Chapter 1599: Mutual Delay

Dong Rui laughed heartily: "I've arrived at Taoxi and seen Cao Wendao!"

How could he allow an enemy right under his nose to escape?

He Lingchuan felt a sense of relief upon hearing that Dong Rui was keeping a close eye on Cao Wendao.

As long as he hadn't lost track of him.

Dong Rui's suggestion seemed to be the best solution. Traveling underground on his Snail Toad, he would be unhindered by Qingyang and could indeed intercept Cao Wendao.

The next step was to see who had superior combat strength.

He Lingchuan didn't believe Dong Rui would lose.

Meanwhile, Qingyang remained composed, watching He Xiao in a trance without urging him. She did need to buy time for Cao Wendao; she had hired the man to kill, and now she had to cover his escape.

*Sigh*, what a mess.

Zhao Song, standing nearby, looked at her, then at He Lingchuan, deep in thought.

He Xiao was pursuing the assassin at night, but Regent Qingyang blocked his path, rambling on and clearly preventing him from chasing the culprit.

So He Xiao's judgment was correct; the assassin must have been sent by Regent Qingyang.

Having been an official for many years, Zhao Song knew precisely when to keep silent—

Like now. He'd best keep mum and report to the monarch once back at the palace.

Since Dong Rui had already slipped away to Taoxi, He Lingchuan focused on the situation at hand:

"Please speak, Regent."

Qingyang was slightly surprised that he was patient enough to listen, but she focused and said:

"Snail Toad."

Uttering these two words, Qingyang stared intently at He Lingchuan, not missing any subtle expression on his face.

He Lingchuan's heart jolted violently, and a chill involuntarily spread down his back:

Qingyang had still made the connection!

The words "Snail Toad" were almost inextricably linked to all of He Lingchuan's secrets.

The Immortality Elixir case, the Havoc in Heavenly Palace, Emperor Jiuyou, Xue Zongwu's death…

The mention of this term by Qingyang was as if his disguise had been ripped away, exposing his secrets for all to see.

Moreover, Qingyang mentioning the Snail Toad's name connected him to Frostleaf and Xi Yunhe, stirring up old and new grudges all at once!

However, He Lingchuan had understood since Qingyang's sudden appearance that she was closely linked to Cao Wendao. Thus, the secret of He Xiao having a fiend puppeteer by his side was likely no longer safe.

So he exerted maximum effort to control his emotions; even his pupils only widened slightly. On the surface, everything was normal, with a hint of confusion:

"What?"

Qingyang looked at him and smiled, "You've never heard of such a thing?"

"I have. Xi Yunhe's subordinates rode it to hunt monsters in Chiyan and extract the raw 'pulp pearls' for your Immortality Elixir, and I was the one who discovered it first," He Lingchuan said naturally. "When I left Beijia, its whereabouts were still unknown. Does the Regent have something to tell me about it?"

The palace guards behind him perked up their ears, eager for gossip. Everyone knew Qingyang had fallen from grace due to the Immortality Elixir case, but only He Xiao and Qingyang, as parties involved, knew such details of the case.

Qingyang knew this boomerang would surely come back to hit her, yet her expression remained unchanged: "Xi Yunhe, that traitor, found a fiend puppeteer to create the 'Snail Toad' to frame me. It has the ability to burrow underground on rainy nights."

She raised a hand, catching a thin snowflake before her eyes, watching it melt into a droplet in her palm and fall to the ground.

"Weather like tonight's, for example, is perfect for it to commit its crimes."

He Lingchuan asked, surprised, "Oh? Regent, you specifically brought up the Snail Toad. Are you planning to hand it over now?"

Wasn't Qingyang trying to stall for time? Fine, he would argue with her thoroughly.

With Zhao Song and hundreds of palace guards present, how could Qingyang possibly make a direct move against him?

These words caused Qingyang's brow to furrow slightly, but she still asked, "Do you know where the Snail Toad went afterward?"

"That's an unsolved mystery of the Immortality Elixir case," He Lingchuan said earnestly. "I thought the Regent could enlighten me."

Xi Yunhe, who had once used the alias Mai Xuewen, had secretly contacted him and provided clues. But apart from the two of them, only Imperial Master Frostleaf knew about this.

Qingyang had no direct evidence, relying entirely on conjecture.

Thus, to outsiders, Xi Yunhe was still an accomplice on the run, and the Snail Toad remained a tool used by Qingyang's faction. Due to the unique nature of the case, the Immortality Elixir case had been closed, but any people, matters, or objects related to the case that were still at large would still be processed if reported to Lingxu City.

Bringing up the Snail Toad meant digging up an unpleasant past, which made Qingyang uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she said, "You once investigated the Lingxu City Messenger case, and Bai Ziqi also trusted your judgment. So, in your opinion, where did that Snail Toad go?"

Retracing the case afterward, she found that almost everyone's focus had been on Xi Yunhe, Cen Poqing, and even Cen Poqing's wife, while this Snail Toad had been deliberately or inadvertently ignored.

Such a large monster, and no one cared about its whereabouts?

He Lingchuan thought for a moment: "After the case was handed over to Chief Bai, I stopped investigating. Judging from the clues at the time, the Snail Toad should have been with Xi Yunhe; they disappeared together."

"Clever boy, you're quite airtight."

He smiled slightly: "If the Regent can find the Snail Toad, perhaps you can also apprehend Xi Yunhe, settle this public case, and bring solace to the victims' spirits."

He hadn't uttered a single curse word, yet every word was a stab to the heart.

The young man was deliberately linking the Snail Toad to the Immortality Elixir case, using his words to corner Qingyang. The latter, of course, understood his objective. So Qingyang continued, "I have indeed found some clues, but state affairs keep me too busy to get away. How about I entrust this investigation to Island Master He, as usual?"

He Lingchuan coughed lightly twice, then cleared his throat.

This was a coded signal to Dong Rui via the Eyeball Spider, asking him about his progress.

Dong Rui's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "Almost, don't rush me!"

So He Lingchuan continued, "The Regent found them? Where are the Snail Toad and Xi Yunhe hiding?"

Qingyang glanced at Zhao Song and the others behind him, then shook her head: "How can a major case of Beijia be discussed in public? How about you come find me at Youhu Lodge in three days?"

The Soul-capturing Mirror exclaimed, "Truly Qingyang, she instantly seized back the initiative."

Qingyang wasn't led astray by He Lingchuan. After all, she was on shaky ground regarding the Immortality Elixir case; it was her biggest blemish. So she immediately steered the conversation back to the Snail Toad's whereabouts.

"Three days later?" He Lingchuan feigned a moment of hesitation, then refused her: "Hmm—my apologies, the Eastern Expansion project has been very busy lately. In three days, there's an inauguration ceremony for the new government office, and all civil and military officials will be present."

Neither Qingyang nor Zhao Song were surprised by his refusal.

What were Zhao Song and his group sent to do? To prevent Qingyang from harming He Xiao. How could He Xiao eagerly walk into a tiger's den now?

Qingyang said nonchalantly, "No matter. Since you don't have time, when Bai Ziqi returns, I'll hand this matter over to him."

This was a threat only He Lingchuan could understand: Qingyang intended to tell Bai Ziqi all her suspicions about He Xiao, the Snail Toad, and Emperor Jiuyou!