The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"Every time I visualize and enter 'the Human World', is it always at the same point in time? Does that mean, no matter what I do here, the next time I enter, it will reset and start over?"

Zhao Douan pondered, as he was exploring the rules of this scroll.

Standing up, he unbuttoned the collar of his shirt with his hand and stepped to the mirror in his office, scrutinizing the face that was once so familiar, but now slightly strange.

That was his appearance in this world; here, he was no longer "Zhao Douan" but had the appearance of his former self from his past life.

Here, he had his own identity, with the name "Zhang Hui."

"Unfortunately, everything is fake." Zhao Douan looked at the reflection of himself in the mirror and revealed a complex smile.

Bending down, he plunged his hands into the basin of water.

"Splash!"

The cold water on his face quickly cleared his mind and washed away exhaustion.

"Here, I have no cultivation; I become an ordinary person again. Speaking of which, what's the use of this city to a Heavenly Person Practitioner? Does Zhenbao also need to enter here to cultivate? To study? Ha, the dignified Empress, a Heavenly Human Realm Sword Cultivator, is she here to work in a factory screwing bolts or register as a delivery rider? Oh, with Zhenbao's looks, she could easily step into the limelight... But judging by her last comments, she can't stay here for long either... And if every entry is a 'reset', she can't really accomplish anything in this fake world..."

"No... I can't be certain if the details of Zhenbao entering 'the Human World' are the same as mine... Ha, throughout the entire history of the Imperial Family, aside from Xu, it's only known that Zhenbao and I visualize 'the Human World' as this metropolis, while others saw it as an ancient city..."

"Hmm, perhaps I can try to find the secret that Xu has hidden here..."

Zhao Douan's thoughts flickered as he sorted out his ideas.

From experience, each image on the mural hides a "guide NPC."

The NPC in the 'Martial God Map' is Xu.

The NPC in the 'Six Chapters Scripture' is the Gold Armor Version of Pei Niannu.

The guiding NPC for the 'Big Dream Scroll' was the young Silver Armor Version of Pei Niannu.

So...

"In this world, I should also be able to find a guide... Hmm, but then again, maybe not, since I'm not in the Heavenly Human Realm but entered as a 'World' realm... It's like a cheat program in a game; the scroll version I experience might be incomplete..."

Zhao Douan's thoughts were in a whirl as he picked up a towel to dry his face, didn't put on a coat, and pushed the door to walk along the marble corridor of the building, going downstairs.

He wasn't sure how long he could linger here this time and didn't want to waste time.

However, when Zhao Douan walked out of the courtyard and stood on the street, gazing at the neon-lit city, he suddenly felt lost.

No guide NPC... Where should I go?

"Grrr..." His stomach suddenly growled with hunger pangs, and Zhao Douan had an idea to first go for a late-night snack.

"Having gotten used to the unsalted food in Yu Country, I've almost forgotten what deliciousness tastes like..."

He took out his phone, tapped a bit, and although the information in the online world was stagnant, he managed to call a car...

What a world full of bugs...

Soon, a ride-hailing car stopped, and Zhao Douan checked the license plate before settling in, reciting the last digits of his phone.

The driver stepped on the gas, driving off into the distance.

Zhao Douan planned to eat at a barbecue place that wouldn't let him down, on the street near the 'Taiqing Palace', not far from here, just a few minutes by car.

...

Near Taiqing Palace, in a park.

Xu Zhenguan came out; here, she still retained her appearance as in the real world, but her clothing was vastly different.

She wore a women's shirt on her upper body, with long pants on her slender legs and a pair of light-colored sandals on her feet, revealing ten delicate toes.

Her slightly curly long hair draped lazily, with a red imprint on one cheek from napping on a park bench.

"Where to go this time?" Xu Zhenguan thought confusedly. This time, she didn't choose to go to Taiqing Palace to look for the female temple priest.

"Still, I need to keep exploring this world. In every previous image, upon entering, I would encounter a 'guide', like in the first 'Martial God Map', led by the Grand Ancestor Emperor to cultivate... Logically, there should also be such a person in this 'Human World'..."

"I previously guessed it was that female temple priest, but after several encounters, it seems it might not be..."

Xu Zhenguan pondered, but where to start in such a vast metropolis?

"Grrr—" Suddenly, her stomach growled, causing the Empress to blush as she bit her teeth and, clutching her phone—which she couldn't unlock because she didn't know the password—headed to a nearby barbecue shop.