If not for the occasional clash between big shots, how dull would a polite, amicable auction be?
He Lingchuan had already sat down beside Fu Shanyue, and now whispered a reminder: "Zhongsun Ce is about to give up."
Zhongsun Ce's gaze was wavering, and his bidding had grown hesitant, lacking his earlier resolve.
He had considered letting the blood-engorged vines fall into Fu Shanyue's hands—whoever spent fifteen thousand to bring this thing home would have to be out of their mind.
Fu Shanyue grinned at Zhongsun Ce, brandishing a stack of banknotes in his hand. "This is the compensation paid to my special envoy the day your younger brother went missing—a full fifty thousand taels. I'll just use it to buy these blood-engorged vines."
At the sight of the banknotes, Zhongsun Ce's eyes reddened slightly, and he barked in a deep voice, "Sixteen thousand taels!"
*That's more like it,* Fu Shanyue smiled.
He Lingchuan wouldn't have handed over a single banknote he had earned himself. Fortunately, Zhongsun Ce was so provoked that his head was spinning, leaving him in no state of mind to verify anything.
The bidding escalated until it hit nineteen thousand taels, at which point absolute silence fell over the hall.
The auctioneer on stage called it out twice. Zhongsun Ce glared viciously at Fu Shanyue, looking as if he wanted to tear him apart and swallow him whole.
Fu Shanyue let out a sigh. "Let him have it."
The small wooden gavel tapped a few times. Sold!
When Zhongsun Ce took possession of the blood-engorged vines, his eyes were as bloodshot as the vines themselves.
By the time he handed over the money, he had sobered up, realizing the cost of letting blood rush to his head was nineteen thousand taels.
Yet there was nothing he could say now. He hurled a parting shot at Fu Shanyue—"From now on, you'd better pray you never fall into our hands"—before storming out of the hall.
Fu Shanyue paid no heed to such quintessential villain exit lines. Stretching his arms, he stood up and strolled toward the exit, saying to He Lingchuan, "Exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!"
He Lingchuan said, "From the looks of it, the Zhongsun family isn't in high spirits. I'm afraid they might seek revenge on you."
"Let them try," Fu Shanyue said indifferently. "The old man of the Zhongsun family may still have some tricks up his sleeve, but right now he can barely look after himself. How would he dare come looking for trouble with me?"
Cen Boqing adamantly insisted that Zhongsun Chi had illicitly used the elixir of immortality—a hidden landmine waiting to go off. If the Zhongsun family was currently glaring daggers at the Cen Manor and the Minister of Agriculture, it was solely to maintain their innocence.
To offend Fu Shanyue at such a time would be sheer folly.
Chiyan was the victim in the elixir of immortality case, and the Chiyan Crown Prince himself had rendered distinguished service in investigating it. Any wise person would avoid crossing him right now.
The moment they stepped out the door, someone walked up to meet them, clapping softly.
"Brilliant. Who would have thought a few herbs could stir up such a fierce clash of titans?"
The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
Fu Shanyue didn't think much of it, but when He Lingchuan laid eyes on the man, his pupils constricted violently and his scalp tingled.
Tall in stature, with resolute features and an imposing bearing.
Another old acquaintance.
Never in his wildest dreams had He Lingchuan expected to run straight into him here.
This cursed coincidence!
Fu Shanyue recognized him as well and asked in surprise, "General Hong, when did you return to Lingxu City?"
"Last month." The man's gaze burned hot, fixed squarely on He Lingchuan as though trying to bore a hole through him. When he had first entered the hall, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him and had rubbed them repeatedly before confirming it.
Seeing this, Fu Shanyue asked immediately, "You two know each other?"
He Lingchuan said nothing. His fists clenched tightly within his sleeves, his back stiffening under the sudden surge of danger.
The man, however, replied, "We don't. Won't you make an introduction?"
"He Xiao, this is General Qingwu, Hong Chenglüe, a renowned general of our Beijia."
"General Hong, this is my special investigator, He Xiao."
In that single split second, countless thoughts flashed through He Lingchuan's mind.
Hong Chenglüe knew his background!
Hong Chenglüe had a blood feud with him!
What should he do now? Turn and flee, or draw his blade and strike?
Should he hold his ground and do nothing?
There was no way Hong Chenglüe was as blind as Nian Zanli. How would he handle him?
"Investigator?" Hong Chenglüe seemed to be steadying his breath. "Investigating what case?"
"The elixir of immortality case. Have you heard of it?"
Hong Chenglüe nodded slowly. "So it was investigated by *He Xiao*! Young and promising indeed. Wherever did Your Highness find such talent?"
He laid heavy emphasis on the name "He Xiao."
"He's from the Fu Kingdom."
Hong Chenglüe let out a long "Oh... The Fu Kingdom."
It was deep autumn. He Lingchuan felt nothing but biting chill filling his lungs, yet he forced a smile toward Hong Chenglüe. "What brings General Hong to Dun Garden?"
Having spotted him first, Hong Chenglüe had already calmed his initial surge of excitement. "I heard that this Dun Garden auction has boundless gold. Even if I can't afford to buy it, I wanted to come see the excitement."
Fu Shanyue recalled the treasure as well. "Right, the boundless gold auction is indeed worth seeing. Has it started yet?"
"It starts shortly, in Hanxiang Hall." Hong Chenglüe even managed a smile. "Shall we go take a look together?"
The others had no objections, so they walked down the steps and headed for Hanxiang Hall.
Along the way, Hong Chenglüe inquired about the elixir of immortality case.
This was Fu Shanyue's proudest accomplishment, so he answered every question.
Having stared death in the face multiple times in both reality and the realm of souls, He Lingchuan also swiftly shook off the initial shock and tension, even chiming in with a few remarks as Fu Shanyue gave his explanations.
Since Hong Chenglüe hadn't immediately exposed his identity or pointed a spear at him, there was still room to maneuver.
For now, he could only take things one step at a time.
Bizarrely, the conversation between the three of them was rather harmonious.
Fu Shanyue asked further, "The eastern front is growing tense. What are your plans lately, General Hong?"
"None as yet." Hong Chenglüe's smile grew a bit stiff. "I haven't been back long. A lucrative posting like marching off to war might not fall to me right now."
Just as Fu Shanyue had noted earlier, Beijia had generals in abundance yet had enjoyed peace for so long. Opportunities to amass military merits were scarce, so who wouldn't want to lead troops to the east?
Hearing this, He Lingchuan's mind raced.
……
Hanxiang Hall was packed with distinguished figures.
He Lingchuan looked up. The previous batch of lots had already been removed, and new items were being arranged on the stage. A few people appeared to exchange words with the auctioneer on the platform, and the auctioneer nodded repeatedly.
Before everyone had even taken their seats, the auctioneer called out loudly:
"Lot Number 1111, an unidentified curio resembling an ox horn, is now up for bidding!"
He Lingchuan was taken aback.
Wasn't this the very item the divine bone necklace had taken a fancy to earlier? Didn't the attendant beside the display case say it would be auctioned at Tianyu Tower? Why had it been moved to Hanxiang Hall?
Still, lots being swapped between halls and schedules at the last minute was entirely common, so he didn't dwell on it.
Just then, two old friends of Fu Shanyue walked up to greet him, clasping arms and exchanging pleasantries.
Without Fu Shanyue acting as a buffer between them, Hong Chenglüe's gaze shifted immediately onto He Lingchuan. "A word?" With that, he glanced toward a corner.
The main hall of Hanxiang Hall was vast. As the bidding had already begun, the crowd clustered in the center, leaving only attendants and guards standing in the corners.
He Lingchuan drew a light breath and followed him over.
The stage area was bustling and noisy, but he had no heart to listen.
Once no one was nearby, Hong Chenglüe said, "You spy. You certainly have guts."
"Foreigners traveling in Beijia come from all corners of the world. Are they all spies?" By this point, He Lingchuan had completely regained his composure. A cup of fine wine sat beside him, but he refrained from making any move that might provoke Hong Chenglüe.
"After the Battle of the Han River, I've always regretted not giving He Chunhua a couple more slashes." Hong Chenglüe had believed he had slain his nemesis with his own hands, yet he had not. "Only after returning to Beijia did I hear that He Chunhua was still alive. Heaven has been merciful after all, sending you right before me!"
"I'll kill you and send your head to He Chunhua. In due time, I'll send him on his way to join you!" The venom in his eyes threatened to erupt, and surges of qi churned around him, ready to unleash thunderous fury at any second.
He Lingchuan rallied his true qi at once, the Fusheng saber ready to leap into his hand. Having crossed blades with Hong Chenglüe before, he knew just how terrifying a full-powered strike from this man was.
Even if they weren't in the midst of ten thousand troops.
In that instant, endless thoughts raced through He Lingchuan's mind. If Hong Chenglüe truly threw caution to the wind and struck by force inside Dun Garden, how was he going to parry it?
The difficulty of this battle was greater than fighting Fan Sheng at Baishaqu.
Even if he managed to hold his own against Hong Chenglüe, how could he handle the endless troubles that would follow?
Sensing the daggers drawn and the murderous intent permeating the air between them, the surrounding attendants instinctively stepped back two paces, not even considering stepping in to mediate.
Yet just at that moment, a tiny creature suddenly flew between them and spoke in human tongue:
"Greetings, guests! Would you like tea, or wine?"
It was a tiny figure half an arm tall, its wings fluttering like a hummingbird's, holding a tray bearing teacups and wine goblets.
Were it not for being completely focused on guarding against Hong Chenglüe before him, He Lingchuan might have been astonished, wondering if he had walked onto the wrong stage for an elf-like creature to appear here.
He had indeed heard that in the giant forests of the west, there was a kind of tree spirit that was humanoid in shape with four wings on its back, capable of speaking human language after training.
In reality, however, this tiny figure had a stiff, expressionless face, lifeless eyes, and somewhat rigid movements—evidently not a living creature.
In fact, it wasn't just this one. Seven or eight other tiny figures were flitting about nearby, serving tea and wine to the guests, while others brought chewing tobacco and pastries.
Yet the unexpected arrival of this little thing abruptly broke the clash of qi entangled between Hong Chenglüe and He Lingchuan.
That hair-trigger tension suddenly receded.
The two stood staring at each other wide-eyed in complete silence.
Both had cooled down.
Amusingly, the little tree spirit hovered motionless between them as well.
After a long pause, He Lingchuan reached out and picked up a cup of wine.
This gesture signified his intention to call a truce.
He said in earnest, "A-Jin's death had nothing to do with me."
Hong Chenglüe sneered savagely. "The war between Zhao Pan and Nian Zanli had nothing to do with my wife, A-Jin, either! Why did He Chunhua have to get her killed?"
He Lingchuan sighed deeply. "The lethal poison she swallowed wasn't given by us."
A-Jin swallowing poison was something no one could have anticipated.
The murderous intent in Hong Chenglüe's eyes did not fade. "I know. That's why Wu Qing is already dead."
Wu Qing had been the contact Beijia assigned to him, as well as the person who gave Hanjiu Powder to A-Jin. Hong Chenglüe had bided his time in the Yuan Kingdom, and only after returning to Beijia and being restored to his official post did he kill Wu Qing.
Once his post and power were returned to him, killing that man was as easy as butchering a dog.
"If not for that man's deliberate actions, A-Jin would never have gotten her hands on genuine lethal poison. So—" He Lingchuan lowered his voice, "—the one who killed A-Jin was the very Beijia behind you."
When he was at He Chunhua's side back then, he had still been green and hadn't thought of this layer.
Now, looking back on the past with more experience under his belt, it wasn't hard to uncover the truth.
Chapter 562