This time, it had finally succeeded.
Yet He Lingchuan's arrival had introduced even more variables.
...
Two days later.
At this time of year on the Gale Tundra, the riverbanks were likewise ablaze with flowers. Downy horsetails and dandelions, alongside blooming alpine azaleas, mountain plums, and irises, flaunted their colors all the way to the horizon.
A small camp had been cleared by the water, where several men tended a fire beneath a cooking pot, glancing from time to time toward distant Wind Demon Rock.
The jagged summit of the magnificent snow-capped mountain was veiled in the high heavens, wreathed in drifting clouds and mist—a truly majestic sight.
These men were all subordinates of Fu Shanyue.
As dusk gathered, Fu Jiu remained restless. For an operation this important, the young master had insisted on going alone, leaving everyone anxious for his safety.
Would he succeed this time? Several subordinates had already asked Fu Jiu that very question more than once.
Just then, someone tossed aside a branch and shouted, "The young master is back!"
Fu Jiu started and turned to look. Sure enough, a lone rider was galloping toward them from the distance.
The tundra stretched out flat and unobstructed, offering exceptional visibility. The rider spotted them as well. In the blink of an eye, the chestnut steed arrived, rearing up with a shrill whinny as it halted and kicking up spatters of floral mud.
"We were worried to death!" Fu Jiu beamed as he stepped forward to take the reins. "Young Master, how did it go?"
Fu Shanyue produced a small wooden bottle and gave it a couple of shakes for everyone to see. "Secured!"
His men rejoiced, chiming in one after another: "Brilliant, Young Master! Like plucking an item from a pouch amidst ten thousand troops!"
Someone hurriedly ladled a cup of hot water and offered it up.
Fu Shanyue took it, gulped it down noisily, and let out a long breath. "Exhilarating!"
One of them chuckled. "The bottle holding this treasure doesn't look like much, does it?"
"Yeah, the King of Shanyu is far too stingy. A heavenly treasure like this deserves at least a golden chalice or a jade vial!"
Fu Jiu snapped, "You think the King of Shanyu shares the vision and tastes of scoundrels like you?"
He turned to Fu Shanyue. "Young Master, how do you plan to use it?"
Fu Shanyue uncorked the bottle and held it out in front of him. "Take a sniff."
Uncertain of his meaning, Fu Jiu hesitated, then leaned in to smell. "So fragrant."
"The rest of you, take a smell too."
Several subordinates wore looks of delight. "It's so sweet—just like honey."
"Could it really just be honey?"
"Nonsense! Would the King of Shanyu secretly smuggle a bottle of honey to the Chiyan Kingdom?" Fu Jiu looked concerned. "Young Master, is something wrong?"
"It wasn't easy to get, but we still need to run an experiment." Fu Shanyue ordered two subordinates to catch some live animals.
A quarter of an hour later, the pair returned with a white-spotted deer, two field mice, and a hare.
Fu Shanyue had them hold down the two mice and the hare, then personally dripped a single drop of liquid from the wooden bottle into each of their mouths. "All right. Cage them up and watch for the effects."
Testing it on mice and a hare. Fu Jiu watched closely, thinking that the young master was indeed rough on the outside but sharp within. Anyone who truly mistook him for a reckless brute had long since had their ashes scattered to the winds.
Another man pointed at the sturdy white-spotted deer. "What about this deer?"
It was too large to carry along conveniently.
Fu Shanyue glanced at it. "Roast it for dinner."
That night, the men camped by the river as usual.
The next morning, Fu Shanyue strolled over to the cages and saw that both the mice and the hare were alive and well, full of vigor, even nibbling on dew-covered alfalfa through the bars.
The liquid in the bottle seemed harmless, yet he recalled the expression on that sheep-riding kid's face, as if daring him: *Why don't you take a sip and see?*
Was the kid bluffing?
Fu Shanyue sank into contemplation.
Footsteps sounded behind him as Fu Jiu approached. "Young Master?"
"Break camp. Prepare to move out."
"Where are we heading?"
"Remember that informant in Fufeng City whose tip-off got us surrounded by the authorities?" Fu Shanyue said coldly. "It's time to settle that score!"
Over the next two days, the Shimen caravan traveled alongside the escort detachment, offering them considerable assistance.
Several caravans trailing behind eventually caught up. Seeing how thick Shimen was with the escort detachment, like oil mixed with honey, they stamped their feet in regret, lamenting that they had arrived a step too late to forge such ties.
The escort detachment had tended their wounds, restored their spirits, and even replenished their mounts at a market town, so they still looked down upon these merchant caravans with aloof disdain.
*When we were in dire straits, you didn't lift a finger; now that danger has passed, who are you to come cozying up?*
The Shimen caravan, however, was different. He Lingchuan even had ties to the Grand Preceptor's estate. As long as Xiang Yunhuan's rank wasn't stripped away entirely upon his return, this favor would have to be repaid.
Of course, Xiang Yunhuan had no idea that He Lingchuan had also played a major part in enabling the Wind Demon to break free of the root cage and escape.
As a result, the two sides interacted even more closely.
Able to establish ties with more dignitaries and military officers of the Jeweled Tree Kingdom, Second Master Shi grinned from ear to ear, convinced that hitching their wagon to He Lingchuan had been an act of visionary foresight. In all their past trade journeys, they had never met so many prominent figures or built such valuable connections.
The Wind Demon's attack had wiped out over a dozen caravans, their wagons snatched up and hurled from the sky. Yet because the Shimen caravan had stayed far back and possessed the Wind Lion Lord to anchor the scene, they had lost only a dozen or so wagons and goods—a superficial scratch—while earning the goodwill of the Jeweled Tree Kingdom.
Now that was good business.
Over these few days, He Lingchuan's head never touched a pillow; he spent every night regulating his breath and cultivating.
Everyone knew that the month following Emperor's Flowing Dew was a prime window for cultivation.
Even without using a Hundred Virtues Pill, he could feel his inner breath circulating faster, the time required to complete a grand heavenly circuit reduced by another quarter compared to before.
He also attempted to compress his spiritual power to make more room in his dantian.
He succeeded on the very first try, though it resulted in merely an inconspicuous little drop.
Still, this was remarkable progress.
Moreover, during these days, he didn't just feel the difference when channeling his techniques at the midnight and noon hours; even during ordinary walking and dining, the air felt warm, moist, and refreshing. A few deep breaths left his heart and lungs refreshed, his mind clear, and his whole body brimming with inexhaustible strength.
The benefits to cultivation went without saying.
One had to keep in mind that this was a plateau, where the air was relatively thin and usually far less comfortable.
He had asked quite a few people, and all shared the same sensation, proving that this was a universal blessing from heaven and earth, not something he enjoyed alone. Out in the countryside, grass grew lush and warblers fluttered in numbers far greater than in past years.
Purple alfalfa, which once barely reached the ankles, could now grow as high as the waist in some spots. Even common cabbage white butterflies were appearing as large as half a palm.
Change always begins in the most inconspicuous corners.
In other words, spiritual energy had genuinely grown denser, quietly nourishing all things.
He Lingchuan had heard about this while attending open lectures at the Hall of Immortal Inquiries in Panlong City. Eruptions of Emperor's Flowing Dew always increased the concentration of spiritual energy in heaven and earth. After all, when spiritual rain descended upon the mortal realm from above, living beings on the ground could only wrack their brains to catch a fraction of it. Most of the dew soaked into the earth, merging with the mountains and rivers.
Thus, for a considerable time to come, it would slowly bestow its grace upon all living things.
And one could not forget: Emperor's Flowing Dew had erupted twice in just one year.
The previous occurrence was late last year. Though meager in amount, it was better than nothing.
Before that, its last visit to the mortal realm had been decades ago.
Yet after only a few months, it had arrived again—and this time on a massive scale.
In antiquity, all living things grew amidst dense spiritual energy, allowing mighty demons and immortals to rise above the rest.
That begged the question: why had the concentration of spiritual energy gradually declined afterward?
Some believed that the damage wrought by the great catastrophe three thousand years ago had never truly dissipated, causing the realm's spiritual energy to leak away.
Others held that while the spiritual energy between heaven and earth recovered slowly, it was consumed faster than it grew, leading to its depletion. As for how it was consumed, details were vague.
The world was vast; spiritual energy existed in manifold forms, and the reasons for its consumption were just as varied and bizarre. Which one was the primary cause?
No one could say for certain, because no one could prove it.
Regardless, He Lingchuan only needed to seize this feast of spiritual energy right now.
Catching the right tide and flowing with the times was far more important than mere effort alone.
After leaving the Gale Tundra, the escort detachment's journey was smooth sailing, without further mishap.
The detachment had to continue northward, whereas the Shimen caravan needed to stop to unload cargo and place orders, so the two parties parted ways at Tong City.
Tong City was true to its name, rich in high-quality tung oil. Used to maintain woodenware, it provided excellent anti-rot and anti-corrosion protection when brushed onto wood surfaces, boasting a wide variety of uses. Since houses were built of timber, tung oil was naturally a staple commodity purchased year-round by major merchant caravans.
Local craftsmen also produced various carved toys and lacquerware.
Beyond that, the mountain forests around Tong City yielded an assortment of medicinal ingredients. Deer antler and ginseng were commonplace, and at this time of year, wild mountain mushrooms sprouted in abundance. Once dried, they possessed a unique flavor; who could leave without buying some?
Not to mention the precious maca found here. The Shimen caravan had reliable, long-term partners in Tong City; by placing orders now and picking up the goods on the return trip, they could sell them back in the Fu Kingdom for triple the price.
For several days, He Lingchuan feasted on mushroom hotpots simmered with local quail or ham. He had to admit the broth was rich and delicious; different mushrooms and soup bases yielded entirely different flavors.
Second Master Shi was less fortunate. Dining together with He Lingchuan, the youth was completely unaffected, but Second Master Shi suffered mild poisoning—the world spun, and he saw little men scurrying all over the floor.
Fortunately, the local physician was experienced, administered the right antidote, and cured him.
This day happened to be the new moon. With the moon hidden and the wind high, walking out into the courtyard without a lantern meant being unable to see beyond ten feet, with only a chorus of crickets chiming from the gaps in the brickwork.
A gust of wind blew past, causing the tall trees beside the inn to sway.
At the height of the rushing sound, a dark figure suddenly flipped down from the roof and swept open the wooden window of He Lingchuan's guest room!
It looked as if the heavy wind had blown the shutters open, something an ordinary guest would walk over to shut.
Yet there was no one in the room, leaving the window to creak idly.
After waiting a few breaths, the figure vaulted through the window into the room with remarkable agility.
However, after sweeping through the room and checking the bed, the black-clad figure realized the place was empty. The bedding had merely been arranged in a shape that resembled a sleeping form in the dim light.
Recognizing trouble at once, he darted toward the window sill to exit the way he had entered.
Yet unexpectedly, his feet would no longer move.
A talisman had been planted in the floor before the bed: the Earth Trap technique. Anyone swaggering across would find their first two steps fine, but their next two sinking into mire, unable to lift their feet at all.
To make matters worse, He Lingchuan always stayed in spacious rooms. The intruder was too far from both bed and table to reach either even with an extended weapon.
He was just about to fling his grappling cord toward the rafters when suddenly, a short, sharp scream rang out.
Chapter 402