Chapter 654: Gradually Forming Vortex

## Chapter 649: The Whirlpool Gradually Takes Shape

This goat demon was hired to trim branches and leaves. It was usually hardworking, honest, and never tried to shirk its duties. Who could have imagined that after eating a single leaf, its disposition and physique would change so drastically, becoming so violent?

Everyone was still shaken.

When questioned about Ah Qing, everyone chimed in, answering truthfully.

Finally, the officer confirmed, "Are you saying that the oak tree's mutation was triggered when the former owner's old belongings fell to the ground?"

Ah Qing's face crumpled. "I don't know if it was because of them." It sounded as if it was her fault.

"Anyway, something broke, and then the oak tree mutated?"

"Yes... I guess?"

"What kind of things were they?"

Ah Qing tried to recall, as she had only glanced at them casually. "Some bottles and jars, I think, and some wood, cloth dolls, and such... They were all old things intended to be thrown away. I didn't get a good look."

"This residence just changed hands?" The officer looked back at the fur merchant's house. Heavens, the building, garden, and pond were all gone. Besides the strange tree, nothing remained.

"It was just sold... a little over ten days ago."

The officer asked the crucial question, "Who was the previous owner?"

It seemed the former owner's old belongings had caused this disturbance.

"It's General Nian!" Ah Qing said. "His full name seems to be Nian Zanli. I heard he's a governor of a western province!"

News of the strange incident in the lower district reached Pianxiang Villa before nightfall.

Soon, Old Shan arrived.

Li Qingge instructed him to bring many gifts, first delivering them to Fu Shanyue to express sincerity for the newly concluded cooperation project, and only then was he to seek out He Lingchuan. With such a formal itinerary, the Tongxin Guards would not find anything unusual.

He Lingchuan sat in a lakeside pavilion, frowning at Old Shan. "Isn't this going too far?"

As soon as he heard terms like "madly growing strange tree" and "goat demon with changed disposition," he knew it was the divine blood at work. He had handed over the divine blood obtained from Dong Rui to Li Qingge for disposal. The Master of Songyang Estate usually handled matters with great discretion. He Lingchuan hadn't expected such a sensational uproar this time, with deaths and street destruction. It seemed the news would spread throughout the entire lower main district by tomorrow night.

"Lingxu City is so vast, and so many things, big and small, happen every day. The celestials don't even spare it a glance. The Lord says, if the commotion isn't big enough, how can it reach the heavens?"

He Lingchuan sneered.

Li Qingge was stating an objective fact. To alarm the Celestial Palace, the matter first had to be severe, horrifying, and generate discussion. "Strange trees suddenly growing wild and mad goats eating people in Lingxu's lower city" – ordinary people wouldn't understand, and the authorities would be bewildered. But the Celestial Palace, upon receiving the news, should instantly grasp what happened. After all, the celestials were perfectly clear about what effects divine blood would have on ordinary creatures.

Li Qingge always appeared gentle and charming before He Lingchuan. Her previous aggrieved look, having been threatened by Nian Zanli, was truly pitiable, making it easy to forget that she was not only a successful merchant but also the head of a sect and the Master of Songyang Estate. Her decisive ruthlessness was truly beyond that of an ordinary woman.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "How did that man Nian react?"

All this strategizing was ultimately to set up Nian Zanli.

"The authorities have already sent someone to question him once, but they left quickly. It was probably just a routine inquiry. After all, he holds an official position, so the authorities cannot easily apprehend him," Old Shan asked him, "The Lord wants to know if you need to intervene again?"

"No need," He Lingchuan shook his head. "Too many incidents would make it look less like an accident."

Li Qingge's question showed her eagerness for revenge; otherwise, she would have understood this logic herself.

"Give it some time to ferment. Lingxu City is too vast, and the Celestial Palace is too far from commoners. It takes time for news to reach the heavens," He Lingchuan mused. "Besides, there's no new progress on the elixir of immortality case for now, so the Celestial Palace might not want to alert the enemy."

"When Bai Ziqi returns, this matter will take a turn," he told Old Shan. "Please tell the Lord not to be impatient. We can proceed with the next step."

"Oh, by the way, I need to make a trip to the Fù Realm. Can you help me prepare some things?"

Old Shan asked curiously, "You're going to the Grass Sea for hunting too? At this time?"

He Lingchuan nodded.

Since he couldn't get the Frost Pills, he had no choice but to go himself. The Fù Realm was dangerous; who would dare go empty-handed?

Old Shan noted his requests and then took his leave.

In fact, He Lingchuan recalled several times that the sudden fire at Qingfu Temple left behind Kong Jiaxiang, such an important living witness, which felt wrong. Kong Jiaxiang managed the income and expenditure of the elixir of immortality; he must have been a key figure in Qingfu Temple. If the State Preceptor Qingyang wanted to silence witnesses, he would certainly be one of the main targets. Could the Azure Palace be so careless and sloppy as to not even ascertain the fate of such a person? But He Lingchuan sent Cang Ying back to investigate, and there truly was such a person in Yangshui.

So, did the Azure Palace genuinely make a mistake, or did State Preceptor Shuangye have a superior plan and another arrangement?

Regardless, He Lingchuan could pretend not to know. He was just a messenger; once he delivered the message to Bai Ziqi, his task would be complete.

Two more days passed, and Old Shan brought all the items He Lingchuan had requested, saying they were a gift from the Lord and no payment was needed.

The squirrel also relayed a message: Nian Zanli was being followed by unknown individuals. Nian Zanli discovered this himself. As a military general, his spiritual perception was excellent. However, even after turning back twice, he failed to catch the tracker. Besides being angry, he was also worried, so he sought information to find out who was plotting against him. By chance, he entrusted the inquiry to Old Ge, the gibbon. Thus, the intelligence quickly reached He Lingchuan's hands.

Who could the trackers be? Sent by the Celestial Palace?

The other party most likely could link Nian Zanli with the divine blood; otherwise, they wouldn't be tracking him now. He Lingchuan was worried he might hastily leave Lingxu, but fortunately, this hadn't happened. Nian Zanli must have known about the strange incident at the house he sold, and that many people died, but he was unaware of the details and didn't realize what kind of trouble he was involved in.

However, this whirlpool was quickly taking shape. By the time he realized he was trapped, he wouldn't be able to leave.

The next day, He Lingchuan and three Chiyan guards rushed to the Grass Sea.

Every few years, the hunting rules of the Grass Sea were slightly adjusted. This year's latest regulations were: First, the first five days after the Storm Gate opened were designated for competitive hunting. Each team entering the Fù Realm was limited to ten people; exit was permitted, but re-entry was not. Therefore, the competition for hunting Donau beasts was most intense within the first five days of the Storm Gate's opening. Once the five-day limit was up, rankings were determined by the quantity of floating stones each team had hunted.

After five days, the competition ended, and the Storm Gate opened to everyone; anyone could enter freely! The authorities still purchased floating stones at the original price until the Storm Gate closed twenty-five days later. This was because the Fù Realm, on the other side of the storm rift, was completely unsuitable for human activity. Team members who became fatigued or injured had to return to the human world. After all, the authorities did not organize this event to harm people.

The Storm Gate had already been open for ten days. Two batches of Chiyan teams had already entered the Fù Realm and been replaced; He Lingchuan's group was the third.

Today, the Grass Sea was far less lively than when the event first opened. The wind rustled through the reeds, and stars hung low over the desolate plains. The shallow area, once bustling with people, was now empty. Egrets strolled leisurely, undisturbed for hours. Only the guards defending the Storm Gate and the logistics personnel of the various competing teams remained in the area. Since the Donau beasts near the Storm Gate had been largely slaughtered, there was no need to keep so many troops guarding it. Thus, the number of patrol guards was greatly reduced, leaving only a minimal presence. It had been this way for years.

A guard handed over a pouch. "This contains twenty breathing beads, Lord He. Please always keep an eye on your stock."

Each bead allowed for fifteen minutes of breathing, so twenty beads provided two and a half hours of life support. During this time, He Lingchuan had to collect new beads to sustain himself.

"Understood." He took the bag and put it away. After reporting and passing inspection with the guards, he put on his mask and walked with his teammates into the Eye of the Storm.

To prevent personal vendettas or malicious instigation, competing teams usually wore masks when entering the Fù Realm. Some nobles even customized exceptionally exquisite masks for their teams, making the competition especially magnificent. Of course, Fu Shanyue was too lazy for such extravagance; the Chiyan team's masks were plain grey, with no distinguishing features. Ordinary, but safe.

The closer he got, the more astonishing the storm's power felt. As He Lingchuan walked inside, his surroundings became chaotic, devoid of any scenery, with only shades of gray and white remaining. Immediately afterward, his body felt lighter, and he became dizzy. He was sucked into the Fù Realm.

The Chiyan team disappeared into the Eye of the Storm.

A few breaths later, the guard at the gate reported to his superior, "Nature calls! I need to go."

"Go ahead."

The latrine in the Grass Sea was a bit far from the waterfront. The guard ran all the way behind a low hill, out of sight of the army. Then he changed direction midway, took six or seven turns, and quietly hurried behind a tent. He looked left and right, confirming no one was watching him, then said to the guard standing by the tent, "The General called for me. My surname is Gui."

Before the guard could answer, someone inside the tent said, "Come in."

The guard plunged into the tent and saw a person sitting on a low bed, seemingly having just finished meditating.

"General. The person you asked me to watch just entered the Eye of the Storm!"

The person immediately stood up. "Are you sure?"

"He registered with us under the name He Xiao, from the Chiyan team," the guard gestured. "Tall, with a proper appearance."

"Alright, you can go back," the person thanked the guard.

"You flatter me! I've served under you for three years, and you even saved my life. This small favor is nothing to mention!"

With that, the guard bowed to him and quickly ran back to rejoin his unit.

The scene suddenly went dark. Before He Lingchuan could make out his surroundings, he felt disoriented, as if falling headfirst towards the ground. He instinctively stretched out his arms to brace himself, used the strength in his waist and legs, and stood up after two forward rolls.

After this series of movements, He Lingchuan immediately noticed the difference between the two realms: In the Fù Realm, his body felt exceptionally heavy. Not only was it difficult to lift his arms and legs, but his neck, chest, and abdomen also had a heavy, pulling sensation.

"Are you alright?" He also casually caught a teammate, preventing them from falling face-first.

It was May 6th...