Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation
"Brother Dongfang, you are truly a miraculous healer! You have saved me from dire straits!"
The sickly Zhang Xuezhou was of little use. Even though Zhang Xuezhou worked for the new emperor, Han Yan did not think Zhang Xuezhou was anything special.
The two were like colleagues in the same company, usually just nodding acquaintances, each busy with their own things, only seeing each other when there was some information or a gathering.
Under these circumstances, Han Yan's impression of Zhang Xuezhou was indeed only so-so.
He had always believed that Zhang Xuezhou only had the advantage of age, was more tactful than them, and had entered the Divine Ability Realm by luck.
With Zhang Xuezhou in such poor health, his cultivation at the Divine Ability Realm is hardly significant.
If they faced each other head-on, Han Yan felt that challenging someone of a higher cultivation level wouldn't be a problem.
Han Yan had no concept of reverence for cultivation levels and believed that he would most likely reach the Divine Ability Realm in the future, so his attitude towards Zhang Xuezhou was not surprising.
It wasn't until he suffered this unexpected misfortune, and Zhang Xuezhou simply wiped away the wound on his buttocks, that Han Yan realized how indispensable Zhang Xuezhou was.
Putting everything else aside, at least he dared to take a beating in the future; punishments of less than twenty strokes were just met with a slight smile.
Han Yan wasn't afraid of spending money on treatment; he was afraid of suffering. Zhang Xuezhou, on the other hand, perfectly solved the problem of suffering.
His impression of Zhang Xuezhou changed drastically in an instant, and he even became very enthusiastic about him.
"Brother Han, you're too kind. I was ill for a long time and only learned the art from General Li. It's just a coincidence that I can help you now," Zhang Xuezhou said politely.
"Your magic is incredible!"
Han Yan's perfunctory tone and genuine praise are two different things, so he had to emphasize his words.
The Li Household's Supreme Purity True Technique is indeed wonderful, and even Li Guang held a position in the Weiyang Palace, but few people could get Li Guang to take action.
Zhang Xuezhou's Supreme Purity True Technique healed extremely quickly, directly healing Han Yan's injuries, who was at the Body Transformation Realm. It almost ignored Han Yan's body's resistance to the Technique Method, demonstrating an exceptionally high level of healing.
Han Yan didn't say that Zhang Xuezhou could completely replace Li Guang, but he was at least at the level of a junior Li Guang.
This healing ability can satisfy the needs of almost 90% of cultivators.
In the eyes of some cultivators who were wounded in battle, Zhang Xuezhou was a living bodhisattva who saved lives.
But Zhang Xuezhou was too unknown. If Han Yan hadn't been beaten so badly, he wouldn't have known that Zhang Xuezhou's Technique Method were so high.
Han Yan touched the slightly red skin after the scabs had fallen off. He felt that this unexpected disaster had been completely eliminated. Apart from feeling a little weak, he had no other symptoms.
"I can't save him without three hundred gold coins," Han Yan said. "Not to mention the suffering I'll have to endure. I'll have to sleep on my stomach every night, and if I don't keep flies away, the rotting flesh on my buttocks will be infested with worms!"
Seeing the envious looks on the faces of the Imperial Guards following him, Han Yan didn't want to cause Zhang Xuezhou any trouble.
He directly presented his own injury as a price quote, indicating to Zhang Xuezhou that this technique had a sufficient market value.
A high price isn't necessarily a bad thing. If someone takes advantage of Zhang Xuezhou's willingness to help others and comes to his door seeking treatment, regardless of whether the injury is major or minor, Zhang Xuezhou will either be exhausted or driven crazy by the annoyance. If any medical malpractice occurs, it will be even more troublesome and difficult to deal with.
"Once we return to Chang'an City, I will personally deliver the reward to your door," Han Yan said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
"Brother Han, you're too kind!"
Zhang Xuezhou was slightly taken aback, then nodded in agreement.
He had intended to resolve any potential grudges with Han Yan, but in the short time it took for them to reach a consensus, Han Yan's pain subsided, while Zhang Xuezhou was rewarded.
The opposing forces of manipulation can lead to conflict and cause damage, while coordinating and binding interests can benefit both sides. This transformation seems extremely direct, and even Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but be somewhat amazed. He felt that many things had become extraordinary by chance, and that manipulation could indeed have played a role.
Where is His Majesty?
Zhang Xuezhou lifted his foot; for a moment, he felt a strong urge to return to Chang'an City.
He had only come out to exhaust the spiritual power of the Black and White Horses; he never expected to encounter these things.
If there's nothing that compels him to stay in Shanglinyuan, he'll have to find a ride and take his spoils with him.
But the matter of the new emperor must also be settled; at the very least, Zhang Xuezhou cannot run away prematurely.
He asked Han Yan in a low voice, and Han Yan gestured with her lips to indicate the direction.
If it had been a quarter of an hour earlier, Han Yan would never have said a word to Zhang Xuezhou. He wouldn't have revealed a single word until the new emperor summoned Zhang Xuezhou.
Now that he was more relaxed, he whispered something to Zhang Xuezhou.
Zhang Xuezhou glanced into the distance and saw a young general covered in black armor standing ramrod straight under the eaves of a corridor more than two hundred meters away.
The Imperial Guards were fully armored, and their faces were also covered. Orders were communicated between superiors and subordinates using passwords and tokens, and they recognized orders but not people.
Zhang Xuezhou had been fooled by the new emperor's trick before, and the Empress Dowager was obviously unaware that her son was standing right next to her.
Seeing the Empress Dowager's palanquin moving further and further away, Han Yan also brought Zhang Xuezhou closer to the new emperor.
"The Empress Dowager's inspection of the Shanglin Garden really caught me completely off guard!"
The young Imperial Guard officer walked to the corner and entered an empty room before pulling down his mask, revealing the new emperor's face.
He rarely muttered a complaint under his breath, but he was the first to ask about Han Yan's buttocks. After all, Han Yan couldn't help but scream when he was being beaten, and the sound could be heard from a hundred meters away. At this moment, you could still see the bloodstains on his robe and the cold sweat on his body.
"My injuries are all healed! Look at me, I can jump and bounce around now!" Han Yan said happily. "Thanks to Dongfang Shuo's healing skills, I didn't suffer much from this beating!"
"You should learn from Dongfang Shuo," the new emperor advised. "Look at him, not only did he not get beaten, but I heard that my mother also praised me and is going to throw a celebratory banquet for me!"
"I just can't learn it!"
Han Yan had previously criticized Zhang Xuezhou for faking illness and starving himself, but Zhang Xuezhou managed to get through it using that same tactic.
Even though Zhang Xuezhou informed him in advance, he still felt that Zhang Xuezhou's method was unreliable.
Even a letter couldn't be trusted, let alone Han Yan imitating Zhang Xuezhou.
Previously, Han Yan would have at least said a few words of criticism to Zhang Xuezhou, but now he could only admire him, since he really couldn't do this.
Han Yan received elite Lineage education, which taught him to be charming with his looks, abilities, and words. However, he never learned to fake it. The key point is that Zhang Xuezhou could actually eat more than ten kilograms of pastries like a starving ghost.
Han Yan felt that he couldn't learn it, nor did he have the ability to learn it.
"I have indeed been away for far too long; I will be returning to Changxin Palace to pay my respects in the next couple of days!"
The new emperor tried to persuade Han Yan, but seeing that Han Yan was unable to learn from Zhang Xuezhou's way of getting close to the Empress Dowager, he did not force him to continue. Instead, he mentioned that the trip to Shanglin Garden was coming to an end.
He touched his waist, then took out an ancient book made of animal hide and flipped through several pages.
"If we can pinpoint the location where Dongfang Shuo entered the secret area, then I can determine exactly what kind of formation conceals the secret area in Zhongnan Mountain!"
The new emperor pointed to the ancient book on the animal hide, and Zhang Xuezhou looked over and saw that the contents of the "Four Gates Encirclement Formation" were clearly visible on the animal hide.
The location of the formation, the advantageous terrain for constructing the formation, and the details of the formation components and stones are all recorded on the animal hide, which also bears some resemblance to the terrain of Zhongnan Mountain.
Once the key to the formation is found, and another corner of the secret realm is revealed when the formation is broken, one can then follow the changes in the formation to truly enter the secret realm.