Chapter 625: Seller Has Original Sin

Ke Shouyi said from the side, "Things strictly forbidden by the Royal Court are certainly not something we, as law-abiding citizens and protectors of the law, would dare to touch. We only knew that Qingfu Temple enjoyed great popularity and incense, but we never imagined there was so much filth behind it! We genuinely feel pained for the demon folk who suffered misfortunes."

Ke Yan Jing said earnestly, "Your Highness, my Ke family also wishes to offer a small contribution for the demon folk who were killed..."

Fu Shanyue interrupted, "Wrongs have their perpetrators, debts have their debtors. How could we let the Ke family pay for this? A mere pittance in compensation, my Chi Yan can still afford it."

He Lingchuan watched them deftly steer the conversation away with just a few words, thinking, "Impressive."

The Ke family had such close ties with the Qingyang Imperial Advisor; how could they have been entirely ignorant of the elixir of immortality case? However, the Qingyang Imperial Advisor was already under suspicion by the Heavenly Palace, so the Ke family likely wanted to distance themselves from her. It was just that they found it difficult to do so.

He simply took over the conversation. "Lord Ke, I heard that the Mountain Spirit of Mount Xu has been exclusively worshipped by our Ke family for over a hundred years?"

"That's right," Ke Shouyi smiled. "Thanks to Lord Jujue's acceptance, all his food and provisions are supplied by the Ke family."

He Lingchuan was curious, "Don't people usually not know what the Mountain Spirit eats or what its appetite is like? What does a rock-fire monster like to eat? Can it even taste anything?"

Fu Shanyue shot him a glare. "Is that something you can just ask?" he said, though inwardly he urged, "Come on, tell us quickly."

Ke Shouyi said generously, "Oh, there's nothing that can't be told. The Ke family has been worshipping Lord Jujue for many years; these things are no longer secrets. Everyone knows them."

Fu Shanyue's smile remained unchanged, but inwardly he cursed silently.

In his early years, he had been ostracized in Lingxu City and genuinely didn't know these details!

"Lord Jujue loves strange minerals; the rarer, the better. For instance, unique metals refined from meteorites are the most delicious to him," Ke Yan Jing explained on his behalf. "If minerals are his main course, then various ancient spiritual woods are his snacks. Additionally, he also likes Mountain Blood, Stone Blood, and similar things as condiments."

"It sounds like collecting these things isn't easy?"

"As long as Lord Jujue likes it, our Ke family travels far and wide just to search for these things," Ke Shouyi sighed. "Take, for example, the Azure Spirit Gold we acquired from the east ten years ago. Lord Jujue ate it once and couldn't forget it, always tasking us to find more. But that's a treasure extracted from a meteorite, something you come across by chance. So many years have passed, and we haven't found a second piece."

He Lingchuan understood that the rock-fire monster had a finicky palate, and it would be difficult for anyone but the Ke family to find food that satisfied it. This difficulty created a moat, pushing other influential families out of the competition. This was one reason for the Ke family's stable position in Lingxu City.

"For rare minerals like Frost-Patterned Iron and White Ru Silver, several hundred jin must be offered at a time; if it's common ore, then it requires several thousand jin per offering."

He continued, curious, "So, Lord Jujue doesn't eat people?"

In fact, many demons still retained the habit of eating humans for a very simple reason: they were mostly hairless, had thin skin, and were easy to eat.

The Ke father and son burst into laughter. "What benefit could human flesh possibly offer Lord Jujue?"

"Then Lord Jujue should be very fond of the Questioning Tree on Tianji Peak, or the Treasure Tree King?"

"That Questioning Tree is an old friend of his, and their relationship runs deep. I heard it existed long before Lord Jujue gained sentience," Ke Yan Jing continued. "He hasn't liked eating the branches and leaves of the Questioning Tree for a long time."

So he doesn't take from what's close by?

"As for the branches and leaves of the Treasure Tree King, we truly did request them," Ke Yan Jing smiled. "The Treasure Tree King was magnanimous and indeed granted them."

He Lingchuan then asked, "Lord Ke, do you offer worship at home, or do you take it to the Star-Picking Tower?"

A trace of annoyance flashed across Ke Shouyi's face. Clearly, his composure was not as refined as the Qingyang Imperial Advisor's; he let his feelings show.

Ke Yan Jing, however, said, "He Xiao, you jest. The Heavenly Palace has always required us to go to the Star-Picking Tower to offer worship to Lord Jujue. How would my family dare to overstep such a boundary?"

Fu Shanyue cleared his throat. "He Xiao is from another country and isn't familiar with Lingxu City's regulations."

"The Heavenly Palace is built on Mount Xu, and Lord Jujue is not only the Mountain Spirit of Mount Xu but also the guardian of the Heavenly Palace, holding a very special status," Ke Yan Jing then explained. "That's why the Heavenly Palace specifically entrusted us with handling Lord Jujue's provisions."

"I see," He Lingchuan said, feigning disappointment. "I've been to the Star-Picking Tower, but I never saw Lord Jujue make an appearance."

"He often sleeps deep within Mount Xu. He only appears when consuming offerings."

He Lingchuan sighed. "Can we only see him at the Rock Pool? Is there any chance of spotting him if we wait somewhere else?"

Ke Shouyi chuckled. "Lord Jujue doesn't like interacting with humans and usually doesn't show himself in public." To be precise, the Mountain Spirit completely ignores ordinary people and couldn't even be bothered to emerge and glance at them.

Ke Yan Jing, however, said, "Legend has it that Tianji Peak has a cave dwelling that leads directly to the molten caves at the bottom of the mountain, perhaps..." He shrugged. "However, for hundreds of years, everyone has searched all around Tianji Peak, leaving no stone unturned—not even pits, ponds, or rock crevices—but they've found nothing."

Fu Shanyue let out an "oh." "That's right, there are hot springs inside the tree hollows on Tianji Peak."

Hot springs are formed by geothermal heat.

In truth, He Lingchuan understood that the Heavenly Palace was unwilling to let the rock-fire monster interact much with the outside world, to prevent it from being exploited by outsiders. Jujue himself was cunning, unlike the simple and honest nature of ordinary elemental monsters. If he were to conspire with others to undermine the Heavenly Palace, Lingxu City would truly be in deep trouble.

But this matter couldn't be completely prevented. Fortunately, the Heavenly Palace possessed a spirit-gathering formation, so Jujue couldn't cause major upheaval.

Ke Yan Jing did not wish to extend this topic further, so he said to Fu Shanyue, "My family and Chi Yan could have many more collaborations in the future. Shall we discuss them?"

Fu Shanyue readily agreed.

By the time they left the Ke residence, it was already dark.

Sitting in the carriage, Fu Shanyue secretly circulated his true energy to expel the alcohol from his system. His face quickly lost its flush, but the smell of alcohol in the carriage grew stronger.

He Lingchuan pulled open the curtain, letting the evening breeze carry away the smell of alcohol.

"So the Ke family wants to marry a daughter to you." Just now, in the plum garden, the two "chanced upon" four or five Ke daughters, all young girls aged sixteen or seventeen. Their makeup was delicate, and they were beautiful and charming; upon seeing Fu Shanyue, they smiled before speaking, their shy and timid demeanor was endearing.

Later, Ke Shouyi subtly hinted at his intention: he wanted to form a marital alliance with the Chi Yan monarch.

Fu Shanyue was already the Crown Prince. If he ascended to the throne without incident, the Ke family's position in Lingxu City would become even more secure.

"It's not impossible, but they would have to bring the Ke family's wealth as dowry," Fu Shanyue chuckled. "I could make room for a concubine position."

Logically, given that the Ke family's wealth was among the greatest in Lingxu City and they had the Heavenly God's appreciation, they should have held significant power. However, this was not the case. The old nobility of Lingxu City still looked down on the Ke family to their very core.

In their eyes, the Ke family was merely an upstart who had betrayed their former lord, even after being steeped in Lingxu City's culture for over a hundred years.

Because their wealth and status were gained by betraying their lord and their country, their origins were considered corrupt.

This was their original sin.

Lingxu City's long-standing tradition of aristocratic prestige, cultivated over six hundred years, was something even the Ke family was powerless to integrate into.

Thus, forming a marital alliance with a demon lord would significantly elevate the Ke family's status.

This was a classic combination of power and wealth.

Fu Shanyue then teased, "Just now, in the plum garden, I noticed Ke Yan Jing's younger sister kept glancing at you. Are you interested?"

Wealthy families seemed to produce more offspring than pigs. The Ke family had originally been a prominent clan in Yuan Country and had managed to preserve their vitality in Lingxu City. After over a hundred years of prosperity, they were now a large family of nearly three thousand people, not counting distant branches and relatives.

So many beautiful young ladies, in the prime of their youth, complemented the vibrant spring garden perfectly. It was truly enchanting.

These Ke daughters also had their eyes on the two young men. Although both were equally handsome and impressive, Fu Shanyue, being the Crown Prince of Chi Yan, naturally garnered more attention.

He Lingchuan shook his head. "She's out of my league."

"I could reluctantly try to set something up."

"There's really no need," He Lingchuan said. Perhaps due to the past events in Yuan Country, he naturally felt no fondness for the Ke family. "Daughters from wealthy families are difficult to serve. The little money I earn wouldn't impress them."

He then immediately asked Fu Shanyue, "When I just asked about the offerings, why did the Ke father and son look so displeased?"

"For many years, there's always been a rumor in Lingxu City that the Ke family secretly offers worship to the Mountain Spirit of Mount Xu," Fu Shanyue chuckled. "The Ke family has come out to clarify several times and even invited the Heavenly Palace to send people to search their premises to prove their innocence. However, the rumor still subtly persists, and when you bring it up, it irritates the Ke family."

"Refuting rumors is an exhausting task, huh." He Lingchuan leaned in. "So, did their family secretly offer worship to Jujue or not?"

The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

"I don't think their family would stoop to that," Fu Shanyue said. "Wouldn't it be better to simply go to Mount Xu and offer worship properly? Only by wholeheartedly obeying the Heavenly God can the Ke family ensure their foundation's longevity." Fu Shanyue picked up his tea and rinsed his mouth. "It's just that the Ke family is truly wealthy and has made many enemies in Lingxu City, so it's inevitable that they'd be the subject of gossip. Hmm, why are you so concerned about the Mountain Spirit of Mount Xu?"

"Curiosity," He Lingchuan said slowly. "Lingxu City enjoyed favorable weather for hundreds of years, but over ten years ago, there was a sudden great earthquake, which I heard was related to the Mountain Spirit of Mount Xu."

"Mmm-hmm," Fu Shanyue nodded. "I was in Lingxu City at that time. I remember the Emperor was furious, and the Ke family was severely reprimanded. Their mining rights for the profound crystal vein were almost revoked, but fortunately, the Heavenly God intervened to mediate. Since then, the Ke family's life hasn't been as pleasant as before."

"Such a serious matter; how could the Ke family have been so careless?"

"Who knows?" Fu Shanyue shrugged. "Because of this incident, several of the Ke family's suppliers were imprisoned and executed."

That night, there were stars but no moon.

He Lingchuan vigorously practiced his saber in his courtyard for half an hour. By the time he stopped, there were four horizontal lines on the trunk of the peach tree.

Jingzi asked, surprised, "What does this mean?"

"These are the four things I need to accomplish." Since there were others' eyes and ears in Pianxiang Villa, he didn't elaborate.

When he first arrived in Lingxu City, he was overwhelmed by its dazzling array. But after experiencing so many twists and turns, the tasks He Lingchuan needed to tackle next gradually became clear:

His primary and most crucial task was to retrieve the lid of the Great Square Pot from the Star-Picking Tower.