Chapter 417: The Uninvested Human King

"However, the Yuan Kingdom had one other unique trait—" she immediately added, "The new monarch was human, and the previous Demon King abdicated the throne to him on his deathbed. If he were to accept the gods' investiture, perhaps a Human King would be mixed among the twelve Demon Kings of Between Beijia, an unprecedented event."

"Why would he refuse to accept the gods' investiture?"

Sun Sun Fuling chuckled: "Who knows? Perhaps everyone has their own aspirations."

"When the Son of Heaven is enraged, blood flows like a river. After the Demon Emperor conquered the Yuan Kingdom, he simply partitioned it and gifted it to the other five demon kingdoms; naturally, the most core region was kept for Spirit Void City. The King of Treasure Trees you just mentioned also received a large, prime piece of land." She sighed softly, "Ever since then, Between Beijia has had a new law: if war breaks out between demon kingdoms, the other Demon Kings must only watch from the sidelines and are forbidden from intervening."

She stroked the sparrowhawk's head: "I heard from the Dean of the Shumin Academy that the Yuan King's nephew was a fellow student and close friend of Commandant Zhong. The two were of like mind, and one of the precious blades Commandant Zhong possesses was actually a gift from him. When news of the Yuan Kingdom's fall reached the Xiluo Kingdom, Commandant Zhong was deeply saddened and remained in seclusion for many days."

"A precious blade?" He He Lingchuan's heart stirred, "Is it the one with the dragon-head ring pommel?"

"You ask me, but who should I ask?" Sun Sun Fuling laughed, "Which famous general only has one weapon?"

He He Lingchuan's heart stirred: "Was this blade also forged over twenty years ago?"

"Who knows the exact year? It is said to have some history."

He He Lingchuan asked again: "How could Commandant Zhong be a fellow student of the Yuan King's nephew?"

"Commandant Zhong once went to the Between Beijia Kingdom to study for six years," Sun Sun Fuling said. "Between Beijia is one of the few powerful nations in the world, rich in resources and treasures, so all countries send their excellent students there to study; even now, the nobles of Xiluo, both great and small, take pride in the qualification of having studied in Between Beijia. In fact, it is the same for every country; as long as one has the qualification of having studied in Between Beijia, one can usually secure a high position upon returning home."

He He Lingchuan nodded slowly, but thought to himself, it seems Commandant Zhong Sheng's hiring of the Heaven-Veiling God was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision made four years ago.

After hearing this detail, the whole matter became even more baffling.

He said in a low voice: "I also heard news that the Xiluo Kingdom intends to relocate all the residents of the Panlong Wasteland back."

Sun Sun Fuling was startled: "Relocate them where?"

"Back to the home country for resettlement."

"Where did you get this news?"

"The fat man in white on Spirit-Nurturing Island said so. The fat man in white likely heard it from merchants from other regions. This news doesn't seem to have spread in Panlongcheng yet."

"How is this possible?" Sun Sun Fuling shook her head, "Not to mention the long journey and the lack of a path home, even the motherland doesn't want us to go back."

He He Lingchuan was stunned: "Why?" The motherland actually doesn't welcome its own people? "Have you forgotten? Four years ago, the motherland wanted to transfer a batch of elite troops from Panlongcheng back to quell a rebellion. Commandant Zhong ordered Commandant Jing, the Vice Prefect, to lead forty thousand Panlongcheng troops eastward. Those were the elites of the army, battle-hardened veterans, and three thousand civilians were also relocated. At the time, the entire Panlongcheng army only numbered one hundred thousand, which shows Commandant Zhong's deep sincerity. As a result, after they returned, the forty thousand troops were broken up and integrated into various units of the imperial army, and Commandant Jing was directly assigned a useless post, too ashamed to return to the Panlong Wasteland to face Commandant Zhong. Later, the passage back to the home country was cut off again, and Panlongcheng was blocked on all sides, becoming an enclave once more, losing contact with the motherland again."

"Because of this incident, Commandant Zhong was so angry he fell into a serious illness," Sun Sun Fuling said slowly. "Do you think the Xiluo Kingdom wants us to go back?"

Her tone was cold when she referred to Xiluo directly.

He He Lingchuan also sighed: "Why is it like this?"

"The Wang Ting won't specifically explain the reason to us. But looking through the history books, isn't it just the two words 'fear'?"

The Panlongcheng army is an iron hammer that can strike at Baling and strike at Xianyou. If it were brought back to the Xiluo Kingdom by Zhong Zhong Shengquan, would it be just as effective at striking the capital and striking the monarch? For a commanding general who has won the hearts of the people and the army, which monarch would not harbor fear? Sun Sun Fuling was lost in thought: "However, the Panlong army and civilians have been separated from their homeland for over ten years, and their hearts long to return. If this news is true, we are in big trouble."

The Panlong Wasteland has only been peaceful for a few months, and it looks like waves are about to rise again.

"Forget it, let's enjoy the wine while we have it today." He He Lingchuan raised his cup to her, "Come, stop worrying about Commandant Zhong."

Sun Sun Fuling smiled and clinked her cup with his.

The two looked up and saw two tender green blades of grass on the low wall struggling to grow, with the azure sky of April as their backdrop.

Everyone knew they would surely wither in the autumn frost of September.

But at this moment, they were flourishing.

A person lives a lifetime, plants live an autumn; life and death are up to Heaven.

All one can grasp is the present.

He heard Sun Sun Fuling sigh very, very lightly.

The two looked at each other in silence.

It is unknown how much time passed when suddenly there was a commotion overhead, and two black things fell onto the wall.

It turned out to be two fat magpies fighting over a rice cake, having a grand time and squawking incessantly.

The tranquility in the small courtyard was broken in an instant.

Sun Sun Fuling picked up a pebble and flicked it with her finger.

With a "pop," the pebble struck the low wall beside the magpies, shattering into eight pieces and scattering.

The two magpies were in the heat of their battle and paid no attention at all.

The sparrowhawk, which had been hiding behind the low table secretly stealing meat, leaped up, spread its wings, and charged toward them.

Did they think it didn't exist? It had been hiding so well that the magpies hadn't really seen it before, but now, suddenly seeing their natural predator attacking, they didn't dare to want the rice cake or continue the fight, and flew away squawking.

Only two feathers drifted down lightly.

The sparrowhawk chased after them and flew away.

The atmosphere on the ground wasn't good, so it might as well go up to the sky to digest its food.

Seeing their panicked appearance, both of them laughed.

Sun Sun Fuling pulled a flute from somewhere and began to play, a mournful sound.

The flute music began light and ethereal, like a lively kingfisher spreading its wings, weaving between the lake water and the green grass, then rising higher and higher, like maple leaves rustling, reflecting the frosty sky...

A single melody of flute music traversed the four seasons.

But in the final chapter of winter, she ended with an upward, playful note before smiling at him.

He He Lingchuan tapped his hand in praise: "Great tune, you are truly optimistic."

She waved the flute: "Sitting trapped in a city of sorrow only adds to the trouble."

"This flute is a bit special." He He Lingchuan had long been observing the flute in her hand; it was shaped like bamboo segments, but the entire body was a bone-like grayish-white, and upon closer inspection, it had a bit of a lustrous sheen.

The most special part was the two bright red circles at the end of the flute, which looked like a monster's eyes.

"I made it myself. A few years ago, a patrol guard was setting up a stall in the market, and there was a segment of a Heavenly Centipede's spine in it. I thought it was suitable, so I bought it and turned it into a bone flute; the tone turned out to be quite good." Sun Sun Fuling laughed, "Centipedes don't have bones, but only a Heavenly Centipede over three hundred years old will grow a small piece of hard bone behind its head out of nothing, just like this."

"And these two red circles?"

"They are marks left after it was injured and healed. I thought they looked quite symmetrical, so I kept them." Sun Sun Fuling handed the flute to him, "Want to try?"

He He Lingchuan said honestly: "I can't, I don't know how to play any musical instruments."

He only knew how to play the harmonica, but that was of no use here; as for the original body of Young Master He, there was no point in counting on that.

"The Asking Immortal Hall has music theory classes, and the lecturer is a great beauty; it's said that every class is packed with listeners. You've never heard of it?"

"No, cough, there's that kind of course?" On the notice board of the Asking Immortal Hall, he only cared about cultivation, strange objects, history, military affairs, and even herb identification; as for music theory... had there been a notice on the board? How had he never noticed it? "I'll find time to listen to one next time."

Sun Sun Fuling glanced at him: "Want to learn? I'll teach you."

"Alright." He He Lingchuan had a sudden inspiration, "By the way, I also want to learn the xun, do you know how?"

He had almost forgotten that he still had a xun in his possession, also known as:

Mother Zhu's eye socket!

"Wait here." Sun Sun Fuling stood up, braced her hand against the wall, and nimbly vaulted back into her own home.

When she appeared again, she was holding a clay xun, a seven-holed one.

"Uh, do you have a nine-holed one?" Mother Zhu's eye socket was a nine-holed xun.

"It's all the same, master one and you master them all." Sun Sun Fuling played a tune in passing; the xun sound was very archaic, completely different from the melodious flute sound.

"Where did you learn so many instruments, Shumin Academy?"

"When I was young, my father was busy and had no time to look after me, so I taught myself some." Sun Sun Fuling laughed, "But you're right, except for the flute and xiao, I learned the other instruments at Shumin Academy."

"Alright, you try first." She handed the clay xun to him, "Let's see your musical sense."

Seeing her become serious unconsciously, He He Lingchuan suddenly remembered something.

Oh, what a mess, was his brain broken? Why did he volunteer to learn?

The person in front of him was a teacher with high standards and strict requirements!

Another day passed, and the Shi Gate caravan finished their procurement, then left Tongcheng to continue heading north.

Remembering the fierce look on Fu Fu Shanyue's face before he left, He He Lingchuan asked the shop assistant to inquire about any unusual movements inside and outside the city; it seemed there was nothing major, just that a village in the suburbs had caught fire that night, burning several people to death.

After traveling for two more days, the caravan finally left the border of the King of Treasure Trees' kingdom and entered the Twilight Plain.

This was originally the territory of the Yuan Kingdom, and after its fall, it came under the direct jurisdiction of Spirit Void City; even the local officials were directly appointed by the Wang Ting.

He He Lingchuan discovered that after reaching the Twilight Plain, the atmosphere of the entire team seemed to relax; everyone's steps became lighter, and they often gathered together to whisper about something, followed by bursts of loud laughter. Even the usually taciturn driver, Old Liu, would silently hold up two fingers when others asked him how many he wanted to sleep with.

He asked the Second Master Shi: "Why are they so happy?"

The Second Master Shi laughed heartily and said: "How can they not be happy? Ahead is Tongluo County, a famous den of iniquity on the Twilight Plain. These boys all have some money in their pockets and are preparing to go there to enjoy themselves."

They had been out for more than half a month on this trip, with constant accidents, and had even nearly lost their lives passing through Wind Demon Mountain. Seeing the land of gentleness ahead, who wouldn't want to relax properly? "We've been to Fufeng City, we've been to Tongcheng, we've had everything we should have, why haven't I seen them this happy?"

"Hey, that's different, Tongluo County is what you call both cheap and good. You'll know once you go."

(End of chapter)