The Twelve Trials Starting from Zero

He picked up the kettle beside him and put it down in front of him, saying irritably, "There's no tea, but there's still half a kettle of hot water left. Your Majesty, you'll have to make do with this."

"Outrageous." Su Qi walked to the table and sat down, pouring himself a cup of water as he said, "You don't act like a servant at all. Be careful, or I'll have someone drag you out of the Meridian Gate to continue your studies."

Daohe rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Your Majesty, this is Daocheng, not the Forbidden City. There is no Meridian Gate here."

Su Qi didn't speak. He picked up the water glass and paused slightly. Not sensing any unusual fluctuation in the other person's emotions, he poured the cool water into his mouth and exhaled a refreshing breath.

Then he put down the cup, looked at the gourd in Daohe's hand, his eyes flickered slightly, and smiled, "Daohe, why are you holding onto the gourd containing the fasting pills? Are you hungry before noon? Could it be that you just did some strenuous exercise and your nutrition is insufficient?"

After saying that, he sniffed, his brows furrowed slightly, and he said with a strange look, "Hmm... now that you mention it, there seems to be a scent of photinia flowers in the air. My friend, tell me honestly, you didn't secretly do it while I was away, did you? What are the materials for the spell? Show them to me."

"Nonsense!" Daohe glared at him and threw the gourd over. "I understand now. It's impossible for you to say anything good! Here, take the gourd if you want it, just stop spouting nonsense and disgusting people."

Su Qi casually took it, glanced at him, unscrewed the cap and poured out a fasting pill. He immediately sensed a violent fluctuation in the other person's emotions.

Chapter Fifteen: The most important thing in being a person is tolerance.

It was exactly that one!

Upon seeing the Bigu Pill in Su Qi's hand, Dao He's pupils contracted, and he immediately felt tense.

He had carved a shallow scratch on the Three Corpse Gu Divine Pill, which most people wouldn't notice without careful observation. However, he knew this beforehand and immediately recognized that the pill in Su Qi's hand was indeed the Three Corpse Gu Divine Pill.

To avoid Su Qi noticing the sudden decrease in the amount of fasting pills in the gourd and discovering something was wrong, he had deliberately left a few pills in the gourd when he added the medicine, referring to the original amount. He didn't expect Su Qi to be so "lucky" as to win the grand prize on his first try.

At this moment, noticing the sudden change in Dao He's emotional fluctuations, Su Qi immediately became alert, but remained calm and casually glanced at the Bigu Pill in his hand, keenly noticing a thin, shallow scratch.

The inside of the gourd was smooth, and the surface of a typical fasting pill is also as smooth as jade, so it wouldn't have scratches like this. Considering the emotional turmoil I just experienced, this fasting pill is likely problematic…is it poison? But why would they poison me? We shouldn't have any serious hatred between us…

He was a little puzzled. He glanced at Daohe across the way, who was deliberately looking away and staring out the window, trying his best not to show any unusual expression. His mind raced, and he suddenly said, "Speaking of which, I played several games in a row this morning, and I'm actually a little hungry."

Having said that, he picked up the pill and slowly put it into his mouth.

Idiot! It's not even lunchtime yet, why are you eating!

Daohe appeared to be looking out the window, but he was secretly watching Su Qi out of the corner of his eye. He saw Su Qi suddenly put the Three Corpse Gu Divine Pill into his mouth and clench his right hand under the table on his knee. Daohe was shocked, nervous, angry and conflicted. His emotions were complicated.

No! Why am I angry for him? I should be happy! Happy that idiot fell for the trap so easily and didn't notice anything unusual about me! As long as he takes the medicine, I won't be exposed or killed, and my parents and sister can live well outside. The only price he has to pay is a little freedom. This is the best option!

So my choice was right! I had to do it! I had no other choice! It's just a little freedom, just a little freedom, but aren't I the same?

Aren't I also driven, controlled, manipulated like a puppet, used as a tool, living a life without freedom every day? Although this life is full of pain and fear, as long as I can survive, I can accept it. As long as I can survive, that's better than anything else. Compared to being assassinated by those people in the future, what I'm doing is actually saving him, isn't it? Even if he knows the truth, he'll definitely think the same way, right? So I didn't do anything wrong! Let him take that pill! Let him...

"Daohe, what are you doing?"

The arm holding the pill was grabbed by another hand and stopped in front of his mouth. Su Qi looked at Dao He, who had suddenly stood up and grabbed him, with a strange expression, seemingly confused.

What did I... do?

The latter then realized what was happening, and his confused eyes regained their clarity.

He remembered. Just now, when his mind was filled with random thoughts and chaotic ideas, he didn't know why, but he suddenly acted at the last moment, stopping Su Qi from swallowing the Three Corpse Gu Divine Pill.

Am I an idiot?! Why did I do this?! What am I going to do now?! That guy's getting smarter and smarter lately, he'll definitely notice my strange behavior, and then… I'll die!

In an instant, a series of unfavorable scenarios exploded in his mind, and he froze on the spot, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Su Qi's eyes flashed, but he seemed not to notice anything unusual. He raised his head slightly, looking puzzled, and said, "My friend, you want this Bigu Pill? If you want it, just say so. How am I supposed to know you really want it if you don't say so? Although you're looking at me very sincerely, you still have to tell me what you want. It's not like I won't give it to you just because you say you want it, or I'll force you to give it to you just because you say you don't want it. Let's be reasonable! Do you really want it? Then take it. You don't really want it, do you? Are you so hungry that you really want it?"

"..."

After an eerie silence and a staring contest, Dao He reached out and snatched the Three Corpse Gu Divine Pill from Su Qi's hand with a blank expression. He deliberately said in a flat voice, "Yes, I suddenly got hungry, so this Bigu Pill is mine for now."

"So eager for sex?" Su Qi looked around, his expression like he was about to make a secret deal, and whispered, "Daohe, to be honest, have you been paying too much social security lately and are you really not getting enough nutrition? Don't worry, this is a common problem for teenagers, I won't laugh at you."

"Fuck off!"

After the brief respite, Daohe finally calmed down and returned to his normal rhythm. As he spoke, he carefully put away the Three Corpse Gu Divine Pill.

"Sigh, young people are just too shy and easily embarrassed." Su Qi shook his head and added, "But weren't you hungry? Why did you take the fasting pill back? Aren't you going to eat it?"

"Your words disgusted me so much that I suddenly lost my appetite. Can't I eat later?"

"Alright, alright, of course, but my friend, judging from your face, it seems like something's bothering you. Why don't you tell me so I can cheer you up... ah, I mean, show some concern?"

"Fine." Daohe rolled his eyes at him. "The guy I live in the same room with is so annoying, so annoying that I want to kill him. What do you suggest we do?"

"Well, the most important thing in life is to be tolerant. I think you should choose to forgive him."

"But right now I just want some peace and quiet."

Who is Jingjing?

He didn't speak again, but just stared at Su Qi quietly.

The latter sighed softly, "Alright, alright, I won't be a third wheel for you and Miss Jingjing anymore, I'll shut up."

After saying that, he stuffed the gourd back in, placed it on the table, stood up, and walked straight out.

He stopped at the crucial moment...

Standing in the courtyard, bathed in sunlight, Su Qi pondered the motives behind Dao He's unusual behavior.

Based on the emotional shifts I sensed, this was clearly not his intention. So, besides feelings, it must be driven by self-interest. But as far as I know, he genuinely has no interest in becoming the Shaman King or the head of a Taoist family, so there shouldn't be any conflict of interest between us. Therefore… is it a factor outside of Tao and himself?

His emotional shift only began after I displayed my talent and strength. So, working backward, who would least want me to be so outstanding? The other Daoists that Dao Shuo mentioned? No, even if they wanted to deal with me, they should have waited until Dao Lian was dead first. Otherwise, alerting them would only create more unfavorable variables.

Dao Lan, that woman who is clearly dissatisfied with my actions? No, she shouldn't have gone to such lengths. Besides, she usually has no contact with Dao He, an insignificant member of the Daoist lower class. Today, she was mostly with Dao Yuan and Dao Zhen. It would be difficult for her to arrange everything in such a short time.

Other children who are jealous of me? That's even less likely. They have neither the power nor the motive to take such a great risk. So, eliminating other options, the most likely person to do this is…

Recalling the test and conversation that had just taken place in Dan Yuan Palace, a name immediately came to Su Qi's mind—Xuanzhen Dao.

There's a precedent of the Taoist sect being sabotaged by spies from the Xuanzhen sect; otherwise, Daozhen wouldn't be so focused on identifying spies. Therefore, it's not impossible that there are still Xuanzhen sect spies within the Taoist community. And if they are from the Xuanzhen sect, they certainly have the ability and motive to target me; it's just that I didn't expect it to happen so quickly and so coincidentally…

He tentatively identified the Xuanzhen Dao as a traitor infiltrated into the Daoist community and began to consider countermeasures.

First, without concrete clues and evidence, it's difficult to get help from the higher-ups in the Taoist community, unless they hand over Dao He, who is suspected to be the other party's subordinate, which is obviously not an option. Second, without using coercive measures, judging from Dao He's behavior, he is unlikely to confess voluntarily, and even if forced to confront him, he can deny it. It's very likely that the other party has some leverage over him. So, how can we find clues?

Su Qi's mind raced, and he quickly thought of someone, someone who inexplicably harbored murderous intent towards him—the Hall Master of Kanli Palace, Dao Shuo.

Let's try going to see that guy first. If that doesn't work, we'll think of other ways. But Dao Shuo is, after all, a high-ranking member of the Daoist clan. Dealing with him in Dao City requires minimizing the disturbance, so let's wait until nightfall to take action…

Having set his goal, he relaxed, found a place to sit in the courtyard, and began to study the application of witchcraft and spiritual power again.

……

That evening, while Daohe and the other spiritual children were having their evening lessons, Su Qi, who had been granted special permission by Daoyuan not to participate in the training, quietly left the house.

"It's time to start infiltrating again..."

In a dark alley nearby, with a thought, his small Taoist robe transformed into a small black night suit—he had already changed his clothes into that magical item that could change outfits with a single click.

"Unfortunately, one-click outfit changing cannot disguise body shape."

While covering his face with a black triangular scarf, Su Qi reminded himself to be careful. Because with his current physique, if he were discovered and someone checked who hadn't attended evening classes, his identity would be completely exposed.

However, he wasn't too worried. After all, with the help of the pseudo-heavenly eye and his previous infiltration experience, he could now be considered a skilled infiltration expert (referring to legitimate infiltration).

Afterwards, although this body was somewhat inconvenient compared to an adult, Su Qi easily evaded the various overt and covert sentries in Dao City by relying on his pseudo-heavenly eye, powerful witchcraft, spiritual reconnaissance, and the subtle control over his body and strength honed in the previous world. He successfully infiltrated the rear hall of Kanli Palace and arrived outside Dao Shuo's usual living quarters.

First, observe what that guy is doing, then seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, ideally subduing him in one strike...

When not controlling their spirit, a psychic is essentially an ordinary person, so with his superior martial arts skills, he wasn't worried about being unable to subdue his opponent. He then used his pseudo-divine eye to see through the walls and observe the person's movements inside, only to discover that the person had their left hand on their crotch, rubbing it up and down—it seemed they were… masturbating?

Chapter Sixteen: Treating People with Sincerity

This is an elegantly decorated room. The floor is covered with a rug, a statue of Lao Tzu hangs on the wall, and a wooden bookshelf stands against the wall, filled with thread-bound books with yellowed paper. In addition, there are tables, chairs, beds, screens, and vases, all of which are antique and elegant in design.

However, at this moment, there was something out of place on the sandalwood octagonal table in the room: a laptop computer made in Japan.

Dao Shuo was sitting at the table, his belt unbuckled, one hand under his arm and the other holding the mouse. He was watching a Japanese adult film playing silently on his laptop, his eyes wide open, intently engaged in his self-generated content.

As a high-ranking member of the Taoist community and the master of the Kanli Palace, he would have had no need to satisfy his physical needs in this way; finding a wife would have been incredibly easy. However, as a miserable undercover agent, in order to reduce the possibility of exposure and minimize his ties with the Taoist community, he cultivated an image of being detached from worldly desires and devoted solely to the Tao.

Therefore, not only could he not have a wife, but he also had to maintain his image in front of others. He could only secretly find someone to get him a laptop and comfort himself alone in the dead of night, which was quite miserable.

At this moment, the battle between the two sides in the action movie had reached a crucial point, and Dao Shuo also became excited, panting as he quickened his movements. A moment later, just as they were about to reach their climax, suddenly with a bang, the door opened, and a figure pounced in.

The sudden sound was like a bolt from the blue; Dao Shuo was so shocked that he immediately went limp.

Just as I was about to react, a short figure rushed in front of me, slashing down with a sheathed longsword.

Who is it?!

Fortunately, Dao Shuo was also a martial artist. Although he was shocked, he remained calm. He grabbed the purple clay teapot on the table and threw it at the teapot while pulling up his pants and backing away.

However, the newcomer did not stop, and the sheathed longsword changed trajectory without any hindrance, instantly shattering the teapot and slashing towards his forehead.

Damn it! There wasn't enough time to merge with the spirit or summon a super spirit!

Dao Shuo's expression changed drastically. He instinctively tried to dodge to the side, but tripped over half of his pants and fell to the ground.

However, while his body was still in mid-air, the attacker's sheathed longsword came after him and struck him on the forehead with a bang, causing him to faint from a headache.

After an unknown amount of time, Dao Shuo regained consciousness and found himself still in his room, but firmly tied to a chair with ropes and unable to move, and... he wasn't even wearing pants.

"Ah~ Yamete..."

A strange sound came from nearby. He looked up and saw a man in black sitting at a table, admiring his precious collection on his computer. On the table beside him was his personal medium for communicating with spirits.

"Waaaaah!"

He wanted to ask who you were, but his mouth was stuffed with a rag, so he couldn't make a sound.

Hearing the commotion, the man in black finally paused the video, turned around and walked over. "The action movies in the folder are mostly bondage and humiliation types. I didn't expect the Palace Master to have such heavy tastes."

Noticing his size and hearing his voice, Dao Shuo suddenly remembered something, his eyes widening in disbelief as he exclaimed, "Waaaaaah!? Waaaaah!!"

"Oh, it seems you guessed it..." Su Qi pulled off the mask from his face. "That's right, the one who came is none other than Dao Cheng."

"Waaaaaah? Waaaaaahh ...

Dao Shuo's face was full of confusion and fear, not understanding why the other party would suddenly come to him.

"Communication isn't convenient like this, so I'll remove the cloth from your mouth next. But you'd better not try anything clever, like shouting or anything, otherwise..."

As Su Qi spoke, he pulled out the Reverse Scale and patted the man's face with the cold blade. Suddenly, he raised his hand and brought it down, piercing the chair between the man's legs with a single stroke. He threatened maliciously, "Otherwise, I'll turn your little brother into sashimi and feed it to you, making you the last eunuch in the Celestial Empire!"

Dao Shuo shuddered, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He could feel a chill right between his legs and quickly nodded to show he understood.

"Good, remember to cooperate obediently. I'll ask you questions, and you answer them. Don't do anything unnecessary, or I'll grant you good luck and let you eat chicken tonight."

As he spoke, Su Qi pulled the rag out of his mouth.