Jumping at Shadows

"A treasure lizard—you can tell just from the name that it won't be easy to find." "What good does eating it do? Does century-old dried tangerine peel work too?" Dong Rui gave a sly chuckle. "You'll find out later." He pointed at the bear's carcass. "You have no use for this either, so let me take it." Since he wanted to scavenge scrap, He Lingchuan naturally had no objection. He merely pondered inwardly over the heart scale he had just obtained. Had the Panlong World guided him to witness the White Bear King's destination just so he could raid a dead bear's den in reality? So what was so special about this heart scale? An ordinary treasure surely wouldn't be worth the Dafang Pot expending this much effort, would it? Exiting the cave entrance, the zircons in the groove were already gone—presumably collected by the metal spirit as snacks. As for this metal spirit, the divine bone necklace showed no interest in it, likely because the wujin used to forge Fusheng was itself an evolved variant of metal spirit, meaning it had probably fed on such things before. Besides, Baimao Mountain possessed its own mineral vein, and this metal spirit came and went without a trace; He Lingchuan couldn't be bothered to pursue it anyway. The two of them scavenged the cavern spotless and returned laden with spoils. ... A few days later, He Lingchuan and Dong Rui had just returned to the territory of the Xiaoyao Sect when Jin Bai came calling, his face stern and grim. "The Emperor has issued a decree directing us to take action. Master He, will you participate?" He Lingchuan was a Cloud-Turning Envoy and not a citizen of the Mou Kingdom. After spending these days together, Jin Bai also knew he was the master of Yangshan Island and under no obligation to obey Mou's commands. Therefore, he merely asked rather than compelling He Lingchuan to join the mission. Seeing his expression and tone, He Lingchuan thought to himself: *Here it comes. The Mou Emperor has finally made up his mind.* This matter could not be resolved peacefully. When the Son of Heaven grew wroth, blood flowed deep enough to float shields. With a single decision from the Mou Emperor, the Bo Kingdom was bound to suffer calamity. He replied briskly, "My apologies. I can only wish you a swift victory." The fall of a kingdom, the demise of a ruler, the treating of human lives like weeds—He Lingchuan, currently wandering the Shanjin Plain, had no desire to embroil himself in such karmic ties for now. For now. Jin Bai looked somewhat disappointed. "Very well. Then I thank Master He for the kind words." This Master He had his own mind and was decisive; after a few days together, Jin Bai had unconsciously come to trust his judgment. If He Lingchuan were willing to join, this operation might have gone much more smoothly. Dong Rui asked out of curiosity, "Where are you getting your men?" Jin Bai did not hide it from them. "Several nearby Daoist orders, such as the Taihang Sect, are willing to answer the Emperor's call. That has gathered around eighteen hundred people." He Lingchuan's brow twitched slightly. Wasn't the Taihang Sect Fang Canran's sect? Right—it was inconvenient for the Mou Kingdom to openly intervene, but the Daoist orders under Lingshan certainly could. Lingshan had once established footholds across the Shanjin Plain. Although Fang Canran said it hadn't been very successful, it seemed they still retained some foundation here after all. "We also found a crew of pirates in the southeastern seas. We told them they'd get a massive payout for doing a job ashore, and they gladly signed up," Jin Bai said. "There are about three hundred pirates as well." Needless to say, these would be cannon fodder. Dong Rui couldn't help but chuckle. Using pirates to assault a royal capital—that was utterly absurd. Yet this was the Bo Kingdom. If it had been effective at policing piracy in the first place, could pirates have grown so brazen? So it was: past causes, present consequences. "Also, just the day before yesterday, a group of Bo rebels actually came to join us. Their leader is surnamed You, and they number around eight hundred, quite well-equipped." "Rebels?" He Lingchuan was thoroughly surprised. "They managed to find their way here?" With Nangong Yan dead, the rebels within Bo would naturally rejoice, eager to see the King of Bo fall. But which faction could possibly track down Jin Bai directly? Dong Rui chimed in, "So well-informed? They certainly have a future." By latching onto the Mou Kingdom, if Bo suffered a crushing defeat, they would likely get a share of the spoils. "They have people in the palace. Knowing that the tribute sent by the Xiaoyao Sect to our country was intercepted halfway, they foresaw that our kingdom wouldn't let the matter rest. Thus, they proactively came to offer their aid," Jin Bai said. "They know the Bo Kingdom inside and out, so we accepted them." When mounting an uprising on foreign soil, their biggest problem was manpower. The rebel force numbered eight hundred, all locals of Bo. There was no reason for Jin Bai to turn down assistance delivered right to his doorstep. Once external enemies conspired with internal traitors, the odds of success increased dramatically. "Over two thousand. That's enough for a surprise attack," Dong Rui chimed in eagerly. "The premise is speed. With numbers like that, it has to be a blitz. Best to obtain intelligence on Xun City and the royal palace—the more detailed, the better. I noticed the palace gates were quite thick." Having entered the Bo royal palace, he remembered how sturdy the gates looked, likely reinforced over successive dynasties. He Lingchuan shot him a look. *What are you showing off for? You're not even participating, so why offer reckless advice?* Dong Rui scratched the back of his head with a cheeky grin. Having listened to He Lingchuan analyze military situations so often, he had picked up a trick or two himself. "Previously, what the King of Bo relied on most was Nangong Yan and his Feather Guards. That elite force was controlled by evil spirits—knowing neither fatigue nor fear, advancing and retreating in unison. Everyone else fled at the sight of them." Although the force driving this army to victory was not source energy but evil spirits, in this region it was practically a dimensional strike. Jin Bai continued, "Now that Nangong Yan is dead, the King of Bo has lost his main pillar. The regional military and government of Bo are in complete disarray, and I hear various factions have begun fighting for power. Heh, completely unaware that their doom is at hand! This is our golden opportunity." He Lingchuan probed further, "Then what about the suspicious discrepancies that cropped up in the tribute theft case?" Jin Bai's expression darkened slightly. "We merely follow orders." He Lingchuan understood. Jin Bai had certainly reported everything truthfully from beginning to end. With the Mou Emperor's acumen, how could he fail to see the contradictions in the case, or that someone had framed the King of Bo? Yet the petty squabbles and underhanded schemes of a tiny kingdom held zero interest for the Mou Emperor. He had no interest in investigating, no interest in solving puzzles. The only thing a monarch of a great empire cared about was the Bright Lantern Cup. And all he wanted was the Bright Lantern Cup. As the Mou Emperor's most loyal guard, Jin Bai could only submit to the imperial will and drop the matter. The lightning raid against the Bo Kingdom was about to commence; Jin Bai had neither the time nor the opportunity to track down the mastermind behind the scenes. Which meant this case ended here. He Lingchuan nodded. "I understand." On their way back to the guest quarters, they saw the so-called Bo rebels moving in and out of the Xiaoyao Sect's mountain gates in organized groups. Then there were various contingents from the Daoist sects, cultivators coming and going, some greeting each other and chatting with laughs—evidently acquainted. When the worldly kingdoms of the Shanjin Plain were weak, the Daoist orders grew stronger. The ebb and flow between them held a delicate balance. Unfamiliar faces were everywhere, and an atmosphere of tension permeated both inside and outside the sect. Back in their quarters, Dong Rui immediately remarked, "The weapons and armor of these rebels are indeed impressive—even better than the official army's." He Lingchuan casually set up a barrier. "They didn't just come to pledge allegiance on a whim." "Eh?" Prompted by his remark, Dong Rui thought it over and let out a long "Ohhh." "They were colluding with the Xiaoyao Sect all along?" "Colluding with the Xiaoyao Sect is obvious," He Lingchuan said crossly. "More likely, this bunch has been secretly in league with the Mou Kingdom for a long time. Otherwise, how could they show up on the doorstep offering help the very moment the Mou Emperor decided to invade Bo? The world doesn't have such convenient coincidences." "Besides, if they really were rebels of unknown origin, would Jin Bai dare recruit and use them right away?" Military operations were no child's play; after all, this was an assault on a head of state, and this battle was one they could only win, not lose—they couldn't afford to disgrace the Mou Kingdom again. "Anyone who could get word at a time like this and rush over to cling to their thighs is someone with serious connections," He Lingchuan said. "Once the heavens change in the Bo Kingdom, they'll reap colossal dividends." ... With Jin Bai and the various leaders holding war councils inside the Xiaoyao Sect, He Lingchuan and Dong Rui felt out of place and decided to return to the Bo Kingdom. Unexpectedly, the border had already been sealed. Such a trivial matter posed no obstacle to them. Dong Rui released the snail-toad and easily crossed beneath the border underground. Rain had fallen recently, leaving the earth damp; if any trouble arose to their disadvantage, the two of them could escape underground at any moment. The Bo Kingdom guarded the southwestern gateway to the Shanjin Plain. Arriving here, He Lingchuan was merely stepping into the plain's threshold; vast lands still awaited his exploration. The road to Xun City had grown even more treacherous. Villages on the plains were sparse, and wild weeds grew thick in the desolate countryside. Dong Rui went into the fields to relieve himself, and before he could even squat down, his foot kicked two skulls out of the grass. He Lingchuan had traveled barely seventy or eighty li when he encountered three bands of bandits and four pickpockets—a frequency far higher than on the Red Cliff Road or the Longchuan Trade Route. In passing, they even rescued two commoners from beneath bandits' blades. This was likely because Nangong Yan had died abruptly outside the pass, sending jitters through the land, so the local government offices and military had even less inclination to maintain order. Yet the towns were permeated with a peculiar atmosphere. The passing constables and soldiers appeared extremely tense, while the commoners seemed somewhat relaxed. As He Lingchuan walked past a riverbank, a breeze carried the smiling conversation of two women beating laundry: "...Good riddance." "Indeed. He truly was an evil fiend born of hell. My brother-in-law was killed by his men. Heh, who knew he'd meet that kind of end too! Cut in half at the waist! Aiya, I wonder which heroic figure did it. Truly a breath of fresh air! My husband even wanted to set up a memorial tablet for him!" As He Lingchuan approached, the women fell silent, burying their heads in washing, though the lively expressions remained on their faces. This atmosphere grew noticeably more relaxed the closer they got to Xun City. Inside the town taverns, people wore smiles. Though none dared openly discuss Nangong Yan's death, their demeanors were vastly more at ease. However, upon reaching Xun City itself, He Lingchuan discovered that the city gate checkpoints were stricter than ever. A bounty notice accompanied by a portrait was posted upon the city gate. Seeing the familiar red markings, Dong Rui initially thought that he and He Lingchuan were wanted again—after all, Nangong Yan had died at their hands. Yet when he looked closely, the portrait depicted a woman! "Eh?" he gasped in shock. "Isn't that... isn't that... How did she become a wanted criminal?" The notice stated that this woman had murdered royalty and fled to evade punishment. An eyewitness providing a clue would receive fifty taels of gold; anyone capturing and delivering her to the authorities would receive five hundred taels of gold. This was an extraordinary bounty figure, so a large crowd gathered before the notice to gawk, buzzing with endless discussion. The fugitive in the portrait possessed stunning beauty. In terms of draftsmanship, it was quite good, yet it couldn't capture even a hundredth of her true loveliness. For this fugitive was none other than Consort Mei! He Lingchuan scratched his head as well. When he and Dong Rui had entered the palace posing as Mou emissaries, Consort Mei had been at the King of Bo's side, seemingly basking in royal favor. Only a few days had passed. How had the consort of an entire kingdom become a fugitive on the run?