Chapter 2322: This Person

Everyone knew this was the local water spirit exerting its power. The Luo River's water spirit was a giant eel, identical in form to the one Qing Guang had manifested.

It mobilized its primordial energy and deployed its barrier to hold back the river water.

As long as they held out for a few dozen breaths, the first two flood peaks would pass the gorge and things would return to calm.

By now, Flying Arrival Peak had completely dissolved, just as abruptly as it had appeared.

Everyone else was bewildered; only He Lingchuan understood perfectly — it was Master Shuang Ye taking the Golden Core, successfully snatching victory from Qi Xia Sect.

This fellow truly has remarkable methods.

In short, Shuang Ye got what he wanted and shouldn't show his face again for a while.

Watching these scenes before him, He Lingchuan also felt a surge of emotion:

"Between Between Between Beijia is indeed full of talent — Bai Ziqi, Qing Yang, and figures like Shuang Ye, each startlingly brilliant and rich in experience. By comparison, Cang Yan's foundations are indeed somewhat shallow."

Cang Yan has been established for just over ten years; whether in civil governance or martial prowess, its talent reserves cannot compare with an old-line empire like Jia.

Since its founding, though it has greatly expanded education to benefit the masses, the time has been too short; the talents cultivated have only just begun to show their heads.

Viewed optimistically, Cang Yan's new atmosphere is gradually taking shape; viewed pessimistically, the era of great contention has already opened its curtain — how much time does Cang Yan have left to grow and develop? I fear Shan Jin's outstanding youths won't get to experience greenhouse nurturing before they must face the new generation's impact head-on.

Blessing is where misfortune lurks; misfortune is where blessing leans.

Alas, it's hard to say clearly.

The Blood Demon muttered: "Startlingly brilliant isn't necessarily a compliment — you've already killed two of those three. I reckon Shuang Ye won't have a good end either."

"Not necessarily." He Lingchuan held a different view. "Bai Ziqi is the Heavenly Palace's loyal servant, Qing Yang is the Demon Emperor's dead loyalist, but Shuang Ye is different. I see it — he's loyal only to himself. A person like that has had no fundamental conflict with me from the start; there's no need to fight to the death over stance. Moreover, my understanding of Shuang Ye actually exceeds others' by a bit."

"What understanding?"

He Lingchuan smiled, recalling that small, maple-leaf-engraved grave mound in the demon nest.

But he didn't speak of that, instead saying:

"I also heard some rumors from Between Between Between Beijia — in his youth, the Ling Xu Wang Ting wanted to execute Shuang Ye, but Master Qiu Gong intervened against all opposition, brought him back, and raised him to adulthood."

The Blood Demon said without thinking: "This Master Qiu Gong didn't have any good intentions either, right?"

It never believed there were many truly kind-hearted people in the world.

"Few outsiders know what goes on in Qiu Gong." He Lingchuan also spoke lightly. "Twenty-odd years later, Master Qiu Gong died of illness, Shuang Ye assumed his post, and single-handedly handled his funeral affairs. In short, around the time of his succession, many things happened, and many people died."

"As it should be." The Blood Demon chuckled. "Without bloody storms, how could one be worthy of the glory of a Master's position? Hmph, alright — no wonder you conceded benefits to him. He wanted the Golden Core; you wanted to understand the man."

"That's not wrong either. The old Qiu Gong Master's Lady was surnamed Cao; she passed away over a hundred years ago, but the Cao clan members are still protected by Shuang Ye to this day, because the old Cao Lady took good care of Shuang Ye back then." He Lingchuan stretched lazily. "Alright, let's go check the situation at the Bing Yuan Si, and retrieve the mirror on the way."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror is probably about to collapse, right?

He withdrew from the crowded throng, waved to summon the Hei Bo Wang, and headed for Xun Yang Mountain.

Accompanied by the rushing sound of the Luo River's flow, the people of Wei An City spent a joyous, lively evening.

Next morning, officials began dispatching men to clear the official road near the Northwest Relay Station; last night a landslide had blocked both main and side roads, yet the relay station had miraculously suffered not the slightest damage.

Everyone said the Dragon God had blessed them.

The shopkeeper also hugged his iron shovel and joined the cleanup crew; at this moment the mountain marsh manifested a spirit, directly turning the soil and rocks blocking the road into a stone man, letting it climb up and walk away on its own.

The remaining mud, sand, gravel, and tree stumps on the road surface were smaller; people then cleared them clean by hand.

Just as everyone was nearly finished, someone suddenly came running from ahead:

"There are dead people at the fork ahead — six of them!"

"Crushed to death by falling rocks from the landslide?"

"No no, they were definitely murdered! Their eyeballs were gouged out!"

Six? The relay station shopkeeper froze slightly, threw down his shovel, and strode off in large steps.

Sure enough, at the fork half a li away, several heads were stacked neatly in a row, each with both eyes gouged out, bloodstains congealed on the faces, but the corners of their mouths all bore a bizarre smile!

Like they were laughing heartily, gums bared.

The moment the shopkeeper saw them, he subconsciously retreated half a step, cold air rising straight to his heart. Because these six were exactly the ones who had cased his shop last night, planning to ambush the red-robed guest on the road.

They usually robbed travelers too; who would have thought that those who hunt geese every day would one day have their eyes pecked out by a goose.

But this manner of death was just too horrifying.

Who killed them — that red-robed guest?

The red-robed guest left the relay station during the landslide and even went specially to the fork, killing them all?

These six heads — are they laughing at their own blindness?

The shopkeeper retreated two steps, silently turned, and walked away.

……

He Lingchuan personally made a trip to Xun Yang Mountain to retrieve the Soul-Capturing Mirror.

The mirror surface had several cracks, witnessing the previous battle's ferocity. The Giant Spirit God's fists were indeed heavy; at that time, if it had been delayed by just a few dozen more breaths, the world inside the mirror would have collapsed.

"Ow ow ow ow, gentle gentle!" The mirror wailed with a mournful face. "I'm going to shatter! This is a workplace injury, a major workplace injury!"

"You haven't been injured in many years." Since He Lingchuan founded the nation, he rarely took the field personally, and the mirror had enjoyed a life of ease and comfort along with him. This thing really can't be spoiled — has it forgotten the good old days when it got injured every three days?

He Lingchuan took out a bottle of medicinal plaster and smeared all the red-gold flowing ointment inside onto the mirror surface's cracks.

This treasure is called Flowing Gold Ointment, made from fresh Imperial Flowing Pulp, specifically for injured magical artifacts and spirit tools.

When people are injured they need medicine; magical artifacts are actually the same. Imperial Flowing Pulp is highly effective for both people and magical artifacts.

The mirror kept crying: "Those few Giant Spirit Gods nearly smashed my brains out!"

The Blood Demon couldn't stand listening: "You're a mirror — do you have brains?"

"Why wouldn't I?" The mirror raged. "If I'm smashed to pieces, the silver backing will flow out! Besides, I tanked an Ancient Xu Ling head-on — not shattering into a pile of slag is already amazing… more, more!"

He Lingchuan shrugged, scooped another fingerful of ointment, and applied it thickly.

The mirror hummed comfortably twice and finally shut up.

For convenience, on his return to Wei An City, He Lingchuan still received Liu Qingdao at the suburban lumber yard, listening to his report on the Qi Xia Sect incident.

Liu Qingdao recounted the battle just now, and then said: "Qixia Sect has already surrendered and accepted punishment, voluntarily pledging the Giant Spirit God and Qionglong as collateral for the fine. As for its future mountain gate garrison, what do you think?"

When discussing the sect's garrison, Qixia Sect also pledged Qionglong over.