People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 265, A Third-Rank Opportunity

As night faded and the sky began to lighten, the sun slowly rose from the horizon, heralding the arrival of a new day.

In the royal palace of the King of Han, in his sleeping quarters.

The once neat and elegant palace was now in a mess. Tables lay overturned on the ground, clothes were scattered haphazardly, fragments of white linen clothes were carelessly thrown on the ground, and black high-heeled boots and official boots lay crossed over.

The white flower that was originally stuck in the hair of the trendy girl fell to the ground, its petals scattered everywhere.

Behind the bright yellow curtains, a curvaceous and alluring figure knelt on the soft couch, her long black hair cascading down, adorned with pearl hairpins that swayed gently. Her figure displayed a captivating and exaggerated curve, arousing the eyes and the heart.

"It's getting late, I have to leave the palace," Xu Qing said softly, grasping the Tide Demoness's small hand.

"Are we leaving so early?" the Tide Fairy said with some dissatisfaction.

At this moment, the trendy enchantress had changed her clothes. She wore sheer lace stockings on her legs, and a black transparent lace overcoat that looked tight and connected to the lace skirt, revealing large areas of skin.

A hint of displeasure flashed across her delicate, slightly upturned face as she looked at Xu Qing with alluring eyes.

"I am ultimately a foreign subject and cannot stay in the palace for too long. Besides, I have other things to do," Xu Qing said, leaning back on the soft couch.

Since he entered the palace last night, the two of them have not stopped, and have changed their clothes several times.

If this continues, he probably won't be able to leave today.

Chao Nuyao nestled in Xu Qing's arms, her arms wrapped around his neck, the blush on her face still lingering.

"What is it?" the Tide Fairy asked, puzzled.

“I met with Tianze before entering the palace last night and gave him the temporary antidote. Tianze is eager to break free of his restraints and will probably make a move against Han Yu in the next couple of days. I have to go out and keep an eye on things.”

Xu Qing put his arm around Chao Nuyao's waist, gently stroking her smooth jade back, and said in a calm voice.

"Then you need to be careful. Tianze is an extremely important pawn for both your cousin and Ji Wuye. If you help him get rid of the Huaku Gu, your cousin might tolerate it because of the drawbacks of the technique, but Ji Wuye will probably treat you as a mortal enemy."

"Trendy Girl Yao said softly, her eyes full of concern as she looked at Xu Qing."

Tianze still holds the Crown Prince of Han in his hands. This hostage is extremely important to Ji Wuye, as it concerns whether he can continue to control Han in the future.

If Tianze were to break free from the control of the withering gu, he would likely kill Crown Prince Han to sever their hopes of revenge against Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei.

"Don't worry, I can handle Ji Wuye. But Shu'er, I'm afraid you'll have to work hard to refine another antidote for the Withering Gu," Xu Qing said.

"Why should we complain about hardship? Xu Lang, you are my everything. The mother Gu is in the Pearl Palace. Making the antidote is just a piece of cake."

The trendy girl gave Xu Qing a coquettish glare, clearly displeased with his distant manner. Her heart was already completely with Xu Qing, so she naturally wouldn't refuse his request.

"However, Tianze is not an easy person to deal with. Once he is freed, he might do something even more insane. How about I add something to the antidote so you can control him?"

"Never mind, transactions should always be conducted with honesty," Xu Qing said, shaking his head slightly.

Tianze has gone mad because of hatred, but he still has his brain. If the other party finds out that there is a problem with the antidote, he will probably turn on them on the spot.

Even if Tianze didn't realize the problem, after taking the antidote and being controlled by him, given the other party's personality, he would probably rather perish than obediently listen.

Rather than inviting unnecessary trouble upon yourself, it's better to be honest.

Anyway, now that Tianze is out of trouble, it's Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei who should be worried, not him.

"Alright, I'll do whatever you say. When you need the antidote, just come to the palace to find me." The beautiful Chao Nu Yao looked at Xu Qing with a hint of a smile in her voice.

She had a lot of confidence in Xu Qing and believed that he could handle these matters properly.

"Alright, you didn't get any rest last night, so get some rest. I'm going out now."

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he took a bite out of the corner of Chao Nu Yao's mouth.

"Ah."

The fairy released Xu Qing, lay on the soft couch and watched Xu Qing get dressed before leaving.

After leaving the Han Palace, Xu Qing went home to change her clothes and conceal the scent of the Tide Demoness before heading to the Purple Orchid Pavilion.

Upon entering the backyard of Zilan Pavilion, Xu Qing immediately spotted Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, and Zhang Liang.

"Oh, why are you here so early today?" Xu Qing said with a light laugh.

Seeing Xu Qing walk in looking radiant, Han Fei sighed helplessly and said...
"Brother Xu, you have kept me waiting for so long. Zifang, Weizhuang, and I have been waiting for you here all night."

Xu Qing walked to the pavilion, sat down next to Han Fei, picked up a pastry from the table, and ate it while talking.

"Waiting for me? Are you concerned about what's happening inside the palace?"

"That's one thing. How is Father? Have you found any clues about the identity of the Tide Demoness?" Han Fei asked, looking at Xu Qing with some anticipation.

Although King Han An did not love him, he was still his father. This time, his old illness suddenly relapsed, and it was obvious that Ji Wuye and others were behind it.

Although he knew that Ji Wuye and the others would not commit regicide, Han Fei still couldn't help but worry about the situation of King Han An.

Thinking of Han Wang'an's poisoned state, Xu Qing decided to keep Han Fei calm for now, otherwise, if the other party knew about Han Wang'an's condition, he would definitely turn his attention to Chao Nu Yao.

He couldn't bear to see his beloved Lady Mingzhu targeted by Han Fei.

Under the expectant gazes of the three, Xu Qing slowly spoke.
"Your father is not in serious condition. It seems he just fainted due to a sudden attack of blood and qi. Although Ji Wuye is a powerful minister, he is still a subject and would not dare to commit regicide at this critical moment."

"As for the clues about the Tide Demoness, they are currently under investigation. There are many favored concubines in the harem. Some of them may seem to be out of favor, but they may not be estranged from your father."

"That's not necessarily true," Wei Zhuang said coldly.

Xu Qing glanced at Wei Zhuang speechlessly, genuinely suspecting that Wei Zhuang was deliberately sabotaging him.

“Brother Wei Zhuang, the Imperial Physician is just trying to comfort Brother Han Fei, you…” Zhang Liang said, shaking his head helplessly.

"Zifang, Brother Xu, it's alright. I'm aware of Father's condition. As long as Father is alright, that's all that matters. I'll trouble Brother Xu to take good care of Father," Han Fei said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"I am paid for by the emperor, and I will share his burdens," Xu Qing said, waving his hand.

Han Fei withdrew his hand and looked at Xu Qing with a solemn expression.
"I hope Brother Xu can mobilize his friends in the martial arts world to help me find Tianze. He has kidnapped Honglian and the Crown Prince. If they cannot be rescued in time, I fear they will meet with misfortune."

Upon hearing Han Fei's words, Xu Qing was about to reply when the light sphere in his mind lit up again, and two fortune slips flew out from it. [Crown Prince Han and Princess Honglian have been kidnapped, and everyone is helpless. However, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise.]

[A moderately auspicious sign: Rescuing Princess Honglian will grant you a third-grade opportunity. However, this fortune is fraught with misfortune; a villain harbors resentment, and hidden troubles lurk beneath the surface. Minor good fortune.]

[A neutral outcome; remaining detached, neither gaining nor losing, a draw.]

Looking at the two fortune slips in his mind, Xu Qing was slightly lost in thought, his gaze falling on the words "third-grade opportunity".

Among them, the chances of obtaining a third-grade item are the most unpredictable. If you're lucky, you might get some rare and precious materials or cultivation techniques.

If you're unlucky, you might get an official position or a lot of money.

However, the second half of the fortune slip, which said that the villains hold grudges, left Xu Qing somewhat puzzled.

In the original novel, Tianze and others kidnapped Honglian in order to make a deal with Han Fei and obtain the antidote for the Huaku Gu.

Now that Tianze has made a deal with him, in theory, even if Honglian is released, it shouldn't have any impact on Tianze, let alone cause him to hold a grudge.

If this villain refers to someone else, who could it be? His rescue of Honglian should be a good thing for all parties in South Korea.

Seeing Xu Qing lost in thought, Zhang Liang and Han Fei exchanged glances, assuming that Xu Qing didn't want to get involved in this trouble.

After all, Xu Qing wasn't part of the Quicksand organization; their relationship was purely cooperative, more like family due to their close bond. However, they all knew Xu Qing disliked trouble, so they could understand if he refused.

"Brother Xu, if you were..."

Han Fei was interrupted by Xu Qing before he could finish speaking.

"This is nothing serious. I will have the Mo family brothers and the Qianlong Hall send out men to search for Tianze and the others in and around Xinzheng later," Xu Qing said.

Even without this third-grade opportunity, he would still help Han Fei rescue Hong Lian, not for any other reason than to divert Han Fei's attention.

He needed Tianze to kill Han Yu. If Han Fei kept a close eye on Tianze, it might ruin his plan. Even if the probability was small, he was unwilling to gamble.

In order to ensure that Han Yu could end his suffering in the human world as soon as possible, it was not a problem for him to rescue Hong Lian.

Seeing that Xu Qing had agreed, Han Fei breathed a sigh of relief, his solemn expression finally softened, and a smile returned to his face.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Xu. I owe you this favor. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything in the future," Han Fei said with a smile.

He's now so indebted he doesn't care about the debts anymore; this is the second time he's owed Xu Qing a favor. He feels he's made a profit by using a favor to get these two behemoths, the Mohist and the Agriculturalist families, to help him.

"This is the second favor you owe me, in addition to two more drinks," Xu Qing said quietly.

"Hehehe, no rush, no rush. Once this is over, I'll definitely drink with Brother Xu until we're both drunk." Han Fei said with a smile, putting his arm around Xu Qing's shoulder.

Xu Qing took a deep look at Han Fei, who was smiling, and hoped that Han Fei would still be able to smile when he approached him in the future.

"Oh, right, Brother Han Fei, don't forget there's one more thing," Zhang Liang reminded him.

"Anything else? Are you three treating me like a jack-of-all-trades?" Xu Qing complained speechlessly.

"Hehehe, Brother Xu is very knowledgeable, but please take a look and identify the origin of this item."

As Han Fei spoke, he took out a medicine bottle from his pocket and placed it in front of Xu Qing.

The clay medicine bottle bears the symbol of the Teng Snake, clearly the bottle Bai Yifei used to hold the antidote for the withered Gu.

"The clay used for this medicine bottle is reserved for royalty, and the Teng Snake on it is a totem unique to the Baiyue people. How do you have such a medicine bottle?" Xu Qing asked, feigning confusion.

“You’re right. Last night, after Tianze kidnapped Honglian, he returned and gave me this medicine bottle, wanting to make a deal with me.”

Han Fei then shared his suspicion that Tianze might be controlled by a Gu poison.

"The ingredients used in this medicine bottle are from the royal family, so it must have come from inside the palace. That's why I asked Brother Xu if he had seen it in the palace."

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Fei, Zhang Liang, and Wei Zhuang all looked at Xu Qing.

They suspected that the medicine bottle was closely related to the Tide Witch, and if they could find out where in the palace the same medicine bottle had appeared, then the Tide Witch's identity would be revealed.

Moreover, this medicine bottle is also related to the safety of Prince Han and Honglian.

Although the Mohists and the Agriculturalists are powerful, their combined strength in Xinzheng is only a small fraction, and they may not be able to find Tianze. Therefore, it is essential to have a backup plan.

“As you know, Baiyue is a forbidden area for the King, so nothing related to Baiyue is allowed in the palace. Even if this thing leaked out of the palace, it must have been made in secret by someone who dared not let others know.”

Xu Qing glanced at the medicine bottle in Han Fei's hand, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

He never expected that Tianze would still use the Red Lotus to trade antidotes with Han Fei after learning about his close relationship with Han Fei. What kind of nonsense is this?
Is it because they don't trust him and have chosen Han Fei as a backup plan? Or is it a warning to him?

Or perhaps Tianze was planning to choose an easier way to obtain the antidote, since threatening Han Fei with Han Taizi and Honglian was easier and safer than assassinating Han Yu.

Regardless of Tianze's thoughts, Xu Qing felt it necessary to give Tianze a warning and to rescue Honglian.

Only by cutting off Tianze's escape route can this madman be made to obey.

Upon hearing this, Han Fei and Zhang Liang couldn't help but show disappointment. However, they also understood that Xu Qing was right. If anyone in the palace dared to use an object with Baiyue totems, they would probably have been executed long ago.

"Although I don't know the origin of this medicine bottle, if it's poison, I might have a way to cure it," Xu Qing said with a light laugh.

"Oh dear, I was so confused. How could I forget that Brother Xu is an expert in medicine?"

Han Fei slapped his forehead and said with a look of regret.

Honglian's abduction caused him to become so preoccupied that he completely forgot about Xu Qing, the legendary healer.

"Give me the medicine bottle first. Firstly, I can search for similar items within the palace, and secondly, I can study the remaining medicine inside to see if I can concoct an antidote," Xu Qing said.

After thinking for a moment, Han Fei nodded and handed the medicine bottle to Xu Qing.

Currently, handing the medicine bottle over to Xu Qing seems to be the best course of action. Whether it's investigating the whereabouts of the Tide Demoness or finding the antidote to trade with Tian Ze, Xu Qing is indispensable.

“Compared to Tianze, I think you should think more about how to handle matters in the imperial court,” Xu Qing said to Han Fei.

(End of this chapter)