Where Immortals Once Walked

Chapter 566: Under the Radar

The instant He Lingchuan produced the pestle, Bai Ziqi was both surprised and faintly disappointed.

So this boy truly had nothing to do with the Generous Pot’s strange activity?

Star-Plucking Tower marked six northern counties of Chiyan, and that’s no small area. Perhaps the Generous Pot had simply been causing trouble somewhere else within that same region.

After all, Mai Xuewen, the other major suspect, had not gone far either. He ought to have remained somewhere within those six northern counties.

“If that yin spirit could be driven back by this treasure, then how did Cheng Yu once manage to kill the ruler of Mang?”

Fushan Yue shrugged. “Cheng Yu has been a famous curse master for years. His methods are many and varied. Just because he killed the ruler of Mang does not mean he necessarily used that same yin spirit, does it?”

Bai Ziqi nodded slowly. Still, he looked much more at ease now and let out a long, heavy sigh. “If you had only shown this sooner, I would not have had to be so abrupt today.”

He Lingchuan thought to himself that this man was full of schemes from head to toe. Even after he had brought out a quasi-divine artifact, Bai Ziqi’s doubts still had not entirely vanished.

“You said so yourself that this is a quasi-divine artifact. Secret treasures should never be shown lightly, let alone something like this.” He Lingchuan gave a bitter smile. “Before, there was a powerful figure who took only one look at the pestle. On the surface, he showed no reaction at all, but later he came to seize it by force. Ever since then, I’ve truly... been afraid.”

Just who was he poking at with those words? He was all but pointing at Bai Ziqi’s nose and saying, “You hold great power and rank. I was afraid you’d simply take it.”

Fushan Yue coughed once. “Even I feel tempted seeing it. There’s no shortage of people who would covet a treasure like that. Being cautious is only sensible.”

A man’s heart lay hidden beneath his skin. Back then, He Lingchuan and Bai Ziqi had only just met, so his wariness was not unreasonable.

“Besides, the very first day Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai arrived in Baishajue, he displayed boundless divine techniques. I knew I was far beneath him, so naturally I had to be more careful.”

On his first day in Baishajue, while pursuing Cen Boqing and Cheng Yu, Bai Ziqi had manipulated lamp spirits into giant serpents and given He Lingchuan a sharp demonstration of his power.

So if He Lingchuan feared him and acted accordingly, there was nothing odd about that.

At this, Bai Ziqi waved a hand and laughed. “Rest easy. Quasi-divine artifacts are rare in the mortal realm, yes, but Mount Xu has several. It isn’t as though I’d covet yours.”

He Lingchuan immediately put on an embarrassed expression. “Yes, yes. Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai is absolutely right.”

He did not think Bai Ziqi was exaggerating. If even Beijia did not possess a few divine or quasi-divine artifacts to hold the line, then smaller powers had no hope at all.

Bai Ziqi asked no more about where the pestle had come from.

What divine artifact did not stand atop a mountain of blood? Their origins were never clean.

Instead, he changed the subject. “I heard from His Highness that you’re from the State of Fu?”

Fushan Yue thought about it. Had I actually said that?

He Lingchuan nodded.

“And what place could produce a young hero like you?”

“Yun County.” This time, the answer came from He Lingchuan at once, as if, having now spoken openly with Bai Ziqi, he no longer had the least hesitation.

When Second Boss Shi had arranged an identity for him in Wuze County, he had already said He Lingchuan was a native of Yun County who had come seeking refuge.

Bai Ziqi gave a small “oh,” and finally stopped asking.

He and Fushan Yue then moved on to discussing the latest developments in Lingxu City.

He Lingchuan crunched on the red lees crab crisps, washing them down with wine and entertaining himself nicely enough.

Since Bai Ziqi had asked, he would very likely send people later to Yun County to investigate He Lingchuan’s background. Under ordinary circumstances, “He Xiao” being an outsider would not be remarkable. But in the Generous Pot case Bai Ziqi was trying to probe, that outside status made him stand out sharply.

However, He Lingchuan was not afraid.

Even within the State of Fu, Yun County was a remote, closed-off little place. He had heard from Second Boss Shi that the land there was all steep slopes and uneven ground, making it difficult for horses and carts to come and go. Moreover, Beijia was simply too vast. Even if Bai Ziqi sent off a flying message and had someone nearby investigate, it would take dozens of days for information to go and return.

By then, even He Lingchuan himself did not know where he would be. If Lingxu City still hoped to seize him then, they could keep dreaming.

Bai Ziqi looked at He Lingchuan with a smile. “These past few days, He Xiao’s name has begun to spread through the Upper City.”

“Huh?” He Lingchuan still had a crab crisp in his mouth and looked utterly blank. “I’m becoming famous? How could that be?”

Lingxu City was a vast ocean. Who knew how many great lurking monsters lay hidden within it? For a tiny shrimp like him to make a name for himself here would be absurd.

“Some rumor or other got started, saying that the special envoy His Highness entrusted in Baishajue had smashed Zhongsun Mou and Cen Boqing into walls until their heads split, and that was how the case was solved. On top of that, even Deputy Commander Fan was defeated by your hand. Quite impressive.”

Fushan Yue picked up the thread at once. “The Fan brothers have always been haughty beyond measure, and yet Fan Sheng lost to you. To the people of Lingxu City, that’s far more exciting than hearing you handled a case for the Crown Prince of Chiyan and forced Cen Boqing into retreat.”

Fan Sheng! He Lingchuan had nearly forgotten him entirely.

Deputy Commander Fan had returned early to Lingxu City with the bear and his subordinates after the Cen Boqing case was concluded.

“This is bad.” He Lingchuan pressed a hand to his forehead. “I’d nearly forgotten I had a grudge with Deputy Commander Fan too.”

Now that Fan Sheng was back in Lingxu City, he had troops, authority, and an even more formidable elder brother behind him.

Would he become even more fixated on that small past grudge between himself and He Lingchuan?

Bai Ziqi and Fushan Yue exchanged a glance, and they both smiled.

Fushan Yue, of course, delighted in stirring the pot. “Everyone knows the eldest Fan brother is fiercely protective of his own. You injured one of the younger brothers and defeated the other, and now your reputation keeps rising on the strength of that victory. If he were pleased about it, that would be the real surprise.”

He Lingchuan looked at Bai Ziqi, who only smiled without speaking, and knew at once that Fushan Yue had not exaggerated.

He had only just arrived, and already he was feeling the deep malice of Lingxu City’s high-born scions and officials.

This was not good, not good at all.

“Still, Commander Fan prides himself on his status. He may not necessarily move against you personally.” At last, Bai Ziqi took pity on him and offered a few words of comfort. “With this sort of thing, after all, it’s not gentlemen one guards against, but petty men.”

By the end, both sides left the meal well satisfied.

Watching Bai Ziqi’s figure vanish into the bustling crowd, the two of them turned and walked back toward the post station.

“Bai Ziqi originally wanted to haul you away and question you alone, but I kept getting in his way, so in the end he settled for this instead.” The smile faded from Fushan Yue’s face. “This counts as having explained things.”

He Lingchuan nodded.

Or perhaps.., not quite.

It was entirely possible Bai Ziqi’s suspicions had not truly been dispelled at all, and that he merely wanted to observe them in private.

Still, that was not necessarily a bad thing.

What He Lingchuan feared most was Bai Ziqi moving against him openly and directly, because he simply did not have the means to confront the other party head-on. If the gods and the Lord Emperor decided to disregard Chiyan’s dignity and drag him off to the Heavenly Palace for interrogation by force, then neither he nor Fushan Yue could do a single thing about it.

At least, as things stood now, he had some room to maneuver.

This was only the third day. The first and most terrifying danger he had faced since arriving in Lingxu City had, for the moment, been eased.

But deep down, He Lingchuan knew this advantage would not last. This victory was far too slight. He had to consolidate it as quickly as possible.

Not long afterward, Fushan Yue came to find He Lingchuan holding a red invitation card. “Ah, I nearly forgot. The Dun Garden auction is being held tomorrow. Do you want to go broaden your horizons?”

“Dun Garden?” He Lingchuan had already heard the name from Li Qingge before. “What sort of place is it?”

“It’s a famous mountain estate on Mount Tao in the Main City District. The whole mountain serves as its front and back courtyards. Dun Garden holds auctions twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. Countless rare treasures appear there, and nobles from both the Upper and Lower Cities all turn up to support it.”

“That sounds impressive. But why is it held in the Lower City?” He Lingchuan found that odd. “Wouldn’t holding it on a floating island make it seem... more prestigious? I mean, of a higher grade?”

“The Golden Horn General refuses. He likes the bustle and earthly liveliness of the Lower City.”

“And who might that be?” The name alone sounded like someone accustomed to doing exactly as he pleased.

“Dun Garden is one of General Golden Horn Jin Jing’s properties, and it’s run very successfully.” Fushan Yue smiled. “The Golden Horn Clan has been rooted in Lingxu City for 217 years now, four generations in all, and the family has flourished greatly. If I remember correctly, there are over 420 members in the Golden Horn Clan, of whom 37 have become true monsters. That’s far above the norm for monster clans.”

Before He Lingchuan could ask, Fushan Yue added, “The Golden Horn Clan are all giant one-horned rhinoceroses. Their size and strength are astonishing, and they are one of Lingxu City’s most important sources of military might. Once they take to the battlefield in heavy armor...” He shrugged. “Even war elephants may not be able to stop them.”

He Lingchuan was impressed. “So a general who never loses on the battlefield is also remarkably adept at business in peacetime.”

“He has capable people managing the family enterprises for him, and they’re all human.” Fushan Yue laughed loudly. “You don’t seriously think a herd of rhinoceroses would be especially good at doing business, do you?”

Fair enough. He Lingchuan casually took the invitation card and opened it, only to find his own name, “He Xiao,” written inside. “Hm? This invitation is for me?”

“Their information network is excellent. Over the past two days, Cen Boqing has been escorted back to Lingxu City, and the story of Baishajue is spreading rapidly. Perhaps they heard that you’ve had dealings both with Deputy Cloud Envoy Bai and me, and decided that was reason enough to invite you.”

“Good, then I’ll go.” He Lingchuan slapped the invitation lightly against his palm. “Is there a catalog of the lots?”

Any properly organized auction would, of course, send the list of lots in advance to invited guests, so they could prepare funds if something caught their eye.

Dun Garden had already hosted seventy or eighty auctions. It was experienced enough that such details should never have been overlooked.

Fushan Yue handed over a flat jade slip no longer than a little finger.

“See for yourself.”

“Oh?” He Lingchuan was startled. “A jade slip?”

In more than a year since coming to this world, other than Panlong City within the Panlong Soul Land, He Lingchuan had never once seen jade slips used anywhere else. Text was normally carried on paper, silk, gauze, or even bamboo strips.

He took the jade slip in hand and sent his divine sense into it. Instantly, he “saw” an array of dazzling goods of every kind. Their images and written descriptions were all there, and beside some of them were even notes indicating the prices similar lots had fetched at previous auctions.

This method truly was far more convenient than a printed catalog.

As he browsed, he asked Fushan Yue, “Seen anything you want?”

“I’ll look around first.” Fushan Yue lounged there lazily. “We’ll see when the time comes.”

* * *

The next morning, Dun Garden.

By the time Fushan Yue and He Lingchuan arrived, the auction had already begun, and it would continue until well after sunset.

Though he had prepared himself mentally, He Lingchuan was still deeply shaken the moment he entered Dun Garden.

It was simply enormous.

This was the heart of the Main City District of Lower Lingxu City, where the poor could scarcely find enough ground to stand upon. And yet Dun Garden occupied an entire mountain.

It was early autumn. At the hour of the snake[1], sunlight poured across the mountainside in sheets of gold and vermilion, while the parasol trees and five-pointed maples seemed to press the last lingering traces of cicada song into their leaves.

The west wind circled through the trees, and red leaves drifted down in sheets.

The waves of foliage dipped low, revealing only a corner of eaves and corridor beyond, with bells chiming softly in the air.

1. 9–11 A.M. ☜