A Meeting on the Road

Guan River Mouth located in the Bashu region. Zhang Xuezhou originally wanted to find Wen Weng and see how Sima Xiangru and others were attacking the southwestern Yi tribes, but he could sense that someone was following him.

He had just come out of Guan River Mouth, and there were only a limited number of cultivators who could track him. The only one who could make it difficult for Zhang Xuezhou to find the tracker's location was Yang Jian, who was familiar with the changes of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art.

Zhang Xuezhou could only drift away in the end.

With his jade wings gliding across the sky, he soared not for tens or hundreds of miles, but for over a thousand miles.

Only after confirming that no one was following him did Zhang Xuezhou return to normal speed.

"The Eight-Nine Mystical Art are indeed very troublesome!"

Zhang Xuezhou didn't know what Yang Jian had transformed into. Judging from Yang Jian's description, the Eight-Nine Mystical Art could transform into mountains, rivers, trees, insects, fish, birds, and beasts, making it impossible to defend against.

Yang Jian may not be the top cultivator in the Three Realms, but he is definitely one of the most troublesome.

Zhang Xuezhou discovered Yang Jian's difficulties, not to mention the hostile targeting between them.

This kept him from having any bad intentions; it was probably because everyone got along peacefully and helped each other.

He also had a strong desire for the dragon oil from Guan River Mouth. This readily available dragon oil was better than searching for it himself or using any dragon as a guinea pig. Moreover, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the origin of this dragon oil was likely extraordinary, something that ordinary dragon demons could not have achieved, and it was very likely that the dragon demons were stronger than Ao Li and others.

As Zhang Xuezhou pondered various things and considered how to get along with Yang Jian, Li Tianwang, and others, he suddenly heard a loud shout.

"Master Dong, have you come here specifically to stop me?"

The Star-Fixing Technique of the Physiognomy School can intercept the opponent's path, thereby accurately locating the opponent's landing point.

Zhang Xuezhou's Star-Fixing Technique failed, but he was intercepted by Dong Zhongshu time and time again.

As the wind howled through the mountain peaks, Zhang Xuezhou heard a sound and saw someone drifting on the mountaintop amidst the swirling cold wind.

With his arms retracting like jade wings, Zhang Xuezhou's body treaded on the waves and gracefully fell.

"I'm going to die! I'm going to die!" Dong Zhongshu cried out. "I've killed the King of Jiangdu! His Majesty has summoned me to Chang'an City! Our cultivation of magic is doomed!"

"What are you thinking about?" Zhang Xuezhou floated down nearby and followed Fei Zong, saying, "His Majesty now allows everyone in the world to practice cultivation techniques. We can practice openly and legitimately, and there will be no more trouble from the verification of cultivation techniques!"

"I have caused the death of the King of Jiangdu!" Dong Zhongshu cried out.

"The King of Jiangdu drowned, what business is it of yours?"

"I took away his fortune; it was only because the King of Jiangdu's luck was exhausted that he fell into the river and died!"

Although he was a high-ranking cultivator, the ashen complexion on Dong Zhongshu's face was undeniable.

Dong Zhongshu was a kind-hearted man. He practiced the art of manipulating energy to seek good fortune, but he never intended to kill the King of Jiangdu.

Seeing the King of Jiangdu drown in the river at such a young and vigorous age, he undoubtedly felt that he had made a mistake in the matter.

"You're overthinking it. The King of Jiangdu was silenced because he offered magic gold to the court. His cultivation in magic was insufficient to begin with. Even if you hadn't taken his magic power, the King of Jiangdu wouldn't have survived this magical duel!" Zhang Xuezhou said. "He was never skilled in magic, so even if you hadn't taken his magic power, the King of Jiangdu wouldn't have survived this magical duel!"

"Shu Jin... you mean the ones from Huainan made the move?"

Dong Zhongshu let out a long breath, feeling the heavy sense of guilt in his heart greatly subside.

He had just been using his magic to bring rain and prosperity to the people of Jiangdu when the King of Jiangdu died. This situation made Dong Zhongshu question the meaning of life, and he almost went back and forth between the ideas of "harmony between the ruler and his ministers" and "incompatibility between the ruler and his ministers," which nearly caused him to lose his composure.

It wasn't until the summons came from Chang'an City that Dong Zhongshu finally snapped out of his daze.

He made many guesses, even suspecting that the new emperor had discovered his cultivation of magic and that he had also restrained the King of Jiangdu.

Various vague speculations terrified Dong Zhongshu, who also sought help from fellow practitioners of divination.

When Dong Zhongshu finally received the definite news from Zhang Xuezhou, he nearly lost his footing amidst the turbulent waves.

"Is your information accurate?" Dong Zhongshu asked repeatedly.

"Do you want it to be accurate or inaccurate?" Zhang Xuezhou asked with a smile.

"I definitely hope it's accurate!"

Dong Zhongshu sighed.

Even though he was no longer primarily responsible, he felt he still bore secondary responsibility.

The secondary responsibility didn't make him feel as guilty, but it did leave Dong Zhongshu with a sense of annoyance.

When did His Majesty summon you, and what is the purpose of summoning you to Chang'an City?

Zhang Xuezhou glanced around to the northwest and felt that the distance to Chang'an City was not far.

Dong Zhongshu had something to hide, so his entry into Chang'an City was rather slow, and the interception of Zhang Xuezhou further delayed things.

"I don't know either," Dong Zhongshu shook his head repeatedly, "As long as it doesn't involve magic!"

"Look at what you've done, this is practically seeing snakes in the shadows," Zhang Xuezhou complained.

"Even if His Majesty had fallen into the water and drowned, you might not have the same mental health as me!"

Dong Zhongshu forcefully retorted, which made Zhang Xuezhou open his mouth but not refute it for a moment.

Although he occasionally bickered with the new emperor, their cooperation was intertwined with minor conflicts, Zhang Xuezhou simply couldn't accept the new emperor drowning.

"His Majesty is doing well," Zhang Xuezhou finally said, shaking his head.

"Shanggu County has fallen, and all the officials of the Hexi Prefectural Governor's Office have been killed in battle," Dong Zhongshu said in a deep voice. "Now that the court has declared war, the whole country is in turmoil, with passionate calls for battle and undercurrents surging everywhere. Your Majesty must be in a very bad situation right now!"

"This battle was bound to happen sooner or later," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"But we cannot afford to lose this battle," Dong Zhongshu said. "And the imperial court has no chance of winning whatsoever!"

"It seems His Majesty summoned you to Chang'an to seek an advantage in the war," Zhang Xuezhou guessed.

"What chance do I have?" Dong Zhongshu exclaimed in surprise, "I'm not that capable, and I'm not even as capable as you are now!"

"I'm incompetent too!"

Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou Yuanshi came, it wouldn't make a difference; no one can control the conflict across such a vast territory.

This kind of conflict does not occur in a specific location, but could happen anywhere, involving tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people, and even more if ordinary civilians are included.

An individual's strength is limited to fighting in a localized area, while this is a macro-level struggle.

If cultivators cannot rely on their individual strength to carry out decapitation strikes against their enemies, the war will break out in full force until one side is continuously weakened or an opportunity is found to launch a targeted attack, thus creating a chance for war.

To be honest, Zhang Xuezhou lacked strategy in dealing with this kind of war; he was more focused on seeking opportunities arising from high-level power struggles.

Dong Zhongshu was even more passive, feeling that he could not play a significant role in the war and that going to Chang'an City would only result in rambling nonsense and offering no guidance.

"My head hurts!"

Touching his head, Dong Zhongshu shook off the guilt of the drowning of the King of Jiangdu, only to feel a new melancholy welling up in his heart.

Just as Dong Zhongshu struggled to grasp the True Self Realm, Dong Zhongshu at this moment also couldn't see the direction clearly.

He could exploit Zhang Xuezhou's strategic points to pinpoint the possible locations Zhang Xuezhou might pass through, but Dong Zhongshu couldn't grasp the intricacies of the Three Realms' struggle, making it difficult for him to find the opportune moment to intervene.

Dong Zhongshu felt that the new emperor had taken too many risks and acted too impulsively.

He had only been free from the Empress Dowager's entanglement for a short time, and never imagined that he would be entangled with the new emperor again so soon.

However, Dong Zhongshu did demonstrate some skill in Mayi. If the war situation continues to escalate, he will inevitably be entangled no matter where he is, and sooner or later he will be drawn into the struggle.

"To contend or not to contend, to contend for pride, or not to contend for pride, to endure for a moment and the storm will pass, to take a step back and the sea and sky will broaden, to take an inch and then a mile, there is no reason to yield, to yield again and again and there will be no way back, a great man is born between heaven and earth, he should live with a glorious righteousness, when it is time to act, he should act..."

Various thoughts lingered in Dong Zhongshu's mind, and numerous plans clashed one after another.

Dong Zhongshu eventually realized that he could never wait for perfection; no one would wait for him forever, and the relentless passage of time would make the possibility of perfection increasingly distant.

The more he desires, the less likely he is to achieve his goals.

"If His Majesty summons me to Chang'an City to seek a chance of victory, then I can no longer harbor any thoughts of seeking perfection; otherwise, I will not be able to pass this test!"

The King of Jiangdu has already passed away, and the new emperor is also teetering on the brink of collapse.

Either one's loss leads to the loss of all, or one's glory leads to the glory of all.

If he did not seek change, Dong Zhongshu felt he was very likely to follow in the footsteps of the King of Jiangdu.

When his gaze turned toward Chang'an, Dong Zhongshu couldn't help but steel his resolve.