Chapter 558: Narrowly Escaping Disaster
“If he were sent out to serve locally as a county magistrate or commandery administrator, that would take too long. A scion of an official family like Zhongsun Mou can simply go on an inspection tour under the title of touring commissioner. That way, he gets to supervise local governance and pad his resume at the same time. It kills two birds with one stone. Best of all, once the inspection is over, the post of touring commissioner can be taken back.”
He Lingchuan understood at once. “So it’s a gilding trip.”
“That description is spot-on.” Li Qingge laughed. “Still, touring commissioners have retained the right to submit memorials directly to the Lord Emperor. A few years ago, I met a touring commissioner from Lingxu City in Zhuolu Commandery. That man had more pomp in Xia Province than even the Governor-General of Xia Province himself. Every official along the route received him with the highest ceremony, fussing over him more attentively than they ever would their own parents. He even traveled with eight escort carriages clearing the way, and everywhere he passed, it was song, dance, and spectacle.”
He Lingchuan clicked his tongue twice. “Are they hoping that the touring commissioner will put in a few good words for them to the Lord Emperor?”
“No, you’re wrong.” Li Qingge wagged two slender fingers. “They’re hoping the touring commissioner will say fewer bad things about them to the Lord Emperor.”
He Lingchuan fell silent.
“So, all in all, Zhongsun Mou was just another mediocre scion in Lingxu City?”
“While I don’t consider him particularly good, he wasn’t actually all that bad either. If anything, then he’s about average.” Li Qingge nodded. “There are official scions like him everywhere in Lingxu City. Outstanding talents are always the minority. Even here, the majority are still mediocrities.”
“Good, then please help me spread the word, Your Lordship. Focus on how Zhongsun Mou kept running into walls under my hand, how he failed at every turn and couldn’t do a thing about it.”
Li Qingge shot him a strange look. “You think the water still isn’t muddy enough?”
He Lingchuan flashed a grin. “Your Lordship truly understands me.”
Since he had already arrived in Lingxu City, there was no point in being coy now. His circumstances were poor enough already. He might as well let go and make a big move.
Who knew? Maybe he’d blow something open and find a way out where none had seemed possible.
“So it doesn’t matter if the Minister of Finance and the Cen Family hear about it too?” Li Qingge’s gaze shifted slightly. “They’ve probably already figured out that you were the one who helped the Crown Prince of Chiyan capture Cen Boqing.”
“The more people who know, the better. And that includes the Minister of Finance and the Cen Family.” He Lingchuan rubbed the side of his nose. “Though, to be precise, the one who really captured Cen Boqing was a cloud envoy. That’s another story altogether. Never mind. The news will reach their ears sooner or later anyway.”
“A cloud envoy?” Li Qingge blurted out. “Don’t tell me you provoked a cloud envoy too!”
“Of course not.”
Li Qingge had just started to relax when He Lingchuan added, “The Cloud Envoy provoked me.”
“You—” She glared at him fiercely. “I’m seriously considering cutting ties with you.”
“Please don’t.” He Lingchuan hurriedly cupped his hands in salute. “My lady, I have no one to rely on in Lingxu City. I’m counting entirely on your help.”
Li Qingge frowned. “The cloud envoys are practically the gods’ walking agents in the mortal realm. Which one did you offend?”
“Bai Ziqi.” He Lingchuan coughed lightly. “I didn’t offend him. I even helped him catch Cen Boqing. But the way he looks at me is always... strange.”
“Bai Ziqi?” Li Qingge’s expression turned grave. “He’s deeply favored by the gods and highly valued by the emperor. What exactly did you do for him to notice you?”
“That’s the problem. I didn’t do anything!” He Lingchuan protested bitterly. “But he seems to be investigating another case, and he’s put both Fushan Yue and me down as suspects.”
“You two really committed some crime?”
“Of course not!” He Lingchuan said miserably. “But you know what Lingxu City is like. I’m afraid they won’t care about right or wrong and will just make me suffer first. Fushan Yue at least has his status to shield him. I’m the one in real trouble. So—” He rubbed his hands together. “Did you get the goshawk’s letter?”
“I did. You wanted to borrow something from me.” Li Qingge reached into her robes, took out a long rectangular box, and set it in front of him. “Good thing you sent word in advance. This thing was stored at another branch. I had to travel more than fifty kilometers just to retrieve it.”
He Lingchuan opened the box, looked inside once, then shut it again. “Are there many in Lingxu City who know of this thing, or know that it belongs to you?”
Li Qingge shook her head. “Scarcely.”
“Thank you.” He Lingchuan let out a long breath. “You’ve truly done me a huge favor.”
That was why, back in Baishajue, he had sent the goshawk ahead with a letter for Li Qingge. It was all so she could prepare this item for him in advance.
“What do you need it for?”
“To win someone’s trust.” He Lingchuan’s face turned serious. “I’ll return it as soon as I’m done with it.”
Li Qingge smiled. “Fine. Use it however you like.”
“I owe you a major favor again this time.”
Li Qingge said meaningfully, “Don’t worry. You may have a chance to repay it very soon.”
“...?” Why did he suddenly have a bad feeling about this?
Whatever Li Qingge wanted him to do later, it definitely would not be easy.
“In that case, why not help me with one more small favor while you’re at it?” Once you owed enough debts, one more hardly mattered.
Li Qingge almost laughed, curious to see just how shameless he could get. “Let’s hear it.”
“Please help me gather information on the Cen Family and the Zhongsun Family.” He Lingchuan’s expression was solemn. “One must always guard against others.”
And as for the intention to harm others, well, that could exist too.
“A minor matter.” Li Qingge had already helped him several times; one more such trivial errand made little difference. “Once it’s organized, I’ll have someone deliver it to Dun Garden. We can make the exchange there.”
“Dun Garden?”
“Five days from now, Dun Garden will be holding an auction.” Li Qingge smiled. “They host two every year. The scale is enormous, with rare treasures gathered from across the realm. And it’s being held in the Lower City. Don’t you want to go and have a look?”
He Lingchuan agreed at once.
She then switched topics. “Have you eaten yet? You’ve come a long way. Shall I treat you to a meal?”
He Lingchuan hesitated. “Soon enough, both the Zhongsun Family and the Cen Family will see me as an enemy. If the two of us are seen dining together openly and word gets out, I’m afraid it won’t be good for you.”
Li Qingge had just picked up a cloak, but at that, she immediately hung it back in place. “You’re right. I didn’t think it through.”
She was a merchant. When it came to openly offending people, the less she did, the better.
“I was just too excited to see you after your long journey.” Her gaze dropped to his waist, then suddenly stilled. “Hm? Where’s your saber?”
There was no scabbard hanging at He Lingchuan’s waist.
“Uh...” This woman really noticed everything.
A treasure like Fleeting Life was the sort of thing one only felt safe carrying on one’s person. Li Qingge thought for a moment and then understood. “You’ve absorbed the saber into your body, haven’t you?”
He Lingchuan scratched his head. “One night, all of a sudden, I just didn’t need a scabbard anymore.”
His body had become the scabbard. Man and blade had truly become one.
“Your weapon is truly strange. Every time I see it, it’s different.” Li Qingge pouted slightly. “I really want to get my hands on it again and study it some more.”
Most other men would probably say “Take it” just to win her favor, but He Lingchuan knew full well that the secrets bound up with Fleeting Life were too important. He could only say regretfully, “I’d like to let you, but it’s stuck to me and won’t let go. I can’t give it away.”
“That means the quasi-divine weapon has already acknowledged a master.” Li Qingge sighed deeply. “Why don’t I ever get such luck?”
“You keep company with spirit artifacts all the time, Your Lordship. Surely you’re not afraid that no treasure will ever recognize you?” He Lingchuan rose to his feet and pointed east with a smile. “Tonight I’ll be staying at the Jinkui Inn across the street under the alias Li Junyi. If anything comes up, just send word.”
With that, he picked up the box and took his leave.
* * *
The accommodations at the Jinkui Inn were far inferior to those of a first-class post station, but once He Lingchuan settled in, he felt much more at ease.
He had already learned through the eyeball spider at the post station that Fushan Yue had been summoned away to the Heavenly Palace at the last minute.
The Heavenly Palace was not in the sky, but on Mount Xu.
He had once heard Shao Jian mention that the temple dedicated to the Divine Majesty Lingxu was called the Heavenly Palace, and that it stood atop Mount Xu. And the place where the Divine Majesty Lingxu delivered divine decrees and communicated with the Lord Emperor was called Star-Plucking Tower.
So late at night, the Monster Emperor was not on his floating island, but instead meeting Fushan Yue on Mount Xu. Why?
He Lingchuan found that very interesting. The Monster Emperor of Beijia, the most powerful ruler in the mortal realm, lived as close to the heavens as possible, yet his residence could not be called the Heavenly Palace.
After checking into the inn, he did not go out again. He had the kitchen send up only two huge bowls of steaming mushroom-and-shredded-chicken noodles, plus a basket of osmanthus cakes. He sat in the guest room, slowly eating while listening to the clamor of the street outside.
Only after he had finished bathing in a large wooden tub, washing away the grime of travel, did the eyeball spider suddenly send him a fresh scene:
More than five kilometers away, at the guest room he had been assigned in the first-class post station, someone was knocking on the door.
Naturally, no one inside responded.
The men outside even called his name, He Xiao.
So they had not mistaken the room.
After knocking a couple more times, the door suddenly opened, and several men rushed in. They did a quick circuit of the room, found it empty, then craned their heads out the window to look around.
The eyeball spider had already tucked itself deep into a crack in the wooden beam, hidden extremely well.
“He’s not here. How are we supposed to report this?”
“Search around and ask people. See where he went. Maybe he went out to eat. Check the nearby restaurants too,” said another man. “The order from above was to find this He fellow before the Crown Prince of Chiyan returns.”
The men swept the area once more, confirmed that He Lingchuan was nowhere to be found, and then left in a hurry. They remembered, at least, to shut the door behind them.
Seeing this, He Lingchuan let out a breath.
Fortunately, he had been prudent enough to leave before Fushan Yue.
He had only just arrived in Lingxu City. He did not know what the city’s constables dressed like, nor could he tell what organization these men belonged to.
Had Bai Ziqi sent people to find him, or was the Zhongsun Family already looking to settle accounts?
He had only just arrived in Lingxu, and the city was enormous. The Zhongsun Family’s information network should not have been that fast. Besides, these men had moved through the post station with swagger and ease, coming and going as they pleased. The servants all bowed and scraped when they saw them.
This was Lingxu City. Even the servants of high-ranking officials had no right to storm into a post station and seize someone. Anyone bold enough to do that had to have official backing and orders from above to support them.
This meant that they were likely under Bai Ziqi.
Even soaking in hot water, He Lingchuan felt a chill crawl down his back.
This man had traveled north with them all the way, laughing and chatting as though they were old friends of many years. Yet the moment they arrived in Lingxu City, he turned hostile?
Then again, Bai Ziqi had gone straight to report at the Heavenly Palace the moment he entered the city.
In other words, the order to haul “He Xiao” back for questioning as quickly as possible likely came from either the gods or the Monster Emperor.
They’re making a move against me this fast? They’re not even waiting a single night?
He Lingchuan realized then that, in the eyes of the gods or the Monster Emperor, this “other case” mattered even more than the case of the elixir of youth.
Privately refining and selling the elixir of youth had already touched the gods’ reverse scale. What could possibly be more important than that?
He Lingchuan already had an answer in his heart.
