Suspicions in Every Direction

Zhang Xuezhou came to check on Dou Ying's injuries, but he didn't need to say anything to Dou Ying; he spent most of his time talking to Lao Tong.

Old Tong, who was imprisoned in the cage, had been calm and composed at first, but after the conversation, his face turned deathly pale, and he had lost all his previous composure.

"Please help me, you two!"

Two hands emerged in the dim firelight. The hook and chain that had pierced the old boy's collarbone were being pulled with brute force and gradually began to deform.

With a snap, the hook knife stuck in Lao Tong's back was removed.

The sealed collarbone made it difficult for the old boy to use his golden core power, and his body quickly changed, turning into a golden-nosed white-haired rat no bigger than the palm of his hand, leaving only a pile of tattered clothes behind.

He squeezed through a gap in the bars and climbed out of the cage, then crawled towards the bronze gate of the sealed prison.

These bronze gates had some ventilation holes, which were narrow and small, making them difficult for ordinary people to use, but the old boy's demonic body easily squeezed through them.

Seeing Lao Tong escape from prison, Dou Ying opened his mouth, hoping that the two of them could help get him out.

"You have nowhere to go, there's no point in rescuing you!"

Zhang Xuezhou glanced at Dou Ying.

After being beaten to the point of vomiting blood by Tian Fen, he could sense that Dou Ying's body was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and that the strength he could exert was very limited.

After his Yang Soul incarnation was shattered by the Spirit Wood Staff, Dou Ying's body underwent adjustments. His body seemed to have recovered, but it also seemed to have become more fragile.

Although he appears to be physically intact and able to perform at his normal level, Dou Ying's body is extremely fragile, and his ability to withstand blows has been greatly reduced.

This feeling is somewhat like Seventh Sequence individual having their resistance layer removed; they may still appear to be able to exert their strength, but they crumble instantly when hit.

If one does not have a penchant for self-harm or self-mutilation, it would be difficult for a monk to notice this condition.

Having determined that Dou Ying's physical condition did not stem from a deviation in his cultivation, Zhang Xuezhou felt that Daojun's future condition would likely be very poor.

The Spirit Wood Staff remains unknown, but the Seven Treasures Tree of the same type has been famous for a thousand years.

Zhang Xuezhou's skill in crafting the spirit wood staff surpassed that of the Zhunti Sect Master, and with the aid of the ancient tree, its power was unique and its influence far greater than Zhang Xuezhou had imagined.

Daojun's flying knife technique caused lingering injuries, and his staff was no less effective.

"If Daojun takes another hit, he'll probably be crippled!"

Although the border was constantly engulfed in war and the nomadic armies of the Xiong State frequently crossed into the territory of the Great Han, Chang'an City remained relatively calm, with no large-scale Incantation Technique attacks or assassinations occurring.

Zhang Xuezhou, one of the parties involved, did not encounter any special targeting, and the situation was completely different from what they had initially expected when they returned to Chang'an City.

After comparing and judging, Zhang Xuezhou finally understood the situation completely.

Knowing yourself and your enemy brings peace of mind, and Zhang Xuezhou felt much more confident.

Compared to their fear and anxiety, Daojun's vigilance was perhaps even greater.

"Being able to fly and fight, it's really unbearable to be ambushed from the shadows, especially since Daojun is an expert in this area!"

Zhang Xuezhou never considered himself a top expert in the Three Realms, but they were now genuinely threatening the Dao Lord level.

If both sides have equal qualifications, it is difficult for one to be superior when they become enemies.

Zhu Jiuyin had previously issued a warrant to arrest Li Jiao, Jin Chang, and others, but this time the Sacred Land forces did not make a big show of it; instead, they remained somewhat secretive.

This doesn't mean that Zhu Jiuyin, Daojun, and others have become kind-hearted; rather, it means they have gained equal qualifications.

Regardless of how many people were involved in the attack, as long as they possessed the ability to pose a threat, their status would become equal.

Zhang Xuezhou was somewhat pleased to see this situation, as he at least didn't need to worry about the unpredictable troubles brought about by the kill order bounty. However, he was also a bit troubled. The consequence of soldiers fighting soldiers and generals fighting generals on equal terms was that he would have to face the personal intervention of Daojun and others in the future.

If a Dao Lord is unwilling to suffer injury and seek revenge, the one who comes to kill him will inevitably be the Dao Lord himself.

"I wonder if I can seize the opportunity to give them another chance!"

Zhang Xuezhou really hoped that the Western Sect and Donghua would clash with Zhu Jiuyin, Daojun, and others, but he also hoped to deliver a blow to Daojun, so that instead of the two sides fighting each other, he would suffer prematurely.

This involves a timing factor. Whether the fight comes first, or whether Daojun personally comes to retaliate first, whether Donghua's power can be used to target Daojun and others depends on Li Shaojun and others' ability to deliver messages.

"Get me out of here! I still have somewhere to go!"

Zhang Xuezhou observed clearly that his solidified yang spirit gradually dissipated, which also caused Dou Ying to shout loudly.

"I can repay you. I have a lot of money, and I also have cultivation pills, each one a top-grade elixir. I also have many young women in my mansion; you can have as many as you want!"

"Oh? Where can you go?"

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't interested in repaying Dou Ying's kindness; what he was truly interested in was where Dou Ying could go.

"In this vast sea of people, I will always have somewhere to go. Even if I go to the Xiong State, I will be treated with courtesy. There are many royal families and schools of thought there that are xenophobic; they will definitely welcome me!"

"Then you've asked the wrong person!"

Zhang Xuezhou's previous use of Yang Po led Dou Ying to mistakenly identify him as Sima Tan. This time, his conversation with Lao Tong, where he tried to persuade Lao Tong to defect to Donghua, similarly caused Dou Ying to misjudge his identity.

Upon hearing that Dou Ying wanted to escape to the Xiong State, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, realizing that Dou Ying, who prided himself on his loyalty, was not as loyal as he had imagined.

He quickly assessed the situation and didn't want to linger in the dungeon.

Just as his body was about to escape, feeling ethereal, Zhang Xuezhou suddenly remembered something and gave him another word of advice.

"If you want to live, cooperate fully with the Empress Dowager's divination; that might be your only chance to survive!"

What kind of divination is being performed?

Dou Ying asked a question, but there was no response from the air.

His face turned pale and then flushed, before he slammed his fist heavily on the bronze railing.

The hands, once strong enough to bend bronze railings, now showed a Qi and Blood red from the blows, and a sharp pain emanated from their palms.

"How could my body be like this? Damn Tian Fen, what method did he use to smash my crown? Why did my body suddenly collapse as if I'm about to die!"

Dou Ying stared at the disappearing figure. He had no time to guess who the other person was, why they had rescued the old man, or what their identity was in Chang'an City. He only knew that his current situation was extremely bad.

His glory stemmed from his ancestors, but Dou Ying secured his position as the top marquis through his military achievements.

His current strength is very strange. Dou Ying is sure that there is no problem with his realm and that he can still strike with thunderous force, but he feels that his body is very fragile.

Perhaps if someone hit him, Dou Ying would have to fall down.

Or perhaps if he unleashes his full power, his body will not be able to withstand it, and he will vomit blood and die.

This was a condition that Dou Ying had never experienced before, Dou Ying truly struggled to understand her own physical symptoms.

"I had clearly healed my injuries at the time!"

If he hadn't been ambushed by Tian Fen, his injuries could only have stemmed from that inexplicable loss in the past.

At that time, Dou Ying was probing the Red Empyrean Sword, and then his Yang Soul incarnation suddenly collapsed. He then returned to his residence and coughed up a lot of blood.

He was still able to condense the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique, Dou Ying felt that he should eliminate the influence of the backlash from this Technique Method, but Dou Ying really couldn't find the problem within himself.

"Could it be that the Red Empyrean Sword shattered my Yang Soul Body, causing my body to break down?"

There are only a few possible reasons for the deterioration of his health. Dou Ying suspected Tian Fen and the backlash from the Yangpo Incarnation Technique.

When he guessed the last possibility, his body trembled involuntarily, and he felt his belief in being a 'loyal subject of the Great Han Dynasty' collapse.