Chapter 581: The Gift of the Annual Praise Ceremony

**Chapter 577: A Gift from Nian Zanli**

He Lingchuan smelled a sweet scent, unsure if it was pear or grape. The drink in the cup seemed to be fruit juice, but its color was odd, with murky suspended particles. It reminded him of the stream they had passed, which had a greasy sheen on its surface.

"No, thank you." He didn't dare touch the liquid of unknown origin. "How should I contact you later? I don't want to keep running back here."

"That's easy," Old Ge said, stepping outside and letting out two loud hoots towards a nearby tree. When he returned, there was a dark, furry creature on his shoulder.

He Lingchuan initially thought it was a black rat, but on closer inspection, it turned out to be a large squirrel with a bushy tail and long hair behind its ears.

"Take it to a tree near your residence; if you need anything, call it down," Old Ge said with a smile. "From now on, it will be our messenger."

He Lingchuan nodded, and the squirrel leaped onto his shoulder.

"By the way, what do you know about Fang Canran, the steward of Dunyuan Estate?"

"Steward Fang?" Old Ge replied without hesitation. "He's General Jinjiao's most trusted and capable chief steward, virtually managing all of the Jinjiao family's properties single-handedly. He's also a very prominent figure out there. Why do you ask about him?"

"He resembles a friend of mine," He Lingchuan said. "Do you know anything about Steward Fang's origins? I'm curious if there's any connection."

"His origins?" Old Ge hissed. "It seems he's from Lingxu City, at least he arrived earlier than I did. In that case, I'll go make some inquiries. However, anyone employed by the Jinjiao family should have a clean background."

He Lingchuan found it both amusing and exasperating. "When did I say he wasn't clean?"

Old Ge extended a hand without ceremony.

He Lingchuan gave him another silver ingot.

He weighed it in his hand. "I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Also, I'd like to visit Xu Mountain. Are you still organizing tours there?"

"Yes, of course," Old Ge replied. Money was money, regardless of its source, and regular business had to be done. "There's a group going to Xu Mountain in two days."

"Count me in." He Lingchuan placed a silver ingot as a deposit, then stood up and left.

Once He Lingchuan's figure disappeared from sight, Old Ge pocketed the silver, picked up the wooden cup from the table, and drained it in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Delicious! Humans really don't know what's good."

A large macaque bounded in from behind the door.

"Brother Ge," it chattered, "I happen to know those two he mentioned. They live in Baijia Village upstream of the Li River to the east, their surname is Chen, and they are indeed a pair of brothers who make a living by fishing. Last year, they caught a King Grass Carp in the Li River and sold it for a good price, but the money was all gambled away before it even got warm." It scratched its face. "They both have ichthyosis and scratch themselves fiercely, even more than I do!"

"Then what are you standing around for?" Old Ge swung his arm and slapped the macaque out the window. "Go find out where those brothers are now and make sure the guest can find them in two days!"

The next morning, He Lingchuan woke up in his sprawling five-mu estate.

The first thing he saw upon sitting up was the gradually reddening maple leaves in the garden outside his window, and long-tailed pheasants picking fruit under the trees.

It was his first time owning such a large mansion by himself, and surprisingly, it was in Beijia. Oh, no, that's not right. He also had an unwelcome guest who stubbornly insisted on staying there.

As soon as he got up, a servant came with warm water, ready to help him wash his face.

"No need," he said, snatching the towel.

He Lingchuan never allowed anyone to get so close, especially not in a way that blocked his vision.

His injuries were not severe; he didn't need to take the Jade Reversion Pill and could now run, jump, and fight. However, He Lingchuan was not in a hurry to go out. Instead, he asked the gyrfalcon to run another errand for him.

This time, the gyrfalcon requested half a Xitan sheep. He Lingchuan had been quick to fulfill its request last time, but it had grown tired of eating rabbit meat. For the past few nights, the two men and one tiger had been roasting lamb around the bonfire, making the gyrfalcon extremely envious.

"No problem."

But before the awaited guest arrived, He Lingchuan unexpectedly received a gift: an armored vest sent by Nian Zanli.

It was an inner vest, designed to be worn close to the body, woven from four layers of silk gauze, yet it weighed no more than an ordinary silk garment. The craftsmanship alone was highly valuable, and for He Lingchuan, whose Swallow Return technique benefited from minimal self-weight, this was ideal. Moreover, the soft armor was strikingly woven from black gold threads and subterranean spider silk!

He Lingchuan was extremely familiar with subterranean spider silk; a single touch told him the quality of the material. He casually conjured fire and burned the vest for over ten breaths. The inner armor showed no discoloration and felt warm and soft to the touch, not hot. It possessed the ability to repel blades, spears, water, and fire.

He Lingchuan had originally commissioned Songyang Manor to make him a soft armor using Madam Zhu Er's spider silk. However, weaving the armor took a long time, and Songyang Manor had limited personnel there, so the soft armor had yet to be produced. He hadn't expected Nian Zanli to send him one first.

He Lingchuan recalled casually mentioning his desire for an inner armor while chatting with Fu Shanyue at the Dunyuan Estate auction, unaware that Nian Zanli had overheard him. What surprised him even more was that this gift was made from subterranean spider silk, specifically Madam Zhu Er's cloud brocade! This meant the inner armor most likely came from Songyang Manor. Did Nian Zanli purchase the inner armor from Songyang Manor and then send it to his Pan Mountain residence? Considering Li Qingge's request made to him through her people at Dunyuan Estate, what was the connection between her and Nian Zanli...?

Fu Shanyue was not present today, but the guards said that Nian Zanli had also sent a condolence gift to the Crown Prince.

There had been no prior interaction between the Chiyan Kingdom and the Prefect of Xunzhou. It was likely that after the Dunyuan Estate auction, the full story of the elixir of immortality case finally reached Nian Zanli's ears. Upon hearing about the inn explosion and the attack on the Chiyan Crown Prince's entourage, he prepared gifts as a gesture of condolence. In Lingxu City, where powerful and wealthy families were abundant, one couldn't wait until a favor was needed to build connections; cultivating a wide network was essential in daily life. With a 600-year-old imperial capital and a 600-year-old officialdom, the rules and scale of social etiquette and exchanges had reached their pinnacle. Nian Zanli wanted to establish a firm foothold in Lingxu City, and for that, he needed many friends and influential figures. A friendship with a Crown Prince from a vassal demon kingdom was certainly worth cultivating. Compared to Fu Shanyue, He Lingchuan received far fewer gifts because he was relatively unknown—even though he was the true "victim" of the explosion.

In the evening, a distinguished guest arrived. As Li Qingge, dressed in luxurious attire, walked through the maple grove and entered the back garden, dinner was being set in the Luyu Hall.

"Your residence is truly splendid," she said to He Lingchuan, clicking her tongue. "It's elegant everywhere, finding tranquility amidst the bustle."

"Does 'tranquility amidst the bustle' mean you find it small?" He Lingchuan asked. No one would describe Dunyuan Estate that way, at least.

Li Qingge chuckled. "Don't misinterpret my words. Hmm? You seem a little displeased?" This woman was truly perceptive.

He Lingchuan pulled out a chair for her. "Please, take a seat of honor."

As Li Qingge leaned forward to sit, He Lingchuan could see the fiery coral beads on her dark coiled bun without needing to lower his head, and he caught the faint scent of Yunhu incense from her neck.

Today, she had applied a striking red lipstick, even more intense and vibrant than the deep autumn maple leaves outside. Yet, she sat upright and composed.

"How are your injuries?"

He Lingchuan casually poured her a drink. "Minor injuries, nothing life-threatening."

He knew exactly how powerful the explosion was. His injuries were all on his back, and at the time, he had used his Inner Force and the mirror for protection, so he only suffered superficial wounds, with his internal organs largely unharmed. Injuries were necessary, otherwise it wouldn't seem real.

Li Qingge looked at the wine cup. "Can you still drink then?"

"The doctor gave instructions," He Lingchuan said, picking up another goblet. "So I'm drinking tea."

"You truly are a lucky general. Have the culprits been caught?"

He Lingchuan shook his head. "The tables and chairs in my guest room were also poisoned. The officials searching the scene touched them a few times and immediately collapsed from the poison, nearly dying."

Li Qingge's delicate brows furrowed. "They poisoned everything, and then they still tried to blow you up? Why go through all that trouble twice?"

"Either they were afraid I wouldn't die completely, or—"

Li Qingge already understood. "Or it was the work of two separate groups?"

"The authorities suspect as much," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "They're currently investigating, still finding some clues based on the poison."

"The authorities are under immense pressure; the higher-ups have probably set a deadline for solving the case," Li Qingge said, picking up a piece of braised venison with her chopsticks. "You're secluded in your small dwelling, unaware of the uproar outside. This explosion was like adding fuel to a fire; suddenly, you and Fu Shanyue became incredibly famous in Lingxu City, unmatched by anyone."

He Lingchuan smiled without speaking.

With such intense public exposure, this was now his safest time. Anyone contemplating trouble for him would have to think thrice.

Before he could ask, Li Qingge said, "Oh, by the way, my people were dispatched long ago. They should have passed Bailing Valley by now and will reach their destination in a few more days."

She didn't explicitly state it, but He Lingchuan understood the implication: Her dispatched personnel would reach the Wange Swamp in a few days and activate the Dragon Punishing Pillar. This was the news He Lingchuan had been eagerly awaiting. He hoped everything would go smoothly without any further complications.

"Thank you, Lord," he said, "You've truly helped me a great deal." He placed the inner armor sent by Nian Zanli on the table. "By the way, the gift Nian Zanli sent me, it came from Songyang Manor, didn't it?"

Li Qingge merely glanced at it and nodded. "It was only made the night before last. Young Master is truly impressive; with just one meeting, you managed to get Nian Zanli to proactively send you a gift to curry favor."

Facing her, He Lingchuan always chose his words carefully. "How much did you sell this inner armor to him for?"

Li Qingge slowly put down her chopsticks, took a sip of wine, and then said: "I didn't charge a single fen. He asked me for it directly, so I gave it to him."

He Lingchuan waited for her explanation. This woman had come to the appointment, so she must have already prepared what she wanted to say.

Li Qingge looked at him, then bit her lip. "An important item belonging to Songyang Manor has fallen into his hands, and I want to ask for your help in getting it back!"

Such a sudden, direct approach, without any circumlocution? He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "What item?"

"That item was originally in Sun Fuping's possession. He used it to blackmail Songyang Manor for many years, demanding money and goods to satisfy his greed," Li Qingge said gravely. "I thought after Sun Fuping's death, Songyang Manor would finally be free, but I never expected it to fall into Nian Zanli's hands again!" "As soon as he got it, he made exorbitant demands. I truly didn't want to give in, but..." She sighed softly at this point.

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. "Is it that variegated bamboo tube?"

(End of Chapter)