He Lingchuan turned to look. The man was handsome and dignified in appearance, though his words were rather grating to the ear. His companion had a square face, large ears, and bright eyes, and was currently tugging at his sleeve: "Hey."
Why blurt out the honest truth like that?
True to someone accustomed to grand occasions, the attendant's smile never wavered. "Besides relying on discernment, it also takes luck. Trying your hand at this display case is indeed sifting for gold in the sand."
He Lingchuan walked past the display cases one by one when the divine bone necklace suddenly flared hot against his chest.
In this case?
Just as he was about to pause, the soul-snatching mirror in his breast pocket unexpectedly chimed in:
"Someone's been staring at you, you know."
He Lingchuan gave a start, but without breaking stride, he kept walking forward and lowered his voice: "Who?"
"Standing right by the display case behind you, the one with the green sash tied at his waist."
He Lingchuan was not foolish enough to whip his head around right away.
"The other one is the attendant," the mirror said. "Standing right beside that display case. He's been eyeing you ever since you drew close to these unidentified curios."
He Lingchuan looped around, hands clasped behind his back, and slowly browsed his way back.
With his keen vision, a single sweep of his gaze took in both individuals the mirror had pointed out.
The one with the green sash around his waist clearly possessed cultivation. The moment He Lingchuan's gaze swept over, he immediately turned away, avoiding eye contact.
The attendant by the display case, on the other hand, wore a smile and did not shy away from He Lingchuan's gaze. Just then, some guests stepped forward to inquire, and the attendant began explaining to them, appearing thoroughly professional.
"Everything in this case was cleared out by one of our longtime sellers here at Dun Garden," the attendant said. "The prices are quite reasonable, offered simply to liven up the auction and let everyone try their luck in a lottery of sorts."
As soon as he spoke, He Lingchuan seized the chance to stop and listen.
The movement was not conspicuous, as many onlookers were doing the same.
The fellow who had previously complained about the low winning odds strolled over as well, pointing at an item inside the case: "Take that one out and let me see it."
It was an object resembling an ox horn, over a foot and a half long, with an exceedingly sharp tip that could easily serve as a lethal weapon. The moment the attendant brought it out, the divine bone necklace flared hot against He Lingchuan's chest twice.
Twice.
Was this what it wanted?
He Lingchuan examined it closely, noticing a tortoiseshell-like sheen across its surface, while the break at the base was jagged and uneven, as though it had been violently snapped off.
Was it a horn from some creature? It was impossible to tell.
Yet it gleamed with an oily golden luster, clearly well-maintained, standing in sharp contrast to the dingy, dust-covered items sharing the case.
The complaining customer was required to don gloves before touching the long horn.
He turned it over a couple of times, murmuring, "Not bad. It'll do."
His companion asked curiously, "What do you want that for?"
"I happen to be short of a signal horn." The complaining customer checked the starting bid. "Look, it's not even expensive—starting at only three taels of silver. When is it being auctioned?"
The attendant smiled. "In two quarters of an hour, at Tianyu Tower. Lot number one thousand one hundred and eleven."
He casually glanced at He Lingchuan.
Why did it feel like this fellow had spoken those words specifically for his ears? He Lingchuan rubbed his nose.
His companion shook his head. "If you bought an ox horn outside, wouldn't it cost less than three-tenths of a tael?"
"This is an unidentified curio," the complaining customer chuckled. "What if I hit the jackpot?"
He Lingchuan walked away after hearing this.
Since someone had their eyes on him, regardless of what the divine bone necklace wanted, lingering was ill-advised.
Turning occasionally as he walked, the soul-snatching mirror informed him: "Those two stayed by the display case; they didn't follow."
So were they not watching him specifically, but guarding the case?
He Lingchuan shook his head, unable to make sense of it.
For now, he had to see to the task Li Qingge had entrusted to him.
Passing by a breezy terrace, he discovered that Dun Garden had also prepared exquisite masks for guests, ranging from half-face to full-face styles, available for anyone to take.
Some distinguished guests who won items at auction did not wish their identities revealed, and masks neatly resolved any lingering worries.
He Lingchuan casually picked up a gold-wire half-mask for later use, then entered the West Second Wing.
The items on display here were all armor and weapons. Some radiated faint gleams of spiritual treasure, of quality no lesser than his Soaring Dragon spear.
Among the displays were over a dozen flood dragon-head sabers and swords, each labeled with its origin and seemingly crafted by renowned masters. Some were inlaid with gold and jade, far more exquisite than his Fusheng.
Seeing them, He Lingchuan finally understood why Fu Shanyue had harbored no suspicion toward the flood dragon-head saber at his waist after watching the second illusion scene in the ruins of Thousand Stars City.
Flood dragons and yazi were among the most common blade ornaments.
The most ostentatious piece here was a suit of mountain-pattern golden armor, every mountain-shaped gold scale polished to a brilliant gleam that could blind someone from afar. He Lingchuan had read the armor's description: joined together with shark silk, it was adorned with an array formed of jade beads, giant clam shell, and other gems, granting special effects such as feather-light agility, self-cleansing, unyielding sturdiness, and imperviousness to fire and water.
In other words, it had an automatic cleaning function, meaning one could wear it multiple times without ever needing to wash it.
Such luxurious armor was naturally not meant for battle. If it could dazzle He Lingchuan's eyes from this distance, on a battlefield it would certainly illuminate the enemies' eyes; whoever wore it would be nothing more than a glowing target.
Hence, it was ceremonial armor, meant to be worn during imperial court ceremonies, troop reviews, or grand celebrations to showcase the owner's majesty.
This flashy exterior instantly reminded He Lingchuan of the Night-Illuminating spirit deer Bai Ziqi rode.
The more high society and nobility congregated, the more they pursued opulent splendor in their food, lodgings, transport, and attire. He Lingchuan glanced at the price. Well, as expected, he couldn't afford it.
Turning his head again, he spotted the objective assigned by the Lord of Songyang Mansion.
Even though Li Qingge had forewarned him that this was an acquaintance, He Lingchuan still felt a jolt of shock, though he kept his composure.
Indeed, an acquaintance—an acquaintance from the battlefield:
Nian Zanli!
Never in his wildest dreams did He Lingchuan expect to run into the Yuan Kingdom's former General Pacifying the North and Governor of Xunzhou here.
After more than half a year, Nian Zanli appeared even more gaunt, his cheekbones higher, and his gaze rather somber. He browsed the lots alone, accompanied by only a single guard behind him.
He Lingchuan recalled the unexpected conclusion of the Battle of the Han River, which seemed to have dealt him a heavy blow.
Just then, several nobles passed through the wing, surrounded by entourages before and behind. Nian Zanli summoned a smile to greet them, but they merely nodded, not sparing him so much as an extra glance.
Nian Zanli seemed accustomed to it; neither irritated nor angered, he merely turned back to view the exhibits.
Just looking at his back, He Lingchuan could sense how out of place he was.
It seemed the General Pacifying the North was not faring very well in Lingxu City. Back then, when he dispatched his son Nian Songyu to accompany Sun Fuping to Blackwater City, how arrogantly they had put on airs and strutted their power before He Chunhua and his son. Yet now, in a foreign land, he was reduced to such desolation.
Circumstances change with time—how lamentable and sigh-worthy.
Of course, he had defected to the Beijia Kingdom of his own accord rather than being actively courted by Lingxu City. Though he ultimately reported a victory, the elite forces under his command had been mostly decimated in the Battle of the Han River.
How could Beijia, overflowing with talent as it was, think highly of a surrendered general who no longer commanded an elite army?
Then again, why on earth did Li Qingge want him to approach this man?
He Lingchuan pondered for a moment. Seeing Nian Zanli seemingly examining a pair of twin sabers—or lost in thought—he walked right over and remarked, "These blades chase aesthetics at the expense of proper thickness. They won't handle well."
The edges were polished bright as autumn waters, the hilts gilded and inset with three turquoise stones. At a glance, the blade profiles looked flawless, but to the eye of a veteran like He Lingchuan, they were far too thin in at least three places, making them prone to snapping when hacking into hard bone.
Using these blades to sever heads would be ill-advised.
Nian Zanli glanced at him and nodded. "Flashy and impractical. On a battlefield, they'd be a joke."
He Lingchuan smiled. "If the Dun Garden auction only offers wares like this, I shall truly be disappointed."
These words emphasized the word "I," and sure enough, Nian Zanli followed up by asking, "And you are...?"
"My name is He Xiao, staff advisor to the Crown Prince of Chiyan."
Nian Zanli remarked offhandedly, "Accomplished at such a young age. Impressive."
He had not yet heard of "He Xiao," but he was aware that Chiyan had recently established a crown prince. The youth before him was seventeen or eighteen at most, yet had already become an advisor to a vassal demon kingdom's crown prince—his future was indeed promising.
He Lingchuan returned the question: "And may I ask your name, sir?"
"My family name is Nian. I am the Governor of Xunzhou." Nian Zanli took another couple of looks at him and suddenly said, "You look somewhat familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"
Of course they had.
Under the torrential rains of the Han River, as mortal enemies.
Yet He Lingchuan was not the least bit rattled. He simply smiled. "This is my first time meeting the general."
Counting this occasion, this was only the second time he had ever seen Nian Zanli. Their first meeting had taken place on a pitch-black, rainy night with tens of thousands of troops locked in chaotic battle. His face had been caked in mud and blood; how could Nian Zanli possibly have seen his features clearly under such conditions?
For him to say he looked "somewhat familiar" was already proof of keen eyesight.
Sure enough, Nian Zanli nodded, speaking warmly and amiably to the very man who had slain his son: "I must be mistaken."
Just then, Fu Shanyue walked over from the rear hall. Looking up and spotting He Lingchuan, he asked, "How did you end up over here?"
He Lingchuan immediately introduced Nian Zanli to him: "This is the Governor of Xunzhou, General Nian."
Xunzhou was a newly surrendered territory; Fu Shanyue did not recall off the top of his head where this Governor of Xunzhou had hailed from, so he simply inclined his head in greeting.
He Lingchuan then introduced Fu Shanyue to Nian Zanli.
Upon hearing that the figure before him was the Crown Prince of Chiyan, Nian Zanli's demeanor turned serious as well.
Only then did He Lingchuan answer Fu Shanyue's earlier question: "I wanted to look for a suitable suit of inner armor. My previous one was shredded when I fought the Fan brothers, Fan Sheng and Fan Bao."
"Did you find any?"
He Lingchuan shook his head. "I saw a few, but they're overly ostentatious."
He didn't mind a flashy exterior, but when the price was just as flashy...
Fu Shanyue laughed. "Dun Garden's goods always have this sort of tone."
Nian Zanli's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this. "The Fan Sheng you speak of... is he the Vice Commander of the Tongxin Guard?"
"Yes. Do you know him, General Nian?"
Nian Zanli nodded. "I only ran into him two days ago."
Fu Shanyue couldn't help chuckling. "Have the scabs on his face fallen off yet?"
"Er... they're mostly healed." Except his face was patchy with red and white, his skin tone rather uneven.
Fu Shanyue pointed at He Lingchuan and said, "Fan Sheng and Fan Bao ambushed him. When the first attempt failed, Fan Sheng went for a second, only to be netted face-down in the water by him. All those scabs and scars on his face are wounds gnawed out by piranhas."
Nian Zanli looked visibly moved, and a hint of astonishment entered his gaze as he looked at He Lingchuan:
"Isn't Little Brother He an advisor? To think you defeated Commander Fan! Truly, the younger generation inspires awe."
Chapter 560