Chapter 577: Terrorist Attack

The situation was too complex; he was struggling to navigate it. On the surface, he still had to ask, "Could this be the work of the Cen family or the real masterminds behind the Elixir of Immortality, trying to divert everyone's attention?"

Fushan Yue couldn't quite grasp it either, but in the end, he burst out laughing. "Who cares?" he said. "At least we've gained significant recognition in Spirit Void City. Because so many powerful factions are involved, the Elixir of Immortality case is currently the hottest topic, attracting more attention than the war in the east. Everyone on the Floating Isle is discussing it, and it's even starting to spread to the lower city of Spirit Void. My father should be very pleased."

Its spread from the upper city to the lower city meant it had diffused from the elite to the common populace. While the powerful and wealthy themselves might not frequently visit the Floating Isle, there were 170,000 to 180,000 servants working for them on the island. With such a massive flow of people, what gossip couldn't be brought out?

The common people, in particular, were delighted to see high-ranking officials and nobles suffer setbacks.

From the known details, the case involved at least the Grand Minister of Agriculture, the Spirit Void Crown Prince's close friend (Yao Xingning), the Cen family, the Zhongsun family, two commanders of the Unity Guard, and the Crown Prince of Chiyan, among other influential parties. Furthermore, it was surprisingly the Emperor himself who personally appointed Commissioner Bai of the Heavenly Palace to investigate, officially confirming the high-profile nature of the incident.

One could say it had conspiracies, confrontations, comebacks, and reversals, fulfilling all the common people's fantasies about the murky world of fame and fortune.

The drama enthusiasts were all cheering and exulting.

Even the citizens of Spirit Void City, who were accustomed to grand spectacles, found this particular event incredibly thrilling.

The higher the public attention on this case, the more comprehensive Spirit Void City's subsequent explanation would need to be to address the concerns of at least seven million people. It could no longer be dismissed lightly.

Now, the pressure was on the Demon Emperor and Bai Ziqi. This huge scandal erupted so quickly and unexpectedly, even for He Lingchuan, but for him, it brought more advantages than disadvantages.

His public profile had been established, making it suddenly much harder for others to secretly deal with him.

Yes, apart from Chiyan, the other, even more crucial protective charm he had found for himself was "exposure."

For an unknown person like him, only by standing in the spotlight could the nefarious forces lurking in the darkness be temporarily prevented from getting to him.

Temporarily.

The Soul-Gazing Mirror, observing all along, was trembling with fright. "You're dancing on the tip of a knife," it warned.

This was Spirit Void City, the foremost city in the world, teeming with hidden dangers and powerful figures. This brat dared to stir up so much trouble as soon as he arrived; he'd better be careful not to end up without a burial place.

Fushan Yue continued, "Oh, by the way, I'm going to check on the Star-Picking Tower's investigation progress. Bai Ziqi sent someone to tell me they took the clues to the Green Palace, and Imperial Preceptor Qingyang has virtually confirmed that Mai Xuewen is Xi Yunhe, her former discarded disciple."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan's interest was immediately piqued. "Mai Xuewen was once her disciple? So this is related to the Green Palace treasure theft case from over ten years ago?"

"Precisely," the old fellow replied, still sharp as ever. "Fifteen years ago, Xi Yunhe stole a large number of Green Palace treasures and fled. He was later killed and fell off a cliff. Half a month later, his body was found downstream, swollen and decomposed. The Green Palace came to identify the body, confirming it was Xi Yunhe."

"So, the snail-toad's shell is indeed a lost treasure from the Green Palace?"

"That's right. Imperial Preceptor Qingyang has already identified it as the 'Mud Palace.' Moreover, she has seen Mai Xuewen's wanted portrait and believes his appearance and demeanor closely resemble Xi Yunhe."

He Lingchuan frowned. "Xi Yunhe was her disciple; why would he steal treasures for no apparent reason?"

"Xi Yunhe was exceptionally talented, intelligent, and diligent. Imperial Preceptor Qingyang entrusted him with important tasks multiple times and even considered making him her successor," Fushan Yue said, taking a sip of water. "Unexpectedly, it was at this time that Imperial Preceptor Qingyang discovered he was a foreign spy. Xi Yunhe deliberately staged the theft of the palace's hidden treasures, hoping to divert the Green Palace's attention so he could escape. However, he failed, was exposed, and pursued."

He Lingchuan murmured, "Oh? Why do I feel like he was quite successful?" Mai Xuewen—or rather, Xi Yunhe—had escaped, and the treasures were gone too.

Fushan Yue chuckled too. "Isn't that right?"

"The standing portrait he hid in Frost Dew Town—did he paint that himself?"

"Yes, Imperial Preceptor Qingyang identified it as a portrait Xi Yunhe painted for her during a celebration twenty years ago."

"He painted it with exceptional care."

When a man paints a woman with such meticulous care, it's either for money or because he has feelings for her.

"Imperial Preceptor Qingyang said that Xi Yunhe had some feelings for her, but she later expelled him from her tutelage and ordered his capture. Because of this, he was consumed by bitterness and laid out clues specifically to frame the Green Palace."

The Mud Palace and the portrait could indeed both be linked to the Green Palace.

"Who presided over this spy case fifteen years ago?" He Lingchuan mused. "It wasn't handled like Zhongsun Mou's trial of the White-Shouldered Eagle case, was it?"

"The Green Palace investigated and judged it internally, then purged its own ranks, and Spirit Void City no longer interfered."

"No questions asked, letting the Green Palace handle it entirely themselves?" He Lingchuan was greatly surprised. "And no subsequent review or scrutiny? Does that comply with regulations?"

"Regulations?" Fushan Yue coughed. "That's just how it is. The Four Imperial Preceptors have transcendent status; sometimes, they have a very high opinion of themselves."

He Lingchuan chuckled. "Perhaps a wronged spirit, unable to accept the injustice, returned to the human world to overturn the case."

If there's an injustice, one must seek redress. If all avenues for recourse are blocked, then one shouldn't blame people for taking matters into their own hands. "It now seems Xi Yunhe has pointed the clues for the Elixir of Immortality case towards the Green Palace," he told Fushan Yue. "If that's true, what will the Emperor do?"

Fushan Yue fell silent for a rare moment, then said, "I don't know."

He Lingchuan stretched with a long yawn. "So, the real show has only just begun."

Both he and Xi Yunhe had only just started; the storm hadn't even begun yet.

Fushan Yue looked at the sky; the moon was bright and the wind clear.

"Time to eat?" Fushan Yue asked. "I know a restaurant that makes excellent sour fish." "As long as you're paying," He Lingchuan replied without hesitation, and they left immediately. The two ate until they were completely drunk, returning only when the mood struck them.

By this time, the moon had passed its zenith; it was two hours later. Although Spirit Void City was a city that never slept, the streets were now largely empty, the lights in most houses were out, and not even a dog barked.

Most people were deep in their slumber.

Back at the inn, He Lingchuan patted Fushan Yue on the shoulder and returned to his own room.

He stumbled erratically, his steps light and off-balance. Fushan Yue's attendants offered to help him, but he waved them off, repeatedly saying it wasn't necessary, and pushed open his door to enter.

As the attendants walked back, just as they descended the stairs and reached their own room doors, they heard a thunderous boom.

Before he could even look up, he was thrown to the ground by a powerful blast of air.

Wood splinters, dust, and various strange fragments whirled through the air. He looked up at the source of the commotion, dumbfounded.

He Lingchuan's residence had exploded. A broken piece of timber flew out and impaled the ground ahead. Had he been standing just two steps closer, he would have been impaled.

Immediately afterward, Fushan Yue rushed out of his own quarters, roaring as he passed the attendant, "What are you standing around for?!"

The others snapped back to reality. "Your Highness, it's dangerous ahead!" they cried. The explosion had just happened; there might be second or third blasts.

"Danger, my foot!" Fushan Yue roared back, his body like copper and iron, utterly fearless. Seeing that half the staircase had been blown away, he simply vaulted up, using one hand for support. "He Xiao!"

Half of the guest room where He Lingchuan had been staying was gone.

"He Xiao!" Fushan Yue yelled. "That fellow couldn't really be dead from the explosion, could he?" Fushan Yue didn't believe it. The man surnamed He was as resilient as a cockroach; he had tried everything before and couldn't get rid of him. Could a random explosion succeed? If he had known, he would have used such a method much earlier. "Stop playing dead and answer me!"

He called out a few more times, and then someone finally responded from the storage room across the corridor: "Here! *cough cough*!"

Fushan Yue leaped over and saw that the wooden planks from the corridor had been blown all the way to this room. From the rubble, a figure slowly sat up, covered in dust and grime. It was He Lingchuan.

Every time he coughed, he choked on a mouthful of dust.

"Are you alright?"

He Lingchuan pushed away the wooden planks on him and then tossed aside half a broken teapot.

"Not dead."

The Floating Isle.

Zhongsun Chi spent over an hour in his underwater garden before swimming ashore.

When agitated, he habitually retreated to the tranquil depths of the water. No one disturbed him underwater, which helped him calm his mind and think. An attendant waiting nearby immediately brought a soft towel to wipe him down.

She had to be extremely careful, as the old merman's scales on his chest, back, and ribs had largely fallen off. This was akin to a human without skin; his tender flesh would sting if rubbed even a couple of times.

He had lost his temper many times because of this.

Although the eldest son had bought back what the old master wanted from the Dunyuan auction, the old man's mood remained low these past few days.

The vertical furrow between Zhongsun Chi's eyebrows deepened. "Where's the eldest? Why haven't I seen him all day?"

"This servant does not know," she replied.

Zhongsun Chi sent people to inquire, but everyone reported not knowing. Only one young attendant said that the young master had gone out in the morning and had not yet returned.

The old man slammed the table in anger with a bang, making all the servants fall to their knees. "I told you all to keep a close eye on the eldest! Are you all blind? Couldn't you see him leave?" He had already been so vexed these past two days that he couldn't sleep. Now, his anger flared, and he simply ordered the young attendant from his great-grandson's courtyard to be dragged to the blood pool and fed directly to the sharks.

With such a brutal example set, a dark cloud hung over the entire Zhongsun mansion. At noon, Zhongsun Ce finally returned.

He had just passed through the second gate when he looked up and was startled to see his great-grandfather sitting by the door, his wooden staff at his side. "Great-grandfather!"

Zhongsun Chi's face was a mask of frost. "Where have you been?" "I... I was upset, so I went for a walk in the lower city." "You didn't go looking for trouble with the Chiyan Crown Prince, did you?"

Zhongsun Ce's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly shook his head. "No, no."

But Zhongsun Chi was no fool; a single glance from his great-grandson was enough for him to understand. He slammed his wooden staff heavily on the ground. "You really went! What did you do?" Zhongsun Ce's jaw tightened. "Fushan Yue has been strutting around proudly, showing off everywhere lately, and I find him utterly infuriating. His father killed your son, and he killed my younger brother, yet he can still swagger through Spirit Void City with people flattering him everywhere!" His teeth gnashed. "Truly, there is no justice!"