Forced to become a pure and innocent female pharmacist in order to cultivate immortality.

The difference between the acquired realm of body cultivation and the sea of ​​wheels realm of Dharma cultivation is not particularly large, and the intensity they exhibit is not much different either.

"No, we can't give them a handle to use against us. Those martial artists can only be deployed when the other side sends out their own. Otherwise, if the cultivation world finds out, it will be troublesome." King Chu shook his head decisively.

The advantage is on their side; there's no need to put themselves in a passive position.

"Then let the soldiers get a good rest and continue the siege tomorrow. This rain today is really bad luck."

Looking inside the city, Ye Liuyun first glanced outside the city to confirm that the military camps outside the city had no intention of sending troops. He then immediately took out the Bewitching Pill and detonated it, letting the bewitching smoke spread to the three city gates.

Wherever the smoke reached, the soldiers fell unconscious. In no time, all 200,000 defenders, including their generals, collapsed.

"Alas! My friends, I'm doing this for your own good. If you continue to resist, the final result will be total annihilation. You all know that. Just sleep it off, and it will all be over," Ye Liuyun murmured.

The night passed, and the city was filled with the arrival of the King of Chu's army, which had originally planned to gather its troops and prepare to attack the city again.

But early in the morning, a soldier came to report.

"Report... Your Highness, Jianglin City has surrendered!" the soldier reported happily.

The King of Chu was stunned. He found it unbelievable. Just yesterday, the King had been so determined to never surrender, so how could he have surrendered so suddenly?

The King of Chu hurriedly walked out of the main tent and came to the main gate. As soon as he arrived at the main gate, he found that a white flag was hanging high on the city gate, the city gate was wide open, and there were no soldiers on the city wall.

"What? What's going on? Could this be a trap?" The generals around the King of Chu were somewhat bewildered.

Even the King of Chu's strategist looked completely bewildered.

"Gao E? Come out and meet me." The King of Chu gestured to a general, instructing him to call Gao E, but after calling for a long time, Gao E did not appear. The strangest thing was that the city was eerily quiet.

After shouting for a long time without getting any response, the general had no choice but to send someone into the city to check. However, instead of sending ordinary soldiers, they sent a martial artist.

The young martial artist easily jumped onto the city wall, but when he got there, he was dumbfounded.

"What? What happened?" The young man was startled as he looked at the city guards lying haphazardly before him.

He quickly checked on the situation of these people and found that they had all just fainted and were not dead. So he went to the city tower to take a look and found that Gao E and the others had also fainted.

This was quite perplexing, but the young man quickly returned to the King of Chu's side.

"Your Highness, the garrison in the city seems to have been drugged and knocked unconscious." the young man reported.

The King of Chu and his men looked at each other, somewhat bewildered, but they eventually entered the city. There must have been someone secretly helping them.

The city's garrison was asleep and unable to resist, so they certainly wouldn't kill indiscriminately, because there was no need.

Chapter 397 Getting to the bottom of things (4000 words)

And so, what could have been a fierce battle was easily resolved by Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun didn't care about the imperial court at all. To be honest, because of her family background, she didn't have a good impression of the imperial court.

Actually, if all the government agencies in Jianglin City hadn't withdrawn, it would have been very difficult for the King of Chu and his forces to occupy this place.

Even so, these government agencies composed of cultivators do not actually take orders directly from the government.

The official cultivator organization in Nanling is managed by Li Yutang, the King of the South. They adhere to one principle: unless cultivators intervene in worldly conflicts, they are not allowed to participate.

Yesterday, when the two sides clashed, some of the Southern King's men were secretly monitoring the situation.

"Strange! Who did this? It certainly wasn't done by an ordinary person, but it wasn't done by the King of Chu's men either. Report this matter immediately, saying that an unknown cultivator is interfering in the disputes of the secular court." The people from the Surveillance Bureau who were secretly monitoring the fight between the two sides immediately passed the message to their superiors.

These are all Dao Palace level cultivators, but unfortunately, their cultivation level is not enough to see through Ye Liuyun's methods.

When the conscripted men, along with Gao E and others, woke up, they found themselves bound hand and foot. The ordinary soldiers were alright; the King of Chu didn't intend to do anything to them.

As for Gao E and the other generals, they have all been escorted to the governor's mansion.

They are still completely bewildered and have no idea what's going on.

"Kneel down." The soldiers on both sides brought Gao E and the others before the King of Chu and forced them to kneel down.

Gao E and the others immediately glared at these people. Their cultivation was sealed, so they couldn't cause any trouble now.

So, under the soldiers' pressure, he was forced to kneel down.

"Let me go and get out of my way!" Gao E was still struggling.

Seeing Gao E's attitude, the King of Chu finally waved to his soldiers, indicating that he would let it go.

"Alright, Gao E, do you have anything else to say now?" the King of Chu asked.

But Gao E just snorted coldly.

"Despicable! How dare you use such low and vile methods to drug me! I refuse to accept this!" Gao E roared angrily.

He woke up to find himself a prisoner, and he was certainly not happy about it. To this day, he still doesn't understand how he was drugged.

"**? Heh, it seems even you don't know what happened. To tell you the truth, I didn't send anyone. This morning, I sent men to prepare for the attack, only to find that all your defenders had fainted and the city gates had been opened," the King of Chu explained.

Gao E was stunned. He didn't react much, but instead fell into deep thought. He was thinking about who did it. He didn't think the King of Chu was lying, because there was no need for him to.

After much thought, there's only one possibility: someone put poison in the water. There's no other explanation.

Moreover, it was most likely done by those conscripted laborers. After all, they were the only ones who cared about themselves and not the imperial court. It would be reasonable for them to be drugged for their own safety.

He has no right to blame others, since the act of conscripting men is bound to provoke public outrage.

"Alas! It's fate, I admit defeat. Whether I live or die is up to you, Your Highness." Gao E had nothing more to say.

But the King of Chu's next words stunned Gao E.

"I have already announced to the public that you have been executed," said the King of Chu.

This statement is quite interesting. It shows that he wanted to recruit Gao E, but at the same time, he also understood that Gao E's family was definitely in the hands of the imperial court.

If you want Gao E to surrender, you must first protect his family.

Gao E immediately understood what the King of Chu meant.

"Thank you, Your Highness. If Your Highness can rescue my family, I am willing to surrender," Gao E said happily.

"Governor Gao, please rise. Untie me. Don't worry, I will find a way to rescue your family from the court," the King of Chu said with a smile.

The King of Chu was a decent man; he didn't kill indiscriminately. He promised to keep the surrender of any generals who were willing to surrender a secret and then try to rescue their families.

As for the conscripted laborers, the King of Chu didn't need so many people, so he released them all. Of course, if they were willing to join the King of Chu's army, they would be welcomed with open arms.

"Hehe, I guess I've done a great job, saving the people of an entire city. Tonight, I need to find out from this King Chu about his relationship with the Nangong family and the Aojian Manor," Ye Liuyun said with a smile.

After the King of Chu occupied Jianglin City, he naturally planned to use it as his base of operations and then assess the situation. Currently, two prefectures have already fallen into his hands.

He certainly cannot be the first vassal king to attack Zhongzhou, nor can he be the first to stick his neck out; in short, the time is not yet right.

First, secure your own power and position, then consider how to compete with other vassal kings for the supreme throne.

"Mr. Nangong, what should we do next?" After resolving the issues that needed to be addressed, the King of Chu summoned his trusted confidants to discuss the next steps.

Mr. Nangong? Just hearing that, you know he's from the Nangong family.

“Your Highness, there’s no rush. What we need to do next is to seize control of the two major prefectures of Nanling, consolidate our position, or to put it bluntly, shed our status as a vassal king and establish ourselves as kings. You should understand what I mean,” Mr. Nangong said in a deep voice.

This person's name is Nangong Wang. All that is known is that he is a member of the Nangong family. Few people know his specific identity.

"Oh, I understand. It means to completely break away from the control of the court and be self-governing, right?" The King of Chu instantly understood what Nangong Wang meant.

“That’s right. You can submit a memorial to the court to seek peace, saying that you have no intention of vying for the throne, but only want to protect yourself because you are uneasy. Then you can ask the court to hand over Jiangzhou Prefecture and Linjiang Prefecture to you for complete administration.” Nangong Wang chuckled.

The King of Chu carefully considered Nangong Wang's meaning.

"Oh, I understand now. Brilliant! What a brilliant plan! With the support of the Nangong family and the Aojian Manor, two major powers in the Southern Ridge, the throne is destined to be mine. Rest assured, I will absolutely fulfill my promise to both families."

"When I become emperor, the Nangong family will control the commerce of the world, and the Aojian Manor will control the sects and factions of the secular world," the King of Chu promised again.

Nangong Wang chuckled.

What Nangong Wang meant was to first make the court underestimate him and hand over the two prefectures in Nanling to him for management. This was actually a move to let the other vassal kings and the court continue to fight.

He then slowly eroded the other prefectures in Nanling. There were also two vassal kings in Nanling, each of whom occupied a prefecture.

However, in the eyes of the King of Chu, there was no need to worry about these two. They were just two county princes, and their forces were not enough to fight against him. He would think about how to deal with his brothers in the other major regions after he had swallowed up the entire Nanling.

Meanwhile, let's talk about Fan Ling. Fan Ling was riding her black ox and wandering aimlessly through the streets when she encountered a group of soldiers from the Chu King's army.

Fan Ling was very beautiful. As a cultivator, she was more beautiful than most beauties in the mortal world. These soldiers of the Chu King were naturally very happy after winning the battle. Suddenly encountering a beautiful woman all alone, they were easily tempted to have evil thoughts.

As soon as the King of Chu entered the city, he distributed the prostitutes from the brothels to his subordinates. The women in the brothels were miserable; they were treated like objects, having to serve whoever came.

"Oh, what a pretty young lady! Young lady, it's dangerous for you to be running around in the street all by yourself. How about I find you a safe place, hehe?" The soldiers surrounded Fan Ling.

Fan Ling's expression froze, and a look of fear appeared on her face.

"Oh my god, why am I so unlucky? Master, please come and save me!" Fan Ling silently prayed to Ye Liuyun.

She is powerless now; any ordinary mortal could subdue her. She used to be a man, and she knows what these women are thinking. She doesn't want to be bullied by them.

"What are you trying to do? Let me tell you, I have an owner," Fan Ling said quickly as she saw them surrounding her.

"Master? Hmph, this Jiangzhou Prefecture is now under the control of our Chu King's army. We are the masters. Damn it, those officials go to brothels to relax and vent their frustrations, leaving us to patrol. We can't even get a sip of soup." As the soldiers spoke, they forced Fan Ling into the alley.

Fan Lingli screamed in alarm and cried for help, but no one paid her any attention.

However, just as these soldiers cornered Fan Ling, something unexpected happened. A dark shadow flashed past them.

The next moment, the entire squad of soldiers rolled their eyes back and fainted.

"Pah! Don't you have any sense? Just because I'm not showing my power doesn't mean you can take me for a donkey!" Suddenly, Ye Liuyun's donkey, which had been ramming like a water buffalo, stood on its hind legs, hands on its hips, looking at the soldiers on the ground, exhaling hot air from its nostrils, and then speaking in human language to complain.

This scene startled Fan Ling.

"Me? Me, Black Bull, you, when did you transform into a demon?" Fan Ling stared at Black Bull in utter bewilderment.

Upon hearing this, Black Bull immediately glared at Fan Ling with a mocking donkey face.

"Have you been driven mad by your master? Has your brain become dull? If I hadn't transformed into a demon, do you think this immortal donkey would still be alive today?" the black ox retorted, rolling its eyes.

Fan Ling really didn't know when this donkey had transformed into a demon, because she spent most of her time sleeping. There was nothing she could do; Ye Liuyun didn't allow her to run around, so she had stayed in Bixia Valley for decades. What else could she do but sleep?

"If you can speak, then speak up sooner rather than later. I almost thought I was going to be humiliated by them," Fan Ling complained.

Honestly, this donkey is really abstract. Sure enough, there's nothing normal around Ye Liuyun, not even his mount.

"Sorry, my master told me not to talk to people who aren't mentally sound," Black Bull said, arms crossed.

Fan Ling choked to death.

"Damn it, this donkey is so arrogant. You just wait, once I get away, I'll definitely roast you and eat your donkey meat," Fan Ling thought angrily.

The man and his donkey knocked out the soldiers and fled.

No wonder Ye Liuyun wasn't worried about Fan Ling's safety. With a donkey by her side, how could there be any problems? Although the donkey didn't have the cultivation level of a Dao Palace cultivator, it still had the cultivation level of a late-stage Sea of ​​Wheels cultivator.

That evening, King Chu, having been busy all day, decided to go to sleep.

However, a figure entered her residence silently, without the guards outside noticing. Although these guards were all cultivators, unfortunately, they were too weak.

It was definitely Ye Liuyun who sneaked into the King of Chu's room. As soon as Ye Liuyun entered, he instructed Lin Qingyou to mute the room, and then went directly to the King of Chu's window.

The King of Chu hadn't been asleep. Suddenly sensing movement beside him, he instinctively opened his eyes. But as soon as he opened them, he met a pair of eyes that radiated an eerie light. Before he could say anything, he lost consciousness.

One of the methods of the Mangekyou Sharingan is to launch a mental attack on the enemy.

"Tell me, do you have any connection with the Nangong family or the Aojian Manor?" Ye Liuyun asked directly.

The King of Chu was just an ordinary person; how could he possibly withstand Ye Liuyun's mental attacks?

"It was the Nangong family who approached me, saying they wanted to support me in becoming the emperor of Tang. Aojian Manor has already joined forces with the Nangong family to provide me with manpower and financial resources," the King of Chu replied.

Upon hearing this, Ye Liuyun immediately knew that this matter must be related to his grandfather.

"Have you ever heard of Nangong Yinghui and Ye Ninglu?" Ye Liuyun asked again.

"I don't know him," the King of Chu replied.

This puzzled Ye Liuyun.

"Don't you recognize him?" Ye Liuyun fell into deep thought.

However, upon closer reflection, he realized that his eldest sister was definitely still alive, but she must have gone into hiding. As for his brother-in-law, Ye Liuyun didn't have any more Everlasting Life-Extending Pills at the time, so he didn't give them to him.

"It seems I have to go to the Nangong family to see if my sister is there." Ye Liuyun decided that the Nangong family would be her next stop.

But Ye Liuyun didn't know where the Nangong family was located.

After all, her saintly grandmother only suspected that Nangong Yinghui was a member of the Nangong family, but she wasn't sure.

Whether it is true or not, Ye Liuyun himself needs to confirm it.