The elixir of immortality case, which had once stirred up such storms in the imperial capital, ended in such an abrupt and hurried fashion, most likely because the upheaval in Lingxu City had erupted out of nowhere, stealing all the attention of the city's inhabitants.
The filth lurking in the shadows had quietly covered up the truth once more.
In that sense, He Lingchuan could even be considered a savior to National Preceptor Qingyang.
The world only envied Lingxu City's wealth and peace, worshiped only its peerless might, yet seen from He Lingchuan's perspective, it was riddled with gaping wounds.
In that regard, Lingxu City seemed no different from the Yuan Kingdom.
"And on the eastern front, Beijia suffered two defeats as well," Elder Dao said. "Hard to say if it was due to the fallout from the upheaval in Lingxu City."
"In any case, the reverberations of this shock run deep. I fear it will take a long time before everything becomes fully apparent." Elder Dao sighed with feeling. "Young Master He, you and Songyuan truly accomplished a feat unprecedented in our time."
He Lingchuan waved his hands repeatedly, wearing a modest look. "The elder flatters me. We don't possess such immense capability."
Heheh. In truth, he also felt pulling off that stunt hadn't been easy at all—he had carried his head on his belt the whole time.
Then he recalled something else. "Right. Since National Preceptor Qingyang was demoted to a commoner, who will take over the post of National Preceptor of the Azure Palace?"
The position of National Preceptor was of paramount importance; Lingxu City could not leave it vacant for long.
"How could it happen so quickly?" Elder Dao smiled. "I hear there are thirty or forty candidates being pushed before the Demon Emperor... Ahem, that might be an exaggeration, but factions of all stripes are pushing their candidates with everything they have, each hoping their own man will get the seat."
"Lingxu City has a well-established system. Shouldn't the master of the Azure Palace have had a designated successor long ago?" Given National Preceptor Qingyang's advanced age, had Lingxu City never planned for her successor?
"There were, all exceptionally talented people. But most of them had past ties with National Preceptor Qingyang, and after this affair, none of them can be used anymore." In a single sentence, Elder Dao laid bare the cruelty of power struggles. The prospects of so many talents had been cut short by an unforeseen disaster. "The selection process must start all over from scratch."
"Around this matter, I hear denunciations and accusations have been pouring in without end. Leaving the other candidates aside, even Nie Xiaolou, the highly respected dean of Tongshan Academy, was detained over it and spent fifteen days eating prison fare. Scholars from several academies and the Imperial College joined forces to submit a petition arguing Nie Xiaolou's innocence, and the students of Tongshan Academy even gathered before the imperial court to plead for the Demon Emperor to release him."
"Furthermore, after the Lingxu Incident, the Demon Emperor wielded thunderous wrath to order a sweeping purge across Lingxu's court and commons, arresting traitors, rooting out evildoers, and digging out deep-cover spies." Elder Dao clicked his tongue twice. "Once that decree came down, everyone felt in peril, and anonymous denunciations became the order of the day. They say that over these past few months, the Heavenly Prison and the Yang Palace atop Mount Xu have been packed to bursting, unable to squeeze in another criminal. Lingxu City had no choice but to requisition the jails in the Lower City."
"That's certainly enough trouble to keep them busy." He Lingchuan had assumed that the Heavenly Palace and Demon Emperor were making such a huge fuss merely to catch Fang Canran and the other members of Lingshan.
Little did he know that the person the Demon Emperor truly wanted to catch was him—believing the culprit behind the chaos on Mount Xu was hiding within Lingxu City's imperial court, one of his own officials!
So how could the investigation be anything less than merciless? Not a shred of a clue, not the slightest rustle in the wind could be overlooked.
How many wrongful convictions and fabricated charges must have been produced along the way?
Elder Dao produced a jade slip. "The candidates Sect Master Xue and I would like to recommend to Young Master He are all in here. Every one of them has served in the military and earned military merits, and their characters are beyond reproach. They were all meticulously handpicked by me."
He Lingchuan took it and extended his divine sense inside.
Inside was a roster recording the backgrounds of roughly sixty people, including each person's name, specialties, past service records, divine abilities they excelled in, and so forth, in great detail.
Most importantly, they had all been on the battlefield, had killed, and had seen blood—not green disciples of Mount Rong who knew only how to train and cultivate.
Sect Master Xue and Elder Dao already regarded He Lingchuan as an ally of the same mind, one of their "own people." Knowing full well how arduous this path was, they would not recommend rookies ignorant of the ways of the world.
He Lingchuan browsed through them slowly, indeed finding several who took his fancy.
After a moment, he set down the jade slip and asked the two, "Can I specify someone?"
"Who else caught your eye?"
He Lingchuan jutted his chin toward the outside. "Qiu Hu. He must have fought quite a few battles, right?"
That man's fierce, ruthless demeanor had left a deep impression on him. If Qiu Hu didn't have an extensive record behind him, then he was simply a born killer general.
Elder Dao and Sect Master Xue exchanged a glance, seemingly not surprised at all. "As expected, you want him too."
"As expected?" He Lingchuan asked. "It seems plenty of factions have taken an interest in him. So why is he still at Mount Rong?"
"I recommended him out several times, and he caught their eye several times as well. He earned quite a few military merits and has slain no fewer than a hundred men." After all, He Lingchuan wasn't the only one with an eye for talent; unpolished jade and raw gold wouldn't wait for him alone to discover them. "Yet in the end, he was sent back every time."
"Why?"
"He has an eccentric and obstinate temperament. He hates following orders and looks down on superiors—after all, most military commanders aren't as good at fighting or brawling as he is. Worse yet, he's rather popular among the rank-and-file soldiers. Whenever he stirs up trouble, it invariably escalates into a mass brawl, so the generals had no choice but to hurry up and send him back to Mount Rong." Elder Dao stroked his long beard. "After this happened several times, we had no choice but to keep him on Mount Rong to eat idle rice."
So he was a troublemaker. Even so, He Lingchuan could hear Elder Dao's fondness for Qiu Hu.
"Qiu Hu lost both parents at a young age and was mute," Sect Master Xue added. "Elder Zhao brought him back to Mount Rong and cured his muteness. By the time he could speak, he was already eleven years old. His cultivation talent is quite peculiar. At birth, he formed a bond with a demon spirit, allowing him to tap into part of the demon spirit's power."
"Demon spirit?" This was the first time He Lingchuan had heard the term.
"In ancient times, certain great demons who were severely wounded and unwilling to perish would find a way to preserve their souls and seek humans willing to worship and make offerings to them. By transforming their souls into spirits, they could exist symbiotically with the humans' descendants, passing down through the generations."
"So Qiu Hu was accompanied by a demon spirit from birth?"
"Indeed. It was likely passed on to him by his father before he died." Sect Master Xue sighed softly. "The stronger the bonded human becomes, the more power of the demon spirit they can draw upon. Qiu Hu's natural aptitude and bone structure are superior, and his future in cultivation is bright."
"I see. What is his demon spirit?"
Sect Master Xue smiled. "You'll have to let him tell you that himself."
This was Qiu Hu's secret. If Qiu Hu didn't say it himself, it wouldn't be proper for Sect Master Xue to divulge it.
He Lingchuan said gravely, "I want this man."
Elder Dao chimed in, "We certainly agree to loan Qiu Hu out, but whether he is willing to follow you is up to him to decide."
He Lingchuan coughed lightly. "I injured him, so this..."
If Qiu Hu held a grudge over that, it would only be human nature.
He also noted that Elder Dao had said "loan" rather than "give," which showed how much Mount Rong valued Qiu Hu.
"Quite the opposite. Only if you beat him into submission will he follow you willingly." Sect Master Xue waved a hand. "However, at this particular time, I'm afraid he won't be willing to leave Mount Rong."
"Oh? Why is that?"
Chapter 754