Chapter 1514: I Won't Leave

Secondly, multiple nations and forces deployed troops to suppress the imitation Black Armored Army, capturing and killing many. However, this whack-a-mole style suppression only further enraged the common people. Moreover, among hundreds of "Black Armored Army" operations, there were always successful cases. Consequently, uprisings spread like wildfire across various regions. Teams operating under the Black Armored Army banner began to contact, encourage, ally, and converge with each other, forming more concentrated and powerful military forces.

At that moment, the sun rose, and the first rays of golden light streamed through the window, illuminating the dust motes dancing lazily in the air.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror also remarked, "When you created 'Emperor Jiuyou,' this was your plan from the very beginning, wasn't it?"

Its master, on this land where countless heroes had fallen, was steadily turning his goals into reality.

"Where there is light, it can illuminate the mortal world," He Lingchuan sighed softly. "The suffering accumulated over years in the Glittering Gold Plains is fertile ground. Once the seeds of hope are sown, the momentum will become unstoppable."

"Some people will inevitably disapprove and try to suppress it."

"This current situation might just be what the gods desired," He Lingchuan chuckled. "They originally wanted the Glittering Gold Plains to be as chaotic as possible—and indeed, for a short period, the plains will descend into great disorder."

"The emergence of these forces is fueled by passion. Although they are currently flourishing, most of them will eventually be annihilated, absorbed, or disband on their own," He Lingchuan stated, referring to a general pattern. "Before that happens, we must intervene."

Having personally orchestrated the current situation, he also needed to carefully nurture and guide it.

Whether sparks or seeds, both require careful protection in their early stages.

"Furthermore, this 'flourishing' situation across the Glittering Gold Plains will undoubtedly create a lot of interference for those trying to trace Emperor Jiuyou." The best way to hide a tree is to place it in a primeval forest. Now, the plains are filled with various irregular forces operating under the banner of Emperor Jiuyou, and clues are everywhere, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. Where would an interested party even begin to investigate?

This, in turn, served as powerful protection for the true Black Armored Army operations.

He Lingchuan had just finished breakfast and had not yet put down his chopsticks when Fan Shuang arrived, his face beaming.

"Brother He, I've found a house. It's in Yunsong Town."

A few days prior, He Lingchuan had asked him to look for a residence.

By settling down for a long stay, he hoped King Yao would feel somewhat more at ease about him.

The guesthouse was constantly bustling with people, making it inconvenient for private discussions; a private residence was necessary for meetings.

And finally, the Imperial Dew was about to descend, and he needed a suitable place to collect it.

He Lingchuan then told Fan Shuang, "Excellent. However, I'm rushing to the palace. Could Brother Fan please wait for me?"

Fan Shuang happily replied, "I'll go with you and wait outside the palace!"

His third visit to the palace found everything as usual: the halls were still magnificent, the plants still exquisite, and Yuquan Palace was still cold. The only thing missing was the old pear tree, whose blossoms once covered it like snow.

He Lingchuan asked a palace attendant, "Where is the tree?"

The attendant's voice was barely a whisper: "It... was gone the very next day. Nothing could be done to save it."

"Was the cause ever found?"

The attendant shook his head. The truth would likely remain unknown forever.

Several palace servants, wrapped in thick cotton coats, were turning over the soil.

For decades, nothing had grown near the cold spring, except for that old pear tree.

Perhaps only another strong tree spirit could take root and thrive there.

Upon entering the imperial study, He Lingchuan noted King Yao's calm, unperturbed expression.

Today, King Yao uncharacteristically joked with him, "Last night's auction at Crimson Keep was quite successful, wasn't it? You're beaming."

"I was quite anxious, but thankfully, everything sold out in one go." He Lingchuan knew that King Yao would have received all the news about the auction last night.

As expected, King Yao then asked him, "I heard the last villa sold for over a hundred thousand?"

"Yes, to be precise, it was exactly one hundred twenty thousand taels," He Lingchuan smiled. "General Di's loyalty to Your Majesty is truly exceptional."

"Once the funds are in place, I will instruct someone to submit the tax silver immediately." As the villas' prices soared, sums of over a hundred thousand taels were not something even powerful noble families could produce instantly. He Lingchuan was considerate, allowing them four or five days to prepare the money.

King Yao nodded.

Just half a month ago, King Yao had thought that if the tax silver reached twenty thousand taels, it would be a remarkable achievement and hadn't paid it much mind. Two hundred million coins, a sum that commoners couldn't spend in ten lifetimes, was merely a small supplement to the national treasury.

Little did he know, it would soon easily exceed a million.

King Yao said gently, "The birthday celebration has concluded. When do you plan to depart?"

"By all accounts, I should be leaving now—" He Lingchuan carefully observed King Yao's expression. The King remained impassive, displaying the demeanor of a true sovereign.

However, He Lingchuan believed that if he truly dared to announce his departure, King Yao would likely order his head to be chopped off and hung above the palace gates.

"However, construction on the Secluded Lake Villa just began, and the second phase of sales hasn't concluded. There are still many matters requiring my supervision, so I will remain in Tianshui City for a few more months." Ultimately, he was the actual controller of the Secluded Lake Villa project, and King Yao would certainly keep him in this position, not allowing him to leave.

He decided it was wiser to offer to stay on his own accord.

"The young man is quite discerning," King Yao said, looking at him with an appreciative expression. "Excellent. I hear you're looking for a residence. Where do you intend to live?"

He Lingchuan, deeply moved, replied, "Your Majesty is burdened with countless affairs of state, yet you still spare a thought for my trivial matters! Fan Shuang has just found a residence for me in Yunsong Town. I will go see it after leaving the palace."

King Yao chuckled, "You have also performed meritorious service. How about this: I will bestow upon you a residence within Tianshui City."

When King Yao mentioned "meritorious service," besides the construction of the Secluded Lake Villa, he was mainly referring to He Lingchuan publicly executing He Yang.

This was more than just avenging King Yao; He Yang was both loyal and capable, and killing him was akin to severing one of Qingyang's arms.

King Yao always felt a sense of satisfaction whenever he thought of it.

This level of counterattack was, in fact, perfectly fitting.

However, since He Lingchuan had accomplished these tasks for him, he also needed to reward him according to his merits.

Clear distinctions between rewards and punishments were the way of a good ruler.

Therefore, he bestowed upon He Lingchuan a residence in Tianshui City, along with some gold, silver, and fine silks.

He Lingchuan expressed his gratitude, then added, "Your Majesty is most generous! However, I will need to reside in the suburbs recently to closely supervise the construction progress of the Secluded Lake Villa."

He preemptively stated this to prevent anyone from spreading rumors later, claiming he wasn't staying in the residence bestowed by King Yao.

King Yao laughed, "You may live wherever you please; I won't interfere."

King Yao seemed to have something more to say, so He Lingchuan waited.

But King Yao hesitated, stopping himself before speaking, and after a few breaths, he waved his hand, saying, "Very well, you may withdraw."

As He Lingchuan exited Yuquan Palace, he happened to encounter several ministers hurrying in, among them You Rongzhi.

It seemed King Yao was holding a meeting immediately after their audience.

He Lingchuan also overheard fragments of conversation, such as "capital expansion," "national treasury," and "Flying Petal Festival."

After greeting You Rongzhi, he left the palace.

Outside the palace, Fan Shuang was still waiting for him.

"Please lead the way, Brother Fan."

For a minor matter like purchasing a house, countless people would now eagerly rush to do his bidding, but he still asked Fan Shuang to handle it.

As expected, Fan Shuang was overjoyed to receive his commission.

He Lingchuan had casually enabled the Fan family to earn tens of thousands of taels, and Fan Shuang, unable to fully repay this favor, was glad to run errands for him.

Yunsong Town was just a few miles outside Tianshui City's east gate.

It was only five or six li from the Secluded Lake Villa, an easy horse ride away, which would make it convenient for He Lingchuan to supervise the construction site.

The residence Fan Shuang had found for He Lingchuan here was called "Spring Villa" and came with its own resources.

There was a small amount of farmland, but dozens of acres of fruit trees, including grapes, apricots, pears, loquats, and more, all mature and thriving.

Fan Shuang had chosen this property according to He Lingchuan's specifications: the estate was nestled by mountains and water, even encompassing two small hills. Besides a river that flowed through the property year-round, there were also seventeen or eighteen wells, three small lakes, and seventeen ponds within the estate.

Two of the lakes were secretly connected to the river.

Most of the ponds were filled with accumulated rainwater from the hills, especially after the recent continuous heavy rains.

The original owner of the residence was also an out-of-town merchant who had purchased it ten years ago and thoroughly renovated it. He Lingchuan found the buildings well-arranged and fully functional. However, the owner's business had failed in the past two years, and the property had been mortgaged. Unable to repay his debts, the creditors put the estate up for sale.

The price was also reasonable, only six thousand taels.

This was the normal price for real estate in the Tianshui City suburbs.

He Lingchuan paid the money and moved in with his entire retinue that very day.

The numerous buildings were sufficient for him and his subordinates, and they were well-maintained, with servants already tending to them, allowing for immediate occupancy. The fruit orchards on the back hill were dense, so much so that the sky was barely visible when walking beneath the trees. There were also man-made caves on the hills, originally used as large cellars and defensive structures, which now conveniently provided cover for some of Dong Rui's clandestine experiments—he had been hesitant to cause too much commotion at the Sanmentou Inn previously.

He Lingchuan was immediately drawn to these dozens of acres.

The larger the estate, the more Imperial Dew could be harvested when it descended.

After inspecting the property, He Lingchuan promptly paid, and the residence became his. With the property transferred, specialists would handle the remaining procedures.

Since he didn't have much to his name anyway, he simply moved in that day with Wanqifeng and others. They set about organizing the villa, identifying potential risks, establishing formations, building necessary defensive structures, and—

—beginning preparations for the descent of the Imperial Dew.

While Spring Villa was bustling with activity, the Yao Kingdom also began its next grand festival:

The Flying Petal Festival.

This was a day of national celebration, from the capital to the remote countryside, and from officials to commoners, commemorating the arrival and manifestation of Yao Kingdom's principal deity, Miaozhan Tian.

The day featured sacrifices, worship, singing and dancing, temple fairs, and street parades, making it even livelier than the Spring Festival.

The Flying Petal Festival was very close to King Yao's birthday celebration, but each year required new decorations; celebratory decor could not be reused, and the grandeur and scale had to surpass the previous year's.

Naturally, a celebration honoring a deity had to be grander than one for a monarch.

However, when He Lingchuan first arrived in Tianshui City, discussions revolved almost entirely around King Yao's birthday celebration, with only a passing mention or two of the Flying Petal Festival.

On this day, the entire nation observed a holiday, and all civil and military officials, including Fan Shuang, were required to attend the rituals at the temple.

Fortunately, He Lingchuan was a foreign merchant and could remain undisturbed at his Spring Villa.