Chapter 1649: 6ed 6ed

King Yao shot her an annoyed look, then reluctantly said, "Qiulong—"

He had nearly severed ties with Qingyang and could disregard her demands. However, he couldn't afford to slight the special envoy from Beijia, who had expressed displeasure. To slight the imperial envoy was to slight Beijia itself.

Qiulong stepped aside.

"Issue an order to summon all key personnel responsible for the Tianshui Eastward Expansion Project to the palace," King Yao emphasized. "Immediately!"

The Beijia special envoy was demanding justice, and King Yao had no choice but to deliver it on the spot. Even if nothing could be uncovered that night, a convincing show of effort was essential.

King Yao subconsciously glanced at Qingyang, noting her composed expression, though her eyes glinted with sharp intelligence. That old woman, she certainly found an opportune moment to cause trouble, tsk! At this point, who would seek revenge on Qingyang? Could that explosion have been her own self-inflicted wound? Still, she had brought this upon herself! King Yao smirked inwardly.

He Lingchuan and Zhao Song continued to drink for an unknown period. As the sun dipped further west, a few riders indeed arrived in haste. The leading palace attendant loudly announced: "My King commands He Xiao to immediately enter the palace for an audience!"

The attendant, surnamed Yu, was recognized by Zhao Song. He Lingchuan, having frequented the palace, was long familiar with him. He Lingchuan immediately responded, "Lord Yu, who else was in the regent's carriage at the time?"

"An envoy from Beijia was injured in the blast."

So there had been a Beijia foreign envoy in the carriage. This was a diplomatic incident, minor or major, and King Yao had no option but to address it.

He Lingchuan pondered for a moment. "Besides me, who else has been summoned?"

This was a probing question. Lord Yu cleared his throat. "You live the furthest; you are the last one."

The implication was that a considerable number of officials had been summoned. It made sense. The regent and special envoy sent by Beijia were nearly killed. This was a significant matter, and how could those in charge of the Tianshui Eastward Expansion project remain uninvolved?

He Lingchuan gave a wry smile. "I reek of alcohol. It would be disrespectful to meet His Majesty like this. Allow me to return, wash up, and change, then I will proceed to the palace at once!"

Both Yu and Zhao had no objections. Who wouldn't change their clothes before entering such an important imperial location, as a sign of respect?

He Lingchuan hurried back to his courtyard. The moment he stepped inside the main house, the wooden door slammed shut with a bang. This was normal; the estate master needed his privacy.

Zhao Song gestured to the palace guards, and several of them fanned out around the courtyard to prevent He Xiao from escaping over the wall. In fact, Zhao Song had tightened security since the previous night, stationing personnel outside Yongquan Villa's outer walls for discreet surveillance.

The main house windows were already closed. The moment He Lingchuan entered, the remaining Yangshan guards gathered around him. The others had already left in batches; they were the last remaining.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror cackled, "That explosion in Youhu, was that the signal you were waiting for?"

"Precisely," He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "Qingyang is truly decisive, bringing the timing forward so much!"

"Wait, you mean Qingyang blew herself up?" The mirror coughed. This dishonest master had just told Zhao Song he didn't know who was responsible.

"I have no proof; it's merely a guess," He Lingchuan spread his hands. "It wasn't me, and it shouldn't be King Yao's doing—he's too indecisive—and it had to be right at the main entrance of the Tianshui Eastward Expansion Project. So the most likely scenario is that it was herself."

"Why would she do that?" The mirror was confused. "To mimic your 'thief crying 'stop thief'' tactic in Lingxu City?"

When He Lingchuan first arrived in Lingxu City with Bai Ziqi, he served as a witness in the Elixir of Immortality case. However, his backer, Fu Shanyue, wasn't strong enough, so he feared Qingyang would target him. Thus, he preemptively blew up the inn where he was staying, drawing the attention of half the city. This made it difficult for Qingyang to secretly harm him again.

Was this tactic effective? From all subsequent developments, it was indeed effective, and his concerns were well-founded; Grand Preceptor Qingyang had killed many people to silence witnesses. If his deduction was correct, why would Qingyang blow herself up? How would this help her plans for the uprising? He Lingchuan could only shake his head.

"It appears she decided to act early as soon as she received news of Shi Songwei's arrest?"

"Shi Songwei's public arrest means the Xinhe Shi clan is completely exposed! Their implication of Bai Tan is only a matter of time," He Lingchuan chuckled softly. "Bai Tan, instead of enjoying his family's wealth and prosperity, insists on rebelling, which means he plays a heavy and significant role in this operation. Now, there's no turning back. Qingyang has no choice but to act."

Why did Shi Songwei come to Tianshui City? Why did he rush out of Frost Mountain Inn yelling, making sure everyone knew? Of course, He Lingchuan was behind it.

Ever since Gu Lin of Tonglin Records identified the empty shell merchant association that had seized grain in the Southwest as being connected to the Xinhe Shi family, He Lingchuan became very interested. He sent people to investigate the inner workings, spending two months compiling this information, then used a major business deal to lure Shi Songwei to Tianshui City. He always felt that this move might come in handy, serving as a precaution. Sure enough, it proved useful this time.

When the palace guards went to Frost Mountain Inn to arrest Shi Songwei, the man had actually already been controlled by Wang Fubao's 'Heart-Mind Transmission' technique. This divine ability could temporarily turn a living person into a puppet, allowing the controller to dominate their words and actions for a short period, though it couldn't handle overly complex tasks like combat. This was a spell He Lingchuan had learned from Xi Yunhe and subsequently taught to Wang Fubao and others.

Why make Shi Songwei yell in the street? Frost Mountain Inn was at full capacity, and the surrounding neighbors were all wealthy and influential. Qingyang and her allies, on the verge of action, would naturally be very alert to any stir in the city. Shi Songwei's shouting would very likely be noted by attentive individuals, and after several twists and turns, reach Qingyang's ears. If she didn't receive the news quickly, he would have had to find a way to make sure she knew.

In essence, this reporting and arrest of Shi Songwei was basically a "show" staged for Qingyang's benefit. He Lingchuan absolutely had to ensure she discovered that the Xinhe Shi family was exposed! As long as that was achieved, his instigation would take effect. Tianshui City was destined for a chaotic, frantic, and bloody night. And as the key figure accelerating all of this, He Lingchuan also needed to proceed with the second step of his plan.

"Bring that fellow over."

At his command, Wanqi Feng brought a person down from the attic. This was Han Zheng, the palace guard who had secretly infiltrated Dong Rui's cellar last night. After reporting to Zhao Song, He Lingchuan had his men seize him, confined him in the magical artifact 'Xueli Grotto-Heaven,' and brought him into He Lingchuan's main house. The 'Xueli Grotto-Heaven' could hold a living being and be moved around, offering high concealment. It was originally one of He Lingchuan's contingency plans for departure. He Lingchuan had prepared several evacuation schemes, but now he had an even better idea.

He Lingchuan's room was already set with a soundproofing barrier, so there was no worry of the man shouting. He asked Han Zheng, "Have you memorized the incantation?"

While Han Zheng was bound in the attic, the Yangshan guards had placed a piece of paper in front of him, making him memorize the incantation written on it. If he didn't memorize it, he would be severely beaten.

So Han Zheng nodded repeatedly, "I've memorized it." He had it down perfectly. After all, the incantation wasn't long, and he had only one task all day.

"Die here immediately, or lose three years of your lifespan, how do you choose?"

Han Zheng understood the incantation's content and quickly replied, "The latter, I choose to lose three years of my lifespan."

He Lingchuan then took out an exquisite bronze talisman plate, embedded a pale red mysterious crystal into the central hollow, and placed it in Han Zheng's hand.

"Begin."

Han Zheng composed himself and began to mumble the incantation. The formation on the bronze talisman gradually lit up, and his expression became somewhat listless. But he dared not delay and gritted his teeth, persevering. Subsequently, this glowing formation suddenly detached from the bronze talisman, hovering around it.

"Good, successfully activated."

The other Yangshan guards had already moved the tables and chairs, clearing an empty space. He Lingchuan took the talisman plate and slammed it onto the ground. Centered at the point of impact, the formation suddenly expanded, and the ground within a two-zhang radius rapidly filled with intricate patterns.

The Small Mountain-Moving Array, activated! This set of two exquisite bronze array talismans was spoils of war He Lingchuan had seized from He Jing, the Heavenly Palace envoy. It was an advanced version of the ordinary Small Mountain-Moving Array, with an astonishing effective teleportation range of three li! The other bronze array talisman had been hidden beforehand in a mountain forest three li north of Yongquan Villa. Furthermore, this array was expertly engraved on the bronze talisman in advance, eliminating the need for rushed drawing during use; one only needed to insert a mysterious crystal and recite the incantation to activate it. Of course, it deducted less lifespan, only three years; the Small Mountain-Moving Array Fu Shanyue used back then had an effective range of just over a hundred zhang, yet it cost five years of lifespan!

"Quickly, let's go."

Lingguang jumped onto He Lingchuan's shoulder, and everyone stepped into the array. Wanqi Feng, holding the captive, was the last pair to leave. Another flash of light in the room, and both the people and the array vanished.

Outside in the courtyard, Zhao Song sat in the pavilion, waiting and waiting. The house door remained shut, showing no signs of opening. He Xiao's "change clothes" had two meanings: it could be a euphemism for using the latrine, or genuinely changing attire. Of course, it could also be both: using the latrine, then changing clothes before coming out. For the prominent families in Tianshui City, their latrines would contain fragrant orchids and musk, with servants standing outside. A guest entering would often change clothes upon exiting.

So Zhao Song waited patiently for a while before stepping forward and knocking on the door knocker. "Island Master He?"

Silence from within.

Hmm? Zhao Song took a deep breath, pounded on the door, and called out loudly twice more. Still no answer. He knew something was amiss. Pouring strength into his left leg, he kicked hard—

With a crash, the door flew open. The palace guards rushed in with him, but there wasn't a single soul inside.

Zhao Song's face instantly went pale. "Spread out and search!" No nook or cranny was left untouched!

They circled back to where they started, all shaking their heads. No one was found. The main house was empty. Where had He Xiao gone? Where had those Yangshan guards gone? They also searched the courtyard thoroughly, finding nothing—no trace of any formation. How did He Xiao and the others manage to leave this heavily guarded villa?

Zhao Song clenched his fists, his heart sinking to the bottom. "Damn it, he escaped!"