A Heavily Guarded Prison

Zhang Xuezhou was unable to join the Imperial Physician's Hall to witness the spectacle involving Dou Ying; he could only watch it afterward.

Only after communicating with Gongsun Hong was Zhang Xuezhou able to escape the Yangpo Tour.

The risk of him patrolling Chang'an City at this time is not high. However, once the Southern Brightness Fire Technique is promoted, the risk of Yangpo's patrolling will increase, and even Zhang Xuezhou will find it difficult to act recklessly.

As for the few people who can target the Yang Soul Incarnation right now, he has a lot of freedom in using this technique.

Yang Po drifted and floated past the Imperial Medical Academy, where only a group of physicians were left chatting idly afterward.

Many people come to the Imperial Medical Academy for treatment, but very few are arrested there. It is even rarer to detain a seriously ill person for investigation. If we add Dou Ying's marquis status to this, this case is unprecedented.

"Dou Ying was interrogated by the Prefect of the Capital, and Shen Chong probably wished he had never been appointed to the position. Zheng should be very glad he escaped from that quagmire!"

Being an official is a good thing, but having to manage things beyond one's ability to handle is a bad thing.

Shen Chong was a descendant of a marquis, and there weren't many things that could put him in a difficult position; judging a marquis of the same social class was definitely one of them.

Even dealing with high-ranking officials who hadn't been granted titles was easier than judging a marquis.

Zhang Xuezhou sighed, unsure whether Shen Chong would feign illness and retire, or follow the new emperor to the bitter end.

He floated around the Imperial Medical Academy for a while, figuring out where Dou Ying was being held, and then floated towards the Jingzhao Yin's residence in the Imperial City District.

"I am innocent!"

"My will is genuine!"

"You bunch of sinners who can't distinguish right from wrong, you're going to destroy the Great Han Dynasty!"

Oh, heavens, why don't you open your eyes and see clearly what is right and wrong!

Finding Dou Ying wasn't too difficult; the marquis was physically injured, but his voice was remarkably loud.

"Marquis of Weiqi..."

"Get out! You treacherous minister! You'll suffer a terrible death!"

Occasionally, Zhang Xuezhou would overhear Tian Fen's sighs and lamentations.

A civil war involving the royal family and the marquises ended dramatically with the new emperor and others refusing to acknowledge the authenticity of the will.

This change was unsettling for almost everyone, and even Dou Ying herself hadn't anticipated the consequences.

Looking at Tian Fen, who was ostensibly there for an investigation but in reality to mock him, his sense of despair intensified. He felt that the Great Han Dynasty was about to collapse in the hands of these petty men.

After a barrage of angry rebukes and curses, Tian Fen didn't linger. After all, his head was injured, and listening to the scolding for too long would easily give him a headache.

"Marquis of Weiqi is incorrigible, attempting to emulate Qin Er Shi by forging an imperial edict to sideline Fusu and thus divide our Great Han Dynasty. He is destined to be nailed to the pillar of shame!"

As they walked out of the prison, Tian Fen and Shen Chong talked as they went, deliberately raising their voices so that Dou Ying could hear what they were saying, which caused Dou Ying to roar in frustration for a while.

The prison where Marquis of Weiqi was held was constructed of heavy bluestone and reinforced with bronze to prevent it from being destroyed by Technique Method such as fossilization.

Unless they can break through from the front and retrieve the nine keys to open the bronze gates, they cannot rescue Marquis of Weiqi.

These nine keys were not kept by Shen Chong alone, but involved nine important high-ranking officials in the Jingzhao Yin's office.

Only if all these people are robbed and killed can these keys be collected in their entirety.

Once you're locked up in a place like this for serious criminals, you can basically forget about getting out.

The heavy bronze door was slammed shut, and even Dou Ying felt a sense of despair, his roar choked back in his throat.

"They just left without even torturing you! That's so unfair! What crime did you commit that you're being treated better than me!"

Dou Ying wasn't the only one in this sturdy dungeon; Zhang Xuezhou was also quite surprised to see Lao Tong.

Old Tong's collarbone was pierced, making it difficult for him to use his Demon Power, but his mental state was still quite good. At this moment, he was eating the food that the jailer brought him.

It was clear that Lao Tong quite liked the prison food; he even seemed to be enjoying the delicious food while eating.

Thinking about the food in Kunlun and the era of Lao Tong a thousand years ago, Rao Zhang Xuezhou also sighed.

Clearly, the food in this high-class prison was far superior to what nobles enjoyed a thousand years ago, which greatly satisfied Old Tong.

Society moves forward, times change constantly, and the influence of the times makes people adapt to everything and feel that everything is normal. But if you look back at decades ago, there were earth-shattering changes, and the span of a thousand years is far greater than imagined.

Only an ancient demon like Lao Tong, who has transcended a thousand years, can truly appreciate the joys of life in the present.

"You old monster, you're lazy and don't know anything about farming, all you do is dig tunnels and steal food from others!"

He recalled the Emperor's words and couldn't help but grumble repeatedly.

"Now you're hiding in this prison, eating and drinking, you've probably forgotten who took pity on you, and you've forgotten the vow you made to repay that kindness!"

"Who?"

Old Tong, who was gnawing on a chicken leg, shuddered as he stood up. His gaze swept around, and his previous composure and satisfaction vanished without a trace, replaced by a look of unease.

"Only a handful of people know your past. You should know who I am, and you should know who told me these words. You should also know that the one who pitied you in the past suffered a terrible misfortune, his body possessed and he cannot return!"

"You... you are the Holy Son!"

"Without a teacher, this identity is meaningless, and I've become a thorn in his side that he wants to get rid of!"

Old Tong stood up, quickly grabbed the locked bronze railing, and scanned the area, trying to find Zhang Xuezhou.

"Our teacher has lost all his cultivation and his body has been forced to change into another form, but his memories remain. He can tell you anything you want to verify," Zhang Xuezhou said.

Zhang Xuezhou came to keep an eye on Dou Ying, but unexpectedly ran into Lao Tong.

He then casually mentioned some things, trying to persuade Lao Tong as much as possible, thereby potentially triggering a split within Kunlun.

"Where is the Emperor you speak of?" Old Tong asked, his fingers icy cold.

"Unless he can regain his strength, he won't be coming back," Zhang Xuezhou said. "If you have any questions, I can pass them on for you!"

"Your words are hard to believe," Old Tong frowned. "Do you know my true form, and do you know where my dojo was before I submitted?"

"There's no need to go back and ask your teacher about this. He mentioned that your true form is a golden-nosed white-haired rat. You used to cultivate in a deep abyss cave in Trapped Sky Mountain. Once, you were arrested and about to be killed for stealing a spiritual pill, but your teacher intervened and took you in, changing your identity to that of the gods, thus ensuring your safety!"

"That's it, that's it!"

The old man murmured.

His demonic body is indeed quite special, while Lao Tong, having entered the ranks of gods, is also recognized by the Demon-Revealing Mirror. He will be immobilized but will not be physically destroyed, thus preventing death.

Few people in the world know his true form, and the Emperor would not entrust Zhang Xuezhou with such a task to gain his trust unless necessary.

With just a little thought, Lao Tong knew very well that the Emperor was indeed in trouble, and the Emperor they were currently obeying must also be problematic.

He felt everything go black before his eyes, and he felt as if the entire Kunlun was about to perish.