Blinded by the Lure of Profit
The Immortal Court uses the Longevity Pill to control cultivators, and this ability to extend lifespan makes it highly sought after by many elderly cultivators.
Most of the high-ranking officials who held power in the dynasty were old, and none of them would not want to climb to a high position and live longer. If it weren't for the limited number of longevity pills produced by the Immortal Court, such methods could easily bring down a large dynasty.
Sensing the attention of those watching him, Zhang Xuezhou changed the subject.
He even directly mentioned the name of the Venerable Lei.
Even if you don't care about gossip, as long as you call someone by their name and discuss them behind their back, even the most indifferent person will listen to what others are saying about them.
Zhang Xuezhou didn't say much and went straight to the point.
He had originally intended to enter the Yedie River Holy Land openly and honestly to see if there was any opportunity to obtain the "Technique Within the Clouds," but he never expected that the drawbacks of Venerable Lei would be so great.
Venerable Lei's weakness was already apparent a long time ago; more than a decade ago, the other party colluded with Hongku to enter the Kunlun Secret Realm and steal the Great Medicine.
"What's missing from your longevity pills? Perhaps I could invest in you and become a partner?"
With a flash of jade-colored light, Venerable Lei flew from the Vermilion Clouds Palace to Zhang Xuezhou and the others, and quickly offered his thoughts.
"Venerable Lei!"
Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed in surprise.
"Long time no see, Wu Jin!"
Looking at Zhang Xuezhou, whose face appeared to be only twelve or thirteen years old, Venerable Lei felt that the changes in Zhang Xuezhou's appearance and body were so drastic that they seemed somewhat unreal to him.
Zhang Xuezhou's physique and appearance are the best advertisement; he seems to be getting younger with age, as if he has truly come back to life.
As he kept staring at Zhang Xuezhou and even pinched Zhang Xuezhou's tender cheek, Venerable Lei's thoughts grew stronger. He felt that even if Zhang Xuezhou and the others had not succeeded in refining the longevity elixir, they were close to success.
It's not advisable to get involved in this kind of thing too early, as it's difficult to determine the nature of the matter if it's too early.
However, it's not advisable to get involved in such matters too late, because if it's too late, the other party won't need outsiders anymore.
The timing right now is likely to be just right, hitting the nail on the head.
"I'm getting old, and I want to try everything. I wonder if you could offer me a way out?"
In the face of death, status and identity are of no use.
Venerable Lei had never been this impatient before, but he had practiced the Yang Soul Transformation Technique to participate in the test, and his performance in the Great Han Dynasty test was not very good; his transformed Yang Soul was almost destroyed.
This obliteration had a tremendous impact, causing Venerable Lei to repeatedly feel that his lifespan was being shortened and that he didn't have much time left to live.
Perhaps it was because he was a half-demon, and his physical condition was different from that of human cultivators and Demon Cultivator. Or perhaps it was the accumulation of blood essence that exacerbated this unstable situation, while the collapse of the Yang Soul incarnation further intensified it. Several times, Venerable Lei felt that he was about to die.
His mood was far more urgent than that of other elderly monks, and he was willing to try all sorts of things.
"This matter isn't up to me to decide; it needs to be discussed with Li Shaojun!"
Zhang Xuezhou shook his head and did not immediately agree.
Li Shaojun may lack strength, but he has a great reputation. Venerable Lei and the others are unlikely to confront Li Shaojun directly, especially since Venerable Lei needs to ask for help.
This necessitated a personal visit, and Zhang Xuezhou was required to act as a go-between.
As long as Venerable Lei has this intention, Zhang Xuezhou's return to Chang'an City will be smooth, and he might even be able to use this opportunity to bind Venerable Lei.
For example, you could ask the other party to steal some spirit silk jade lotus roots from the East Heavenly Gate, or ask for Venerable Lei's complete "Technique Within the Clouds" while refining pills.
As for the Longevity Pill, that was simpler. He had over a hundred Longevity Pills in his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag. The only problem was that he Law Power to open it at the moment.
"Young Master Li... Young Master Li... What should we do?"
Zhang Xuezhou was willing to give him face, but Venerable Lei and Li Shaojun had no friendship; his Yang Soul Body was actually destroyed by the other party.
Li Shaojun's involvement in the Longevity Elixir put Venerable Lei in a difficult position, but the participation of a cultivator like Li Shaojun in the Longevity Elixir also meant that the success rate was very high.
Venerable Lei was filled with anxiety, unsure whether he could persuade Li Shao Jun.
"Once I return to Chang'an City, I'll act as a go-between for you two," Zhang Xuezhou said. "His purpose in coming to Chang'an City is solely to acquire medicinal resources; it's not related to anything else. I believe you two have a good chance of successfully communicating!"
"Yes, I'm very good at finding rare and precious medicinal herbs, especially all sorts of rare and exotic fruits from around the world!"
Venerable Lei's face lit up with joy, feeling that he still had some use and that Li Shaojun might take a liking to him.
"Are you really concocting longevity elixirs?"
Venerable Lei appeared flustered and desperate, grasping at straws, while Hongku did not readily believe him, but waited for the two to continue their conversation before making a judgment.
Hongku felt that what Zhang Xuezhou said made some sense, but it didn't seem entirely true.
If there is any evidence at present, it is only Zhang Xuezhou's overly young mind, which makes him look even younger than when he entered the Yedie River Holy Land Zhang Xuezhou become an apprentice.
Hongku pressed for an answer, then focused his mind, trying to determine the accuracy of Zhang Xuezhou's statement.
"Please don't tell me you want to participate too," Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand and said, "The success rate of this kind of pill is too low, and you can't afford to lose the medicinal materials. I can only cooperate with you to refine the Creation Pill!"
"I'm not that kind of person!"
Hongku muttered something under his breath, but before he could speak, Zhang Xuezhou rejected him.
Judging from Zhang Xuezhou's tone, Hongku could at least conclude that Zhang Xuezhou and his group's current pill-making process was not only unstable, but they had not yet produced any official pills. They had probably failed several times, and they might continue to fail.
Hongku could not afford to suffer such a loss, but as long as he could resell the Creation Pills and have some capital to tide him over, Hongku felt that he was not so stingy.
For a moment, he really wanted to urge Zhang Xuezhou to return to Chang'an City so that they could cooperate in refining elixirs and strive to gain benefits as soon as possible.
"The Daoist Lord is away, and we don't know when he will return, or when he will be able to release Wu Jin."
As Venerable Lei chanted those words, Hongku couldn't help but sigh.
"Daojun only said you had to take care of me, he didn't say you had to take care of me in the Yedie River Holy Land," Zhang Xuezhou explained with a smile as he stepped into the palace. "Sending me back to Chang'an City also meets the requirement of taking care of me. Venerable Lei should accompany me, so you don't need to worry about me running away. Besides, I have a family and a home in Chang'an City, what are you worried about!"
"Well!"
"If we get back early, I'll have time to refine the pills, and you can resell them sooner!"
"This?"
"A success rate of over 60% is required; if it's lower than that, I'll directly compensate you for your losses!"
"If it's over 60%, then it could reach 70%?"
Hongku gasped, feeling that Zhang Xuezhou's alchemy skills had improved dramatically recently.
The two had previously agreed to split the profits 50/50, and the success rate for the elixirs was set at 50%.
Each 10% increase in the success rate of alchemy corresponds to enormous profits.
Hongku's eyes began to light up, and he couldn't help but agree that Zhang Xuezhou had a good understanding of Daojun's words.
Daojun spoke tactfully, not directly saying that Zhang Xuezhou was under house arrest, but simply asking Hongku to take care of Zhang Xuezhou and stay for a while longer.
There are no hard and fast rules regarding where to stay for an extended period.
Zhang Xuezhou could stay at the Yedie River Holy Land for a longer period of time, or he could return to Chang'an City and stay there for a longer period of time.
For the spellcasters of the Yedie River Holy Land, as long as the target of their spells is identified, they are not afraid that the target will run away. Zhang Xuezhou's whereabouts are not really a problem.
Hongku hesitated several times, but after Venerable Lei whispered and urged him repeatedly, and patted his chest to guarantee that he would definitely 'take care' of Zhang Xuezhou, Hongku finally agreed with a look of apprehension.