Substitution

As a court attendant, Zhang Xuezhou was an official who served the emperor. He did whatever the emperor asked him to do and did not need to pay attention to the arrangements of other functional departments.

Zhang Xuezhou had no objection to being assigned to work at Shanglin Garden by the new emperor, since he was just staying wherever he wanted.

Zhang Xuezhou's superb flying skills mean he doesn't care about the distance to his office; if it's close to returning to the real world, he can still quickly fly back to his residence.

He was fairly confident in unlocking the secrets of Shanglin Garden, and ultimately stayed there to guard it.

"It really is a wonderful treasure!"

The new emperor kept his word. The day after the emperor returned to Chang'an City, Zhang Xuezhou received Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag as a reward in a side hall of the Shanglin Garden.

Although its name contains the word "small," the Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag is anything but small.

The Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag has a storage space of about eight cubic meters, which is equivalent to the space of a small house. This capacity is not large, but it is more than four times the size of Zhang Xuezhou's previous storage bags.

Few cultivators carry around an object the size of a room, and Zhang Xuezhou felt that the space in the Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag was definitely enough for him.

Putting everything else aside, even a hundred Imperial Shuttles, such heavy artifacts, wouldn't feel crowded in Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag.

Most importantly, the Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag can hold high-level treasures.

Zhang Xuezhou used to be troubled by carrying a heavy Qingyan staff weighing tens of kilograms on his left side and a Qingmu staff, a natural spiritual object from Fangzhang Island, on his right side.

He had many treasures, but he never had a suitable Storage Bag to store them, and he was also tired of changing the treasures. This made Zhang Xuezhou prefer to go empty-handed rather than carry these heavy things around.

"This Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag bag uses far more magic Law Power than my storage bag!"

Storing items in a bag increases portability, but the storage space and the items themselves have different levels. However, the Law Power required to refine the items is also a major hurdle.

If the items being stored have good Law Power guidance properties, making them easy to store, that's fine. However, some items are extremely difficult to put into the storage bag using magic. Whether putting them in or taking them out, it requires a considerable amount of magical Law Power. If one's physical condition is not good, one may even face the embarrassment of being unable to take out the items stored in the storage bag.

For example, food, large utensils such as Pill Furnace, and the poisons that Hongku exchanged for the black and white twin horses—the storage and retrieval of these items all require a considerable amount of magical Law Power.

Some monks were constantly reaching into their sleeves or waists, often to retrieve stored items.

It's one thing if they can produce it, but many cultivators have stumbled in this regard, even high-ranking cultivators have their share of cases.

Zhang Xuezhou had seen many high-end Law Treasure, but the Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag was the first thing that gave him a feeling of 'saving time and effort'.

He held the tiny, paper-thin Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag and couldn't help but marvel at it repeatedly.

By constantly experimenting with letting go and taking things back, Zhang Xuezhou adapted to the Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag, and his level of control continued to improve.

Regardless, this is an extraordinary treasure, and it will indeed take Zhang Xuezhou some time to master it.

"His Majesty couldn't agree to send me an Pill Furnace. It seems the Imperial Household Department is tightly controlled by the Changxin Palace, and His Majesty can't interfere easily!"

Nearly two hours passed before Zhang Xuezhou finally put away the Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag.

He didn't need to keep an eye on Zhongnan Mountain all the time. The Imperial Guards at Shanglin Garden were on duty in almost three shifts, and they would ring a gong to notify Zhang Xuezhou of any changes.

However, it was indeed quite difficult for Zhang Xuezhou to leave Shanglinyuan.

He was afraid that if he went too far, something might suddenly happen in Zhongnan Mountain, causing him to miss the opportunity.

This forced him to remain in Shanglin Garden for an extended period, only able to leave before returning to the real world in a deep sleep.

"Cousin!"

When a sound came from outside the side hall, Zhang Xuezhou's face lit up with joy.

The new emperor arranged for Zhang Xuezhou to work in Shanglin Garden, and at least notified his family, and even gave Rong Tianding a pass to travel in Shanglin Garden.

Zhang Xuezhou turned the door and walked out of the side hall, where he saw Rong Tianding following confidently behind two Imperial Guards.

"I heard you've been transferred to a new post. Congratulations!" Rong Tianding said with a smile.

"I'm stationed here now," Zhang Xuezhou complained.

Zhang Xuezhou nodded to the Imperial Guards and then welcomed Rong Tianding in.

"This matter seems to involve quite a lot, otherwise you wouldn't be so busy, unable to even return to Chang'an City normally," Rong Tianding said after entering the room.

"The protective formation of a secret place in Zhongnan Mountain has malfunctioned. It occasionally reveals its aura, but this leakage is irregular. We have to stay here constantly to guard it," Zhang Xuezhou nodded. "If we can't resolve this, I won't be able to leave this place for a long time!"

"Then what should we do?" Rong Tianding asked.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Entering the secret realm first will ultimately have some advantages!"

Whether Zhang Xuezhou enters the secret realm, finds the entrance, or discovers the formation, things will become simpler afterward.

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't in a hurry, but there were some things he couldn't handle himself, so he had to ask Rong Tianding to deal with them on his behalf.

For example, regarding the placement of Aqiao, Zhang Xuezhou still has to support her as he should. He also hopes that Aqiao is healthy and that her childbirth will go smoothly, allowing her to safely overcome the difficulties of childbirth in this era of limited medical resources.

For example, if it involves the Pill Furnace provided by Ao Li of the Jinghe Water Mansion, it needs to be transported and Pill Furnace quality needs to be checked and verified.

"I'll find two carriages tomorrow to haul the Pill Furnace over, and then deliver it directly here!"

Rong Tianding patted his chest and agreed to the matter.

Rong Tianding not only came into contact with the unpredictable Hongku, but he also had a relatively long-term relationship with dangerous figures like Jin Chang.

Once they came into contact with these people, some great cultivators with normal personalities became easier to approach, especially a dragon king like Ao Li, who had a rather indifferent temperament.

Once the relevant matters are clear, Rong Tianding can undoubtedly handle things in Zhang Xuezhou's place, so that Zhang Xuezhou doesn't have to do everything himself.

"Should I ask Young Master Li to come along?" Rong Tianding pondered for a moment and said, "Young Master Li has a good eye for treasures. With his help, we should be able to pick the best one in the Water Mansion!"

"As long as he's free, Ao Li shouldn't refuse him entry into the Water Mansion to inspect the Pill Furnace!"

Zhang Xuezhou pondered Li Shaojun, who was focused on refining the Eight-Step Ascension Pill, but he was unsure of Li Shaojun's situation or the new emperor's arrangements.

Li Shaojun and the others were in the same boat, and there were few taboos between them when they acted together.

The opponent's fighting skills were questionable, but Li Shaojun's judgment was sound; even Zhang Xuezhou had to acknowledge Li Shaojun's erudition.

Whenever Li Shaojun is available, Zhang Xuezhou naturally hopes that he can contribute his time and effort.

"It's quite interesting, actually. Yesterday, the imperial court ordered officials to go around demonstrating to the public how to make a food called tofu!"

The two cousins had basic communication regarding their actions, Rong Tianding also tried his best to fill in the gaps in Zhang Xuezhou's knowledge.

"Tofu?" Zhang Xuezhou asked curiously.

"Some people say that eating too much of the white meat made from these beans will cause your body to rot, so the official name for it was tofu," Rong Tianding said. "People in Chang'an City are terrified of it. Most people just watch the spectacle; very few dare to eat it, let alone promote it to other regions!"

"Is the King of Huainan sincerely reminding His Majesty, or is he trying to cause him trouble?"

Zhang Xuezhou rarely made a complaint.

Although the methods used by the new emperor were not entirely clear, the King of Huainan submitted the Pill Formula.

Whether influenced by the magic they used to rescue the people of Zhang Household Village and thus sincerely warned them, or whether they were deliberately trying to disgust the court, the King of Huainan changed the name of this food, and even rumors that it would cause the body to rot after consumption spread widely.

Despite being a versatile ingredient that could even be used to nourish the poor, the spread of this rumor undoubtedly brought about a catastrophic impact.

If the rumors cannot be dispelled, it will be quite difficult for the new emperor to win over the people by promoting tofu.