Chapter 493

"Lord Xiang, you are too polite."

The owner of the house He Lingchuan visited was named Xiang Yan, who served as the Small Minister of Works of the Chiyan Kingdom and only retired last winter.

The old man had already retired, but he still looked very young, with less than half white hair, few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and a very ruddy complexion.

"What lord, I have already retired." Xiang Yan said happily. "Special Envoy, just call me Old Xiang."

He Lingchuan smiled, took a brocade box from his bosom, and handed it over.

Xiang Yan was surprised. "Actually letting the Special Envoy send me a gift, how can this be?"

"It's not sent by me, but transferred by General Ling." He Lingchuan lifted the lid of the box, and a pink gemstone lay on the brocade pad inside, with perfect facets.

Xiang Yan was slightly surprised, not knowing how General Ling got mixed up with the Special Envoy. Jiao Yu said from the side, "General Ling had clansmen murdered; he originally followed the Special Envoy to investigate the case, but then rushed to the front line due to military orders. Before leaving, he asked us to bring the gemstone to you."

"So that's it." Xiang Yan took the box, and although he knew the Special Envoy was in front, he was still happy to see the stone and couldn't help but take out the pink stone to compare it against the light. "Good stuff, there is actually a red line inside, naturally in the shape of a dragon."

"I like strange stones; Old Sheep caters to my preferences, so I've made you two laugh."

He Lingchuan asked him, "General Ling claims to be a close friend of Old Xiang for decades?"

"He has lived longer than me; I just served as an official with him for sixty years." Xiang Yan stroked his long beard. "General Ling has a straight and irritable temper and can't get along with many colleagues, but he can talk a few more words with me."

This was the difference between demons and humans.

When General Ling mentioned Xiang Yan, he only said this person is my friend and can help investigate the case.

When Xiang Yan mentioned General Ling, he downplayed the friendship, waiting to see what cards He Lingchuan would play next.

The maid served tea, and He Lingchuan sipped the tea, looking at Jiao Yu at the same time. The latter had a tacit understanding with him and immediately said, "General Ling said you can be found to help investigate the case."

It was a demon and liked to speak straight, not beating around the bush so much.

Xiang Yan was greatly surprised. "Investigate the case? But I heard that the true culprit of the Lingxu City messenger case has already been caught. This news is about to spread throughout Baishajuan."

"The suspect Fu Songhua caught by Zhongsunmou changed his tune and retracted his confession today, saying he was coerced by others to take the blame."

"Take the blame?" Xiang Yan frowned. "Why did Fu Songhua suddenly change his tune?"

"Because Fu Songhua is the culprit who assassinated the Hezhou Inspector, but this messenger case has to do with the Elixir of Immortality, and I'm afraid he can't get involved."

Xiang Yan's brows were almost locked into a "chuan" shape. "Elixir of Immortality?"

"My preliminary investigation found that someone is secretly hunting demons and taking pearls. These blood pearls condensed from the essence and blood of the demon race, or called pulp pearls, are one of the main ingredients for refining the Elixir of Immortality. All clues point to the northwest of Baishajuan City."

"That place in the northwest of the city is a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy."

He Lingchuan asked him, "Why doesn't Old Xiang live in the northwest of the city?"

This is the east of the city.

"Don't join in that fun." Xiang Yan waved his hand. "Besides, the houses there are too expensive. A mansion in the northwest of the city is worth two here."

"I just arrived and don't understand Baishajuan; can Old Xiang tell me which figures are living in seclusion in the northwest of the city?"

Xiang Yan also roughly understood the intention of his visit. "There are several types of residents in the northwest of the city. The first class is the powerful and wealthy of Lingxu City; the second class is the retired old men of Lingxu City, as well as the officials of our Chiyan who are in office; the third class is those who have retired from the Chiyan court, like me; the fourth class is the turn of wealthy merchants and squires."

Distinct ranks.

He Lingchuan nodded. Fu Songhua had listed all the families in the northwest of the city for him, but he couldn't explain it clearly in a few words like Xiang Yan.

Someone who could retire safely after rolling in the official sea for decades was different.

"I heard that Old Xiang is also very knowledgeable about the officials of Lingxu City?"

"I know a thing or two." Xiang Yan also drank tea. "The few temples I presided over the construction of were praised by the Heavenly God, so when Lingxu City rebuilt Xushan, they borrowed me. I worked there for seventeen years."

"Rebuild Xushan?" He Lingchuan's surprise was not faked.

Wasn't this the destination of his trip to Lingxu City? He didn't expect intelligence to fall from the sky. "This project is very vast, right?"

"Yes. The former Tiangong was built on the basis of the Immortal Sect ruins; although it was constantly renovated, it was not easy to use in the end. The late Emperor started to rebuild Xushan in his later years, as a gift to the Heavenly God, and at the same time, rebuilt the Spirit Gathering Array. Xushan is the source of the essence of the earth veins of the entire Lingxu City; with spiritual energy nourishing it endlessly, Lingxu City can be more prosperous."

He Lingchuan wondered, "The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is weak now; can it still be done?"

The spiritual energy of Lingxu City is rich, which is naturally beneficial to big demons and practitioners.

"The original array could no longer gather much spiritual energy and was gradually abolished; later, many research repairs were of no use. Fortunately, the Heavenly God and the Emperor worked hard to create a new Spirit Gathering Array. It borrowed ancient exotic treasures as the array eye, so that the array on the ground could correspond to the stars in the sky, which is the unity of heaven and man, and also has defense capabilities."

He Lingchuan immediately pricked up his ears. "What exotic treasure, so awesome?"

Xiang Yan stroked his beard. "I don't know either."

"..." Old Xiang, you are not kind.

"The supervision of the array was done by someone else, and the process of returning the treasure to its position was a secret; how could we low-level officials have the qualification to watch?" Xiang Yan shook his head. "I privately asked many colleagues, and everyone didn't know what kind of treasure that was."

"Before I went, the Tiangong had been built for nine years; by the time I left, this vast project was finally coming to an end. In the future, when the Special Envoy goes to Lingxu City, you can go to Xushan to see it; it is truly magnificent."

He Lingchuan's heart moved. "I heard that Xushan hides countless treasures; has Old Xiang seen a few?"

"Hides what treasures?"

"Ancient magic artifacts and spiritual treasures?"

"Who did you hear that from?" Xiang Yan laughed loudly. "Those are all rumors. Xushan is where the Emperor worships the gods, and it is also the earthly residence of the Heavenly God; why would it hide treasures?"

This answer was far beyond He Lingchuan's expectation. "Then where are the ancient relics hidden?"

"Lingxu City is so big, can't you find a place to collect them?" Xiang Yan shook his head. "Where is it not good to hide treasures, why must it be in Xushan?"

"Really not hidden in Xushan?" Zhu Xiuer had clearly said that her remains were in Xushan. "That is the former site of the Dahuan Sect; maybe there is a treasure vault built secretly."

"If it is an Immortal Sect secret vault that has not been discovered yet, that is possible." Xiang Yan didn't close the door on it. "Besides that, it should be no; I have seen the blueprints."

He Lingchuan frowned secretly. This wasn't bad, right? If Zhu Xiuer's remains were not in Xushan, where should he go to find them? Not to mention that the remains were large, Lingxu City was a behemoth capital with millions of people; looking for something like a headless fly wasn't looking for a needle in a haystack?

However, the intelligence he accidentally obtained from Xiang Yan was also very precious, and he would have to digest it well later.

He Lingchuan returned to the original topic. "I also want to ask Old Xiang, which powerful family in Lingxu City lives in Baishajuan and has a better relationship with Zhongsunmou?"

"Powerful people in Lingxu City, and have a good relationship with the Inspection Envoy? In this city, there are really many Lingxu City nobles who know the Zhongsun family." Xiang Yan was also a human spirit; thinking about it, his eyes widened. "Special Envoy, you don't think, think that the Inspection Envoy is also involved..."

"What I think is not important; it depends on the evidence in the end."

Although there were ice cubes piled in the corner of the room, Xiang Yan's back began to sweat. "My lord, does the Inspection Envoy know this idea of yours?"

"This..." He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "He's not stupid; he has some feeling, right?"

Jiao Yu hurriedly used the action of yawning to endure laughter.

Xiang Yan suddenly felt that the old sheep was not sending a gemstone, but was clearly coming to stab him twice.

How could he have the virtue to make such a damaging friend? "Special Envoy, you must... be cautious about this assumption."

"I know. If there is no evidence, what can I do to him?" He Lingchuan laughed. "Compared to Zhongsunmou, Old Xiang should be more worried about me."

Xiang Yan thought, I am worried about myself.

"Among the powerful and wealthy in the northwest of the city, those who have a good relationship with the Zhongsun family are..."

He Lingchuan waved his hand. "Narrow the scope, only the powerful of Lingxu City."

Jiao Yu wondered, "Why?"

"Zhongsunmou prides himself on coming from Lingxu City, and his eyes are on the top of his head; how could he condescend to associate with the figures of Chiyan?" He Lingchuan said lazily. "He will only cooperate with people from Lingxu City."

Xiang Yan immediately said, "Then, there are only five families left." After saying that, he listed the names.

He Lingchuan listened to them one by one and remembered them in his heart.

He looked at Xiang Yan and suddenly said, "I would like to ask Old Xiang one more thing: have you ever heard of the Elixir of Immortality?"

Xiang Yan smiled, with two parts of self-satisfaction. "Not only heard of it, I have taken it."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan was immediately interested. "How old are you this year?"

No wonder General Ling wanted to introduce Xiang Yan to him; so that was it. Sure enough, the old sheep was not as heartless as it looked on the surface.

"I will have my eighty-fifth birthday next spring."

He Lingchuan was truly surprised. "You are eighty-four?"

Just looking at his appearance, Xiang Yan was at most in his early fifties, with bright eyes. It was said that people grew old in their legs first, but he walked in with light steps as if a spring was installed in his soles, looking like he could run a marathon without any problem.

The surprised look of others always made Xiang Yan happy, and he couldn't help stroking his beard. "Yes, this is the effect of the Elixir of Immortality. After taking the medicine, the spots and lines on my body gradually faded, old illnesses disappeared, and my body became light and healthy. Otherwise, even if I were still alive now, I would be trembling, with teeth falling out and hair bald."

"Where exactly does this Elixir of Immortality come from?"

Xiang Yan looked at him strangely. "Such a question, hasn't the Special Envoy been enlightened by the palace?"

(End of chapter)