Lingguang suddenly darted down to the ground, plucked several leaves resembling snakeskin, chewed them into pulp, and spat them onto the fox demon's wound.
"This is dragon armor fungus. It's quite rare. Applied topically, it has a strong painkilling effect and forms an outer membrane to keep the wound from reopening."
Sure enough, the fox demon felt an unusual cool sensation spread across its injury, and its steps became considerably lighter.
"The one who wounded you seems quite capable," He Lingchuan said to Three-Tails. "When did the Yao Kingdom change its Grand Regent?"
This great demon had been neighbors with the Yao Kingdom for so long; its understanding of the place surely exceeded that of ordinary people.
"She only took office last year. Came from the west."
He Lingchuan immediately sensed something amiss. "Can a post as vital as Regent really be held by an outsider?"
"Ah, I heard she was sent over by Beijia."
Beijia? Beijia sent someone to serve as Regent in the Yao Kingdom?
"So it's true. The relationship between the Yao Kingdom and Beijia is just as close as the rumors say."
"It's not just a rumor—they really are that close!" Three-Tails replied at once. "Beijia frequently dispatches envoys to the Yao Kingdom, and vice versa... Exchanges between them are constant, covering both trade and military affairs. Every crown prince of the Yao Kingdom must go to Lingxu City for advanced study before ascending the throne."
He Lingchuan gave an understanding grunt. "I did meet quite a few Yao students at the Lingxu Imperial Academy." All studying abroad on government funds.
Judging by their respective strengths and scale, Beijia had to be the master and Yao the vassal. In that case, the Regent dispatched by Beijia was one of their means of control.
He asked casually, "What's this new Grand Regent's name? I might even know her."
During his travels in Lingxu City, he had become acquainted with plenty of dignitaries, including several renowned generals.
"Lu Wushuang."
He Lingchuan turned his head sharply, disbelief written across his face. "What? Man or woman?"
"A woman. Dignified in appearance, looks to be in her forties, with graying temples."
He Lingchuan rarely showed such astonishment. Dong Rui admired the sight for a few seconds before asking, "To shock even you like this—is this person very famous?"
At that question, He Lingchuan looked at him with an even stranger gaze. "You truly don't recognize her?"
"Should I?" Dong Rui indeed had never heard the name.
"Weren't you almost put back on Lingxu City's wanted notices because of her?" He Lingchuan's eyes deepened as he enunciated each word: "If I state her former title, it's sure to ring a bell. She is—"
"—National Preceptor Qingyang!"
Dong Rui's eyes went wide. "What! You're saying she's National Preceptor Qingyang?!"
The three-tailed fox demon looked between the two of them. "Wait, *the* National Preceptor Qingyang of Beijia?"
"Yes." He Lingchuan's mind worked at high speed. "Her title as National Preceptor was so prominent that few people knew her real name. Once she was stripped of her post, all trace of her vanished. So many people searched without finding anything, and it turns out she crossed the sea abroad."
He had assumed National Preceptor Qingyang would lose all power from then on, never imagining she would end up here in the Shanjin Plain, serving as the Yao Kingdom's Regent!
Heh, hale and hearty in her old age.
Dong Rui asked curiously, "Were you looking for her too?"
Otherwise, how would he know so many people had been investigating her whereabouts?
"What nonsense are you talking?" He Lingchuan regained his composure. He casually plucked a blade of grass by the road, popped it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and savored the bitter juice filling his mouth. "Who is National Preceptor Qingyang? She and I have nothing to do with each other."
Then he added:
"Her being here is naturally the Demon Emperor's doing."
Otherwise, why would the Yao Kingdom permit an outsider to serve as Regent? "The demon kingdom was truly lenient with her—shelving her for over a year until the storm blew over, then dispatching her here."
Because the elixir of immortality case had come to light, National Preceptor Qingyang no longer had a foothold in Beijia. He Lingchuan had assumed she would find a picturesque retreat to live out her twilight years in peaceful retirement, never guessing she would come here to put her talents back to work.
Well, he supposed she had nowhere else to go and could only retire in the Yao Kingdom.
The origin power here couldn't compare to Beijia's, but it was already remarkable for the Shanjin Plain.
He asked Three-Tails, "Could you recount your battle with Qingyang in detail?"
The fox demon narrated everything from start to finish.
He Lingchuan interrupted frequently, probing this and that down to the smallest detail.
The fox demon grew somewhat uncomfortable.
No one enjoyed recounting being beaten to a pulp, yet this man insisted on digging into the specifics, forcing it to relive those unpleasant memories over and over.
Its three tails swished back and forth, signaling their owner's displeasure. If He Lingchuan hadn't saved its life and weren't currently its only means of escape, the three-tailed fox demon would have lost its temper long ago.
As observant as He Lingchuan usually was, he turned a blind eye to its irritation and continued questioning regardless.
This abnormal persistence sent a slight chill down Dong Rui's spine as he watched from the side.
The last time this fellow He acted like this was when he set a trap for Yu Zecheng, wasn't it?
And the time before that seemed to be right before he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace.
Every time he wore that expression, someone was bound for misfortune.
Dong Rui cleared his throat and chimed in:
"From the sound of it, Qingyang's strength has declined."
"Not surprising. She's over a hundred and ninety years old, long past her peak. What's more, after being stripped of her post, she had no access to origin power for a long time, which inevitably accelerated her aging."
Aging was the ultimate enemy of cultivation. In pre-ancient times, the very first goal of cultivation had been longevity.
The soul-snatching mirror inside his robe also piped up: "Don't forget she's no longer the master of the Azure Palace—she can't use the treasures stored inside anymore!"
Half the magic artifacts in the Azure Palace were National Preceptor Qingyang's personal collection. Deprived of those handy treasures, her combat strength had plummeted significantly. Back when He Lingchuan caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Zhaixing Tower had released National Preceptor Qingyang on short notice. Fortunately, fresh out of prison, she had only wielded a single ritual staff against her foes; otherwise, He Lingchuan would have truly experienced her terrifying power.
At the thought, He Lingchuan felt somewhat relieved. All of this was good news for him.
National Preceptor Qingyang was no longer the Qingyang of the past, and as luck would have it, He Lingchuan was no longer the He Lingchuan who had rampaged through the Heavenly Palace either.
Since leaving Beijia, even he could feel his own strength growing by leaps and bounds.
Dong Rui asked again, "Since you have ties with National Preceptor Wang, why didn't you move to the Mou Kingdom earlier?"
Three-Tails fell silent for a long while before uttering:
"It's hard to leave one's homeland."
Even this great demon possessed nostalgia for its home? Just as Dong Rui found it amusing, He Lingchuan spoke up, his tone rich with meaning:
"We aren't people of the Mou Kingdom. We were merely entrusted by National Preceptor Wang to pick you up on our way."
Three-Tails froze. "You aren't from Lingshan either?"
"No."
The great fox demon gave an "oh," its tails wagging twice. Dong Rui felt it relax a little more.
"You possess some skill, yet you aren't from Lingshan."
"Neither are you." He Lingchuan smiled faintly. "Lingshan once invited me."
Three-Tails tilted its head to look at him. "You didn't join?"
He Lingchuan shook his head. "I don't like being bound by rules."
Three-Tails chimed in at once: "Me too! I lived here for decades, free and unrestrained. Originally, I had no desire to go to the Mou Kingdom, nor did I want to go to Beijia. Who knew that in the end... sigh!"
Chapter 1159