After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 412: Chapter 411: The Mole

”This isn’t so different from other countries,” Hee Lingchuan said, deeply curious about the Beiga Kingdom’s political system. ”Lingxu City can actually tolerate localized warfare within the Demon Kingdom?”

In his experience, every country rushed to quell rebellions.

”I grew up in Greenfield. Every few years, the forests and fields there suffer from wildfires that burn across the mountains and plains, devastating all life. After the disaster, you can barely find a living thing,” Fushan Yue said with a smile. ”But within half a year, everything is lush and green again. New grass and new trees burst with life, and all the old decay is swept away.”

”Such is the way of the Celestial Dao, so shouldn’t human affairs also follow this cycle of renewal? The Beiga Kingdom was founded long ago, and this concept is deeply ingrained in our people.”

Hee Lingchuan didn’t reply.

’Fushan Yue’s explanation only sounded nice on the surface. To just let rebellions run their course? Any country that dared to play that game would most likely play itself into ruin.’

’The world often develops in unexpected ways. The fact that all nations strive for peace and stability was a lesson paid for in blood.’

’And yet, the Beiga Kingdom was an exception.’

’Why?’

’Was it just because they had surrendered to the Deities?’

Fushan Yue took the Wooden Bottle. ”So this is the wood transformation poison. Thank you for telling me.”

Now that he knew what it was, a plan was already forming in his mind.

Hee Lingchuan asked him, ”The Wind Demon you released... it wasn’t the one subdued by the King of Treasure Tree, was it?”

”It wasn’t.” Fushan Yue stood up and stretched his back. ”The Piaomiao Sect’s Elder Feng split off a smaller one a thousand years ago. So they actually had two mountain-protecting Divine Objects, one large and one small. The world just didn’t know.”

Whether it’s a cat or a tiger, it’s hard enough to tell its sex or age from its appearance alone, let alone for an Elder Feng, which is formless most of the time.

”The King of Treasure Tree subdued the large one, but the smaller Elder Feng was hiding inside a Wind Lion Lord statue and wasn’t discovered. Later, someone picked up that Wind Lion Lord and sold it at the market at the foot of the mountain. After changing hands a few times, the smaller Elder Feng ended up with me.”

Hee Lingchuan didn’t bother asking why the Official Road near Black Stone Stronghold had suddenly been hit by a landslide. The reason was too obvious.

”As for why the King of Treasure Tree defeated the Piaomiao Sect, it was simply because he coveted their territory and wanted to build a road there to connect the north and south. The Piaomiao Sect refused to move, so they were exterminated.”

”In the past, rare Spirit Medicines like Snow Lotuses and Yellow Ginseng grew on the Gale Tundra. That was because Elder Feng liked to roam the tundra, bringing special nutrients from deep underground with it. Commoners could pick them at will and never had to worry about food or drink. But after the King of Treasure Tree destroyed Elder Feng, the subsequent Meridian Divine Winds had no spiritual nature and no longer descended upon the tundra. From then on, these Spirit Medicines vanished from the tundra, growing only on high, perilous mountain peaks.” Fushan Yue gave a scornful laugh. ”The funny thing is, the commoners on the tundra believed the King of Treasure Tree’s words and applauded the destruction of Elder Feng and the Piaomiao Sect, not knowing that their very livelihood had been cut off because of it.”

He stood up. ”You’re not a bad sort. How about you follow me and we’ll build a great enterprise together? In the future, high office, titles for your wife, and benefits for your children will all follow as a matter of course.”

Fushan Yue actually wanted to recruit him? Hee Lingchuan chuckled. ”I’m used to my freedom.”

Fushan Yue just thought he was aiming for a higher position. ”Lingxu City is fine, but it has over six hundred years of accumulated problems. The various factions are deeply entrenched and intertwined, and countless talented people have seen their ambitions crushed there. You might not find a path for advancement in that city.”

”I’ll consider it.” Hee Lingchuan held out his hand and crooked his finger, gesturing for Fushan Yue to hand over the items. ”Let’s stay in touch. After all, when I go to Lingxu City, I’ll still be staying in your mansion.”

Fushan Yue smiled, then took out a deed, a key, and a Token, handing them to him. ”There’s a butler there. Just show him this Token.”

”You’re missing a great opportunity for fame and success. But never mind, let’s just be friends for now.” He stood up, clasped his fists in a salute to Hee Lingchuan, and said, ”We’ll meet again.”

Hee Lingchuan returned the salute and watched as the man placed his subordinate’s body into his Storage Space, then leaped out through the hole in the wall and disappeared after a few bounds.

’Huh, wasn’t that the direction of the inn’s back kitchen?’

* * *

Fushan Yue caught a fat rat in the inn’s back kitchen, forced it to ingest the poison, and then took it elsewhere to observe the effects.

About five double-hours later, the rat finally turned into a wooden carving.

Fushan Yue carefully recorded the entire process of its transformation.

By now, the sky had long brightened. He went into Tongcheng to ask around and found an inconspicuous little shop in the northwest corner.

The shop was a two-story building. The front was for selling goods, the middle was a workshop, and the upper floor was living quarters.

The shopkeeper was a man in his early forties with graying temples and a pair of large-knuckled hands.

The neighboring stall sold miscellaneous goods and always placed things in front of his shop, encroaching on his storefront. The shopkeeper kicked their baskets back into their stall and got into an argument with them before walking back with his head held high.

Just then, Fushan Yue arrived and got straight to the point. ”I hear you’re the best carver in the west side of Tongcheng?”

”The west side?” The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. ”I’m the best in all of Tongcheng.”

”Carve something for me. If you do a good job, you’ll be handsomely rewarded.” Fushan Yue habitually reached for his waist, only to remember he had given all his silver ingots to Hee Lingchuan. He only had two small pieces of scattered silver on him, not even enough to pay the crafting fee.

’Sigh, when have I ever been this broke?’

He had no choice but to pull off the Jade Ring from his thumb. ”Use this as payment for the work.”

”Green-banded black jade?” The shopkeeper knew his goods. He held it up to the light. It was clearly jet-black jade, but the polarized light revealed an oily green sheen. ”Now this is valuable. What do you need carved?”

Fushan Yue glanced left and right. The shopkeeper understood and led him into the workshop in the back.

Only then did Fushan Yue take the wooden statue that had once been Fuu Ji from his Storage Ring and place it on the ground.

The shopkeeper was startled when he suddenly produced a life-sized wooden statue. He put on his headband, got down to observe it closely, and couldn’t help but gasp. ”This craftsmanship is divine! It doesn’t look like it was carved by human hands at all!” There wasn’t a single trace of a chisel mark.

’You’re right about that.’ Fushan Yue smiled. ”I need you to modify it.”

”It’s already at this level and you want to modify it?” The shopkeeper was surprised, though. Why would anyone carve a person to look so tragic?

The carving was exquisite, but what one felt from the statue itself wasn’t beauty, but pain.

’And the wooden statue is even wearing clothes. How bizarre.’

”Change his face to mine.”

The shopkeeper didn’t quite hear him. ”Huh?”

Fushan Yue leaned against the statue—their builds were similar. ”Can you do it?”

”Er...” This request was even more bizarre than the statue itself. The shopkeeper hesitated, then saw Fushan Yue extend a finger and tap sharply on the table. THUD. A hole was poked into the tabletop.

The move was like a Mantis shrimp’s punch, too fast for the naked eye to see.

Fushan Yue asked again, ”Can you do it?”

The shopkeeper’s workbench was made of black ironwood, a wood of astonishing hardness. When the table was first made, it had ruined quite a few tools. ’Is this man’s hand harder than a chisel?’

Only then did Fushan Yue slowly retract the sharp claws on his fingertips.

The shopkeeper shivered. After carefully comparing Fushan Yue’s face and features with the wooden statue’s, he nodded repeatedly. ”Ye-yes! When do you need it?”

Fushan Yue pulled over a chair, sat down, and crossed his legs. ”I’ll wait right here. You take your time carving. Make sure it’s identical to me.”

...

The next day, Fushan Yue returned to the inn.

Fuu Jiu came forward to greet him. ”Young Master, was your trip successful?”

”Yes.” Fushan Yue asked him to fetch some water.

”Huh? Where’s Fuu Ji?”

”He went to buy something for me.” Fushan Yue washed his face, had a bit of wine, and lingered until the afternoon before saying, ”Send some men to stand guard for me.”

Once everything was ready, he raised the Wooden Bottle in front of Fuu Jiu and drained it in one go. Then he tossed the bottle into a corner. ”Tastes awful. Get out.”

Fuu Jiu quickly picked up the bottle. Before leaving, he saw Fushan Yue close his eyes and sit upright and still.

Fuu Jiu closed the door behind him, sniffed the bottle, and caught a sweet fragrance.

About a double-hour later, he heard faint moans from inside the room, as if someone was in pain. He turned on his heel and ordered two Attendants, ”Guard this place well. I’ll be right back.”

He said he’d be ”right back,” but he actually slipped out of the inn in a flash, went to the nearby market, and bought some stinking fish and rotten shrimp to smear on himself.

Once he was smeared with enough of it, he carried the fishy stench with him as he slipped into an alley across from the inn and hid in the shadows.

A little over a quarter of an hour later, the inn suddenly descended into chaos. Gasps, the sound of running, and terrified screams filled the air.

Before the Officials could arrive, a figure rushed out of the inn. It wandered around the market for a bit as if it had lost its bearings, then turned and bolted toward the city gates.

This person was Fushan Yue.

While refining the ”Spirit Medicine,” he had realized something was wrong, figured out the key point, and rushed out to settle the score with the person responsible.

However, the scent trail ended behind the market. The whole area reeked of fish, and he was burning with rage, his head dizzy and muddled, unable to discern the trail carefully.

By now, Fushan Yue’s limbs were growing stiff, and his running posture was bizarre. The residents of Tongcheng, accustomed to seeing all sorts of Demons, merely gave his strange behavior a sidelong glance.

Fushan Yue clutched his stomach and suddenly turned to run out of the city.

Even after ingesting something he shouldn’t have, he was still so fast that his tracker almost couldn’t keep up.

After leaving the city, he charged west into the mountain forests and was never seen coming out again.

Two double-hours later, Fuu Jiu arrived with the other Guards. ”Search the mountain! A passerby said the Young Master rushed into this mountain area.”

The search lasted until evening.

Finally, a Guard found a wooden statue lying face-up in a ravine. Upon examining its features, he saw it was none other than Fushan Yue!

Everyone was baffled. One of the Guards swallowed hard and said, ”What... what does this mean?”

The wooden statue’s face was twisted in a savage expression, but the features were unmistakably Fushan Yue’s.

’The Young Master came here earlier, but no matter how much we search, we can’t find him. Instead, we found a wooden statue that looks exactly like him.’

’This couldn’t be the Young Master, could it?’

”What are you all thinking?!” Fuu Jiu said with a grim face. ”Of course this isn’t the Young Master. Keep searching!”

The men searched from that night until the following afternoon, and naturally, they found nothing.

Fuu Jiu dispiritedly called off the search.

That night, however, he quietly left the inn, rode east for fifteen or sixteen li, and arrived at a small town.

The town had only six or seven hundred people and was called Tianhe Town. Its residents were mostly farmers and laborers.

Fuu Jiu approached one of the houses and knocked softly on the door: two short, three long.

As he approached, a neighbor opened their door, glanced at him twice, then retreated back inside without a sound.