Chapter 535: Disappearance of Cen Boqing

Chapter 532: Cen Boqing's Disappearance

The mirror retorted indignantly, "Alright, alright, what did I say wrong? To be lectured by a seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid!"

"You just completely ignored the most powerful force in Lingxu City?"

"Huh?" the mirror asked, surprised. "Which one?"

"The Celestial Deities."

"...Oh!" The mirror looked abashed.

He Lingchuan said blandly, "Bai Ziqiu, who was away on assignment, was directly ordered to take charge of this case. Just by observing how hasty his appointment was and how quickly he arrived, it's clear the Demon Emperor likely didn't consult with various factions and issued the order directly. Otherwise, it would have taken ten days to half a month of endless bickering. If there was indeed a power struggle among different parties, the Celestial Deities undoubtedly won this round."

"Is it because the Elixir of Immortality is involved?"

"Yes, Xiang Yan mentioned that the Elixir of Immortality is a sensitive issue for the Celestial Deities; they've unleashed thunderous wrath over it before." He Lingchuan shrugged. "It doesn't seem strange for it to happen again."

"We must ascertain the Celestial Deities' attitude; that would be very beneficial to us," he continued. "The Celestial Deities also want to get to the bottom of the private refining of the Elixir of Immortality, which aligns perfectly with our goals! As for everything else, whether big or small, it might save us a lot of trouble."

"Once Wu Kai confesses, Cen Boqing will be beyond redemption," the mirror asked him. "What other troubles do we have?"

"What do you mean 'no'?" He Lingchuan sighed, not elaborating further. "However, you're right about one thing: with Lord Bai taking over the case, the pressure from Lingxu City will largely shift onto his shoulders. Heh, and he can bear it. This is excellent news for us."

Thinking of this, he breathed more easily.

When He Lingchuan returned to the inn, Bai Ziqiu was interrogating Wu Kai again.

Having cooperated with the earlier interrogation, Wu Kai had been given a full meal, two pills, and a change of clothes, and his physical condition had significantly improved.

When Bai Ziqiu entered the cellar, Wu Kai was noisily slurping a large bowl of chicken soup.

It was old hen and crucian carp stewed for an hour, resulting in a milky-white broth, tender meat, soft bones, and a rich peppery aroma.

Wu Kai had been on the run for days and then tortured for two, so he desperately needed nourishment.

He was also resigned; since death was inevitable, he might as well eat and drink well while he could.

"What methods does Cen Boqing have to sneak out of the mansion unnoticed?"

He Lingchuan directly asked, "Last time, how did you manage to rescue Cheng Yu right under my nose?"

Wu Kai put down his soup bowl and wiped his mouth. "Cen Mansion has a treasure called the 'Fig Fissure Grotto-Heaven.' It's palm-sized and was bought from Songyang Prefecture. It's solidified with Mustard Seed Art, and as long as it's activated with Mystic Crystal, it can hide living beings within its grotto-heaven for up to half an hour. However, the same person cannot be hidden inside twice within two hours, or their body will collapse from the compression of the Mustard Seed Art."

"Mustard Seed Art!" He Lingchuan knew things were bad as soon as he heard the words "Songyang Prefecture."

While He Chunhua was leading his army to Xia Prefecture for his appointment, he coincidentally met Li Qingge. She had produced a small model of a courtyard house, which, when thrown onto the ground, transformed into a real dwelling where people could shelter from wind and rain, eat, sleep, and play cards.

She explicitly stated that this magical ability had limitations on the volume and weight of external objects it could contain, making it impractical for logistical military use.

However, it was no problem to take a few people inside.

Her personal Mustard Seed space was naturally the best, with evergreen trees inside and fewer restrictions for living beings entering and exiting; Cen Boqing's Fig Fissure Grotto-Heaven was clearly a downgraded version.

He Lingchuan retorted irritably, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

It seemed Cen Boqing's previous attempts to break out were all feints, designed to make Fu Shanyue believe he was still in the mansion and lower his guard. Only when the real crisis struck did the two of them secretly slip away.

This Cen fellow wasn't as inept as everyone thought.

Wu Kai looked innocent. "I didn't know he would use it."

Bai Ziqiu, however, thought further ahead. "Even if he and Cheng Yu hid inside the Fig Fissure Grotto-Heaven, someone would still need to carry that magical artifact out of the mansion." Otherwise, if the artifact remained inside, the officials would eventually find it.

Don't forget, the hiding duration is only half an hour. "Besides you, who does Cen Boqing trust most in the mansion?"

"Old Chen the stableman," Wu Kai replied without hesitation. "His wife once suffered from an acute illness and nearly didn't make it. It was the madam herself who personally invited a famous doctor to treat her. Old Chen has been deeply grateful ever since, always devoted to Cen Boqing and his wife. When Cen Boqing travels, he always uses Old Chen as his driver."

"Go to Cen Mansion, find this person, search him, and question him."

Bai Ziqiu turned and gave the order, and a guard immediately turned and departed.

He then asked Wu Kai, "Besides the Fig Fissure Grotto-Heaven, what other strange magical artifacts does Cen Boqing carry?"

Wu Kai thought for a moment. "He wears a red jade ring on his left ring finger that can release two wolf puppets. They're refined from two tundra wolf kings, with bodies like copper and iron, immense strength, and they feel no pain. This was a gift from the Tuhun envoy the year before last."

"There's also a root segment of a Linglong Treasure Fruit. If planted in soil and watered, it can grow into a fruit tree within half an hour. Each fruit can feed one person, and depending on soil fertility, each tree can bear dozens to two hundred fruits. The fruits can be stored."

Bai Ziqiu murmured, "He certainly has a lot of private items. This object is best for marches or when in exile."

Wu Kai then listed two or three more items, concluding, "That's probably all he brought from Lingxu City."

He Lingchuan was impressed as well. Cen Boqing truly lived up to his status as a noble young master from Lingxu City; even the casual treasures he carried were high-grade. And these were just what he brought to Baishaque; the truly valuable items were undoubtedly still in Lingxu City.

Bai Ziqiu's expression was calm; with his vast knowledge, he didn't find these particularly remarkable. "Nothing else? Think carefully, are there any unspeakable secret treasures?"

This time, Wu Kai thought for a long time before shaking his head. "That's all I know."

No sooner had he spoken than a crescent-shaped amulet around his neck snapped with a "crack."

Wu Kai felt it and pulled out the token Fu Shanyue had given him from his pocket. The token glowed with a faint red light, its spiritual energy somehow activated on its own.

"Cheng Yu is at work," He Lingchuan coughed. "This person is truly relentless; he's determined to kill you."

"It's Cen Boqing who's determined to kill his old servant," Bai Ziqiu said, looking at the broken amulet. "This person's curses are formidable; even with your multiple divine abilities and protective arrays, he could still break the amulet."

He Lingchuan feigned surprise. "Shouldn't they be busy escaping now? How does Cheng Yu have time to cast spells?"

"That means Cen Boqing is very confident that we won't find him," Bai Ziqiu inhaled lightly. "They've likely fled to a place they consider safe, and Cen Boqing is now eager to curse the witness to death—he doesn't know yet that I've arrived and interrogated Wu Kai."

If the envoy from Lingxu City hadn't arrived and Wu Kai had died at Fu Shanyue's hands, then no matter what he confessed before his death, the Cen family could simply disavow it, claiming it was a false confession.

Therefore, Cen Boqing was still single-mindedly focused on silencing the witness.

Bai Ziqiu glanced at Wu Kai. "Whether this person lives or dies, it will no longer impede the case's progress."

Wu Kai, however, looked fearful. "Cheng Yu can curse a monarch to death! I'm afraid you won't be able to protect me!"

He Lingchuan chuckled inwardly. Cheng Yu's best achievement, the so-called "cursing a monarch to death," was actually accomplished with the power of the Hundred-Face Nightmare, wasn't it? Although he wasn't entirely sure how Hundred-Face managed it, the monster's power was certainly fresh in his memory.

Cheng Yu alone probably couldn't accomplish such a feat.

Bai Ziqiu, however, took out a thumb-sized jade-carved Ganoderma lucidum from his sleeve. It was intricately carved and emitted a warm white glow.

"This is a Soul-Cleansing Talisman, blessed by divine favor within the Star-Picking Pagoda. It can make the wearer impervious to all evil," he explained. The moment it was produced, all three present immediately felt invigorated, even their breathing became easier. "Ward off Cheng Yu's mere curses? That's child's play."

Wu Kai swallowed hard, staring at the Soul-Cleansing Talisman.

Although he knew he would surely die upon returning to Lingxu City, life became precious once its countdown began, and he certainly didn't want to die within the limited time he had left.

Moreover, the process of being cursed to death was too painful; he had experienced it before and didn't want to go through it again.

"Sir, could you..."

Bai Ziqiu smiled faintly. "Your previous confession contained inaccuracies. If you tell the complete truth, I will bestow this Soul-Cleansing Talisman upon you."

Wu Kai was startled. "I... what I said was all true."

"You claim not to know who was refining the Elixir of Immortality at Qingfu Temple, but that's impossible," Bai Ziqiu said flatly. "The dealings Cen Boqing and you were involved in were extremely risky, literally risking your lives. How could you possibly not know who your superiors were and still continue to cooperate with them?"

Wu Kai mumbled, "It's been like this since Master Cen's time. He wouldn't let us inquire, saying that knowing too much would only bring disaster."

Bai Ziqiu chuckled. "And the work you were doing didn't invite disaster?"

Wu Kai forced a bitter smile. "I truly don't know."

Bai Ziqiu carefully scrutinized his expression, as if judging the truthfulness of his words, then said, "Then tell me, how did you come to recruit a troublemaker like Mai Xuewen to work under you?"

"Ten years ago, I went to Ya Mountain on business and encountered a flood. Fortunately, Mai Xuewen rescued me. He said he was a wanderer with no home or profession, framed by treacherous people in Mang Nation. After personally killing his enemies, he fled to Beijia, doing various open and covert businesses, and was somewhat melancholic."

"I traveled with him for over two months. Seeing his decent cultivation and his righteous character, I invited him to work in Baishaque's Marshland Township."

He Lingchuan folded his arms. "You just let a tiger into your home so easily?"

"It wasn't that quick. I had him manage only legitimate businesses in Marshland Township, nothing shady. I observed him for three years like this, and the profits from his businesses increased significantly. Seeing that he was indeed capable and tight-lipped, I gradually felt at ease and then had him manage the pulp pearl business in Chiyan Nation. Among the six teams tasked with killing demons and retrieving pearls, his team was always the fastest and best at completing missions, never causing any trouble. I became increasingly confident in him and thus lowered my guard, letting him in on some matters..."

At this point, Wu Kai let out a long sigh. "Who would have known I was inviting disaster upon myself?"

To He Lingchuan, Wu Kai had been careful enough. Observing someone for over three years before allowing them access to core business operations.

Unfortunately, he had encountered the anomaly that was Mai Xuewen.

(End of chapter)