Chapter 188: Colorful Bamboo Tube

Sun Hongye opened his mouth to speak, but after looking around, he said, "This isn't convenient."

The infirmary was bustling with people. At that moment, two young girls were changing the dressing for the patient opposite him, occasionally turning to sneak a peek at He Lingchuan.

This place was only suitable for casual chatter.

He Lingchuan understood and changed the topic, saying, "How are you feeling now?"

"Sore, swollen, painful, and generally weak," Sun Hongye replied, his fatigue evident after speaking for so long. He made no attempt to hide it.

"There are renowned doctors here; just follow their instructions. I won't give you any more medicine, to avoid any conflicts with what they prescribe." The arrow's poison was virulent, and the young man had narrowly escaped death last night, so he was bound to endure further discomfort. "Get plenty of rest. I'll come see you again the day after tomorrow."

Afterward, He Lingchuan personally sought out the attending physician and arranged for Sun Hongye to receive meticulous care, with all expenses covered by the He family.

That afternoon, Sun Hongye noticed a significant change in the meals served by the infirmary. The carefully prepared pig liver congee now included goji berries, accompanied by two golden-crisp fried radish cakes, a large, generously filled meat bun, and a small dish of pickled vegetables with a balanced sweet and savory taste.

It made others envious.

Upon inquiring, Sun Hongye developed an even greater liking for He Lingchuan.

As He Lingchuan left the infirmary, Assistant Liu also returned, traveling back to the inn by carriage.

He was a patient himself, and after walking around outside for a while, his wound began to throb faintly again.

Mrs. Ying had already visited his room once and found it empty. Seeing him return, she frowned and said, "You're covered in injuries, yet you're still running around outside. Do you have a death wish?"

He Lingchuan detected the concern hidden within her reproach. Smiling, he took out a small box and handed it to her, saying, "I bought a little something for Mother."

The square box itself was made of light brown Huanghuali wood, looking quite old. Its surface was smooth, unadorned, and uncarved, with only a wax seal in the bottom left corner that read:

Yangliu Studio.

Mrs. Ying opened the box and saw a pumpkin-shaped hand warmer resting on the soft cushion inside.

She owned several hand warmers herself, typically adorned with floral or bird patterns, or designs depicting bats and longevity symbols, made of either red or white copper. However, the one before her had an indigo base with gilded dark gold patterns. It lacked a fixed design, and its patterns varied in depth and subtlety, yet it exuded an extraordinary sense of calm elegance, luxury, and grandeur, almost as if it could glow on its own even in the dark.

Though no charcoal had been placed inside, Mrs. Ying felt a slight warmth when she held the smooth, rounded object. "Where did you find this?" she asked.

"This is an antique from the previous dynasty," Assistant Liu chimed in at the opportune moment. "About two hundred years ago, Yangliu Studio was the most renowned workshop in the eastern part of Xiluo Kingdom. This 'Spring View' hand warmer was a treasured item kept by the master himself. Originally, a mirror, hand warmer, comb, hairpin, and box formed a complete set, with each piece bearing a mark. However, the other components are now untraceable."

Mrs. Ying fondled the small hand warmer and said, "It's beautiful, but what does this color have to do with spring?"

In spring, grass grows long and orioles fly; themes depicting this season usually feature reds, yellows, and greens. How could it be such a deep, subdued color like dark blue and muted gold?

It would be more fitting for winter.

Assistant Liu chuckled and said, "You see, the master of Yangliu Studio accidentally fell into water in his youth. It was early spring, and the ice on the lake had just begun to melt. From beneath the surface, he looked up and saw sunlight piercing through the cracks in the ice, creating this very scene. He remembered this moment vividly, and decades later, he finally replicated it in his work."

Mrs. Ying tried to maintain her composure, but her smile was too wide to hide. "So there's a story behind it!" she exclaimed.

Not wanting to lose her composure in front of her eldest son, she coughed deliberately. "Chuan'er, you're so thoughtful. Mother loves it very much. Assistant Liu, I'm going out now; please lead the way."

Assistant Liu quickly assented, winking at He Lingchuan as he turned away.

He was the one who had found this item.

In the past one or two months, many officials and wealthy merchants had their homes raided. Their valuable assets quickly circulated in the market through various channels. For those with keen discernment and financial means, it was indeed an excellent time to find treasures.

If the He family had arrived a year later, the price of that Spring View hand warmer would have at least doubled.

He Lingchuan gave him a thumbs-up. Antiques with good stories were truly good antiques. Giving gifts to women was such a specialized task; it was indeed best left to professionals, otherwise, it was better not to give a gift at all.

He had also prepared a silver-tipped brush for He Yue and a set of clothes for He Chunhua as gifts.

Mrs. Ying wanted to stroll through the market, and four guards automatically followed behind her. Dong Rui, who had failed in his assassination attempt last night, was still at large, so He Chunhua wanted to ensure his family's safety.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to change, she quietly had a servant add charcoal to the Spring View warmer, then delightedly tucked it into her sleeve and got into the carriage.

Something so beautiful and charming, like jewelry, simply had to be worn out for others to admire.

He Lingchuan had just returned to the inn and had only taken a couple of sips of hot tea when a guard reported:

"Li Fubo from Songyang Prefecture requests an audience."

He Lingchuan was overjoyed and personally went to the inn entrance to greet him.

The chief master craftsman of the mid-level forge from Songyang Prefecture arrived nimbly, accompanied by two disciples.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Fubo introduced them: "These are my personal disciples. They wish to accompany me northward, to assist me and broaden their horizons. I will cover their board and lodging expenses; would the host be amenable to this?"

"I couldn't ask for more," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Master Li, why be so formal? It already feels inappropriate to have you travel so far with me. I'll personally cover the expenses for these two young men."

Seeing his generosity, Li Fubo no longer declined. He shifted the topic to the broken blade: "Recasting is like alchemy; it requires constant monitoring and offers only one chance. There are many inconveniences on the road, so I suggest we begin when we reach Xiazhou?"

He Lingchuan understood the principle of haste making waste, simply saying there was no rush. He then took out the walnut boat from his embrace, a little sheepishly. "Master Li, could you take a look? Can this thing still be repaired?"

"Mustard Seed Boat?" Li Fubo paused, surprised. "Is this also Sun Fuping's?"

"Good eye. I thought this thing was called a walnut boat," He Lingchuan said, handing it to him. "My father confiscated it from Sun Fuping, and I borrowed it last night, only for my opponent to destroy it like this! Do you think it can still be saved?"

"This was originally produced by my Songyang Prefecture, so of course, I recognize it."

He Lingchuan was a little surprised. "This was also produced by Songyang Prefecture? Sun Fuping said he borrowed it from a friend."

"Indeed, he borrowed it from Songyang Prefecture. Our Lord even mentioned it twice before."

?! That's awkward.

The original owner of the Mustard Seed Boat was the Marquis of Songyang, yet it was also He Chunhua's war prize.

Fortunately, as Li Fubo examined it, he said, "No matter. Possession goes to the fated. I don't think our Lord would mind. Hmm, interesting. The Mustard Seed Boat was originally engraved with formations, and its maker once boasted to me that it would be impervious to water and fire once activated by a profound crystal."

"Yet it's been burned to this state. Who dared to challenge his claim like this?" Li Fubo asked He Lingchuan. "Was it a demon puppet?"

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "So Master Li already knows?"

"In a place like Shihuan City, news travels fast," Li Fubo chuckled. "The demon puppets created by Dong Rui truly live up to their reputation. If that fire were to burn an ordinary person, they'd be instantly reduced to ashes. Did you see that demon puppet?"

"A crow-like face, bat wings, and a snake-like neck, and it was very large. Master Li, do you know what kind of creature it was?"

Li Fubo shook his head. "I'm curious too. Such true fire would be excellent for crafting artifacts."

Getting back on topic, he looked at the walnut boat and said, "I specialize in forging weapons, not intricate devices, so I'm not entirely confident with this. Would you dare let me try?" This would also keep him from being bored on his journey north.

"Of course," He Lingchuan readily agreed, as the walnut boat wasn't his anyway.

Li Fubo then added, "Oh, by the way, if I may be so bold as to ask, are there any other magical artifacts among Sun Fuping's possessions?"

"Sun Fuping's?" He Lingchuan considered seriously. "My father was the one who confiscated his belongings. I only know there's a Silken Sky Net. Did Songyang Prefecture lend any other magical artifacts to Sun Fuping?"

"There's a colorful bamboo tube, with three seals — gold, red, and purple — imprinted on its surface. This was an old item belonging to the previous Lord of Songyang Prefecture, and our current Lord hopes to retrieve it."

"A bamboo tube with seals?" He Lingchuan nodded. "When my father returns, I will certainly ask him about it."

Li Fubo said earnestly, "Thank you, patron!"

Since the auxiliary army could depart northward at any time, Li Fubo and his two disciples simply booked rooms at the same inn, no longer returning to their sect.

That morning, the busiest person was He Yue.

Last night, the He family and Ke Jihai were attacked on their way down from Luming Garden. Ke Jihai escorted the captives away, while He Chunhua entered the palace to meet the King that very night, stirring up a thousand waves of reaction.

This morning, influential figures who received the news sent people to express their condolences to the Governor of Xiazhou and, while doing so, to gauge the situation.

Mrs. Ying found herself thoroughly annoyed after receiving a few visitors and took the opportunity to slip out for some shopping. Only He Yue remained at the inn, diligently attending to his duties without complaint.

He Lingchuan, content to be his leisurely young master, ignored all these trivial matters. After lunch, he retreated to his room to quickly focus on meditation and martial arts practice.

Last night's battle, brief but dangerous and exhilarating, served as both a new experience and a reminder for him:

Personal ability was fundamental and must be improved as quickly as possible.

Compared to two or three months ago, He Lingchuan's cultivation had imperceptibly advanced, especially his movement techniques, eyesight, and spiritual perception, which were now incomparable to his past self. The werewolf demon puppet was as swift and elusive as a phantom; had it been the old He Lingchuan, he would have been disemboweled within two encounters and wouldn't have lasted long enough for He Chunhua to finish chanting the Entangling Silk spell.

Regardless of whether he had elemental power to assist him.

Ultimately, one's own cultivation was the foundation, while elemental power was merely a power amplifier.

If the disparity in strength between two parties was too great, elemental power would be of little use—just as it was for He Chunhua against Sun Fuping.

That evening, He Chunhua returned from the capital. He gathered his entire family for dinner and announced the King's decree.

Seeing his father's beaming face, He Lingchuan knew that everything had gone smoothly on his trip to the capital.

Indeed, He Chunhua told his wife and children that the King had summoned him to the palace, asked about the details of the attack at Luming Garden, and then pointed to a sand table to inquire about his strategy for defending the northern border.

This might have caught someone else off guard, as he hadn't yet reached the region nor personally witnessed the northern border situation. However, ever since his promotion to Governor of Xiazhou, He Chunhua had made sure to collect frontline intelligence and frequently conducted military exercises with his strategists, so he answered fluidly and without hesitation.