"Indeed. By leveraging that situation to oust Wang Chuanyi and take the position of Assistant Director for himself, he earned the qualifications to treat the Second Prince." He Lingchuan took a sip of water. "Only then did he present the targeted remedy. As long as the King of Bo could secure the Bright Lantern Cup, curing the Second Prince's affliction would be well within reach."
Lingguang clicked his tongue in wonder.
The mortal world was truly convoluted. Luckily, he kept his distance from all of it; tinkering with medicine and researching herbs every day was more than enough for him.
Dong Rui, having listened this far, piped up, "Hey, after all your deductions, why did the mastermind hand that secret manual to Imperial Physician Chen in the first place? Wouldn't giving it to the previous Assistant Director have been even better? Wang Chuanyi couldn't have been blind to its value, could he?"
That point remained unexplained.
"True. Deliberately giving it to Chen was an extra step; even if it had been given to Wang Chuanyi, Bo would still have gone to steal the treasure from the Xiaoyao Sect. Well, perhaps the mastermind knew Chen's temperament and methods, or perhaps..." He Lingchuan pondered. "Consider this: how did Imperial Physician Chen differ from the other court physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
"How would I know?" Dong Rui found the question far too broad. "People differ in countless ways."
"Yet after Wang Chuanyi died, Chen became the target of Liu Qi and the other court physicians—at least the prestigious ones," He Lingchuan mused, rubbing his chin. "In other words, Chen was not one of their clique."
"Was there something wrong with the faction led by the former Assistant Director, Wang Chuanyi?"
He Lingchuan thought in silence for a long while before shaking his head. "Impossible to tell. We have too few clues to piece together the truth."
Dong Rui countered immediately, "Don't you feel your task is already complete?"
He Lingchuan smiled. "Fair point."
With that, the two went to find the Shadow Tooth Guard.
***
When they arrived, they keenly sensed a strange atmosphere among the Shadow Tooth Guards.
Jin Bai wore a taut face, barely concealing his displeasure upon seeing He Lingchuan.
"What happened?"
The moment He Lingchuan asked, he caught a flurry of rustling and thumping. It sounded as though other living creatures were inside the room.
Rats?
No, there was also the fluttering of wings.
"Over the past fortnight, we've constantly felt watched. Wherever we went—whether Julu Port or here—prying eyes lingered in the shadows."
Saying so, Jin Bai walked to the corner and lifted a black cloth.
Beneath it was an iron cage!
The rectangular cage was less than two feet square, containing two glossy black birds with white bellies.
Their beaks were bound with cords, presumably because the Shadow Tooth Guards found them too noisy.
One of them had a broken wing.
"Brown ravens?" He Lingchuan was no birdwatching enthusiast, but these creatures were ubiquitous throughout Beijia, and he had encountered them often enough to recognize them at a glance.
"Xun City is crawling with these pests! At first, they shadowed us covertly, but lately they've grown bolder by the day, perching openly on branches to keep watch!" Jin Bai said darkly. "We caught a few before, but none were demon beasts, so they couldn't speak."
In flocks like these, typically only one or two were demon beasts, while the rest were ordinary animals that followed their commands.
Han Kun chimed in from the side, "The swift messengers flying back and forth to our empire were intercepted mid-flight by these creatures. Fortunately, we noticed in time."
Jin Bai was separated from the Mou Empire by great distance and had to rely on courier birds. If these brown ravens watched them constantly and severed the aerial routes, communication with Mou would be cut off entirely.
Han Kun said bitterly, "The Court of Bo truly has a guilty conscience!"
If not for a guilty conscience, why deploy brown ravens to watch them?
"We laid a trap and finally caught the two ringleaders." Jin Bai pointed to the birds in the cage. "They claim to serve the Court of Bo, specializing in gathering intelligence and tailing political rivals. About half a month ago, they received orders to shadow our band of... heh, spies!"
"Who issued the directive?"
"The Court of Bo has an agency specifically handling demon beasts called the Huiyu Bureau," Jin Bai sneered. "I asked them how the Huiyu Bureau noticed us. They said we frequently moved in and out of Xun City, associated with rebels, and often loitered around the Royal Palace of Bo."
Dong Rui looked astonished. "Rebels? You've been consorting with rebels?"
That was a cardinal taboo no ruler could tolerate, even if they were the Shadow Tooth Guard of the Mou Empire.
"Baseless rumors!" Jin Bai shook his head. "I don't even know who the rebels are. When I interrogated the two ravens, they didn't know the details either."
He Lingchuan murmured, "So it really is the Court of Bo?"
"Just now, two brothers in the squad argued with me. They wanted to make a run into the Bo palace..." Jin Bai's expression was heavy as water. "By the way, did Mister He need something from me?"
Facing a Cloud-Turning Envoy, he still maintained restraint and courtesy.
Jin Bai put it politely—calling it 'a run into the palace'—when they clearly intended to steal the Heart Lamp. He Lingchuan did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Yes, we've made progress."
He then recounted how Imperial Physician Chen had presented the secret formula, adding, "I used a few tricks. Chen confessed in a daze, believing it was only a dream, so he won't report it upward."
"Brilliant, Mister He! You've done us a tremendous favor!" Jin Bai's spirits lifted as he listened. Unable to sit still, he paced back and forth across the room.
Dong Rui asked, "What do you plan to do?"
"Imperial Physician Chen is a crucial witness; we must take him into custody."
"Hey, how they stole the Bright Lantern Cup hasn't come to light yet."
"That doesn't matter!" Jin Bai replied without hesitation. "As long as we have Chen, we can prove the Kingdom of Bo stole our empire's tribute!"
To imperial guards like them, the process was irrelevant; the result and conclusion were everything.
Confirming that the Heart Lamp was indeed in Bo was enough!
He Lingchuan asked, "And then? Will you wait for further orders from the Mou Emperor?"
Jin Bai paced a few more steps. "Bo snatched the Bright Lantern Cup from us and sent brown ravens to surveil us. They won't give us time to respond leisurely. Even if we seize Chen, they might storm our doors and silence him."
He looked at He Lingchuan, enunciating every word:
"With Chen as a witness, I also want to infiltrate the palace, seize the Heart Lamp, and escape through Julu Port!"
"Infiltrating a royal palace to commit theft is a capital crime in any land. Even if you were the wronged party to begin with, doing so muddies the waters," He Lingchuan frowned. "Moreover, the Bright Lantern Cup has already been refined into a Heart Lamp. Even if you take it back to your empire, will it still be of use?"
"..."
"What's done is done. If the Heart Lamp is useless, the Emperor might not care to expend effort recovering it. If it is useful, your burden as Commander Jin becomes far heavier."
If the Mou Emperor truly wanted the Heart Lamp, both the empire and Jin Bai would have to act.
"Let me ask you another question: if you seize the Heart Lamp, will Mou drop the matter entirely?"
Jin Bai pressed his lips tight.
The Mou Emperor wanted the original Bright Lantern Cup freshly harvested from the Xiaoyao Sect's Great Snow Mountain, not a pre-refined Heart Lamp!
Could bringing back the Heart Lamp appease the Emperor's fury?
Jin Bai had no confidence at all.
Furthermore, if he broke into the Bo royal court to steal, and Mou later pursued the theft of the tribute, the Court of Bo could easily turn the tables and accuse them.
Given the vast distance, long-range diplomacy between nations still required a shred of justified standing.
Having served the Mou Emperor for years, he knew He Lingchuan spoke the truth.
Serving an imperial family meant weighing countless details.
His mission to escort the tribute had already landed him waist-deep in mud; he could forget about returning clean.
The only question was how to secure leniency from the Mou Emperor and minimize his punishment.
He Lingchuan felt a measure of sympathy for him. "From the moment the Bright Lantern Cup was stolen, you were doomed to be caught between a rock and a hard place. Unless, of course, the tribute hadn't been lost on your watch."
Jin Bai sighed deeply. "Then what? Are we to submit a formal diplomatic memorial to the Court of Bo, demanding they return the Heart Lamp?"
"Precisely," He Lingchuan smiled. "Rather than breaking into the palace to steal it, why not enter the palace to ask? Request an audience with the King of Bo openly as foreign envoys, declare that Mou's tribute was stolen, and demand he return the Bright Lantern Cup. See how he reacts."
"When you ask for it face-to-face, the King of Bo will have to give you an answer. Whether he agrees or refuses, it will be a definitive stance, and you will have something concrete to report to your Emperor."
Jin Bai slapped his forehead. "Mister He is right! I hadn't even considered that avenue."
The Shadow Tooth Guard operated in the shadows so frequently that pursuing diplomatic channels never crossed their minds.
He felt somewhat embarrassed. "None of us have ever served as foreign envoys, and we don't know the protocol. Rather than troubling two people with one matter... ahem, could you handle it on our behalf, Mister He?"
Over the past few days, he had seen that He Lingchuan was sharp, articulate, and quick on his feet. Besides, could someone enlisted by National Preceptor Wang be mediocre?
With a deputy commander of the Shadow Tooth Guard asking for help, He Lingchuan considered it and saw little difficulty, so he agreed.
Jin Bai was overjoyed. "Thank you, Mister He!"
***
Returning to their quarters, Dong Rui sighed again. "Hey, we can't leave again? You've already completed your task."
He Lingchuan's assigned task was to uncover the whereabouts of the Bright Lantern Cup.
With Imperial Physician Chen's confession, the truth was obvious: the Kingdom of Bo had stolen the Bright Lantern Cup and refined it into a Heart Lamp.
The item was right inside the Bo royal palace, meaning He Lingchuan's mission was finished.
As for what the Mou Empire planned to do next, what did that have to do with him?
He Lingchuan shook his head. "No rush. The other assignments Fang Canran gave me aren't time-sensitive anyway."
There was a reason he could not share with Dong Rui:
He was unwilling to let go of any case concerning the Bright Lantern Cup.
A century and a half ago, Shao Jian traveled to the Shanjin Plain to find a Bright Lantern Cup for General Red, helping her resist Maitian's ambition.
The Bright Lantern Cup ripened once every thirty years.
Chronologically, the Bright Lantern Cup on the Great Snow Mountain was not in season back then. To obtain one, Shao Jian must have raided someone else's stores.
In actual history, he likely succeeded. He Lingchuan's conversation with Nailuotian's avatar had revealed that during the final battle of Panlong City, General Red bore no trace of Maitian's aura.
Nailuotian concluded that General Red had broken the divine imprint mark within her sea of consciousness, no longer serving as Maitian's vessel.
Had the Bright Lantern Cup contributed to her success?
He desperately wanted to explore the secrets of the Bright Lantern Cup, to understand why both General Red and the Mou Empire needed this treasure.
"Going into the palace now carries plenty of risk, doesn't it?" Dong Rui pointed out bluntly. "Could Bo move against Mou's envoys?"
"Look at it from two sides. If the King of Bo didn't steal the Bright Lantern Cup, he has a clear conscience and won't mind meeting Mou's envoys." He Lingchuan raised a second finger. "If he truly sent men to steal it, Mou's envoys showing up on his doorstep proves their actions have already come to light, and Mou knows everything! Under those circumstances, silencing us would be pointless."
"So whether the King of Bo stole it or not, he probably won't harm Mou's envoys."
Probably.
He could only deduce based on logic.
If the King of Bo was an irrational madman who defied reason, that would be another matter.
Nothing in the world was absolute, and eliminating all risk was impossible. Furthermore, He Lingchuan had prepared several contingency plans; if they could not win, they could always run.
Since the task had reached this stage, He Lingchuan did not mind putting Lingshan and the Mou Empire further in his debt, treating it as an unexpected bonus.
The more entangled their ties became, the harder it would be for them to turn against him later, wouldn't it?
In the evening, countless rays of sunset dyed the entire city crimson. He Lingchuan strolled through the streets and alleys, noticing a delicate rose sprouting from a broken wall. Its white petals and yellow pistils swayed in the dusk wind, casting a somber, chilling beauty against the slanted light.
***
The following morning, He Lingchuan, Dong Rui, and Jin Bai visited the Department of Foreign Reception of Bo, stating their purpose and presenting their official credentials.
Jin Bai accompanied them because He Lingchuan was not a citizen of Mou and could not verify his status with a Mou official pass.
Mou was a reigning empire of the era, well-known to local officials. Seeing the radiance glowing from Jin Bai's official badge, they immediately invited the delegation to rest while the department swiftly reported the matter upward.
Two hours later, the Mou delegation was welcomed into the royal palace.
A great empire carried prestige; even an unannounced diplomatic visit was granted an immediate audience with the King of Bo.
The Royal Palace of Bo was grand and imposing. It was said to have been founded eighty years ago, twice half-destroyed by warfare, and repeatedly repaired by subsequent dynasties to showcase national strength and majesty.
The most recent renovation had been completed only five years prior.
In this season, lush vegetation and vibrant blooms filled the grounds, projecting an aura of serenity and wealth that seemed worlds apart from Xun City outside the tall walls.
Yet beneath the magnificence lay an unmistakable decadence, reminding He Lingchuan of the court of the Yuan Kingdom.
Dong Rui glanced left and right the entire way, his vigilance at its peak.
They had requested an audience openly, yet they were walking into the lion's den. Could the King of Bo have a guilty conscience and post axemen along the corridor to chop them to pieces?
Although He Lingchuan deemed that extremely unlikely, Dong Rui found the palace overly gloomy, which dampened the novelty of acting as an envoy for an empire for the first time.
Fortunately, no ambush materialized.
Deep within the palace, they finally met their host.
The King of Bo was gaunt, with a long, austere face, slightly sinister eyes, and grizzled hair. He carried an aura of stern authority without needing to raise his voice.
Though it was midsummer, a faint chill lingered deep within the palace amid the sea of fiery, blooming flame trees.
A thin blanket embroidered with gold rested over the King of Bo's knees.
He Lingchuan and Dong Rui entered the hall and bowed in greeting as envoys. The king's very first command was:
"Bring seats."
Because the envoys had not been searched, the hall stood packed with armored guards, their weapons at the ready.
Palace guards brought brocade stools. He Lingchuan offered his thanks and sat down boldly twenty feet below the throne.
Aside from Dong Rui and Han Kun standing behind him, the rest of the delegation waited in a side hall.
The King of Bo coughed and gripped the armrests to sit upright.
As he leaned forward, attendants rushed to place soft bolsters behind his waist.
"You have traveled far. It must have been an arduous journey. Why has the Mou Empire suddenly thought of me?"
"Our empire's Shadow Tooth Guard was escorting a tribute from the Xiaoyao Sect back to our lands when it was abruptly stolen at Julu Port." The King of Bo's tone had been sharp, so He Lingchuan was equally concise, wasting no words. "Following the trail, we tracked it to your esteemed kingdom, only to hear that the item is currently inside your royal palace."
The King of Bo frowned instantly.
"A tribute? What tribute did Mou lose?"
If Mou's guards had lost something on his territory, they could have simply asked the host for assistance.
"The Bright Lantern Cup." He Lingchuan dropped those four words and carefully observed the king's reaction.
The old monarch's eyes widened abruptly, his pitch rising sharply. "What did you say?"
"Forty-seven days ago, the tribute Bright Lantern Cup escorted by the Shadow Tooth Guard was stolen," He Lingchuan answered, neither humble nor overbearing. "To this day, the investigation remains underway."
The Heart Lamp held extraordinary significance for the King of Bo at this moment; He Lingchuan had to choose his words with care.
The King of Bo demanded, "How do you know the Bright Lantern Cup is in the palace?"
He Lingchuan said softly, "The Second Prince's condition improved thanks to the Heart Lamp, and the Heart Lamp is refined from a Bright Lantern Cup. That is not difficult to deduce."
He made no mention of Imperial Physician Chen, laying a subtle trap instead.
The King of Bo suddenly burst into hearty laughter, striking the armrests repeatedly.
His laughter echoed throughout the great hall.
"A Bright Lantern Cup?" He laughed several times. "The Bright Lantern Cup was Mou's tribute?"
He Lingchuan's voice remained calm, carrying clearly through the laughter:
"Indeed!"
"And what did your investigation find?" The King of Bo stopped laughing and slammed the armrest, his voice turning harsh. "You lost the Bright Lantern Cup, my son received a Heart Lamp, and so you conclude that I stole the Mou Empire's tribute?"
The Second Prince's recovery from madness was a joyous event known throughout the kingdom, yet Mou dared come to his doorstep accusing him of theft?
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees.
Dong Rui's eyes flickered. He thought to himself that this old fellow was like an aging wolf—graying fur and missing teeth, yet just as vicious as in his prime. He began calculating the best escape route should fighting break out.
There were likely formations suppressing escape techniques here, rendering the snail-toad unusable.
Seeing the King of Bo's visible fury, He Lingchuan said mildly, "Perhaps there is a misunderstanding?"
He could hardly say: Yes, that is exactly what we think.
"A Bright Lantern Cup ripens once every thirty years. May I ask where your esteemed kingdom obtained the Bright Lantern Cup you used?"
His primary objective in entering the palace today was to determine the origin of that Bright Lantern Cup.
The King of Bo offered a humorless smirk. "Medicine for my son requires neither theft nor robbery. That Bright Lantern Cup was purchased with our own treasury's coin."
That answer came as a genuine surprise. The immediate thought in both He Lingchuan and Dong Rui's minds was a single phrase:
Utter nonsense.
Such a thing could actually be bought?
"Within a thousand li, the Bright Lantern Grass grows only on the snowy peaks of the Xiaoyao Sect, does it not?" He Lingchuan had no choice but to press. "And across that vast snowy peak, only a single stalk of Bright Lantern Grass ever grows."
The plant was unique wherever it appeared; even in ancient times, only one would grow across thousands of li, for reasons unknown. To this day, no one knew of any other location besides the Xiaoyao Sect where it could be found.
Chapter 1113