He Lingchuan blinked. "Oh? You're heading back so soon?" Excellent.
"The tone for the elixir of immortality case has been set. National Preceptor Qingyang can't escape it, nor can those seven families. Royal Father is thoroughly pleased!" It was rare for the Ruler of Chiyan to praise his eldest son so lavishly, and Fu Shanyue was still quite unaccustomed to it. "The task he assigned me is finished, and the ensuing developments are beyond my control anyway. Besides, the Demon Emperor had no choice but to deal with National Preceptor Qingyang, so he must be fuming inside. These past two days, he hasn't given me a single pleasant look. I don't want to hang around any longer just to invite his wrath!"
"Beijia is fine, but it isn't what my heart longs for," He Lingchuan smiled. "I suppose our paths must part here."
He harbored far too many secrets and karmic burdens. Lately, he was even planning to destroy the Spirit Gathering Grand Formation on Mount Xu; there was no way he could remain in Beijia afterward.
Fu Shanyue felt a tinge of reluctance. "Won't you reconsider? Returning in triumph like this, the old man will definitely reward me handsomely, and there will be plenty in it for you as well!"
"Benefits?" He Lingchuan gave him a sideways look. "What sort of benefits can you give me? Give me something practical."
Fu Shanyue rubbed his nose, looking abashed.
National Preceptor Qingyang's downfall, the cracking of the elixir of immortality case, and the collapse of the Zhongsun family—all of it came down to He Xiao discovering that living witness, Kong Jiaxiang, the temple keeper of Qingfu Temple, which provided Bai Ziqi with breakthrough evidence.
This fellow's merit was enormous. For a moment, Fu Shanyue genuinely did not know how best to thank him.
"That's why I'm telling you to come back to Chiyan with me," Fu Shanyue grunted. "Your merit is so great that I figure only Royal Father can properly reward you."
He couldn't bestow official posts himself; for now, he could only "recommend." Heaven knew whether the old man would take his recommendations for promoting people.
Fu Shanyue lacked confidence on that front.
He Lingchuan shook his head. "Forget it. I'll take a bit of a loss. Just convert it into money for me."
Fu Shanyue's face fell. "Money, money, money. It's always money with you. Just how broke are you?"
"My family doesn't own mines, and I have no revenue streams," He Lingchuan sighed. "That blaze at the Panshan Residence basically burned several hundred thousand taels of silver of mine to ashes."
"Don't you have the Xiangxue Residence now?" The Panshan Residence had burned down, but in the blink of an eye, the kid had obtained the Minister of Agriculture's Xiangxue Residence. That estate was vast, not something mere filthy lucre could buy.
"I have it, but can I sell it right now?" He Lingchuan shot him a sidelong glance. "The outside world believes it was compensation from the Minister of Agriculture to you. I don't want the house anymore. Convert it into money for me."
"...Fine, fine. I'll convert all your perks into silver," Fu Shanyue offered kindly. "Or tell me where you're headed. My family might have estates there, and I could share some with you."
"I don't even know where my road leads," He Lingchuan replied ungraciously, merely holding out an open hand. "So cash is the most practical."
Fu Shanyue rolled his eyes. "All right, all right. Let me pool it together once I get back."
Such a massive sum wasn't something he could pull out on the spot. Would an IOU do first?
Watching him ride ahead, the smile on He Lingchuan's face suddenly vanished.
With the elixir of immortality case settling like dust, Fu Shanyue, the Chiyan Crown Prince who served as his shield, was about to leave as well. From here on, all eyes across the court and the realm would surely focus on the disgraced officials, and the spotlight on "He Xiao" would rapidly fade.
In Lingxu City, he possessed neither power nor influence; he was just an ordinary civilian. Over these past two months, without the shield of the elixir of immortality case, which dignitary would have spared him a second glance?
Public attention was a passing wave. Once the public forgot about him, wouldn't the factions waiting impatiently in the shadows surge forward to settle all scores with him?
If he didn't pull off his big move and get out immediately, was he supposed to wait until they turned on him?
Still, before seeing to that major endeavor, he wanted to visit Panlong City one more time.
There were people he still wanted to see, and parting words left to say.
Light snow drifted down. It landed on the tip of his nose with a cool touch.
That touch of cold jolted He Lingchuan awake from his daze, and he found himself back in Panlong City.
He hadn't entered for quite a few days, not since he had been intensively hammering out his Mount Xu Plan. The Dafang Pot had been uncharacteristically considerate, allowing him to prepare thoroughly without distraction.
Now that the operation was imminent, he wanted to come back here one more time.
This was his home, where the people he cared about were.
If the Mount Xu operation ultimately ended in failure, this dream journey would serve as his final farewell.
At this moment, he stood inside the Martial Review Hall. It happened to be the grand arena tournament held once every fourteen days. Fierce fighting was underway on the stage, soldiers and citizens roared below, and even the streets outside were packed to bursting.
The light flurry of snow could not dampen the crowd's fervor in the slightest.
The city remained just as it had always been: passion coexisted with harshness, vitality walked hand in hand with discipline.
He also spotted Skinny shoving his way vigorously through the throng.
At the same time, Skinny saw He Lingchuan, struggling toward him like a lone fish swimming against a school of sardines. "Who are you betting on today?"
He Lingchuan swept his gaze across the stage. "One-Eye, a hundred taels."
That burly man had his left eye pierced in the Battle of Yuheng City, after which he took a new nickname. Though called One-Eye, his prowess hadn't declined at all.
Skinny drew in a sharp breath. "That much?"
In the past, Broken Saber's bets were usually five qian or one tael, never exceeding two, always masking his stinginess with the excuse of "a little wager for amusement." Why had he suddenly turned so generous?
He Lingchuan shoved ten taels of gold into his hand. "If he wins, give me a hundred and thirty taels. Keep whatever's left over to buy sweets for your nephew and niece."
If he couldn't make it back, the money would be utterly useless anyway.
"Boss He, what generosity!" Skinny praised him effusively before asking with concern, "Did something happen to you?"
"Can't I be generous without something happening?"
Skinny scratched his head. "You look an awful lot like Chopping Board did before he marched off to battle."
"'Chopping Board'?"
"A guy in our squad. Died five years ago—back then, nobody even knew where you were." Skinny had to bellow over the deafening clamor around them. "He was a bachelor. Before the big battle, he entrusted all twenty taels of his savings to me, saying that if he fell in combat, I should donate the money to build Lady Mitian's temple!"
"And then?"
"Afterward, those twenty taels went toward building the celestial god's temple. There's a brick carving in front of the shrine that was made with Chopping Board's money."
He Lingchuan punched him in the back. "Don't jinx me!"
Just then, an officer by the arena spotted He Lingchuan and asked, "Broken Saber, are you going up today?"
He Lingchuan was also an arena champion, but since his final defense window hadn't expired, he was free to choose whether to take the stage.
Better not today. He wanted to hurry home and see Sun Fuling again.
"No..." In this kind of weather, wasn't it the perfect time to pour their hearts out to one another?
He hoped doing so would bring his heart some peace.
The surroundings were so noisy that the officer didn't hear He Lingchuan's refusal, carrying on by himself, "General Red is here too."
"Oh?" General Red was here as well?
He Lingchuan poked his head past the arena edge to look, and sure enough, he saw General Red clad in light black armor, standing on the observation platform on the second floor of the central hall watching the matches.
Today she wore her Taotie mask, allowing anyone to recognize her at a glance.
No wonder every arena was packed to the brim today, and every contestant on stage fought like they were pumped full of stimulant.
It turned out they all wanted to put on a good show before General Red.
Right then, several Gale Army soldiers rushed in from the street outside, escorting a person toward the back gate of the Martial Review Hall.
Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, He Lingchuan clearly saw that the person bound tightly with ropes was a boy of fourteen or fifteen. Frail and skinny, he looked like a scrawny chick in the grip of the strapping soldiers.
Soon, a personal guard stepped up to General Red on the second floor and whispered a few words into her ear.
General Red immediately turned and walked inside.
The arrest of such a young boy was enough to stir General Red?
Curious, He Lingchuan squeezed through the crowd toward the central hall.
Guards were posted at the stairway leading up to the second floor, keeping idle bystanders away.
Naturally, He Lingchuan was no idle bystander.
When he reached the second floor, he arrived just in time to see the soldiers press the boy to his knees and report to General Red:
"This brat went mad at the South Gate. He should have been hauled off to prison, but he kept muttering that he needed to see you, shouting your honorable title, and babbling about something like Shi Nantian, Shi Nantian."
The youth's eyes were rolled back, his lips pale and purplish, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. At this moment, he was crying, "Don't kill me!"
In such snowy weather, his face was drenched in cold sweat; he was evidently terrified out of his wits.
Others couldn't see them, but He Lingchuan knew all too well that Three Corpse Worms nested along the city walls of Panlong City. They could detect anyone entering with ill intent and drive them into a frenzy. The people of Panlong City had given this affliction a down-to-earth name: "gate hysteria."
The boy's state was clearly a bout of hysteria.
Three Corpse Worms amplified the emotions buried within a person's heart and triggered a concentrated explosion; the boy's current emotion was plainly "fear."
"Shi Nan?" General Red bent down, studying the youth for a moment, then commanded, "Come out."
The youth rambled on in a low murmur to himself. Despite so many people standing before him, he seemed unable to see a single one.
To General Red's words, he gave no reaction at all.
To He Lingchuan's eyes, however, several Three Corpse Worms emerged from the boy's ears and nose at her command. They circled around General Red once and then drifted away toward the south.
It was snowing outside and devoid of sunlight, so they could drift brazenly through the open air.
Once the last Three Corpse Worm departed, the youth seemed to wake from a dream. Looking at the crowd in terror, he stammered, "Who are you? Where am I?!"
General Red asked him, "Where did you come from?"
Overawed by General Red's imposing presence, the youth blurted out instinctively, "L-Linshuang City."
He Lingchuan had heard of Linshuang. It lay further south than Baisha Bay and was outside Panlong City's territory.
"You are not a man of Xiluo?"
The youth shook his head.
"Did Shi Nan send you here?"
"Shi... Nan?" The youth looked bewildered. "Who is Shi Nan?"
He didn't even know who Shi Nan was, yet he had traveled all the way to Panlong City? This place was several hundred li from Linshuang City.
He Lingchuan noted his ragged clothing and worn-out shoes that exposed his big toe. Dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes, showing he hadn't slept in who knew how long.
"Who told you to come here?"
The youth shrank back and fell silent.
General Red let out a faint chuckle and turned around. "Everyone, step down."
The personal guards and other soldiers behind her descended the stairs to the first floor. He Lingchuan was about to turn and leave as well, but General Red said, "Broken Saber, set up a windbreak formation."
"Yes, Ma'am." Pausing in his tracks, He Lingchuan took out several bamboo tokens and stuck them into the floorboards. In short order, he set up a windbreak formation around the prisoner and General Red; otherwise, the windowless second floor of the central hall was drafty on all four sides.
Chapter 678