Chapter 671: Chain Reaction Begins

Dou Wuxing was a man of few words. During the hour or so they drank, he probably didn't say more than thirty sentences, and twenty of those were about agriculture.

Indeed, he was an expert in various plants, especially crops, soil, the land's natural energy, and climate.

He also told He Lingchuan that Spirit Void City would soon experience several "curtain call rains." After these freezing rains, the central and northern parts of Beijia would officially enter winter, ushering in a season dominated by snow.

He Lingchuan listened intently. "Are you saying it will rain throughout central and northern Beijia?"

"Yes, from east to west," Dou Wuxing replied, his spirits lifting, as few outsiders showed interest in such topics. "It will start from northern Chiyan and extend all the way to Xuluo Nation."

"Starting from Spirit Void?"

"No, no. It originates in Eling Nation, passes through Spirit Void City, and then continues westward."

"I see. Will it be early or late?" He Lingchuan stroked his chin. In his original world, this would be called a rain belt, with its own seasons and patterns.

"Of course," Dou Wuxing chuckled. "But it won't be far off. If it starts raining in Spirit Void City, the cities to the west will follow suit within a few days."

He Lingchuan let out a long "Oh." He was truly fortunate to stumble upon such important information even at a drinking table.

After a few drinks, everyone loosened up and began talking freely.

He Lingchuan, being famous and forthright, easily made friends. He seized the opportunity to ask, "If you'll pardon my asking, I heard that Beijia's eastern front is at war with Mou Nation. Are you, the Dou brothers, not encountering difficulties in Spirit Void City?"

To his knowledge, when Yuan Nation went to war with other countries, it directly expelled all citizens of the opposing nation from its territory. Even some foreign affairs personnel who remained were subjected to strict supervision.

The Dou brothers exchanged glances and shook their heads. "Spirit Void City is known for its openness. We are only students and don't hold positions in critical institutions, so we're not restricted. As long as we don't wander into core areas, no one will likely question us."

Dou Wuxing continued, "However, with relations between the two nations souring, finding a job in Spirit Void City will be much harder than before. We probably wouldn't even pass the initial background check."

Dou Wenguan also sighed. "My younger brother prepared for years for his trip to Spirit Void City and finally managed to come here to study abroad. Who knew war would break out first? Alas, human affairs are unpredictable."

Dou Wuxing had originally hoped to secure a government position and establish himself in Spirit Void City, but the difficulty had suddenly increased severalfold.

A single action by a major power could immediately rewrite the fate of ordinary people. This was a true example of how everything is predestined, leaving little to personal choice.

He Lingchuan kindly offered a few words of comfort.

He had done his research and knew that Mou Nation did not border Beijia directly; a vast Land Sea separated them, along with two small nations.

Its area was twice that of Yuan Nation, and its resources were abundant. It had experienced few disasters in recent decades and should, by rights, be quite prosperous. Unfortunately, it had been involved in several wars.

Like Yuan Nation, Mou Nation strictly prohibited deification rituals, and it was also home to numerous Daoist sects—it was the country with the most Daoist sects east of the Land Sea.

Beijia and Mou Nation had always disliked each other, but there were many nations that revered monarchs, so Beijia wouldn't normally resort to hostilities over just that.

However, the Dou brothers told him that the two nations had, in fact, been competing with each other all along.

Two small nations were caught between Beijia and Mou Nation: Peng Nation and Ouzeng.

Peng Nation was firmly controlled by Beijia, while Ouzeng was very close to Mou Nation.

These two small nations, geographically adjacent, harbored deep-seated animosity. Peng Nation had once captured Ouzeng's monarch and subjected him to various forms of abuse; in retaliation, Ouzeng massacred 200,000 Peng Nation civilians in one go...

Such an act would be appalling even if it happened in Beijia or Yuan Nation, let alone in a tiny state.

He Lingchuan gasped in surprise upon hearing this. "These small nations are truly more ruthless than the major powers."

"Indeed," Dou Wenguan sighed.

These two small nations fought like frenzied fighting cocks, engaging in conflict for at least six or seven years out of every decade, with the remaining time spent preparing for battle. One day one would win, the next day the other, effortlessly drawing both Beijia and Mou Nation into their conflicts.

Neither nation could stand by and watch its junior ally be bullied. Gradually, their "sideline coaching" turned into direct engagement and fierce contention.

Many other incidents occurred along the way, causing relations between the two nations to rapidly deteriorate, and Mou Nation openly challenged Beijia. However, until six months ago, the battlefield remained confined to these two small nations, with Beijia and Mou Nation vying for supremacy on foreign soil.

He Lingchuan knew things had taken a bad turn upon hearing this. "And then?"

"Two towns behind Mou Nation's western border were attacked, and over three thousand townspeople were massacred by Beijia's army," Dou Wenguan recounted, shaking his head. "The cause was the killing of a beloved son of a great general from Shanyu Nation on the battlefield. He led his forces behind enemy lines for revenge. From then on, the war escalated."

Beijia tore off its mask, dropped its pretense, and personally entered the fray.

He Lingchuan remembered that just a month ago, General Ling had led his troops to the eastern front.

He thought for a moment. "Hasn't Beijia been out of war for some years now?"

Gao Jilin mused, "At most, there have been sporadic local conflicts. But a proper war like this one with Mou Nation, it's been at least..."

"Forty years," Du Shan interjected. "Beijia hasn't fought such a tough war in at least forty years. Mou Nation, on the other hand, just ended a prolonged war five years ago, and it's said to have numerous renowned generals and a valiant army."

Jiang Tao seemed somewhat unconvinced. "Are you suggesting Beijia can't defeat Mou Nation?"

"War involves too many factors, and as outsiders, we don't know the inside story, so we can't possibly judge. Therefore, I won't argue with you," Du Shan said, not even looking at him. "I just think Beijia won't find it easy to bring Mou Nation to its knees."

He Lingchuan pondered. "It's strange that Beijia, after decades of peace, would suddenly start fighting Mou Nation."

"They weren't fighting before, but frictions and conflicts were never few," Du Shan said, taking a sip of wine. "Besides, major wars often begin with small incidents."

Just then, a raptor suddenly swooped in through the window.

Before anyone could react, it folded its wings and landed on the back of He Lingchuan's chair, letting out a clear cry:

"Envoy, His Highness wants you to rush to the Azure Palace immediately!"

The hawk had arrived. He Lingchuan put down his wine glass. "What happened?"

"Chief Envoy Bai has returned to the city and is heading straight to the Azure Palace to make arrests!"

These words struck like thunder, astonishing the listeners, who all let out a long "Ah." The amount of information contained was immense, and He Lingchuan's first thought was:

The storm had finally arrived.

He immediately stood up and gravely told his friends, "Important business has arisen. I must take my leave, and we'll reconvene another day!"

Gao Jilin and the others urged him to go attend to his business.

He Lingchuan tossed down a silver ingot, went out, and hopped onto a rock goat. The hawk flapped its wings and flew to the rock goat's large horns, hitching a free ride.

This was its exclusive seat, and it was quite used to it.

The man, the goat, and the hawk vanished from sight in an instant.

Du Shan and the others also urged their companions to head out. "Quick, quick! The Azure Palace isn't far from here. Let's go watch the excitement!"

From the tavern to the Azure Palace, the rock goat's pace meant a fifteen-minute journey, just enough time for He Lingchuan to get to the bottom of things.

The journey from Spirit Void City to Yangshui wasn't too far or too close, yet Bai Ziqi made the round trip in just a few days. That was truly swift and decisive; one wondered how many good horses had been ridden to death.

The hawk, an old partner of He Lingchuan's, quickly explained the situation in a few words.

Bai Ziqi had returned to the city about an hour ago.

His first act upon returning to Spirit Void City was not to report back to the Celestial Palace as per custom, but instead, bearing a divine edict and leading the Celestial Palace Guard, he made a direct dash for the Azure Palace to apprehend people!

He Lingchuan was startled to hear this.

Clearly, Bai Ziqi had successfully apprehended Kong Jiaxiang, the key witness from the Azure Lotus Temple, in Yangshui. On the way back to the city, he had interrogated him and extracted information about those involved in the Azure Palace. As soon as he arrived in Spirit Void City, he immediately launched the arrests without delay!

Why was he in such a hurry that he didn't even return to his headquarters? Was he afraid that reporting through official channels would cause delays, allowing someone to tip off the Azure Palace?

Delays breed trouble. It seemed Bai Ziqi had maintained complete secrecy on his journey south; his opponents had no idea he had gone to Yangshui.

Having finally gained this crucial head start, he certainly couldn't afford to lose it.

Moreover, He Lingchuan also noticed that Bai Ziqi had deployed the Celestial Palace Guard rather than the Harmonious Heart Guard. It would have clearly been more convenient and more conventional to mobilize the Harmonious Heart Guard in the south of the city.

Bai Ziqi was such a meticulous and cautious person; how could he make such a basic mistake?

Upon reflection, it was clear that the Celestial Palace Guard were his trusted people, whom he could deploy with complete confidence.

"What happened next?"

"The Azure Palace guards staunchly held their gates, refusing them entry," the hawk said. "Then His Highness sent me to summon the Envoy. I don't know what happened after that."

Bai Ziqi carried a divine edict; how dared the Azure Palace bar his entry? "What reason did the Azure Palace use to stop him?"

"The Azure Palace guards said that the National Preceptor was taming a dangerous divine artifact, and outsiders entering might be affected."

He Lingchuan clapped his hands, thinking it interesting. The excuse was clearly insincere, indicating that Bai Ziqi's surprise move had caught the Azure Palace off guard.

The fifteen-minute journey passed in the blink of an eye.

It was his first time approaching the Azure Palace. This complex, situated halfway up the mountain, was ancient and rustic. It didn't look much different from an ordinary aristocratic estate, except for its more numerous towering pagodas and thicker outer walls.

He Lingchuan was stopped halfway up the mountain. Cheval de frise had already been set up as roadblocks, and with Celestial Palace Guards in shining armor holding halberds planted firmly on the mountain path, even a fool would know to stay away.

However, the area in front of the roadblock was crowded with people, mostly onlookers who didn't understand the situation.

The Celestial Palace and the Azure Palace were the most important powers in Spirit Void City; why were they suddenly clashing today?

He Lingchuan knew there must be spies of unknown origin present.

He even mused that at such a historic moment, Xi Yunhe might be lurking in some nearby corner, secretly observing.

He and his attendant displayed their waist tokens, and the Celestial Palace Guard let them pass.

The most crucial clue had come from the Chiyan people, so Bai Ziqi had to show some deference to the Chiyan Crown Prince.

The mountain pavilion in front of the Azure Palace main gate was occupied, and several tents had been set up.

When He Lingchuan arrived, Fu Shanyue happened to be walking out with Bai Ziqi. Seeing him, Fu Shanyue smiled and said, "He Xiao, come quickly and witness the Azure Palace's desperate resistance!"

He Lingchuan asked, surprised, "What's the situation now?"

Bai Ziqi gestured forward with his chin. "The Azure Palace gates are tightly shut. Our first wave of assault just ended. Their protective formation is truly difficult to breach."