"Oho, a female general!"
"Of course, that isn't the point. Beijia has never lacked military talent; there are plenty of female generals fiercer in battle than her," Fu Shanyue said. "She commands such an exceptional standing because she saved the prince's life and was his childhood companion."
"The Demon Emperor has only one prince?" He Lingchuan asked in surprise. "Then that truly is an immense service."
"The higher the cultivation and the longer the lifespan, the weaker the reproductive faculties. Such is the heavenly dao. For instance, the former monarch of the Yuan Kingdom had no heirs, which was why he abdicated the throne to humans. Fortunately, each Demon Emperor is bolstered by the dynastic fortune of a great empire, managing to sire at least an heir or two so the bloodline isn't broken. That truly can be called the blessing of the gods." Fu Shanyue chuckled. "The current Demon Emperor has only one prince. When he was born over twenty years ago, his vital breath was too feeble for him to survive. Fortunately, under divine guidance from the gods, it was found that Yao Xingning possessed a unique constitution and practiced a special cultivation technique, and the yin and yang within her were exceptionally balanced—ideal for nurturing the prince with gentle warmth. Yao Xingning was only a few years old back then, yet she carried him with her everywhere, eating and sleeping by his side."
"Sure enough, the prince's condition gradually improved, and three years later, he hatched smoothly from his shell."
"Probably because he was so accustomed to Yao Xingning's scent, after the little prince hatched, he wouldn't warm up to anyone—not even the Demon Emperor..." Fu Shanyue coughed. "It's said several palace servants were bitten to death and devoured by him. He permitted only Yao Xingning to stay by his side and approach."
"So Yao Xingning looked after him for many more years. Even now, she still enters the palace twice a month to keep the prince company; otherwise, this sole imperial scion flies into a furious rage." Fu Shanyue gave a wry smile. "With such an honor bestowed upon her, who would dare offend her before the prince comes of age?"
"Uh..." He Lingchuan didn't know what to say.
With the filial affection of the future crown prince, Madame Cen truly could strut about unchecked in Lingxu City. What was more, her words and deeds would influence the young crown prince—an immense political advantage.
No wonder even the Duyun Emissary was reluctant to cross her.
"When will the prince come of age?"
"He only begins to awaken his intellect around thirty, so he'll probably be at least sixty before reaching adulthood." Fu Shanyue coughed. "The prince is still young, but the Demon Emperor has already shown intent to reduce the frequency of her palace visits."
He Lingchuan understood. "Madame Cen truly is special. No wonder the mastermind behind this case used Cen Boqing as a front. Cen Boqing himself isn't formidable or shrewd, so he's easy to control. Add to that the dual shields of the Minister of Agriculture and Yao Xingning, and it becomes nearly impossible to pursue the investigation."
The power of the Minister of Agriculture, combined with the clout Yao Xingning enjoyed from her imperial connection—even if the vassal demon kingdoms discovered their demonic subjects were being hunted and slaughtered, what could they do?
Now he finally understood why Xiang Yan, that retired official, had refused to wade into these muddy waters the moment he heard the Cen family might be involved.
Yet that sly old fox had kept his mouth shut instead of laying it all out plainly.
Fu Shanyue said bitterly, "That idiot Cen Boqing! Wouldn't he have been fine just being a meek, henpecked husband? Without the ability to handle it, why did he insist on taking over such a massive illicit enterprise?!"
"You don't think Yao Xingning was involved?"
"Though she is overbearing, she loathes evil like an enemy and acts from the heart," Fu Shanyue shook his head. "Hunting demons to harvest their beads—she shouldn't be capable of something like that."
"Besides, those aristocratic clans in Lingxu City possess countless enterprises. Yao Xingning might not even know her husband had such a shady side business."
"I originally wondered if the Minister of Agriculture would cut his losses to save his own skin and abandon Cen Boqing, which would have lessened the pressure on our investigation." He paused, then added, "Now that Yao Xingning has arrived in person, it shows the Minister of Agriculture must find a way to keep him alive. If not for deep marital affection, Cen Boqing would be as good as dead this time."
He Lingchuan smiled. "Even if that's the case, the Zhongsun clan will surely make trouble for them."
"With Zhongsun Mou dead, the Zhongsun clan naturally harbors immense resentment—they are one of the leaders of the aquatic tribes in Lingxu City." Fu Shanyue smiled with even greater relish. "However, Zhongsun Mou gave false testimony for Cen Boqing, and the Zhongsun clan illicitly purchased the elixir of immortality. Both matters have been confessed by Wu Kai and will soon reach the ears of the Demon Emperor and the celestial gods. That'll be quite enough for them to swallow."
"In any case, who knows how many powerful nobles and influential clans will be dragged into this mess of rotten accounts surrounding the elixir of immortality!"
He Lingchuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "If there truly are too many prominent clans illicitly buying the elixir of immortality, the whole affair will likely end up minimized."
"Oh?" Fu Shanyue was no fool and quickly caught his drift. "You mean the law cannot punish the multitude?"
"That 'multitude' is open to interpretation," He Lingchuan scoffed. "If they were all common rabble, piling their corpses into mountains and rivers of blood wouldn't matter in the least. After the fall of the Yuan Kingdom, the Lingxu army slaughtered for thirty days, sending millions of commoners to their deaths beneath the blade. To this day, the Twilight Plains remain a barren wasteland. It shows the sovereign's heart is made of iron."
Fu Shanyue pursed his lips.
Facts spoke louder than words; he had no rebuttal.
"But if they are all the high-ranking clans and pillars of state in Lingxu City—" He Lingchuan drawled, "then they were merely led astray by wicked temptation. Arrest those who secretly concocted the elixir, arrest those who bought and resold it in bulk, and execute them publicly to set the standard right. As for the rest? The law cannot punish the multitude; a minor reprimand to teach them a lesson will suffice. Otherwise, it would shake the very foundations of the state."
Fu Shanyue broke into a wry smile. "You sound so nonchalant about it..."
"Wait and see?" He Lingchuan glanced at him. "Care to make a bet?"
"No need to bet." Fu Shanyue sighed softly. "I think you're right."
"Tch." He knew he was bound to lose, didn't he?
"Is the Fu Kingdom like that as well?"
"Aren't officialdoms under the sun all the same?" He Lingchuan said lazily. "As the saying goes, when the water is too clear, there are no fish."
Returning to the inn, Fu Shanyue asked him, "You really don't want a midnight snack? I heard this inn's braising master stock hasn't left the fire for fifteen years—braised in it, even a table leg would taste good. I already sent someone to buy some."
At this hour?
"No thanks." He Lingchuan yawned. "I'm tired. I'm going back to rinse off and sleep. Tomorrow I still have to run around with you and Emissary Bai."
Fu Shanyue scrutinized him with a suspicious gaze. "Back when you were opposing me, you didn't get sleepy so easily. Confess: did you run Cheng Yu within an inch of his life?"
To this day, he still hadn't figured out just how many real skills He Lingchuan held up his sleeve.
He Lingchuan had known Fu Shanyue would get suspicious.
This fellow had never been easy to fool.
He looked left and right; no one was around.
Seeing his movement, Fu Shanyue knew he was about to spill something, and leaned in with his ears pricked. "What is it?"
"What I told Bai Ziqi earlier was essentially true, except I didn't mention that the creature Cheng Yu sent to ambush me was a yin deity!" He Lingchuan whispered like a mosquito. "And that bastard Cheng Yu truly did scorch the yin deity's golden effigy. Isn't it only natural that it went back to cause him trouble?"
"That's all?"
"Of course that's all." He Lingchuan laughed. "Did you expect me to swear an oath to the heavens?"
The Chiyan ruler and his son were currently his backing and assistance; he couldn't keep them completely in the dark, lest misunderstandings and distance arise.
Swearing an oath to heaven would have been great! Fu Shanyue shook his head. "No need, I believe you." He then asked He Lingchuan, "What do you think Bai Ziqi will do next?"
He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "Setting aside whatever other schemes he may have, Bai Ziqi's goals in coming to Baishaqu are nothing more than two: first, investigate the elixir of immortality case; second, track down Zhongsun Mou's whereabouts. The elixir of immortality case is essentially clear now—the key ingredient, the pulp beads, was hunted and harvested from demons by Cen Boqing's men. That is nailed down tight; there's no escaping it. As for the abducted Zhongsun Mou—" He shrugged. "I think the guy is already dead."
At the mention of this, Fu Shanyue felt immensely gratified. "I think so too."
"Mai Xuewen didn't leave many clues behind. That man plotted for years. I imagine that having succeeded in one strike, he has fled thousands of li away and won't show himself again anytime soon," He Lingchuan said steadily. "In other words, Bai Ziqi likely has no chance of catching Mai Xuewen, so he can only pour his energy into handling Cen Boqing's case."
Fu Shanyue nodded. "Zhongsun Mou helped Cen Boqing give false testimony, only to be killed by Cen Boqing's lackeys. If the Zhongsun clan hears this conclusion from the investigation, how could they possibly accept it?" He couldn't help laughing. "The best part is, this case is being investigated by Bai Ziqi personally. If they want to argue, they can only take it up with the Duyun Emissary... and who in all of Lingxu City doesn't know that daring to question a Duyun Emissary is courting death!"
Fu Shanyue didn't even have to shoulder the blame; Bai Ziqi had taken the burden right off his hands. Otherwise, even the Demon King of Chiyan would have felt the pressure.
This time, the Demon Emperor had shown exceptional skill in choosing someone to handle the case.
"The gods won't be satisfied either, because Cen Boqing is hardly the true mastermind behind the scenes," He Lingchuan said slowly. "The elixir of immortality case is worth digging deep into, but it looks like its roots all lie in Lingxu City. There won't be much left for us to do afterward."
"How could it end here?" Fu Shanyue sneered. "I'm just starting to enjoy myself."
"Your royal father's petition had barely reached the Demon Emperor when, barely two days later, Qingfu Temple went up in flames, reducing all the physical evidence and witnesses to ash." He Lingchuan smiled at him. "Have you ever been to Qingfu Temple?"
"I have. It's huge, and its incense burned brightly." Fu Shanyue thought for a moment. "You're right. What kind of place is Lingxu City? Qingfu Temple had fire-prevention measures in place. How could an ordinary fire burn it clean in an instant?"
"The true mastermind has connections and means, which means they have status," He Lingchuan said unhurriedly. "Daring to slaughter demons and harvest their beads within a demon kingdom, braving universal condemnation—one can easily see how vicious and ruthless they are. It seems to me these waters run too deep. Does Chiyan Kingdom truly want to wade into this whirlpool?"
The deeper the case was investigated, the darker it became. Cen Boqing, the eldest son-in-law of the Minister of Agriculture, was nothing more than a front.
What kind of status, then, did the true mastermind possess?
When the Ruler of Chiyan and his son first began investigating this matter, they certainly never expected it to reach so deep and wide.
"If we want to pull back, now is the time."
These words were spoken by Fu Shanyue. He Lingchuan had already weighed them in his mind, but had kept them unsaid. Such words were not his place to voice.
"Even with Bai Ziqi conducting the investigation, if my father doesn't press the matter and Lingxu City wishes to sweep it under the rug, then Cen Boqing will be branded the sole culprit." Fu Shanyue actually let out a deep sigh. "Yet my father is determined to investigate to the very end, because this is no longer the affair of Chiyan Kingdom alone."
He Lingchuan turned the words over in his mind, slightly stirred.
"You mean other powers have been drawn in as well?"
"Just from what I know, the Jeweled Tree King recently submitted a petition to Lingxu City, stating that the demon populace in his own domain has also been poached and harvested of beads. Such an act is an outrage to gods and mortals alike, and must be thoroughly and rigorously investigated."
Chapter 535