Fu Qingyang led his five teammates out of the barracks. Looking around, he saw swarms of dark insects covering the military camp, making buzzing sounds with their wings.
Fu Qingyang narrowed his eyes to take a closer look. The insects flying in the sky resembled mosquitoes, but were several times larger. Their bodies were blood-red, and their slender mouthparts shone with a metallic luster, like sharp needles.
The soldiers, holding their heads, charged left and right under the swarm of insects, collapsing one after another with miserable cries, frantically scratching their faces and chests, tearing their skin and flesh, leaving them covered in blood.
Some soldiers hid in the houses, closing doors and windows, but the swarms of insects clung to the doors and windows like flies, trying to squeeze through the cracks.
The experts in the army displayed their abilities. The Fire Master drove a fire dragon to soar into the sky, burning the insects; the Water Ghost caused the well water to pour out, condensing into giant hands to grab the insects, but the speed of the insects was too fast, and the effect was not ideal.
The Wood Elf lit insect-repelling incense, trying to drive away the insects through its scent.
Tianxia Guihuo, with flames "whooshing" around his body, summoned flames covering his entire body, strode to a corpse, and took a closer look. He saw that the corpse was shriveled, most of the blood had been sucked dry, and dense red insect eggs were attached to the broken wounds.
The insect eggs were crystal clear, and the life inside was rapidly breeding and growing.
Tianxia Guihuo was shocked, and flicked out a tongue of flame, burning the insect eggs and the corpse to ashes. He shouted:
"These insects not only suck human blood, but their eggs also attach to corpses, rapidly reproducing. We must eliminate the insect swarm as soon as possible, otherwise the entire Linxia City will be finished."
His words made the experts in the army feel heavy.
"No wonder the Northern Dynasty's army has remained still these past few days. It turns out they were cultivating these insects, trying to use this despicable method to wear down our forces without bloodshed." Lingjun scoffed, opened his inventory, grabbed a green bamboo flute, and played a mournful tune.
The sound of the flute grew higher and higher, floating into the sky and into the mountains.
Soon, the birds in Linxia City swarmed towards the barracks, and from the continuous mountains outside the city, a dark flock of birds also rose, drifting in mightily.
The birds hovered over the barracks, sometimes swooping down, sometimes flying high, chasing the flying insects that darted around.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the insects that attacked the barracks were eaten clean.
"It's a good thing it hasn't reached winter yet, otherwise the insects would be difficult to deal with." Fu Qingyang's solemn expression eased slightly, and he issued orders at a rapid pace:
"Tianxia Guihuo, Zhao Chenghuang, you two take people to collect the corpses. Demon Eye, you go to the city wall to guard and stabilize morale. Lingjun and Xiahou Aotian, deal with the poisoning of the soldiers in the army."
As he spoke, he rose into the clouds on his sword, leaving behind a cold sentence:
"I'm going to meet the experts of the Northern Dynasty."
Lingjun and the others knew that Fu Qingyang wanted to contain the Northern Dynasty's army with his own strength, create chaos, and prevent them from attacking the city at this moment.
So they didn't dare to waste time and quickly took action.
Half an hour later, the five people returned to the barracks after finishing their affairs and saw Fu Qingyang sitting naked on the table, wrapped in bandages, looking seriously injured.
"Injured?" Lingjun immediately rushed forward to check the injuries.
"Minor injury." Fu Qingyang waved his hand, not letting Lingjun mess with his body, while taking the elixir handed over by Xiahou Aotian, and said:
"I fought with the experts of the Northern Dynasty and discovered a very heavy fact: the number of experts in the Northern Dynasty's army is several times greater than ours. In addition, the Right Commander of the Jueque Army is an Level 8 Mist Lord, slightly weaker than me.
"Even if I use all my skills, I still didn't see the legendary No. 1 expert in the Northern Territory, Tuoba Guanghe. From this, it can be seen that Tuoba Guanghe is likely an Level 8 peak."
What is the concept of Level 8 peak? It is a level that even Fu Qingyang, who is an Level 8, possesses the Swordsman Cloak, and is close to the Way of the Master, would not dare to say that he can win in a one-on-one fight.
Once you reach the Lord stage, even if they are both Level 8, the difference between the early and late stages is like night and day.
Demon Eye Heavenly King frowned and said: "It seems that once the war starts, we will have a hard fight."
Zhao Chenghuang, Lingjun, and Tianxia Guihuo suddenly rejoiced that they had two experts, Fu Qingyang and Demon Eye, guarding them, feeling full of security. Well, Xiahou Aotian counts as half.
Although this guy has a strange personality, his business ability is exceptionally outstanding.
Fu Qingyang said: "Report your situations."
Xiahou Aotian immediately said: "Our wells have been poisoned by spies. The poison is very strong, but with this protagonist here, those poisoned soldiers have recovered. In several wells in the barracks, I put in a Water Purification Bead. I hope the organization can reimburse me after leaving the dungeon."
"I also planted a large number of water vines in the wells that can absorb toxins. In the future, we can judge whether the well water is poisonous by seeing if the vines turn black." Lingjun added.
Zhao Chenghuang said: "We lost a total of six hundred soldiers. Fortunately, they were all low-level soldiers, so the loss was not too tragic."
Fu Qingyang said in a deep voice: "Under my command, they are all brothers. This revenge must be avenged."
He then looked at Demon Eye Heavenly King and said: "With the strength of the Northern Dynasty, retreating to the capital will surely lead to our defeat. Don't worry about Yuanshi's situation for now. Trust him."
"The beauty's singing is like listening to celestial music!" Zhang Yuanqing clapped his hands and shouted "Good" three times.
Then he added in his heart: The tea flavor is overwhelming!
This Consort Wan knows how to compete for favor. She "accidentally" met the emperor in the imperial garden, luring him with her singing, and today she planted tender leaves and sprinkled salt water at the gate, stopping the stag.
Hearing Zhang Yuanqing's voice, Consort Wan on the second floor turned around and said with "surprise": "Oh, it's Your Majesty!"
Immediately, she lifted her skirt and ran downstairs, appearing as if she had met her ideal man and the love of her life, about to throw herself into Zhang Yuanqing's arms.
Suddenly remembering that this was against etiquette, she hurriedly stopped, shyly saying: "Your Majesty, I miss you so much."
Zhang Yuanqing carefully examined her, and couldn't help but sigh that the aesthetic of the fatuous emperor was indeed not to be underestimated. This woman was about sixteen years old, as beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water, pure and refined, truly a delicate little flower.
"Consort Wan, a day apart feels like three autumns. I miss you too." Zhang Yuanqing tightly held Consort Wan's hand, revealing a lecherous smile.
As soon as he held that pair of white and tender hands, he felt an irresistible force pulling the small hands back.
The pure and refined Consort Wan said shyly: "Your Majesty, how can you be so unrestrained in broad daylight? After sunset, please stay in the palace, and I would like to serve you in bed."
Who is this guy? Zhang Yuanqing looked at this pure and refined face, smiling on the surface, but analyzing her identity in his mind.
He found another one.
Well, suspected.
With Jiang Jingwei's example, Zhang Yuanqing found a quick way to find teammates, which is to have physical contact with the concubines in the harem. If they resist, they must be teammates.
After all, in their eyes, the fatuous emperor is just an NPC. There is no need to be taken advantage of by an NPC. The spiritual realm will not have a copy that requires self-sacrifice, and it is not an exclusive copy for the lustful profession.
As for whether the spies might resist physical contact, Zhang Yuanqing thinks it is impossible, because the spy's job is seduction. The more the fatuous emperor favors her, the happier the spy should be.
In my gang, there are so many scheming ones...well, many, but so many who love to act, it's either Xie Lingxi or my little aunt...Zhang Yuanqing said:
"Beauty, I have something to do, so I won't go in. Prepare to serve me tonight."
After speaking, he showed a lecherous look, looked up and down Consort Wan's delicate body, and then led the guards and eunuchs away.
Consort Wan rolled her eyes and smiled: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Leaving the pavilion where Consort Wan lived, Zhang Yuanqing immediately went to Consort De's palace. On the way, he summoned a eunuch and asked in a relaxed tone:
"How do I usually treat Consort De?"
The eunuch responded with a smiling face: "You have always favored her."
Which woman doesn't the fatuous emperor favor? Zhang Yuanqing said: "Compared to other beauties and concubines?"
The eunuch responded with a smiling face again: "Your Majesty favors Consort De the most."
Zhang Yuanqing knew it in his heart. Perhaps because he killed Consort De's entire family, Zhao Shun was particularly indulgent towards Consort De.
Soon, they arrived at the front of Consort De's palace. Under the guidance of the palace maids, they went straight into the garden. Looking around, it was full of blooming white unnamed flowers, decorating the entire garden in a cold and elegant manner.
In the pavilion in the garden, a beauty in plain clothes was playing the zither, her waist slender, her figure graceful, her eyes like autumn water, her eyebrows like distant mountains, her skin as white as snow, and her beauty was both fresh and charming.
Truly a stunning beauty.
The eunuch shouted, "Your Majesty has arrived," but Consort De in the pavilion lowered her head and played the zither, turning a deaf ear.
"Has she always been so arrogant?" Zhang Yuanqing whispered to the eunuch next to him.
The eunuch didn't understand the meaning of arrogant and didn't know how to answer for a while.
Zhang Yuanqing modified his wording: "Has Consort De always been like this?"
The eunuch nodded, but dared not comment.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the sky, it was still early, and said: "Let her play, you go and gather all the palace servants in the hall."
The eunuch obeyed and retreated. Before long, all the palace maids in Consort De's hall were gathered.
Zhang Yuanqing, according to his own "theory," actively interacted with the charming palace maids, pinching or patting, kissing if not patting. The palace maids were full of coy expressions, but had no intention of avoiding it.
They all felt that being molested by His Majesty was a blessing they had cultivated for eight lifetimes, and even wanted to go a step further and climb onto His Majesty's bed.
At this moment, the sound of the zither stopped, and Consort De, with outstanding demeanor, walked over with a palace maid carrying the zither.
"Your Majesty!" She saluted indifferently.
"Consort De, my beloved concubine..." Zhang Yuanqing used the same trick to hold Consort De's hand and said, "I miss Consort De and have no heart for political affairs. Tonight, I want Consort De to serve me in bed. Let the people below prepare."
The cold-looking Consort De said lightly: "I just served Your Majesty a few days ago. Your Majesty has three thousand beauties in the harem and cannot favor me alone. I am tired, so I will go back to my room to rest first."
She brushed past Zhang Yuanqing with a cold expression and led the palace maids into the house.
Zhang Yuanqing did not stop her or insist, and sighed: "Since my beloved concubine is not interested, then we will do it another day."
He needs to continue playing the role of Zhao Shun.
Next, Zhang Yuanqing went to see Madam Ya and the Empress, but unfortunately, Madam Ya claimed to be sick and would not see him, and the Empress had left the palace to visit her parents' home in the Yang family, so he didn't see them.
At dusk, Zhang Yuanqing saw Singer Wang in Yuyin Ward. This singer was plump and beautiful, wearing colorful clothes, with a full forehead, almond eyes, and peach cheeks, her eyes sparkling, born with a charming state.
"Your Majesty, I miss you so much. Why didn't you look for me to sing a song these three days?" Singer Wang happily came over and saluted gracefully.
For her, Zhang Yuanqing went straight to the point and said coldly:
"I was poisoned by villains. The Imperial City Division is secretly investigating this matter, so it is kept secret. Singer Wang, you have served me before and after I was poisoned."
Singer Wang's expression changed:
"Your Majesty, even if you give me a hundred guts, I wouldn't dare to harm you."
Zhang Yuanqing changed the subject and smiled:
"Of course I'm not suspecting you. I just want to tell you that if you have any suspects, report them to the Imperial City Division immediately."
Only then did Singer Wang turn from worry to joy and said coquettishly: "Your Majesty, are you trying to scare me to death? I'm just a singer, I don't know anything about villains, I only know how to play the zither and sing songs. Why don't I sing a song for Your Majesty..."
Before she finished speaking, Zhang Yuanqing took a step closer, put his arm around Singer Wang's waist, and said with a smirk:
"There is no need to sing songs, come into the house with me."
The moment his palm touched her soft waist, he clearly felt Singer Wang's body stiffen, her muscles tightened instantly, and then relaxed the next second.
"Your Majesty, you have just recovered from a serious illness, how can you be so overworked?" Singer Wang gently pushed the Emperor's chest, smiling charmingly: "After you have recovered, I will serve you."
If she is a spy, she should be very willing to contact me, even if she doesn't assassinate me on the spot, she will let me stay to poison me Wang Singer is also very reluctant to have physical contact with me Zhang Yuanqing let go of his hand:
"Serve me tonight!"
After saying that, he turned and left with the guards and eunuchs.
At dusk, Zhang Yuanqing, riding in a deer cart, returned to his bedroom, lay down on the soft couch, and began to review the gains of the day.
Consort Chu is Jiang Jingwei, Consort Wan doesn't know who she is yet, but it is confirmed, Madam Ya and the Empress were not seen, Consort De...
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't be sure, because Consort De did not resist his holding hands, indicating that she did not reject physical contact. As for not wanting to serve in bed and her cold attitude, it was because there was a "family extermination feud" between the two characters.
Singer Wang is quite interesting. According to the records of daily life, Singer Wang is often favored by Zhao Shun. It stands to reason that everyone has been making noise on the bed countless times, and it is impossible to resist physical contact.
So Singer Wang may also be it.
Although no spies were found, today's harvest is great - he obtained bodyguards!
"There are no clues about the spies, it is almost impossible to find them within 24 hours. My correct operation today should be to dig out teammates in the harem, and then ask the teammates to protect me, waiting for the spies to surrender themselves."
As for not being able to reveal his identity, it is of course a difficulty added by the dungeon. Otherwise, as long as he rides in a deer cart and yells "You are too beautiful" along the street, he can easily contact his companions with passwords.
The difficulty setting of sealing the cultivation base and inventory would lose its meaning.
Fortunately, Zhang Yuanqing cleverly discovered a way to find teammates that can be called a "bug", and successfully found three teammates. Now he is waiting for them to come and serve him in bed at night.
At this moment, a strong smell of medicine floated into his nose. Zhang Yuanqing frowned and looked over, only to see Li Changshi with graying temples walking in with a palace maid.
The palace maid was holding a bowl.
Zhang Yuanqing immediately returned to the state of a fatuous emperor and said impatiently: "I said I don't want to drink it, you dog slave, can't you understand me?"
Li Changshi's face twitched, and he endured his temper, and said in a muffled voice:
"Your Majesty, the imperial doctor said that you have a strange poison, and if you don't take medicine on time, the residual poison will accumulate in your body and cause future troubles."
Strange poison? Why didn't you say it during the day Zhang Yuanqing took the opportunity to inquire about information: "What strange poison? How come I don't know!"
Li Changshi said in a deep voice:
"According to the imperial doctor, it is a strange poison mixed with various poisons. The medicinal effects are fierce, but they restrain each other, so it will not kill you immediately, but it is difficult to find the poisoner based on the poison, because they may not be fed to you on the same day."
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized, so he has not caught the murderer, and the concubines in the harem are all the emperor's women, and the Imperial City Division dare not torture them to extract confessions.
So finding spies may be a long-term task, and finding bodyguards is the best way to crack "survival for 24 hours"! Zhang Yuanqing pretended to be impatient, picked up the bowl, and drank the medicinal soup ton ton ton.
Of course, he didn't forget to let the palace maid taste the poison.
Although Li Changshi is a member of Zheng Empress Dowager and is unlikely to be the murderer, the procedure cannot be omitted.
After using the evening meal, Zhang Yuanqing was looking forward to it in the bedroom, and finally heard the eunuch's call outside the hall:
"Consort Chu has arrived"
Immediately afterwards, the tall lattice door opened, and Consort Chu, who was fourteen or five years old, fair and pretty, entered the bedroom with two palace maids guarding her.
"Your Majesty!"
Consort Chu said loudly: "I am shy, can I dismiss everyone around me and only leave me to serve you."
That's exactly what Zhang Yuanqing wanted, after all, he wasn't really favoring Consort Chu. It was inconvenient to act with the palace maids in the bedroom, so he let the palace maids leave.
"Clap clap!"
Zhang Yuanqing patted the bed, "Come, come, Consort Chu, sit down."
Consort Chu didn't move, pricked up her ears, and listened to the sound of footsteps going away before coming forward.
Then, Zhang Yuanqing saw a bright dagger slip out of her sleeve.
(End of this chapter)