Chapter 1473: Heyang

Not buying a house means you are insincere and not planning for the long term.

He Lingchuan said while washing his face, "Besides, an inn has people coming and going, which is very inconvenient." He and his subordinates also have some secret operations that cannot be exposed to others. A private residence, of course, offers much better privacy.

The mirror asked him again, "Why is Qingyang avoiding the groundbreaking ceremony?"

"Even if she came, she couldn't stop the ceremony, which would only make it more awkward, so it's better for her not to appear," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Have you forgotten? I sent her an invitation." He had only "politely" invited Qingyang to observe. As expected, the invitation went unanswered.

"Hmm..." The mirror didn't believe him. "Can't Qingyang do anything about us?"

"Haven't we been responding to every move she makes? She had the Ministry of Works block our approvals and tried to hinder us with materials," He Lingchuan said, rubbing his neck. "But I bought the south bank of Youhu Lake, and she doesn't live on the south bank. The Overseer's authority doesn't extend to such minor matters, so procedurally, she can't do anything to me."

"So what will she do if she can't proceed through official channels?" The mirror clicked its tongue. "Qingyang doesn't seem like someone who follows the rules."

"If she were, how would she have dared to secretly refine the elixir of immortality back then?" He Lingchuan knew perfectly well. "If the direct path is blocked, she'll take the hidden one. I suspect Qingyang is someone who doesn't fuss over minor details." How much respect could an authority figure and powerful person like Qingyang have for ordinary rules? Furthermore, this is Yao Kingdom, not Lingxu City. She doesn't have as many scruples or concerns, nor does she have an equally matched opponent.

"However, the Yao King's birthday celebration is approaching, and the entire city is under strict security. She is also the one most closely watched by the Yao Kingdom's ruler and ministers. Choosing to act against me at this time, whether successful or not, would escalate tensions. After all, in their eyes, I'm not an important figure at all," He Lingchuan analyzed. "Given Qingyang's temperament, she should be able to wait."

He Lingchuan was keenly aware that he was not the central conflict in the struggle between the Yao King and Qingyang. Otherwise, Qingyang would never have tolerated this situation until now.

The mirror asked again, "Wait until when?"

"Either she waits for an opportune moment to act openly, or she'll have to wait until after the birthday celebration ends."

The mirror sighed, "It's so much trouble; she could just move somewhere else."

"How can she do that?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "People fight for their pride, especially the dignified Overseer sent by Lingxu City, the former Imperial Advisor of Beijia! Before I started developing the south bank of Youhu Lake, she was free to move anywhere she wished. But now that I've begun construction, if she were to move... think about Qingyang's original purpose in coming to Yao Kingdom."

"To make Yao Kingdom obedient?"

"Exactly," He Lingchuan snapped his fingers. "For high-ranking individuals like her, their stance and attitude are always for show. If she actually moved, it would be an admission of defeat to the Yao King. The factions within the royal court that previously favored her would inevitably become restless." If Qingyang couldn't maintain her strong position and fully display Beijia's prestige, wouldn't those Yao officials just turn to serve the Yao King instead? Why would they continue to follow her?

"Also, she might have always thought I was allied with Frostleaf. She already lost to Frostleaf once in Lingxu City; there's no way she'll back down this time, right?"

The mirror suddenly remembered, "Just now Qingyang said, 'Good words are wasted on a damned fool. You and... both are.' Hey, besides you, who else was she referring to?"

He Lingchuan chuckled, "Who else could it be? Think about what she said just before that."

At this moment, someone outside heard the snap and approached. It was Wan Qiliang. The wound on his right cheek had stopped bleeding, but the swelling hadn't subsided, making his face look even fiercer. This injury had been inflicted by Heyang.

He Lingchuan asked him, "Have you applied the medicine?"

"Yes, I have," Wan Qiliang said, straightening his chest and raising his head. "We just fought Heyang; he's very strong."

"I saw," He Lingchuan replied. He had arranged for Wan Qiliang and two others to blend into the carpenters' team and engage Heyang and other Blue Guards in the chaos, while he observed from the side to gather intelligence. "If the fight had lasted longer, none of you three would have been able to defeat him." And that was even before Heyang used any other magical artifacts.

"His cultivation is profound, and his reactions are quick, but he's not a soldier; at least, he hasn't fought many battles," Wan Qiliang, who had been on battlefields, could tell at a glance. "His fighting style is too clean; there are no dirty tricks." On the battlefield, it's not about winning or losing, but about life and death, and any foul play can be used.

"You think he hasn't been to battle?" Some feelings couldn't be understood by observers; only the person involved would know.

"Most likely not."

"Alright, you may go." He Lingchuan thought for a moment then spoke again. "Wait a moment. Covertly contact Tonglin Records. Have them procure the items on this list for me. The more expensive, the better; the higher the quality, the better, but don't leave any traces! Also, order them from outside Tianshui City to avoid the notice of powerful families and, as much as possible, don't attract official attention." He paused. "If they can acquire everything, pay them the deposit."

"Yes, sir," Wan Qiliang said, taking the paper from his hand.

The list was densely packed. As he put it away, he accidentally glimpsed it and saw many valuable materials, including Wujin. Just the tip of the iceberg he saw, if all could be acquired, would cost a great deal of money. Of course, none of this concerned Wan Qiliang. He bowed to He Lingchuan and quickly withdrew.

"Anyone Qingyang keeps by her side is no ordinary person." Xi Yunhe was once Qingyang's direct disciple; look at how much trouble he caused Beijia later.

The mirror also spoke from experience, "Heyang isn't the strongest subordinate Qingyang brought to Yao Kingdom, but he's certainly the most loyal, which is why he became the commander of the Blue Guards." Qingyang has navigated the officialdom her entire life, her experience several times richer than others. The most important quality she values in her subordinates must be loyalty.

"You're half right," He Lingchuan chuckled. "Loyalty is a prerequisite. But Heyang has a straightforward and stubborn nature. Qingyang likely chose him as the Blue Guards commander because she needs such a decisive deputy for her actions in Yao Kingdom. Qingyang has led the Azure Palace for over a hundred years and is skilled in employing people. She certainly has other talented individuals under her command; we shouldn't take them lightly."

"Haven't you already begun gathering intelligence on Heyang?" From the moment He Lingchuan learned that Qingyang was serving as Overseer in Yao Kingdom, he began collecting information on Qingyang and her subordinates, even utilizing Spiritual Mountain's intelligence network through Fang Canran. Due to the time crunch, Heyang's information was obtained from Spiritual Mountain.

This person came from humble origins in Baoxiang Kingdom, a commoner family. However, due to his outstanding talent, he was exceptionally chosen as a disciple by Qingyang at the age of five. This means that Heyang has essentially spent his life in the Azure Palace since he could remember. Without clan power as a backing, his sole object of loyalty is Qingyang.

"Doesn't this past seem familiar again?" He Lingchuan thought of someone.