Chapter 724: Echo 5 Who Blames Whom?

“Yes, Lingxu City has many enemies, so why did all previous invasions fail? Why did Fang Canran lurk in Lingxu City for decades and never find an opportunity to act? Could this be the norm? Why was only He Lingchuan successful with one strike? Was his luck too good? Can luck alone account for the success of such a major undertaking?”

After much consideration, all variables ultimately boil down to "people." Dong Rui, though a participant, couldn't find an answer. He rubbed his chin and changed the subject: "Are you really not afraid they'll find you?"

"Yes, I am," He Lingchuan admitted truthfully. "But they should be looking in the wrong direction for the short term. Yes, short term."

"How so?"

"If you were the Heavenly Palace and the Demon Emperor, would you think that the disturbance in Mount Xu and the chaos in Lingxu City were caused by two different groups?"

Dong Rui shook his head without needing to think.

"The unrest in Lingxu City was clearly the result of meticulous planning by an organization," He Lingchuan said. He still vividly remembered the violent methods of Fang Canran's organization.

"Therefore, Lingxu City's investigation will also focus on this organization. Weren't those few demon immortals who stirred up Lingxu City conspicuous enough? Isn't it better for Lingxu City to start investigating them?" He Lingchuan spread his hands. "I have almost no connection with this organization, except for Fang Canran. As long as I act carefully, I won't appear on the Heavenly Palace's suspect list for at least some time."

He smiled brightly: "Looking at this outcome, Fang Canran and the organization behind him took the blame for me."

Fang Canran used He Lingchuan's Mount Xu plan to cause chaos in Lingxu City. He Lingchuan, in turn, used them to divert the Heavenly Palace's attention, gaining temporary safety. Both sides gained something, and neither suffered a loss.

Dong Rui was skeptical: "They really won't suspect you?"

"No matter how meticulous a plan is, flaws will inevitably appear during execution; this is unavoidable." The Mount Xu plan prioritized success, and during retreat, self-preservation was paramount, so some leaks were unavoidable. Lingxu City has plenty of talented individuals; how could they completely fail to find any evidence against him? For example, he had already used Zhu Erniang's amber blood pearls once before, during his fight against Fan Sheng in Baishajue. Although the spiders summoned in the two battles differed in size, number, and appearance, it's hard to guarantee that no one would make a connection. However, given his recent venture into the mountains to steal Zhu Erniang's immortal moulting, no matter how he concealed it, the Heavenly Palace would know he had a connection with Zhu Erniang, so it wouldn't be surprising for him to possess some spider demon abilities.

Nevertheless, He Lingchuan remained quite confident in the gods. Or rather, he had great confidence in Miaozhantian's touchstone divine art. Since he had passed Miaozhantian's judgment, he should have been cleared of all charges; the gods should have already believed he had no connection whatsoever with the Great Square Vase. Thus, even if there were some oversight in the Mount Xu plan, they might not necessarily attribute it to him. As long as there were other suspects to pursue, they wouldn't place him at the top of their list.

Dong Rui asked again: "Alright, alright, since you're so good at predicting, tell me, what will be the fate of that rock-fire monster, Zuju?"

"Its fate?" He Lingchuan said casually, "It's riding high right now. As long as it doesn't act foolishly or fall into a trap, it will have a very comfortable life from now on."

"Huh?" Dong Rui didn't believe him. "You mean it crumbled the Heavenly Palace and got away with it? Will the gods and the Demon Emperor really spare it?"

"Holding a grudge is inevitable, and settling scores will be for later," He Lingchuan smiled. "Matters have priorities. The Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City's top priority right now is to quell the chaos and restore their prestige. At a time like this, the right thing to do is to first stabilize Zuju and prevent the volcano from erupting further."

"The volcanic eruption stopped after we left Mount Xu's territory; but when the Lei Qing colossal beast attacked Lingxu City, Mount Tianshu erupted again. I see this as a sign that the Heavenly Palace and Zuju hadn't reached an agreement in their negotiations, and Zuju was putting pressure on the Heavenly Palace. If it hadn't played hard to get then, Zuju wouldn't have secured a good price."

That fellow Zuju had been suppressed by the Spirit Gathering Array for over a decade, directly demoted from a majestic mountain god to a mere watchdog, and the Heavenly Palace even cut its rations. Now that it's finally free, wouldn't it want to vent its immense frustration? Furthermore, having cooperated for so long, he understood the personality of this rock-fire monster. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as insatiable. Otherwise, why would the Heavenly Palace have suppressed it back then? It was precisely because its demands were endless and its appetite grew so large that even Lingxu City felt it couldn't afford to sustain it. Now that it has regained its freedom, it will naturally demand exorbitant prices from the Heavenly Palace. The Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City can only pay up on the spot.

At this moment, Lingxu City couldn't withstand another upheaval; both sides were well aware of this. Therefore, He Lingchuan didn't even need to be present to know that the Heavenly Palace would most likely concede to Zuju in the end, agreeing to its exorbitant demands.

After all, the Heavenly Palace had a long list of urgent matters, and the first item was to appease Zuju, to ensure it didn't cause trouble right under their noses, so they could have the capacity to do other things.

Dong Rui was puzzled: "Does the magnificent Heavenly Palace really have to be on Mount Xu? The Spirit Gathering Array is broken; can't the Heavenly Palace find somewhere else to build its palace? Why sit directly on a volcano?"

"The wisest course of action, as you said, would be to relocate and build the palace elsewhere," He Lingchuan chuckled. "But if Zuju is unhappy, it can still cause chaos throughout Lingxu City. Moreover, the Heavenly Palace is located on the highest peak of Mount Xu, which represents six hundred years of belief for the Beijia people. To prevent this faith from being shattered, they wouldn't want to move as long as there's even the slightest possibility."

Furthermore, if the Heavenly Palace were to move its buildings under threat from Zuju, it would be a huge loss of face. It would be tantamount to admitting, through their actions, that they couldn't overpower a single rock-fire monster. Therefore, they won't move unless absolutely necessary.

However, He Lingchuan was sure that the Heavenly Palace was no pushover either. It had always been in a superior position, yet this time it had to endure humiliation. Once this crisis subsides, it will definitely find a way to make Zuju pay.

That rock-fire monster Zuju is naturally rebellious, and later, wanting to cooperate with the Heavenly Palace, it will certainly use He Lingchuan's information to mend their relationship. Fortunately, He Lingchuan had foreseen this and never let its fire avatar know his name, where he lived, or what he looked like.

"Zuju and the Heavenly Palace are definitely at odds," He Lingchuan continued. "Aside from other losses, the theft of the divine object alone will make the Heavenly Palace utterly despise Zuju."

"Let them bicker and pull at each other," He Lingchuan thought. "That suits me just fine."

Dong Rui chuckled: "If Zuju causes a few more earthquakes, Lingxu City won't be able to stand it."

He Lingchuan, however, shook his head: "I estimate that causing earthquakes isn't that easy; it probably consumes a lot of energy. Zuju itself also has areas where it needs to compromise."

After traveling fifty li in this manner, the sky became overcast again.

After another thirty li, a fine rain began to fall.

With his autumn clothes half-damp, Dong Rui wasn't worried; instead, he was pleased: "So we really are following the rain?"

"That's right, heading west from here, it's all a rain belt," He Lingchuan smiled. "As long as we control our speed and keep pace with the rain, we can continue using the underground passages. The chances of Beijia discovering Zhu Dajiang are minimal."

This was also the most important reason he chose to head west. He had already accomplished such a grand feat as wreaking havoc in the Heavenly Palace; he certainly didn't want to stumble over some insignificant detail at the very end.

He handed Dong Rui a map wrapped in oil paper: "On our way west, we'll pass through a few towns; there might be some self-heal left in their warehouses. I've marked them on the map."

Dong Rui was overjoyed and snatched it: "You even managed to get this? This kid is so thoughtful; he's even anticipated our future concerns."

He Lingchuan smiled without a word.

The Snail Toad needs to regularly consume self-heal, otherwise it can't use the large shell on its back, the 'Mud Palace.' This was a priority they had to address during their retreat.

This map was a compilation of information provided by Fang Canran and Old Ge, the gibbon.

There might be some errors, but they shouldn't be significant.

With several flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, the light drizzle suddenly turned into a torrential downpour.

Dong Rui let out a strange cry: "Quick, into the Mud Palace!"

He Lingchuan took a deep breath of the cool air. The previous day's adventure felt like a lifetime ago. With the lid of the Great Square Vase taken by him, the Heavenly Palace and Lingxu City should no longer be able to sense its aura. The world was vast, and he could finally roam it freely!

From now on, like a dragon entering the sea or a hawk soaring through the sky.

"Where are we going next?" Dong Rui asked him. "Have you thought about it yet?"

He Lingchuan looked back at him and Zhu Dajiang, having already formed a plan:

"How about we return to Yan Country with me?"

He still had hidden dangers to eliminate. And some matters needed to be resolved.

—End of 'The Ideal Kingdom of Demons (Part Two)', concluding the first part of 'After the Immortals Disappeared'.