He Lingchuan began to spin a half-truth. "Do you know about the ruins of Thousand Stars City?"
"I do. The ancient capital of the Yuan Kingdom." It was renowned throughout the realm because of the war of annihilation over a century ago.
"Over the ruins of Thousand Stars City, phantoms occasionally appear after fierce sandstorms and downpours, reenacting the final war that destroyed the Yuan Kingdom." He Lingchuan shrugged. "What I saw was much the same, only it happened elsewhere."
Fang Canran licked his lips. Even knowing the boy was baiting him, he could not help asking, "Where?"
"Not within Beijia," He Lingchuan smiled. "Further west. Much further west."
"What did you see?"
"I saw Shao Jian traveling through an ancient city. Ah, over a century ago, that place was exceptionally prosperous. While not rivaling Lingxu City, it was more orderly and affluent than most cities."
To pry Fang Canran's mouth open, He Lingchuan had to convince him that they both shared ties with Shao Jian.
Anyone familiar with Shao Jian's life could easily deduce what "ancient city west of Beijia" he meant.
"I also saw Shao Jian conversing with a friend in a secret room, saying he had a seven-year-old daughter. Her pet name was Yanzi, and her formal name was Yingying." He Lingchuan spoke at an unhurried pace. "He beamed so broadly his eyes vanished into creases, practically brimming with pride."
He sighed softly. "Though obsessed with vengeance himself, he only hoped his daughter, Shao Yingying, would live a peaceful, smooth life, ordinary as could be." He Lingchuan still remembered the way Shao Jian's eyes had shone whenever he mentioned his daughter.
Fang Canran fell silent. "What else?"
"He said that while taking his daughter to the West Street temple fair in Linhe City of the Xuan Kingdom, he sought out a fortune-teller. The prophecy given to him was the very fourteen words I recited earlier." At this point, He Lingchuan put on a sudden look of realization. "Oh, that's right. The Xuan Kingdom collapsed long ago. Who knows if that Linhe City even still stands?"
Thus, the moment Fang Canran heard the name "Linhe City," he knew He Lingchuan had been toying with him.
Fang Canran swallowed hard, pondering for a long while before asking, "Which is to say, seeing all this was purely by chance, completely unrelated to your coming to Lingxu City?"
"As you know, I was commissioned by the Chiyan Crown Prince to investigate a case. Coming to Lingxu City was merely a twist of fate," He Lingchuan enunciated every syllable. "But when I saw that ring on your finger, I felt I had to get to the bottom of it."
Fang Canran countered immediately, "Why get to the bottom of it? What does Shao Jian have to do with you?"
"There's a connection, of course," He Lingchuan said in a low voice. "He never stood at the forefront of history, yet he disrupted the order of the divine realm. Broadly speaking, what he did touched everyone. Thanks to him, the rate at which spiritual energy is vanishing between heaven and earth slowed. From over a hundred years ago until sixty years ago, Emperor's Flowing Dew was a frequent visitor to the mortal world."
Fang Canran listened blankly, an emotional tempest raging within his chest.
Truth be told, the connections between the divine realm and the mortal world, between Emperor's Flowing Dew and spiritual energy, were not shocking secrets among truly high-ranking figures. After all, there was no shortage of clever minds in the world, and those in the know simply feigned ignorance while knowing full well.
Yet the fact that He Xiao could pinpoint the link between Emperor's Flowing Dew and Shao Jian was truly terrifying!
That meant the youth before him possessed an extraordinary grasp of Shao Jian's life and convictions.
Fang Canran even felt entirely transparent in front of He Xiao. The dread of having eight generations of his ancestry laid bare chilled his heart to the core.
Where had such a person come from to puncture his carefully guarded secrets one after another?
He Lingchuan locked eyes with him and continued, "I say all this so Chief Manager Fang understands that I harbor no malice toward you. Otherwise, I would have reported you to the Heavenly Palace long ago. You know full well the attitude the celestial gods and the Demon Emperor hold toward the descendants of the Yuan Kingdom, especially anyone associated with Shao Jian. Regardless of whether I spoke the truth, they would seize you on the spot and interrogate you mercilessly!"
Had Fang Canran not suddenly struck out at him, He Lingchuan would have preferred to watch cautiously from the shadows, as he already had enough troubles of his own.
Since Fang Canran had broken the ice first, He Lingchuan chose to ride the current. He did not demand that Shao Jian's descendant become his friend, but he did need allies.
He had far too little support in Lingxu City. Worse still, his current undertaking could not possibly be completed alone.
Fang Canran had labored diligently in Lingxu for years, amassing resources and connections countless times richer than his own. He would make an invaluable helper if enlisted.
Of course, both sides first required a foundation of honest mutual trust—by far the hardest step to take.
Fang Canran said nothing.
Just as He Xiao had said, whenever anything touched upon the ancient Yuan Kingdom, Lingxu City turned rabidly unreasonable; its reaction could only be described as acute hysteria. Never mind mentioning the name "Shao Jian"...
This youth also seemed acquainted with the Heavenly Palace's Duyun Emissary. If he dropped just a few words in Bai Ziqi's ear, thunderous wrath would descend instantly.
The Chief Manager of the Jinjiao clan sounded mighty and influential to ordinary folk, but against divine wrath, he was utterly worthless!
Many thoughts raced through his mind. "Why didn't you report me?"
"No matter what others say, I admire Master Shao's character, and I certainly have no wish to see his descendants persecuted again," He Lingchuan said gravely. "Of course, we still need to settle the score for the losses you caused me tonight."
"..." Fang Canran felt a surge of relief. Now that the discussion had turned to money, his greatest crisis was behind him. "Naturally. I will offer Young Master He fifty thousand taels to soothe your shock."
Everything was negotiable once money was on the table. Only a few days ago, He Lingchuan had taken frost-patterned silver on credit from Li Qingge. "That flash bomb you threw earlier was quite handy. What's it called?"
"A Soul-Shocking Bomb." Fang Canran swallowed. "I have two left, acquired from out of town over a decade ago."
"I want five." He Lingchuan pointed toward the shattered mirror by the door. "This Heart-Piercing Mirror can be repaired, can't it?"
"...I'll find someone to see if it can be fixed."
"Fine. Once repaired, it's mine as well."
The treasures this brat demanded were all outrageously expensive. Yet what right did Fang Canran have to refuse now?
"By the way, I will need a great deal of intelligence in the future. Chief Manager Fang, you have so many channels and broad connections..." He dragged out the final words meaningfully.
He was giving Fang Canran an opportunity; the man had better prove useful.
Fang Canran closed his eyes briefly. "I will do my utmost to investigate whatever you require."
Seeing that he had secured basically all the concessions he wanted, He Lingchuan rubbed his hands together. "Very well. If Brother Fang makes no further trouble for me, we can shake hands and make peace, treating tonight as though nothing happened. How about it?"
Fang Canran stared at him for a long time before nodding. "It's a deal!"
He Lingchuan grabbed the knot on his arm and gave a gentle tug. The intricate binding came undone on its own so swiftly that Fang Canran could not even tell what had happened before feeling a sudden lightness at the nape of his neck—
He Lingchuan had drawn out the silver needles blocking his acupoints.
Fang Canran rotated his wrists, his gaze at He Lingchuan filled with complex, inscrutable emotion.
Though he had doubted the youth would commit murder at Yuexiang Villa, being released so cleanly despite the other party holding absolute dominance still caught Fang Canran off guard—wealth and magic artifacts were merely worldly possessions, after all.
On the surface, it appeared to be a show of good faith from He Lingchuan.
Yet Fang Canran understood that generosity stemmed from absolute confidence: confidence that he could manipulate Fang Canran at any time, with no fear of retaliation.
Just as He Lingchuan had said, dealing with Fang Canran was trivial; he needed only report Shao Jian's descendant to the Heavenly Palace. Fang Canran, on the other hand, held not a single shred of leverage over him.
Anyone else might have blackmailed him within an inch of his life.
Yet this youth...
*Alas, how did I lose so utterly tonight?* Fang Canran sighed inwardly, counting out fifty thousand taels in banknotes and handing them over. "Here is the money first. The rest must be prepared, and I will present them in a few days."
This was a tacit admission that he possessed at least five Soul-Shocking Bombs.
The fire in the sunken hearth had been smoldering steadily, keeping the room as warm as spring.
Fang Canran grabbed a cast-iron kettle, stepped outside to draw a pot of spring water, set it over the hearth fire to boil, and then picked up a persimmon from the table, offering one to He Lingchuan. "Care for a four-corner persimmon? It's from the two-hundred-year-old tree out back, wonderfully sweet."
This variety of persimmon had distinct longitudinal grooves running down its skin, making the whole fruit resemble a small cube rather than round like ordinary persimmons.
He Lingchuan waved a hand. "I dare not. The antidote pill I took has already worn off."
Fang Canran offered an embarrassed smile and bowed with hands clasped. "I offended you earlier, and I hope Young Master He will forgive me!" He then personally pulled up a chair. "Please, have a seat."
This man adjusted his mindset remarkably fast. Curious to see what he would say next, He Lingchuan sat down without uttering a word.
Fang Canran spoke with a serious expression. "I can see that Young Master He is a man of secrets—just like me."
Both had been feeling each other out relentlessly. "If we cannot establish genuine mutual trust, any conversation, like the one earlier at Pianxiang Villa, is merely a waste of time."
He Lingchuan nodded. Without a foundation of trust, there was no way to engage in any deeper exchange.
"In that case, I have a suggestion." Fang Canran rose and went upstairs, returning a dozen breaths later with something in his hands.
He Lingchuan was somewhat surprised, for the Chief Manager had brought down a pair of manacles!
"What is this?"
Fang Canran tossed the manacles into the hearth fire, fished them out dozens of breaths later, and placed them into He Lingchuan's hands.
They were cold.
Not a trace of the flames' heat had transferred to the manacles.
"This is a fine treasure called the Chain of Oaths. It was obtained five years ago from an overseas thaumaturge, one of only two pairs in existence."
He Lingchuan lifted them to inspect. The two manacles were a somber, heavy black, and the chain connecting them was carved with countless inscriptions, all written in the immortal language.
"An ancient relic?"
"And still fully functional." Fang Canran pointed at it. "The moment you took hold of the chain, you felt the prompt, didn't you? This wondrous item was forged in a Demon Heart Furnace. Two parties entering a covenant or transaction each don one cuff and swear an oath over it. If either party fails to carry it out or breaches the vow, they will suffer severe retribution, immediately devoured by their own inner demons and killed. Not even ancient immortals could withstand such punishment, which is why they were widely used for covenants, with very few surviving to this day. Furthermore, if a deadline is set, any party intentionally stalling will also be penalized."
To think such a treasure existed! He Lingchuan understood. "Mr. Fang wishes to establish an agreement with me?"
No wonder Fang Canran had not feared offending him earlier; he had planned to bring out this supreme treasure all along.
"Indeed. Let us make a gentleman's pact not to harm each other by any means—meaning neither of us may directly or indirectly attack, report, frame, or betray the other. Otherwise, that person shall perish immediately from the backlash of inner demons."
Chapter 620