Chapter 598: Pointed Awakening

"Is Yao Xingning behind this?" He Lingchuan also understood his dilemma. "If I'm not mistaken, isn't this young prince quite young?"

"Yes, only thirteen. He's like a human infant, he only learned to speak our language last year."

So young and already causing trouble? Oh, right, the Demon Emperor's child isn't human to begin with.

Fu Shanyue continued, "He's quick-tempered and kills at the slightest provocation. The first tutor the Demon Emperor found for him was human, very learned but unfamiliar with magical abilities or martial arts. The prince got annoyed by his incessant nagging and simply ate him. The Emperor's scolding was useless, so he had no choice but to find a powerful demon for the next tutor. That's how we avoided another incident of a tutor being eaten."

It's hard to reason with an infant, and the prince is at that stage.

"If Yao Xingning stirs things up again..."

He Lingchuan frowned. "What good would it do her to incite Prince Beijia to cause trouble at Panshan Residence?"

"Just to vent her anger," Fu Shanyue couldn't help but sneer. "Cen Boqing's conviction is already set in stone; it can't be changed."

"This is also causing trouble for the Emperor," He Lingchuan mused. "At this critical juncture, it's better to avoid additional complications. Isn't she afraid the Emperor will hold an even greater grudge against her and the Grand Minister of Agriculture's family?"

If the Emperor dislikes someone, that person is bound to suffer greatly. If the Emperor dislikes a whole family, that family is sure to meet a bad end.

"She comes from a prestigious family; how could she not consider her family's interests?" As a daughter of an aristocratic family, even if she were furious or sad, wouldn't she have some sense of the bigger picture? "In the Basha Jue County dungeon, I saw Yao Xingning speak eloquently and act decisively; she didn't seem like a woman who loses all control when angered."

Fu Shanyue gently swirled the wine in his cup. "Are you suggesting someone else is trying to undermine me?"

"It's not impossible, is it? Aren't you and I surrounded by enemies here in Lingxu City?" He Lingchuan sighed. "A few days ago, when I stayed at the inn, it was bombed; now I've moved into Panshan Residence, and a bringer of disaster has entered."

This bringer of disaster was someone even Fu Shanyue couldn't touch, leaving him to hide here and drink in silence.

"It seems they have no intention of stopping." Previously, he had thought too simply, believing that by becoming the center of attention, these factions would temporarily refrain from acting against him, giving him some space and time to maneuver. But the actions of Prince Beijia also enlightened him: there are always some entities in Lingxu City that are not bound by rules or laws!

"My perspective was too narrow, wasn't it?" He hadn't truly grasped the meaning of "privilege" deeply enough; he needed to reflect on that. His adversaries certainly didn't dare to act directly, but they could use others as their instruments.

Whether Fu Shanyue would be cornered by Prince Beijia at Panshan Residence or not, he would suffer greatly. Just thinking about how to resolve this conflict gave Fu Shanyue a headache. As for He Lingchuan, Prince Beijia might order him killed on the spot. Tonight's events were truly a harsh wake-up call for He Lingchuan.

The two continued to eat and drink.

He Lingchuan quickly calmed down. He had already prepared himself for the turmoil he would face in Lingxu City. The challenges ahead would likely become increasingly difficult; he needed to deal with them carefully. Fu Shanyue's anger also subsided. He simply changed the subject and began discussing recent interesting events in Lingxu City with He Lingchuan. They burst into laughter at the funny parts.

No matter how furious he was, it wouldn't help the overall situation, so why torment himself? Not to mention the prince of a vassal demon state, sometimes even a demon king must deeply understand these two words: "Accept your fate!"

But it wasn't long before the giant eagle flew back to report, "His Royal Highness Prince Beijia has set off to return to Heaven's Heart Island. But before leaving, he ordered his guards to kill more than a dozen servants and then set the residence on fire!"

With a "crack," Fu Shanyue crushed his wine cup.

He Lingchuan also stood up abruptly. "Let's go back."

Before reaching Panshan Residence, He Lingchuan saw flames soaring ahead, painting the night sky red. The fire was raging fiercely. Panshan Residence and Lanshan Residence were ten miles apart, and they had hurried back as quickly as possible. By now, the fire was burning fiercely.

The crowd had blocked the entrance, so He Lingchuan simply patted his rock-goat. The beast ran a couple of steps, took a great leap, flew over the heads of the onlookers, and landed directly in front of the residence gate. Fu Shanyue's guards were blocking the entrance and managing the crowd. Seeing a flying goat descend from the sky, they were first startled, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Lord He!"

Fu Shanyue, even more unceremoniously, walked over by stepping on the heads of several onlookers. After landing, his gaze froze.

He had nearly a hundred guards, all staying at nearby inns. But after Prince Beijia broke into Panshan Residence, the giant eagle had flown in with orders for the guards to remain where they were and not make any moves. Even if the opponent had fewer people, the Chiyan guards would still suffer greatly if they clashed with Prince Beijia. However, as soon as Prince Beijia left, they rushed back to extinguish the fire and retrieved the two bodies from outside the gate, bringing them back into the residence.

Even so, the entrance of Panshan Residence was covered in splattered and dragged bloodstains, scattered haphazardly, a truly shocking sight. No wonder the onlookers couldn't be dispersed, no matter how hard they tried. Such a violent incident occurring in public view was quite rare in the main city district. After all, those who could live here were either wealthy or noble.

He Lingchuan rode his rock-goat through the main gate, galloping at full speed. Prince Beijia's guards had carried out their orders thoroughly, igniting every building, so all the towers, pavilions, galleries, and waterside structures of Panshan Residence were engulfed in flames. When Fu Shanyue arrived, He Lingchuan had just rushed out of a burning house, carrying two people. They were alive and coughing incessantly.

People went in and out, rescuing a total of five servants. All the other servants were dead. He Lingchuan learned upon asking that these few had hidden in various places instead of going to the main hall, which was why they hadn't become victims of the palace guards' blades.

They had already extinguished the fires in two buildings, but the remaining flames were still being blown by the north wind towards the garden. The most stunning part of Panshan Residence was its landscaped garden. Now, dozens of trees were also on fire, crackling loudly. He Lingchuan swung his blade, felling two trees, just barely managing to contain the fire.

Fu Shanyue gave an order, "Everyone, fall back!" The guards swiftly retreated. Then Fu Shanyue patted his chest, and a whirlwind flew out of his necklace, spinning rapidly around the burning buildings. The wind was so strong it was like a hurricane-force wind had erupted on the spot, but its scope was limited to Panshan Residence. It didn't display its characteristic form, but He Lingchuan knew it was the little Wind Demon.

High-intensity cold wind could rapidly lower temperatures while also cutting off air supply around the buildings. In just a few dozen breaths, the fire visibly diminished. A moment later, the visible flames disappeared. Wind could fuel fire, but it could also extinguish it. This was an example of one thing overcoming another. The Wind Demon completed its task perfectly and flew back to Fu Shanyue.

The great fire had been extinguished, leaving Panshan Residence scorched black and riddled with devastation. The garden, meticulously cultivated for over a century, was now half-destroyed.

He Lingchuan took a few steps, pushed aside some charred wood, and sat down on a large rock in the garden, slowly clenching his fists. Panshan Residence had been incredibly comfortable to live in, an ideal home he had dreamed of in his previous life. Prince Beijia's single act of arson had burned away his dream from his previous life. All the black smoke and charred remains seemed to mock him silently.

Fu Shanyue also wore a grim expression but still went over and patted his shoulder. "This matter cannot just be forgotten! You stay at an inn tonight; I'm going to the palace overnight to seek justice."

As he finished speaking and turned to leave, He Lingchuan called out to him, "Wait!"

"Hmm?"

"Rushing there now wouldn't be appropriate," He Lingchuan looked up at him, his eyes red, whether from the thick smoke or anger, but his voice was unusually calm. "The incident has already occurred; we need to give all parties some time."

"Give them time?" Fu Shanyue was momentarily stunned.

"The residence of the Chiyan Prince has been destroyed for a second time. This news will spread throughout the upper and lower main city districts by tomorrow noon at the latest, and its impact will be extremely negative," He Lingchuan said slowly. "Why don't you wait and see? If you rush to Heaven's Heart Island right after Prince Beijia leaves, I'm afraid..."

Fu Shanyue was originally an intelligent man, but his anger had temporarily overcome his composure. Prompted by He Lingchuan, he immediately realized, "You're right, this isn't a good opportunity to go to Heaven's Heart Island. It's not too late to let it ferment for another night." As the victim, he reserved the right to pursue accountability.

"Someone must pay for this!" he reassured He Lingchuan. "Panshan Residence is destroyed; I'll find you another good place to stay."

"No hurry," He Lingchuan waved his hand. "Nineteen people died in the residence; they need proper compensation."

"That's right," Fu Shanyue nodded, assigning several groups of guards to hire people to clean up Panshan Residence and handle the deceased's affairs. Then, with a wave of his hand, he told the remaining guards, "Return to the inn. We'll go to Heaven's Heart Island tomorrow!"

Suddenly, a startling bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky, followed by continuous rumbling thunder. The weather was changing. He Lingchuan looked up at the sky, thinking that the first prophecy from Venerable Wood Spirit had probably come true. If he hadn't gone out that morning, he would most likely have been cornered by Prince Beijia at Panshan Residence. No, that's not right. More likely, someone assumed he was in the residence and then found Prince Beijia to deal with him. Against an unreasonable and powerful individual, his limited means were useless. As long as he had a direct encounter with Prince Beijia, no matter the outcome, it would be a disaster for him. A single sentence from Venerable Wood Spirit had allowed him to easily avoid a major crisis. It seemed that the prophecy specifically left for him by this ancient figure was indeed worth taking seriously.

Thunder rolled continuously, and in the latter half of the night, heavy rain suddenly poured down.

Heaven's Heart Island.

More than ten palace guards stood guard in the rain at Jinghong Ferry, continuously monitoring those coming and going for the past three hours. Water streamed from everyone's bodies; their oil cloaks simply couldn't withstand such heavy rain, leaving them soaked to the bone. The palace guard commander came over for the third time to ask, "Still not here? His Highness is anxious."

His subordinates shook their heads. "He wouldn't have slipped past, would he?"

One guard said, "I've seen Prince Yue at least five times; I wouldn't mistake him. Besides, he likely wouldn't come alone; he'd bring at least some subordinates." The Chiyan Prince is also a person of stature; how could he enter and leave Jinghong Ferry alone?

"He really hasn't come? It's almost dawn." The commander was anxious from waiting. Prince Beijia had ordered them to intercept Fu Shanyue here, specifically instructing them to beat Fu Shanyue severely upon sight, regardless of how many people he brought. He had burned Fu Shanyue's residence, and while Fu Shanyue wouldn't dare to confront him directly, he would certainly complain to his father, the King, behind his back.