Where Immortals Once Walked

“Also, if you urgently need money, you may withdraw funds from a branch’s accounts first without paying interest. If you’re unable to repay later, the amount can simply be deducted from your dividends.” She paused. “If necessary, the personnel and materials of the local Songyang Mansion branches may also be assigned by you.”

That’s quite some authority. He Lingchuan was moved. “Alright, I’ll accept the position.”

Working alone all the time was exhausting. More friends meant more paths to take.

“If none of these satisfy you, there’s also... Hm?” Li Qingge blinked. “You agreed?”

“What else is there?” He Lingchuan immediately regretted agreeing too quickly. “Offer a few more conditions. Let me hear them.”

“That’s all.” Li Qingge coughed lightly and took a paper contract from her chest. “Come, sign it.”

“Sign...” So she came prepared? She claimed this was repayment, but in the end, she was still recruiting him!

He Lingchuan took the contract and examined it word by word, line by line.

Though he and Li Qingge were on good terms now, the clauses still had to be read clearly. Otherwise, if he fell headfirst into a pit later, he would have no one to cry to.

Right, “Marquis, how did you deal with that bamboo tube?”

“I once spent a great deal of time and money searching for a way to resolve the shared-heart gu.” Li Qingge gently pressed a hand over her heart. “I’ve already used the gu insect inside the bamboo tube to summon out the companion hidden in my heart. So...”

So she’s safe now.

She looked at He Lingchuan, her eyes carrying a trace of understanding. “Young Master, did you know all along what was inside the bamboo tube?”

He Lingchuan shrugged. “Shi Kai, one of Cen Boqing’s men, died from a shared-heart gu.”

Since this is related to the elixir of youth case, he must have studied the shared-heart gu thoroughly as well. Li Qingge fixed her gaze on him and said seriously, “Thank you!” Thank you for knowing that the bamboo tube hid the shared-heart gu, yet still being willing to help me recover it rather than keeping it for yourself.

Great kindness needed no thanks, but apart from those two words, she did not know what else she could say.

She had hinted at her feelings several times, yet this young man had kept her at a distance. She was highly intelligent, but a faint, unconscious sadness still appeared in her eyes.

He Lingchuan had finished reading the contract. There were no problems, so he signed it with a flourish.

Li Qingge immediately took out a tablet from her chest and handed it to him. “This is the elder token, and also proof of your status in Songyang Mansion. Don’t lose it!”

The token was finely crafted, shaped like a saber.

He Lingchuan put it away at once.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, he quickly took out several round beads and placed them on the table. “I didn’t find a frost-silver beast, but I did obtain these pills. Take a look and see if they can serve as a substitute?”

There were sixteen in total. The large ones were the size of eggs, and the small ones were like longan fruits, each a different color.

Five of them immediately caused white frost to form across the tabletop.

The oiled paper on the table also turned white. He Lingchuan touched it lightly, and it shattered.

He did not like touching those beads either. They froze his hands.

“What is this?” Li Qingge’s emotions drew in, and her expression grew focused. She took out a pair of gloves and put them on, then lifted one white bead and examined it carefully. “You said this didn’t come from a frost-silver beast? But in the Fu Realm, the only duonao beasts that can spit frost are frost-silver beasts.”

“I took these out of the heads of two nothing beasts.”

“Nothing beasts?” Li Qingge picked up several more beads and inspected them one after another. The more she looked, the more surprised she became. “All these beads came from two nothing beasts?”

“Yes.” He Lingchuan explained, “They’re extremely rare duonao beasts. Not many people have seen them over the past few decades. They seem capable of absorbing the innate abilities of other duonao beasts for their own use. While I was taking risks in the Fu Realm, I happened to run into a battle between lord-level duonao beasts. The nothing beast leader seemed to be trying to seize a Giant Thunderclap Beast’s egg. Only because two powerful sides were fighting did I find room to profit.”

“Absorbing other duonao beasts’ innate abilities...” Li Qingge pressed down on one of the beads. “This is almost a perfect replication.”

He Lingchuan’s breathing quickened slightly. “Can they replace frost pellets?”

“I still need to take them back and run further tests, but judging from what I see so far, there’s at least a sixty percent chance.” Li Qingge looked at the beads on the table. “There are five frost pellets here. At minimum, they should be able to produce three ice talismans. Is that enough?”

Both talisman-making and artifact-forging carried a certain failure rate. Even a grand artificer like her would not dare claim a hundred percent success rate.

“It should be.” That number already exceeded his expectations.

The more preparation he had, the more room there was for error.

Li Qingge’s eyes shone. “What about the remaining beads?”

Without even thinking, He Lingchuan said, “You can have them. Use them for whatever you can.”

“Okay!” Li Qingge happily gathered up all the beads, as if she had obtained a beloved toy. “I’ll go back and study them! Did you pick up any other treasures on this trip deep into the Fu Realm?”

Though the Grass Sea Hunt was dangerous, its rewards had usually been proportional to its risks over the years. The Fu Realm’s specialties were not limited to floating stones, beast pellets, and beast materials. There were also rare ores scarcely found in the human world.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment, then simply pushed several tables together and dumped all his Fu Realm odds and ends onto them at once.

Among them were several things that greatly interested Li Qingge.

Finally, she pointed at one item and asked, “What’s this?”

It was a large, dark, solid object, shaped like a shield and very thick. The front felt like rock, even with a few cracks in it, but when turned over, the back was flesh and blood, with a tough layer of fascia still attached.

“This is...” The fighting over the past day had been too intense, and he had obtained too many miscellaneous spoils. He Lingchuan had to think for a moment before remembering. “This is hide and flesh from the Giant Thunderclap Beast. The nothing beast leader bit it off, and it happened to land beside me.”

“This is the hide of a lord-level duonao beast, and of the lightning element at that?” Li Qingge was visibly moved. “Your luck is simply too good!”

“I think so too.” He Lingchuan scratched his head. This trip into the Fu Realm had involved every possible danger: natural disasters, beast tides, and human calamities, all without missing a single one. The fact that he had returned from the Fu Realm whole and intact meant his luck truly was good.

Li Qingge picked up the hide and carefully stroked it. “Right, weren’t you looking for a magical artifact that could ward off powerful lightning?”

He Lingchuan nodded. Magical artifacts with such attributes were far too rare. Other than the Heavenly Palace and Tianxin Island, even Lingxu City might not be able to produce one.

The main reason was that the materials were too difficult to find.

How many treasures in the mortal realm could withstand wild bombardment by lightning?

Li Qingge had only found him one lightning-warding amulet and tested it through several rounds. Its effect was indeed good, but it could only block ordinary lightning. As for how powerful the “lightning pool” in the array eye truly was, Li Qingge had never seen it and had no way to judge.

But from her tone, He Lingchuan had sensed dissatisfaction.

Now, she pointed at the beast hide before them and said solemnly, “But with this lord-level beast hide, I can try to make one.”

He Lingchuan was overjoyed and instinctively drew in a deep breath. “Then I’ll have to trouble you!”

This was one of the greatest difficulties in the Mount Xu Plan.

Although every part of the plan had been moving forward in an orderly fashion, the “lightning pool” restriction mentioned by Juju had always lacked a reliable solution.

He had also asked Fang Canran to collect magical artifacts with lightning-warding properties.

Fang Canran had told him directly that he had already acquired several, but none met the required strength. It would not be easy to ward off a restriction left by a heavenly god, and gambling with those artifacts would only cost him his life.

The greatest difficulty was that Fang Canran, as the chief steward of Dun Garden, still did not dare to make a public purchase request. Otherwise, once they later caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, it would be easy for others to trace things back to him.

Who would have thought that the spoils He Lingchuan had picked up by chance in the Fu Realm could bring such an unexpected joy? He felt the heavy stone pressing on his heart finally being cast away, and the road ahead suddenly brightened.

Heavens knew how much empty confidence had been mixed into the air of absolute certainty he had shown before Juju and Fang Canran.

Now, at last, he had taken another solid step toward the success he envisioned.

This trip into the Fu Realm had been worth it. Too worth it!

Sure enough, great fortune followed surviving a great disaster.

Seeing his face light up, Li Qingge could not resist dampening his spirits. “Don’t get happy too soon. I didn’t say I can definitely make it.”

“When the Marquis of Songyang takes action, how could there be a defective product?” He Lingchuan had always been skilled at putting people on a pedestal. It cost him nothing anyway. “I’ll just wait peacefully for the good news!”

“You’re roasting me over the fire now.” Li Qingge covered her mouth and laughed. “Alright, I’ll work on it as quickly as I can. The moment it’s made, I’ll notify you.”

The two chatted for a while longer, both in a relaxed mood. Li Qingge also mentioned a few things about Yuan’s recent situation.

“Borrowing money?” He Lingchuan frowned. “War is a bottomless pit. How much borrowed money would be enough to fill it?”

“If they don’t borrow, they’ll immediately have no money left to fight.”

“There are still states willing to lend money to Yuan?”

“That depends on what bargaining chips Yuan can offer in exchange. Who lends on empty words?” Li Qingge sighed softly. “States are the same as merchants. Both speak of credit. If you can’t uphold that, then you’ll have to pay an even greater price.”

With their business concluded, she put her veiled hat back on, said goodbye to He Lingchuan, and went downstairs.

During the campaign to bring down Nian Zanli, she would be especially careful not to let anyone see that she and He Lingchuan were still secretly in contact.

He Lingchuan left directly through the silk shop’s back door.

* * *

With the lightning magical artifact now hopefully resolved, He Lingchuan was in an excellent mood. He went out and slurped down a large bowl of thick fishball noodles before leisurely strolling back to Fleeting Thoughts Manor.

Yet before he could return to his own quarters, a servant came to report,

“Chief Steward Fang of Dun Garden is here to visit. He has already been waiting for you for more than half an hour.”

I’ve only just returned from the Fu Realm, and Fang Canran already knows? He’s as well-informed as ever.

Still, Old Fang’s a person of status in Lingxu City. Why didn’t he send word before coming?

He Lingchuan returned to his residence. The moment he entered the courtyard, he saw Fang Canran.

The man wore blue robes today and looked full of energy. The moment he saw He Lingchuan, he came forward, cupped his fist, and smiled. “Congratulations on coming back alive, Brother He!”

“What kind of thing is that to say?” He Lingchuan did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Did I go to the Grass Sea to seek death?”

“This year was special. Even the Heavenly Palace guards and the Tongxin Guard lost quite a few good men.” Fang Canran sighed. “I was worried about you too.”

His words sounded sincere and heartfelt, but He Lingchuan understood what he meant beneath them.

This man was worried that if He Lingchuan died in the Fu Realm, he would be unable to carry out the later stages of the Mount Xu Plan.

He Lingchuan spread his hands. “Didn’t I come back in one piece? Old Fang, you look very lively today. Did something good happen?”

Fang Canran glanced left and right, looking as though he wanted to speak but was holding back.