Chapter 1177: Old Acquaintance's News

Lingguang suddenly darted down to the ground, pulled up a few blades of grass that looked like snakeskin, chewed them up, and spit them onto the fox demon's wound.

"This is Dragon Armor Fungus," she explained. "It's very rare. Applied externally, it's a powerful painkiller and forms a protective film that helps the wound not reopen."

The fox demon indeed felt an unusual coolness on its wound and could walk much more lightly.

"The one who wounded you seems highly skilled," He Lingchuan asked Three-Tails. "When did the Kingdom of Yao change its Grand Supervisor?"

This great demon had been a neighbor to the Kingdom of Yao for so long that its knowledge of it surely surpassed that of ordinary people.

"He just took office last year," Three-Tails replied, "and he's from the west."

He Lingchuan immediately felt something was off. "Such an important position as Supervisor is actually held by an outsider?"

"Ah, I heard he was sent by Beijia."

Beijia? Beijia sending someone to serve as Supervisor in the Kingdom of Yao?

"As expected, the Kingdom of Yao and Beijia have a relationship as close as the legends say."

"It's not just a legend, it is very close!" Three-Tails immediately confirmed. "Beijia often sends envoys to the Kingdom of Yao, and vice versa... Their interactions are extremely frequent, including trade and military matters. Every crown prince of the Kingdom of Yao must go to Lingxu City for advanced study before ascending the throne."

He Lingchuan hummed in acknowledgment. "I did indeed encounter many students from the Kingdom of Yao at Lingxu Grand Academy." They were all studying abroad on government expense.

Given the power and size of both parties, Beijia could only be the master and the Kingdom of Yao the subordinate. Therefore, the Supervisor sent by Beijia to the Kingdom of Yao was one of their means of control.

He casually asked, "What's the name of this new Grand Supervisor? I might even know him."

During his travels in Lingxu City, he had met quite a few influential figures, including several renowned generals.

"Lu Wushuang."

He Lingchuan immediately turned his head, his face full of disbelief. "What? Male or female?"

"Female, with a dignified appearance, seemingly in her forties, with some white at her temples."

He Lingchuan rarely showed such surprise. Dong Rui admired his expression for a few moments before asking him, "You're this shocked? Is this person very famous?"

At this question, He Lingchuan looked at him with an even stranger gaze. "You really don't recognize her?"

"Should I?" Dong Rui had indeed never heard the name.

"Weren't you almost on Lingxu City's wanted list again because of her?" He Lingchuan said slowly, his gaze deep. "If I tell you her former title, you'll definitely remember her. She is—"

"—the State Preceptor Qingyang!"

Dong Rui's eyes widened. "What?! You're saying she's the State Preceptor Qingyang?!"

The fox demon, Three-Tails, looked from one to the other. "Wait, is that 'the' State Preceptor Qingyang from Beijia?"

"Yes," He Lingchuan said, his mind working quickly. "The State Preceptor Qingyang's reputation is so great that few people know her real name. After she was dismissed from her position as State Preceptor, she vanished without a trace. So many people couldn't find her, and it turns out she had traveled overseas."

He had thought the State Preceptor Qingyang would lose her power then, but he never imagined she would come all the way to the Blazing Gold Plains to serve as Supervisor for the Kingdom of Yao!

Haha, still going strong in her old age.

Dong Rui asked curiously, "Are you looking for her too?"

Otherwise, how would he know so many people were looking for her whereabouts?

"What nonsense are you talking?" He Lingchuan returned to his usual demeanor, casually plucking a blade of grass from the roadside, chewing it a few times, and savoring the bitter taste. "Who is the State Preceptor Qingyang? She has nothing to do with me."

He then continued:

"Her being here is, of course, the Demon Emperor's arrangement."

Otherwise, why would the Kingdom of Yao allow an outsider to be Supervisor? "The Demon Kingdom was truly generous to her, keeping her hidden for over a year until the commotion died down, then sending her here."

Due to the Elixir of Immortality incident, the State Preceptor Qingyang had no standing in Beijia. He Lingchuan had originally thought she would find a scenic place to live out her final years, but he never expected her to come here to 'shine and make contributions'.

Well, he supposed the State Preceptor Qingyang had nowhere else to go and could only retire in the Kingdom of Yao.

The elemental energy here couldn't compare to Beijia, but it was already quite exceptional in the Blazing Gold Plains.

He asked Three-Tails, "Could you describe your battle with Qingyang in detail?"

The fox demon recounted the story in detail.

He Lingchuan frequently interrupted it, asking about every single detail.

The fox demon grew somewhat uncomfortable.

No one would enjoy detailing how they were thoroughly beaten, but this person insisted on digging into every single detail, forcing it to relive its unpleasant past over and over.

Its three tails swayed back and forth, indicating its owner's displeasure. If He Lingchuan hadn't been its savior, and if it didn't still rely on him for escape, the three-tailed fox demon would have already turned hostile.

He Lingchuan, being so perceptive of others' expressions, completely ignored its aversion and continued to ask questions regardless.

This unusually persistent attitude sent a slight chill down Dong Rui's spine.

The last time He was like this, wasn't it when he was planning to entrap Yu Zecheng?

And the time before that, it seemed to be before he caused chaos in the Heavenly Palace.

Every time he showed that expression, someone was about to have bad luck.

Dong Rui coughed and interjected:

"From the sound of it, Qingyang's power has diminished."

"It's not surprising. She's over 190 years old, long past her peak. Furthermore, after her dismissal, she couldn't access elemental energy for a long time, which would inevitably lead to accelerated aging."

Aging is the ultimate enemy of cultivation. In ancient times, before the current cultivation methods, the first goal of practitioners was to seek longevity.

The Soul-Sifting Mirror in his arms also chimed in, "Don't forget she's no longer the master of the Azure Palace, so she can't use the treasures inside!"

Half of the magical artifacts in the Azure Palace were collected by the State Preceptor Qingyang. Without these convenient treasures, her power would decrease significantly. Back when He Lingchuan wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Star-Picking Tower temporarily released the State Preceptor Qingyang. Unfortunately, she had just come out of prison and only had one staff to fight with; otherwise, He Lingchuan would have truly experienced her terrifying power.

Thinking of this, He Lingchuan felt a little relieved; all of this was good news for him.

The State Preceptor Qingyang was no longer the State Preceptor Qingyang of old, and coincidentally, He Lingchuan was no longer the He Lingchuan who had caused chaos in the Heavenly Palace.

Since leaving Beijia, even he could feel his own rapid growth.

Dong Rui asked again, "Since you have a past connection with State Preceptor Wang, why didn't you move to the Kingdom of Mou earlier?"

Three-Tails remained silent for a long time before finally saying:

"It's hard to leave one's homeland."

This great demon also had a fondness for its hometown? Dong Rui found it amusing, but then heard He Lingchuan say something with profound meaning:

"We are not people of the Kingdom of Mou. We were simply entrusted by State Preceptor Wang to pick you up on our way."

Three-Tails was startled. "You're not from Spirit Mountain either?"

"No."

The large fox demon uttered an "Oh" and wagged its tails twice. Dong Rui felt it seemed to relax a little more.

"You have some real ability, yet you're not from Spirit Mountain."

"Neither are you," He Lingchuan smiled slightly. "Spirit Mountain once invited me."

Three-Tails tilted its head, looking at him. "You didn't join?"

He Lingchuan shook his head. "I don't like being constrained."

Three-Tails immediately said, "Me too! I've lived here for decades, free and unconstrained. Originally, I didn't want to go to the Kingdom of Mou or Beijia. Who knew in the end... sigh!"