Chapter 546: Another Sudden Change

Helian Chuan murmured to himself, "King Baoshu has joined the game."

King Baoshu had stood firm for eight centuries, outlasting two Demon Emperors, a testament to his profound understanding of survival. Helian Chuan couldn't help but smile. With the old tree demon's involvement, the waters in Beijia would surely become even murkier.

"Although this ancient tree grows on its own territory, its significance surpasses that of any other demon king." King Baoshu was the oldest, most experienced, and most influential among all the demon kings—even the Demon Emperor showed him great respect. "His involvement means this affair will not conclude peacefully."

"Oh, supper's here," Fushanyue remarked, seeing a guard approach with food. "Are you sure you don't want any?"

"No, thank you."

Helian Chuan returned to his room and quietly let out a breath of relief.

With Cen Boqing in custody, the Chiyan monarch and his son had plausible explanations both internally and to their superiors. After all, any deeper investigation would delve into the internal affairs of Lingxu City, which was beyond the scope of most demon nations' capabilities.

However, Helian Chuan constantly assessed his own precarious situation. He was too deeply entangled in this case; whether Baizi Qi pursued Zhongsun Mou's death or the immortal elixir case, he would inevitably have to deal with Helian Chuan. Helian Chuan himself was practically a witness, having had significant interactions with both Zhongsun Mou and Cen Boqing. Therefore, if Baizi Qi intended to resolve this case, he might even bring Helian Chuan back to Lingxu City, perhaps under the guise of "cooperative investigation."

Could he refuse?

In such a scenario, if the Chiyan monarch and his son were to back down, Mai Xuewen's warning to Helian Chuan might materialize. Chiyan Nation would likely revoke his title and authority as a special envoy. Even worse than being a figurehead was having neither substance nor status.

Now, having learned from Fushanyue that the Chiyan Demon King was resolute and that other demon kings were also involved, Helian Chuan felt a surge of reassurance. The more factions involved in this matter, the less likely it was to conclude peacefully. If he positioned himself correctly and spoke prudently, the powerful figures, preoccupied with their own conflicts, would likely ignore a minor figure like him.

The mirror in his embrace suddenly spoke, "Hey, they're interrogating Cheng Yu tomorrow. I bet that bothers you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Helian Chuan admitted. "I've noticed Baizi Qi has an unusual interest in him."

Baizi Qi had personally acknowledged that Cheng Yu might be helpful for his next investigation. Before being urgently summoned to Baisha Jue by the Demon Emperor, Baizi Qi had been working in Twilight Plain. Fushanyue believed he had even secretly infiltrated Chiyan territory to uncover certain secrets. However, the mention of "Twilight Plain" by the Duyun Emissary unsettled Helian Chuan.

He himself had witnessed the second, hidden illusion of the Thousand Star City ruins in Twilight Plain—an illusion no one else had ever seen. Helian Chuan had reason to suspect that this hidden vision appeared due to a resonance with either the Grand Flask or the Floating Life Blade. Regardless, the illusion intersected with him and involved the Grand Flask. Chronologically, Baizi Qi's assignment to Twilight Plain likely occurred after the hidden illusion manifested.

What if he was there to investigate the illusion itself?

At this thought, Helian Chuan felt a profound sense of impending crisis.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror added, "Once they interrogate Cheng Yu, they'll discover how he ambushed you, and that wouldn't be good."

"Do I need you to tell me that?" Helian Chuan retorted, annoyed.

Cheng Yu's secret to his unfailing success in dream-killings was the Hundred-Faced Nightmare. Baizi Qi was merely curious about him now. But what if he discovered that Cheng Yu's formidable enforcer was something like this—a Hundred-Faced Nightmare, capable of slaying even the King of Mang Nation, yet it couldn't defeat a mere special envoy of the Chiyan Crown Prince, especially one like Helian Chuan who possessed no elemental power!

How could a seventeen-year-old boy possibly accomplish such a feat? What secret art or magical artifact did he possess that could cause the Hundred-Faced Nightmare to turn against Cheng Yu?

"If our opponent is someone like Baizi Qi, even the slightest suspicion on his part would be extremely detrimental to us." He was calculating, cunning, and exceptionally observant. Most terrifying of all, he wielded power—power bestowed by the gods.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror immediately suggested, "There's still time! Just kill Cheng Yu before they interrogate him tomorrow!"

"Kill Cheng Yu?"

"Exactly! If they have no one to interrogate, your secret will be safe." The mirror preened, pleased with its clever solution. "You can definitely do it, right?"

Helian Chuan, however, sighed. "There was still more than an hour until dawn. Neither he nor the Crown Prince was tired. So why didn't they continue interrogating Wu Kai? Was it because Wu Kai was too tired, or because *we* were too tired?"

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps he wanted to go back and wash, change, and pay respects to the gods. Or maybe he wanted to grab some beef pancakes with kway teow soup from a local eatery. Or... it could be a trap to test me!" Helian Chuan's face darkened. "If I unleash the Nightmare to deal with Cheng Yu now, I might be playing right into his hands. Who knows what methods the Duyun Emissary possesses? I could fail to kill Cheng Yu and expose myself instead."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror groaned, "Well, what do you suggest then? You can't just sit there and watch Baizi Qi interrogate Cheng Yu, can you?"

Helian Chuan was about to reply when he heard what sounded like urgent footsteps outside. Moments later, Fushanyue was pounding on his door, yelling:

"He Xiao! Get out here, quickly, He Xiao!"

Helian Chuan pushed open the door just as Fushanyue dashed past, throwing a hurried remark over his shoulder:

"Prisoner Wu Kai is having an episode and is in critical condition!" Wu Kai? What happened to him?

Oh, hell! Helian Chuan was truly shocked. This night was anything but peaceful.

Fushanyue simultaneously barked orders at the guards, "Notify Duyun Emissary Bai immediately! Hurry!" By the time the last words left his mouth, he was already at the entrance to the inn's cellar, where he bent down and leapt inside.

Cen Boqing had only just been captured that evening, so Wu Kai was still held in the inn's cellar, having not yet been transferred. Although Cen Boqing had already confessed, Wu Kai remained a crucial witness, shrouded in many mysteries, and both Baizi Qi and Fushanyue intended to interrogate him further later. Fushanyue absolutely did not want anything to happen to him.

The two jumped into the cellar and found a guard removing Wu Kai's shackles. Wu Kai appeared to be suffering from chills, huddled on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. His symptoms initially resembled the curse attack from that evening, but in fact, his skin and flesh were visibly shriveling inward. As his tendons and nerves contracted, his limbs contorted into strange shapes, and his whole body convulsed uncontrollably.

Red spots, shaped somewhat like peach hearts, also appeared on Wu Kai's skin. "It's not a curse; it might be a potent poison!" Fushanyue exclaimed, immediately pulling a small vial of medicine from his robe and personally forcing it down Wu Kai's throat. Wu Kai's pharyngeal muscles had also failed, rendering him unable to swallow, so the medicine merely trickled down his esophagus. Naturally, the medicine Fushanyue produced at such a moment was a potent life-saver. Yet, Wu Kai immediately choked, not with a cough, but with strange, gasping "he-ji" sounds, like a mouse being crushed underfoot. He began to vomit blood. It was vivid red and contained small pieces of flesh.

Helian Chuan's expression instantly changed. He pressed on Wu Kai's wrist, feeling a chaotic and erratic pulse, indicating severe damage to his heart, liver, and lungs. From the onset of symptoms to this critical state, how many seconds had passed?

Fushanyue, his face grim, roared, "Doctor! Liu Shier! Where are they? Where did everyone disappear to?"

Liu Shier was the spellcaster who had performed the curse on Wu Kai that afternoon. Being less agile than a martial artist, he only now rushed down into the cellar. He checked Wu Kai's eyelids, then tore open his collar and pressed twice on his chest.

"It's not a spell, but there's something in his heart!" Helian Chuan also reached out, pressing down and transferring his True Energy. He hadn't realized the extent of the damage until he checked. Wu Kai's heart was like a tattered, riddled sack; with every beat, the damage intensified.

Wu Kai suddenly stopped trembling, letting out a long "hiccup" as if the last breath in his lungs had been squeezed out. He remained in a curled-up position, his eyes wide and bulging as if they might pop out of their sockets.

Helian Chuan pressed Wu Kai's carotid artery, then shook his head at Fushanyue. "He's dead."

Fushanyue spun to face the spellcaster, grabbing his collar, his eyes burning with murderous intent. "Is this related to you? Speak!"

"No, no!"

"Was it you this evening...?" Fushanyue, still retaining some composure, refrained from revealing the secret.

"No, no, it has nothing to do with me!" the spellcaster defended. "He died of a heart ailment!"

"What kind of illness strikes so fiercely that someone is gone in the blink of an eye?" From the onset of symptoms to death, it had been less than thirty breaths—thirty breaths! It truly gave no time to react.

At that moment, the team's physician finally arrived, tardy. Fushanyue glared at him with cold eyes. "You deliberately waited until you'd finished your supper before coming, didn't you?"

The physician, just having arrived, wiped sweat from his brow. "Your Highness, please calm your anger. Your humble servant was just... uh... attending to nature's call. The guards started banging on the door just then."

"It takes time to pull one's trousers up, after all."

Fushanyue knew that blaming him now would be futile. "Find out how he died, immediately!"

"Yes, yes!" the physician quickly affirmed, squatting down to examine the body as an impromptu coroner. After tapping and prodding the deceased, he swiftly produced a small knife. Fushanyue immediately looked concerned. "What are you doing?"

"Crown Prince, we need to open him up to see what went wrong inside." An autopsy was necessary; how else could they determine the cause of death?

Fushanyue rubbed his temples, feeling the heavy burden. "Duyun Emissary Bai isn't here yet; can you just arbitrarily dissect him? Wait!"

...When Baizi Qi finally arrived, having rushed over at the news, this was the scene that greeted him: Fushanyue and Helian Chuan sat numbly to one side, while the physician knelt beside the prisoner. The key detainee, Wu Kai, was curled into a ball, his eyes wide and unseeing in death.

Baizi Qi's heart sank. Without flinching from the dead man's unseeing gaze, he strode towards the cellar entrance. "What happened here?!"

"He succumbed to a sudden illness," Fushanyue stated gravely. "The physician said it wasn't a curse—" The physician beside him winced slightly. He hadn't said that exactly. "Nor was it potent poison. As for the precise cause of death, I thought it best to await Duyun Emissary Bai's arrival before proceeding with an autopsy."

Baizi Qi's gaze remained fixed on Wu Kai's body. He crouched down, turned the corpse a few times, and then pressed the area over its heart. "It could be a Covenant Gu."

"What is that?"

"A highly venomous Gu, specifically. The most potent variety is called a Peach Heart Gu; its onset is incredibly swift, and it's incurable by any medicine." Baizi Qi pointed to the red spots on Wu Kai's body. "These peach-shaped marks are evidence of it."