Seeing that he still looked rather sullen, He Lingchuan asked, "You're the aggrieved party here. What is there left to worry about?"
"It involves the Crown Prince of Lingxu."
Fu Shanyue spoke only those few words, but He Lingchuan immediately grasped his meaning. "Are you worried that, because it's Crown Prince Huan, this whole farce will just be swept under the rug and end up being dropped?"
Fu Shanyue kept silent.
He didn't even need to go to Lingxiao Palace to know what the Demon Emperor was thinking.
Those in high power had no need to hold a perfectly level bowl, but they had to know how to placate the people and reduce major troubles to minor ones. In that process of weighing pros and cons, the interests of certain individuals would inevitably be sacrificed.
"That's easy to deal with."
Fu Shanyue glanced at him. "What wicked scheme has that clever mind of yours cooked up now?"
"Just bite down hard on the mastermind behind the scenes."
"The mastermind... Who?"
"Whoever you think is most likely, seize onto him and don't let go! Attack him relentlessly before the Emperor and insist he did it!" He Lingchuan said with a smile. "As for the truth—the truth doesn't matter."
"Most likely..." Fu Shanyue pondered, then broke into a vicious grin. "You're right. If I only demand an explanation from the Emperor, I'll likely just be brushed off. But if I sink my teeth into this person and refuse to let go, they'll have to scramble to prove their innocence, and this matter won't be brushed aside so easily."
He got up and stretched lazily. "Alright, I know what to do."
...
The cleanup of Panshan Residence and the compensation for the deceased were still underway, none of which required He Lingchuan's direct attention. Even so, he took out three hundred taels of silver and had the guards distribute it among the families of the victims.
The cook at Panshan Residence made exceptional pastries, especially the Chinese yam, walnut, and date cake.
The servant who tended the back garden knew he liked to practice martial arts or meditate under the tallest pear tree, so he swept and cleaned beneath it twice every day to keep it spotless.
He had even bundled together two straw dummies for He Lingchuan to practice his spear techniques on.
Decent, harmless people, yet overtaken by unwarranted disaster.
Just as He Lingchuan stepped into the inn's courtyard, Old Shan returned and handed him a slip of paper.
"Eldest Young Master, these are Zaifu Kua's Eight Characters of birth."
"Excellent." Li Qingge worked with impressive efficiency.
Old Shan had passed by Panshan Residence on his way, seen the tragic devastation with his own eyes, and only tracked He Lingchuan down here through Fu Shanyue's guards.
"Such a beautiful mansion—what a shame," Old Shan sighed. "The Marquis told me to ask if Eldest Young Master needs anything. Please do not hesitate to ask."
He Lingchuan shook his head. "Thank the Marquis for me, but it's best if we each handle our own business."
"The Marquis also instructed me to inform you that Zaifu Kua will be coming down to the lower city in two days."
He Lingchuan was genuinely surprised. "Has your Marquis's intelligence network grown this formidable already?"
Even though Zaifu Kua was a retired official, he still lived on the Floating Isle. The gulf between the upper and lower cities was as wide as a chasm. Could Li Qingge, an outsider and leader of a Daoist sect, truly track Zaifu Kua's exact itinerary days in advance within a single day?
*If she had such capability, why couldn't she deal with Nian Zanli?* He Lingchuan felt a flicker of doubt.
Old Shan waved his hands with a chuckle. "The Marquis is no immortal, nor does she have informants planted in the Zaifu household. How could she know everything? She simply sent Zaifu Kua an invitation, inviting him to an appraisal gathering hosted by Songyang Mansion three days from now."
"Brilliant!" Li Qingge had turned passivity into initiative with a single stroke, prompting He Lingchuan to give a thumbs-up. "Did Zaifu Kua agree?"
"The Marquis also invited numerous luminaries along with several of Zaifu Kua's close friends, and mentioned that Songyang Mansion's new creations could be brought home for a trial, with a full refund guaranteed if he wasn't satisfied. Lord Zaifu gladly accepted." Old Shan asked, "The Marquis wishes to know: how should she coordinate with Eldest Young Master's plan when the time comes?"
"Me?" He Lingchuan took a large mouthful of strong tea, rinsed vigorously, and spat it out. "I won't be going."
"..." Old Shan froze.
The Eldest Young Master made one request, and the Marquis went through all the trouble of organizing an appraisal gala just to bring the man he wanted right to them. Yet the principal party himself wasn't going?
"I need to avoid suspicion and cannot show my face there," He Lingchuan said solemnly. "Please ask the Marquis to help collect Zaifu Kua's hair, blood, or a cup he drinks from—anything bearing traces of his body—and have it brought to me as soon as possible."
Old Shan committed it to memory. "I shall deliver the message immediately."
"Be careful when leaving the inn," He Lingchuan cautioned him. "There's no telling how many eyes are watching this place right now."
...
Barely had Old Shan left when Fu Shanyue hurried over, his expression grave. "The Emperor has issued a decree summoning both of us to the Heavenly Palace at once!"
He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat. Pointing at his own nose, he asked, "The Emperor wants me to go as well?"
"Did I not make myself clear?" Fu Shanyue urged him. "Hurry and change your clothes. Put on something formal. Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
"Why would he summon me?"
Fu Shanyue snapped, "Go ask the Emperor to his face! Why ask me?"
As He Lingchuan changed his outer robe, he asked, "When you usually seek an audience with the Emperor, is it at the Heavenly Palace?"
"Usually it's at Lingxiao Peak. That's the Emperor's palace, where he conducts state affairs and takes his rest." Fu Shanyue frowned as well. "Crown Prince Huan committed murder and arson—what does that have to do with the Heavenly Palace?"
Why would the Emperor receive them in the Heavenly Palace?
Never mind, overthinking was useless. Even if the Emperor wished to summon them in the middle of the Grass Sea, they would have no choice but to scurry all the way there.
Yet the first thought that leaped into He Lingchuan's mind was: *The celestial gods have their eyes on me!*
At the thought of countless pairs of eyes staring down at him with malice from the void, his heart plummeted into an icy abyss, and cold sweat seeped into his palms.
*Should I just flee right now?*
*Make an excuse to visit the latrine, mount the bighorn ram, and quietly slip out of the city?*
The moment this thought surfaced, it grew wildly, nearly uncontrollable.
Lingxu City was enormous. Even if the Heavenly Palace realized he had fled, as long as he moved fast enough, there was still a decent chance he could make it out before the city was locked down.
And then?
What would he do then?
His heart thudded frantically against his ribs, urging him to turn and run. It was the primal, visceral instinct of facing sheer terror.
"He Xiao?" Fu Shanyue noticed that he had frozen after putting on his clothes, his belt still untied. He called out again, "He Xiao! Hey, what are you daydreaming about?"
He Lingchuan shuddered, snapping back to his senses.
*No!*
If the Heavenly Palace were certain the Dafang Pot was on him, they would simply send men to seize him right now. Wouldn't that be swifter, more convenient, and far truer to the style of the celestial gods?
Why bother having the Emperor issue a decree for Fu Shanyue to bring him up Mount Xu?
Delays invited disaster, after all.
*So this is still primarily a probe?*
*Or is it simply meant to pacify us?*
"The Heavenly Palace guards are already waiting outside—over two hundred of them. They call it an escort, but to me it looks more like they're escorting prisoners," Fu Shanyue urged again. "Hurry it up. Very few people in this world dare to keep them waiting for long."
He Lingchuan's hands slowed.
The Heavenly Palace had sent a full guard detachment? Was it to keep them from fleeing?
In that case, the inn was likely surrounded on all sides. Even if he wanted to run, he couldn't.
"I'm fine." He Lingchuan forced a smile. "I've been wanting to visit Zhaixing Tower and broaden my horizons anyway."
If he ran now, wouldn't that confirm their suspicions?
When that happened, the wrath of the Emperor and the dread might of the celestial gods would fall squarely upon him alone.
Besides, could he really escape?
It was an inescapable dragnet!
Taking a hundred steps back, even if he managed to escape Lingxu City right now, the Beijia Kingdom was vast, and prying eyes lurked everywhere in the heavens and on earth. How far could he run? How long could he hide?
Unless he became like Xi Yunhe...
Yet Xi Yunhe had someone secretly aiding him from the shadows. If He Lingchuan fled now, he would have no one to rely on but himself.
He Lingchuan mentally reviewed everything he had said in front of Bai Ziqi once more.
How many flaws could there really be?
"Let's go." He Lingchuan straightened his clothes and brushed a speck of dust from his lapel. "We mustn't keep the Emperor waiting."
Was this walking straight into a trap?
Yet if he turned and fled, not only were his odds of escaping Beijia slim, but everything he had accomplished would go down the drain.
All the leads he intended to pursue in Lingxu City would be severed here.
*Do you still remember the original purpose that brought you all the way to Lingxu City?*
Things had already reached this point.
He Lingchuan clenched his fists and told himself inwardly: *As long as I weather this trial, bright new paths will open ahead!*
...
The autumn wind to the north of Lingxu City remained as cold and biting as ever.
This journey northward was completely different from his previous sightseeing mood; he felt as though the distance had shrunk considerably. Mount Xu, which had seemed so far away, was reached before he knew it.
Summoned by the Emperor, they naturally did not have to climb the mountain on foot, instead enjoying the distinct privilege of teleportation via formation.
Specifically, they took a restricted route barred to ordinary visitors, heading straight to the base of Mount Xu's main summit—Tianshu Peak, where the Heavenly Palace stood.
There were checkpoints and garrison camps here, forming a fully equipped military outpost where unauthorized personnel were strictly forbidden.
Most important of all, nestled inside the most unassuming building here was a teleportation formation!
Using a teleportation formation was a first for He Lingchuan—like a bride mounting the sedan chair. The moment he stepped inside the room, he looked left and right.
The room was roughly a dozen square meters in size. In each of its four corners, as well as dead center, stood a half-human-tall hexagonal pillar of unknown material, dark and somber. Intricate runes hovered off the pillars, glowing as they slowly circled them.
The formation etched into the floor was a perfect circle, every line shimmering with faint blue light. He Lingchuan had seen similar formation diagrams during his lessons in Panlong City, though those had been far more intricate.
The formation at the foot of Tianshu Peak seemed much simpler by comparison.
Yet when He Lingchuan tried to commit it to memory, he found it impossible to retain the flow of the patterns.
It was a classic case of forgetting the moment he looked away.
It was not due to poor memory, but because the formation had protective warding around it, preventing anyone from taking in the whole picture.
Fu Shanyue pointed at the formation. "This is a small one. It can only transport a few people at a time."
"There are larger ones?"
Before Fu Shanyue could answer, an escorting guard snapped, "Military secrets are not to be discussed lightly!"
Fu Shanyue sneered and held his tongue.
He Lingchuan knew what he meant. With personnel moving up and down Tianshu Peak and supplies being hauled so frequently, there naturally had to be larger teleportation formations.
Likely more than one, in fact.
It was just that these guards had basked in the divine aura and imperial majesty of Tianshu Peak for so long that even though they were merely lift operators, their tone was puffed up with self-importance.
Naturally, Fu Shanyue wouldn't lower himself to bicker with mere gatekeepers.
The two stepped into the formation and stood around the central stone pillar. Fu Shanyue pressed a hand against the pillar. The blue light beneath their feet flared brilliantly, and the scenery before their eyes blurred abruptly.
Even He Lingchuan felt a slight wave of dizziness.
Yet this sensation lasted for less than two breaths before their surroundings transformed completely.
Chapter 590