Chapter 616: Discussion

Chapter 611: Discussion

He Lingchuan liked to change locations. This time, they didn't meet at Sister Chen's Fish Soup Restaurant but at Yangbang Tavern, two li away.

Behind the tavern flowed a small river, where the autumn wind rustled through the reeds, making the shallow water ripple as if stretching across a vast landscape. The tavern was named after this river, and its signature dishes were reed fish and shrimp, smoked duck, and braised meat.

The tavern was small, with only enough space for five or six tables. Yet, when Dong Rui walked in, he was surprised not to see He Lingchuan. His heart sank. A trap?

Just as he was about to leave, the squirrel chirped, "Go on in, go on in! What are you so afraid of?"

Scorned by a squirrel! Dong Rui chuckled to himself and took a couple more steps forward. Sure enough, he saw a side passage along the wall. The tavern's dim lighting had simply prevented him from noticing it at first glance. Going further in, he found a small private room. It was actually just a small nook partitioned off with boards next to the kitchen, its charm being its intimacy, as it could only fit one table.

He Lingchuan was at the table and raised a hand to him. "Come quickly, I've already ordered!"

Dong Rui sat down and, noticing He Lingchuan's damp hair, couldn't help but frown. "Did you jump into the river out back?"

"What are you talking about?" He Lingchuan casually set up a barrier, then enthusiastically poured him wine. "I was messing around in the lake for a bit. The fog on the mountain was too heavy today; after rowing for a while, the back of my hair got wet."

"..." *How nice if he'd just sunk,* Dong Rui thought to himself.

Then, he realized he'd said it aloud.

"No chance!" He Lingchuan clapped him on the shoulder. *Thwack!* "You know how good I am at swimming; we both fell into the water back then." The force was so great that Dong Rui's shoulder tilted.

The little squirrel took the opportunity to jump onto He Lingchuan's shoulder and chirped disdainfully, "This guy's so clumsy! Can't even walk properly."

"Your directions were terrible! I'd already passed the alley when you finally told me to turn right!" The dishes were all on the table, and Dong Rui, whose back was to the aisle, conveniently took off his veiled hat.

The moment his face appeared, the little squirrel squeaked in fright and burrowed straight into He Lingchuan's collar.

A vein pulsed in Dong Rui's temple. "Where did you pick up this little creature? How about I refine it into a demon puppet?"

"You want to refine my messenger?" He Lingchuan raised his chopsticks. "Stop messing around, eat."

Fish from the river had a strong muddy taste, so it had to be pan-fried first, then red-braised, using strong flavors to mask the fishiness. Yangbang Tavern took it a step further: a large, plump crucian carp was first grilled over charcoal, then braised in vinegar. When served, it was a glistening, reddish-orange, looking incredibly appetizing.

He Lingchuan took a bite of the fish and nodded. No wonder it was a local favorite; they certainly had some skill.

"Did you get out without any trouble today?"

"What trouble could there be?" Dong Rui scoffed. "I just walked out, and they wouldn't dare say anything."

He Lingchuan chewed on a piece of fried rice crisp. "Then how long did it take you to shake off your tails?"

"...About a quarter of an hour."

"Are you sure no one followed?"

"Of course," Dong Rui said, glancing at him. "I have more experience than you when it comes to shaking off followers." He was always on the run, after all.

"Has Wuchan's injury healed?"

"Almost. It'll be hopping around in a few more days." Dong Rui's chest tightened at the thought of how Wuchan had been injured. "Thankfully, the 'Mud Palace' on its back truly is a rare treasure; it blocked most of the explosion's force. Without that treasure protecting its master, Wuchan would have been torn to shreds and perished."

"So, why did you ask to meet again?"

"To give you an update: Zhu Erniang's remains are indeed in Mount Xu."

"Isn't that obvious?" Dong Rui glared at him. "Didn't I tell you that last time?" He had also searched Mount Xu and hadn't been entirely unsuccessful.

"I found the official who supervised the construction of Mount Xu's Spirit Gathering Grand Formation. He said the formation was built according to the Big Dipper constellation, and its core was anchored by the remains of an ancient Spider Immortal."

Dong Rui's eyes narrowed. "So Zhu Erniang's remains were used as the formation's core?"

He Lingchuan picked up a piece of smoked duck and chewed slowly. "The formation relies on the interaction between heaven and man to gather spiritual energy from all directions. Three thousand years ago, during the great cataclysm, the stars shifted. Only the star map on Zhu Erniang's remains continuously changed in sync with the heavens. Using it as the core is the only way to ensure the Spirit Gathering Grand Formation remains operational."

"So if we find the core, we've found the remains?"

"Theoretically, yes," He Lingchuan said slowly. "But the core is usually hidden."

"What?" Dong Rui exclaimed. "That's a bit underhanded, isn't it?"

"The Spirit Gathering Formation benefits the entire Lingxu City, significantly increasing the efficiency with which all cultivators absorb spiritual energy. It's one of the most important grand formations in the city, which is why its core isn't fixed; it shifts according to the position of the Tianluo Star."

"Are you saying that the core of the Mount Xu formation changes according to how the Tianluo Star shifts in the sky?" Dong Rui was dumbfounded. "Isn't that impossible? The Tianluo Star is a dark star; it doesn't shine normally. How can we observe it?"

"The core operates exactly on that principle," He Lingchuan said, taking a gulp of wine. "But don't panic. The Tianluo Star starts shining from autumn/winter and only disappears around February or March of the following year. I estimate it's about to become continuously bright." At this point, he seemed a little lost in thought. Wouldn't the period of the Tianluo Star's sustained brightness overlap with a climate pattern he was familiar with?

"So, during this period, the core will become visible, which also makes it convenient for maintenance."

"Maintenance?"

"Houses require regular upkeep, so shouldn't such a vital formation be inspected regularly?" He Lingchuan said. "There's an inspection every autumn and another in spring, then you have to wait until the following autumn."

Dong Rui's eyes lit up. "When does the next maintenance check begin? Can we sneak in?"

"By rule, the autumn inspection happens within the first seven days of the Tianluo Star becoming visible. We won't be able to get an exact schedule." He Lingchuan shook his head. "Even if we did, it wouldn't be easy to sneak in. Lingxu City is extremely cautious about anything involving formations; inspectors are assigned by higher authorities, and any change requires multi-layered reporting."

"Also, there's indeed a great demon in Mount Xu: a natural-born rock-fire monster, who also serves as the mountain spirit of Mount Xu."

"Right?" Dong Rui was clearly impressed by it too. "I saw it at Tianshu Peak. It's a natural-born elemental monster that can't be made into a demon puppet. What a pity."

"It's a monster formed in the late ancient era, highly intelligent. It used to be the guardian spirit beast of the Dahuazong sect but later defected to the enemy."

Dong Rui nodded. "Its intelligence is indeed very high." A less intelligent creature wouldn't be capable of such a complex thought as "betrayal."

He Lingchuan picked up some fried river fish. "For several centuries after it defected to the Northern Demon Nation, it lived very well, and Lingxu City indeed supplied it abundantly. But this creature's appetite is enormous. In the past century, Lingxu City's mystic crystal mine output has continuously declined, and the cost of supporting this rock-fire monster has steadily risen. I think Lingxu City might be getting tired of it, especially since this grand formation also has a suppressive effect on it."

"What's ironic is that the rock-fire monster exerted great effort in building the Spirit Gathering Grand Formation, moving mountains and shifting peaks, only to find itself suppressed by it, unable to throw tantrums as it once did. That's why Lingxu City's provisions for it visibly decreased," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Of course, it only realized its loss after the grand formation was complete."

Given the rock-fire monster's history of betrayal, Lingxu City naturally remained wary of it. The best way to prevent a ferocious beast from biting people isn't to constantly appease it with food, but to tie it up or trick it into a cage and secure it properly.

"Oh, by the way, do you remember the great earthquake that struck Lingxu City over a decade ago?"

"Mm-hmm."

"According to that official, the Spirit Gathering Grand Formation was mostly complete at the time, with only one final step remaining: moving the core to Mount Xu and then activating it."

"Moved?" Dong Rui was greatly surprised. "The core was moved there last? Wasn't it built directly on Mount Xu?"

"They didn't dare," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "The construction process couldn't be kept secret, and the mountain spirit would hear everyone's discussions. If it had discovered the truth, the project would never have been completed."

"But an accident still happened, right? Otherwise, why would there have been a volcanic eruption and an earthquake that day?"

"Mm-hmm," He Lingchuan said, spitting out a fish bone. "The Heavenly Deity didn't want the grand formation's efforts to be wasted, so he had to intervene personally to suppress it. At that time, the former Demon Emperor was already old and frail, so it was the current Emperor who personally assisted the Heavenly Deity, and only then did they forcibly suppress the rock-fire monster. Immediately after, the core was completed, the grand formation became active, and the fire monster was finally brought under control."

Honestly, when he learned this convoluted secret history from Zai Fu Kua's dream last night, he suspected that the current Demon Emperor's ascension to power was likely connected to his successful handling of this crisis and the commendation he received from the Heavenly Deity. The Mount Xu eruption and the new Emperor's ascension happened one after another, not far apart.

Dong Rui chuckled. "So, it seems the legends of Lingxu City weren't wrong after all. That great earthquake was indeed caused by the monster in Mount Xu."

"'There's no smoke without fire.' Many rumors, it seems, turn out to be true despite being debunked."

"Regardless of whether this mountain spirit is willing or not, it's clearly the grand formation's most powerful guardian," He Lingchuan whispered. "We need to bypass it to find the core. Is there any way to delay its actions?"

The rock-fire monster, when enraged, could force a Heavenly Deity to descend, so He Lingchuan had never even considered confronting it himself.

Dong Rui shook his head. "It represents the rage of Mount Xu. Do you think conventional methods would be effective if such a monster were to get angry?"

"Then you come up with a solution."

"Doesn't it have high intelligence and cleverness?" Dong Rui shrugged. "Why don't you, Young Master He, use your silver tongue to persuade it?"

"What conditions should I offer it?" He Lingchuan stroked his chin, having also considered this. "Help it lift the grand formation's suppression?"

"Exactly," Dong Rui said, as if it were obvious.

(End of Chapter)