Chapter 417: Picking Up Someone

The private room was clearly clean. The three men finished their search and left, completely ignoring He Lingchuan, who was standing right there. The Owl also followed them out.

He Lingchuan didn't bother with them; he simply leaned against the doorframe, watching the commotion.

The men went from room to room, searching everywhere and causing a great disturbance.

Since they were disrupting other people's legitimate business, the bouncers quickly arrived.

Without a word, both sides immediately began fighting.

Chaos erupted at once.

He Lingchuan suddenly half-closed the door and, arms crossed, looked inside the room.

"Come out," he said.

No one responded.

He continued speaking to the empty air, "If you don't come out now, I'll call those guys back."

Only then did a figure step out from behind the screen, leaning against the wall as he asked,

"How did you know someone was here?"

Of course, He Lingchuan wouldn't tell him that his Eyeball Spider had come out for some air and was perched on the beam, observing everything.

"Why are you in such a mess?"

Yes, he recognized the person who had climbed in through the window—it was Fushan Yue, whom he had fought just a few days ago!

However, the man was now covered in blood, his left arm twisted at an odd angle, completely devoid of his former heroic bearing.

Fushan Yue slowly moved to a chair, gasping for breath. He appeared to be utterly exhausted. "Revenge isn't easy," he muttered.

"Did you get the mastermind?"

"No, but I'm close." Fushan Yue told him, "Close the door."

He Lingchuan didn't move. "Why should I help you?" he asked.

"They're trying to eliminate everyone who appeared with me," Fushan Yue said grimly. "In the past three days, they've killed two restaurant workers, a woman, and a mother and daughter who were in the same carriage as me. I estimate their orders are to kill anyone associated with me."

"Killing you might be a bit troublesome, but you seem to have a caravan, don't you?"

He Lingchuan frowned. "If I report this, will I also be killed?"

Fushan Yue bared his teeth in a grin, blood staining them. "You can try."

By then, the outcome downstairs was clear: the bouncers were no match for these men.

After searching all the private rooms, they headed out, seemingly intending to go to the Red Pavilion District across the street.

This was a very dangerous approach; sooner or later, it would provoke the local powers.

He Lingchuan did not call out to them. Instead, he reached back and closed the door.

It wasn't that he particularly wanted to help Fushan Yue, but rather that the men downstairs were too arrogant and overbearing.

"Your injuries are quite severe. Will ordinary wound medicine work?" Even to He Lingchuan's discerning eye, Fushan Yue's injuries seemed grave. Though some were inconspicuous, they clearly resulted from an explosion.

Explosions typically cause internal injuries.

"Or does eating people help you recover faster?"

This fellow was a charm spirit; he should have a unique diet and self-healing method.

"Wound medicine works, I am still human. If I were to eat people, ordinary humans have too much dross; I'd need to eat at least three to five." Fushan Yue looked at He Lingchuan, unconsciously licking his lips. He Lingchuan looked like a powerful supplement, but Fushan Yue couldn't withstand his retaliation right now.

He raised his broken arm. "Care to help?"

He Lingchuan ignored his drooling gaze, walked over, grasped his forearm, and pressed it. "Hmm? Some of it has already grown back? When were you injured?"

"This morning."

This fellow's self-healing ability was remarkable. "Too bad it grew crooked. I'll have to break it again and reset it. Bear with it."

"Could you just... Ouch!"

With a snap, He Lingchuan broke his arm again, then innocently asked him, "What did you say?"

Fushan Yue struggled with all his might to suppress a scream. His face turned pale from the pain, and he could barely speak. "Anesthe..."

"Medicine?" He Lingchuan said regretfully. "You should have said so earlier; I would've anesthetized you first." With that, he quickly and skillfully reset the bone.

The splint was fashioned from a piece of the screen.

Fushan Yue took a long breath, knowing He Lingchuan was taking the opportunity to retaliate. He could only swallow his bitterness. "Do you have any medicine? I'll take it."

He Lingchuan found several types of wound medicine for him, for both internal and external use.

These were excellent spiritual medicines that Lingguang had previously made for him. Every time he used them, he would think of the monkey.

"They're very expensive, so use them sparingly." He couldn't make such good medicine himself.

"Stingy," Fushan Yue grumbled. *This guy is skilled, but why is he so cheap?* he thought. He grit his teeth. "I'll pay you back ten times over later."

"Why later? Give it to me now." He Lingchuan extended his hand. "I'll give you a 20% friendship discount: thirty taels of silver!"

"I don't have it now!" Fushan Yue said with difficulty. "Didn't I give you all the money I had?"

That included both silver and property deeds; he was left with absolutely nothing! A few days ago, when he went to carve wood, he even pawned his black jade ring.

"You're a prince, how did you end up so poor?" He Lingchuan refrained from saying something even more sarcastic:

*Didn't your father give you anything?*

"I usually don't carry much myself." Fushan Yue glanced at him. "Besides, a few days ago in Fufeng City, I activated the Mountain-Moving Array, which used up the most valuable dark crystals. I have you to thank for that!"

Earlier, the two of them had agreed to a truce in Fufeng City, but this fellow immediately turned around and reported him. The authorities raided the inn, and he barely escaped with his life and money.

*Heh, how does this He fellow have the nerve to ask me for money?*

"You're welcome. We'll put it on credit then; remember you owe me ten times the amount." He Lingchuan stood up and stretched. "I'm going to order some food. What do you want?"

"Whatever you're having is fine."

He Lingchuan stepped out the door and asked a waiter for food, casually adding, "Someone barged in while I was bathing. Is that just going to be overlooked?"

The aftermath of the men searching the Golden Spring Elegant Bathhouse had just subsided, and customers were grumbling. He Lingchuan's tone was comparatively the most friendly, and he had ordered a lot of food, so the waiter quickly chuckled, "How about we halve your bathing fee and give you two complimentary snacks?"

"Alright. And those guys...?"

"Don't worry, someone will settle accounts with them."

Not long after, two large bowls of shredded chicken noodle soup, six baskets of pan-fried buns, and two refreshing side dishes were delivered. The waiter kept his word, also providing an extra plate of mung bean cake and a serving of drunken pears.

The chicken broth was very fresh, the noodles chewy, and especially the pan-fried buns, which had wild chives in the filling. It was the season for wild chives, and their fragrant, crisp, tender, and slightly sweet flavor made He Lingchuan unable to stop eating. He devoured six buns in a row, then took a large bite of drunken pear before exhaling contentedly.

"Delicious!"

The drunken pears were slices of pear soaked in sweet wine, brown sugar, and plums, perfect for cutting through richness.

Fushan Yue had already changed into clean clothes. He now held his chopsticks, eating noodles with the same uninhibited manner as He Lingchuan.

After rushing around for two or three days, he hadn't had a proper meal.

"Tell me, who's pursuing you?"

"Uncle Da, the head of my father's royal guards," Fushan Yue replied. "I didn't expect my father to assign him to my second brother, along with a bodyguard team of seven or eight men."

He Lingchuan quickly picked up on a key point. "Is the one plotting against you from behind the scenes your father or your second brother?"

"Perhaps both, but my second brother was the one who actually acted, so I didn't hold back against him either."

It seemed he had gone to confront his second brother a few days ago. "He's not dead?"

"Not yet," Fushan Yue chuckled. "I was just about to deal with him slowly when Uncle Da arrived. But I did manage to kill several of their bodyguards these past few days."

So, this fellow was actually engaged in a mutual pursuit with them? "What about your subordinates?"

"They're all dead. Uncle Da isn't easy to deal with. But I also poisoned Fushan Ji twice with Wood Petrification Poison." The consequence was his current miserable state. "He shouldn't live until tomorrow morning."

No wonder he looked so relaxed; he had apparently cleared the biggest obstacle to inheriting the throne.

"Why did you brothers turn against each other?"

"My father prefers my brother, but the gods prefer me." Fushan Yue shrugged. "Brothers, aren't they just enemies? Oh, do you have any siblings?"

Instead of answering, He Lingchuan countered, "The gods prefer you?"

"That's right. An heir favored by the gods has a greater chance of becoming king." Fushan Yue chuckled, "You're a foreigner, so you wouldn't know this is an iron-clad rule in the demon country."

"So, when it comes to succession, the Demon King himself doesn't have a say?"

"You can't exactly say that. But it's too complicated to explain in a few words," Fushan Yue slurped his noodles. "Are you going to Lingxu City?"

He Lingchuan nodded.

"After Twilight Plains, if you head further north, you'll reach Chiyan Country. Give me a ride there."

"I'm worried about being implicated by you." The person the Chiyan King wanted dead was in his caravan; did they want to go against the local strongmen?

"They won't. They only dare to act outside the country," Fushan Yue said calmly. "I'm the eldest son; I have supporters both domestically and within the royal court. They absolutely cannot openly attack me."

"Why is your father so concerned about who inherits the throne?" These great demons have long lifespans, far surpassing human rulers. Crown princes are often just figureheads, and some even forgo appointing a crown prince to avoid many troubles, like the Baoshu King. But the Chiyan King is beginning to consider who will inherit the throne, which means... "Could it be that his lifespan is nearing its end?"

Fushan Yue chuckled twice. "Cannot be said."

*Cannot be said,* but he didn't deny it either.

Fushan Yue continued, "My ascension isn't a sure thing, but I'd say I have at least a seventy to eighty percent chance. If you're a farsighted merchant, you'll know this investment is very worthwhile."

He Lingchuan smiled. "I'll have to discuss it with Shi Er. This caravan belongs to him, and he's responsible for the lives of these dozens of people."

Fushan Yue shrugged, not objecting.

Given the poor sound insulation and excellent light transmission of the room, He Lingchuan had already closed the doors and windows, and the two of them had been chatting quietly. Suddenly, faint footsteps were heard outside, followed by three light knocks on the window—one long, two short.

He Lingchuan had just put down his chopsticks when Fushan Yue said, "It's fine, open it."

As the window opened, a small head peeked in.

It was a girl, six or seven years old, with slightly dark skin, large eyes, filthy hair, and a dirty, skeletal body. He Lingchuan didn't have time to observe anything else, because her mouth was truly striking:

Her upper and lower lips had been sewn together with sewing thread, like a pranked rag doll.

She had ten stitches, and the ugly stitching resembled a centipede clinging to her lips. The bloodstains had already turned black, indicating this had happened at least three days ago.

With her mouth sewn shut, she naturally couldn't eat, and even drinking water would have been extremely difficult. Her lips were cracked and bleeding, and she appeared severely dehydrated.