Chapter 2990

Wang Qun did not return home all night; his family assumed he had stayed at the prefectural office to handle official business — after all, Lingxu City had just suffered a massive upheaval, and as the local city guard commander he must have been busy as a spinning top — but just as the You hour arrived, the City Guard Office sent someone to the Wang household looking for him, saying City Guard Wang was not at the government office either. The two sides cross-checked, and only then discovered Wang Qun was gone! The Wang family was terrified; they dispatched searchers through the night, and in the end Wang Qun's corpse was actually found in the small drainage ditch outside their own back gate! His eyes were wide open, and there was a bowl-sized round hole in his abdomen. Although he had died only a short while ago, the corpse was bizarrely soft, as if it had no bones. A few clumps of white soft threads were still stuck in his hair.

The Wang family summoned an imperial physician to examine the corpse; the latter said this was the work of a spider yaoguai with deep cultivation — City Guard Wang's five viscera and six bowels had all been dissolved by spider venom and then sucked dry.

At this time Lingxu City was already under the highest-level martial law, yet the murderer still came and went without a trace, killing with composure.

Rumor spread from somewhere that City Guard Wang had been killed by the Spider Queen dispatched by Cang Yan, and that the Spider Queen had arrived riding the Earth Mother Plains, infiltrated Lingxu City to act, but was discovered by City Guard Wang, so she killed him.

This rumor could then be linked to the "Earth Mother Plains" that the North Gate guards had previously spotted in the distance.

But Lingxu City has never lacked informed people; Wang Qun's words and actions at the Crown Prince's residence a few days ago quickly circulated.

His death also sent an unmistakably clear signal to all high-level figures in Between Between Between Beijia:

Those who oppose the Heavenly Gods, die!

When Nie Xiaolou received the news, he only felt the gloom hanging over Lingxu City grow even heavier, pressing down until one could hardly breathe, as if a hideous laughter were telling him:

"You're next!"

As for the other officials of the Yaodi faction, Nie Xiaolou might have been unable to reach them in time, but his own side had already strengthened protection around Wang Qun — yet he still could not escape. The Heavenly Gods' Heavenly Palace was also mocking him in this way:

Your abilities are utterly vulnerable before true great power!

Just then, a servant of the Qinggong came to report:

"Heavenly Palace Capital Cloud Envoy Hou Tianyu has come to visit!"

Nie Xiaolou was reading a message from Lingshan when he heard this and smiled.

Right after the Emperor's passing and the violent death of Lingxu City Guard Wang Qun, the Heavenly Palace wanted to talk with the Qinggong State Preceptor — and the one they sent was Hou Tianyu, which showed just how perfunctory they were.

Hou Tianyu had been a hot contender for the Chief Envoy position in the Heavenly Palace back then; unfortunately he lost to Lu Yongyan at the final step, and then spent the rest of his life as a Capital Cloud Envoy. But regardless, he was still the Heavenly Palace's number two; his status and position were right there.

The purpose of his visit to the Qinggong, Nie Xiaolou knew perfectly well.

After the Emperor's passing, the Lingxu Sacred Sovereign wanted to seize full authority over Between Between Between Beijia — that would require both coercion and inducement.

Wang Qun's death was a show of force to everyone.

Then the Heavenly Palace sent Hou Tianyu to call on Nie Xiaolou.

The two sides talked for over two ke; Hou Tianyu then flicked his sleeves and left, his expression displeased.

Nie Xiaolou picked up the teacup Hou Tianyu had drunk from and casually smashed it to pieces.

He could have played along superficially; that would have reduced resistance to his own actions in Lingxu City.

Too bad — he simply wasn't a pragmatic hero who knows the times.

At this juncture, he could not compromise; his attitude could not soften even a little.

$$$$$

He Lingchuan opened his eyes and once again saw the boundless sea of clouds outside the door.

This was not Panlongcheng, nor Bai Sha Bay, much less the Panlong World — but he had been coming here frequently lately.

He came so often that the mere sight of this cloud sea made him want to sigh involuntarily.

Right now he was inside a small wooden cabin; the furnishings were extremely simple — originally just a square table and two wooden chairs.

He Lingchuan swept a glance across the room and his brows furrowed:

There had originally been an oil lamp on this table, but now the oil lamp was gone, replaced by a potted plant!

The flower pot beneath it was no more than a palm in size; inside grew a small tree whose trunk and branches were bright gold, its dense leaves like green jade. It looked so beautiful it seemed fake.

He Lingchuan knew this was not a Juluo tree, nor any tree species he had ever seen — yet despite its tiny stature it bore the posture of an ancient veteran, its branches gnarled and curving, pointing straight at the heavens.

On the highest branch, a tiny tangerine-red lantern was actually hanging.

Wind blew in from the cloud sea, yet the lantern did not stir a thread.

He Lingchuan picked it up and examined it for a good while, discovering nothing unusual.

It was just a pretty little tree; he detected no magic power fluctuations — unlike the Juluo wood in Panlongcheng.

But its inexplicable appearance here was the greatest anomaly of all!

This cabin had only one door and one window; both faced the cloud sea.

Because this cabin stood isolated atop a hundred-zhang precipitous cliff like an eagle's beak; heaven and earth were vast, but as far as the eye could see there was only a boundless cloud sea — not a second peak in sight.

After setting down the potted plant, He Lingchuan discovered a second thing amiss:

The square table was still in the cabin, right before his eyes — but where had the two chairs gone?

In a place like this, how could chairs just disappear?

As he found it strange, a voice suddenly sounded from outside the cabin:

"You've come."

He Lingchuan's hair stood on end instantly!

This place!

How could there possibly be a second living person in this place!

And this voice was actually somewhat familiar.

He strode out of the cabin and actually saw a white-clothed man sitting on his chair, back leaning against the wooden wall, looking both comfortable and leisurely.

The other chair was placed on the other side of the door.

The moment He Lingchuan came out, the man turned his head.

That face had never changed; the instant He Lingchuan saw him he cried out involuntarily:

"Great Shaman?"

This fellow was actually Zhao Mandu the Great Shaman!

The Great Shaman had originally been smiling, but the moment he saw He Lingchuan his expression actually stiffened slightly:

"As expected, it's you."

What did that mean? He Lingchuan said irritably: "That line should be mine to say."

"First time meeting, come on, please have a seat!" The Dazhaman's oddness vanished in an instant, he pointed to another chair by the door and naturally greeted He Lingchuan to sit down.

This reversal of host and guest left He Lingchuan somewhat amused and exasperated. But he also noticed Dazhaman's strange wording:

First time meeting.

Speaking of which, Dazhaman has appeared in public only a handful of times over the past twenty years or so, usually only mentioned by others. He Lingchuan meeting him face to face, especially in the Panlong World, does not count as a real encounter.

Later, before the great battle in Yujing City, He Lingchuan went to Heishuicheng to visit him, but he himself "happened to" be away, leaving only these two meaningful verses for He Lingchuan:

Life is but a temporary lodging in a dream within a dream, worldly affairs are like hearing the wind in the wind.

He Lingchuan originally thought these two lines corresponded to the battle in Yujing City, but only when he himself died in the Dragon-Trapping Abyss did he realize their true meaning. It can be said that his attaining enlightenment before death was greatly aided by these two verses.

Tracing back further, when the He Chunhua family lived in Heishuicheng, they had frequent interactions with Zhao Man and Dazhaman, and even when He Lingchuan fell off the cliff and was rescued, it was Dazhaman who urgently saved him, bringing him back to life with miraculous skill.