early morning.

A luxurious carriage drove from the main road and stopped at the square outside the Tianji Tower. The twelve riders accompanying it reined in their horses.

Zheng Wenhan, wearing a scarlet robe, stepped on a wooden stool and got off the car, saying to his attendants, "Wait here for a moment!"

After saying that, he lowered his hands and walked towards Tianji Tower with his sleeves fluttering.

Tianji Tower is a tower with a pointed roof and eight floors. Each floor has flying eaves and observation corridors. When the late emperor obtained the elixir of immortality, he was very pleased and spent a huge amount of money from the national treasury to recruit skilled craftsmen to build this tower for the imperial teacher.

On the day of completion, the late emperor wrote the inscription with his own hand: "The achievement is comparable to that of nature, and the secrets of heaven are fully anticipated."

Name: Tianji Tower.

Climbing up the white marble carved stone steps and entering the main building, Zheng Wenhan saw a middle-aged man in a Tai Chi robe, holding a dustpan in his hand, standing there quietly with a smile on his face: "Prime Minister Zheng, the Imperial Master has been waiting for a long time."

Zheng Wenhan raised his eyebrows: "Does the Imperial Master know that I am coming?"

The middle-aged Taoist priest smiled and said, "Everything in the world is under the control of the State Master."

Does the Imperial Master know where Zhao Shun is hiding? Zheng Wenhan nodded slightly and said, "Please lead the way. I want to see the Imperial Master."

The middle-aged Taoist priest shook his head: "The national teacher is practicing in seclusion. It is a critical moment. No outsiders will be allowed to see him before the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven begins." Zheng Wenhan frowned: "I have something urgent to do."

The Yang family had already noticed his plot, and in the past two days, they had been protesting to the emperor, asking to see the emperor. At the same time, the Yang family's guards, the guest officials they kept, and the city defense forces they were in charge of were all taking active actions, as if they were looking for something.

This made it difficult for him to mobilize the city defense forces and soldiers to search for Zhao Shun.

If things drag on, the Zheng family will have no choice but to rebel by force.

Zhao Shun must be killed before the ceremony of offering sacrifice to heaven, and then a military coup should be launched in the name of clearing the court of corrupt officials and killing the puppets in the palace. In this way, the major event can be settled.

But now Zhao Shun just can’t find it.

The middle-aged Taoist priest smiled and took out a brocade bag from his sleeve and handed it to him: "The Imperial Master knows everything."

Zheng Wenhan opened the brocade bag, took out the note inside, unfolded it and saw the words "Shenrui" written on it.

His pupils contracted slightly.

The middle-aged Taoist priest still smiled: "In the past two days, Prime Minister Zheng has asked the city defense army to keep a close eye on the inner and outer cities. If there is a conflict anywhere, the army will surround it and kill without mercy! In three days, it will be the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heavens, so don't delay it."

Zheng Wenhan put away the treasure bag: "The truth is clear."

When Zheng Wenhan walked out of the Tianji Tower, the middle-aged Taoist priest took out another golden bag and said, "Junior sister, go ahead."

A woman wearing a Tai Chi robe, with a sweet appearance but a cold expression appeared, took the brocade bag, and disappeared again.

…

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the side quest: Survive for 72 hours. ]

[Ding! Mission reward, unlock the Saint Realm spiritual power and items. ]

[Ding! Activate the side quest: Rescue Wang Xiu! ]

[Ding! Activate the side quest: Conquer the Qinglong Gang.]

Zhang Yuanqing, who was lying on the simple bed, felt a burning sensation on his forehead. The mark of the moon appeared and turned into a brilliant nebula. The vast and pure power of the stars and the power of the moon poured into his body.

The body was like a dry sponge, greedily absorbing the two forces, and only stopped when it reached the peak of level 4, feeling unsatisfied.

Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, and his eyes, which had seemed dull due to his illness, became bright and lively, like stars.

"Back to the peak of level 4!" After feeling his physical condition, he opened his inventory, took out a saint-quality pill, and swallowed it.

The bacteria in his body were spread by a Level 6 Saint. Even with the healing power of the Night Wandering God and special elixirs for treating diseases, he could only barely save his life, and he had lost all his fighting power. Even if he returned to the Level 4 Saint realm, he would not be able to heal himself by his own immune system.

Then, he opened the inventory to check and found that the low-quality items of the Saint Realm were unlocked, while the medium and high-quality items were still sealed. The former corresponded to level 4, and the latter corresponded to levels 5 and 6.

"Luckily, I collected a lot of low-quality props during my time in New Covenant County. Otherwise, a prop master like me who has nothing but top-quality props would be dumbfounded when encountering such a situation." Zhang Yuanqing was thankful, then closed the inventory and examined the dungeon task.

The main quest has not changed, and the notes have not changed.

The side quest has been changed. It is no longer based on survival time, but has become a clearly targeted task.

This is a good thing. As long as he completes a side quest, he can unlock some of his strength, and he doesn't have to wait for a long time like the previous two times. Waiting for a long time is a rigid rule and is not conducive to performance. Only this kind of targeted task can show the operation of a high-level player.

"Two side quests: rescue Wang Xiu and subdue the Qinglong Gang. Can the Qinglong Gang be a friendly force? Well, the Qinglong Gang stands on the side of justice, which is completely different from the Zheng family. They hate Zhao Shun because he is a tyrant and a disaster for the country and the people. In essence, the Qinglong Gang hates people who bring disaster to the country."

"But it's a bit difficult to subdue the Qinglong Gang... Let's rescue Wang Xiu first."

Zhang Yuanqing silently made a copy strategy in his mind.

He sat up, threw away Jiang Jingwei's thighs that were resting on his belly, and used a big pussy to wake her up.

Jiang Jingwei was very angry when he woke up, and was ready to fight him to the death, but Zhang Yuanqing pinned him down with one hand, and his struggles were in vain.

Jiang Jingwei suddenly stopped and said in astonishment: "You recovered? You recovered your level!"

She immediately said angrily: "I still haven't completed my side quest."

"There's no need to rush for a long-running plot." Zhang Yuanqing threw off the quilt, got out of bed, put on a coarse coat, and strode out of the room. Wang Beiwang was feeding the horse with a bundle of hay. When he saw him coming out, he said calmly, "I've thought of a way. It's said in the market that the Zheng and Yang families are like fire and water. Since the Zheng family wants to rebel, they should ask the Yang family for help. I'll find a way to take you to see the Yang family.

"The Zheng family must have expected this, so next, we need to think about how to meet with the Yang family safely."

He thought of many ways last night, and the best option was to ask the elders and leader of the Qinglong Gang for help, but considering that the leader hated evil and hated evil, he would probably slap the tyrant to death if he saw him.

Elder Xu can still communicate, but the gang leader practices fire-related skills and has been active in the martial arts world for many years, earning him the nickname "Rough Fire God."

So I had to settle for the next best thing and go meet the Yang family.

"What should we do after meeting the Yang family? You all know that the Zheng family must be following us secretly. If I take over the Yang family, the Zheng family will have no choice but to fight to the death and formally mutiny. Don't forget that most of the city defense forces are controlled by the Zheng family. The Zheng family's followers are spread throughout the court and the country, and they have the support of the national teacher. If I tear my face with the Zheng family on this matter, I will have no chance of winning." Zhang Yuanqing rejected it outright.

Wang Beiwang sneered, "So you want to hide here until the day of the heavenly sacrifice ceremony? You are indeed a tyrant, afraid of death."

Zhang Yuanqing stood with his hands behind his back and scolded: "How dare you, a rude and unruly person, disrespect me? Believe it or not, I will take you out and behead you."

The tyrant suddenly stood up? Wang Beiwang was stunned, suppressed his anger and asked: "What are your plans?"

Zhang Yuanyou said in a tuneful tone, "It's so boring to hide here all the time. Is there a music bureau or a brothel in the capital? Take me there to have some fun."

Wang Beiwang took it seriously and flew into a rage: "You foolish king, you are still thinking about women when you are about to die. I will send you to death first."

He grabbed the sword at hand and stabbed.

Everyone in the court and the country knew that the current emperor, Zhao Shun, was extremely lustful. Even though there were three thousand beauties in the palace, he still had to select a concubine every year. Every time he left the palace, he would definitely take possession of a good woman.

Those with excellent looks were brought back to the palace, and those who were slightly less beautiful were only favored by the emperor.

Facing the attacking sword, Zhang Yuanqing did not dodge or evade. Instead, he clamped the sharp tip of the sword firmly with two fingers.

Wang Beiwang subconsciously retracted his sword, but found that the tip of the sword seemed to have melted into the tyrant's fingers and he could not pull it back. He used all his strength, but the opponent's arm did not even tremble.

"You, you..." Wang Beiwang stared at the tyrant in a daze.

Zhang Yuanqing let go of the sword tip, still standing with his hands behind his back, and said slowly: "To be honest, I have been keeping a low profile and practicing my magic skills in secret. My strength is comparable to Tuoba Rentu, and my wisdom is comparable to that of the current imperial master. Unfortunately, my talent is too monstrous, and the gods are jealous of me, so they sent down divine power to seal my cultivation."

"I was disheartened and let myself go, and began a boring life of drinking and carnival... Alas, I was wrong. My decadence has caused suffering to the people of the Southern Dynasty. Therefore, I want to clean up the government and bring peace and prosperity to the people of the Southern Dynasty."

He looked at Wang Beiwang and said, "Now that I have regained my divine power, Wang Beiwang, are you willing to help me quell the rebellion and support the country?"

Wang Beiwang was stunned.

…

The wheels rumbled as Wang Beiwang drove towards the inner city, recalling the emperor's words just now in his mind and feeling deeply shocked.

His years of experience, knowledge and reason in the underworld told him that the emperor was deceiving him.

But he couldn't ignore the facts he saw with his own eyes.

If not, how could the tyrant monarch's power soar? You know, practicing is difficult. Wang Beiwang practiced swordsmanship for more than ten years before he achieved some success.

And which of those famous masters in the world is not in his forties?

His cultivation level increased dramatically overnight, which was unheard of.

The more Wang Beiwang thought about it, the more shocked he became. For the first time, he felt a sense of awe for the tyrant whom he had hated for so long, even though he was unwilling to admit it.

At this time, the sound of singing and dancing came into their ears, and they arrived at the famous "Hongxiu Pavilion" in the inner city.

Hongxiu Pavilion is located beside the main road of the inner city. It is a two-story building hung with colorful flowers and red cloth. The beauties on the second floor are leaning against the wall. The young women dressed seductively are laughing and scolding, fighting with each other, and their bodies are shaking, deliberately doing it for the passers-by downstairs to see.

At the entrance of the restaurant, there were pimps nodding and bowing to attract customers, leading those thirsty young men into the building.

Wang Beiwang pulled the reins of his horse in front of the "Hongxiu Pavilion", threw a piece of silver to the turtle man who came to meet him, and ordered: "Take the horse to the backyard and feed it well."

Then he led Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Jingwei, who had jumped off the carriage, into the house. The other fisherman who had not gotten the job was stunned and hurriedly stopped them and said, "Hongxiu Pavilion does not entertain female guests."

He glanced at Jiang Jingwei.

Zhang Yuanqing said casually: "She is a woman dressed as a man."

Who would believe it? Just as Gui Gong was about to dissuade him, he suddenly felt dizzy and his eyes were dull. After a few seconds, he returned to normal and instinctively believed Zhang Yuanqing's words and led the three people inside.

Entering the building, Zhang Yuanqing glanced around and saw a large stage covered with a thin red carpet facing the door. It was used for musical performances and operas, but it was empty at the moment.

There were not many guests in the lobby. Some were having breakfast in groups of three or four. Some were alone, while others were accompanied by beautiful women.

Most of those who are alone are clients who stayed in the building last night and left after breakfast. Those who are accompanied by beautiful women come here for morning exercises.

"Is this your first time here, or are there ladies you know?" The old man said with a smile, "The ladies are still sleeping, would you like to have breakfast first?"

The three of them chose an empty table near the back and ordered breakfast. Zhang Yuanqing said regretfully, "We came too early! We forgot that the brothel operates at night."

Wang Beiwang looked at Mr. Gui’s back and asked tentatively, “Your Majesty, are you practicing illusion?”

"You call me Young Master outside," Zhang Yuanqing pretended to be profound, "Illusion is just a minor art. I... I am practicing the art of pardoning ghosts and gods."

Wang Beiwang suddenly realized: "I heard from the gang leader that the national master can communicate with ghosts and gods, refine elixirs, determine solar terms, and observe the stars and tell fortunes. Are you the national master's disciple?"

"He doesn't deserve it!" Zhang Yuanqing rolled his eyes. Before breakfast came, he said, "Wang Beiwang, I have a task for you. After breakfast, you will disguise yourself as a beggar and go around the five-mile radius of Tianji Tower. Tell everyone you meet: I am the reincarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun, and I urgently need ten taels of silver to return to heaven. If any kind-hearted person helps me, I will make you the Jade Emperor when I return to heaven."

"If someone asks you where Yuanshi Tianzun is, bring that person here."

"I won't go." Wang Beiwang was very excited: "It's so embarrassing. After all, I am a famous swordsman in the martial arts world."

"You don't want to save Xiu'er anymore?"

"I..." Wang Beiwang's expression was distorted.

…

After breakfast, Wang Beiwang left Hongxiu Pavilion and found a beggar on the street. He used two copper coins and the clothes on his body to exchange for a ragged set.

Then, with the beggar looking at him as if he were a fool, he took the broken bowl and left.

After walking a distance away from the beggar, Wang Beiwang looked around, hesitated again and again, and finally, motivated by "Xiu'er is the most important", shouted: "I am the reincarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun, and now I urgently need ten taels of silver to return to heaven. If any kind-hearted person can help me, I will make you the Jade Emperor when I return to heaven."

People walking on the street looked at him with pity, shock, confusion, and as if he were a madman.

A strong feeling of shame surged in his heart. Wang Beiwang's face turned hot. He lowered his voice unconsciously, lowered his head, and hurried away.

After walking a long way, he finally mustered up his courage and shouted slogans loudly. Without exception, he received strange looks from passers-by.

This was repeated several times. After an hour, Wang Beiwang, who was shouting slogans, suddenly heard someone tentatively ask, "Yuanshi Tianzun?"