fifth form

Chapter 3224 Everyone's Trying to Get Away with Each Other
"Where did those two guys' spirits go after they left their bodies?"

Zhang Xuezhou didn't go to the Golden Palace to join the fun. He watched the excitement at Sima Gate for a while and, with his sharp eyes, he even saw the sorcerer kidnapping Shen Chong.

Shen Chong reacted extremely quickly, but he still couldn't withstand the insidious curse.

"Those two thieves, posing as retainers, entered the Prime Minister's residence. Their bodies have already been pierced by flying arrows. Does Lord Dongfang suspect they have accomplices?"

Last night, rushing to Zhang Xuezhou's residence to open the back door for the festival was a special matter. Shen Chong had nothing to say about this favored minister of the new emperor. Having seen many once-popular favored ministers, he was used to such things.

The principle for dealing with such people is to neither offend them nor befriend them.

Offending a favorite of the emperor will inevitably lead to the emperor's malice. And no flower blooms for a hundred days; a favored minister cannot be favored forever. Befriending such people will likely result in being implicated in the future.

Shen Chong believed that after making an exception for his case, he had no further contact with Zhang Xuezhou.

He didn't expect to be rescued by the other party so soon.

Shen Chong was somewhat afraid to think about the consequences of being controlled by the sorcerer and then leaving with others.

After this incident, the court no longer adhered to as many rules as it did with Zhang Xuezhou, and even when questioning him, it was very polite.

He watched Zhang Xuezhou wander around searching, his eyes also scanning the surroundings warily.

“You might not believe me when I tell you,” Zhang Xuezhou gestured with his hands, “Those two sorcerers were killed, but their yang spirits didn’t die; instead, they detached from their bodies and hid!”

"Well... that kind of thing is still possible!"

When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; I've never seen anyone whose soul can escape after death.

Moreover, the two sorcerers who attacked him were at the Divine Power Realm. Cultivators at this level are neither high nor low, and their abilities are not beyond imagination.

Based on Shen Chong's knowledge, he felt that it was possible for a cultivator like Shi Wudao to be resurrected, but it was unlikely for the two attacking sorcerers.

However, he did not deny Zhang Xuezhou's views, and Zhang Xuezhou had already emphasized this point beforehand.

“The Yang Soul is formless and intangible, making it difficult to search for,” Shen Chong cautioned.

"It's a pity it's already dawn!"

Zhang Xuezhou said something seemingly out of the blue, which Shen Chong found a little hard to understand at first.

Zhang Xuezhou was clearly disappointed that it was daytime and that the Yizong's night owls had already gone to sleep, making it impossible for them to sense and track this Yangpo incarnation.

He was quite interested in the life conditions of sorcerers, thinking of studying them or finding them to see what it felt like for their yang spirits to remain after death.

This situation, where the physical body dies but the yang spirit remains, is quite unique and very similar to the state of 'Bai'.

To Zhang Xuezhou's slight regret, despite searching for a long time, he was unable to find any trace of the two people.

"If Lord Dongfang wants to investigate, it would be best to ask the Grand Historian for help, especially Sima Tan, who is particularly skilled in Yangpo patrols. He might be able to find out something," Shen Chong reminded him.

"makes sense!"

Zhang Xuezhou was somewhat dismissive, after all, he was a person who had mastered the Yang Soul Incarnation Technique and had extremely strong spiritual power, yet he could not be detected, let alone Sima Tan and others.

But Zhang Xuezhou didn't doubt that it was just a lucky guess. If Sima Tan and the others really found the whereabouts of the two men, it would be an unexpected bonus.

"I'll go to the Qilin Pavilion to find the Grand Historian!"

Zhang Xuezhou cupped his hands in greeting, and without waiting for Shen Chong's reply, he walked away unsteadily.

"Good job!"

If one focuses on what's close up, it's almost impossible to perceive Zhang Xuezhou's departure; one would assume he's leaving normally.

If you simply raise your eyes and look into the distance, you can see that figure that appears and disappears in the distance.

With each sway of his steps, Zhang Xuezhou covered an extremely long distance.

Shen Chong felt that Tian Fen's unparalleled flying skills were no match for Zhang Xuezhou. He praised him, thinking that the new emperor's favor towards him was for a reason; people with real skills don't gain favor through flattery and sweet talk, and those with real skills tend to go further in life. Appropriate interaction was not a problem.

"It's a pity for the Prime Minister and Marquis Wei Qi; it seems they're going to have a major falling out this time!"

It's normal for members of the various families in Chang'an to have some minor squabbles. Fights between retainers happen from time to time, and there are even cases where people are killed.

But with such a large-scale brawl, involving the collision with the emperor's carriage and a prison break, even if the people from the Guan family were used as scapegoats, this matter would not be so easily quelled.

Shen Chong didn't need to go to the main hall of Weiyang Palace to listen in, nor did he need to wait for news after the court meeting; he knew very well what would happen in the court today.

On one side was Tian Fen, the newly appointed prime minister from the Empress Dowager's faction, who belonged to the new marquis's power. On the other side was Marquis Wei Qi, Dou Ying, who was backed by the Empress Dowager and Princess Dou, and also had the support of many hereditary marquises.

It's hard to say who's stronger or weaker; Tian Fen has his advantages, and Dou Ying has his strengths.

"There's some inside information from the imperial physicians. It seems that Prime Minister Tian's health is seriously compromised, and Marquis Wei Qi is probably planning to use this opportunity to bring him down from the court. I wonder what cards Marquis Wei Qi has up his sleeve!"

Shen Chong was also a hereditary marquis.

Hereditary marquises had almost become the default territory and rules, but Tian Fen, the new marquis, was like a rampaging wild bull, shattering the original tacit understanding in Chang'an.

Marquises have the support to remain in power in the court, while prime ministers hold the reins of power and can exert their influence to the fullest extent.

Countless vassal retainers flocked to the Prime Minister's residence, hoping to gain an advantage by being close to him. Even the retainers in the residence were mostly deserted.

To be honest, although the situation was unfavorable for Dou Ying, Shen Chong was quite looking forward to Dou Ying overturning the table and bringing Tian Fen down.

"I don't want to think about it anymore, let's wait and see how it goes!"

Shen Chong ultimately decided not to think about it any further, but instead waited for definite news to see what cards Dou Ying and the others had up their sleeves.

He shouted loudly, constantly instructing the men of the Jingzhao Prefecture to put on the shackles and put on the gloves faster, and to use heavy force if they encountered any resistance.

The two corpses of the sorcerers shocked many people. Most people were more compliant to force than to yield, and in the end, they didn't even dare to shout. They could only accept their fate of being shackled.

In the imperial court of Weiyang Palace, Dou Ying retrieved a family genealogy.

This family tree was something Tian Fen had previously brought out to consult Li Shaojun for identification. The family tree did not record any inherited techniques, but rather involved family factions, and contained slogans and codes, as well as Tian Fen's own handwritten inscription.

Li Shaojun didn't explain in detail at the time, and Tian Fen didn't take it seriously either. He didn't follow up afterward, and somehow it ended up in Dou Ying's hands.

"Nonsense! I don't even recognize these words. You can't just believe whatever you say. This is a complete frame-up!"

Tian Fen looked at the thick cowhide cloth that Dou Ying had taken out, and then at the familiar words on it.

One must not engage in treasonous activities within the imperial court, nor associate with forces such as the Celestial Court.

The former would be beheaded, while the latter would have no way to explain themselves. Most of them would be dismissed from their posts and investigated, but the matter would be dropped until they died of old age in loneliness.

Tian Fen clearly didn't want to be treated this way. He argued back with a red face and a thick neck, then rushed to Dou Ying's side and struggled with him, trying to snatch back his family tree.

After a struggle, there was also some physical altercation.

In his desperation, Tian Fen even took off his crown and threw it at people.

As the crown fell, Dou Ying's body trembled violently as they struggled against each other. He was then pressed to the ground by the Heavenly Crown, lying there coughing up blood, looking as if he was about to die.

"He's faking it. This guy is highly skilled in martial arts and has a high level of cultivation. How could he cough up blood after taking a single blow from the Heavenly Crown? He's definitely just pretending to be pitiful to gain sympathy!"

The thought flashed through Tian Fen's mind, and then she quickly lay down as well.

He bit down, and blood oozed from the tip of his tongue, mixed with saliva, flowing from the corner of his mouth.

"Marquis Wei Qi beats those who have fought for the country and been injured. I was beaten by Marquis Wei Qi so badly that my old wounds were aggravated and I am about to die!"

Tian Fen lay on the floor of the Weiyang Palace and shouted. He felt that Dou Ying was trying to extort money, so he could only lie on the ground and act shamelessly. He then handed the matter over to the emperor in the court.