The King of Huainan Was Going to Misjudge

"Twelve top-grade Qi and Blood Creation Pills for you!"

I don't cultivate Qi and Blood!

"The Yin-Yang Secret Elixir is yours!"

Compared to losing everything, Jin Chang only needs a sip of water, which is better than gaining nothing at all.

"My martial uncle's Technique Method is superb; once you've run far away, I won't be able to catch up!"

"My livelihood is with you!"

Jin Chang took the puppet silk as collateral.

The puppet silk he used in battle was a consumable material; it would be rendered unusable if it was cut by swords or stained with blood, sweat, or other substances.

Jin Chang's wealth over the years has been limited, largely due to losses incurred from puppet silk.

He lost money again tonight and even reluctantly took out his protective amulet as collateral.

His puppet silk was bound into the shape of a thin stick, and how long it could be stretched or pulled depended entirely on the size of this stick.

"This is ice silk from the Northern Kuru Continent. Only silkworms that survive in the icy and snowy lands can spin such transparent and resilient long threads," Jin Chang sighed. "This puppet silk originates from a secret silkworm-raising area in the Northern Kuru Continent, and they charge an extremely high price for it!"

"Since both the Technique Method and the medium rely on others, there seems to be no need for this kind of magic to be passed down," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Few top swordsmen know how to forge swords. Their swordsmanship can be passed down, and their Puppet Technique are also worthy of being passed down!"

Jin Chang gritted his teeth.

The best puppet silk comes from the Northern Kuru Continent, but the next-best silk is not unusable, it just doesn't have the same unpredictable effect.

He was genuinely afraid that Zhang Xuezhou might be implying something and then imprison him in the imperial court.

Jin Chang is particularly skilled at infiltration, which corresponds to his strong ability to escape. The restrictions imposed on him during imprisonment must be far greater than those of ordinary people, and the torture he would suffer would be so complex that he would not want to live in this world.

After offering a brief explanation, Jin Chang revealed his trump card: he would buy his life.

"The King's Yin-Yang Secret Pill has a very mysterious origin. He never had it before, and only brought it out in the last two years. I suspect that this pill is related to Changxing," Jin Chang said. "If you are interested, I can tell you the location of Changxing!"

"Oh?"

"You went to Huainan when the star fell, so you must have some interest in this kind of thing!"

Jin Chang stared intently at Zhang Xuezhou, and when his gaze swept over the open window on the second floor of the mansion, a hint of impatience appeared in his eyes.

"Alright!"

Zhang Xuezhou finally nodded.

Seeing Jin Chang's outstretched hand, he gave him a slap, which was considered a basic agreement with the other party.

Now, the tables have turned. With Zhang Xuezhou's abilities improving in all aspects, the initiative between him and Jin Chang has been reversed. They are no longer as passive as before, either limited by their strength or by their weaknesses.

Jin Chang was fully aware of the shift in their relationship, and he accepted it.

With the final agreement successfully reached, Jin Chang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling less anxious about being besieged and hunted.

He straightened his clothes, straightened his slightly bowed body, and then waved to Gongsun Hong, who was watching from the second floor.

"Good morning!"

Gongsun Hong's face twitched.

He has sharp ears and overheard the two talking about a deal early in the morning.

Gongsun Hong was unaware of the Yin-Yang Secret Pill, but he was well aware of the quantity of twelve top-grade Qi and Blood Creation Pills.

The elixir of creation sought by Shuwu is different, but the two can be exchanged for equivalent value; what he seeks to gain control of the court is nothing more than this.

Seeing his life's pursuit being discussed by the two as if it were a casual conversation, Gongsun Hong almost shattered his Dao heart for a moment.

It's like a rural farmer who spends his whole life cultivating the land and saving money, only to find that it can't compare to the cost of a single dish at a nobleman's banquet. This kind of comparison can sometimes make one deeply question the value of their own efforts.

Gongsun Hong, being pragmatic, was the same. He even heard that Zhang Xuezhou didn't care about the twelve top-grade Qi and Blood Creation Pills at all, and instead chose the Yin-Yang Secret Pill, which he had never heard of before.

"The night has passed, and the sun shines again on the earth. Good morning!"

Jin Chang bowed slightly and paid his respects to Gongsun Hong.

He looked at the sunlit Chang'an City, his heart filled with darkness.

Jin Chang felt that every time he met Zhang Xuezhou over the years, something good happened, but none of the good things were perfect; it was as if something was always missing.

Once their strength and status were reversed, Jin Chang belatedly realized that Zhang Xuezhou seemed to have the upper hand in many things, and he was simply following Zhang Xuezhou's lead.

Whether he was acting voluntarily or under duress, Jin Chang was unable to extricate himself from this rhythm. He was even blinded by the benefits he was about to obtain, thus believing that the advantages of cooperating with Zhang Xuezhou outweighed the disadvantages.

"Uncle-Master, you need to understand that I gave you the right to touch the sword, not that you can touch it whenever you want and easily complete your mission!"

As if aware of the hidden meaning in his words, after responding to Gongsun Hong's greeting, Jin Chang was soon greeted by Zhang Xuezhou's earnest explanation.

Regardless of Jin Chang's abilities, if Zhang Xuezhou is missing from what Jin Chang seeks, it's quite normal that Jin Chang will find it difficult to obtain even a small benefit, let alone any.

For example, the Realm Technique that had been entangled between the two for several years was like this. If Zhang Xuezhou hadn't been jumping back and forth between them, Jin Chang would never have been able to obtain any of the content and would have been taken to his grave by the stubborn Zou Bugui.

"If there were no connection between our schools of thought or sects, you wouldn't have survived the darkness, nor would you have seen this ray of light," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Yes!"

"Does Uncle regret not strangling me with the puppet silk sooner?"

No, no!

"Uncle-Master, you don't need to deny what you think, but our Yin-Yang School still has internal connections. The King of Huainan can give you a lot, but there are some things that cannot be replaced. It's always better for us to get along peacefully than for our relationship to deteriorate. We are not mortal enemies, so there's no need for our relationship to be so tense!"

"That's right!"

Jin Chang exhaled a breath of stale air.

For a fleeting moment, he genuinely regretted not strangling Zhang Xuezhou back then, which led to him enduring this humiliation today.

But the only one who could treat him kindly was Zhang Xuezhou, a fellow cultivator from the Yin-Yang School. If it had been any other cultivator who had subdued him, Jin Chang would have had a completely different fate.

Jin Chang's mission was terrible, but meeting Zhang Xuezhou was perhaps a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"I am also a semi-alchemist, so if I could obtain the Yin-Yang Secret Pill, not to mention the possibility of my uncle obtaining such a pill in the Prince's Mansion in the future, as long as I gain something, my uncle wouldn't have to be so desperately tied to one thing," Zhang Xuezhou said. "One Yin-Yang Secret Pill might help my uncle step into the True Self, but our Yin-Yang School's cultivation is special. My uncle might need two, or perhaps even more!"

"What you said makes some sense!"

Jin Chang was already wary of the rhythm Zhang Xuezhou was setting.

But he found that his precautions were useless, and that Zhang Xuezhou's words were the truth.

Zuo Wu, Wu Bei, and Tian You were able to enter the True Self through the power of the pills. In the eyes of the King of Huainan, he was also a cultivator who had been stuck in the Realm of the Sole Self Realm for a long time. He believed that a pill could also help him break through the realm. However, he knew best what he needed, and Jin Chang was not entirely confident.

After Zhang Xuezhou said that, he felt that the more Yin-Yang Secret Pills the better, and handing them over to Zhang Xuezhou for research was not a bad thing.

"If this pill can be incorporated into our Yin-Yang School, thus protecting many cultivators on their path to True Self Only Me, my uncle will surely leave his mark on the Yin-Yang School in the future," Zhang Xuezhou said in a low voice. "Perhaps our school will one day shine once again!"

"I..."

Jin Chang muttered something under his breath, swallowing back the perfunctory sound that was about to escape his throat.

If it were anyone else offering advice, Jin Chang would hardly listen to a word, but Zhang Xuezhou's words had him completely swayed.

He harbored some resentment towards Zhang Xuezhou, and even harbored the thought of taking revenge on Zhang Xuezhou when he was ill, to show him what it means for fortune to turn around.

However, after Zhang Xuezhou's words of advice, Jin Chang began to realize that he was narrow-minded and intolerant. As the leader of the Nine People Sect, he had only considered the continuation of the sect and had never thought about its development, let alone creating a new era of glory.

Looking at Zhang Xuezhou, he felt as if he were seeing his former self in a daze.

He once had such a dream, but it was thwarted by the demands of reality.

Over time, he lost his dreams and became the very thing he never wanted to be.