Chapter 632: Shaoqian's End

Fang Canran said solemnly, "With a foundation of mutual non-harm, we can have a deeper discussion. And—"

He paused, "Maintaining this ancient wonder is not easy. The sooner we use it, the sooner we can lighten the burden."

This fellow was still afraid he'd report him to the Heavenly Palace, which was why he wanted to secure both their positions with this 'insurance'! He Lingchuan glared at him for a long time: "If you had such a good thing, why were you still dealing with me just now?"

Fang Canran chuckled, unable to explain.

Stepping back, even if they were friends and not enemies, he still had to ascertain the other party's strength. This determined how the two parties would interact later. Like attracts like: dragons associate with dragons, phoenixes with phoenixes, and a rat's friends will dig holes. People of a certain standing associate with those of similar standing. Even among one's own people, there are distinctions of high, middle, and low status.

He Lingchuan retorted with a jibe, then immediately agreed: "Alright, let's seal the oath!"

Even though He Lingchuan had just given his verbal assurance and had been the first to unbind Fang Canran, the chief steward was still uneasy. What good was a voluntary promise compared to an oath overseen by an inner demon for true security? Evidently, he knew very well that human words were the least trustworthy.

Fang Canran picked up one of the handcuffs, and with a click, put it on himself first. He Lingchuan picked up the other one and put it on. Then both recited the oath. The shackles and chains began to glow red, and runes floated on the surface, dancing up and down. After the recitation, the chains slowly disappeared, and the shackles on their hands transformed into ordinary silver bracelets, worn on their wrists.

"That's done," Fang Canran's expression visibly relaxed. "From this moment on, neither of us can break the oath, or the consequences will be dire."

The oath did not mention that they had to be completely honest with each other, because no one wanted to do that. They both carried too many secrets. Let's leave some room for each other.

He brewed the tea and handed it to He Lingchuan: "Why do you say that Shao Jian is connected to the Emperor's Nectar?"

He Lingchuan dipped his finger in water and quickly wrote a character on the table. Fang Canran's pupils constricted upon seeing it. He Lingchuan also noticed a vein throbbing in his temple. The character, of course, was "Xing"—as in "Punishment Dragon Pillar."

The next second, He Lingchuan wiped it away and took a sip from his cup: "Did I write it correctly?"

With the oath shackles activated, they could not harm each other, so he no longer worried about Fang Canran poisoning his drink.

Fang Canran's expression changed. The shock in his eyes was undisguised as he looked at He Lingchuan: "You...? This He fellow actually knew even this! Such details, such..." Of course, no one in Lingxu City knew about this matter, otherwise Fang Canran would not have been alive long ago. He hadn't expected that a secret carefully guarded by his family for over a hundred years would suddenly be uncovered by a stranger. A stranger of unknown origin. It felt like the roof of a sturdy old house, lived in for over a hundred years, had suddenly collapsed—not a pleasant feeling. Had He Lingchuan not already been bound to him by the oath shackles, preventing mutual harm, he would have killed him to silence him no matter what. Regarding the secret of the Punishment Dragon Pillar, for over a hundred years, anyone who touched upon it, apart from a few high-ranking individuals, had died!

"Did you also learn this secret from the illusion of that ancient city?"

He Lingchuan nodded.

Fang Canran's gaze was intense: "Then did you see who gave these things to Shao Jian?"

"Of course." He Lingchuan silently mouthed the name—"Mitian."

By the shape of his mouth, it wasn't hard to discern the two characters.

Fang Canran slowly leaned back against the backrest and let out a long breath: "As expected."

"You didn't know?"

"Shao Jian had always been very secretive and never mentioned the origin of these things to anyone. But I deduced that they also came from this ancient deity."

With the oath shackles in effect, both parties spoke much more straightforwardly, no longer beating around the bush or desperately denying things.

Fang Canran stared at He Lingchuan: "The ancient city you mentioned, could it be... Panlong City?"

"You know Panlong City?"

"How could I not?" Fang Canran chuckled dismissively. "Shao Jian always went there. Besides, I also investigated the city's history. The reason Panlong City was ultimately destroyed was the same as Yuanguo's."

He sighed softly: "Young Master He, did you truly come to Lingxu City only for the Elixir of Immortality case?"

He was very concerned about this, having asked several times.

"I've long admired the reputation of Lingxu City and wanted to broaden my horizons, and incidentally, fulfill a friend's request. As for the Elixir of Immortality case, it was initially just a simple missing courier case. When Crown Prince Yue entrusted it to me, I had no idea it was connected to the powerful figures of Lingxu City," He Lingchuan said truthfully. "The waters here are truly deep, sigh. Later, Ambassador Bai requested that I come to Lingxu City to assist with the investigation."

"There must have been many opportunities to withdraw, right?" Fang Canran sipped his tea. "It's like trying to break a stone with an egg; most people wouldn't do something so thankless."

"Someone has to do it," He Lingchuan stared at him, enunciating each word. "If everyone only pursues small gains, then great righteousness will be hard to find in the world."

"What was your friend's request?" Fang Canran focused on the key point. So, was solving the case just incidental, and fulfilling his friend's request the main goal?

He Lingchuan smiled: "Just helping it with something."

"What kind of thing?"

He Lingchuan looked at him for a long time, then instead of answering, asked: "Given your background, Mr. Fang, why would you choose to stay in Lingxu City of all places?"

Fang Canran was a descendant of Shao Jian. If this identity alone were discovered, the Heavenly Gods would ensure he met a terrible end. Thus, his presence in Lingxu City actually carried immense risk.

Fang Canran did not answer. Both fell silent. Their acquaintance was still shallow; it was hard to speak of deep matters.

After a while, Fang Canran changed the subject: "So, after all these matters are concluded, what will you do then?"

"Of course, I'll make a swift exit."

"Oh?" Fang Canran wondered, "With so many prominent families inviting you, are you not tempted by any?"

"Lingxu City and I are not compatible; it's outwardly prosperous but inwardly ominous, not a place for me to stay long-term." He Lingchuan carried the secret of the Great Square Flask and did not want to remain under the Heavenly Gods' watchful eyes for long. "Besides, I've offended too many influential figures, so I won't stay here to be an eyesore for them."

He then asked: "By the way, I'm very curious about what ultimately happened to Mr. Shao Jian."

Fang Canran was startled.

"I also want to know why you always wear this signet ring. Its material is common, with only a small amount of refined iron, and it doesn't even have storage capabilities. As the dignified chief steward of Dunyuan Garden, you surely have much better precious rings to wear, right?"

Fang Canran looked at the signet ring: "It's something passed down from my ancestors; the material isn't important."

"What *is* important?" He Lingchuan asked him, "His dying wish, perhaps?"

Fang Canran was silent for a long while, then finally said: "Mr. Shao disbanded the Red Snail Merchant Guild when he was fifty-seven; three years later, after his sixtieth birthday, he left, leaving a letter telling no one to look for him, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since. Three more years passed, and a bird demon flew in with news: he had been abducted, beheaded, skinned and stuffed with straw, accused of offending the Heavenly Gods. However, he took poison and committed suicide before he could be captured, thus preventing disaster from befalling his descendants."

He Lingchuan closed his eyes and involuntarily sighed. Like an earthen pot destined to break by the well, Shao Jian ultimately found the end he sought. Although He Lingchuan had long anticipated this outcome, and despite Shao Jian having passed away over a hundred years ago, hearing Fang Canran's words still weighed heavily on his heart. After all, not long ago he had been drinking and eating with Shao Jian in Panlong Wilderness, discussing ancient and modern affairs. Although he never forgot the national and family vendettas, this man had always been optimistic about resistance, battle, and even the future. If not optimistic, how could he face such powerful opponents directly, and how could he bear such a heavy burden day after day for decades? Shao Jian's latter half of life was almost entirely spent fighting alone. However, those who sided with Panlong City never seemed to have a good end. Shao Jian ultimately could not escape this fate either.

Fang Canran had been observing He Lingchuan's expression and now asked, "Why are you sad for him?" Having been a merchant for a long time, he was skilled at reading expressions. Although the young man's sadness and sighing lasted only a brief moment, they seemed genuine. Besides, they were discussing an ancient figure from over a hundred years ago; why would he need to feign anything?

He Lingchuan composed himself and said in a deep voice: "Heroes are often unsung. Mr. Shao was not renowned in the world, yet his contributions were immense. I deeply admire him." He raised his cup: "Come, a toast to Mr. Shao."

Fang Canran clinked cups with him, then listened as He Lingchuan continued: "I'd also like to ask you about something, Mr. Fang."

"What is it?"

"Ancient giant demons surviving to this day are few. I heard the Mountain Marsh of Mount Xu is one. I specifically went to Stargazing Tower several times to observe it, but it never appeared," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Is there any way to see it?"

What kind of question was that? Fang Canran was stunned, and after thinking for a moment, said: "The rock pool at Stargazing Tower is just its outdoor bath. The Mountain Marsh doesn't necessarily stay there normally. If you want to see it immediately, you'll probably have to offer tribute."

"Specifically, what kind of tribute should I offer?"

Fang Canran's eyes flickered: "Why do you think I would know?"

He Lingchuan shrugged: "The Ke family often orders rare minerals and strange stones from Dunyuan Garden. I assume those are offerings to Zuju."

"That's true." Fang Canran then recited a list of various items, including ores and spiritual wood, a total of over a dozen kinds. Given He Lingchuan's memory, he didn't need to write them down, but the more he listened, the more distressed his expression became: "It takes so much?" And every single item sounded very expensive!

"The Mountain Marsh's palate is very refined and picky," Fang Canran advised him. "You don't need to feed it until it's full; just offer two or three items."

He Lingchuan's face was full of curiosity: "What happens when Zuju is full? Does it get sleepy like a human?"

"Of course. Humans need to digest food after eating, and the Mountain Marsh needs to digest minerals when full; both require a brief period of dormancy," Fang Canran said with a smile. "However, to my knowledge, if you want it to eat its fill and fall into a deep sleep, a sufficient amount of Boundless Gold is all you need."

"Boundless Gold?" He Lingchuan exclaimed, "You don't mean the sword tip of the First Shore Immortal that the Ke family bought at Dunyuan Garden, do you?"

Fang Canran nodded: "But that amount certainly wouldn't be enough; you'd need at least two times more."

At the time, that section of the sword tip sold for 870,000 taels of silver. Two more times that would be 2.6 million taels of silver! Moreover, Boundless Gold is a treasure that is priceless and impossible to acquire. Usually, even if you have the money, there's nowhere to buy it. To feed Zuju to its full, the cost was actually so exorbitant?