Chapter 624: Not enemies, yet gathered together

Chapter 619: Enemies Always Meet

The various exquisite villas dotting the small mountains, no matter how grand and imposing they appeared from the ground, became miniature and charming when viewed from above Tiantong Island.

This feeling of looking down on the world was truly addictive.

Tiantong Island also boasted numerous shops, teahouses, and music halls, along with places whose wares were unknown. All were stand-alone buildings hidden behind green trees and azure walls. Judging by their entrances and signs, they clearly emphasized the character "elegance." However, to He Lingchuan, they simply screamed one word: exorbitant.

A thirty-minute walk on the vibrant, spring-like floating island brought them to the Ke Manor.

He Lingchuan was somewhat surprised; the mansions on Tiantong Island were not large. Compared to the estates in the lower city, which often occupied half a mountainside, these might only be a tenth of their size. Even the Ke Manor occupied only thirteen mu, which is less than nine thousand square meters. An island is an island, and land is limited; it's impossible to lavish land as freely as in the lower city. Lingxu City had accumulated many nobles over six hundred years. If you wanted to live in the sky, and so did I, then everyone just had to squeeze in as neighbors. For an endlessly vast estate, one could only go to the lower city.

The Ke Manor's facade was grand and imposing, ensuring even first-time visitors wouldn't miss it. To say nothing of other things, outside the black gate made of golden-threaded sandalwood stood two exquisite purple-gold horse statues. Taller than real horses, they exuded an imposing aura. Although unadorned, these two statues were arguably the most significant treasures on Tiantong Island. That was because, before the reconstruction of the Heavenly Palace on Mount Xu, they stood outside the gate of the Star-Picking Tower! The purple-gold horses, bestowed by the gods, represented the Ke clan's exclusive and supreme honor.

Upon Crown Prince Chiyan's arrival, the doorman quickly went inside to announce him. A short while later, Ke Yan-jing, the fifth young master of the Ke clan, who had appeared at Pianxiang Villa a few days prior, came out to greet them.

Fu Shanyue smiled outwardly but felt puzzled inwardly. His return visit today had been pre-arranged, and the Ke Manor had sent a confirmation. In terms of etiquette and protocol, Ke Shou-yi, the head of the Ke clan, should have come out to greet Crown Prince Chiyan. Why then was it Young Master Ke Five who came?

Fortunately, Young Master Ke Five was also well-versed in social niceties. As soon as they met, he cupped his hands and said, "We have an unexpected guest at home, and my father is currently hosting them. Please don't take offense, Brother Fushan! How about we go to the Plum Garden for some tea first?"

"Let's go." Fu Shanyue wondered who this esteemed guest was, that an unscheduled visit warranted Ke Shou-yi's personal reception.

Inside the Ke Manor, the main buildings occupied only a quarter of the area; the rest were gardens, animal enclosures, and spring pools. Red and green trees were common sights on Tiantong Island, so how could the Ke Manor fill its gardens with such common varieties? Only intricately crafted bonsais or spirit trees at least several centuries old were allowed in the garden. Every vessel was exceptionally refined, with pearls, agate, gold, and jade commonly adorning the pots.

Seeing these bonsais, He Lingchuan realized where the "Stone Mountain Dwelling" Young Master Ke Five had given him had originated. It was likely just an item casually picked from this collection.

He Lingchuan passed a rock garden and saw a seven-foot-tall fiery red coral tree planted on it, shaped like a peacock spreading its tail, with every delicate branch flawless. This treasure would qualify for the national treasury in the state of Yuan, yet at the Ke Manor, it was merely an outdoor decoration on a rock garden. He Lingchuan sighed inwardly, suddenly recalling the fishing town behind Old Ge, the long-armed ape's house. The old man who had first guided him there walked with a limp, reportedly due to bone necrosis from long years of deep-sea diving for treasures, suffering from decompression sickness. In the demon kingdom, even if you worked hard enough to be plagued by severe illness, it wouldn't compare to how effortlessly a fish demon worked in the water. That was an extremely unfair competition, but what else could ordinary people do to make a living?

"The Plum Garden is just ahead," Young Master Ke Five said with a smile. "Our garden has a five-hundred-year-old Plum King tree, which became a demon during the descent of the Emperor's Nectar a century ago. Its blossoms are exceptionally large and fragrant."

No sooner had he spoken than two figures, a man and a woman, turned in from beyond the round moon gate. The man was unfamiliar, of medium build, and around fifty years old. The woman was a beautiful lady with an oval face; although she wore plain clothes and only a white jade hairpin in her hair, she exuded an air of graceful nobility. Most importantly, He Lingchuan recognized this face—Grand Tutor Qingyang! He had never expected to run into Grand Tutor Qingyang head-on in this plum-blossom-filled courtyard of the Ke Manor.

Xi Yunhe's painting skills were truly exquisite, capturing the essence of Grand Tutor Qingyang with just a few strokes. Now that He Lingchuan saw her in person, he could identify her at a glance.

Fu Shanyue also paused in surprise, his steps faltering.

Grand Tutor Qingyang had been chatting and laughing pleasantly with Ke Shou-yi. When she saw Fu Shanyue approaching, she showed a hint of surprise but then immediately smiled and said, "Little Fushan, long time no see."

"Grand Tutor Qingyang, I hope you are well!" Fu Shanyue, who had always presented himself as fearless, bowed respectfully as a junior upon seeing her. "Ten years have passed, and your grace remains unchanged."

So Ke Shou-yi's guest was Grand Tutor Qingyang. No wonder he had to personally receive her.

Ke Shou-yi and Fu Shanyue also exchanged greetings. Grand Tutor Qingyang's gaze swept past Fu Shanyue's side, ignoring Jiao Yu, but looking at He Lingchuan she asked, "And this is?"

"This is my special envoy, He Xiao."

Grand Tutor Qingyang's gaze deepened, and she let out a long "Ohh." "So you are He Xiao!" These words were laden with meaning, and even Ke Shou-yi discerned some implications.

He Lingchuan cupped his fists and bowed to her, saying, "Greetings, Grand Tutor!" On the surface, he still had to observe all due courtesies.

Her voice was full of emotion: "I heard you met my errant disciple in Baishajue?"

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. "Are you referring to Mai Xuewen?"

"His real name is Xi Yunhe, you should know that by now, right?"

He Lingchuan's reply was impeccable: "Lord Bai mentioned this matter to the Crown Prince a few days ago."

"He's not an easy person to deal with," Grand Tutor Qingyang sighed softly. "The Zhongsun family's children were all lost because of him. You're truly lucky to have survived." There was a hidden meaning in her words, but He Lingchuan pretended not to understand and said seriously, "He is indeed a very troublesome and thorny fugitive!"

Grand Tutor Qingyang asked Fu Shanyue, "What's the follow-up on this case?"

Fu Shanyue let out a sound of understanding. "Let me report to the Grand Tutor: from the day Lord Bai arrived in Baishajue, he completely took over the case. I came to Lingxu City under my father's orders, actually, also to inquire about the follow-up. Currently…" He sighed, shaking his head. To put it bluntly, he meant he didn't know either.

Fu Shanyue was the initial investigator, but the Qing Palace was subtly the end-point of the case, making their sudden meeting quite awkward. Fu Shanyue's implication was, "This matter is no longer under our jurisdiction, so don't come to me for trouble now." He Lingchuan, listening from the side, secretly found it amusing. Fu Shanyue had already mastered the ways of officialdom and the workplace; his future was promising.

Grand Tutor Qingyang gave a slight smile. "Lord Bai is investigating the case, and of course, we will fully cooperate." She turned to Ke Shou-yi and said, "Then, I'll leave that matter to you, Lord Ke. I'll take my leave now. Please continue your discussion."

Ke Shou-yi was all smiles and insisted on seeing her to the main entrance. Grand Tutor Qingyang could not politely refuse and walked out accompanied by four people, chatting with them along the way. He Lingchuan observed her: gentle, calm, and articulate, treating others with the warmth of a spring breeze and rain. In the immortal elixir case that dragged her into its vortex, the primary responsible party was Xi Yunhe, and the second should have been He Lingchuan. Yet, from her glances and smiles, He Lingchuan felt no hostility at all, but rather a benevolent and kind affection, as if she were looking at a junior. Such grace, such bearing! If he hadn't been involved in the immortal elixir case, and if he hadn't had a deep conversation with Xi Yunhe, then he would very likely have thought that the woman before him was very worthy of respect and admiration.

After taking a few steps, he somewhat understood Xi Yunhe's feelings back then. No wonder someone as intelligent as Xi Yunhe could not see through his mentor's true nature for so many years. Fu Shanyue had also said that even now, many people in Lingxu City vehemently criticized the investigation's progress, adamantly refusing to believe Grand Tutor Qingyang had any connection to the immortal elixir case. Even if you laid all the evidence before them, they would still stubbornly refuse to believe it.

Furthermore, He Lingchuan knew best what kind of opponent Bai Ziqi was. What he thought was flawless still revealed flaws in front of him. But Bai Ziqi's exchanges with Grand Tutor Qingyang had yielded no advantage so far. He could find a clue, and Grand Tutor Qingyang would immediately block it. This trouble simply couldn't be traced back to the Qing Palace. In terms of public opinion, the Qing Palace was at a disadvantage. But in terms of case progress, Bai Ziqi was in a dilemma. Moreover, Xi Yunhe and Fang Canran were both right: how could a person like Grand Tutor Qingyang only defend and not attack? Her counterattacks were mostly covert; it was just that He Lingchuan was no longer investigating the case, so he couldn't perceive them. He several times wanted to probe about the Sky Centipede Bone Flute but held back. This was definitely not a good time; he couldn't afford to create more complications.

After Grand Tutor Qingyang boarded her carriage and departed, Ke Shou-yi turned to Fu Shanyue and smiled, "Grand Tutor Qingyang made an unscheduled visit, so I had no choice but to receive her. I hope Your Highness does not take offense."

"It's a small matter," Fu Shanyue said nonchalantly, and casually asked, "What was Grand Tutor Qingyang's purpose in coming here?"

"We handle matters for the Qing Palace, you see," Ke Shou-yi replied. "She came to revise some requests; it's nothing significant."

Fu Shanyue, understanding the subtle hint, did not press further. Among the upper-class nobles of Lingxu City, relationships were intertwined and complex, sometimes even he found them profound.

Ke Yan-jing, playing his part well, lightly coughed from the side. "Your Highness, will the immortal elixir case truly be traced back to the Qing Palace?"

"The clues ended at the Qingfu Temple; I don't know if Lord Bai has made any new discoveries. If not, it won't be traced back to the Qing Palace." Fu Shanyue looked at him and smiled, "Old Ke Five, have you heard about Qingfu Temple selling immortal elixir?"

Ke Yan-jing was startled and waved his hands repeatedly. "Your Highness must be joking, how would I have heard such a thing?"

"The immortal elixir is very difficult to produce," Fu Shanyue drew out his words. "It requires a large quantity of essence pearls, not to mention that the key ingredient is the rarest. In all of vast Lingxu City, very few can obtain this key ingredient. Furthermore, it's a prohibited item, so its price must be sky-high. How could ordinary families afford or use it?" The lives of the wealthy are precious, so it's natural that the immortal elixir is also expensive.