Chapter 688: Six Hundred Year Ancient Capital

If this truly succeeded, it would conversely indicate that He Lingchuan was already capable of thinking from the perspectives of the Heavenly Palace, the Demon Emperor, and State Preceptor Qingyang. The more his thoughts resonated with theirs, the better He Lingchuan could understand them.

"But that's not right," the Mirror said, finding a flaw. "How long has Nian Zanli been a Beijia defector? State Preceptor Qingyang's elixir business has been running for many years. To claim Nian Zanli is the source of divine blood doesn't match up with the timeline. Wouldn't anyone with an ounce of sense see that Nian Zanli is being made a scapegoat?"

"Anyone with an ounce of sense?" He Lingchuan asked. "Who exactly are you referring to?"

"Uh..." The Mirror was stunned. "Aren't all those people outside watching with wide eyes?"

"Although the Elixir of Immortality case is rampant and widely publicized, do ordinary citizens know the true formula for the elixir?"

"Probably not," the Mirror replied. It had heard various versions of the elixir's formula circulating outside. The most exaggerated one claimed that, in addition to the essence pearls extracted from demon bodies, the elixir required ten-thousand-year-old ganoderma, ten-thousand-year-old holly, the blood of pure yang youths, and even the nails and urine of ancient immortals to be concocted. Had any versions mentioned "divine blood"? Certainly, but among the many sensational tales, it lacked prestige and appeal, thus gaining little acceptance.

He Lingchuan poured some water. "Have you seen them pay any attention to the source of divine blood?"

To the common people, "divine blood" was too remote to comprehend; they had no concept of it, and the authorities certainly wouldn't guide them or provide explanations. Their attention and anger were entirely focused on the "essence pearls," because these were cruelly and savagely harvested alive from ordinary demon folk. Everyone understood this brutality, and everyone felt righteous indignation.

"Those who are certain that divine blood is a key ingredient are already insiders," He Lingchuan said calmly. "The high officials and nobles of Lingxu City know, the aristocratic families know, and some imperial academy students might also know. Do you think any of them would protest to the Heavenly Palace, claiming Nian Zanli was framed or that the divine blood has a different source? What benefit would that bring them?"

Nian Zanli was merely a surrendered general with no ties in Lingxu City; he was indeed the perfect sacrifice.

"Those merely watching won't speak up, and those involved certainly won't mention it," He Lingchuan shrugged. "Didn't I just explain that pinning the blame on either Dong Rui or Nian Zanli is nonsense? Do you think any of them don't know Nian Zanli is being wronged?"

"Well... even if they ignore Nian Zanli, couldn't State Preceptor Shuangye's faction come out against this?"

"If the blame isn't placed on Nian Zanli, then the investigation into the divine blood source would have to continue with Dong Rui. Would State Preceptor Shuangye agree to that?" With Dong Rui's involvement with the Snapping Toad, State Preceptor Shuangye wouldn't appear so innocent in this case. This was precisely why he himself absolutely refused to get involved. To ensure Bai Ziqin investigated the key witness Kong Jiaxiang, State Preceptor Shuangye even borrowed troops from a foreign country and asked He Lingchuan to intervene.

"Then would the deity backing State Preceptor Shuangye just let it go?"

"Since the Demon Emperor personally escorted State Preceptor Qingyang to Mount Xu, it indicates that both the Demon Emperor and the Lingxu Heavenly Gods have each taken a step back and reached a compromise," He Lingchuan shook his head. "I don't know the exact details, but it's likely just about the divine blood, isn't it? Merely hunting demons for their pearls wouldn't be enough to bring down State Preceptor Qingyang."

"There's also the vassal demon state," he added. "But they only need to expose State Preceptor Qingyang to embarrass Lingxu City. Why would they care who Nian Zanli is? These high-ranking individuals understand the essence of 'grasping the big and letting go of the small'." With the main parties involved in this case no longer pursuing it, and their respective objectives already met, did the truth still matter?

"You see," He Lingchuan leisurely remarked, "in such a sensational event in Beijia, the attacking side aims to achieve its goals, the participants seek to protect their interests, and only ordinary people want to know the truth. It's a pity, but the more people desire the truth, the further they end up from it." There were always some secrets outsiders could not touch.

The Mirror sighed, "What if you're wrong? What if an honest official truly speaks out and insists on investigating until the truth is fully revealed?"

"Why not wait and see?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "Humans plan, but Heaven decides. Is there ever a foolproof plan? Stepping back, even if Nian Zanli doesn't become a scapegoat, he's already linked to the Elixir of Immortality case and divine blood. Do you think, given Lingxu City's efficiency, they'd release him back to Xunzhou within six months?"

"Hmm..." That seemed unlikely.

"Even if he eventually leaves Lingxu City, it'll be more than half a year from now, and he'll be put through the wringer. Isn't that enough time for his adversaries to meticulously plan a few more ways to deal with him?" He Lingchuan grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth. "It won't be over until he's dead."

The Mirror was speechless.

He Lingchuan finished his water, tossed the cup onto the table, and chuckled, "Heh heh, a six-hundred-year-old capital." If even someone like Nian Zanli, who had caused such turmoil throughout the Yan Kingdom, couldn't find solid footing in Lingxu City and fell into the whirlpool, how could a mere commoner like himself? He Lingchuan had long intended to leave. After completing his tasks, how would he make a clean exit?

From the next day, scattered pieces of information began to trickle in to He Lingchuan. Some came from Old Ge, others from Fang Canran, and even from a few students of the Lingxu Imperial Academy, as some of them were now serving in the Royal Court or under high-ranking officials.

However, there was silence from Li Qingge's side. He Lingchuan knew this was to avoid suspicion. After Nian Zanli's arrest, he had tried to implicate her, even without evidence. Although Li Qingge had no connection to the Elixir of Immortality case and Lingxu City hadn't interrogated her, they might have secretly sent people to watch Songyang Manor closely. At a time like this, the further He Lingchuan stayed from her, the better.

Fortunately, he had already received the items he commissioned Songyang Manor to create, and Old Dan delivered another: The Dragon-Punishing Pillar. The Dragon-Punishing Pillar, which Li Qingge had sent out, had made a round trip to the Ten Thousand Spears Marsh and was now back in the hands of its original owner, He Lingchuan.

The Dragon-Punishing Pillar looked no different from before, except for some dark red liquid/gas inside. He had asked Old Dan, who had found the pillar's glass tube to be very empty and transparent. As expected, it was demonic energy, invisible to ordinary people.

He Lingchuan had created the Dragon-Punishing Pillar and asked Li Qingge to send it to the Ten Thousand Spears Marsh merely to divert the attention of the Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City. He hadn't expected it to collect a significant amount of demonic energy.

"What happened in the Ten Thousand Spears Marsh?" Only a massive death toll could enable the Dragon-Punishing Pillar to collect so much demonic energy in such a short time.

"Ah, I heard that the Ten Thousand Spears Forest is plagued by an infestation of insects that devour people, trees, and livestock. At its worst, entire villages and towns were wiped out, giving Juba Kingdom a terrible headache," Old Dan said. "The people the Marquis sent only stayed for one night; they didn't dare get too close and quickly retreated."

"Insect infestation?" This world was full of wonders. Could insects really devour people directly? However, he was currently preoccupied with pressing matters and had no time to ponder further. The return of the Dragon-Punishing Pillar was an unexpected gain.

Now, with State Preceptor Qingyang's arrest, the entire Lingxu City had once again become a massive whirlpool of public opinion. The common people were abuzz with excitement, like chickens given a shot of adrenaline, churning out conspiracy theories one after another. The public began to predict and even yearn for which powerful figures would fall in this terrifying upheaval. They didn't know the truth, but they yearned to see towering mansions collapse overnight.

Compared to the lower city's lively spectators, the entire upper city of Lingxu was shrouded in an atmosphere of unease and fear, with people's minds unsettled. Firstly, some influential figures quietly sent their families out of the capital.

The news from Fang Canran was concise and definitive: Nian Zanli, Governor of Xunzhou, was suddenly taken from his home by the Imperial Censor and the Capital Cloud Envoy and has now been transferred to Yang Palace on Mount Xu.

Few words, great significance. He Lingchuan immediately sensed the profound implications: Only those who had offended deities were sent to Yang Palace. Furthermore, Fang Canran's use of "transferred" implied that Nian Zanli had been moved after his arrest, likely taken directly to Yang Palace by the Heavenly Gods. Unlike State Preceptor Qingyang, he wasn't protected by the Emperor. He Lingchuan dared not even imagine what Nian Zanli would face in Yang Palace.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror was shocked upon hearing this. "Did State Preceptor Qingyang really implicate him?"

"Otherwise, he should be in the Heavenly Prison. Why was he rushed to Yang Palace so quickly? Even if someone wanted to help him, there's no chance now." Heh, a six-hundred-year-old officialdom. "Rest in peace, scapegoat."

Nian Zanli had tried to borrow troops but couldn't deploy them, meaning the Yan Kingdom should be temporarily safe, and Xia Province, under He Chunhua's governance, would also be spared a military disaster. Although this matter was convoluted and had a few hitches along the way, it was ultimately completed according to plan. It was an explanation for Li Qingge, for the Yan Kingdom, and even for himself.

He Lingchuan would not forget that he and his father had entered the Coiled Dragon Desert and faced a life-or-death ordeal because Nian Zanli had sent his son to falsely convey a royal decree. Now, this personal vendetta was finally settled. A gentleman's revenge is never too late. Furthermore, since Nian Zanli couldn't return to Xunzhou, he wouldn't be able to coordinate with Grand Marshal Dong Haoming's rebels in the western Yan Kingdom, thereby greatly reducing the pressure on the Yan Kingdom.

Now, with increasing experience, He Lingchuan, though disdainful of the Yan Royal Court's ways, did not wish to see the country plunge into the fires of war. In the end, it was always the common people who suffered the most from constant conflict.

So, next, he had to attend to his own important matters. Dong Rui was already under surveillance, and every extra day he stayed here increased the risk of being discovered.

When He Lingchuan returned to Pianxiang Villa in the evening, he bumped into Fu Shanyue, who was rushing out. The fellow was so oblivious that his hat was askew, and a servant had to tiptoe to straighten it for him. He Lingchuan asked, surprised, "What's the rush?"

Fu Shanyue grabbed him. "You're back just in time! Hurry, come with me to see the excitement!"

He Lingchuan saw the impatient eagerness on his face. "What's so exciting that it makes the Crown Prince of Chiyan lose his composure?" Although Fu Shanyue had no connection whatsoever to the word "composure" to begin with.

"I'll tell you on the way!" Fu Shanyue jumped onto his mount, which was already waiting outside the gate. "It would be a shame to miss it if we're late!"