Chapter 1418: Caught Up

Chapter 1403: Just Made It (Part 1 of 2)

“This is the Benevolent Mother Needle. It has no offensive power itself, but it can be used to weave and refine other magical artifacts,” He Lingchuan explained. “Xue Zongwu’s artifact, ‘Smooth Sailing,’ and Qi Yunsheng’s cloth puppets were all created with it. Also, Qi Yunsheng was able to track us by relying on the connection between the Benevolent Mother Needle and ‘Smooth Sailing.’”

“This is a treasure, a treasure that can create other magical artifacts!” Dong Rui took it and gestured with it a few times. “What do you want to create?”

“I want to give it to someone,” He Lingchuan said with a smile. “In the right hands, its full potential can be realized.”

The second treasure was a red hoop. This toy-like artifact could cast the “Imprisonment” divine ability, which had even trapped Granny Zhu for a while earlier. After the battle, it went to retrieve the spider silk and also brought back this red hoop.

“I like this one!” Dong Rui held it fondly. “I’ll take it.”

He was a demon puppet master, and while his demon puppets were powerful, he himself was the weakest link. He liked any magical artifact that could save his life.

The third spoils of war was a pure jade vase. Ten drops of cold dew would form inside it every day. Just one drop could freeze an entire large pond, along with its fish and aquatic plants, into ice blocks that wouldn’t melt even after two days of sun exposure.

Dong Rui chuckled, “With this, could you jump into a volcano?”

Lingguang was very interested in the bottle. It seemed that the cold dew was an excellent material for making ice talismans and frost dew pills, the latter being remarkably effective in treating unconventional fire poisons. He Lingchuan then gave the bottle to Lingguang.

Qi Yunsheng also had many miscellaneous artifacts, a large collection of talismans with various effects, and even two profound crystals, all of which He Lingchuan happily accepted. As expected, killing people and plundering treasures was a quick way to get rich.

Dong Rui stretched languidly and said with satisfaction, “Xue Zongwu and Qi Yunsheng are gone. I wonder what Jiaoguo’s reaction will be?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“This trip to Jiaoguo will no longer be boring,” He Lingchuan said as he sat down and closed his eyes to rest. “Do you know why I had to kill Xue Zongwu? It’s because killing ten other officials wouldn’t have the same weight or impact as the death of Xue Zongwu alone. He is one of the three Grand Marshals of Jiaoguo, pivotal to the Nation and its King—especially now! His death will inevitably trigger a massive shockwave throughout the entire Nation.”

The Snail Toad encountered a stretch of saline-alkali land and climbed onto the surface, changing its course. It happened to pass by a pool of water. There had been no rain here, and the pond water was as black as ink and as smooth as a mirror.

He Lingchuan pointed to the pond and said:

“We are outsiders, and the situation in Tianshui City is like this stagnant pool. No matter how turbulent the undercurrents are beneath the surface, we, as newcomers, can’t discern the subtleties or the stakes. However, there is one way that can help us quickly intervene.”

The Snail Toad bumped into a stone. With a splash, the stone fell into the water, creating ripples that instantly broke the calm surface of the lake.

Dong Rui had an epiphany and exclaimed, “Testing the waters?”

“Precisely, testing the waters,” He Lingchuan said, gazing at the rippling water. “Xue Zongwu’s death is that stone, but it’s significant enough to be considered a meteor. Once it strikes Tianshui City, our opportunity will arise.”

“On this trip to Jiaoguo, I originally had no cards to play. No, wait—” He thought for a moment. “The Black Armored Army could barely be considered a small card. But to sit at the table and play with Qingyang and the King, it’s far from enough.”

“Eliminating Xue Zongwu is the first major card we’ve acquired. From now on, we finally have a chance to play with them!”

Killing Xue Zongwu was the first step in his plan. No matter how difficult, it had to be completed. Otherwise, his path forward would truly be arduous.

Lingguang finished bandaging him, then leaned in to sniff, nodding in satisfaction. “No medicinal smell, very good.”

Dong Rui subtly exhaled. He wasn’t at all surprised that He Lingchuan’s plan had progressed this far.

The King of Jiaoguo had half-invited and half-coerced He Lingchuan to come to Jiaoguo. But the King was completely unaware that his actions were akin to inviting a wolf into his house or playing with fire. This fellow had previously thrown Lingxu City into chaos, and now, sharpening his blade again, he was preparing to target Tianshui City!

He Lingchuan was about to speak when he suddenly heard a soft “pop” sound from his embrace. “Oh?” He took out a grass knot. “It broke.”

Dong Rui recognized it as a “Thousand Knots.” When refined, they came in a pair. If one broke within a certain range, the other would also break, making it incredibly convenient for simple communication. The other knot from this pair was with Wanqie Feng, and its breakage conveyed only one message:

“Return quickly, trouble has arrived!”

“How far are we from Zhuo?” He immediately urged Dong Rui. “Hurry!”

Dong Rui rolled his eyes. “This is as fast as it gets. You might as well tell the Snail Toad to fly. By the way, your hair and clothes are all wet!”

He Lingchuan had been busy all night in Mangzhou. Not only was he soaked, but he also had a few blades of grass in his hair. Lingguang quickly picked all the leaves out of his hair.

Chapter 1403: Just Made It (Part 2 of 2)

When General Chongwu returned to the riverside inn where he had dined last night, the sunlight struggled to break free from the clouds, managing to peek through. The great river, having been ravaged by the downpour, was a murky yellow.

He entered the inn. The tables in the main hall were covered in messy cups and plates, and the staff were in the process of clearing up. The inn was bustling, with many merchants checking out and leaving with their luggage.

General Chongwu immediately said, “Go find out which teams were robbed last night.”

“Yes, sir!” His subordinate went directly to the innkeeper.

General Chongwu passed by the private room where he had eaten last night. A thought occurred to him, and he stepped inside to take a look. The room had already been tidied; the table was clean, with no cups, plates, or bowls.

He called out to a passing waiter, “When did the guests at this table finish their meal?”

“I... I just came on duty this morning.”

The waiter who had been on night duty was fast asleep and looked confused when General Chongwu’s subordinate woke him. The front yard had been very lively last night, with patrons coming and going, leading to a very high table turnover rate. He thought for a long time, mouth agape, before saying, “That private room, it seems they finished before sunset. We went in to clear it, and then two more groups of guests came in afterward.”

Sunset? General Chongwu calculated with his fingers. Fan Shuang, He Lingchuan, and the others had also concluded their meal within an hour of his departure. This was not surprising; Fan Shuang seemed to have a moderate tolerance for alcohol.

He went to the inn’s backyard and saw two palace guards standing outside Fan Shuang’s door. “Has he woken up?”

“Lord Fan is still resting.”

Even if the palace guards hadn’t said anything, General Chongwu could hear the snoring from inside. “Was he drunk last night?” Drunk people sleep deeply.

“He was very drunk. Commander Zhao and Island Master He helped him back to his room,” the palace guard added. “Lord Fan suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and even went to knock on Island Master He’s door, wanting to have a few more drinks with him.”

“And then?”

“He was stopped by Island Master He’s guards before he could even knock on the door. We brought him back to this room, and he made a fuss for quite a while before finally falling asleep.” The palace guards were actually tired too, but it wasn’t appropriate to yawn in front of General Chongwu.

“What about Island Master He?”

“He slept all night; the door never even opened.”

General Chongwu nodded, then turned two corners down the hallway and headed towards He Lingchuan’s guest room. The Yangshan guards were indeed dedicated, having stood guard outside their master’s door all night. They saluted upon seeing General Chongwu.

“Where’s your master?” General Chongwu chuckled. “The sun’s up, and he’s still not awake?”

“Our master drank last night and is still resting.”

“Didn’t the banquet end yesterday evening? Is he sleeping for ten hours straight?”

Wanqie Feng replied, “Our master has been worrying about business and toiling for days. He finally had a peaceful night’s sleep.”

“Eat first, then sleep,” General Chongwu said, reaching out to knock on the door. “Mr. He!” His movements were swift; the Yangshan guards had just thought to intervene when he had already knocked on the door.

*Knock, knock, knock!*

Wanqie Feng’s eyes flickered slightly. The other party was a general of the Nation, so they couldn’t forcefully stop him. There was no movement inside.

“He’s sleeping too soundly,” General Chongwu said, about to knock again, when Wang Fubao stepped diagonally, blocking his path. “General, why are you disturbing our master?”

His words were somewhat blunt, and the guards behind General Chongwu angrily reprimanded him, “Impudent!”

General Chongwu raised his hand and was about to speak when a slight sound suddenly came from inside the room. Then the door creaked open. “What’s all this noise?”

He Lingchuan stood behind the door, his face showing not only the grogginess of just waking up but also some displeasure. His tone was also somewhat reproachful, but as he recognized the person at the door, his expression changed:

“Oh, General Chongwu?” He immediately switched to an expression of concern. “Have the stolen items been recovered?”

“Yes, they’ve been recovered.” General Chongwu saw He Lingchuan’s sleepy eyes, messy hair, and bare feet without socks, indeed looking as if he had just woken up. He then cast a quick glance with the corner of his eye and noticed that the windows in He Lingchuan’s room were tightly shut, making the light very dim. “I chased them all night, but thankfully everything was recovered. There’s nothing suspicious.” He couldn’t explain why he felt compelled to check on He Lingchuan; it was probably just a sudden intuition.

“Thank goodness!” He Lingchuan chuckled. “General, you’ve come to find me for breakfast. I knew the trouble must be resolved. Please wait a moment while I change my clothes.”

With another creak, he closed the door without further explanation. General Chongwu had used the excuse of inviting him to breakfast to knock on the door, so now he couldn’t just turn and leave. He had no choice but to step back two paces and wait.

With the door closed, He Lingchuan leaned against it, secretly letting out a sigh of relief. The Soul-Absorbing Mirror in his embrace shrieked, “Whoa, that was close! Just by a hair’s breadth!”

When General Chongwu knocked, He Lingchuan had just arrived at the riverside. He immediately jumped through the window into the room, messed up his hair, took off his shoes and socks, and then, appearing groggy from sleep, opened the door. On his way back from Mangzhou, he had used his true power to dry the moisture from his body and hair; otherwise, his ruse would have been exposed on the spot.

He had just made it. Otherwise, if General Chongwu had knocked for a long time with no response from inside, he would certainly have become suspicious. This plan was only successfully completed at this very moment.

General Chongwu waited outside the door for over a quarter of an hour before He Lingchuan was finally presentable and pushed the door open again. He wore a crimson brocade robe, a white jade crown, and a small, pinky-finger-length enamel gourd hung from his waist. The plainest part of his attire was actually the lightly embroidered golden belt.

Everyone’s eyes lit up. Such a flamboyant outfit, surprisingly, made him appear even more handsome and unrestrained.