Chapter 1615: Evacuation

This demonic puppet is quite unusual; divine blood alone isn't enough to quickly heal its injuries.He Lingchuan mused, "How long will it take for it to recover completely?""Even soaked in the special medicinal paste that Lingguang and I prepared, it will take at least ten days to half a month. During this period, it will be in a state of hibernation and must not be disturbed.""So, it won't be ready for the operation in a few days?"Dong Rui was extremely reluctant but had to admit, "No, it won't be ready. Even if we don't treat it now, its mobility is very limited due to its severe injuries. It can't move fast even on damp ground."He Lingchuan pondered for a few moments, then said, "In that case, you should withdraw from Tianshui City first."

"What?" Dong Rui's eyes widened instantly. "What do you mean?"He Lingchuan had been planning this major operation for so long; was he not allowing Dong Rui to participate?

"Both you and Wuchan are severely injured and have difficulty moving," He Lingchuan said with a serious expression. "On the day the Emperor's Dew arrives, the disadvantaged party will definitely become a target! I can't afford to be distracted by looking after you."Wuchan was temporarily out of commission, depriving them of their most convenient mode of transport. Dong Rui was also injured, making his movements less agile than before.

Dong Rui retorted irritably, "Who are you calling weak?""Of course not you. You defeated Cao Wendao single-handedly; who would dare call you weak?" Cao Wendao had effortlessly killed Situ He, and He Lingchuan could sense that Qingyang did not treat him as a subordinate, but at least with respect. Otherwise, how could Cao Wendao have been so undisciplined? Qingyang was so arrogant; she must have respected Cao Wendao's abilities, not his bad temper. Dong Rui had driven such an opponent to their death with regret; who would dare call him a weakling?So, He Lingchuan rephrased it, catering to Dong Rui's fragile ego: "But once that day comes, what is our top priority?""To get away safely.""Exactly," He Lingchuan patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "With you there, I won't be able to move quickly."He was just joking.He Lingchuan then became serious. "After seeing the battle scene tonight, Qingyang most likely already suspects you. After all, ordinary cultivators have little experience dealing with demonic puppeteers. Someone who can kill Cao Wendao and so many of his demonic puppets in a short time is probably a fellow practitioner. Given her personality, she'll focus on you afterward. Zhao Song's nine hundred men are protecting me; they won't be responsible for your safety. Oh, and don't forget Bai Ziqi is returning soon; he might use you as a breakthrough point then."Dong Rui was injured and likely being targeted by both Qingyang and Bai Ziqi. Therefore, his staying would be of little significance, while the danger would increase. A demonic puppeteer's greatest advantage is to remain hidden in the shadows, not to be scrutinized under a magnifying glass. So, his wisest course of action was to choose the best strategy.

He Lingchuan continued to persuade him, "If I have to divert my attention to your safety, the plan will be difficult to execute."Dong Rui was wavering but still worried, "Can you handle it alone?""I still have the Yangshan guards, and Golden Fist Grandma; how can I be alone?" He Lingchuan reassured him. "Besides, if I can't win, can't I still run? Don't forget, we originally planned to finish our last task and then make a quick escape.""Also, now that tonight's battle is over and Yang Chi has been taken to the palace, the aftermath will surely be very interesting." He popped the last segment of pomelo into his mouth. "In the next few days, Qingyang will keep her distance from me out of respect."Actually, Qingyang hadn't been bothering him recently; she was busy planning major events and didn't want any more disturbances before the operation. But He Lingchuan disagreed with that, which is why he took the initiative at this moment to confront Cao Wendao.

Dong Rui finally nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I'll go."Both he and He Lingchuan were individuals who acted as soon as they thought of something, possessing top-notch execution skills. Since staying would be useless, he wouldn't drag his feet.

"Look on the bright side, we've already found out the location of the Red Abode. Cao Wendao's treasures and insights, accumulated over many years, might all be hidden there." He Lingchuan added some charcoal to the brazier. "Yang Chi, being escorted into the palace, will also confess the Red Abode's location. If you go too late, it's very likely that place will be plundered by King Yao's men first."Wouldn't that be a terrible waste? Realizing the Red Abode wasn't far from the Yao Kingdom's border, Dong Rui slapped the armrest. "I'll leave before dawn!"

At this point, he poured out many items from his storage ring. "These are all spoils of war taken from Cao Wendao."Since he and He Lingchuan were part of the same team, the spoils had to be distributed. There were five defensive artifacts, which could still be used after repairs. Then there was a pile of miscellaneous, fragmented items that He Lingchuan couldn't understand. Dong Rui explained that these were treasures only useful to a demonic puppeteer.He pointed to something resembling a pinecone and said, "This is a divine artifact; it can hold demonic puppets in hibernation, and I can carry it around with me.""So, it can carry living creatures around?" That was indeed an extraordinary function. Ordinary storage artifacts couldn't carry living beings, and while ancient treasures like the Soul-Capturing Mirror could contain living things, they had to remain still and couldn't be moved at the time, as they opened their own small world in real-time, connecting with the larger world. The only artifact He Lingchuan possessed that could transport living creatures was the "Bieli Grotto-heaven," which he had obtained from Cen Boqing. However, it could only transport one living creature at a time and had weight and time restrictions."Not just any living creature, only demonic puppets," Dong Rui shook his head. "I've tried it, trust me. This thing might even be related to gods."There were also dozens of medicine bottles. Lingguang picked up a random one, sniffed it twice, and shook her head repeatedly, "Not good stuff."There were also four notebooks with messy handwriting. Dong Rui said these were Cao Wendao's notes. This old demonic puppeteer, like him, liked to record inspiration, insights, problems, and data anywhere, anytime.Then there were banknotes totaling over 800,000 taels, as well as a good amount of jewelry, gold, and several profound crystals. Taking from evil, money came quickly.Dong Rui pointed to the thick stack of banknotes and said, "Perhaps some of this money was intended to buy your life.""Then I'll gladly accept it," He Lingchuan only took one banknote of the smallest denomination, which was ten thousand taels. Then, he pointed to the remaining items on the table and asked, "Grandma, is there anything you want?"The Eyeball Spider wiped its forehead with a foreleg. "No! I can't use any of these things."Grandma Zhu was hidden outside the villa. It had contributed to tonight's operation and, of course, deserved a share of the spoils. But looking at the items on the table, there was nothing good to eat or play with. Its sister always collected banknotes, but it didn't like them. "Oh well, Dong Rui can have them."He Lingchuan then said, "The remaining money will serve as your research funds for the next two phases. I won't allocate any more funds separately."Dong Rui was overjoyed. He Lingchuan usually only allocated a few tens of thousands, or at most a hundred thousand, which was quite stingy. With these 800,000 taels in hand, he could spend quite a long time!He immediately had Gui Yuan pack up everything on the table and leave at once.Dong Rui was a guest elder at Yongquan Villa, living a reclusive life, not showing up for meals, and only appearing at night, as if invisible. The Yao Kingdom's palace guards never remembered such a person and usually didn't pay much attention. After all, maintaining such a large villa meant countless people entered and exited daily.

The King of Yao's Palace.The night rain pattered, followed by several flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, making the entire palace tremble. Qiu Long inwardly cursed, realizing something was wrong, and hurried to King Yao's bedchamber, wanting to see if his lord had been startled awake.As he approached, King Yao's deep voice came from behind the bed curtains: "What time is it?""Your Majesty, are you awake?""With thunder so loud, who wouldn't wake up?" King Yao had woken after the first clap of thunder. He remembered that in his youth, he slept so soundly that even the loudest thunder couldn't wake him. Alas, he was getting old after all."The recent winter thunder is against all common sense," he mused. Tianshui City's winters were usually quiet, with snowflakes falling silently, unlike this year's fluctuating temperatures, where warmth brought rain. "Abnormal, truly abnormal."Should he use elemental power to interfere? It seemed like an overreaction. Besides, a considerable amount of elemental power had already been approved for the expansion of the new city; using any more would draw criticism from officials.Qiu Long knew what his lord was thinking and changed the subject. "You'll need to change your boots before going out tomorrow morning, Your Majesty; the ground is frozen after the rain."King Yao shook his head. "I always feel that something abnormal is brewing in this city."Where could it be coming from? He had already sent people to keep a close watch on Regent Qingyang, and her movements showed no abnormalities."Your Majesty's apprehension is well-founded, given your celestial connection," Qiu Long said gently. "But you must rest well tonight and replenish your vital energy; there's morning court in two hours."Just as King Yao was about to speak, there was a sudden knock on the outer door. Had the sky fallen? What urgent matter dared to disturb the King's peaceful sleep at this hour?Qiu Long quickly went out.After a short while, he hurried back and whispered a few words into King Yao's ear. Thus, Zhao Song was granted an audience with the King.Outside, thunder and rain mingled; inside, the king and his minister conversed in hushed tones. By the time Zhao Song had recounted everything that happened at Yongquan Villa and Taoxi that night, more than half an hour had passed. This was because King Yao frequently asked questions.Qiu Long, attending by King Yao's side, grew increasingly alarmed as he listened. An attempt to assassinate He Xiao had actually uncovered so many secrets? Cao Wendao, Qingyang, He Xiao, Princess Ya, Xue Zongwu...Looking at King Yao's face, it grew more and more solemn, eventually becoming so grim that it seemed to drip with gloom.When Zhao Song finished speaking, the hall was as silent as a tomb, with only the sound of thunder and rain outside echoing through the world. After a long time, King Yao finally said to Zhao Song, "You did well, your report is meritorious! Now, return to Yongquan Villa for now, and summon He Xiao to me after daybreak!""Yes, Your Majesty!"Zhao Song respectfully withdrew.Qiu Long moved to close the door, but King Yao waved his hand. "Leave it open."Outside, the bitter wind, cold rain, lightning, and thunder raged, but King Yao walked to the doorway and took a deep breath of the chilling air. Only this way could the boiling rage in his heart be slightly appeased.Qiu Long quickly grabbed a greatcoat and draped it over his shoulders. "Your Majesty, be careful not to catch a cold!"King Yao said coldly, "Tell me, what exactly does Beijia want?"