Chapter 677: Seeing the Show on One's Own Head

The mercenary, Hu Bin, who ambushed him in Fubound, turned out to be Hong Chenglüe! No wonder his movement style, blade techniques, and eyes brimming with hatred all seemed so familiar.

"He didn't make a move in the past two months because he had reservations." Hong Chenglüe had recognized him as He Lingchuan back at Dunyuan, but hadn't killed his enemy on the spot because he was waiting for another chance to distinguish himself on the battlefield. With important matters at hand, he could only temporarily put aside personal revenge. Conversely, once Hong Chenglüe finally seized this opportunity, could his long-suppressed hatred still be contained? "I suspect he wants to settle old scores with me before we depart eastward. Taking action in Lingxu City is too risky, so Fubound would be the ideal place."

The mirror sighed, "I thought you had already convinced him at Dunyuan not to seek revenge."

He Lingchuan chuckled, "Someone with such strong resolve wouldn't change his mind just by hearing a few words from his enemy."

"But he sought revenge against you…"

"He sought revenge because he believed I'd be easy to kill," He Lingchuan said, wiping his face and lying on the bed. "He sought revenge, thinking it would provide closure for A-Jin, but in reality, it's just for his own peace of mind."

Many parties were responsible for A-Jin's death. Beijia was responsible. Grand Master Frostleaf was responsible. Wu Qing, who gave A-Jin the Cold Dove Powder, was also responsible. The He family father and son were responsible. A-Jin herself was responsible. Hong Chenglüe, of course, bore some responsibility too. If he didn't avenge his beloved wife, the guilt, anger, and pain in his heart would never subside, tormenting him day and night. But he couldn't seek revenge against Beijia or Grand Master Frostleaf, nor could he commit suicide with his blade, so he was left to vent his rage on the remaining targets. During their meeting at Dunyuan, He Lingchuan learned that Wu Qing was already dead, having been an easy target. In Hong Chenglüe's original estimation, He Lingchuan should also have been an easy kill, a quick few slashes to avenge A-Jin. Only then could his heart find peace. So even if he understood all of He Lingchuan's arguments, he still wouldn't spare him.

After hearing this, the mirror immediately changed its question: "He has already left Lingxu to go to the front line; is this good or bad for us?"

"Of course it's good," He Lingchuan replied without hesitation. "The person who knew my background and was keeping an eye on me has left, removing another obstacle from our plan." With major matters taking precedence, he could temporarily set aside the tangled vendetta between himself and Hong Chenglüe.

The next day, rumors were flying all over Lingxu City. Rumors swirled: Grand Master Qingyang had fallen from power, or been executed; the Emperor intended to dismantle Qing Palace, with all its members currently arrested and imprisoned... The stories became increasingly detailed and convincing. In fact, even Fu Shanyue, the primary victim of the Elixir of Immortality case, couldn't get any news from Lingxiao Palace. Flying was forbidden above the royal palace, with execution for violators. As a result, the eagles returned empty-handed. Yet, at the very eye of this storm, both Lingxiao Palace and Heavenly Palace remained unusually silent, refusing to reveal even a hint of information to outsiders. Everyone deduced that these two sides were either negotiating or had already reached an agreement.

As a result, near dusk, a squirrel jumped down from a large tree, almost landing on He Lingchuan's face. It delivered an extremely surprising message:

"I must leave Lingxu City, immediately!— Tong Wei."

He Lingchuan was greatly alarmed, as "Tong Wei" was Dong Rui's alias. Why was this guy suddenly leaving for no good reason, and in such a frantic rush, as if his backside was on fire? In He Lingchuan's plan, Dong Rui held crucial roles at both the beginning and the end. If he left, He Lingchuan's Xushan plan would be stillborn before it even began. How could this be! "Where is he?"

The squirrel reported that upon visiting the hidden location, it had seen Dong Rui packing his bags, and the guards stationed outside had been replaced with a new group.

"Let's go," He Lingchuan said without another word, using the dim light to shake off the Concentric Guards and quickly descend the mountain.

This brings us to Dong Rui's residence. He originally lived in Liuxiang, Xidui District, which was too far from Pianxiang Villa; it would take two hours even riding a rock goat at full speed. He Lingchuan frequently needed to consult him about plans, and a four-hour round trip was simply too inconvenient. Moreover, the residents of Liuxiang regarded everyone with suspicion, so He Lingchuan urged him to move. Dong Rui was initially reluctant, but Young Master He was resourceful, and Dong Rui, worn down by his insistence, reluctantly agreed. Another residence he purchased was only two li from Pianxiang Villa, a short trot away for a rock goat. Xi Yunhe also questioned Dong Rui's move, but Dong Rui righteously argued that the new house was larger and better. He was in Lingxu City to work for Grand Master Frostleaf, so why should he spend his days cooped up in a tiny, sunless courtyard? Of course, he had previously relocated the Snail Toad to a different suburban spot, claiming there was more wild self-heal and more abundant dew there. Xi Yunhe, therefore, didn't bother to inquire further. To him, Dong Rui was simply the doctor treating the Snail Toad and didn't require much attention. The Elixir of Immortality case had reached a critical juncture, naturally consuming all of Grand Master Frostleaf's and Xi Yunhe's energy. However, the situation had now taken a new turn.

He Lingchuan found it hard not to associate Dong Rui's temporary departure with the major events that happened in the city yesterday. There was likely some connection between the two. Damn it, this truly felt like the drama was unfolding right on his doorstep!

The house Dong Rui bought was next door to a stable that had gone out of business due to mismanagement and had remained vacant, unable to find a new owner. Its backyard was large, with high walls, a muddy ground, and knee-high weeds in the corners. Some grass blades were clearly flattened, and He Lingchuan also found traces of a dried, reflective, somewhat familiar-looking slime on the ground. It wasn't hard to guess what this abandoned yard had been used for. He Lingchuan peered over the stable wall. Inside Dong Rui's residence, three unfamiliar guards stood, intentionally or unintentionally positioned around Dong Rui's room in a triangular formation, encircling it. He changed his angle, and through the window, he could see Dong Rui pacing anxiously inside the room. To sneak into the room, he would have to at least knock down one guard. This was definitely not a good time for a fight.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment, summoned the eyeball spider, and whispered to it: "Go find Dong Rui." After the guards patrolled past, he threw the spider towards the window. The creature was too light, forcing him to apply a small amount of his true power. The little guy landed on the outer wall, all eight legs moving, and in two swift movements, it slipped into the window.

Dong Rui had just paused to pour water. As he picked up his cup, a voice suddenly whispered in his ear: "Dong Rui." Startled, his hand trembled, spilling water from the cup. He looked around frantically, but there was no one else in the room. "Here," the eyeball spider jumped onto the rim of the cup and waved its front paw at him. Only then did Dong Rui realize that this was not the one given to him by Madam Zhu Er. "Toss your eyeball spider out to me! We can talk if we exchange them." Wait, it could be used like that? Dong Rui paused, then took out his own eyeball spider, murmured a few words, walked to the window, and tossed it towards the opposite courtyard wall.

Soon, this little thing climbed over the wall and found He Lingchuan. He held the spider to his ear; inside, Dong Rui mirrored the action. Each holding the other's eyeball spider, they could now hear and receive each other's words, enabling instant communication without alerting the guards.

"Can you hear me?" He Lingchuan found a corner and crouched down.

"Of course!" Dong Rui snapped back. He Lingchuan had managed to discover a new use for two perfectly good eyeball spiders, but Dong Rui was in no mood for praise. "This is bad news! Xi Yunhe just came to me, saying that Grand Master Qingyang testified to the Sky God that I am the source of her divine blood! I can't stay in Lingxu City anymore; he told me to evacuate immediately!"

Grand Master Qingyang... would actually implicate Dong Rui? The news was so shocking that He Lingchuan's head buzzed, leaving him speechless for a moment. It appeared Grand Master Qingyang had indeed escaped Qing Palace, infiltrated Tianxin Island, and met with the Emperor yesterday. She had only one chance to persuade the Emperor, and she actually dragged this guy into it? These were two people completely unrelated to each other; Grand Master Qingyang probably didn't even know Dong Rui existed!

Wait a minute, wait a minute! In his view, the Sky God's primary reasons for concern regarding the Elixir of Immortality case were twofold: to uphold divine authority and to uncover the source of Grand Master Qingyang's divine blood. Something that couldn't even be obtained in Lingxu City's black market — which claimed to have everything — it was indispensable for Grand Master Qingyang to refine and sell the Elixir of Immortality. In essence, the righteous deities, including the Saint Lord of Lingxu, wanted to confirm whether Grand Master Qingyang was secretly colluding with another god! If Grand Master Qingyang truly did so, she absolutely couldn't admit it; otherwise, the deity supporting her might find a way to extricate her. If she exposed them, they wouldn't let it go. She would then face enemies on all sides, and her fate would be utterly miserable. Therefore, she had to find a way to bluff her way through. The best method was to find some unfortunate soul who already possessed divine blood and frame them.

He Lingchuan couldn't help scratching his head. Why would Grand Master Qingyang know that Dong Rui had divine blood in his possession? With roots so deep, this woman clearly had a backup plan, making her difficult to topple.

"Hey, did you hear me?" Dong Rui snarled, receiving no reply. He was in grave danger; ordinarily, he would have fled without a word, but giving He Lingchuan a heads-up before leaving was quite honorable.

"I heard you," He Lingchuan said, pressing his temples, a headache beginning to throb. "How do you plan to leave? With the Snail Toad?"

"Of course," Dong Rui replied matter-of-factly. "With the Snail Toad, I can go anywhere. Lingxu City is too vast for the authorities to install and constantly activate anti-escape formations throughout the entire place."

"Xi Yunhe has gone to the outskirts to retrieve the Snail Toad for me. The moment it arrives, I'm gone." Dong Rui sounded a little embarrassed as he said this. "Please apologize to Madam Zhu Er on my behalf; I can't fulfill her commission." His own life, after all, was paramount.

It wasn't just Madam Zhu Er's commission; if Dong Rui left, He Lingchuan's own carefully laid plans would also be ruined. Of course, He Lingchuan had never told Dong Rui about his objective to steal the artifact from the Star-Picking Tower, which was the lid of the Grand Square Vessel.

What should he do now? If Dong Rui left, he would truly vanish without a trace, to the ends of the earth. He Lingchuan's eyes darted about, and he quickly stated, "You can't leave!"

"What?" Dong Rui became wary. "Why can't I leave? I can't help you anymore!"