Barracks.

Xiao Yuan sat at the table, picked up the tea and moistened her throat, saying, "That's how things went."

In the spacious commander's room, Xiahou Aotian, Tianxia Guihuo, Demon Eye Heavenly King, Zhao Chenghuang, Ling Jun, and Fu Qingyang sat around, looking at each other, all seeing the heavy look in each other's eyes.

On the very first day of entering the instance, they were backstabbed by three teammates, almost dying in the palace. Then they encountered a backstab by the captain of the guards, again narrowly escaping death.

They finally made it to dawn, but tonight, the Zheng family led the forbidden army in a night raid, forcing them out of the palace. Their cultivation was also tragically sealed. Surrounded by female companions, fire masters, or teammates who were both female companions and fire masters.

Even the most easygoing and optimistic Ling Jun couldn't help but complain, "No wonder he's a monarch of a fallen kingdom, much more exciting than our side."

If it were him, he probably wouldn't survive the first episode.

Xiahou Aotian looked at the silent Demon Eye Heavenly King, and asked in surprise:

"Why didn't you slam the table and retreat to the capital?"

Demon Eye Heavenly King cracked a smile: "The Bewitching Demon is not a fire master. We don't lack brains. On the contrary, we are all tactical masters and strategists. Retreating to the capital would mean losing our military positions and being imprisoned. We'd all be finished."

Tianxia Guihuo said neither obsequiously nor superciliously, "Fire masters can also use wisdom and brains."

Ling Jun said with relief, "Very good, very good. We really all have brains here, even the only smart fire master is here."

"The combat power cap of the capital's map may not be as high as the battlefield, but in terms of difficulty, it seems to be even higher. The difficulty of the battlefield is reflected in combat power, while the capital requires more brains." Zhao Chenghuang swept a glance at everyone, his tone faint:

"Yuanshi is so pitiful..."

Xiao Yuan frowned upon hearing this, giving Zhao Chenghuang a cold look, implying that she had no brains.

Just as she thought this, she heard Xiahou Aotian say with low emotional intelligence, "Xiao Yuan, Zhao Chenghuang is implying that you have no brains."

Ling Jun played with the teacup, teasingly said, "Zhao Chenghuang and Sun Miaomiao are childhood sweethearts, so he's definitely on Sun Miaomiao's side. Hmm, Guan Ya hasn't been found yet. If she were by Yuanshi's side, the situation would be much better."

Ling Jun also publicly announced his allegiance.

Hearing this, Fu Qingyang interrupted in a timely manner, "Let's talk business."

If Ling Jun continued, even he, Guan Ya's cousin, would have to take sides. The team couldn't afford to become disunited and suspicious of each other because of Yuanshi Tianzun's philandering.

He turned his head to look at this mature woman who was ambiguously involved with Yuanshi Tianzun, and said lightly:

"The method for the Demon Eye to rejoin the team is very simple. He just needs to swear allegiance to me in front of enough guards, and the main quest will change.

"The core of this is witnessing, witnessing with sufficient credibility. Tell Yuanshi this idea, and he will know what to do."

Xiao Yuan pondered for a few seconds, then nodded slightly, feeling a great weight lifted from her heart.

After escaping from the palace, she rushed to Linxia City without stopping, hoping to change camps as soon as possible and help Yuanshi.

The capital is not like the battlefield. No matter how many schemes and intrigues are used, it is still a matter of battlefield fighting, but the capital encounters too many problems.

Not only are there complex interpersonal relationships, but also complex multiple plot lines, as well as missing personnel (Sun Miaomiao, Guan Ya) and teammates in different camps, and so on.

These things cannot all be left to Yuanshi to do.

At this time, Ling Jun said:

"The instance structure of the monarch of a fallen kingdom is very clear. The capital and Linxia City are advancing along two lines. If either side fails, it will lead to a team wipe.

"As my proudest student, Yuanshi can handle the affairs of the capital, but I don't quite trust Fu Qingyang and the Demon Eye in the battlefield. Xiao Yuan, you are a witch doctor, provide us with some gu poisons and gu worms, preferably those that reproduce quickly and are highly poisonous."

Xiao Yuan said lightly, "Highly poisonous gu worms don't reproduce quickly."

"Then give us the ones that reproduce quickly. For ordinary soldiers, moderate toxicity is enough." Ling Jun said.

"I'll give them to you tomorrow morning." After Xiao Yuan finished speaking, her expression became a little serious: "Are the enemies on the battlefield very strong?"

Ling Jun shrugged: "Four hundred thousand troops, and the main general is an ancient war god of level nine."

Zhao Chenghuang corrected, "Now it's at most three hundred and fifty thousand troops."

At this time, Tianxia Guihuo said:

"In the capital, the current task is to survive for three days. One day has already passed, and the next two days will probably be fraught with danger. And the only Saints among you are Brother Red Chicken and the Palace Master of Stopping Slaughter, who are already scattered. You are too short of Saint-level combat power."

He opened his inventory and took out a stone carving of an evil ghost; a stone tablet engraved with "Frugality"; a stone tablet engraved with "Universal Love"; and a metal creation three inches high.

The metal creation had a square base cast in bronze, and a crescent moon of brass sat on the base. Between the crescent moons floated metal spheres made of brass blocks.

Without Tianxia Guihuo's introduction, Xiao Yuan, Xiahou Aotian, and Zhao Chenghuang immediately recognized that these were consumables obtained after clearing "Mo Sect Mechanical City."

These four items were "Manifest Ghost," "Universal Love," "Frugality," and "Six Animals Ritual."

Tianxia Guihuo said, "The price to pay for Saint-quality items is unbearable for extraordinary practitioners, but consumables do not require payment. I only have four left. Zhao Chenghuang, Xiahou Aotian, how many do you have left?"

He actually had one more, called "Frugal Burial."

But Frugal Burial can transform corpses into Yin corpses for combat, which is just right for the battlefield, so he won't give it to Xiao Yuan.

Xiahou Aotian and Zhao Chenghuang looked at each other: "We used them up long ago."

Tianxia Guihuo's mouth twitched, and he said with a forced smile, "As expected of people from noble families, extravagance is ingrained in your bones."

Unlike him, every item and consumable is used sparingly, saving wherever possible.

"It's enough." Xiao Yuan happily put them away.

The next morning.

The queen had a good night's sleep, yawned as she got up, and stretched her soft waist.

"Awake?" Zhang Yuanqing, sitting on the bedside, said quietly.

The queen responded and smiled, "Gang Leader, you're awake so early? You're ill, you should rest more."

Zhang Yuanqing sighed and said quietly, "My cloth quilt is cold as iron after many years, my spoiled child kicks and tears it. The roof leaks above my bed, and the rain falls like hemp without end."

The queen looked closely, and saw that the Gang Leader had dark circles under his eyes, his face full of fatigue. Jiang Jingwei's two legs were resting on his stomach, her body tilted to the left, her head tilted to the right, her sleeping posture showing no recognition of relatives.

The quilt had long been kicked off the bed.

Zhang Yuanqing said, "My already poor health is getting even worse."

He was almost sleepless last night, tossed about by Jiang Jingwei, either being kicked awake or being crushed awake. That brat was probably fighting someone in her dreams.

"Gang Leader, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"Forget it, today is crucial. There's no time to waste on sleep. I have to get up and work even if I die suddenly." Zhang Yuanqing grabbed Jiang Jingwei's fair and tender feet and threw them away forcefully: "Go you!"

Half an hour later, Zhang Yuanqing, the queen, and Jiang Jingwei, who were disguised, bid farewell to their aunt and uncle and walked on the main street of the Southern Dynasty capital. They saw a bustling and prosperous scene with a continuous flow of people and markets lined with pearls and jades, and households filled with silk and brocade.

But in fact, with an army of 400,000 pressing down, a large portion of the merchants and migrant workers in the Southern Dynasty capital had already fled.

The Southern Dynasty had a developed economy. At its peak, the capital could be described as: willow-lined bridges, wind curtains, and emerald awnings, with a population of about a hundred thousand families.

Compared to its peak, the current scene was already considered desolate.

There were three things to do today: one was to see a doctor, the second was to inquire about the emperor's image among the people, and the third was to scout the area and look for opportunities to contact the Yang family.

So the three of them left the south of the city and came to the main road leading to the inner city, where they saw this scene of prosperity.

Both sides of the wide, fifty-meter-wide street were lined with shops, restaurants, and inns, filled with signboards and cloth banners.

Jiang Jingwei looked around excitedly, sometimes becoming interested in the carriages and sometimes becoming interested in the food stalls on the street, completely forgetting that she was in an instance.

At this time, a patrol team came from the front, and carriages and pedestrians stepped aside.

The leading general's eyes were like lightning, constantly searching the crowd.

Zhang Yuanqing pulled Jiang Jingwei to the side and said in a low voice, "Lower your head!"

After the patrol team left, Zhang Yuanqing and the queen exchanged a look, "This is the third team. Zheng Wenhan is looking for me."

Along the way, they had found that the patrol teams were focusing on searching inns and restaurants, and their intention to find someone was very obvious.

The queen said in a low voice, "Should we change places? That place isn't far from the river."

Zhang Yuanqing shook his head:

"No need. From the pursuers' perspective, we will definitely stay away from the South City and not stay nearby. Of course, they will definitely search the residents near the underground river exit. As long as we come out during the day and return at sunset, we can avoid the enemy's search."

The North and South dynasties were at war, and the capital had a curfew. Zheng Wenhan's search for the emperor must be kept secret, so he would only act during the day.

Most importantly, of the six battalions of the city defense army, only two were controlled by the Zheng family. If the Zheng family carried out large-scale searches at night, it would definitely be noticed by other forces.

A quarter of an hour later, they passed a clinic called "Sacred Hand Hall."

Zhang Yuanqing led the two women inside. The doctor was an old man in a light-colored gown, with white hair and beard, wearing a headscarf.

There were very few patients in the hall. Two apprentices were picking out medicinal herbs in front of the counter, chatting in low voices.

The old doctor glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and said, "Sit down."

Zhang Yuanqing sat down and smiled, "How did you know I came to see a doctor?"

"Half of my body is in the soil. Of course, I can see it at a glance." The old doctor stretched out his hand with a solemn expression, indicating that he wanted to take his pulse.

Zhang Yuanqing stretched out his hand.

The old doctor took his pulse and sensed it carefully for a moment. His already solemn expression sank again.

"Doctor, can my illness be cured?" Zhang Yuanqing asked tentatively.

"I misjudged, I misjudged..." The old Chinese medicine doctor sighed.

Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed. He didn't expect an ordinary doctor to cure his illness, even if the doctor who opened a clinic in a "downtown" area definitely had a few tricks.

But listening to the doctor's meaning, did there seem to be a turning point?

The old Chinese medicine doctor silently spread out the paper and picked up the brush to write.

Zhang Yuanqing thought he was going to write a prescription, but it turned out to be an address. Staring at the address on the paper, he asked, "This is..."

The old Chinese medicine doctor said with a solemn expression: "The address of the coffin shop in the north of the city. Young man, not only is half of your body in the soil, your whole body is in the soil."

So that's what misjudged meant? Zhang Yuanqing walked away cursing.

The three left the clinic. The autumn sunshine was bright and warm. The queen said:

"I just learned the address of 'Immortal Medicine Workshop' from the clinic apprentice. The Immortal Medicine Workshop is offering free medical care today, and all the people in the city have gone to get it for free."

Jiang Jingwei was surprised:

"There are so many people in the capital, can the doctors at the Immortal Medicine Workshop see them all?"

The queen replied: "Normally, it would definitely not be possible, but the clinic apprentice said that the National Teacher has taken in many disciples, and those disciples are all proficient in medicine. They will be seeing patients during the free clinic."

Jiang Jingwei became happy: "Yuanshi, let's go see a doctor, we're disguised anyway."

"So did you forget everything we discussed yesterday, or didn't you listen at all?" Zhang Yuanqing gave Jiang Jingwei a flick on the forehead and said angrily, "Why do you think the Immortal Medicine Workshop is offering free clinics today? The fishing is so obvious, only a fool would go."

"We have to go to the Yang Mansion, we'll pass by the Immortal Medicine Workshop, why not go take a look?" The queen smiled, "By the way, I also asked about the reputation of our emperor among the people."

"What did the two apprentices say?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

The queen put away her smile and sighed:

"A menace to the country and the people! They said that the Southern Dynasty's five hundred years of rule will be ruined sooner or later by this fatuous ruler, Zhao Shun."

"Although Zhao Shun is a fatuous ruler, how dare those two commoners directly call the emperor by his name?"

"It can be seen that the Zheng family and the National Teacher are condoning this phenomenon."

So, the group walked along the main road. After paying ten copper coins for the city entrance tax, they finally arrived at the inner city. After walking for another quarter of an hour, they successfully arrived at the Immortal Medicine Workshop.

The Immortal Medicine Workshop was a three-story pavilion facing the street, bright and decent. The building was crowded with people, and the line outside stretched like a dragon.

A dozen apprentices from the Immortal Medicine Workshop, wearing black and white uniforms, maintained order.

Jiang Jingwei "eh" said, pointing to the signboard of the Immortal Medicine Workshop, "Is that Xiao Yuan?"

Before she could finish speaking, she was covered by the queen.

Zhang Yuanqing said in a low voice, "Let's go."

Jiang Jingwei obediently followed her two teammates, walking about a hundred meters away, she said: "The Tai Chi fish on the signboard is the same as Xiao Yuan's copper token."

Xiao Yuan's copper token also had black and white Tai Chi fish engraved on it.

The queen turned her head and looked at the handsome face in the sunlight, "Madam Ya was arranged by the National Teacher to enter the palace."

Damn it, you arrange one, he arranges one, is my harem a public place! Zhang Yuanqing complained in his heart, but remained calm on the surface: "Not surprising at all."

After casually grabbing a passerby to inquire about the address of the Yang Mansion, the three only took forty minutes to arrive a few dozen meters away from the Yang Mansion and saw the outline of the high-walled mansion.

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes casually swept across the entire street, and then he said without any expression:

"Let's go, this street is full of spies."

Taikang Street, where the Yang Mansion was located, was a place where high-ranking officials and nobles gathered, similar to modern high-end villa areas. There were very few pedestrians in this kind of place.

Common people couldn't just wander around here, but at the street entrance and on the street, there were several vendors pushing mobile stalls, and coolies resting in the shade under the wall.

Jiang Jingwei and the queen nodded slightly, pretending to be passers-by and turned to leave.

A spacious and luxurious carriage turned into this street, passing by the three.

The wheels rumbled, and the luxurious carriage stopped at the entrance of the Yang Mansion.

The coachman jumped out of the carriage and brought a small bench to welcome the distinguished guest in the carriage.

The curtain opened, and a beautiful woman in silk and satin, with her ink hair tied high and decorated with gold hairpins and jade pendants, stepped off the carriage on the small bench.

She glanced at the street and said to the coachman, "There are many more spies outside the Yang Mansion. Have the housekeeper send someone to arrest them and ask about the situation."

The Grand Inner Court expert, acting as the coachman, bowed and said, "Yes, Empress."