Chapter 579: Pan Mountain Residence

**Chapter 575: Panshan Residence**

"Did you see their face?"

"They were masked," Jiao Yu said, scratching the floor loudly, making a creaking sound. "At least it was humanoid." It continued, "The officers found pottery shards in the envoy's room, with gunpowder residue on their surface. I just went to see; the explosion point was likely by or under the bed."

He Lingchuan chuckled. "They must really want me in pieces." Given the explosive power, if he had been sleeping in the bed at the time, even a formidable defensive array probably wouldn't have helped.

Fu Shanyue's face was grim.

Just then, a guard rushed in to report: "Your Highness, the officer searching the scene has been poisoned!"

"What?" Fu Shanyue was greatly surprised. Why were so many strange things happening tonight?

He quickly leaped to the scene of the incident, with Jiao Yu close behind.

The poisoned officer had already been carried out, convulsing with green foam bubbling from his mouth. Given his state, it was no wonder the guard was certain he had been poisoned. The inn's physician, who had just treated He Lingchuan and others for their injuries, now rushed over with his medical kit to examine the officer. He certainly hadn't had a moment's rest all night.

Fu Shanyue had no time to watch him treat the injured; he lightly leaped to the second floor. He Lingchuan's quarters had been blasted so that two of the four walls were missing, the beams and pillars had collapsed, and the furniture and decorations were in disarray, most of them charred black, emitting a pungent, acrid smell. Just as Jiao Yu had said, a few pottery shards could occasionally be found in the corners.

Two other officers were still there. Seeing their colleague carried away, they no longer dared to rummage indiscriminately and only used their weapons to prod things.

Fu Shanyue asked, "How did he get poisoned?"

"He was searching, and he just collapsed without any warning!"

"What areas did he touch?"

The officer pointed them out one by one.

Fu Shanyue squatted down to examine the area himself. The officer reminded him, "Your Highness, be careful, it's poisonous!"

Fu Shanyue scoffed. Would a ba be afraid of poison? Ridiculous.

He was also experienced. After a thorough search, his attention focused on the tables, chairs, and a screen. These items were largely shattered but not destroyed by the fire; the screen was the most damaged, half-burned.

Fu Shanyue leaned over and directly called the physician upstairs: "Test if there's any poison here."

The physician was much more meticulous than him, carefully dripping various solutions onto the objects, even spraying a puff of grey smoke. The tabletop and chair surfaces turned light blue. "Found it!"

"Poison first, then an explosion?" Fu Shanyue slowly stood up. "That's a ruthless move." Were they afraid He Xiao hadn't died completely? It seemed the perpetrators not only wanted to send a message to the Red Yan Crown Prince but harbored a deep grudge. Was it the Cen family, the Zhongsuns, or the mastermind behind the elixir of immortality? Fu Shanyue squinted towards the east. It would be dawn in about an hour, and tomorrow would certainly be very "exciting"!

In the adjacent side room, He Lingchuan coughed twice and drank some water. The mirror in his arms exclaimed incredulously, "You're this hard on yourself too?" With people nearby, He Lingchuan didn't answer. He simply swallowed another pill, then closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and tend to his injuries.

Fu Shanyue's guards immediately sealed off this row of side rooms. Jiao Yu even lay down at the doorway to prevent anyone from disturbing the envoy. People continuously moved in and out of the entire inn, with footsteps coming and going, and various voices. Clearly, the official authorities were not idle. But none of that concerned He Lingchuan anymore. After dawn, news of the attack on the Crown Prince of the Vassal Demon Kingdom would spread throughout Lingxu City at the fastest possible speed!

The next morning, Fu Shanyue was summoned by the Demon Emperor again. Two audiences within ten days were truly a great honor for Fu Shanyue.

It was nearly noon when he returned to the inn. The explosion last night had been too loud. The accident scene was largely cleared, but the charred building couldn't be repaired in half a morning. Crowds, drawn by the news, still gathered in dense layers, watching the official actions while quietly sharing their opinions—it was quite the sight, like a large group tour and chat. Such gatherings were breeding grounds for all kinds of rumors. The authorities tried hard to disperse them, shooing them away three or five times. But the crowd was like a flock of geese: you chase, they flee; you tire, they bother, and they always gathered again.

Fu Shanyue walked halfway back to the inn. Not only was He Lingchuan nowhere to be seen, but even Jiao Yu was gone. "Where are they?"

The guards on duty quickly replied, "Your Highness, He Xiao said it wasn't safe here, so he moved to the Panshan Residence."

"Pan..." Fu Shanyue was baffled and about to ask what that meant, but then in the next second, he suddenly remembered that he had once compensated He Lingchuan with a residence, right at the foot of Panshan in the main city! "Clever boy!" he chuckled. "Pack up our things; we're going too!"

His numerous guards surged around him, escorting him as he pushed through the crowd and galloped towards Panshan, leaving behind an unknown number of spies to eat their dust.

About two quarters of an hour later, Fu Shanyue arrived at his destination. The residence had originally been his, so he was naturally very familiar with it. He passed through the hall and entered the rooms to look for He Lingchuan. He found the fellow already settled, lying in the back garden sunbathing, with a jar of fine wine and two wine cups on a low wooden table beside him. Jiao Yu, the fierce tiger, was sprawled on the rockery, dozing with narrowed eyes, a bit of tongue exposed, seemingly unaware. Both man and tiger looked incredibly leisurely, a far cry from their disheveled state of last night.

As soon as Fu Shanyue arrived, the fierce tiger jumped down to greet him. He Lingchuan, on the other hand, merely opened his eyes a slit, glanced at Fu Shanyue, then turned his head back to continue sunbathing.

Fu Shanyue sat down in another lounge chair. "I was summoned to Cloud Heaven Palace first thing this morning, while you're here relaxing."

"I'm an injured person; I need more rest and less movement," He Lingchuan replied, pouring him a cup of wine. "Everyone in this residence is sensible. The moment I showed them the deed, they let me move right in." After coming down from Wind Demon Mountain, when Fu Shanyue sought a truce with him, he had given him the deed to this residence.

Fu Shanyue took the wine cup, took a sip, then reclined in the chair and let out a long sigh.

Only after entering Lingxu City did He Lingchuan truly understand the weight of the phrase "a residence in the main city area." This foremost city in the world had experienced nearly six hundred years of prosperity, and housing prices had long since skyrocketed. The price of one square unit in the main city area could buy an entire small house in the capital of the Yuan Kingdom. An ordinary person could struggle their whole life and still not be qualified to put a single bed here. "The poor have no place to stand" was a true depiction of this place.

Therefore, those who could live in the main city area were not ordinary people. Scattered throughout were small villas and cottages on every visible hill, offering a quiet, spiritual retreat with a view of the bustling human world—a true sense of "great reclusion in the midst of noise." Each residence typically had one or two wealth myths associated with it. As for the floating islands in the sky... well, those had nothing to do with "being rich." Those who lived in the sky simply wanted you to know that there was a world of difference between them and you. They were the clouds; you were the mud. If you only had a bit of money, you were only fit to squat on the ground, gaping up at the sky.

Nevertheless, He Lingchuan was still very happy to have a place to settle in Lingxu City. The commercial and residential areas here were largely separate. The closer one got to the center, the larger the residences and the more tranquil the environment. So, He Lingchuan quickly found his new home on the edge of the main city. Fu Shanyue, for once, had not exaggerated. This residence was indeed a small house covering five *mu*, which is over 3,300 square meters. The garden alone occupied more than half of the area, leaving not much space for the actual buildings. Large houses with small courtyards were typical of commoners' dwellings and would be ridiculed here. Gardens in the main city's grand residences typically started from seventeen or eighteen *mu*. The house area was usually within twenty percent of the total land area. Two or three estates could easily divide a small hill between them.

Of course, for now, to outsiders, this still appeared to be the Red Yan Crown Prince's domain.

This residence had a history of over a hundred years, having been renovated four times. It was exquisite but not ostentatious. Although small in area, it featured complete pavilions, gardens, and springs, and its furnishings were tasteful, perfectly meeting He Lingchuan's requirements. Fu Shanyue told him that because the Fu Shan family didn't use this residence often, they hadn't put much thought into its renovation. Other grand residences in the main city were meticulously crafted, from every brick and tile of their construction to every tree and plant in their gardens, and even down to every daily meal. The regulations and standards that had formed over six hundred years were what defined their "style" or "class." Outsiders couldn't even imagine or imitate them.

"There's a raised platform in the side yard, perfect for delicious barbecue," Fu Shanyue instructed him. "Tell the cook to buy two large geese, specifically the yellow-nosed geese from Xitan. We'll roast them and have them with wine tonight."

"We?" He Lingchuan glanced at him. "The dignified Crown Prince of Red Yan has no place to stay in Lingxu City and insists on living here with me?"

"I *could* live there," Fu Shanyue said, gesturing casually towards the floating islands in the sky, demonstrating that he still possessed power and status. "But the upper city strictly controls entry and exit; it's not as convenient as the ground. Besides, residences in the lower city are cheaper and larger, so many officials acquire homes there." Seeing He Lingchuan unmoved, he added, almost offhandedly, "Besides, it's safer for you to stay with me." Both understood each other perfectly. He Lingchuan immediately conceded: "You pay for the food and drinks."

Fu Shanyue's value as a shield was not as great as before, but it was better than nothing. If He Lingchuan had to face the significant challenges of Lingxu City by himself, he would undoubtedly turn around and flee without a second thought.

There were only six or seven empty rooms, far too few. The seventy or eighty guards Fu Shanyue brought couldn't possibly stay there and had to make do at the inn. He himself, along with Jiao Yu and two personal attendants, moved into He Lingchuan's residence.

"The events of last night greatly shocked both the Emperor and the Royal Court," Fu Shanyue said leisurely. "Before the court assembly, the Emperor specifically summoned me to inquire about the attack last night and offered kind words of reassurance, stating that the matter would be investigated thoroughly."

"The Emperor's tone was much better than in the past few days." An attack at the inn! With such an incredible incident occurring, even the Emperor had to express condolences to the injured Red Yan Crown Prince. "On my way back, numerous officials and nobles rushed to offer their sympathies."

"You are the victim, after all," He Lingchuan said, rubbing his temples. "As soon as it was dawn, many people came to the inn with gifts, so I simply hid myself away here."

Fu Shanyue then took out a small box for him. "You rendered meritorious service in investigating the case in Baisha Que, and last night you narrowly escaped death. The Emperor specifically ordered National Master Shuangye to give you a Jade Return Pill, saying that it instantly heals minor injuries and significantly improves serious ones after consumption."

"National Master Shuangye?" He Lingchuan was surprised, taking the box.