Where Immortals Once Walked

Fushan Yue looked utterly relaxed, not the least bit flustered. After all, the moment he revealed his identity, he could lead the entire caravan cleanly across the border without anyone daring to inspect his belongings.

Just then, several people came out from inside the checkpoint.

It was six or seven constables and a single pariah slave.

A pariah slave appearing at a border checkpoint was a rare sight, and it immediately drew the attention of nearby merchants.

Ignoring everyone else, the group marched straight up to the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan and Fushan Yue’s party and barked, “This group, full inspection!”

Second Boss Shi was shocked. He stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Honored officers, what seems to be the problem?”

“Dagong County Yamen!” The lead constable flashed a token before them. “There’s no problem. This is a routine spot check, and you just happen to be the ones selected!”

Second Boss Shi could not help but laugh. “There’s no need to trouble yourselves. We don’t have any prohibited goods.”

The constable had seen things with his own eyes last night, so there was no way he would walk off just like that. His face hardened at once, and he said, “Enough talk. Step aside and stop obstructing official business!”

“And you—yes, all of you!” he shouted at the caravan hands who were about to move. “None of you is to move. Anyone who does gets shackled! Now, search thoroughly!”

As he spoke, the other constables fanned out and began searching, not sparing a single wagon or carriage, whether it carried goods or people.

The first ten wagons were inspected, and they found nothing.

So they continued.

The Stone Gate Merchant Guild had many wagons and even more cargo, making the search time-consuming. While this was going on, both He Lingchuan and Fushan Yue hurried over.

Second Boss Shi was probing for information. “What exactly is going on? We’re all law-abiding folk!” He then pointed at the slave. “What is this man even doing here? Why is he just standing here?”

The lead constable shot him a glare. “None of your business!”

“Oh?” Fushan Yue spoke up, turning his gaze toward the slave. The look alone made the man tremble. “Could it be that this slave falsely accused us? He used to serve me, but after I disciplined him a few times, he held a grudge and decided to retaliate.”

As he spoke, Fushan Yue lifted his head and sniffed twice, frowning. “This wretch’s been drinking. You actually believed a drunken slave?!”

His raised voice drew even more onlookers.

Does he have the nose of a dog? He can even smell booze from last night? The constables thought to themselves, but outwardly they replied stiffly, “This is just a routine spot inspection. It’s entirely legal and by the book!”

Fushan Yue smiled and said, “And if you find nothing?”

The cold light in his eyes made the slave shake like a falling leaf.

The lead constable shrugged. “Then congratulations, you’ll be cleared to pass.”

Fushan Yue fixed him with a long, penetrating stare. “Do you know who I am?”

The constable braced himself and answered, “Whoever you are, on Lingxu City soil, you follow Lingxu City law!”

Fushan Yue laughed. “Good, very good. Enforcing the law impartially, are you?”

Uncle Da and the other guards rushed up from behind, glaring fiercely at the constables. Fushan Yue waved them back into the caravan.

There were too many eyes here. This was not the place to use force.

At that moment, the other constables finished checking the final carriage and climbed down. “Nothing. There’s nothing!”

All eyes immediately shifted to the slave.

The lead constable started to panic.

I saw the girl myself last night, so how could she not be here now?

Had Young Master Fushan sensed danger and disposed of the evidence early?

Fushan Yue smiled a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. “Well? What now?”

The lead constable asked his men, “You really checked everything?”

“Yeah. We even took measures against illusions. We climbed into every wagon and carriage and checked by hand. There was nothing.”

The lead constable met Fushan Yue’s chilling gaze and could only swallow hard. “Th-this...”

Just then, several more people emerged from behind the checkpoint. The one in front asked, “What’s going on here?”

At first glance, his build, limbs, clothing, and upright posture all looked human, but his skin had an azurish tinge, and wherever cloth did not cover, fine scales were visible.

His eyes were emerald green, fin-like spines protruded from his ears, and He Lingchuan noticed faint webbing between his fingers.

Is that... webbing?

What kind of monster is he?

The moment Fushan Yue saw him, his eyes narrowed. “Zhongsun Mou? So it was you laying traps for me. No wonder!”

“Impudent!” A guard behind the man stepped forward and barked, “How dare you be disrespectful to the Lord Touring Commissioner[1]!”

“Touring Commissioner?” Fushan Yue was taken aback. He had been about to step forward, but upon hearing this, he stopped short.

“Fushan Yue? Do not measure the stature of a gentleman with the mind of a small man.” Zhongsun Mou spoke unhurriedly, turning to the lead constable. “Tell me, what’s going on here?”

“It, it was a routine spot check.”

“Did you find anything?”

“N-no...”

The constable had barely stammered out a word when someone suddenly shouted, “Lord Touring Commissioner! We found prohibited goods here!”

Everyone froze and turned to look.

Two soldiers stood beside one of the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan’s wagons. They yanked back the canvas cover and pointed at a glass jar beneath it. “This is dragon-scale selaginella! It’s strictly forbidden to be taken out of the Twilight Plains!”

“That’s impossible!” Second Boss Shi cried out. “We’ve traveled this route for over ten years! We’ve never carried dragon-scale selaginella!”

He knew this road inside out and never made mistakes. How could prohibited goods appear on his wagon?

Dragon-scale selaginella was a plant unique to the Twilight Marshes. Its leaves resembled dragon scales, and when used medicinally, it greatly enhanced male virility. Naturally, it sold well. After all, there were always people visiting apothecaries beginning with, “I have a friend who...”

But due to overharvesting in the past, its numbers had dwindled. It was now a tightly regulated medicinal material, forbidden from private harvesting or transport.

If discovered, severe punishment followed.

So when Second Boss Shi saw a massive jar of it appear on his wagon, fatally obvious in a transparent glass container, blood rushed straight to his head.

He was furious.

What kind of smuggler would be stupid enough to use a see-through glass jar?

Private individuals were not allowed to harvest it, so it had to be government stock.

The other side had stooped to shameless depths, framing the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan without a shred of decency.

He Lingchuan had watched the entire thing unfold and quietly asked Fushan Yue, “What’s your relationship with him?”

“We’re enemies,” Fushan Yue replied under his breath. “He’d love nothing more than to see me dead.”

“What did you do to him?”

“My royal father killed his grandfather.”

“...”

Fushan Yue rubbed his nose again. “And his younger brother’s death also has a little to do with me.”

“...” Are you sure that it’s just a little?

So Zhongsun Mou has every reason to hate Fushan Yue and to hate anyone associated with him.

Sure enough, when Zhongsun Mou’s gaze swept over, it landed on He Lingchuan with equal hostility, as though he were delighted to treat him the same way.

Zhongsun Mou drawled, “What’s the usual punishment for privately carrying dragon-scale selaginella and attempting to cross the border?”

This was not his specialty.

A clerk hurried over from the back and answered, “When it comes to dragon-scale selaginella, if there’s more than a kilogram—” He glanced at the jar. Forget a kilogram, there’s probably at least three kilos in there. “In the case of large quantities, the punishment could be a tenfold fine of three thousand taels of silver.”

“Three thousand taels...” Sweat broke out on Second Boss Shi’s forehead. Just hearing the number made his chest seize. After paying that, how much would he even have left from this trip? “Lord, that’s far too heavy.”

He did not even bother arguing the origin of the selaginella anymore. Commoners did not fight officials. If the other party wanted to frame you, they always could. At the moment, he just wanted to minimize the loss.

The clerk had said the punishment could be tenfold, not that it had to be. In other words, there was room to negotiate.

By now, the caravan had been forcibly pulled away from the checkpoint to avoid blocking traffic.

Zhongsun Mou looked at Fushan Yue and smiled leisurely. “If Young Master Fushan were willing to plead on your behalf, I’d be happy to give you that face.”

Fushan Yue’s expression twitched.

Vicious, truly vicious!

There was no way that Fushan Yue was going to humble himself before Zhongsun Mou. It was just impossible.

But if he did not do so, He Lingchuan and the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan would be endlessly harassed.

“Zhongsun Mou, you’re playing with fire,” Fushan Yue warned. “Do too many dirty deeds, and you’d better grow an extra eye on your back.”

A guard shouted, “How dare you threaten an official of Lingxu City!”

Zhongsun Mou chuckled and said, “It seems that Young Master Fushan has refused. If you want to blame someone, then blame him.”

Fushan Yue bared his teeth and murmured to He Lingchuan, “Tell Second Boss Shi to pay the fine. However much he pays, I’ll reimburse him later.”

He Lingchuan immediately nodded to Second Boss Shi.

They had traveled together long enough to understand each other. Although he was furious, Second Boss Shi was a seasoned merchant who believed in harmony over conflict. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed the humiliation and paid the fine of three thousand taels.

“Lord, we can go now, right?” Just ten more paces ahead was Chiyan soil, yet they still could not cross.

“What’s the rush?” Zhongsun Mou asked the clerk languidly. “Is this caravan fully inspected?”

The clerk was extremely tactful and replied, “N-not yet. We’re only halfway through!”

“Then what are you standing around for? Don’t delay Young Master Fushan’s time!”

“Yes, Lord.” The clerk turned and waved at the constables. “What are you gaping at? Unload everything! Inspect it all carefully!”

Fushan Yue stared at him with a half-smile. “You wield quite the authority.”

Meeting his sinister gaze, the clerk instinctively shrank back. But the orders were already given, and with one or two thousand people—officials and civilians alike—watching, the constables moved at once. They dumped all the cargo onto the ground and inspected it piece by piece.

They even drew their blades and stabbed and prodded bundles of materials. If someone had been hidden inside, blood would have been flowing long ago.

Second Boss Shi watched in terror. He had originally planned to hide Little Peach among the materials.

The Stone Gate Merchant Caravan’s cargo was vast and varied. Seeing the entire caravan standing idle while only he and his men worked themselves to death, the lead constable barked, “What are you staring at? Get down here and help move it!”

The members of the caravan all looked grim. These men were already harassing them to the extreme, and now they even wanted them to work for it?

He Lingchuan spoke up at just the right moment. “Once they start working, they’ll have to be paid. Better leave it to the officers.”

The lead constable saw him smiling pleasantly, yet his words were razor-sharp. He pointed at He Lingchuan’s nose. “Kid, don’t act tough here, or you’ll regret it!”

“Look at me, I’ve got nothing. I don’t have a wagon, I don’t even have a cart!” He Lingchuan patted his side. “Trying to plant dragon-scale selaginella on me or something won’t be easy, would it?

1. The Touring Commissioner (巡察使) was a high-ranking official in ancient China, primarily active during the Tang Dynasty, designated to supervise local administration and judicial affairs. Although it does rarely ever appear, with this even being my first time translating it, it is apparently also commonly translated as Surveillance Commissioners and Investigation Commissioners, though these other translations were typically used for different eras for the title. ☜