He Lingchuan continued, "Later, the Emperor bestowed it upon the Crown Prince of Chiyan, because the Crown Prince of Lingxu accidentally burned down..."
Before he could finish, Yu Zecheng cut him off. "The Panshan Residence!"
He remembered! During the elixir of immortality case that had shaken Lingxu City the previous year, the Crown Prince of Lingxu had actually stormed into the private estate of the Crown Prince of Chiyan to kill and commit arson, solely to vent Madame Cen's anger!
The word "accidentally" was utterly dripping with irony.
The Ruler of Chiyan had been furious, submitting an official memorial to the Emperor demanding an explanation.
The South City Posthouse, the Panshan Residence, Pianxiang Villa—all these places were tied to the Crown Prince of Chiyan and the elixir of immortality case!
Yu Zecheng stared at the young man before him, his gaze taking on a strange glint. "Wait. You couldn't possibly be connected to the elixir of immortality case, could you?"
He Lingchuan gave a rueful sigh. "I truly wish I wasn't. Alas, I took on a commission from the Crown Prince of Chiyan, starting the investigation from the case of a missing courier. At the time, I had no inkling it would get so deeply entangled. If I had known, I never would have accepted the job."
Yu Zecheng was finally shaken, blurting out, "You were the Special Envoy of Chiyan back then? You're He..."
Right, this kid's surname was He!
He Lingchuan scratched his head. "Back then, I went by He Xiao."
The Beijia guards behind Yu Zecheng exchanged glances, dumbfounded. To think that out here in a forgotten corner of the sea, amidst an obscure archipelago, they would encounter one of Lingxu City's most talked-about figures of the past!
Before the Heavenly Palace catastrophe last year, the most widely known names in Lingxu City—aside from Crown Prince Fu Shanyue of Chiyan—had been none other than Chiyan's Special Envoy, He Xiao.
Entangled in the elixir of immortality case, even the Crown Prince of Chiyan had suffered setback after setback in Lingxu City. Yet as the key figure investigating the case in its early stages, He Xiao had stood right at the eye of the most perilous storm. He had indeed faced mortal peril time and again, but in the end, he seemed to have emerged completely unscathed.
That outcome had defied many people's expectations.
He Lingchuan continued, "I stayed in Lingxu City for several months, but I never met you, Mister Yu."
"A month before the elixir of immortality case broke, I was reassigned to the eastern front, so I never had the chance to meet you." Yu Zecheng looked intrigued. "Many believed you returned to Chiyan to take up an official post. How did you end up drifting out to such a remote place tens of thousands of li away?"
"The Crown Prince of Chiyan made a sincere offer, but by nature I am a drifter who treats the four seas as home. I am simply not cut out for officialdom." He Lingchuan could clearly sense that the moment he revealed his former identity, the way Yu Zecheng and his men looked at him changed at once, their arrogance giving way to restraint.
Anyone who could roll through the great vortex of the imperial capital and survive unscathed amid the machinations of National Preceptor Qingyang, National Preceptor Shuangye, the Emperor, and the celestial gods was certainly no ordinary character!
Respect had to be earned, and He Xiao was well worth viewing in a whole new light.
"Besides, after surviving the elixir of immortality case by a hair several times over, I lost whatever appetite I had for court politics," He Lingchuan said with a sigh. "Far better to live among the lakes and rivers, unfettered and carefree."
Yu Zecheng remained silent for a moment before saying, "You see things with great clarity, He Xiao."
As an official himself, how could he not know the petty, groveling sordidness of officialdom? He Lingchuan's words resonated deeply with him. Alas, very few people could ever truly break away, and he was not one of them.
Just then, a maidservant brought in sweet soup, setting a bowl before each of them.
He Lingchuan lifted his bowl. "Using soup in place of wine, allow me to toast you, Mister Yu."
Yu Zecheng smiled, raising his bowl in return, and took a spoonful to taste.
"Not bad. Refreshingly sweet."
"This is sweet osmanthus baby taro," He Lingchuan introduced. "Osmanthus grown in the Yangshan Archipelago, baby taro freshly dug on Suoding Island, blended with a touch of lotus root powder." The sweet aroma of the osmanthus combined with the thick, smooth texture of the lotus root starch made the soft, tender baby taro extraordinarily satisfying.
The two chatted and laughed for a bit longer. The atmosphere had turned warm and harmonious, completely shedding the previous air of mutual deception.
Finally, Yu Zecheng said, "In that case, I will trouble you to arrange a meeting for me with Zhu Erniang."
He Lingchuan readily agreed. "I will do my utmost to help clear up this misunderstanding between you two."
Yu Zecheng added, "The island scenery here is charming. May I stay for a while?"
"Of course you may." He Lingchuan was exceptionally magnanimous. "Suoding Island welcomes travelers from all directions. Please make yourself at home, Mister Yu, and stay as long as you like."
With business concluded, He Lingchuan rose to take his leave. Wang Fubao followed closely behind him as they departed.
Watching their backs disappear past the courtyard gate, one of the Beijia guards behind Yu Zecheng finally spoke: "My lord..."
"Shh!" Yu Zecheng raised a hand to cut him off and directly cast a ward. "We are on someone else's turf. Watch your words."
"Understood," the guard said. "To think Island Master He is He Xiao. My lord, our mission...?"
"The mission proceeds as planned," Yu Zecheng replied, his expression hardening. "His identity changes nothing."
The men assented, and the guard asked further, "Since he is harboring the spider demon, could he be its accomplice?"
Yu Zecheng's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
The situation here was rather complicated, and the current clues were not enough to draw a conclusion.
***
Returning to his office on Suoding Island, He Lingchuan summoned an egret to deliver a message to Pansi Cave.
The mirror asked him, "Since this Yu fellow works under National Preceptor Shuangye, why didn't you mention your past ties with the preceptor?"
"I can't say it. Saying it would only backfire," He Lingchuan replied, shaking his head. "National Preceptor Shuangye is cautious and leaves nothing to chance. Yu Zecheng may be his subordinate, but he doesn't necessarily know about my connection to the preceptor. Bringing it up recklessly would only displease Shuangye down the line."
National Preceptor Shuangye had served as the guarantor for the transaction between Li Qingge, Master of Songyang Mansion, and Nian Zanli. But He Lingchuan had been the one to broker that guarantee, and even fewer people knew about it.
Knowing National Preceptor Shuangye as he did, the man would never divulge unrelated secrets to his subordinates.
"However, Yu Zecheng is certain to report this back to National Preceptor Shuangye." He Lingchuan took a soft breath. "Getting past this hurdle before us is one thing, but how National Preceptor Shuangye responds is where the real crux lies!"
...
Zhu Erniang proved straightforward, and He Lingchuan worked efficiently. By the following morning, the meeting between Yu Zecheng and the spider demon was held on the western beach of Suoding Island.
He Lingchuan had originally wanted to arrange it at Fishbone Reef, but Yu Zecheng had refused, insisting on Suoding Island with its heavy foot traffic.
The supply depot was not here, but the southwestern end of Suoding Island boasted scenic views and was a frequent spot for visitors strolling about.
Naturally, He Lingchuan had not disclosed the exact location in advance, instead escorting him directly.
To show goodwill, Yu Zecheng brought only two guards.
Zhu Erniang arrived alone.
The beach was wide and open; let alone an approaching person, even a teal waddling across the sand would have been plainly visible.
Both sides had their reliance.
For Zhu Erniang, Suoding Island was He Lingchuan's home turf, which was virtually its own.
As for Yu Zecheng, having already shown his credentials as a Beijia captain, he was not afraid of He Lingchuan conspiring with Zhu Erniang to ambush him. If he died here, Beijia would never let the Yangshan Archipelago off the hook.
Even so, as the host, He Lingchuan dispatched over a hundred members of the Yangshan Guard to encircle the meeting site—both for show and for security.
This was his territory; he could deploy as many men as he pleased.
It was also a silent warning to Yu Zecheng: *Don't try anything funny. I have the numbers.*
Yu Zecheng naturally received the message, but taking in the display He Lingchuan had arrayed, he sneered inwardly.
*These are the guards of the Yangshan Archipelago?*
He had fought on the front lines of Beijia's elite armies, surviving on the edge of life and death. With a single glance, he could tell these guards were sloppy in their stance, their eyes wandering and their expressions relaxed, lacking any semblance of military discipline.
Even the courtyard guards of wealthy households were not this lax.
Right, He Xiao had only recently subjugated the archipelago's pirates. Hah, pirates were still pirates; changing into a uniform didn't make them new men.
Around He Xiao, only a handful of personal retainers could truly be considered elite.
When Yu Zecheng and He Lingchuan arrived, Zhu Erniang was already waiting. Its massive body shifted forward two paces as it said coldly, "You have some nerve, daring to stand before me!"
The Beijia people had slaughtered many of its offspring, and Zhu Erniang held grudges.
Before Yu Zecheng could speak, He Lingchuan stepped between the man and the spider, waving his hands repeatedly. "Let's not be so hot-tempered. Give me some face, both of you. Can we just talk today and leave fighting off the table?"
Zhu Erniang snorted, all twelve of its eyes locked onto Yu Zecheng. "I merely took back my own spider molt, yet you chased me to the ends of the earth! What kind of demon kingdom steals someone else's treasure and then frames the owner as a thief? Utterly shameless!"
He Lingchuan feigned surprise. "So the secret treasure stolen from the Heavenly Palace was actually your molt?"
Yu Zecheng kept his face cold. "Of course not! Zhu Erniang, stop trying to muddy the waters! Where is the accomplice who burned the Heavenly Palace, and where is the secret treasure he stole?"
Zhu Erniang answered curtly, "Isn't it still right under the Heavenly Palace's backside?"
The Beijia men were startled, only then realizing it was referring to Juju.
There was nothing wrong with that answer. The one who had wrecked half of Zhaixing Tower was the great fire spirit Juju, and the one who had snatched the Qianling Treasure Lid before everyone's eyes was also Juju.
But whose orders was Juju following, and with whom was it collaborating?
"No need to talk in circles. Who was it that breached the Mount Xu Great Formation back then and freed your shed molt?" Yu Zecheng asked sternly. "As long as you hand this person over, or even just provide their name and background, all your past offenses will be wiped clean. Beijia might even enfeoff you as a regional lord!"
Beside them, He Lingchuan nodded vigorously. "Those are certainly generous terms."
Yet Zhu Erniang's reply consisted of just three words:
"I don't know."
He Lingchuan looked anxious beside it. "Erniang, I'm trying to help you here. You have to show some sincerity."
"I'd love to give it to you, but I can't. I never saw his true face." Zhu Erniang scratched its belly with a front claw. "Heaven knows where he found out that my spider molt was pinned inside the Mount Xu Great Formation as the formation core's artifact. He came to negotiate with me, saying he could help me reclaim it. As long as I controlled the molt to leave the formation core, the formation would naturally collapse."
Yu Zecheng's brows furrowed tightly. "You agreed without even seeing his face?"
He didn't believe a single word!
"When I heard about such a great deal, why would I ever refuse?" Zhu Erniang said sarcastically. "What, someone offered to help me snatch my treasure back from robbers, and I was supposed to say no?"
"Besides, I only gave an offhand agreement. If he failed, I had nothing to lose. Who could have guessed he could actually pull it off?" Zhu Erniang gave a dry chuckle. "Plenty of people want to smash the Heavenly Palace, but has anyone succeeded in the past six hundred years? Why would I assume he was an exception?"
Chapter 965