The Crown Prince's special envoy had been sent by the King and his son, hadn't he? Why was he asking him a question like this?
From the side, Jiao Yu chimed in, "The special envoy has only just arrived in our kingdom and is unaware of much of the inner workings."
These words carried profound implications. Xiang Yan was struck dumb for a moment, his mind racing to solve the riddle.
He Lingchuan smiled. "I'm not from Chiyan. Normally I prefer fewer troubles over more, but Fu Shanyue shamelessly begged me to take this case."
Xiang Yan's eyes went wide.
The Crown Prince had actually appointed a foreigner as special envoy to investigate the case. This... this... the waters of this case were terribly deep.
Only after a long pause did he speak: "In all the world, Lingxu City alone can refine the elixir of immortality."
"So the elixirs of immortality in the hands of the various demon kings are also bestowed by Lingxu City?" He Lingchuan understood now. "And then they bestow them upon meritorious subordinates?"
Xiang Yan nodded.
"Then where do the raw materials for refining come from?" He Lingchuan asked, speaking before Xiang Yan could open his mouth. "Old Xiang, you spent over a decade in Lingxu City; you must have heard some street rumors, haven't you?"
Xiang Yan parted his lips, but only after quite a while did he give a wry smile. "How could anyone dare spread such talk around? If they trace the source of a rumor, heads roll."
"You haven't heard even a whisper of wind?"
"I only heard that some of the ingredients for the elixir of immortality are purchased from abroad. As for the specifics, I truly have no idea," Xiang Yan said softly. "A supreme treasure like the elixir of immortality is exceptionally rare even in Lingxu City, enjoyed by only a handful of officials. I was fortunate enough to take one only because I performed meritorious service back then and gained the favor of a celestial god; otherwise, I would never have had such good fortune. If you ask Lord Jiao, you'll see. Across the entire civil and military court, how many have taken the elixir of immortality?"
He Lingchuan looked toward Jiao Yu, who shook his head. "In the past hundred-plus years, the King has bestowed only thirty-nine."
In the more than one hundred and sixty years since the founding of the Chiyan Kingdom, how many officials had come and gone? Yet among them, only thirty-nine had taken the elixir of immortality.
The sheer preciousness of this medicine went without saying.
No wonder the old man wore such a proud look. To have the honor of taking the elixir of immortality, to be one of thirty-nine—what an immense grace that was!
"Why so few?"
"I've heard that the ingredients are exceedingly hard to come by."
He Lingchuan recalled what Master Alchemist Helian Chen of Panlong City had told him: the elixir of immortality had an extraordinarily precious catalyst—divine blood.
That might indeed be hard to obtain.
But no matter how rare the other medicinal ingredients might be, could they really be beyond the reach of the entire Beijia Kingdom?
More than likely, it came down to those four words:
Hoarding a rare commodity.
With effects so potent and supply so scarce, wouldn't everyone fight tooth and nail for it?
He Lingchuan's eyes darted thoughtfully. "Then in whose hands is the recipe for the elixir of immortality held?"
"The celestial gods, naturally," Xiang Yan said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Lingxu City offers up the medicinal ingredients, and the celestial gods refine the elixir of immortality and personally bestow it."
He Lingchuan fell into momentary confusion.
If only celestial gods could refine the elixir of immortality, why was the culprit behind this case collecting pulp beads? What was more, this didn't seem quite consistent with what Helian Chen had said.
However, Xiang Yan hesitated a moment before adding, "That said, I did hear a piece of grapevine gossip while in Lingxu City."
He Lingchuan's spirits lifted. Was there finally some genuine inside information to be heard?
"Please, do tell."
"I cannot tell you the source of the news, but supposedly there was such a claim—mind you, merely a rumor."
"Right, right, just groundless whispers. You speak casually, I listen casually." The old man sure knew how to cover his tracks.
"Rumor has it that the celestial gods originally passed down the recipe for the elixir of immortality, but Lingxu City misplaced its trust, allowing it to leak out. In their wrath, the celestial gods revoked the right to refine the elixir. Ever since, they have only bestowed finished pills, forbidding any mortal refining."
This was the second time He Lingchuan had heard this claim. "And what about the recipe that leaked out?"
"The Demon Emperor naturally investigated ruthlessly and set a deadline for surrender. Anyone discovered after the deadline had nine generations of their clan exterminated."
He Lingchuan recalled the fate of the descendants of the Yuan Kingdom, knowing that Beijia's Demon Emperor never stayed his hand when slaughtering.
How could such a great demon have even a shred of pity for human life?
"How many people were killed in total?"
"No idea."
"Eh?" He Lingchuan asked in surprise. "How could you not even know how many were killed?"
"Even if the recipe leaked, those qualified to see it were vanishingly few. Thus, those executed by the Demon Emperor over it were likewise few and far between." Xiang Yan smiled self-deprecatingly. "Vassal state officials like me couldn't get anywhere near it in the first place."
That was a game for the highest circles. Low-ranking officials and those from vassal demon kingdoms didn't even qualify to join the board.
Get killed over it? Not a chance.
"During that time, was no one's clan exterminated?"
"That I do not know. It is an old matter from at least two or three centuries ago, and a rumor in itself. Where would one even begin verifying what was true and what was false?"
He Lingchuan grunted in acknowledgement. "As long as it leaked, that makes things easier."
Xiang Yan asked cautiously, "Do you believe the present case is connected to that lost recipe from back then?"
He Lingchuan glanced at him with a faint, knowing smile. "You said that, not me."
Flustered, Xiang Yan waved his hands in a hurry. "No, no, no, just the nonsensical ramblings of an old man! You heard nothing at all!"
"Indeed." He Lingchuan laughed heartily. "I heard nothing at all."
He spotted the thin sheen of sweat on Xiang Yan's forehead.
"So, what is the experience of taking the elixir of immortality like?" Time to switch to a lighthearted question.
Xiang Yan indeed relaxed considerably.
"After taking it, the internal effects are immediate—such as a lightened body, nimble limbs, an improved appetite, and chronic ailments curing themselves without medicine. However, severed arms and legs do not regrow. I've heard that even some demon generals who took the elixir couldn't heal their old battle injuries."
He Lingchuan nodded. It seemed the elixir of immortality mainly served to extend life.
"It distinguishes between internal and external effects?"
"As for external effects, they aren't obvious," Xiang Yan smiled. "I was fifty-two when I took the medicine. My appearance barely changed, not reversing by thirty years. But in the thirty years since taking it, I have remained looking fifty-two almost the entire time."
So it was an extended-release pill?
He Lingchuan now possessed a basic understanding of pharmacology. In addition, A'luo had often bellowed in the squad members' ears, so he knew that truly good medicine was prized for stability and longevity—allowing the medicinal effects to release mildly, continuously, and over the long term, which was most beneficial to the human body.
If nothing else, Emperor's Flowing Dew worked on this exact principle, which was why it was hailed as the King of All Medicines.
"So calling it a rejuvenation pill wouldn't be accurate?"
"Calling it a visage-preserving pill or an elixir of longevity would probably be more apt."
He Lingchuan stood up. "Thank you, Old Xiang. This information has been very helpful. Forgive my intrusion today."
"Just casual talk between friends, what information could there be?" Xiang Yan gave an amiable smile. "Will the special envoy stay for a meal?"
He had merely offered standard polite courtesies, but who would have thought He Lingchuan would readily agree? "Splendid! General Ling mentioned that the sliced boiled chicken in your manor is exceptionally tender, prepared with a secret family recipe."
"..." Xiang Yan could only force an even broader smile. "Come, come, right this way."
What on earth was wrong with that old goat! It was a sheep—it ought to be eating grass! Why go recommending chicken to people?!
***
Meanwhile, at the inn where He Lingchuan was staying.
With the guest away, He Lingchuan's room was naturally unoccupied.
The door suddenly creaked open, and an inn waiter slipped inside. He glanced all around, confirmed the room was empty, and gently closed the door behind him.
He headed straight for the wooden bed.
Fu Shanyue had allocated generous funds for the special envoy. The inn He Lingchuan lodged at was among the best in Baishaqu, and he had booked top-tier suites for several days in a row.
Here, there was a parlor, a master bedroom, and even a spare guest room, all elegantly appointed. Even the bed provided for the guest was made of fragrant rosewood, known as a master-craft bed.
As soon as the waiter reached the bed, he leaned forward, bending low and widening his eyes to search the pillow.
"Where's the hair?"
This inn used soft pillows, and this distinguished guest had stayed here for several consecutive days. How could there not be a single fallen strand of hair on the pillow?
Yet there truly was none. The waiter searched for a long time without finding a thing.
If he simply took the pillow, he would likely alarm the guest, which wouldn't do either.
He paced around the room twice, racking his brains.
Even if he found fallen hairs elsewhere in the suite, they would be useless—there was no guarantee they belonged to this guest surnamed He. After all, this was an inn, and this suite had hosted plenty of other guests before him.
Only the bedding was replaced fresh for each new guest.
This was a high-end inn, after all.
How, then, could he obtain something uniquely belonging to He Lingchuan?
The waiter's gaze drifted toward the folding screen.
Behind it sat the commode.
Could he...?
It was a rather pungent thought, one that startled even the waiter himself.
The inn replaced commodes and emptied nightsoil for guests once a day, which by calculation should be two shichen from now.
Do it?
Or not do it?
He truly didn't want to do it, but someone had simply offered too much money.
The waiter didn't hesitate for long. He stepped behind the screen, pinched his nose, and pulled open the commode lid in one swift motion!
No matter how filthy the job, as long as enough money was offered, someone would do it.
But in the next instant, he was dumbfounded.
The commode was completely empty.
No, more accurately, it was bone dry, with nothing at all inside.
If one could argue that some people simply didn't lose hair while sleeping, that was still plausible.
Did this guest really not need to relieve himself the entire day?
A preposterous thought crossed the waiter's mind:
Could this distinguished guest be so constantly on guard against others that he went to the public latrines outside even for the cycle of grain?
What should he do now?
***
The following day, He Lingchuan went to the government office to find the County Magistrate of Baishaqu.
Magistrate Tian came out sporting two massive dark circles under his eyes. Seeing him, He Lingchuan was mildly surprised. "Magistrate Tian, what happened to you?"
He had tossed and turned unable to sleep these past few days, and the very culprit responsible was asking what happened to him?
"It is nothing. Stray cats outside the window were wailing for most of the night." Facing He Lingchuan, Magistrate Tian could only stifle his yawns to avoid being disrespectful. "What instructions does the special envoy have today?"
"There is a matter I'd like Magistrate Tian to handle, but it must be done quietly."
"Oh?" The Baishaqu county magistrate understood the meaning of "quietly." "Without letting the Inspector know?"
"That goes without saying," He Lingchuan elaborated. "Ideally, no one else in town should know either."
"Please speak, please speak."
"Find a maintenance crew."
"Ah?" Magistrate Tian was slightly dazed, unable to tell whether his lack of sleep the previous night had dulled his wits. "To repair what?"
"Chaohu Pagoda."
"Oh... all right, that's a minor matter."
"However, I have additional requirements." He Lingchuan leaned in to murmur a couple of sentences into his ear, then said, "Before work begins, don't let anyone in the city know. Can you manage that?"
Chapter 482