Great Han Imperial Palace over the years; rather, the checks have indeed been rather lax and not rigorous enough.
"The Sima Gate checks official robes, comparing them with the official's name, age, and corresponding official badge. This kind of verification is already quite strict," the new emperor said. "Officials can only enter the palace at specific times each day. If they are late, only the Three Dukes, Nine Ministers, and 'Attendants' can enter the palace. It is extremely difficult for ordinary people to sneak into the palace, even if they imitate an official, it is difficult to enter the palace."
"I see," Zhang Xuezhou nodded.
"But your point about leniency isn't entirely without merit," the new emperor said. "The palace isn't just for officials; it also houses a large number of palace maids, eunuchs, physicians, and other such individuals. Thorough checks are difficult to conduct on days off, and indeed, quite a few people have used such appearances to enter and exit the palace over the years!"
Did it trigger unrest?
"That's definitely true, and fortunately, everyone in the palace has a fixed area to move around in, so things didn't get too out of hand!"
The new emperor sighed.
Clearly, even though he had only been an emperor for a few years, he had witnessed similar things.
Human resources are limited, and achieving 100% safety is a difficult task.
After leaving the palace, the two chatted aimlessly for a while. They walked on the streets of the imperial city for less than a quarter of an hour before they came across a Daoist temple that covered several acres.
Compared to the security of the imperial palace, Yunyi Daoist Temple was practically undefended, with only two guards patrolling back and forth a few dozen meters away.
Of course, for a 'master' like Li Shaojun, Yunyi Daoist Temple doesn't need security.
In reality, the protection of Yunyi Daoist Temple was primarily aimed at preventing high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals from entering.
Once the gates of Yunyi Daoist Temple were closed, no one dared to trespass inside.
"Master Li?"
The new emperor knocked politely on the gate of the Daoist temple, but there was no response from inside.
"Speak louder," Zhang Xuezhou said, "like I'm calling him 'Master Li!'"
Zhang Xuezhou called out loudly, and only then did the two hear a door in the Daoist temple being opened, and the main gate of the Daoist temple blocking their way also creaked open.
Li Shaojun's rather haggard face immediately caught the eye.
"The one surnamed Dong!"
Li Shaojun cursed, then looked at the young man in front of Zhang Xuezhou, his previously casual attitude immediately becoming more restrained.
"Long time no see," Li Shaojun abruptly changed his words.
"Master, you can't cure my illness. I sleep on and off without a set schedule, so I can't decide when to come and visit you," Zhang Xuezhou said.
"I've been worried about your illness, but unfortunately I couldn't cure Fellow Daoist Dou, nor could I cure you!"
Li Shaojun sighed and glanced at the other room with the open window.
Having been personally killed by Divine Lord Zhenyuan at Yunyi Daoist Temple, Li Shaojun was terrified to return to such a place, let alone live with Divine Lord Zhenyuan.
Normally, Li Shaojun would have run away after taking the benefits, but he actually failed to escape.
On one hand, there was the restraint exerted by Divine Lord Zhenyuan; on the other hand, the matter of Zhuang Qingdi was not yet over, and he was afraid that Zhuang Qingdi would confess after being taken to prison, and then implicate them.
Although Li Shaojun and his group believed that everything was a fair trade and that they had even helped the Great Han royal family, others saw things differently.
Li Shaojun finally felt relieved when Zhang Xuezhou arrived at his door.
Li Shaojun didn't immediately understand what Zhang Xuezhou meant by bringing the other officials up. He had looked at the new emperor's official robes and stared at his face for a few seconds before he came to his senses.
Despite the high frequency of new emperors appearing, relatively few people have actually seen the true face of an emperor.
If one's status is insufficient, one is not even qualified to look the emperor in the eye. Instead, one must bow one's head in greeting according to etiquette before the emperor arrives, and even if the emperor walks by, one can only see the lower half of the other person's body.
Li Shaojun had only seen the new emperor a few times during the Empress Dowager's mourning period. When he recognized the new emperor's identity, his heart skipped a beat.
But Li Shaojun knew very well that Zhang Xuezhou was no good at all, and that he must have something to ask for if he could bring the new emperor here.
He pondered for a few seconds and realized he understood Zhang Xuezhou's purpose.
"Please, both of you!"
Li Shaojun extended his hand in invitation.
With a flick of his sleeve, he slammed the gate of the Daoist temple shut.
"Did the Daoist priest use the Dharma of Heaven?"
Li Shaojun was more than ten meters away, and the Daoist temple gate opened and closed automatically without any wind, which made the new emperor extremely envious.
He pondered the matter repeatedly, but could only find similar records in ancient texts.
This left him with no choice but to seek confirmation.
"Ha... hahaha, it's just a little trick!"
Li Shaojun chuckled and gave a perfunctory reply, then invited Zhang Xuezhou and the others into the main hall of the Daoist temple.
The new emperor was not displeased that Li Shaojun avoided answering his questions. After all, it was normal for experts to have eccentric personalities, and his relationship with Li Shaojun was not particularly close at the moment.
"My friend is particularly interested in the Eight-Step Ascension Elixir," Zhang Xuezhou said directly upon entering the hall. "If the Daoist has this elixir, he would like to request two. The price is negotiable!"
"The Eight-Step Ascension Pill is a dangerous medicine. Although it can increase the possibility of stepping into a higher level of cultivation, taking it rashly could lead to utter destruction," Li Shaojun said solemnly. "Only those with a profound foundation in cultivation or those who are fearless enough to gamble with their lives should take the Eight-Step Ascension Pill!"
"Daoist Master, if you have any pills, please show them to us. We'll just look and not take them!"
Zhang Xuezhou blinked, and Li Shaojun, not being stingy, took out a hard lump the size of a date from his pocket.
If Zhang Xuezhou hadn't been familiar with external alchemy and knew the ingredients of the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill, he would have almost thought that Li Shaojun had taken out a stone.
"Is this the Eight-Step Ascension Elixir?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.
"Not bad," Li Shaojun nodded, "This pill can stimulate all the meridians and acupoints in the body, creating a strong stimulating force, thereby greatly enhancing the absorption of the Creation Pill and increasing the probability of breaking through the cultivation threshold!"
"Wonderful!"
Zhang Xuezhou gave a thumbs-up.
He felt that the effects of Li Shaojun's Eight-Step Ascension Elixir were very similar to those of the Serpent Cave Elixir.
In principle, the two are almost identical.
The potent effects of the medicine also come with inevitable side effects; the Eight-Step Ascension Pill is indeed not a medicine to be taken regularly.
If Li Shaojun didn't have the ability to come back to life, Zhang Xuezhou felt that Li Shaojun most likely wouldn't rely on the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill.
"Has Master Li ever taken the Eight-Step Ascension Elixir?" the new emperor asked curiously.
"Of course I took it," Li Shaojun lied. "The experience of taking the drug back then was a near-death experience; it still makes my heart pound to this day!"
"Since you've taken elixirs before, do you think Dongfang Shuo is qualified to take the Eight Steps to Immortality Elixir?"
The new emperor's gaze swept over the hard lump.
This hard lump didn't have any medicinal aroma at all; instead, it had a pungent, rotten egg smell.
Even though the new emperor longed for a higher level of cultivation, he had to agree with what Li Shaojun said: this pill called the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill was not a good thing.
This prompted him to quickly find a point of comparison.