The guard headed to the backyard, tracked down a servant, and asked, "Did you take water up to the guest on the upper floor?"
Having accepted his silver, the servant answered freely. "I did. The guest wanted a bath."
"And after that? Anything unusual in his room?"
"Nothing at all. He took his bath, and we carried the dirty water out to dump. That was all."
"No one else went in or out?"
"Nope. Just him and that tiger demon master. They barely stepped through their door."
Only then did the guard's worries ease. Could he truly have been overthinking things?
The next morning.
Though sunlight had yet to break through, the persistent rain of the past several days had finally ceased, drawing a collective sigh of relief from Baishaqu.
If caught in a downpour, who would turn out for the Lotus Fragrance Festival?
Living by the waters meant living off the waters. Every year once the festival concluded, Baishaqu's local specialties were shipped by merchants to every corner of the country; scoring a good omen at the outset was paramount.
He Lingchuan rose early to regulate his breath and spent nearly an hour practicing his saber forms before Jiao Yu came looking for him.
"It's time we head out."
Hearing him, He Lingchuan sheathed his blade. The edge of Fusheng turned, reflecting its master's grim, resolute face.
Today was the pivotal moment to break the impasse.
Once today passed, this case was destined to strike like a clap of thunder, shaking even far-off Lingxu City.
Extricating himself afterward would only become harder and harder.
If so, let the storm rage with all the greater fury.
"Let's go." He patted the tiger's head. "Don't keep them waiting."
Jiao Yu flicked his tail, sensing that the young man's saber technique had been steeped in an extraordinarily fierce, murderous intent today.
Might flows from the heart. What was going on with the special envoy today?
Daylight gradually brightened.
He Lingchuan, Jiao Yu, and Commander Lu were all invited to observe the ceremonies from Chaohu Pagoda, which looked all the more imposing following its recent renovations.
Unlike festivals elsewhere, before the Lotus Fragrance Festival officially opened, an event to pluck the lotus tally had to be held first. Consequently, the honored guests gathered atop Chaohu Pagoda beforehand to watch the proceedings.
No matter how sturdy Chaohu Pagoda was, its load capacity remained limited. Only eminent nobility, powerful figures, and special invitees like He Lingchuan and Zhongsun Mou could ascend to observe on this day.
He Lingchuan also caught sight of Xiang Yan. The old man offered him a smile from a distance, and He Lingchuan nodded in return.
Stepping once more onto the heights of Chaohu Pagoda, He Lingchuan noticed that an enormous expanse of green had appeared over the southwestern corner of the lake, taking up a full third of its surface.
Chao Lake was vast enough that one could not see its far shores even when gazing into the distance, so a third of its area was remarkably expansive.
"Are those lotus pads and... duckweed?" The entire stretch of water was choked with lush green, leaving He Lingchuan wondering how the competition was supposed to begin.
The last time he had climbed the pagoda, that stretch of water had been completely empty. He had stayed away for just a few days; how had so many plants sprouted all of a sudden?
Someone nearby spoke up. "These plants were coaxed to grow by lotus demons. Once the race begins, the duckweed will vanish on its own, clearing the waterways."
He Lingchuan looked back. Wasn't that Cen Boqing? Wu Kai stood right behind him.
"Lord Cen, has your residence entered a boat in the competition as well?"
"Of course. Our household participates every year and has claimed the lotus tally at least twice." Cen Boqing seemed at ease, as if making casual small talk. "Why doesn't the special envoy give it a try? Outsiders join in every year."
He Lingchuan looked toward the dense thicket of lotus leaves. Their pads were wide as umbrellas, their stalks thicker than any lotus leaves he had seen elsewhere, rising at least four or five feet above the water. If a boat navigated in there, it would be no different from entering a labyrinth, with line of sight completely blocked.
"No thanks. Isn't it wonderful standing right here watching others break a sweat? Why bother getting down there myself?" He Lingchuan asked with a beaming smile. "What do you think, Lord Cen?"
Cen Boqing replied, "Indeed. Not everyone understands the wisdom of looking out for oneself and staying out of trouble."
The two exchanged smiles.
*This fellow certainly puts on a calm front,* He Lingchuan thought. *To come strutting over here—is he that convinced I won't catch him by the tail?*
Commander Lu stood close to He Lingchuan accompanied by four or five subordinates. Hearing this, he chimed in, "My men have entered too. Look, over there! Boat ninety-seven!"
Following the direction of his pointing finger, more than a hundred skiffs were moored along the lakeside, each carrying two men braced in full readiness.
Seeing that the hour had arrived, the nobility packed Chaohu Pagoda while commoners crowded beneath it.
Amid eager anticipation, the County Magistrate of Baishaqu stepped forward and personally shook the large bronze bell hanging under the pagoda's eaves.
*Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling...* The lake breeze carried the melodious, soothing chimes across to the pebble beach.
In the Yuan Kingdom, festival events involving the public were usually signaled by lighting long strings of firecrackers, which made for true festive clamor.
In the Beijia Kingdom, however, only bells or wooden clappers were used, as firecrackers and fireworks were strictly banned.
The official stance claimed that such things easily ignited blazes, burning down buildings and causing accidents.
Yet everyone understood that banning fireworks was primarily because demons disliked them.
Humans loved noisy excitement, but most demons—especially lesser demons—felt only disgust and fear toward sudden explosions.
Beijia was a demon kingdom after all, so it had to cater to demons' collective sensibilities.
If a minority adamantly opposed something while the majority remained indifferent, that thing would usually end up prohibited.
For that reason, festival occasions throughout Beijia, including the New Year, were celebrated without fireworks.
He Lingchuan had learned this long ago, as Second Master Shi had grumbled to him on the road that in such a massive demon kingdom, almost nobody did business in fireworks.
Once the bell's chime carried across the water, He Lingchuan saw the vast carpet of duckweed on the lake begin sinking beneath the surface.
"Huh?" How was that achieved?
"Before the race, duckweed carpets the water so no one can see the path through the lotus maze," Commander Lu explained. "Before the start, fish demons in Chao Lake direct the shoals of fish to bite off the duckweed stems and drag them to the lakebed. That quickly clears waterways for the racing boats. The tradition of plucking the lotus tally has carried on for nearly a century; the fish demons are well-practiced and know how to coordinate."
He Lingchuan marveled inwardly. In all the world, perhaps only Beijia knew how to make full use of every demon's talents.
He fixed his gaze into the distance and saw the water roiling like a boiling pot, with an untold number of fish darting beneath. Occasionally a large fish breached the surface, and if its silhouette was visible from this far away, it had to be a giant specimen over five feet long.
Before long, the duckweed across that entire stretch of water was essentially swept clean—far faster than any human crew could manage.
All that remained standing above the surface was an endless sea of lotus leaves.
From the vantage point of the pagoda, one could see countless twists and turns winding through the lotus field, forming an intricate maze.
He Lingchuan asked, "What counts as winning?"
"Whoever finds the 'Overlord Lotus' hidden inside the lotus field is the victor," Commander Lu said with a chuckle. "That's the prize placed in the maze by the lotus demons, grown only right before the race begins. As for its location, only the lotus demons themselves know. Only once someone finds it can the festivities ashore continue."
"Is it guaranteed to be found?"
"With over a hundred boats, someone always turns it up." Commander Lu gave a slight cough. "Though one year they were unlucky: everyone searched from dawn till dusk, and someone only found it just as dusk was falling."
Jiao Yu remarked, "Could it be the lotus demons went easy on them?"
"Who knows?"
Listening to their exchange, He Lingchuan suddenly felt waves of heat radiating from his chest.
*Wait, could it be?*
The divine bone hadn't made its presence felt in a long time. Did this lake hold a treasure it coveted?
"You just said the Overlord Lotus only grew moments ago?" That was the only recent change. Was that what the divine bone wanted?
"Yes, it's only grown right before the race to keep people from picking it early by mistake," Commander Lu added. "The racing skiffs are about to set off; we can place our bets now."
"You can wager on this too?"
"Why not?" Commander Lu retrieved five taels of silver from his robes and waved a bookmaker over. "Put me down for boat ninety-seven to win."
"Right away, boat ninety-seven!" The bookmaker, rather lacking in tact, added, "Long odds on that one!"
Commander Lu's face instantly darkened.
Down below and across the pagoda, the crowd began placing bets in earnest.
Hearing the swelling roar of voices rising from beneath, He Lingchuan came to understand that any event even tangentially related to gambling was bound to be extraordinarily lively.
Shared joy, after all.
Cen Boqing also smiled and placed a bet of one hundred taels on his own family's boat.
In truth, one could also wager on brackets of numbers—for instance, picking boats fifteen through thirty; if the winning boat fell within that range, one collected a payout.
However, that method yielded modest returns. To show support for their own vessels and flaunt their wealth, prominent figures usually placed direct bets on specific numbers, just as Cen Boqing had done.
Cen Boqing was just asking He Lingchuan, "Lord Envoy, care to have a little fun with this as well?"
He Lingchuan thought to himself: *With a hundred skiffs down there and me knowing nothing about any of them, wouldn't throwing money in be like tossing it into the water?* Yet meeting Cen Boqing's provocative gaze, he was loath to back down.
Just then, another dozen or so people approached. Flanked in their midst were Zhongsun Mou and Fan Sheng.
Only now did He Lingchuan belatedly realize that Zhongsun Mou loved being surrounded by an entourage; every single entrance of his was quite a spectacle.
*Heh, fine by me.*
He offered Zhongsun Mou a smiling greeting: "Lord Zhongsun, placed your bet yet?"
Zhongsun Mou's ability to maintain a false smile fell short of Cen Boqing's. The moment his eyes landed on the vexing sight of He Lingchuan, his face darkened.
"No."
"How about a head-to-head wager between us?" He Lingchuan turned to the bookmaker. "Can we do a one-on-one bet here?"
"Well..." The bookmaker was quick on his feet. "As long as the noble lords desire it, anything is possible."
"Good, good! I like that: 'anything is possible.'" He Lingchuan laughed out loud. "Brother Zhongsun, dare you take the bet?"
Zhongsun Mou sneered. "Fine. How do you want to lose?"
Fan Sheng stood silent to one side, glaring coldly at He Lingchuan.
He Lingchuan pondered for a moment. "I'll enter the race myself, boarding Commander Lu's boat—" He turned to Commander Lu. "—is that all right?"
"Not a problem at all!" Commander Lu was startled, then overjoyed. "I'll pull one man off and put you on!"
"Then I wager that I will win."
He Lingchuan turned to leave, but Zhongsun Mou called after him, "Hold it! Where's your stake?"
"Oh, right!" He Lingchuan patted his forehead, turned back toward Zhongsun Mou, and drew a turtle pearl from his robes, setting it in his palm. "A spirit turtle pearl of three centuries' cultivation. What about you?"
"Just that?" Fan Sheng spoke up abruptly. "For a grand special envoy to offer a mere turtle pearl as a stake is rather pathetic, isn't it?"
He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "Lord Fan talks awfully big. Could it be you mean to put up the stake on Brother Zhongsun's behalf? What fine brothers you two make."
Chapter 504