Where Immortals Once Walked

Diagonally across from him stood a gray-brick residence with a black-tiled roof and tall, dignified lintel. Its frontage was neat and imposing, and several clusters of green bamboo leaned out from behind high walls, giving it the air of a wealthy household. Above the gate hung two words: Moist Garden.

Gale Army soldiers stood guard at the entrance.

He Lingchuan, of course, passed through without obstruction. Carrying the clay pot in his arms, he entered the four-courtyard estate, crossed halls and corridors, then passed through a side garden into the dining hall.

The garden had once had artificial hills, flowing water, red maples, and strange grasses. But now winter had arrived. All things had withered and retreated. The garden’s theme had changed from vitality to cold silence.

He passed through the dining hall without entering. It was large and empty, with little human warmth.

At last, He Lingchuan entered the main courtyard. This place was brightly lit. Gale Army guards stood at the courtyard gate, expressionless no matter who approached.

The wind swept through the courtyard, carrying out the smell of wine mixed with faint laughter.

He walked in, stepping through the year’s first snow, and entered the room in a few strides.

“The sobering soup is here.”

There were only two people inside: Zhong Shengguang and Shao Jian. More than half the dishes on the table had already been eaten, but wine remained plentiful.

Zhong Shengguang had been delayed while handling affairs outside and had only just returned to Panlong City, but Shao Jian was leaving the next morning.

Hence, Zhong Shengguang had no choice but to see him off.

These two old friends had known each other for more than twenty years. Once, they had been young men wandering Lingxu together; now, they met in Panlong with white appearing at their temples. Speaking of the past and present naturally stirred endless emotions.

Wine was a broom for sweeping sorrow away, and without realizing it, they had drunk too much.

This was He Lingchuan’s first time seeing Zhong Shengguang flushed red from face to neck, utterly unlike the calm and steady commander he usually was.

But Shao Jian’s tolerance was even worse. He had already vomited once and could barely support his head with one hand.

He Lingchuan had no choice but to go buy sobering soup.

This medicine promoted urination, dispelled toxins, cleared heat, and purged internal fire. He poured only half a small bowl for Shao Jian, barely two mouthfuls. “The weather’s cold. Drink just a little first.”

Shao Jian was half-drunk, so what objection could he possibly have? He gulped it all down in one breath, tossed the bowl aside, and wiped his face.

Earlier, he and Zhong Shengguang had been talking about their experiences over the past ten-plus years. Bitter, sweet, sour, and spicy, every flavor of life had gathered there, and even two jars of wine could not smooth them out.

For Shao Jian, in truth, there was only one “sweet” thing, and that was his daughter.

“Only after Little Yan was born did I realize I’d lived the first twenty-some years of my life for nothing. She’s so adorable. Every time I go home and see her, my heart melts!” Shao Jian turned to Zhong Shengguang.

He Lingchuan’s mind immediately said, This is good.

Sure enough, Shao Jian’s next words were, “Brother Zhong, how could you... sigh. Your heart is truly ruthless!”

Ordinarily, he would never dare say such a thing. But now, emboldened by alcohol, he had unknowingly spoken what was in his heart.

Zhong Shengguang’s hand paused with the bowl halfway raised. He said nothing, only tilted his head back and drained half a bowl of wine.

“When Wuhan was little, I came to Panlong City once too. How old was she then? Five? Six?”

Zhong Shengguang’s face was stiff. “Six.”

“I remember she casually plucked a leaf and used it as a flute, then played me a tune. It was that song you composed in Lingxu City, Willows Leaning.” Shao Jian raised a thumb. “Only six, and not a single note off-key. That’s much better than my Little Yan. No matter how I teach her, she still can’t play a whole tune, let alone getting it the right pitch.”

“My wife passed early. Wuhan became sensible early too. She never needed me to worry about her. Instead, she even...” Zhong Shengguang choked slightly on the wine. “She even helped me greatly.”

Shao Jian stared at him. “Do you regret it?”

He Lingchuan secretly admired him. He actually becomes this brave when drunk?

All three people present knew what he was asking.

Did Zhong Shengguang regret using his own daughter for the rite of divine recompense?

“Regret?” Zhong Shengguang’s face darkened. “What use is regret? Could regret save the people from fire and flood?” His voice rose, and then he slapped the table with a bang. “If I regretted it, should I not have done it? If I didn’t do it, who else would?”

Shao Jian, bracing one hand against the table, was startled badly.

The Gale Army soldiers guarding the courtyard were alarmed by the heavy crash and rushed inside.

Zhong Shengguang waved them all out.

“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this!” That fright sobered Shao Jian more effectively than the medicine. He immediately changed the topic, “Right, do you know about a newly risen wealthy family in Lingxu City these past few years?”

Zhong Shengguang slowly sat back down and rubbed his face. “Lingxu City has more new rich families than grains of rice.”

It had been that way for centuries. What was so strange about it?

“No, no. This family made a great splash as soon as it arrived. That old mud loach Wu Sun even rewarded them with a profound crystal mine!” Shao Jian grabbed a strip of dried meat and chewed it with grinding hatred. “A merfolk family has some grudges with them and wanted to cause trouble for them, but in the end, the merfolk were the ones who suffered.”

Strictly speaking, this dried meat was also military ration. He Lingchuan always kept several kilos of it in his bag. It was filling, but far too tough, a real trial for the teeth.

There were several dishes on the table, yet Shao Jian had chosen this thing. He Lingchuan felt that what he truly wanted to chew was certainly not dried meat.

“A profound crystal mine?” Zhong Shengguang was slightly surprised too. “What sort of enormous merit did they achieve?” To receive such a reward!

“That man surnamed Ke, Ke Zhaolun!” Shao Jian bit into a tough tendon and spat it out. “He betrayed my king and wasn’t struck by heavenly punishment. Instead, he rose straight into high office. Heaven must be as blind as a dog!”

He Lingchuan thought, Here it comes.

This was exactly what he wanted to hear.

Zhong Shengguang tapped his knuckles twice against the table. Tok, tok. “With Wu Sun’s temperament, a profound crystal mine would not be granted lightly. Did the gods interfere?”

“I suspect so too.” Shao Jian ground his teeth in hatred. “If that bastard hadn’t informed Lingxu City back then and disrupted my royal uncle’s plans, the State of Yuān would not have had to rise in such haste. If we could have prepared for a few more years, perhaps everything would have been different.”

“Such a good opportunity.” Zhong Shengguang also sighed deeply. “A pity.”

If the King of Yuān’s uprising had succeeded, Zhong Shengguang’s own fate would surely have been rewritten too.

Would he have needed to defend a lone city to this day?

“My royal uncle treated him truly well. He had already risen to deputy prime minister!” Shao Jian said bitterly. “No one could ever have imagined it.”

Oh, so Ke Zhaolun had once been the State of Yuān’s deputy prime minister? He Lingchuan quietly noted this down.

The deputy prime minister served under the prime minister, and the office was indeed high.

Zhong Shengguang frowned. “Just informing on your king was enough for Ke Zhaolun to enjoy such wealth and honor?”

Informing did not sound good when spoken aloud. Rulers also disliked two-faced men and servants of two surnames. Lingxu City was full of talented people. If a man surnamed Ke defected to them, they could simply grant him some minor official post and toss him into a corner.

Just like Nian Zanli, who had defected with troops, yet had not received much favor from Lingxu City. In He Lingchuan’s era, he was still sitting on the cold bench.

So why had the Ke Family received such lavish treatment from the Monster Emperor of the time?

Even the people of Lingxu City had refused to accept it, and over a hundred years later, aristocratic families still looked down on the Ke Family.

Shao Jian was silent for a moment before saying, “Over the years, I have made repeated inquiries, used quite a few connections, and spent no small amount of money. Just before the New Year, I finally managed to pry loose one piece of information. Before my homeland met disaster, Ke Zhaolun had already collected a divine artifact and offered it to the gods. Heh, the gods were greatly pleased. And—” he then enunciated each word purposefully, “to the gods, that thing was also evidence that my royal uncle intended to rebel!”

“Evidence?”

“That thing could resonate with the Generous Pot across distance!” Shao Jian said solemnly. “With it, the gods knew the Generous Pot was in the State of Yuān, in my royal uncle’s hands!”

He Lingchuan’s breath caught, and it was as if an explosion had just taken place in his mind.

He happened to be leaning beside an osmanthus tree. His hand, hidden behind his back, clenched instinctively, snapping two osmanthus branches with a faint crack.

What?

A divine artifact could detect the Generous Pot? Aren’t I finished, then?

He was in Lingxu City, right under the gods’ feet!

If they wanted to take him, could they not simply seize him in one grab? At that thought, cold sweat broke out across his back.

No!

He Lingchuan instinctively gripped Fleeting Life’s hilt and forced himself to calm down. He had already been in Lingxu City for more than half a month. The gods had even gone for a stroll inside his sea of consciousness, yet they had not seen through him.

Fortunately, Zhong Shengguang was even more shocked than he was and did not notice that small sound.

“Explain clearly. What exactly happened?!”

“The treasure the Ke Family presented to the gods may have been able to detect the Generous Pot’s whereabouts. The moment I heard this news, I rushed to Panlong City.” Shao Jian said seriously, “I don’t know whether my royal uncle noticed, but he obtained the divine bone for you. Sigh, you know the divine bone’s effects. With it concealing things, it would be hard for that divine artifact to work again.”

“Why didn’t you say this a few days ago?” This was not his first day in Panlong City!

“I had barely shown my face in Panlong City before you ran off. Who could I have told these past few days?” Shao Jian spat. “Commander Zhong, you’re a busy man. It hasn’t been easy to catch you alone in private. Besides—” He paused for a few moments before continuing, “I think Lady Mitian most likely knows as well. Last time, when she gave you the Dragon Punishment Pillars, she said some of them were stained with the Generous Pot’s aura and could scatter Lingxu City’s attention.”

He Lingchuan had also heard that line, and it had left a deep impression on him.

So that’s the deeper purpose.

Zhong Shengguang thought while slowly nodding. “Mm, you’re right. She most likely knows.” She’s a god, after all. “In truth, I have long had doubts.”

Listening from the side, He Lingchuan suddenly felt that Zhong Shengguang and Mitian had not completely laid their hearts bare to each other. Both kept some things in reserve.

Though they cooperated, they were not without defenses.

Considering Zhong Shengguang’s personality and Mitian’s identity as a god, that was only reasonable.

“What exactly is this divine artifact?”

“The lid of the Generous Pot.”

He Lingchuan’s ears instantly perked up.

The Generous Pot had a lid?

Well, of course. A pot comes with a lid. Why should the Generous Pot be an exception?

“During the Great Catastrophe of Heaven and Earth, legend says a black dragon struck Tianluo Star and sacrificed itself to the Dao.” Shao Jian slowly said, “The fragments knocked down from the star were refined by several immortals working together. It took them over a hundred years to forge the Generous Pot, and they carefully made a lid to match it. But later, the lid was lost, and its whereabouts became unknown. Who knows where that man surnamed Ke picked it up and brought it back to offer to the gods, dooming all the subjects of my state!”

The words came out heavy with the smell of wine, but every single one was important. He Lingchuan memorized them carefully, not daring to miss anything.

Tonight had yielded a tremendous harvest.

The news was so weighty that even Zhong Shengguang could not restrain himself. He stood and paced twice.

“You mean the gods found the Generous Pot’s lid, used the connection between divine artifacts to confirm the Generous Pot was in the State of Yuān, and that was why...”

Shao Jian nodded. “Yes. That is exactly what I mean!”

“But they still cannot trace it to Panlong City now.” Zhong Shengguang pondered. “Clearly, Mitian knows about this too. Wasn’t the divine bone made from her own finger bone?”