Chapter 396: The Taste of Conspiracy

The merchants had no objection. These delegations were foreign envoys, and as long as they were within Baoshu Kingdom’s borders, the guard unit was obligated to ensure their personal safety.

“Are they in such a hurry to return?”

“Who knows?” Xu Dongdong shrugged. “I only know that White Elephant Country is due to the long distance. The last time my king celebrated his 750th birthday, White Elephant Country sent a feathered crane to congratulate him, and it reportedly took seven or eight days for a single trip. This time, White Elephant Country’s gifts are numerous and heavy; the crane demon cannot carry them. Transporting them by land will take at least forty or fifty days.”

With the guard unit leading the way, even though the Imperial Ambrosia had just passed, no foolish bandits dared to appear.

The journey was peaceful, and they soon passed Fanshiyu.

Reaching this landmark meant officially leaving the far outskirts of Fufeng City. Xu Dongdong could only accompany them this far, so he bid farewell to He Lingchuan and the others and returned home.

“I hope to work with Brother He in a few months.”

They traveled for several more days without incident. He Lingchuan remained vigilant, but as the road ahead widened and the number of merchants and travelers increased, it was clear that the area was peaceful and free from trouble.

He was somewhat disappointed.

If the journey continued so smoothly, how could he scheme to acquire the spiritual seed? It’s easier to fish in troubled waters.

Calculating the time, the delegation from Shanyu Country should have already departed eastward under the escort of Fufeng City guards. That fellow Fu Shanyue, to complete his mission, must have gone with them, right? Then he would have parted ways with the northward-bound guard unit, and his group should not encounter Fu Shanyue. Fu Shanyue was adept at killing snakes; He Lingchuan wondered if the great python from Shanyu Country was still alive.

For the past few days, He Lingchuan had secretly devised plans but found no suitable way to seize the spiritual seed.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror suggested to its master, “Why don’t we try to make the leader of the guard unit look into the mirror? If soul-capturing is successful, he will voluntarily offer the seed.”

He Lingchuan immediately rejected it. “That’s a nice thought, but they have primordial energy protecting them. You were able to charm Wu Jinsong and others because they were far from their homeland and their resistance was too weak.”

The spiritual seed guard unit, protected by primordial energy, had high resistance to spells, poisons, and curses, and even partial immunity to attacks from martial artists. Capturing their souls was not impossible, but it would require them to be exhausted, weak, and with low morale for there to be any chance of success. After all, primordial energy was not omnipotent.

In the current situation, a direct approach was certainly out of the question; he had no advantage in numbers or combat power. So, what about theft?

The spiritual seed possessed strong vitality and could not be stored in a storage ring. Therefore, unless the guard unit possessed Songyang Manor’s spatial storage technique, the captain could only carry it on his person. However, this person was well aware of the spiritual seed’s importance and was constantly surrounded by five or six guards. How easy would it be to steal it?

If he sent the eyeball spiders to steal, hmm, it seemed like a possibility worth considering.

So, where would be the best place to make a move?

At this point, crops along both sides of the main road grew scarcer, and the beautiful sight of endless wheat ears swaying in the wind was gone. Instead, grasslands and tundra increased, and rugged cliffs became the prominent feature.

He Lingchuan, who often traveled in the Chipa Highlands, knew this was a transitional landscape from plains to plateau, indicating increasing altitude. Steward Shi also explained that the team was indeed traveling on a plateau. The ground here was at least 170 to 180 feet higher than Fufeng City, and it would continue to rise as they went further.

This was evident from the gradually sparse vegetation.

Further on, the desolate landscape of mountains arrayed like dragons and solitary trees silhouetted against the setting sun became a common sight.

This place was called Gale Tundra.

Although both were plateaus, Gale Tundra was distinctly different from Chipa Highlands. The latter had mild moisture and pleasant weather, making it a paradise for flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits. Gale Tundra, as its name suggested, was a place of constant howling winds. It was remarkable for even grass to cling to ground fissures, and hardly any delicate crops could grow here.

The main road snaked through the mountains like a dragon, sometimes perched high on a ridge. Travelers looking to either side would see dry, towering slopes.

Even so, the main road on the mountain was built wide and flat, with guardrails added on both sides to prevent travelers from falling, which was very considerate.

The further the team advanced, the higher the altitude, and the lower the temperature. Approaching June, frost crystals surprisingly formed on tree branches in the early morning. Looking at the high mountains, white snow covered them year-round. People’s breath began to form white mist; the Shimen caravan, being very experienced, quickly took out and distributed cotton clothes.

Villages and towns on this plateau were very scarce, appearing only every seventy or eighty li, unlike the scattered settlements on the plains. The team had to allocate their time wisely to avoid missing their lodging. Fortunately, the guard unit was more considerate than others, so everyone just needed to stay with them and not fall behind, which was convenient.

That day, the team reached Heiyan Village before nightfall, finally finding shelter from the wind and rain to sleep. Heiyan Village was originally a small village of just over a hundred people, but as this trade route matured and prospered, it grew larger as a service area along the main road. Currently, over eight hundred people resided there permanently, mostly earning a living by providing services to passing merchants and travelers.

Open space had its advantages; there was plenty of room for additional construction. Heiyan Village had over three hundred wooden cabins, including single-door detached homes and communal bunks accommodating twenty to thirty people, easily housing the guard unit, delegations, and caravan. The only problem was that everything was expensive.

Expensive lodging and food were understandable to He Lingchuan. After all, this area had poor harvests, and eighty percent of its food relied on external transport. But even using the latrine cost money; it was safe to say they charged for everything from eating and drinking to relieving oneself. Heiyan Village strictly controlled the only water source within a thirty-li radius, fearing contamination, and absolutely forbade relieving oneself anywhere else.

He Lingchuan and Steward Shi sat down to eat in the eatery and immediately felt like they were back in a school cafeteria. This was Heishi Village’s largest eatery, bustling with at least three to four hundred diners.

The caravan chose to eat here because the food was good and affordable, and a crowded place was always warmer. The caravan’s porters could only eat warm yam roots here, perhaps with a bowl of hot noodle soup. Steward Shi and He Lingchuan, meanwhile, ordered lamb blood sausage soup to warm themselves, accompanied by buns with mixed mushroom filling, which had no meat but surprisingly tasted good.

After a full day of travel, the two were slurping their food with relish when they saw three guards approach from behind, heading to the food stall to order takeout—all of it rich, meaty fare.

He Lingchuan recognized them as members of the spiritual seed guard unit, seemingly of lower rank within the team, always fetching meals for their superiors.

He listened intently, and indeed. One of them complained, “These envoys have hands and feet; why do they constantly make us do their work?”

Another guard chuckled, “Who says they have hands and feet? The envoy from Xuluo Country…”

“Shh!” The third man said more seriously, “There are many ears around; don’t gossip.”

The first speaker chuckled, “What is there to say that others can’t hear? It’s that envoy from Chiyan Country who keeps a low profile, always hiding in his room during overnight stays. Is he a gecko or a mountain ghost, afraid of the light?”

The second man yawned, a tired expression on his face. “After getting the food, we still have to test for poison. If they don’t trust us, why don’t they fetch their own meals?”

After they finished getting their food and left, Steward Shi took a bite of his bun and said, “I’ve spoken with the envoy from Xuluo Country, but I’ve only seen the Chiyan Country envoy twice. He truly doesn’t appear in public. It’s said that guards watch his carriage and residence, not allowing anyone to approach.”

At that moment, a porter rushed in from outside, his face grim, reporting to Steward Shi: “Word came back from up ahead: Pingshan had a rockslide two days ago, and the main road has collapsed. It will take at least half a month to repair.”

What was called a rockslide was, in fact, a landslide. With mountains standing tall on the plateau, they were a common occurrence.

Repairing bridges and roads on the plateau was not easy. Steward Shi frowned. “We can’t wait here for fifteen or sixteen days. Go ask how the guard unit plans to proceed. I’d bet ninety percent they’ll turn back and take the route through Fengmo Mountain.”

He looked at He Lingchuan, surprised. “Huh, Brother He, what are you smiling about?” He was smiling very happily.

“Nothing,” He Lingchuan coughed lightly. “What kind of place is Fengmo Mountain?” The name suggests a story.

Most importantly, he seemed to catch a whiff of a conspiracy. Otherwise, why would Pingshan collapse exactly at this critical juncture, neither earlier nor later? A conspiracy would be good; it could help him muddy the waters.

“Seven years ago, Pingshan suddenly fractured and deformed, allowing the authorities to carve out a main road to the north from here. Before that, everyone had to take the route through Fengmo Mountain; it was the only path to the north,” Steward Shi chuckled. “Don’t let the name scare you; it’s actually very safe. The Shimen caravan has taken that route at least four or five times. The scenery there is beautiful. If we can get there before sunrise tomorrow, you’ll be in for a treat.”

The old man from the eatery happened to come over to collect plates, looked up, and smiled, “I’m from that area near Fengmo Mountain. I used to gather herbs there years ago; I only came here after my leg got injured.”

He Lingchuan saw he walked with a slight limp, then took out a dozen coppers and handed them to him, saying, “Elder, two more baskets of fried buns, please.” This old man also sold fried buns; they tasted good and were quite oily, but a bit expensive, so porters and ordinary workers were reluctant to buy them.

The old man grinned, missing two teeth. “Alright, alright!” He turned and brought over two portions of fried buns, so full they were almost overflowing. “Here are two extra for you.”

“Tell me about Fengmo Mountain.” Locals always knew more than Steward Shi.

“That’s my hometown. The wind there is even stronger than here, but the mountain produces snow lotus and yellow jade ginseng, which are very expensive medicinal herbs. You can’t cultivate them there, so we made a living gathering herbs when we were young.”

“Yellow jade ginseng is indeed outrageously expensive.” This ingredient was used as an auxiliary herb in refining the Hundred Goodness Pills; a piece shorter than a finger could cost ten taels of silver. Harvested in harsh natural environments, its price was considerable.

The old man smacked his lips. “Fengmo Mountain was originally the territory of the Immortal Sect, Misty Sect. Later, it became a Daoist sect but didn’t change its name. This Daoist sect itself isn’t particularly remarkable, but it keeps a very powerful demon called ‘Fengmo,’ which often descends the mountain to cause trouble, damaging houses and whisking away living people.”

“The Fengmo of Fengmo Mountain?”