Where Immortals Once Walked

The advantages and drawbacks of this system were obvious at a glance, but Beijia had no better alternative. Its territory was simply too vast, so vast that governing it neatly was nearly impossible.

Yuan was not small. In fact, among all the known states, excluding the sea states and the lake states, it ranked sixth in land area.

Despite that, Beijia was six times larger than Yuan. It was unquestionably the largest state in the world today.

He Lingchuan had once examined the sand-table model of Beijia’s territory, and the sight had been truly magnificent. To the north, it connected to the open ocean; to the east, it reached all the way to the Earth Sea.

Put another way, if He Lingchuan were to ride a bo beast from the easternmost edge of Beijia straight west, traveling about two hundred kilometers a day and never deviating from a straight line, it would still take him over thirty days to reach the westernmost border of the monster state.[1]

And that was assuming he ignored the countless mountain ranges, deserts, swamps, lakes, and towering peaks in between. In reality, the journey would take several times longer.

Beijia had always been a strange existence, praised and criticized in equal measure. Countless people looked down on its institutions and customs, because every other state that tried to imitate Beijia’s system collapsed within one or two centuries.

Even today, Beijia remains a perennial subject of study among foreign courts, historians, and military strategists.

Yet no matter what others said, Beijia still stood. The Monster Emperor still reigned, and this enormous empire continued to function.

The Kingdom of Baoshu alone was larger than the entire State of Fu, but its capital lay near the southern border, making it easy for merchant caravans to reach soon after crossing the frontier.

Along the way, He Lingchuan had long since grown accustomed to scenes of humans and monsters living side by side.

The larger the city, the stranger its architecture became. Some buildings completely overturned He Lingchuan’s understanding of what a “house” was supposed to look like because their residents were not only human, but monsters as well.

He had even seen a family of mole monsters seeking out a carpenter to custom-build a home of their own. The entire structure was less than five square meters in area and was meant to be nailed directly onto the exterior wall of someone else’s house.

Entering the northern monster state felt like stepping into a bizarre and fantastical new world. At first glance, it often seemed chaotic, yet it operated according to its own internal order.

This was the result of six hundred years of adjustment and coexistence. It was a spectacle one could never see in Yuan in an entire lifetime, and even He Lingchuan felt his horizons broaden.

The caravan arrived at the capital of the Baoshu Kingdom, Fufeng City, late at night. Dark clouds blanketed the sky, yet the city itself was far from shrouded in darkness.

Along the main roads, two glowspores were suspended in the air every thirty meters or so, illuminating the way for pedestrians.

This specialty product from the Demon Nest Swamp gave off a steady, bright light and was unaffected by wind. One look was enough to make He Lingchuan grin. No wonder the Gan Family Merchant Guild was rolling in money. They had a monopoly here.

Still, once the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan returned from Lingxu City, this particular golden goose would likely change hands.

There were few people on the streets, but taverns and guesthouses were brightly lit. If one listened closely, one could even hear the clinking of cups and lively chatter.

After entering the city, Wu Jinsong and his companion invited He Lingchuan to accompany them directly to the grand tutor’s residence. The merchant caravan, meanwhile, headed off on its own to find lodging.

As the three of them wound through the streets and alleys, they happened upon a team of night-soil collectors, those who went out in the middle of the night to collect waste and haul it beyond the city walls.

The collectors, however, were dozens of enormous dung beetles. Each beetle pulled a cart bearing an enormous wooden barrel. The team of dung beetles went door to door, collecting night soil and dumping it into the barrels, which would be transported outside the city before dawn to ferment into fertilizer.

After some time, that fertilizer would be spread back onto the fields.

Both Shihuan and Heishui City also offered such municipal services, but seeing monsters handle waste collection, and with a species so perfectly suited to the task, was a first for He Lingchuan. He could not help but marvel.

Fufeng City had over a dozen such teams.

Wu Jinsong looked visibly awkward upon seeing the dung beetles and quickly guided He Lingchuan back onto the main thoroughfare. The night-soil teams never appeared on major roads.

Once they reached the grand tutor’s residence and passed through the formal announcements, He Lingchuan was led to wait in a side hall.

The residence was enormous, roughly four times the size of the He Family’s estate in Dunyu. On the way, he passed through three gardens, each with a different theme.

The one that impressed him most contained a small waterfall. Water cascaded down with a constant rush, flanked by vines bearing exotic flowers and lush green ferns. Fan palms towered overhead, taller than a man, making the place feel like a rainforest. This was utterly unlike the garden designs of Yuan.

Another garden held a massive pond filled with equally massive fish. They were not koi, but their belly scales were brilliantly colored. Each fish measured about two and a half meters from head to tail, with mouths so large they looked capable of swallowing a baby whole.

From the way those fish stared back at him, He Lingchuan had good reason to believe they were fish monsters.

He waited in the side hall for a full thirty minutes, draining three cups of hot tea, before the main figure finally arrived.

The Grand Tutor of the Baoshu Kingdom, Sha Cong, had just passed his sixtieth year, yet his temples bore only a single streak of silver. His physique was robust, and he looked no older than a man in his forties.

He strode into the hall with an energetic gait, eyes shining with vitality. A man of around thirty followed behind him, expressionless.

Wu Jinsong, who had stayed by the grand tutor’s side all this time, quickly made introductions.

The man behind Sha Cong was none other than his second son, Sha Xinghai—the victim who had lost a yin soul and a yang soul.

It was worth noting that when Wu Jinsong introduced He Lingchuan, he did so under the name “He Xiao,” a distant relative of the two brothers from the Stone Gate Merchant Guild.

Sha Cong looked He Lingchuan up and down, his gaze sharp and evaluative. “You returned my son’s souls. Do you seek anything in return?”

Wu Jinsong had already given him a general account of the journey.

He Lingchuan shook his head. “I was just passing by.”

“Very well, then let him be made whole.”

Sha Cong stepped aside. He Lingchuan reached into his robe and took out the Soul-Stealing Mirror, angling its surface toward Sha Xinghai and giving it two light taps.

A faint white glow flew out of the mirror, circled Sha Xinghai once as if confirming its host, then slipped into his body through the seven orifices.

Sha Xinghai shuddered and let out a long breath. The dullness vanished from his eyes.

He bowed deeply to Sha Cong. “Father, I’m back.” Then he turned to He Lingchuan. “Thank you, Brother He.”

“Be more careful in the future. Don’t let villains take advantage of you again,” Sha Cong said, waving his hand for Sha Xinghai to withdraw. He then looked back at He Lingchuan. “You do not seek reward, but merit is merit. I hear you once lived in the State of Fu?”

“Yes.”

“Wu Jinsong says you are both brave and clever. I will recommend you to the king for appointment as Colonel of Honglin. Would this satisfy you?”

He Lingchuan had only just arrived and had no idea what kind of post that was, but it did not sound insignificant. Given the favor he had done Sha Xinghai, the reward could not be too meager, or it would cheapen that debt.

Wu Jinsong kept winking at him, urging him to accept.

After a moment’s thought, He Lingchuan said, “I still need to go to Lingxu City. Let’s discuss it after I return.”

Sha Cong was not surprised. “What business takes you there?”

“I wish to see the famed capital of Beijia, and while I’m at it, visit Mount Xu.”

Zhu Erniang’s largest molted shell lay at Mount Xu, which was also the home of the Grand Return Sect. He Lingchuan dared mention it openly because he had already learned from Wu Jinsong and Second Boss Shi that Mount Xu was now a famous scenic site in Lingxu City, welcoming countless visitors every day.

An ancient relic left open rather than sealed off, this alone showed Lingxu City’s magnanimity.

A hot-blooded youth like He Lingchuan traveling to admire famous sights and holy places was nothing out of the ordinary.

“That would be an excellent trip, then. The capital is magnificent, unmatched in the world,” Sha Cong said. “Tour the capital first, then come back to take office.”

He Lingchuan put away the mirror. Seeing that he had not refused outright, Sha Cong added, “Let me have a look at that mirror of yours.”

“It has already recognized me as its master.”

Sha Cong laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I don’t intend to steal it from you.”

Only then did He Lingchuan hand over the Soul-Stealing Mirror.

Sha Cong turned it over in his hands, rubbing it thoughtfully. “A true spiritual object.”

With He Lingchuan standing nearby, the mirror would not indiscriminately seize his soul. Otherwise, merely gazing into its surface would have been dangerous.

Sha Cong asked, “Where did this mirror consume imperial nectar?”

“It doesn’t know,” He Lingchuan replied. “When it awakened, it was already lodged in a tree stump in the wild. The mirror-slave wandered for five days and nights before finding a human village, so it has no idea where it was before that.”

Sha Cong handed the mirror back. “By the way, in a few days it will be our king’s eight-hundredth birthday. You may as well stay and enjoy the festivities.”

He Lingchuan nodded. “I was hoping to witness it.”

“You’ve traveled far and must be tired. Go rest. I’ll have Xu Dongdong see you out.”

At Sha Cong’s call, Xu Dongdong appeared and escorted He Lingchuan all the way back to the inn where Shi Congshui was staying.

When Shi Congshui heard that He Lingchuan had made a round trip and come back with an official post dangling in front of him, he was overjoyed and immediately wanted to lay out a feast in celebration.

He Lingchuan waved him off. “Nothing’s settled yet.”

He already held an official position in Yuan. Ordinarily, one could not serve as an official of another state without resigning first. Even if he forcibly accepted Beijia’s mandate token, he would not be able to use its origin energy.

There was only one exception to this rule: envoys.

Only envoys could legitimately serve two states at once.

“Besides, he hasn’t even investigated my background. How could he so casually offer me a post?” Could a dignified grand tutor really be that careless?

“I’ve heard Beijia’s standard for employing people is to disregard origin and focus solely on talent. Many powerful figures active at Beijia’s court are foreigners,” Shi Congshui said with a grin. “Why, even Grand Tutor Sha’s father came from a place called Tangye in the State of Dai. He wasn’t Baoshu-born either. Maybe he simply saw your talent and took a liking to you?”

He Lingchuan laughed. “There’s no such thing as love or hate without reason.”

Shi Congshui took it as modesty. “When fortune smiles, enjoy it!”

He Lingchuan smiled and drained his cup, mentally reviewing his visit to the grand tutor’s residence.

Even though he had saved Sha Xinghai, Sha Cong’s attitude toward him remained lofty and superior. A man long accustomed to high office, with only the Baoshu King and the prime minister above him, arrogance had long since seeped into his bones.

In his eyes, this favor could be neatly repaid with an appropriate reward.

He Lingchuan did not mind in the slightest.

In Beijia, he was a nobody. Here, he had neither roots, background, nor status. He did not care what others thought of him.

Fufeng City was merely a stop on his journey. He would pass through and move on.

“Come, drink!”

* * *

After He Lingchuan left, Sha Xinghai emerged once more from the rear hall, his face full of shame.

“Father, I failed in this mission.”

“No one could have predicted you’d be attacked before reaching Wuze County.” Grand Tutor Sha waved it off. “The armor and weapons bore no identifying marks, and the dead soldiers swallowed poison when captured. Hmph, someone within the residence must have leaked your route.”

1. For those who are wondering, this means that Beijia is over 6,000 kilometers from east to west or latitudinally. For comparison, Russia, from its easternmost point to its westernmost, is about 9,000 kilometers. Still, I think that Beijia is longer north to south than east to west, but I’m not completely sure. ☜