Chapter 767: Pointing Out Talents

The Elixir of Immortality case, which had once caused a stir in the imperial capital, ended so abruptly, likely because the incident in Lingxu City suddenly erupted and seized all the citizens' attention. The sordid details hidden in the dark quietly obscured the truth once more. From this perspective, He Lingchuan could be considered Imperial Advisor Qingyang's savior.

The world only envied Lingxu City's wealth and stability and worshipped its unparalleled strength, but from He Lingchuan's perspective, it was also riddled with flaws. In this respect, Lingxu City seemed no different from Yuan Country.

"And on the eastern front, Beijia suffered two defeats. I wonder if that was influenced by the turmoil in Lingxu City."

"In any case, the changes brought about by this upheaval are far-reaching; it will likely be a long time before we can fully grasp them," Elder Dao sighed. "Young Master He, you and Songyuan have truly accomplished extraordinary feats."

He Lingchuan waved his hands repeatedly, a humble expression on his face. "Elder, you flatter us," he said. "We're not that capable."

*Chuckle.* He himself thought that what he had done was quite difficult, and his life had been on the line.

He then remembered something else. "Oh, by the way, since Imperial Advisor Qingyang has been demoted to commoner, who will succeed her as Imperial Advisor of Qinggong?"

The position of Imperial Advisor is crucial; Lingxu City cannot leave it vacant for long.

"How could it be that fast?" Elder Dao said with a smile. "I heard there are thirty or forty candidates being put forward to the Demon Emperor... *cough*, well, that's an exaggeration, but all major factions are strongly recommending their own people, hoping they can get the position."

"Lingxu City has such a well-established system. Shouldn't the Head of Qinggong already have a successor? Imperial Advisor Qingyang is quite old; didn't Lingxu City ever plan for her replacement?"

"Yes, there were, all highly talented individuals. But most of them had previous contact with Imperial Advisor Qingyang, and because of this incident, none of them can be used now." Elder Dao's single sentence conveyed the cruelty of power struggles, where the futures of so many talented individuals were cut short by an undeserved calamity. "They must select new candidates."

"Regarding this matter, I heard denunciations are pouring in. Not to mention other candidates, Nie Xiaolou, the highly respected dean of Tongshan Academy, was even detained and spent fifteen days in prison because of it. Students from several academies and the Imperial College jointly petitioned to prove Nie Xiaolou's innocence, and students from Tongshan Academy even gathered in front of the court, begging the Demon Emperor to release him."

"Furthermore, after the Lingxu incident, the Demon Emperor, wielding thunderous power, ordered a thorough purge of the Lingxu court and officials, to identify traitors, expose evil, and uncover spies." Elder Dao clicked his tongue twice. "Once this order was issued, everyone felt insecure, and denunciations became rampant. It's said that in recent months, the Heavenly Prison and the Yang Palace on Mount Xu have been completely full, unable to hold any more prisoners. Lingxu City has even had to commandeer prisons in the lower city."

"That's enough to give them a headache," He Lingchuan thought, assuming that the Heavenly Palace and the Demon Emperor were making such a big fuss just to capture Fang Canran and the others from Mount Ling. Little did he know, the Demon Emperor actually wanted to capture *him*, believing that the instigator of the Mount Xu chaos was hiding within Lingxu City's royal court, an official under his own command! So wouldn't they investigate to the extreme? Not a single clue, not a single hint of anything suspicious, could be overlooked. How many unjust, fabricated, and erroneous cases must have been created in the process?

Elder Dao took out a jade slip. "The candidates Master Xue and I wish to recommend to Young Master He are all here," he said. "All of them have military experience and battle merits, and their character is impeccable. I carefully selected each one."

He Lingchuan took the slip and sent his spiritual sense into it. Inside was a roster containing the detailed resumes of about sixty people, including each person's name, special skills, past qualifications, proficiency in divine abilities, and so on. Most importantly, they had all been to battlefields, killed people, and seen blood; they weren't just young disciples of Rongshan who only knew how to cultivate. Master Xue and Elder Dao already regarded He Lingchuan as one of their own, a like-minded individual, and knew that this path was fraught with difficulties, so they wouldn't recommend inexperienced newcomers to him.

He Lingchuan slowly made his selection and indeed found several candidates he liked. After a while, he put down the jade slip and asked the two, "Can I designate a specific person?"

"Who else caught your eye?"

He Lingchuan jutted his chin out. "Qiu Hu. He must have fought many battles, right?" This person's fierce and ruthless nature had left a deep impression on him. If Qiu Hu's past resume wasn't extensive, then he was a born warrior.

Elder Dao and Master Xue exchanged glances, appearing unsurprised. "You also want to choose him, just as we expected."

"As expected?" He Lingchuan mused. "It seems many factions are interested in him. So why is he still at Rongshan?"

"I recommended him several times, and he was chosen several times. He achieved many military merits, having killed no fewer than a hundred people." (After all, He Lingchuan wasn't the only one with an eye for talent; raw talent wouldn't wait only for him to discover it.) "But he always came back in the end."

"Why?"

"He's naturally unruly and dislikes following orders; he also looks down on his superiors because most military commanders can't fight or battle as well as he can. Yet, he's quite popular among the soldiers, and every time he causes trouble, it escalates into a mass brawl. The generals and commanders would then have no choice but to quickly send him back to Rongshan." Elder Dao stroked his long beard. "After several such incidents, we simply had to let him stay at Rongshan and do nothing."

So he was a troublemaker. Even so, He Lingchuan could still discern Elder Dao's fondness for Qiu Hu.

"Qiu Hu lost his parents at a young age and was also mute," Master Xue added. "Elder Zhao brought him back to Rongshan and cured his muteness. By the time he could speak, he was already eleven. His cultivation talent is very special; he formed a pact with a demon spirit at birth and can use some of its power."

"A demon spirit?" This was the first time He Lingchuan had heard that term.

"In ancient times, some powerful demons, unwilling to perish after severe injury, would find ways to preserve their souls and seek out humans willing to revere them. In doing so, their souls would transform into spirits, allowing them to coexist with human descendants and be passed down through generations."

"So Qiu Hu was accompanied by a demon spirit from birth?"

"Precisely. This must have been passed down to him by his father before his death," Master Xue sighed softly. "The stronger the human who forms a pact with a demon spirit, the more power they can wield from that spirit. Qiu Hu has excellent innate talent, and his future in cultivation is bright."

"I see. What kind of demon spirit is his?"

Master Xue smiled. "He'll have to tell you that himself." That was Qiu Hu's secret; Master Xue couldn't reveal it unless Qiu Hu himself chose to.

He Lingchuan said seriously, "I want this person."

Elder Dao replied, "We certainly agree to lend Qiu Hu, but whether he's willing to follow you is up to him."

He Lingchuan coughed lightly. "I injured him, so..." It would be only natural for Qiu Hu to bear a grudge. He also noticed that Elder Dao used the word "lend" instead of "give away," indicating Rongshan's high regard for Qiu Hu.

"On the contrary, he will only willingly follow you if you can defeat him," Master Xue said, waving his hand. "However, at this moment, I'm afraid he won't want to leave Rongshan."

"Oh? Why not?"