Chapter 596: The Crown Prince Arrives

**Chapter 592: The Crown Prince Arrives!**

Everyone knew that when someone said, "I have a friend," they usually meant themselves.

"I really do have a friend. But she couldn't handle it herself, so she came to me for help," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "You see, I had no choice but to ask for your assistance."

"You're new to Lingxu City yourself, so why would anyone ask you to handle matters here?"

"That's true. So, can the State Preceptor help or not?"

Xi Yunhe thought for a moment. "If Nian Zanli goes to attack Yuan Country himself, Lingxu City won't interfere. But if he uses Beijia's elite soldiers for the campaign, that would be equivalent to Beijia itself deploying troops, and the Emperor would certainly reprimand him."

Attacking another country without authorization was a serious crime in Beijia; even a vassal demon state couldn't act on its own initiative.

That's why when Fu Shanyue heard Nian Zanli's request, he had no intention of approaching the Xuluo Kingdom for a solution. He Lingchuan nodded. "There's absolutely no way? I heard that when Nian Zanli attacked Yuan this summer, State Preceptor Shuangye also allocated a lot of primal energy to him."

Otherwise, it would have been difficult for Nian Zanli's army to utilize the Green Willow Bottle.

"Allocating a bit of primal energy is, after all, different from mobilizing an army." Xi Yunhe, having worked under two State Preceptors, had a deeper understanding of primal energy allocation than most. "Actually, you have two demands: securing an army for Nian Zanli, and gaining the Emperor's consent to deploy troops against Yuan!"

The former isn't easy, and the difficulty of the latter is several times greater on top of that!

So Xi Yunhe stated straightforwardly, "A small clue isn't worth the State Preceptor going to such lengths. Ask for a different condition."

"Hey, what's the rush? Nian Zanli is eager to return and seek revenge. All he needs is to borrow troops; they don't necessarily have to be from Beijia. Besides, even if he borrows troops, whether they'll obey him then is another matter entirely." He Lingchuan spread his hands. "I heard that State Preceptor Shuangye has extensive connections and maintains quite friendly relations with foreign envoys."

After receiving Li Qingge's request, he repeatedly considered the possibility of obtaining the bamboo tube from Nian Zanli.

Taking it by force wouldn't be good.

Even if he didn't end up with a fake, it could easily lead to a lose-lose situation. If Li Qingge were to perish then, wouldn't he have done more harm than good?

He still needed Nian Zanli to willingly hand over the tube.

Simply put, it needed to be a willing exchange, a secure handover.

Nian Zanli was in a hurry to borrow troops, so He Lingchuan had to address his most pressing need. This was likely the only way to sway Nian Zanli at present.

Xi Yunhe looked at him with a strange expression. "Foreign troops would also work?"

"Can't foreign troops fight battles?"

Xi Yunhe seemed to smile. "Let me go back and report to the State Preceptor; let the old man make up his mind."

"There's one more condition," He Lingchuan said quickly. "I find your puppet messaging ability quite useful; I'd like to learn it too."

"...Alright, it's a minor skill." Xi Yunhe agreed readily.

He Lingchuan cheerfully said, "I have no more questions!"

"I'll give you a reply tomorrow," Xi Yunhe said, stepping back two paces.

The blank expression faded from the servant's face. He blinked, looking utterly bewildered.

He looked at He Lingchuan, then at himself, unsure of what had just happened.

Xi Yunhe was gone.

He Lingchuan sighed, then casually pointed to the items on the table and instructed the servant, "I don't want these anymore, you can take them away."

"Yes, sir."

The servant took the tray, bowed, and left.

He Lingchuan had only said "take them away," not "throw them out." The food would be divided among the servants and wouldn't go to waste.

At this moment, the Soul-Capturing Mirror couldn't hold back:

"Hey, I heard you talking with the Master of Songyang Mansion. You're from Yuan Country, aren't you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Didn't Yuan Country just fight a major war with this Nian Zanli, and come out greatly weakened?"

"That's right." He Lingchuan returned to his room, casually set up a barrier, and then whispered, "I was also there for that battle; I was swept into the Demon's Lair by the Han River."

"..." The mirror fell into a moment of despondent sadness. If He Lingchuan hadn't appeared, it would still be a happy, unattached mirror, letting its mirror-slave carry it wherever it pleased, consuming people as it wished. But things weren't so bad now; it had found a long-term provider, and could even slack off and still get what it wanted...

Wait, it got sidetracked!

"You're from Yuan Country, and you're going to help Nian Zanli borrow troops to fight Yuan Country?" the mirror exclaimed. "Look, even Li Qingge doesn't want Nian Zanli to retaliate."

"That's just her excuse; it's not necessarily true," He Lingchuan said, patting his chest mirror. "Tens of thousands of elite soldiers can't just be tucked into a pocket and carried around. No matter where they're mobilized from, don't you need a token and a credential?"

"Are you saying...?"

"First, I'll get my hands on the bamboo tube Li Qingge mentioned, and then I'll make sure Nian Zanli can't take the troops with him."

"You've thought it all through?" the mirror asked, surprised. "You already have enough on your plate; do you still have the mental capacity for this?"

If it were the mirror, having to deal with so many critical issues simultaneously, it would surely explode on the spot.

How did this kid even sleep at night?

"No matter how many things there are, don't they still have to be handled one by one?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "It's a rare chance that State Preceptor Shuangye asked for my help; it would be a shame not to use his power."

He was all alone, just a small figure in Lingxu City. If he didn't skillfully leverage opportunities, he probably wouldn't be able to accomplish anything.

He Lingchuan stretched, deciding to go practice his spear in the back garden, which was open and suitable for movement and jumping. The servant had even set up a scarecrow for him yesterday, specifically for spear practice.

However, as he passed the side garden, he saw a brightly feathered bird, singing and dancing atop an archway.

When the bird stood still, its back and wings appeared grayish-brown, with only its head being indigo-blue and a vivid yellow stripe above its eyes, like eyebrows.

But when it spread its wings, it transformed into a different bird—

The undersides of its wings were an intensely vibrant crimson! And its tail feathers were very long, gently fanning out like soft streamers, exuding an ethereal aura.

With such a creature present, the desolate autumn garden gained several degrees of warmth.

Of course, this creature was a male bird, and the object of its grand display of affection was a plain, off-white female bird on the rockery.

He Lingchuan also watched intently. "What kind of bird is that?"

He had never seen one in Yuan Country.

The gardener, carrying water, smiled and said, "That's a Joyful Bird. They're especially beautiful when they dance. There are over ten varieties, each with different patterns and colors. They pass through Lingxu City every year before winter. I've heard that the nobles on the Floating Islands use Joyful Bird feathers to make round fans or jewelry."

The price, of course, is very high.

"Oh." He Lingchuan didn't harbor any ill intentions toward the singing and dancing bird.

After the gardener left, the small squirrel on the tree hopped onto He Lingchuan's shoulder.

It was very timid. Although He Lingchuan had already introduced this small demon to the servants of Panshan Residence, the squirrel never approached other humans.

He Lingchuan pulled out a handful of pine nuts for it. "These were roasted just yesterday."

He was kind to the animals and demons around him, often offering them snacks, which greatly increased the little squirrel's favorable impression of him.

It took the pine nuts, clutched them with its front paws, quickly cracked open two, and then whispered, "Big eagles often follow the White Huan birds. I don't like them."

White... Huan? He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat.

That character was in the Wood Spirit Venerable's prophecy.

"What White Huan?"

"It's this Joyful Bird," the squirrel replied. "They were originally called White Huan, but their name was changed due to a taboo. Because nobles liked them, Joyful Birds were hunted extensively, and they've become rare in recent years."

He Lingchuan stopped dead in his tracks.

"Encounter Huan, leave the residence."

"Huan" refers to the White Huan bird, which is also the Joyful Bird?

Had the Wood Spirit Venerable's prophecy come true so soon?

Now that he had encountered a White Huan bird, what was the next step? To leave?

The Wood Spirit Venerable had specifically left him a note—no, a prophecy—over a thousand years ago. Surely, it wasn't just to amuse him?

Facing a result from such a master of divination, it was best to err on the side of caution and believe it.

Anyway, going out wouldn't take much effort. If he guessed wrong, he could just re-evaluate later.

He casually grabbed a servant and asked, "Where has His Highness gone?"

"He left for Heavenly Beam Island early this morning," came the reply.

He Lingchuan shrugged, changed his clothes, and headed out.

But before he reached the main gate, he heard continuous clanging sounds from ahead.

"What's that noise?"

"They're repairing the main gate. His Highness said it was time to fix up the entrance."

He Lingchuan gave a slight chuckle. Fu Shanyue was quite sensible; his stay here hadn't been in vain.

He thought for a moment and simply slipped out through the back door.

Throughout the day, he, as usual, wandered around outside, eating and enjoying himself until the sun began to set in the west.

Old Dan was out handling affairs, but before he left yesterday, he had already clearly told He Lingchuan where to have fun in Lingxu City, where to find good and affordable food, which illusion arrays were new, which opera house performers were excellent...

That afternoon, Panshan Residence received an uninvited guest.

Four snow-white bo beasts pulled a large zitan wood carriage, stopping at the entrance of Panshan Residence.

Bo beasts were common demon beasts, but their colors were mostly green, greenish-purple, and white-red. Pure white ones were rare.

Behind the carriage followed over twenty riders, two of whom were robust giant apes. The rest were guards clad in golden-red armor, wielding halberds and exuding a menacing aura.

The old doorman of Panshan Residence heard the commotion, came out, bowed, and asked:

"Excuse me, which esteemed personage has arrived?"

"Don't you have eyes!" A knight rode forward. "The Crown Prince has arrived! Open the main gate at once!"

Like other large residences in Lingxu City, Panshan Residence had three gates: a large one in the middle and two smaller ones on the sides. The main gate was only opened for important personages.

The doorman let out a surprised "Ah!" "Which... which Crown Prince?"

It wasn't his fault; all crown princes of vassal demon states were addressed as "His Highness."

The knight lashed out with his whip, striking the doorman and making him spin in place. The old man's mouth bled, and he nearly fell onto his backside.

The knight had still held back; otherwise, a single whip-lash could have killed him.

"This is His Royal Highness, the current Crown Prince of Beijia!"

The air seemed to freeze. Pedestrians nearby stopped and looked towards the scene.

Soon, the main gate of Panshan Residence swung open, and the four-boast carriage slowly drove in. The knights also followed on horseback, under the gaze of countless eyes.

The large carriage drove straight in, bypassing many twists and turns, crushing quite a bit of grass, and finally came to a halt just before the main hall.

Two giant apes dismounted, opened the carriage door, and respectfully carried out a cushioned litter from inside.