Chapter 1122: Worrying Internal Troubles

Then it fell silent.

Dong Rui understood. He took a bag of dried meat from his pocket and offered it to the owl. These were small pieces of meat, half-dried, perfect for a raptor to eat in one bite. He Lingchuan recognized it immediately as the bat puppet's rations. The eagle owl couldn't resist picking up a piece to sample.

"Hmm, unsalted, chewy, and elastic. Not bad, not bad at all."

Satisfied, it immediately said, "The note asking for Mingdeng Grass was on the bulletin board for too long and blew away. I remember the note said the buyer was staying at the Beard Inn!"

He Lingchuan wasn't concerned with where the buyer lived, but with the fact that someone was looking to purchase Mingdeng Grass. This indicated that the buyer knew Mingdeng Grass could be found nearby. Aside from the Xiaoyao Sect, who else could supply Mingdeng Grass?

"You didn't happen to see what the buyer looked like, did you?"

"They all had their faces covered, so I couldn't see," the eagle owl said lazily. "To be honest, even if they hadn't covered their faces, I couldn't tell you. It's against my code."

Dong Rui didn't give up. "You can't even tell us their height, build, or whether they were fat or thin?"

The eagle owl turned its head, ignoring him. If it broke the rules, how would it earn its food in the future? Other monsters had to forage outside, but it received food delivery every day just by standing here.

"What about the one asking for Duyun Stones?"

"Oh, it's still here," the eagle owl said, pointing downwards with its wing. "It hasn't been taken down."

The three looked and, sure enough, a note was pasted on the upper left corner of the bulletin board. It read:

"Seeking to purchase five Duyun Stones. At Willow Guest Manor, sit in the parlor and invert two cups."

The first sentence was the request for purchase. The second and third sentences were the secret code for meeting. The buyer instructed Duyun Stone sellers to sit in the main hall of Willow Guest Manor and invert two wine cups on the table, and someone would naturally come out to meet them.

"No one has taken the note," Dong Rui said, asking He Lingchuan, "Should we try our luck at Willow Guest Manor?"

He Lingchuan replied concisely, "No, it would be a wasted trip."

"Ah? How do you know?"

"Do you think Jin Bai and his group haven't tried?" He Lingchuan turned to ask the eagle owl, "Aside from us, has anyone else recently inquired about these two notices?"

"Yes, about half a month ago, a few big guys came to ask me, and they even gave me a bag of raw beef."

Upon hearing this, He Lingchuan knew he was referring to the Shadowtooth Guards. Jin Bai and his companions' imposing physiques certainly made them stand out among the locals. Jin Bai had also inquired about this, and would surely have tried his luck at Willow Guest Manor. The fact that he hadn't mentioned it when he spoke with He Lingchuan earlier indicated that their luck wasn't good.

"It wasn't bad luck for him; it was—" He Lingchuan looked at the note, his eyes gleaming slightly. "I think this note is just a decoy."

"A decoy? To bait whom?" The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his arms couldn't help but ask. "Someone without Mingdeng Grass or information about Duyun Stones wouldn't care about these two notes, would they?"

"Most people are indifferent and wouldn't go to Willow Guest Manor to find the buyer, so their trick wouldn't be exposed."

Dong Rui asked, puzzled, "Are you saying these people don't actually want to buy anything, but simply want to send a message to the outside world?"

"Didn't Jin Bai take the bait? When he saw someone here was looking for Duyun Stones, he just had to consult the Xiaoyao Sect Master back home to deduce that the thief's intention was to forge a Heart Lamp."

As others came to examine the bulletin board, He Lingchuan and his two companions turned and left the Ghost Market.

Walking on the dirt road, Dong Rui realized, "Then, as soon as Jin Bai hears that Prince Bo's second son's madness is improving, he'll conclude that the Mingdeng Lamp was stolen by Bo Kingdom."

"Just a deduction," He Lingchuan said modestly. "Just a deduction. Who's to say the person buying Duyun Stones isn't from Bo Kingdom's royal family?"

As the two conversed, Ah Hao listened beside them, his mouth agape.

Madness? Theft? And Bo Kingdom's royal family! Oh my goodness, what had he just heard? What exactly did these two do? He'd certainly run into bad luck today!

He Lingchuan turned to him and smiled faintly. "Coincidentally, I have something to ask you."

In Ah Hao's eyes, that smile was like the arrival of the grim reaper. He couldn't help but shiver. "You... I... I don't know anything, please don't kill me!"

"Answer truthfully, and you'll not only live but also get paid." With that, He Lingchuan produced a large silver ingot.

It was a substantial silver ingot, and the moonlight reflecting off it lit up Ah Hao's eyes. He immediately calculated: It could buy two full months of meat, over a dozen new sets of clothes, and several comfortable nights being served at the Fragrant Snow Pavilion on East Street. Or, he could keep it as capital to sell even more chewing tobacco. This wonderful vision of the future miraculously soothed Ah Hao's nerves, gradually calming him. "What... what would you like to know?"

"We've just arrived in Bo Kingdom and don't know much about it. Can you, as a local, tell us about it?"

He Lingchuan then asked questions, and Ah Hao provided answers.

Before setting out, He Lingchuan had collected information on the Shanjin Plains, but due to time constraints and the prevalence of small states where rulers changed frequently, the intelligence was either incomplete or outdated. For instance, though Yuan Kingdom was next to Beijia, most people in Beijia neither knew nor cared how many provinces or what resources Yuan Kingdom possessed, or who its monarch was. Even Fang Canran couldn't recite the names of all the small states on the Shanjin Plains. He Lingchuan had only superficial knowledge of Bo Kingdom, the location of the current events, and needed to ask a local for specific details.

Ah Hao was under twenty-five this year, but he was older than Bo Kingdom itself, as the nation had only been established thirteen years ago. Bo Kingdom was similar in size to Fu Kingdom, another tiny state. Despite being situated amidst mountains with access to the sea and a natural deep-water port, possessing far superior natural resources than Fu Kingdom, its fate had been fraught with difficulties. Within eighty years, seven kingdoms had risen and fallen here. The shortest reign was that of the previous monarch, who ruled for only thirty-five days before being usurped by the current ruler. After half a year of silent confinement, he reportedly died of melancholy.

King Bo had originally been a high-ranking official of the previous dynasty, usurping power at the age of fifty. He was now over sixty. Since his ascent, he had fought three wars with other nations and suppressed two domestic rebellions. Having seized power himself, it was natural for others to attempt to emulate him. These rebel leaders were all former generals with their own troops and territories, making them difficult to defeat. Bo Kingdom had been established for only thirteen years, yet it had been embroiled in war for seven of those years, leading to domestic instability. To make matters worse, it had borrowed heavily for its wars and still owed a large sum to creditors, struggling to even pay the interest in recent years. Since the debts couldn't be ignored, the only recourse was to raise taxes on the populace, which in turn led to abandoned farmlands and an exodus of merchants and commoners. Commoners like Ah Hao had fled their hometowns to the port in search of a livelihood because they couldn't survive there anymore.

He Lingchuan then inquired about the Bo royal family. After Ah Hao finished speaking, he understood why King Bo was so anxious:

King Bo had four sons in total. The eldest was personally killed by him six years ago. The second son, exceptionally talented and the King's favorite, had become insane a year ago after qi deviation during cultivation. The third son drowned before reaching adulthood. The fourth son was only seven years old, still a child. Actually, the old man was quite prolific, but he kept having daughters, totaling thirteen princesses. The male heir he so desperately desired simply wouldn't appear.

Dong Rui interjected, "How old is this second prince?"

Ah Hao thought for a moment. "Around twenty-five or twenty-six, I think?"

"How is King Bo's health?"

Ah Hao glanced left and right, confirming no one was near. "I don't know."

Dong Rui chuckled. "No wonder he's so determined to acquire the Mingdeng Lamp. He fears having no successor."

King Bo was over sixty, and his fourth son was only seven, so he couldn't be relied upon. If anything happened to him, Bo Kingdom, established just thirteen years ago, would likely see another change of ruling family. If the second prince's sanity returned to normal, it would resolve King Bo's greatest worry.

He Lingchuan mused, "How much do you know about the second prince's gradually recovering sanity?"

Ah Hao shook his head blankly. "I only know that it's happening." It was only announced nationwide in the last couple of days.

Dong Rui eyed him critically. "Then you're not much use to us."

Ah Hao shivered, immediately saying, "No, no, no, I can go find out!"

Dong Rui sneered, "What kind of insider information could a small-time dock-hustler like you possibly dig up?"

"I can, I can!" Ah Hao quickly insisted. "My gang leader's godfather works in the palace; he's the deputy captain of the Imperial Feather Guard! He often sends two of his men to the docks to collect tributes. I'm very familiar with these two guards, and they're incredibly well-informed, especially about palace affairs! From what dishes Consort Mei had for breakfast to how much money a certain palace servant lost in gambling, they know everything clearly." He swallowed. "By my reckoning, those two will be here to collect money tomorrow, or the day after at the latest. I... I can get information for you two. Not just about here, but even intelligence from Bo Capital!"

"Good," He Lingchuan said, raising his hand and tossing the large silver ingot to him. "You need to spend money to get what you want."

Ah Hao caught it, and just as he was about to express his gratitude, the ghost ape on Dong Rui's shoulder grabbed his chin, pried open his mouth, and Dong Rui popped a pill into it, then pressed down on his throat. Ah Hao felt the 'pill' twist twice in his throat before he swallowed it. A bitter and slightly fishy aftertaste lingered in his throat. He asked, frightened, "W-what was that?"

"A gut-piercing gu worm that activates in five days," Dong Rui said with a smile. "Within five days, you'll need to bring us information to exchange for the antidote, and you must keep our secret. Otherwise, the gu worm will transform into a moth, bite through your intestines, and burst from your belly. This is my exclusive secret technique; no doctor can help you, it's incurable! If you don't believe me, feel free to consult one."

What credibility could a petty thief and pickpocket have? Dong Rui needed an extra layer of insurance. Ah Hao's face turned ashen with fright.

Dong Rui then said, "Press your Qihai acupoint, which is your lower abdomen."

Ah Hao pressed as instructed, and his abdomen suddenly convulsed. Unprepared, he collapsed to the ground in pain, tears and snot nearly mixing.

"If you don't get the antidote in five days, the pain will be ten times worse than this."

He Lingchuan also crouched down and told Ah Hao, "You need to focus on two things: what exactly restored the second prince's sanity, and where that item came from. Get us the answers, and you won't have to die."

Ah Hao regained his breath and nodded frantically:

"Yes, yes, I'll make sure to get clear and precise answers for both of you!"