Chapter 558: Stuck in a Difficult Situation

As one walked closer to the main city area, the streets became increasingly prosperous. Teahouses, restaurants, eateries, inns, bathhouses, theaters, entertainment venues, and government offices—everything necessary for daily life and public use was available. He Lingchuan even saw a massive restaurant on the roadside, five stories high, with each floor spanning several thousand square meters. Inside, it was brightly lit, filled with the lively chatter of hosts and guests.

However, it was not the largest or most magnificent building; temples were. Just behind the main street, in an area where every inch of land was precious, He Lingchuan could always spot the roofs of various temples, both large and small. The deities worshipped within also bore different names. In any case, any deity established and worshipped in Lingxu City was no ordinary god.

According to Fu Shanyue, the newly rich and the nobility especially enjoyed donating towards the construction or renovation of temples. Even adding a new temple roof was considered good. If Lingxu City hadn't prohibited golden roofs, the city might have been glittering everywhere. Such actions not only brought prestige to the wealthy but also sought continued blessings from the deities.

"Is it effective?"

No sooner had He Lingchuan posed the question than he felt foolish.

Fu Shanyue chuckled, "The gods do not speak, but sincerity makes the prayers efficacious!"

Night fell, bringing with it the question of accommodation. Officials from various regions and vassal demon kingdoms, when entering Lingxu City to await imperial decrees or conduct business, typically resided in posthouses for convenient summons from superiors. Fu Shanyue had entered the capital on his own this time and was free to choose his residence. However, he still opted to stay temporarily at a posthouse, just in case he was summoned by his superiors and couldn't be found.

This single detail revealed to He Lingchuan that the man, though outwardly rough, was inwardly meticulous. Or perhaps it was because Lingxu City had too many powerful figures, making even Fu Shanyue hesitant to act recklessly there. Although it was called a posthouse, foreign and domestic envoys and officials from other regions all stayed there, so the conditions were exceptionally good: a serene environment, exquisite furnishings, and genuinely friendly servants. Of course, posthouses were divided into three grades. Officials from other smaller states, upon arriving in Lingxu City, would typically be assigned to second or third-class posthouses, and no one dared to complain. As the Crown Prince of Chiyan, he naturally lodged in the highest-grade accommodation, and He Lingchuan also managed to secure a place to stay with him. If the posthouses He Lingchuan had previously stayed in were like small guesthouses—the kind where the receptionists often inexplicably vanished—then the first-class posthouse in Lingxu City was on par with a five-star hotel.

While his subordinates were busy settling in, Fu Shanyue tried to drag He Lingchuan off for a welcome drink, but the latter refused: "I have something to do."

"Nonsense!" Fu Shanyue glared. "It's your first time in Lingxu City; what could you possibly have to do?"

"Visiting friends and family," He Lingchuan said, patting his shoulder. "Seriously, let's have that drink tomorrow."

"Alright, go on then."

He Lingchuan considered for a moment, then returned to his room, released his eyeball spider onto the ceiling beam, and quietly left through the posthouse's back door. He boarded a deer carriage and headed towards his next destination.

Less than two hours after his departure, a guard entered to announce: "Your Highness, an envoy from the Heavenly Palace has arrived with an order!"

"Now? It's already late at night; is the Emperor so urgent?"

Fu Shanyue met the envoy and learned that he was summoned for an immediate audience at the Star-Picking Tower, even though it was late at night. His decision to stay at the posthouse had indeed proven perfectly correct. Fu Shanyue straightened his attire and went with the envoy. The envoy didn't mention He Lingchuan at all. While Young Master He was a crucial figure in Baishajue, here he was a nobody. Bai Ziqi and Fu Shanyue's audience with the Emperor to present their case was sufficient. As an insignificant outsider, He Lingchuan didn't even qualify for an imperial summons. Bai Ziqi had brought him to Lingxu City merely as a precaution, in case a lord wished to inquire further but couldn't find the Chiyan Crown Prince's investigator. Of course, He Lingchuan knew that Bai Ziqi had ulterior motives as well.

At the Heavenly Palace, in the Star-Picking Tower, Bai Ziqi knelt and meticulously recounted his investigation in Baishajue. This was for the Demon Emperor to hear, for the Chief Envoy Duyun to hear, and also for the Holy Venerable of Lingxu to hear. He had handled the case thoroughly, bringing all physical evidence, witnesses, and culprits involved back to Lingxu City, including the remains of Fu Songhua, Wu Kai, and Cheng Yu.

The Demon Emperor listened for over half an hour before stifling a yawn. "Are you saying Cen Boqing confessed?"

"He did, but Lady Cen brought a witness who strongly attested that he was merely an accomplice. The true mastermind is someone else."

The Demon Emperor then asked, "It was so difficult for you to make Wu Kai talk, so how did Yao Xingning manage to easily apprehend the actor who was his contact?"

Bai Ziqi shook his head. "Lady Cen said she was just lucky."

"Someone probably intervened secretly to help her," the Demon Emperor said idly. "You don't need to question her; she's clueless and probably doesn't even know herself. Can you continue investigating this case?"

Bai Ziqi hesitated slightly: "It might involve a wide range of people."

"Continue your investigation, but don't release the results yet," the Demon Emperor said slowly. "The Grand Minister of Agriculture has been lamenting to me for days, claiming his family had no knowledge of his son-in-law's actions. As for the Zhongsuns, they've been incessantly complaining, demanding to know the whereabouts of Zhongsun Mou, saying they want to see him alive or his body if he's dead."

Bai Ziqi replied, "They are also involved in the immortality elixir case."

"Heh, the Green Hibiscus Temple and everyone inside were incinerated, and Wu Kai is also dead. With no physical evidence or witnesses, old man Zhongsun can righteously deny everything, claiming he never consumed the immortality elixir and that his grandson couldn't possibly have provided cover or false testimony for Cen Boqing in Baishajue—insisting it was all Cen Boqing's slander. That cunning old fox... Hmm, during your investigation in Baishajue, did you find any direct evidence of Zhongsun Mou providing false testimony for Cen Boqing?"

Bai Ziqi recalled carefully, then shook his head. "This case progressed slowly in Baishajue and nearly stalled precisely because there was no direct evidence linking Zhongsun Mou and Cen Boqing. Wu Kai was very meticulous. In the messenger disappearance case, the false confession he provided was also written and fingerprinted by Fu Songhua himself. Even if pursued later, Zhongsun Mou would only be guilty of credulous negligence and ineffective handling of the case."

Thus, the charge of the Zhongsun family privately purchasing the immortality elixir remained unproven, but Zhongsun Mou's disappearance had genuinely turned his family into victims.

"I expected as much," the Demon Emperor snorted. "The Zhongsuns still want to cause trouble for the Cens. What do you think, should they?"

"If Mai Xuewen's ambush and murder of Zhongsun Mou was an independent act, not instigated by Cen Boqing, then..."

"Mai Xuewen is still at large; you haven't even touched his shadow. It seems he won't be reappearing anytime soon."

Bai Ziqi bowed his head. "This subordinate is incompetent."

"Alright, never mind the Zhongsuns. Continue to pursue the clues provided by Lady Cen..."

Before the Demon Emperor could finish speaking, several red characters suddenly appeared on the Heavenly Scroll: "Killing the chicken to warn the monkeys; Zhongsun's crime shall not be lightly forgiven."

The hall fell silent for a moment. With just a few ethereal words, disaster loomed over the Zhongsun family. This was the will of the gods.

After a long while, the Demon Emperor finally said, "For over a hundred years, the Zhongsuns have been loyal old ministers of Lingxu." This was essentially a plea, but the Heavenly Scroll remained unresponsive. Clearly, the heavenly deity had no intention of retracting the command. The matter of privately refining and purchasing the immortality elixir truly violated their taboo.

The Demon Emperor coughed again. "If we're to handle it, we must do so according to regulations, with evidence! If Bai Ziqi continues the investigation, both buyers and sellers of the immortality elixir won't escape. Why the rush to punish the Zhongsuns now?"

For a long time, the Heavenly Scroll showed no new instructions, presumably indicating tacit approval. The Demon Emperor immediately changed the subject. "There's also been some progress regarding the Green Hibiscus Temple, hasn't there?"

All this time, he was constantly presented with difficulties. If one cockroach appeared on the table, there might be a nest of them in the house. Zhongsun Mou buying the immortality elixir for his old man was certainly not an isolated incident. Should every instance be severely punished, just like killing cockroaches? How many subjects would that implicate? What if it caused instability in the Lingxu City royal court? But in the dictionary of the high and mighty deities beyond the heavens, where would one find the phrase "the law does not punish the masses"?

Bai Ziqi was unaware of the Demon Emperor's thoughts and merely lowered his head, replying, "Yes."

"As for the anomalies of the Great Square Cauldron, what is your own view?" The Demon Emperor had just heard the account but now wanted Bai Ziqi's personal opinion. He glanced at the altar, which remained quiet.

"The Great Square Cauldron experienced two aura fluctuations. From a spatio-temporal perspective, it's highly likely that Crown Prince Fu Shanyue of Chiyan and Mai Xuewen appeared in that vicinity," Bai Ziqi respectfully stated. "This subordinate believes both individuals should be investigated."

"King Baoshu took the lead, and four or five demon kings subsequently submitted memorials. Hmph, now is not a good time to move against Fu Shanyue and his kind. We should at least wait until the immortality elixir case concludes, lest the demon kings believe I am targeting Chiyan." The Demon Emperor looked at Bai Ziqi. "You still need to be polite to Fu Shanyue."

"Yes," Bai Ziqi hesitated.

The Demon Emperor immediately noticed. "Is there something incomplete? Speak!"

"This subordinate also feels there's something amiss with the special envoy sent by the Chiyan Crown Prince to investigate the case."

"Oh? The one who tracked the messenger case to its end and exposed Cen Boqing?" The Demon Emperor's tone slightly lifted. "Explain."

Bai Ziqi dared not delay and spoke truthfully: "I can find no connection, nor any evidence, not even indirect. This subordinate merely... feels uneasy whenever I see him."

"Spiritual intuition is more important than evidence," the Demon Emperor said, finding no issue with this. "Since that's the case, simply summon him for interrogation. Why hesitate over such a small matter?"

"This subordinate understands." Baishajue was the Chiyan Crown Prince's territory, so Bai Ziqi found it difficult to directly interrogate his subordinate there. But back in Lingxu City, many concerns vanished or were simplified.

"You can't conveniently interrogate Fu Shanyue, but you can interrogate his subordinate," the Demon Emperor chuckled. "Isn't that perfect?"

"Yes," Bai Ziqi thought for a moment and added, "If neither he nor the Chiyan Crown Prince are the targets we are looking for, then can the Holy Venerable induce another anomaly in the Great Square Cauldron?" Things rarely happen more than twice. If the Great Square Cauldron experienced a third fluctuation, the Star-Picking Tower's difficulty in pinpointing its location would significantly decrease.

The Heavenly Scroll remained unresponsive. Clearly, the deity was also pondering. The reasons for the Great Square Cauldron's two previous anomalies were entirely unrelated, making it hard to say what might trigger it again.

The Demon Emperor was concerned: "What if it sees through us?"

Two lines of text slowly appeared on the Heavenly Scroll: "Mitian is dead. The Great Square Cauldron has instincts but no artifact spirit. Once activated, it cannot be stopped."

"Is that so? That's good then."

Chief Envoy Duyun, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke: "The Holy Venerable said that over a hundred years ago, the Great Square Cauldron underwent many changes in Mitian's hands. Someone personally witnessed it devouring a water spirit, which shows its voracious appetite for rare treasures and spiritual herbs."

More writing appeared on the Heavenly Scroll: "The Great Square Cauldron merges the laws of both realms and delights in consuming rare treasures from both."

Upon hearing this, the Demon Emperor said, "Alright, isn't the auction at Jinjiao's Dunyuan about to begin? Go to the treasury, retrieve a divine relic, and use it to test them."