The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 343 Everyone has their own agenda
Zhou Tong asked, "Young master, what kind of cooking atmosphere are you making? Are you going to light a fire and cook rice?"

Zhao Ti glanced at him: "A cultivator, do you still need to cook?"

Zhou Tong blushed with embarrassment: "Young master, then, then..."

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "Not to mention fasting and abstaining from food, but also not needing to gather firewood, chop wood, or start a fire to cook. If we really need to eat, we can transform at will and it can appear with a wave of our sleeve."

Zhou Tong stammered, "What you say is true, young master. What you say makes sense."

Zhao Ti stood up from behind the desk and paced a few steps: "The furnace is ready for refining elixirs."

"Set up a furnace to refine pills?" Zhou Tong was taken aback upon hearing this. Kumārajīva said, "Benefactor, refining pills... I suppose you need a furnace and herbs?"

“First, build the alchemy furnace with stones, and then I will use magic to transform it,” Zhao Ti said. “As for the herbs… Huang Tianbiao, you can just go out and pick some wildflowers and weeds nearby.”

Huang Tianbiao hurriedly bowed and said, "I'll go pick them right now." After saying that, he darted out of the flower hall.

Zhou Tong looked at Kumārajīva: "Master, let's go set up the alchemy furnace."

Kumārajīva nodded, and the two of them went out as well. A'Zhu, who was left behind, looked at Zhao Ti and asked, "Young master, what should I do?"

Zhao Ti glanced around the hall: "The changes here are somewhat different from what I expected. Let's make some minor alterations and hang up a few calligraphy and paintings."

A'Zhu agreed, and Zhao Ti pointed out some places, then changed them one by one. After they finished, the two sat down to write and draw.

Zhao Ti wrote the Tao Te Ching and the Huang Ting Song, while A Zhu painted figures and landscapes, using colorful meticulous brushwork and splashed ink to depict rivers and lakes.

Zhao Ti looked at A Zhu's painting and said, "It's well drawn; you could even set up a stall and sell it at the Great Xiangguo Temple."

A'Zhu said coquettishly, "Young master, I don't sell my paintings."

Zhao Ti smiled and recalled something: "Last year, when we came out of Shambhala and headed to Dali City, the Prince of Zhennan said that Azi had run away and disappeared."

A'Zhu immediately stopped writing, looking surprised and uncertain, and asked, "Young master, why did my sister leave? Could it be... that the Prince of Zhennan treated her badly?"

Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows and said, "He treats her like a precious jewel, even better than Wan'er and Ling'er. Since entering the city, A Zi has caused more than a dozen troubles, and it was all the Prince of Zhennan who cleaned up the mess."

A'Zhu asked in confusion, "If that's the case, why did you leave, sister?"

Zhao Ti said, "She secretly left the city and went to Yuxu Temple to set fire to it. Yuxu Temple is where Princess Dao Baifeng of Zhennan practiced seclusion. After setting the fire, she knew she had caused a great disaster, so she packed her things and ran away overnight."

Azhu was stunned upon hearing this: "Sister, sister, what's wrong..."

Zhao Ti said indifferently, "She's a troublemaker with a bad heart. The Prince of Zhennan tried to teach her with great care, and Duan Yu even taught her to read, but she didn't learn anything. She's rotten to the core."

Azhu lowered her head and remained silent for a few moments, then murmured, "My sister is also a pitiful person. She grew up in a place like the Starry Constellation Sect, and was influenced by what she saw and heard. She wasn't... she wasn't born with such a character and personality..."

Zhao Ti said, "A'Zhu, you don't need to make excuses for her. Even if people are inherently good, she has already fallen into the ink vat and is completely stained. It is impossible to wash it off. If people are inherently evil, then her evil has become deeply rooted and cannot be reversed later."

Azhu said sadly, "But no matter what, Azi is still my sister. How can I not worry about her and wish her well... Your Highness, she's just a young girl. Where can she go all alone? Won't she be in any danger?"

Zhao Ti said, "Judging from her words before she ran away, the Prince of Zhennan might go to Xiaojing Lake in Xinyang, Zhongzhou to find your mother."

Azhu paused, then asked in surprise, "My sister's personality... doesn't seem like she would go and rely on Mother?"

Zhao Ti said calmly, "Seek refuge? Who knows what evil she's plotting? If she dared to set fire to Yuxu Temple, she might not be afraid to do the same to Xiaojing Lake. She hates your mother far more than she hates your father and the Princess of Zhennan."

A'Zhu's eyes reddened: "Your Highness, my sister..."

Zhao Ti said, "But A'Zhu, you don't need to worry too much. The Prince of Zhennan said he was going to Xiaojing Lake to find her. I don't know if he has gone there yet. When he goes there and sees her, he will capture her and take her back. If he doesn't see her, he will search for her everywhere."

A'Zhu looked up at Zhao Ti: "Is the Prince of Zhennan going to the Central Plains? Could it be... that he'll come to the Northwest to see Sister Wan'er and Sister Ling'er?"

Zhao Ti frowned: "This... probably not, after all, there is a distance between Zhongzhou and the Northwest, which is thousands of miles away."

Azhu said, "It is indeed extremely far."

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "That's hard to say. Dali doesn't have much political or military affairs, and he doesn't have much to do on a daily basis. If he's mindful of A Zi's experiences and the saying 'It's the father's fault for not raising his children properly,' he might actually go to Xingzhou to see Wan'er and Ling'er."

A'Zhu asked, "Your Highness, is that really the case?"

Zhao Ti nodded: "Don't worry about these things, and don't worry about Azi either. With Azi's personality, she won't suffer any losses anywhere."

A'Zhu lowered her head and said, "Of course I trust you, young master. Now that the painting is finished, what do you think of it?"

Zhao Ti picked up the painting and saw that it was a picture of a fairy dwelling, which was very lifelike and had a very elegant atmosphere. He couldn't help but pick up a brush and write two lines of poetry next to it, and wrote the name Canglangzi, and said: "Hang it up."

A'Zhu got up to hang the painting. Zhao Ti walked out of the hall with his hands behind his back and saw that Kumārajīva and Zhou Tong had already set up the alchemy furnace, but it was just a crude and unrefined earthen stone furnace.

Zhou Tong rubbed his hands and said, "Young master, this... is a bit too ugly."

Zhao Ti said, "It's alright, go inside and get the talisman."

Zhou Tong obtained the talisman, Zhao Ti affixed it to the outside of the furnace, and cast a spell. In the blink of an eye, the earthen furnace transformed into a large, glittering golden alchemy furnace.

Kumārajīva said, "Your methods are truly excellent."

Zhao Ti stroked his chin and looked at the alchemy furnace. He saw that the furnace had eight sides, each representing a direction of the Eight Trigrams. Each side had a furnace door, which could burn different types of fuel. The lid was decorated with a Black Tortoise knot and engraved with mysterious runes whose meaning he did not know.

He laughed and said, "I've heard in storybooks that immortals don't use ordinary fire to refine elixirs, but instead use their own magical power, or even the legendary Samadhi Fire. I wonder if that's true or not."

Kumārajīva said, "Since the world has changed and gods and Buddhas have appeared in the world, it must be true, right?"

At this moment, Huang Tianbiao returned, carrying a bundle of weeds and flower branches on his back, with a few mushrooms in his hands. He said, "Young master, is this enough? If not, go pick some more small ones."

Zhao Ti said, "Let me see what kind of medicines we have." After saying that, he pretended to check, and the wild wolf that had been keeping watch in the distance immediately widened its eyes and pricked up its ears to watch and listen carefully.

Zhao Ti said, "There's actually Emerald Dream Grass and Netherworld Flower! Hmm, what's this? It's actually the rare Mighty Grass!"

Huang Tianbiao blinked his small eyes and chimed in, "Young master, what is this 'Mighty Grass'? What is it used for?"

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "This herb is very rare. Once it is refined into a pill and swallowed, it can increase one's magical power by 10%."

"One-tenth of your magic power? That much?" Huang Tianbiao immediately shouted.

"It's only one-tenth of the magic power, but each person can only take it once; taking it again will have no effect," Zhao Ti said. "I think this Mighty Grass can be refined into two or three pills. I'll give the extra to you as a reward, so you can increase your cultivation."

Huang Tianbiao hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you, young master, thank you, young master."

Zhao Ti said, "Then let's begin refining the pills. Follow the method I mentioned before, without the slightest slack. The pills will be completed by midnight, and we can take them together then."

The three nodded in agreement, and Zhao Ti walked back into the hall with his hands behind his back.

At that moment, the wolf hiding in the distance saw the group starting to burn firewood and add fuel to the stove, and could no longer bear it, so it hurriedly retreated into the mountains.

Although it had the body of a wolf, it had refined its transverse bones and gained sentience. Upon hearing that the pill could actually increase its magical power, its heart leaped with excitement. It thought to itself that this was a treasure and that it should quickly report to its commander. It even disregarded the need for surveillance.

After a while, Zhao Ti came out of the hall and saw that the alchemy furnace had begun to smoke, and weeds and wildflowers had been thrown in, emitting a strange smell.

He frowned. Elixirs and elixirs should have a fragrant aroma, but this one lacked it. He looked at Huang Tianbiao and said, "The wild wolves that were left to keep watch have left. Find something that can be burned to produce a fragrance and add it in."

Huang Tianbiao said, "I obey, I'll go right away." With that, he flashed away and darted into the mountains.

Zhao Ti glanced at the alchemy furnace; this fake alchemy was an idea he came up with after he went up the mountain.

Because of the magical power, the house transformed by the Wood-Building House Spell cannot last long, only about two or three days. Therefore, it is best to resolve the Wind Wolf Evil within this period of time.

Although the wolf demon would surely come after them once they settled on the mountain, it would be better to lure it with the promise of alchemy just to be on the safe side. Once it learns that the pill can increase its magical power and that it will be completed tonight, it will definitely be unable to resist and will make its move immediately.

Half a day later, Huang Tianbiao returned, carrying a pile of unknown objects. He threw them into the stove, and after a moment, a faint fragrance wafted out. Zhao Ti nodded, instructed the others to guard the items carefully, and then returned to the hall.

At this moment, deep within Wolf Mountain, there is a treacherous valley with countless caves of all sizes. The largest cave is guarded by four majestic gray wolves, which is the residence of Wolf Sha, the great leader of Wolf Mountain.

The walls of the cave were lit with grease lamps, emitting a foul stench. Every so often, a vicious wolf stood guard. A hundred feet further on, a large natural cave appeared, with torches burning brightly all around, illuminating the cave with a red glow.

At the very front of the cave is a jagged stone platform, upon which sits a large armchair carved from white bones, looking quite ferocious, and covered with the bluish-green fur of some unknown wild animal.

Seated in the chair was a tall, thin man with a sharp, ruthless face and a sinister expression. He was half-covered in armor and was none other than the Wolf Mountain Commander, Wind Wolf Demon.

He looked at a wolf in front of him and remained silent. The wolf was the one that had been left behind to monitor Zhao Ti and the others, and had just finished reporting on the matter of the pills.

Wolf Demon thought for a moment and said, "Why have I never heard of pills increasing magical power?"

The wolf spoke in human language: "Great Commander, those cultivators are highly skilled. Not only are they incredibly powerful, but they can also transform objects. And now they're setting up a furnace to refine pills. I'm afraid what they said is true."

Several wolves who had returned earlier to report the news said, "We think so too. It might really be a miraculous elixir that would be beneficial to cultivation."

They witnessed Kumārajīva lifting a boulder weighing several thousand kilograms and Zhao Ti and A Zhu using magic, and they believed it without a doubt.

Wolf Demon pondered, "These people certainly possess skills, unlike ordinary people who are so quick to kill. So, could the matter of the elixir be true?"

The wolf said, "Commander, it must be true. Didn't you see the shape of that alchemy furnace? It's golden and has eight sides, with eight stoves on it, all of which can be used to add fire. What ordinary household furnace has this shape?"

"Divided into eight sides, eight stoves?" A look of doubt appeared on Wolf Howl's face: "Could it be corresponding to the Eight Trigrams?"

"Commander, what is the Eight Gates Hexagram?" Wild Wolf asked curiously.

"I, the commander, also heard this term from the shamanistic religion. It contains profound mysteries that I cannot explain to you," Wolf Demon said, adopting a mysterious and enigmatic demeanor.

"The Commander-in-Chief is indeed omniscient and omnipotent; his subordinates are in awe," the wolves echoed in unison.

Wolf Demon nodded smugly, but then hesitated: "These people all know magic and are not ordinary. Even if you gang up on them, it will probably be of little use, and you will only die in vain."

"Great Commander! Great Commander's magic is invincible, dominating the grasslands. Although we are no match for him, Great Commander will surely capture those cultivators easily and seize the elixir!" the pack of wolves shouted in unison.

Wolf Sha took a breath upon hearing this: "It's not that simple. Since these people all have magic, how can they be easy to deal with? You are all useless. It will all be up to me, the commander, to do the work. As the saying goes, two fists can't beat four hands, and even heroes can't withstand a large number of people. We must think of a way to defeat them without much effort."

It frowned, thinking for a long time but still couldn't come up with a solution. Just then, an old wolf with long black fur that almost reached the ground and a gray beard said, "Commander, I have a way."

Wolf Demon said, "Tell me your method."

Old Wolf said, “There is a saying among humans: ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.’ Right now, the Grand Commander doesn’t know anything about the other side’s background. Acting rashly might be inappropriate. I think it would be better to be polite first and then use force. Take the initiative to go and befriend them, while secretly probing their background. If they don’t have any special skills or powerful connections, then take advantage of their unpreparedness to attack. If they do have powerful methods or backgrounds, then take the opportunity to befriend them and then find a way to lure them into this Howling Moon Cave. The Grand Commander can then use the mist technique to trap them and then defeat them one by one.”

Wolf Demon was overjoyed upon hearing this: "What a great idea! This way we can act efficiently and avoid any harm caused by recklessness. We can eliminate the enemy no matter what the outcome."

Old Wolf continued, "The Grand Commander visits under the guise of neighborly friendship and making friends. If things turn out unexpectedly and the other party has extraordinary abilities, he can take advantage of the situation to make it real and truly make friends. It can be described as killing three birds with one stone, achieving the best of all three."

"Good, good, good!" Wolf Sha nodded repeatedly: "Let's do it this way. Those people said they would finish refining the pills at midnight, so we'll go and investigate after dark and see what happens."

Old Wolf pondered, "Since the Grand Commander is here under the guise of a visit, it would be best to bring a few boxes of gifts without revealing any flaws, so that the other party will not suspect anything."

“Then prepare some gifts,” Wolf Sha said. “You and I will go together when it gets dark, while the other wolf soldiers wait at a distance.”

The wolves all agreed, and Wolf Demon then got up to select gifts, waiting for nightfall to set off.

(End of this chapter)