Where Immortals Once Walked

There was actually one more thing He Lingchuan had not said.

The elixir of youth case had already been exposed for more than a month. Could State Preceptor Qing Yang truly have not prepared any countermeasures?

Bai Ziqi’s investigation had pointed straight at her. Did she look like the sort of person who would sit there and do nothing?

In the current situation, what exactly would State Preceptor Qing Yang do?

As the Chiyan people withdrew from the Spring Palace, Fushan Yue did not forget to send the goshawk high into the sky to scout Tianxin Island for the latest developments.

By now, more and more people were gathering around the Spring Palace. Everyone stretched their necks, eager to get a taste of this enormous scandal.

Over the past month, one juicy piece of news after another had burst out in Lingxu City, each sweeter than the last.

But Heavenly Palace guards suddenly besieging the Spring Palace? This was definitely the most outrageous event of the year. No, of the past century! Especially now that the elixir of youth case had been fermenting for a full month, and everyone basically understood its causes and consequences.

If they could dig up some shocking material today, wouldn’t the evening conversations around braziers be lively?

* * *

Heaven-Reaching Palace, Tianxin Island.

State Preceptor Qing Yang stood behind the door. Outside the wall, chaotic footsteps passed back and forth, and people argued loudly.

She lifted her head toward the palace’s high walls. A branch of late-blooming osmanthus leaned in from above, more than half its flowers already withered, yet a lingering fragrance still curled in the air.

She looked higher and saw a palm-sized patch of sky.

By now, the sun had already slanted westward, and its light could not pierce this courtyard that was as deep as a well.

State Preceptor Qing Yang remembered that when she had first entered the palace at twelve, she had stood here too, looking up at that same patch of sky overhead.

The sky hasn’t changed.

Back then, however, the osmanthus tree had not yet grown tall enough to reach inside.

More than 170 years had passed in the blink of an eye.

So fast.

She let out a faint, distant sigh.

At some point, the noise beyond the door stopped, and the footsteps moved away.

A little while later, the door was pushed open. A palace maid said softly, “State Preceptor, this way, please.”

She closed the door and led State Preceptor Qing Yang inward.

Although it was deep autumn, the plants along the path were lush and green, full of life, without the slightest hint of withering.

The palace maid had a full head of silver hair, and her shoulders bent slightly forward. Yet as State Preceptor Qing Yang followed behind her, she said, “Little Xiao, it has been a long time.”

The palace maid turned back and saw her walking past a cluster of white banksia roses. Beauty and fragrance set each other off in perfect harmony.

Though upon closer inspection, a few fine lines could be seen at the corners of State Preceptor Qing Yang’s eyes.

“You need not worry. Even those Heavenly Palace guards wouldn’t dare break into Sweet Spring Hall and cause trouble!” the palace maid said sternly. “This is the safest place in the world.”

State Preceptor Qing Yang sighed. “I never imagined there would come a day when I would seek shelter here.”

“The Lord Emperor said long ago that if anything happened, you should come here and wait for him.” The palace maid said, “It is only unfortunate that the Lord Emperor went to Mount Xu this afternoon and is not in the palace. Otherwise, he could take charge of the situation for you!”

State Preceptor Qing Yang murmured self-mockingly, “The situation?” It’s probably already settled.

In her heart, she understood that the heavenly gods had summoned the Lord Emperor at precisely this moment to cut off her path of retreat.

Still, no matter how overbearing the cloud envoys and the Heavenly Palace guards were, they could not barge into the imperial palace and turn it upside down, could they?

She had spent the first half of her life in battle, and the second half plotting and managing affairs. She had given everything she had to Lingxu, and in exchange, the Lord Emperor had once made her a promise:

No matter how the currents of court changed, she would always be able to meet him in Sweet Spring Hall.

The palace maid invited her into a warm side chamber, brought over a brocade quilt, and then served hot tea and small snacks. Only then did she say, “Please remain here as you wish. If you grow tired, you can take a short rest. The Lord Emperor only went to Mount Xu in the afternoon. The earliest he can return will be before evening.”

State Preceptor Qing Yang asked her, “Is there an incense burner?”

The palace maid paused before answering, “Oh, yes.”

From somewhere, she found a small incense burner, along with a handful of red incense.

“Thank you.”

The palace maid shook her head. “Please don’t say such things. Fifty-five years ago, if not for you carrying this servant back from the snow, I would have long ceased to exist. If you need anything, only say the word.”

Only after arranging all this did she step backward out of the chamber and gently close the door as she left.

State Preceptor Qing Yang closed her eyes and rested for a long while. Then she went to the little garden outside the hall and walked in circles, confirming that the place was not being watched. Only then did she return to the warm chamber and shut the doors tight.

She lit seven thin sticks of incense, planted them in the burner, then placed the burner facing east.

The crack beneath the door was narrow, and almost no autumn wind could enter. The columns of smoke rose straight upward.

State Preceptor Qing Yang kneeled and began chanting under her breath.

The smoke above the incense burner paused faintly. Once it rose to a certain height, it pressed downward instead, condensing without dispersing.

A few minutes later, the smoke gathered into a dull gray mass, which slowly took the shape of a human face.

The features of this face were extremely blurry. At best, one could barely make out two eyes and a mouth.

Then a dignified voice sounded, “Where are you?”

“Heaven-Reaching Palace.” State Preceptor Qing Yang stopped praying. “After you notified me, I hurried here. Bai Ziqi led the Heavenly Palace guards straight to the Spring Palace. Whose instruction was that?”

“It was the instruction of your Divine Majesty Lingxu!” the voice said. “It did not discuss anything with us, but issued the decree directly.”

Though she had already braced herself, State Preceptor Qing Yang’s face still paled. After all, being personally targeted by the highest boss felt terrible. “There wasn’t time to discuss things in detail earlier. You said Bai Ziqi left the city on the opening day of the Grass Sea Hunt to go to Chiyan and find Kong Jiaxiang?”

The voice snorted. “Yes, to Kong Jiaxiang’s hometown, Yangshui. But Bai Ziqi never reported this lead, nor did he report his itinerary, causing all the heavenly gods to be kept in the dark.”

Or rather, Bai Ziqi had specifically been guarding against them!

“He truly is loyal to Lingxu.”

State Preceptor Qing Yang’s fine eyebrows drew tight. “Kong Jiaxiang cannot possibly still be alive.”

“Then did Bai Ziqi bring back a corpse? No, no. That was not how he reported it to Divine Majesty Lingxu. Not only does he have a living witness, but he also has physical evidence in his hands.”

“I sent Lu Qingzhou to clean up Qingfu Temple. Lu Qingzhou personally watched Kong Jiaxiang swallow poison and die before setting fire to Qingfu Temple.” State Preceptor Qing Yang’s expression grew grave. “The fire began in Kong Jiaxiang’s room. There is no way he could have seen wrongly.”

“Could that Lu fellow have lied to you?”

“Lu Qingzhou was utterly loyal to me. He could not possibly have betrayed me.” State Preceptor Qing Yang slowly shook her head. “Besides, he died suddenly at home a few days ago. That should have been the Autumn Palace’s doing.”

The voice said, “Perhaps Kong Jiaxiang feigned death and deceived your disciple.”

State Preceptor Qing Yang said nothing.

After all, she had not handled this matter personally and had not been present. Even if Lu Qingzhou had reported back afterward, could he have missed certain details?

“If you say Kong Jiaxiang is dead, then who is the man Bai Ziqi found?”

“Perhaps a fake.”

The voice gave a surprised sound. “A fake? If you’re certain he’s a fake, then why didn’t you stay at the Spring Palace and confront him? Why run straight to Heaven-Reaching Palace?” And she had fled without turning back. That was simply unlike State Preceptor Qing Yang’s usual style.

“You think Bai Ziqi is easy to fool? After capturing such an important witness as Kong Jiaxiang, would he not verify his identity?” State Preceptor Qing Yang gave a bitter smile. “Kong Jiaxiang was arrested in his hometown. So many relatives, friends, and old acquaintances in Yangshui can attest to his identity. Besides, I imagine Bai Ziqi would look for clues in Lingxu City as well. Conversely, if he had not concluded that Kong Jiaxiang was ironclad evidence, how would he dare lead troops to bombard my Spring Palace?”

“Moreover, even if I confronted Kong Jiaxiang, would Lingxu City believe him or believe me? Who would judge the truth and falsehood in his words?” What was true and what was false, only she herself knew that clearly, but how would anyone else believe her? “Lu Qingzhou, who could prove Kong Jiaxiang had already died, has himself died suddenly. Therefore, this Kong Jiaxiang is real.”

Whether Kong Jiaxiang was real or fake did not matter. The existence of “Kong Jiaxiang” itself was what mattered.

His testimony and his confession would certainly be true.

The moment Shuang Ye found Kong Jiaxiang—or the made-up Kong Jiaxiang—their contest had already been decided.

The voice did not care about the evidence itself. It only wanted to know one thing. “Have you truly been nailed down, with no chance to overturn the case?”

“Perhaps.”

The smoke was quite straightforward. It rolled twice and was about to disperse.

“True Monarch Tongming!” State Preceptor Qing Yang suddenly spoke. “If I am imprisoned and interrogated, you won’t be able to escape either.”

A voice came from within the smoke again, now tinged with anger, “You dare threaten me?”

“I know Miaozhantian has a divine object called the touchstone. I fear I will not be able to pass it, and I will speak of the fact that you secretly sent me divine blood.”

Aside from jiang beads, the production of the elixir of youth also required one indispensable medicinal catalyst: divine blood.

If one could not obtain divine blood, then even a room full of jiang beads would be useless.

Clearly, the Lord Emperor and the Heavenly Palace both knew this. Once State Preceptor Qing Yang was taken into custody, she would certainly be interrogated about the source of the divine blood.

And State Preceptor Qing Yang knew that Miaozhantian’s touchstone deific technique was exceptionally useful for determining whether testimony was true or false.

At that point, would True Monarch Tongming, her accomplice, not be exposed?

Yet True Monarch Tongming laughed loudly and said, “You worry too much! Miaozhantian only just used that deific technique, and even encountered unexpected complications partway through. As a result, the depletion was enormous. It cannot be used a second time for at least three to five months!”

State Preceptor Qing Yang was startled. “Complications?” Could True Monarch Tongming have tampered with it?

But upon hearing that Miaozhantian’s deific technique was temporarily sealed away, she also breathed a little easier.

“Miaozhantian was probing that boy surnamed He by the Chiyan Crown Prince’s side and failed to obtain a satisfactory result.”

The boy surnamed He? He Xiao?

State Preceptor Qing Yang was greatly surprised. He Xiao had indeed created obstruction after obstruction for her. If such a person had not suddenly appeared from the side, even if Xi Yunhe had the will, he might not have been able to expose the elixir of youth case.

That young man does have some ability, but Miaozhantian had actually used a deific technique on him?

As state preceptor, Qing Yang knew a great deal of inside information. For example, if a god wanted to use a deific technique in the mortal realm, the price that they would have to pay was extremely high.

The barrier between the two realms was no joke, and the laws of the world could not be bypassed so easily.

This price was not paid only by the god; even Lingxu City had to bear part of it.

And this had been one of Miaozhantian’s signature methods. It was absolutely not something that could be used lightly.

What secrets are hidden on that young man’s body, for even a heavenly god to be willing to expend such effort to test him? Of course, State Preceptor Qing Yang was in no position to spare attention for others now. The thought only flashed through her mind before she said to True Monarch Tongming, “The other gods may not be so resolute in their attitude toward my case, correct?”

“You know very well that even if most of the gods do not care, as long as a small portion insist, you will find it hard to escape prison!” True Monarch Tongming then added coldly, “You needn’t think of biting back at me. I will not admit it.”

“What war does not flow with rivers of blood? My subordinates merely killed a few weak monsters. The crime can be considered light or heavy, depending on how it is judged.” State Preceptor Qing Yang then added solemnly, “I would like to ask you to put in a few good words for me before the gods.”