A Familiar Clash

"The collision of those using magic is bound to cause this!"

Zhang Xuezhou and Huang Daoxian had clashed.

No matter what he or Huang Daoxian plotted, neither of their schemes succeeded.

The alliance between Zhang Xuezhou and Dong Zhongshu, the intervention of the new emperor, and the counterattack by the King of Huainan —all these three parties' schemes would likely unfold in the same way.

Having witnessed it once, Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't find the matter strange.

Such clashes will not only continue to occur, but will also bring about various unforeseen circumstances, and even the back-and-forth travel may not be of any use.

Zhang Xuezhou and others, who led a group of Sequence Holder, anticipated a great battle with Huang Daoxian, but they didn't even see each other when the actual confrontation took place.

Zhuang Zhu's army's suppression of Minyue failed to make the slightest ripple. Before the army even reached Minyue, the Minyue Kingdom was already embroiled in internal strife.

The situation was remarkably similar to that when dealing with Huang Daoxian, which Zhang Xuezhou had always found daunting, and it was no different now.

"Let's wait until Master Dong arrives in Chang'an City to assess the situation!"

As long as the King of Huainan didn't immediately rebel and overthrow the new emperor, Zhang Xuezhou felt he had no anxiety.

Ultimately, as long as the new emperor is safe and sound, he can be encouraged to use his skills to seek fortuitous opportunity. Zhang Xuezhou himself is in grave danger, so how can he care about so many other things?

Most things are simply a matter of responding to each situation as it arises, while also trying to maintain one's own ambition.

Zhang Xuezhou was fortunate that, when facing risks, his companions, regardless of which world they were in, could stick together and move forward, even if there was no road ahead, they would try their best to create one.

An individual's strength is undoubtedly weak, but with many companions, it becomes much stronger, and spreading to a group brings tremendous impetus.

Whether it's promoting Gene Sequence to the general public or turning cheap beans into delicious tofu for the poor, it's all about seeking dissemination.

"I wonder who can replicate the way I destroyed Zodiac Immortal's original form!"

Huang Daoxian's defeat stemmed from Song Fengying's investigation of the Pan'an sinkhole, which triggered a fatal accident and led to a series of setbacks that were beyond any hope of recovery.

Zhang Xuezhou couldn't find a way out of the predicament, so he could only do his own thing.

Zhang Xuezhou, stationed at Shanglin Garden, did nothing else. Rong Tianding went to help him find Pill Furnace, while Zhang Xuezhou searched for medicinal herbs in Zhongnan Mountain.

Whether it was due to the secret location or an oversight during the transplantation of medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuezhou discovered that there were quite a few old medicinal herbs in Zhongnan Mountain, and he could collect a basket or even several baskets of herbs every day.

The Yin-Yang School's ability to identify and search for medicinal herbs ultimately proved useful. While Zhang Xuezhou was rote memorizing many things, as his strength and knowledge continued to grow, he often felt a sense of déjà vu when using them, as if saying, "So that's how it is."

"Gastrodia elata, Dendrobium nobile, Polygonum multiflorum, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Dioscorea bulbifera, Eleusine indica..."

Zhang Xuezhou was very satisfied with the various old medicines in the bamboo basket.

These old medicines do not possess the efficacy of powerful medicines and are unlikely to have an effect on cultivators at the Divine Ability Realm, but they can certainly be used as a catalyst or auxiliary medicine.

Elixirs such as the Creation Elixir do not necessarily require all raw materials to be of the highest quality. Instead, they are based on a certain high-quality medicine, and the quality of other auxiliary medicines can be appropriately lowered through blending.

Zhang Xuezhou has been searching two mountains near the secret location these past few days, collecting twelve baskets of herbs, which is more than enough for him to practice alchemy and medicine making.

He carried a basket of medicinal herbs and returned to the side hall where he was stationed, in a rather pleasant mood.

"You certainly upheld your duty!"

When Zhang Xuezhou returned to the side hall, the sun was already setting in the west.

He sensed someone had entered the side hall and was overjoyed, thinking Rong Tianding had come to retrieve the cauldron. But when he pushed open the door, he saw the new emperor, dressed in armor, standing in the side room.

The new emperor glanced at the bamboo basket Zhang Xuezhou was carrying, and then looked at the herbs inside.

Clearly, Zhang Xuezhou was diligent and responsible in his duties at Shanglinyuan.

Whether Zhang Xuezhou was collecting herbs or doing something else, Zhang Xuezhou at least insisted on patrolling the mountain. If he discovered any unexpected situation, Zhang Xuezhou could immediately fly and shuttle to investigate.

The new emperor unusually praised Zhang Xuezhou for his diligence and responsibility, which surprised Zhang Xuezhou slightly.

"I am not a lazy official," Zhang Xuezhou sighed. "When I served as the Imperial Carriage Attendant, I patrolled every day and guarded the East Sima Gate day and night. Unfortunately, that serious illness changed everything. I can no longer be as diligent as before, and I am busy with constant treatment and trying to survive, making it difficult for me to perform my duties normally!"

"Well!"

The new emperor let out a long sigh.

The newly appointed Zhang Xuezhou is indeed not the same as he is now.

Among the many people seeking official positions, Zhang Xuezhou's self-recommendation letter was the most plain and straightforward, but Zhang Xuezhou was also the longest, so diligent that it was hard to find fault with it.

During his short tenure as the Imperial Carriage Attendant, Zhang Xuezhou was also very dedicated to his duties in Yangling.

Each time he recalled the events, the new emperor felt a pang of regret.

What would have happened if he hadn't sent Zhang Xuezhou to Yangling, but instead guided him like Han Yan and Sang Hongyang?

But things can't be undone, and Zhang Xuezhou can't go back to the past.

At that time, Zhang Xuezhou had just taken office and was just one of hundreds or thousands of people. His talent was limited, and the new emperor had limited understanding of Zhang Xuezhou. Unlike Han Yan and others, he did not have a family background to guarantee his success, so the emperor could not wholeheartedly cultivate him.

At present, Zhang Xuezhou has risen to an unparalleled position by the new emperor's side; he has even taken out the empress's Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag.

"As long as you're not in a position that requires you to reflect on yourself three times a day, you can take on any position you want, and no one will make things difficult for you," the new emperor said.

There are very few positions suitable for Zhang Xuezhou's physical condition. No matter how high his Zhang Xuezhou level is, he cannot hold a military post. Positions involving important court posts, such as the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, which require listening to information from all sides every day, are also unsuitable for Zhang Xuezhou.

If Zhang Xuezhou's physical ailment cannot be cured, the new emperor can almost foresee his future predicament in court, and even if he were to gain great power in the future, it would be difficult to make arrangements for him.

The only guarantee the new emperor could offer was that he would allow Zhang Xuezhou to receive a salary without working and would continue to keep Zhang Xuezhou as a close advisor.

"The officials in the court are all very friendly, and no one has impeached me during my years in office," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"That's true!"

The new emperor had just vouched for Zhang Xuezhou when he suddenly remembered how leisurely Zhang Xuezhou had been living these past few years.

Whether it was Anle Palace or Changxin Palace that controlled the government, no official ever impeached Zhang Xuezhou for not performing his duties properly; everyone tacitly accepted his temporary posting.

Upon comparison, the new emperor realized that his own guarantee didn't seem particularly special.

This made the new emperor lose face, and he coughed several times to ease the embarrassment.

"To tell you the truth, I've encountered a problem," the new emperor began. "The King of Huainan presented me with Pill Formula for making boiled meat, but he renamed Pill Formula' tofu.' Rumor has it that those who eat tofu will rot and die a gruesome death."

"Oh?"

"The people of Chang'an City are now terrified of tofu; everyone is filled with fear, regarding it as a poisonous snake or a ferocious beast. Even when the Imperial Household Department sends people to demonstrate the tofu-making process, the people dare not approach!"

"This kind of thing is troublesome!"

"My example won't do much good. Not many people will see me eating tofu, and the common people won't know what people eat in the palace!"

The new emperor was even more troubled by the constant opposition from his ministers in court.

The promotion of tofu to improve people's livelihoods has reached a stalemate, with widespread opposition in the court and no one able to break the deadlock during discussions among close advisors.

He looked at Zhang Xuezhou, clearly hoping to get some workable advice from Zhang Xuezhou.

To the new emperor's disappointment, Zhang Xuezhou also seemed helpless in the matter.