"The air in the Fu Realm is toxic. Every expedition team has to keep a cleansing bead in their mouth," Fu Shanyue said. "Strangely enough, when monsters from the Fu Realm wander into the mortal realm and breathe our air, they become extraordinarily frantic. Even the gentlest Donao beast turns aggressive once it enters the mortal world."
"Cleansing beads?" He Lingchuan had been pondering the Fu Realm's specialty, the frost pellet. "Beads that allow a person to breathe?"
"Cleansing beads are produced in the Fu Realm. We harvest them and press them under our tongues to breathe freely. No talismans or spells we refine ourselves work there," Fu Shanyue explained. "Generally speaking, though, a single cleansing bead lasts only a quarter of an hour. You'd better have spares to replace it, or you'll have to quickly harvest new ones. Otherwise, a human suffocates within thirty breaths, falls unconscious within fifty, and then dies. Demons can endure a bit longer, but they can't escape that fate either. The annoying part is that once harvested, cleansing beads last only twelve double-hours. Once that time is up, they vaporize on their own."
"So you can't harvest and stockpile them long-term."
"Definitely not. Managing the supply of cleansing beads properly is practically an art."
He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "Each cleansing bead supports breathing for only a quarter of an hour?"
"Strictly speaking, everyone's breathing rate is different. Humans and demons breathe differently, and resting breath is different from battle. Take a giant elephant—the time it can survive on a cleansing bead is bound to be much shorter than a human's. That's why giant demons rarely take part in the Grass Sea hunt. But on average, a bead generally lasts about a quarter of an hour."
Fu Shanyue added, "Lingxu City has organized hundreds of Fu Realm hunts and has plenty of experience. These teams will always assign designated gatherers to harvest cleansing beads for the entire group."
"The Fu Realm must be dangerous, right?" If it were as safe as the sands of the Grass Sea, commoners would have crossed over long ago.
"Of course. Several centuries ago, when Lingxu City first began exploring the Fu Realm, they found the environment harsh and the strange beasts deadly. If several dozen went in, coming back with half alive was considered lucky. I heard the most terrifying year was when the vanguard ran into a massive beast tide—thirty went in, and only two made it out alive. Still, the more expeditions they made, the more experience they gained. Nowadays there's a complete set of field guides for hunting in the Fu Realm, so the danger is nowhere near what it used to be."
He chuckled. "Time flows differently on each side. Two years passing here is like seven or eight years in the Fu Realm, so new Donao beasts have already grown up. Besides, deep in the Fu Realm dwell powerful overlord-tier beings; Lingxu City's teams generally don't provoke them."
"Thirty years ago, a colossal beast crossed through the eye of the storm and stormed into the Grass Sea," Fu Shanyue said languidly. "Now that was a battle worth watching. Nearly a hundred Imperial Guards died. Fortunately, the fighting didn't reach the civilians farther back."
"How large was the floatstone it yielded?"
"Four hundred grades," Fu Shanyue explained. "It's measured using the floatstone produced by an ordinary Donao beast as one grade—roughly a purple stone the size of a goose egg."
The yield from intercepting and slaying that colossal beast was equivalent to killing four hundred ordinary Donao beasts.
Of course, the difficulty was immense.
"Fortunately, even more powerful Donao beasts can't cross over." Fu Shanyue pointed toward the colossal storm over the Grass Sea. "The barrier of space and time stops them."
He Lingchuan suddenly asked, "I saw quite a few powerful experts present today. Why haven't they entered the Fu Realm to hunt?"
"Those ranked above Mobile Cavalry General aren't allowed to enter the Fu Realm to fight," Fu Shanyue replied with a smile. "The Fu Realm is too hazardous. Lingxu City instituted this rule to keep things fair as well."
He Lingchuan nodded.
Had it not been for this rule, he might have found a way to dispose of Nian Zanli inside the Fu Realm, sparing himself a great deal of trouble later.
Fu Shanyue added, "Oh, right. I heard some news just now, though I haven't verified whether it's true."
The Grass Sea event brought together almost all the nobility and elite of the city, so rumors and news were flying around like stray arrows.
"Lu Qingzhou died suddenly," Fu Shanyue said in an undertone. "He's a direct disciple of National Preceptor Qingyang, one of her most loyal confidants."
Another incident in the Azure Palace? Moved, He Lingchuan asked, "How did he die?"
"He went home seven or eight days ago to visit his wife and children and didn't wake up the next morning. When his wife shook him, she found he'd already stopped breathing." Seeing a noble passing by, Fu Shanyue exchanged greetings before continuing, "That night, no one in the household heard the slightest sound. Even the dogs outside didn't bark."
He Lingchuan gave a thumbs-up. "Impressive methods! No clues found?"
Just looking at someone like Xi Yunhe made it clear that these National Preceptors had an excellent eye for picking disciples. Lu Qingzhou had been personally trained by National Preceptor Qingyang and was regarded as her confidant, so his wit, cultivation, and adaptability had to be far above ordinary.
Yet he had died nonetheless, silently and without a sound.
As for someone daring enough to strike at a student of National Preceptor Qingyang—and capable of pulling it off so cleanly—only one candidate came to He Lingchuan's mind.
"I heard the Azure Palace examined him. Lu Qingzhou didn't have a single mark on his body."
*Just as I thought,* He Lingchuan said to himself.
Yet National Preceptor Shuangye's plot was already nearing success. Why take the risk of killing Lu Qingzhou at this crucial juncture?
Did the man harbor some secret?
Or had he been a stumbling block in National Preceptor Shuangye's operation?
No wonder National Preceptor Qingyang looked so grim. In these recent clashes with National Preceptor Shuangye, she had been on the back foot at every turn.
The deeper He Lingchuan waded into the elixir of immortality case, the deeper the waters seemed.
"Your guess is probably the same as mine, isn't it? Well, there's no proof either way, so we might as well just enjoy the show." Fu Shanyue stood up and stretched. "I'll leave a few men here and assign two physicians to them. I'm heading back now. Coming?"
The Storm Gate would remain open for thirty days; there was plenty more to come.
"Let's go."
***
He Lingchuan was awakened by a chilly breeze.
Opening his eyes, he saw the window had been left open. Night was falling, and the evening breeze showed little mercy.
The charcoal brazier in the corner of the room had long gone out. He stood, loosened his limbs, and pushed open the door.
There were no flowers in the small courtyard; even the flowerpots were nowhere to be found. A layer of ice seemed to have formed over the water vat. Startled, He Lingchuan reached out and cracked the thin ice, only to find the goldfish underneath were still alive, merely resting at the bottom and unwilling to move.
It had been many days since he last returned to Panlong City.
The Dafang Pot seemed to know he had been surrounded by peril and bogged down by trivialities lately, so it hadn't dragged him into the dreamscape, allowing him to rest properly at night.
After all, human energy was limited. If one fretted day and night, the mind would lose its sharpness.
Yet during those nights, he had never dared to sleep soundly.
Beyond the courtyard wall, there was light.
Was Sun Fuling home?
He called out tentatively. In response, a creak came from next door as the door swung open, and Sun Fuling stepped out carrying a lantern. "You're back? You were away for quite a while this time."
Leaning over the wall, He Lingchuan grinned at her. "Sorry about that."
He didn't know how long it had been since they last met, but she was as lovely as ever. In the dim light, illuminated by the lantern, her skin seemed to glow with a fair radiance.
"Are you heading out?"
Sun Fuling was dressed in a pale-cyan padded jacket beneath a pure-white cloak, looking charming and brisk—clearly an outfit for going out.
"Going to the academy, and grabbing a meal while I'm there." She yawned and set the lantern into a wall sconce. "I knocked on your door at noon, but you weren't home."
Right, she never cooked. He Lingchuan smiled. "My treat?"
"Deal. But you have to accompany me to the academy first."
He Lingchuan returned to his room to fetch his cloak, then set out with her.
Looking out from inside the donkey cart, the streets of Panlong City felt reassuringly familiar.
Over the past few days, having weathered so many turbulent waves and dodged so many schemes in Lingxu City, his nerves had been taut at all times; he had even had to set up boundary formations before going to sleep.
Only upon entering Panlong City did his body and mind truly unwind.
That familiar warmth, the comforting feeling that everything was under control, finally returned.
This was his true home.
"What is it?" Sun Fuling noticed his expression. "You seem very tired. Has your recent mission been difficult?"
"Yeah, very difficult." He Lingchuan stretched his back. "But it's fine now that I'm home."
Sun Fuling smiled softly. "Yes, it's fine once you're back here."
Sitting so close together, her almond eyes reflected the roadside lights—a shimmering, scattered glow like ripples of sunlight over spring waters.
He Lingchuan reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from above her slender brow.
The gesture was so unthinking that even He Lingchuan froze in surprise. Sun Fuling raised an eyebrow, appearing slightly taken aback as well.
"There was a leaf," he said awkwardly.
It was truly strange. When dealing with an enchanting beauty like Li Qingge, his tongue was slick and quick.
Yet before Sun Fuling, he somehow found himself at a complete loss.
Sun Fuling looked back at him without saying a word.
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere gradually grew strange.
After who knew how long, the cart driver finally broke the impasse: "Young man, where did you say you were headed?"
An intersection was just ahead, and he didn't want to make a wrong turn.
The moment he spoke, the spell inside the cart was broken.
Sun Fuling looked away, smiled silently, and said, "Shumin Academy."
He Lingchuan cleared his throat lightly. "It's almost dark. Why are you heading back to the academy at this hour?"
Riding slowly toward the academy in the cart with Master Sun, his ears filled with the bustle of the streets, the laughter of playing children, and the distant crackle of firecrackers.
He hadn't heard that crackling sound of firecrackers in a long time; someone was likely celebrating a joyous occasion.
Beijia didn't permit firecrackers, so it lacked this kind of lively festivity.
At this moment, the danger and urgency of Lingxu City drifted far away. Time seemed to slow, and He Lingchuan regained his unhurried ease.
It had been a long time since he had felt such relaxed, tranquil peace of mind.
Sun Fuling's voice remained clear and pleasant: "Another instructor left today, so I have to cover an evening class."
"Left? Where did she go?"
"She was transferred to Yuheng City. I heard that recently, the number of Xiluo people enrolling in the former territory of Xiji has surged, leaving them short on teachers. Commander Zhong discussed it with the academy dean and wants to transfer more people over. Those students will be residents of Panlong in the future, after all."
After Panlong City conquered Xiji Kingdom, the long-oppressed Xiluo people had finally held their heads high. The "lower class," once subjected to all manner of hardship and forbidden from studying, had finally been granted the chance to step into classrooms.
"A great thing," He Lingchuan said. He was well aware of all this.
"It's just that three or four instructors left all of a sudden, so the academy is shorthanded," Sun Fuling said with a smile. "Yuheng City is being expanded, and things are bustling with activity there right now. It seems plenty of people volunteered to go."
Chapter 635