fifth form

Chapter 3092 Cultivation Adaptability
The snake-head curse can bite and poison, but its greatest use is for eavesdropping.

No one would care about a single hair, and the magical power that a strand of hair can withstand is weak, dissipating easily and quickly. Even though Zhang Xuezhou's speed was extremely fast, he could not pinpoint the location of the spellcaster.

This kind of spell would be difficult for even a master like Zhang Xuezhou, let alone Hongku, to defend against the snake-head spell released by Wuchao. They could only try to guess what might happen.

"I know a cultivator who is skilled in this art. If he has the opportunity to come to Chang'an, I will try my best to invite him to visit this place!"

Chen Zhang and the others rushed over and searched the area, and Wei Zifu also came closer.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Zhang Xuezhou speak.

The feeling of unease subsided, and Wei Zifu knew very well that the crisis of being targeted by the curse had been temporarily eliminated.

When she gave birth to her little princess, Wei Qing almost lost his life because of their relationship, and Wei Zifu herself almost died from illness after being given the wrong medicine by the imperial physician.

As for Wei Zifu, she adhered to the rules in the palace, avoiding trouble and making enemies. If anyone were to target her, it wouldn't be hard to guess who would do it.

It's one thing to guess what's going on, it's another to avoid trouble, and it's yet another to solve the trouble.

If no evidence of guilt is found, and the perpetrator is not found to have committed a serious crime, then this matter will likely end without any follow-up.

For Wei Zifu, this was an unbreakable situation, and she couldn't find a way to launch an attack.

"Lord Dongfang, please come and visit my room more often when you have time," Wei Zifu invited.

“That’s not appropriate,” Zhang Xuezhou said, shaking his head.

"The musical techniques I practice have some merits; perhaps they could be of some use to Lord Dongfang's practice," Wei Zifu offered herself.

"Oh?"

Zhang Xuezhou did not like to visit the boudoir often. Wei Zifu was the new emperor's concubine, and men and women needed to avoid suspicion.

This is similar to how, after he got married, Rong Tianding rarely chatted with Yi Shuo, nor did he fight with her anymore.

This isn't a matter of trust, but rather a matter of being mindful of one's conduct and actions to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Zhang Xuezhou clearly avoids this kind of thing.

On the other hand, Wei Zifu's matter involved palace intrigue, and Zhang Xuezhou knew without even thinking that it was likely that the Taoist priest Huang from Princess Guantao's residence was behind it.

These people did not act openly, but rather used magic to intimidate Wei Zifu, keeping her in a state of tension and anxiety all day long, or they would spy on Wei Zifu's words and actions to report and attack her.

Such petty tactics are only used in palace intrigues to eliminate dissidents.

The gift the Empress gave at the wedding banquet eventually had an effect, and Zhang Xuezhou did not want to interfere too much.

When he refused to leave, Wei Zifu mentioned her musical abilities.

“Forgive my frankness, Madam Wei, but your cultivation level is somewhat lower than mine, so it’s unlikely you can benefit me,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

"You have heard me sing for His Majesty, so you should know that I am only a little bit behind you," Wei Zifu said earnestly. "Once I attain supernatural powers, I will surely benefit you!"

“That would require a breakthrough to supernatural powers,” Zhang Xuezhou laughed. “Moreover, it would require minor supernatural powers in music, and these minor supernatural powers would need to be suitable for us, otherwise it would all be empty talk!”

"Does Lord Dongfang not trust me to attain supernatural powers?" Wei Zifu asked.

“No one can guarantee that they will attain supernatural powers,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

Where is the Empress Dowager?

When Wei Zifu mentioned the Empress Dowager at Changxin Palace, Zhang Xuezhou really couldn't draw a conclusion arbitrarily.

With the Empress Dowager's help, Wei Zifu could indeed have attained supernatural powers.

However, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but wonder if the Empress Dowager was so omnipotent that she even had a role to play in music.

"Then I congratulate you in advance on your early attainment of supernatural powers, Madam!" Zhang Xuezhou cupped his hands in greeting. He didn't say anything more. After a brief conversation, he mentioned that he wanted to visit the new emperor at Weiyang Palace before he was able to leave.

"Brother-in-law, Shao'er and Bing'er are on good terms with Dongfang Shuo, so why does Dongfang Shuo always treat me with a distant attitude?"

Zhang Xuezhou appeared to be walking slowly, but he was actually moving away very quickly.

With Zhang Xuezhou no longer in sight, Wei Zifu turned to Chen Zhang, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, behind her.

"Madam Wei, that's just Dongfang Shuo's nature. He does things when he's in the mood, and he doesn't do them when he's not!"

Although he was Lady Wei's brother-in-law, Chen Zhang still adhered to the etiquette of the imperial palace and did not address each other as relatives like Lady Wei did.

He thought about Zhang Xuezhou, and then pondered Wei Shao'er's gritting curses at Zhang Xuezhou, as well as Huo Qubing's evaluation of Zhang Xuezhou as "inhuman." He felt that the relationship between Madam Wei and Zhang Xuezhou had not reached that point at all, so it was impossible for her to get real help from Zhang Xuezhou.

Moreover, Zhang Xuezhou seems to be extremely focused on immediate gains and doesn't care about long-term investments. Madam Wei's promises are of no use to Zhang Xuezhou, no matter how sincere they are.

"He is incredibly capable, so why does he have this kind of temperament?" Wei Zifu said regretfully.

"I heard that when Dongfang Shuo entered the court, he was very diligent in his work, but he was injured by a curse and his skull was opened by the imperial physician, which left him with a chronic illness." Chen Zhang pursed his lips and said, "It may be because of his illness, or it may be because the consequences of his enthusiasm for doing things were too serious, so he didn't care about many things. His Majesty sometimes has a headache about this matter!"

"So that's it!"

Wei Zifu nodded, indicating that she understood quite a bit.

Making empty promises to Zhang Xuezhou is useless; only genuine mutual assistance and benefit will pique his interest.

Wei Zifu was certain that her cultivation had reached the level of supernatural powers, which would inevitably be of good use to Zhang Xuezhou and others, but her thoughts were completely different from Zhang Xuezhou's understanding.

What if she fails to attain supernatural powers for many years, or what if she finally does attain supernatural powers many years later, but Zhang Xuezhou has already reached the True Self Realm, and she still can't use them at all?

If something has no effect, it's not worth investing in, let alone getting involved in grudges and risks.

"No one can help you... only yourself!"

Recalling their previous conversations, Wei Zifu felt she gained a deeper understanding.

"The only option is to seek help from the Empress Dowager and see if she can accept your guidance!"

Wei Zifu sighed inwardly.

A concubine in the harem might not have such a prominent face to make the Empress Dowager look at her differently, but Wei Zifu was fortunate to have given birth to the new emperor's first child, and the little princess was very much liked by the Empress Dowager.

This did indeed change her rather poor status in the harem.

Of course, childbirth is a very risky thing. Wei Zifu found it hard to imagine what kind of treatment and risks she would face if she gave birth to a boy and the Empress was unable to conceive for a long time.

If she didn't want to end up in trouble, Wei Zifu could only face the increasingly risky future by constantly enhancing her own importance.

"Brother-in-law, you clear the way, I want to go and see the Empress Dowager!"

Empress Dowager was not someone Wei Zifu could see whenever she wanted, not even when she visited her. Wei Zifu could only see the Empress Dowager when she was performing morning rituals, and the Empress Dowager would only say a few words to her during the passage.

That kind of occasion was clearly not a good time to ask for guidance.

Wei Zifu had no choice but to personally go to Changxin Palace to request an audience.

She may only have one chance like this, and if she cannot convince the Empress Dowager with sufficient reasons, she will have no chance of receiving personal guidance from the Empress Dowager.

But Wei Zifu couldn't even persuade Zhang Xuezhou, so she had even less confidence in persuading the Empress Dowager to help her.

She was filled with trepidation, but ultimately she gritted her teeth and faced the challenge head-on.

Even if seeking guidance from the Empress Dowager failed, she still needed a result to extinguish any lingering hope she might have.