Chapter 1365: Idle Talk

## Chapter 1351: Casual Talk

"Our new regent served as Grand Preceptor in Beijia for one hundred and fifty to sixty years. When it comes to experience in officialdom, I'm afraid all of us here combined can't compare to her."

"And her ability to make money is also impressive; she has a truly systematic approach."

The oldest person present was no more than forty-five, having served as an official for no more than twenty-five years.

They were all so-called "official merchants," engaging in government-run businesses. The regent's interference in their affairs had drawn considerable grumbling from them. He Lingchuan glanced at Fan Shuang, who smiled broadly and occasionally interjected a few words.

Thus, He Lingchuan understood that this topic was open for discussion.

However, he did not interject, content to be a qualified listener.

He knew that whenever the Yao people spoke of Qingyang, the conversation would inevitably circle back to him.

As expected, after everyone had grumbled for a long time, Yuwen Xu gave He Lingchuan a thumbs-up, saying, "Brother He, you truly have class."

They were all denouncing Qingyang, yet He Lingchuan hadn't joined in or kicked her when she was down.

He Lingchuan then offered a slight smile: "Listening to your conversation, I find myself captivated. It truly is Qingyang; whether as Grand Preceptor or as Regent, her presence is always commanding."

Fan Shuang immediately chimed in, "Brother He, when you investigated the Elixir of Immortality case in Lingxu City, you were under immense pressure from Grand Preceptor Qingyang!"

He Lingchuan corrected him, "Strictly speaking, the Elixir of Immortality case in Lingxu City was supervised by Grand Envoy Bai Ziqi; I was merely an observer at the time."

"Steady, truly steady!" Gu Xuan also praised He Lingchuan loudly, "Brother He is neither self-aggrandizing nor arrogant."

"That is the truth; I dare not deceive any of you."

Yuwen Xu asked curiously, "Brother He, have you ever directly confronted Grand Preceptor Qingyang? Did she ever exert pressure on you?"

These high-ranking nobles of Yao State had heard of the Elixir of Immortality case back then, but it wasn't until Qingyang arrived in Yao State and assumed the role of Regent that they began to delve into the finer details of the case.

"Yes," He Lingchuan replied truthfully. "Prince Chiyan and I were visiting the Ke family of Tianling. We met Grand Preceptor Qingyang in their garden and had a brief conversation. Grand Preceptor Qingyang has an extraordinary demeanor; her glance alone made me feel incredibly small at the time."

Everyone exchanged glances.

Isn't that right? They felt the same way when they met Regent Qingyang.

This woman was full of the majesty of a superior. When she and the Yao King stood in the same court, their auras were simply...

Everyone sighed inwardly at this thought.

"Grand Preceptor Qingyang told me that I was truly fortunate to have survived the Elixir of Immortality case."

Everyone gasped in understanding, feeling a sense of empathy.

A deep chill ran through them.

Gu Xuan couldn't help but say, "I recall, Brother He, that you were attacked previously?"

"Yes, the inn where Prince Chiyan and I were staying was suddenly blown to smithereens," He Lingchuan said, taking a sip of wine to calm himself. "If I had returned to my room just a dozen breaths earlier, I wouldn't be sitting here drinking with you all right now."

"Brother He not only has courage, but also incredibly good luck." Everyone raised their cups to him. "Come, come, this is what they call 'when fortune smiles, heaven and earth conspire to help'."

The Yao state's imperial court was quite suppressed by Qingyang, so they particularly enjoyed hearing stories of Qingyang's setbacks in the Elixir of Immortality case.

He Lingchuan accurately grasped their psychology, intentionally or unintentionally revealing a few details of the Elixir of Immortality case. These were secrets that even ordinary nobles in Lingxu City wouldn't hear, and certainly not those present, so their gossip-loving souls burned fiercely, afraid to miss a single word.

Talking points, talking points—these would be entirely new topics for conversation once they returned home!

He Lingchuan finished recounting seven or eight details in one breath, then drank some wine to clear his throat. After a brief silence, Yuwen Xu clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Thrilling, truly thrilling! If only we had been in Lingxu City back then, we could have experienced that great maelstrom firsthand!"

He Lingchuan thought to himself, among the many nobles in Lingxu City at the time, few truly understood the intricacies of the case.

The Soul-Snatching Mirror in his arms cackled with laughter: "Easy for them to say! These Yao people have no idea how deep the waters are!"

It was the one who had experienced the entire event.

It knew that this affair had been a tumultuous storm from beginning to end!

That man-eating maelstrom—for Little Chuan to go in and come out alive, truly, the Ghost City must have blessed him!

Everyone again raised their cups to He Lingchuan. Yuwen Xu chuckled, "Brother He, you must come to His Majesty's birthday celebration! You have no idea how many people in Yao State are lining up to meet you."

He Lingchuan could only say, "I'll try my best, I'll do what I can." He then diverted the conversation to other topics, bringing that particular discussion to an end.

Gu Xuan then said, "Recently, a group of people in black armor and masks has appeared in the west, always killing at night. I've heard of it happening three times already; even the notorious cannibal Zhao Guangzhi was killed."

This topic immediately piqued the interest of others: "More than that! I've heard it's happened five times already."

"No, six times. By the way, what's so special about killing Zhao Guangzhi? He's a cannibal, he leads troops, but the surrounding powers didn't dare touch him—wasn't it just because he was a Luodian?"

Gu Xuan immediately said, "There were only dozens of black-armored cavalry, but they made Zhao's army scatter in disarray and even captured Zhao Guangzhi alive. They fought all the way from Shizhou Head back to Liuping, cooked Zhao Guangzhi in a pot, and distributed him for the common people to eat."

"That really does sound like something those savage tribal people would do!"

"I heard it's nine times," Yuwen Xu concluded. "My second steward just returned from Liuxian and said that the black-armored unit killed the master of Greenery Villa, and his second son was killed along with him. Both heads were hung side-by-side on the villa's main gate."

The other Yao people pondered for a long time: "Greenery Villa? Sounds vaguely familiar."

Gu Xuan asked curiously, "What heinous acts did this Greenery Villa commit that the black-armored troops would target it?"

Jing Yuanxun, another noble scion who often bickered with him, didn't miss the chance: "How do you know it committed heinous acts?"

"You haven't been out much recently, but you should have heard the rumors. The deeds of this black-armored unit have been widely spread in the west lately, and even within our own country, people are starting to talk. Their leader is hailed by commoners as the 'Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds,' said to specialize in punishing evildoers—not only flaying, beheading, and extracting souls, but also taking the wicked back to the Nine Netherworlds for continued punishment."

Jing Yuanxun burst into laughter: "Those ignorant villagers and country bumpkins will kneel and worship a broken statue by the roadside for half a day. In the past, people even worshipped the Ghost King Xuanlu. The Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds? Pfft, hahaha, Brother Gu, you're not actually believing that, are you?"

He Lingchuan took a sip of wine: "What 'Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds'? Isn't it just a person? Why would someone who acts righteously and has nothing to hide need to conceal themselves?"

He declared righteously, "I despise those who hide their true faces and harbor sinister intentions more than anything!"

Jing Yuanxun applauded He Lingchuan: "Exactly, exactly, your words truly resonate with me. It's just a person! Just a bunch of people pretending to be gods and ghosts. And 'Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds'—that's truly hilarious!"

Someone retorted, "Hey, what isn't there in the Blazeflash Plain? There are temples everywhere, and where there are gods, there are ghosts. First, there was the Ghost King Xuanlu, now the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds—I don't find it strange at all. Oh, and I also heard that some commoners have seen the black-armored people's true faces, and they truly look like evil spirits."

"Whether human or ghost, why do they meddle?" Yuwen Xu mused. "You all say they conquered Liuping, so why didn't they keep it, but instead handed it over? In the Blazeflash Plain, with all the vying and snatching for so many years of turmoil, aren't they just fighting for territory, population, and resources? What sense does it make to conquer territory and then not want it?"

"They probably didn't think much of it," Jing Yuanxun said, picking up a pickled plum to offset the richness of the seafood with its sweet-sour taste. "What kind of good place is Liuping? Zhao Guangzhi occupied it for over two months, plundering wealth and eating people. What could possibly be left? It's no different from an empty city."

"If this group were to conquer Chigu, or Brother Gu, your family's Weiyin production area, or Brother Yuwen, the Ciba stronghold managed by your family—" He paused, thoughtfully explaining to He Lingchuan, the outsider, "The vast, fertile land west of Ciba is our country's major granary in the south—do you think this black-clad team would also refuse it?"

"Why not?" Gu Xuan, who enjoyed arguing with him, retorted. "Do you know how many troops you'd need to hold those places? Just a few dozen people—how long would it take them just to ride from the east side of Ciba to the west?"

"He only brought out a few dozen people, but how do you know he doesn't have a 'Nine Netherworlds' army of thousands or even tens of thousands under his command?"

Seeing that they were about to enter a pointless argument, Fan Shuang quickly stepped in to mediate: "What are your thoughts on the origin of this black-armored unit?"

"They were able to defeat Zhao Guangzhi's army, regardless of the method used—dozens against thousands—which clearly indicates extraordinary individual combat power and high single-soldier quality. However, the corresponding management and logistical requirements would also be very high," Yuwen Xu mused. "None of us here are in the military, so we don't know the difficulty involved. I asked my elder brother, and he said that such elite soldiers are not easy to train; they are one in a hundred in an army. Therefore, these few dozens must have been selected from at least a thousand troops."

He took a sip of wine to clear his throat, then continued, "The army he mentioned isn't just randomly recruited strongmen from the countryside or cannon fodder for the front lines, but a real, battle-hardened army that has won victories, killed people, and faced death. To put it simply, it's like picking one in a hundred from General Chongwu's army."

Fan Shuang said to He Lingchuan, "His elder brother, Yuwen Yong, is a very famous military general in our country, having won many battles."

He Lingchuan nodded. If even a military general of Yao State knew, then the upper echelons of Yao State certainly knew about the existence of the Black-Armored Army and had assessed it.

Here, he presented one facade while maintaining another: ostensibly, he was the amiable and prosperous Lord of Yangshan Island, but secretly, he was the ruthless black-armored leader who punished evil and eliminated criminals. Both of these identities had officially stepped onto the stage of the Blazeflash Plain, plunging into the chaos.

He had no retreat.

Everyone was somewhat surprised: "So that means the 'Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds' has at least several thousand well-trained soldiers behind him?"

"That's very likely. Without a large base, it's difficult to select elite soldiers," Yuwen Xu added. "My brother said that even though the central and western Blazeflash Plain is a mixed bag, the forces capable of fielding such a unit are actually very few."

Fan Shuang smiled, "Few? Then count them for us."