Chapter 465: Not Enemies Would Not Meet

Chapter 464: Foes Often Meet Again

General Antelope was impatient and didn't want to waste a single moment. He lifted his leg, took a high leap, and jumped directly over the wall into the courtyard.

He was a dignified general, yet had no compunctions about climbing over other people's walls or breaking windows.

This action drew curious glances from passersby.

Seeing this, the two Wind-Bore Beast guards followed suit.

He Lingchuan then heard the unusually rapid patter of their hooves on stone and wood, a swift clattering back and forth.

Clearly, they had effortlessly used their charging ability, surveying the entire house in a matter of seconds.

By this time, He Lingchuan and Jiao Yu had also jumped into the courtyard, and General Antelope appeared before them:

"No one!"

Jiao Yu immediately said, "I'll go look for any secret passages."

He Lingchuan, without a second thought, headed straight for the study.

This was a private residence, not an inn, so the furniture and items were arranged for everyday use. Since Mr. Mai resided here regularly, he was bound to leave traces.

The furnishings in the study were simple: only a bookcase, a curio shelf, and a set of table and chairs.

A bottle was also placed next to the curio shelf.

He Lingchuan immediately began rummaging through everything.

The bookcase and desk drawers were filled with ledgers and reports. From the records of items within, it appeared that Mr. Mai was also a merchant dealing in medicinal herbs.

Of course, according to Master Wan's identification, these were likely all a smokescreen.

He Lingchuan suddenly felt a warmth on his neck—

The divine bone necklace emitted a faint red glow.

In other words, there was more to this study than met the eye?

He Lingchuan immediately stood up and walked around the study.

The small space limited his perception of the divine bone necklace's heat, but he noticed that as he approached the curio shelf, the divine bone quieted down.

This meant the important item was on the shelf?

He looked around. On the curio shelf was an ivory jade ball, a gold-inlaid jade Pixiu figurine, and a set of celadon tea ware. On the floor was a long-necked, big-bellied bottle with several scrolls inserted inside.

The bottle was placed in the darkest corner, where the owner likely wouldn't approach it normally. Therefore, the servant boy cleaning the study had been lazy and hadn't even dusted the bottle.

As He Lingchuan was about to try each item, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.

He also heard General Antelope's furious roar.

It seemed someone was coming their way.

Time was short. Without hesitation, He Lingchuan pulled all the scrolls from the bottle and placed them into his storage ring.

No sooner had he done this than several people rushed in, accompanied by a loud shout: "Stop, put down what you have and turn around!"

Jiao Yu also rushed forward, confronting the newcomers with a roar: "The Crown Prince's Special Envoy is handling a case! How dare you interfere? You've got some nerve!"

Still, he didn't immediately lash out with a claw.

He Lingchuan turned around to face the uninvited guests. They were mostly human, though a colossal demon in the courtyard was confronting the Wind-Bore Beasts.

The leader of this group wore a large cloak; his appearance was human-like, but his skin was light blue.

Very familiar.

When this person saw him, his gaze also hardened. A guard beside him had already shouted, "Master Zhongsui, Inspector of Lingxu City, is on an imperial tour! Show some respect!"

Inspector of Lingxu City?

Oh, so it was Zhongsui Mou.

This was truly a case of foes meeting again unexpectedly.

Although Zhongsui Mou's main target was Fu Shanyue, He Lingchuan remembered what this person had said to him last time at the Twilight Plains checkpoint.

What was it he'd said? That he would cut out his tongue?

Well, well, well. The official business meant for Fu Shanyue now involved personal grudges. He wouldn't be bored anymore.

Zhongsui Mou's face darkened when he saw He Lingchuan, clearly recognizing him. "How did this case fall into Fu Shanyue's hands?"

He Lingchuan saw raw disgust in the man's eyes. He touched his own face, thinking how handsome he was.

Fu Shanyue hadn't been wrong; this person was just as petty and vengeful as him.

Just as he was about to speak, the esteemed Inspector looked at him condescendingly: "Fu Shanyue sent *you*?"

His gaze was utterly contemptuous, his demeanor utterly arrogant.

He Lingchuan felt that all his years as a dissolute young master had been wasted. Look at that expression, that attitude!

It seemed the "surprise" Fu Shanyue had given him when he turned back then was too small.

In any case, Zhongsui Mou, bearing the title of Inspector of Lingxu City, appeared unharmed. At least Fu Shanyue hadn't personally attacked him.

Since even Fu Shanyue didn't dare kill him, as the Crown Prince's Special Envoy, would it be inappropriate for He Lingchuan to be too rude to him openly?

He Lingchuan didn't reply. He turned his back to Zhongsui Mou and continued to fiddle with the ivory ball on the curio shelf.

He pressed it, shook it, and then held it to his ear to listen. Hmm, solid.

Zhongsui Mou said coldly, "Put it back."

He Lingchuan ignored him, continuing to feel for the next item, the Pixiu figurine.

A guard behind Zhongsui Mou became enraged and rushed forward to grab his shoulder: "I told you to put it back!"

How could Jiao Yu stand by? He slapped the guard's arm with a paw.

The barbed claws on his tiger paw were over an inch long and glinted coldly. If that had landed on a person, half a pound of flesh and blood could have been scraped off directly.

The guard hastily dodged. Jiao Yu hadn't intended to truly incapacitate him, stopping his shallow strike without pursuit.

"Audacious!" Zhongsui Mou's other guards surged forward a couple of steps. Jiao Yu also adopted a deep squat, ready to pounce, his fur bristling all over.

The scene was on the verge of erupting.

Just then, with a loud "bang," the two Wind-Bore Beasts crashed through the door and wall, rushing in to block He Lingchuan, adopting a "let's fight, stop blabbering" stance.

With two "spits," they each spat a mouthful of saliva at their opponents.

The Wind-Bore Beasts' saliva was sticky and foul-smelling, capable of instantly pickling things. If sprayed onto a person, it couldn't be scrubbed off even with several bars of perfumed soap, and its effects would last at least half a month.

This was their way of issuing a challenge.

The remaining parties: "..."

They truly were General Antelope's subordinates, having perfectly inherited his true style.

He Lingchuan finally spoke, composed: "Do you know where this is?"

It was an abrupt question. Zhongsui Mou frowned, not replying.

In fact, he had long forgotten what he had said to this young man, only seeing him as Fu Shanyue's subordinate.

"This is Chiyan territory, and I am the Crown Prince's Special Envoy." He Lingchuan took out his envoy token, slapping it twice in his palm. "If you dare to act presumptuously here, I'll slap your mouth raw and break your legs."

Even Jiao Yu glanced sideways in surprise.

Truly worthy of being the Crown Prince's friend; their audacity, daring to defy heaven, was identical.

Since becoming an Inspector and touring various demon nations, this was the first time Zhongsui Mou had been cursed at so crudely. His face turned livid with rage. His guards, even less able to restrain themselves, charged forward.

He Lingchuan slapped the tiger's back: "Everyone, attack!"

Their own lineup was luxurious: a Commander of the Hundred Mountains and a Flying Fields Vanguard General—both excellent fighters. What was there to be afraid of?

Besides, this was Chiyan territory!

Jiao Yu was the first to charge, taking on two opponents alone, while General Antelope's lowering of his head even created an afterimage, sending a surprised guard flying directly into the wall.

A sudden turn of events: the colossal monster outside, hearing the commotion, turned its head and was about to charge in.

Its size was only two grades smaller than Zhu Erniang's, and it couldn't squeeze through the door. Forcing its way in would only result in the entire study collapsing.

Wouldn't this intentionally complicate the search? Zhongsui Mou's heart clenched. He roared, "Stop, everyone stop!"

The situation looked chaotic, but Jiao Yu and General Antelope were both seasoned officials; they held back a third of their strength, not striking with full force, especially since Zhongsui Mou bore the aura of Lingxu City's Inspector.

Besides He Lingchuan, the other Chiyan demons were actually quite wary.

Both sides engaged briefly and then separated, preventing a major disturbance. Even the colossal monster outside stopped.

Only then did He Lingchuan see that it was a hippo-like monster, with a barrel-shaped body, a large rump, and four short, stubby legs. With that physique, whether sitting or lying, it resembled a small mountain.

Comparing the combat strength of both sides, he didn't have an advantage. Zhongsui Mou, unwilling to suffer an immediate loss, had to forcibly suppress his anger and pull out a black, auspicious cloud-shaped token.

The token's surface emitted a faint red glow.

But before he could speak, He Lingchuan preemptively said, "Since we're both special envoys, why are you hindering my investigation?"

Who said "both special envoys" with him? How could a mere Crown Prince's special envoy from a vassal demon nation compare to him? "Are you handling the case of the missing White-shouldered Eagle?"

"Yes, Lingxu City ordered Chiyan to thoroughly investigate, so the Crown Prince ordered *me* to thoroughly investigate!" He Lingchuan smiled, his dimples appearing. "It's official business, after all; one must do it with utmost diligence."

"I'll take over this case; you all can go back." Zhongsui Mou handed over a golden missive, sealed with a large red stamp and wax. "Take this letter back to the Chiyan King; he will understand."

A guard took the letter with both hands and presented it to He Lingchuan, but he stood with his hands behind his back, refusing to take it: "No time. You can mail it to him yourself."

Zhongsui Mou looked at him as if he were seeing Fu Shanyue himself—so infuriatingly annoying that it made one's teeth itch.

Yet He Lingchuan smiled genially: "As an Inspector, why are you interfering with matters in Chiyan territory?"

"The disappearance of Lingxu City's messenger is also within my inspection purview."

He emphasized the words "Lingxu City."

He Lingchuan had already inquired with Fu Shanyue. The so-called Inspectors dispatched by Lingxu City outwardly performed duties of touring, inspecting, and supervising, but secretly also spied on and gathered various intelligence from the vassal demon nations, reporting it to the Emperor.

Just like in human nations, the Demon Emperor would never trust the demon kings he enfeoffed, never.

Therefore, Inspectors held minor official ranks but considerable power.

Of course, Zhongsui Mou only wore the "Inspector" halo when he was assigned to an inspection tour. Once he completed his mission and returned to the imperial capital, this authority would be stripped from him.

So, his insistence on taking over this matter didn't seem to be overstepping his authority.

But why?

Less than half a month ago, this fellow was still opposing Fu Shanyue in the Twilight Plains. How was he now sneaking into Chiyan to meddle in a messenger's disappearance?

He Lingchuan pondered as he asked, "Master Zhongsui, how far has your investigation progressed?"

Zhongsui Mou said blandly, "It cannot be leaked, lest we alert the enemy."

Was he being pretentious again? Before He Lingchuan could reply, General Antelope could no longer hold back. Ignoring the demon he was confronting, he directly stepped over the collapsed door and wall and walked in: "Wait a minute, have you found the murderer yet?"

Zhongsui Mou frowned, seeming somewhat irritated: "Who are you? How does this concern you?"

General Antelope retorted angrily, "I am the aggrieved party! Seven members of my Wind-Bore Beast clan were killed! Why can't I ask about it?"