Chapter 539: The Vanishing of Cen Boqing

"Is that so?" The mirror was unconvinced. "Where did I get it wrong?" To think it was being lectured by a seventeen or eighteen-year-old brat! "Are you just going to ignore the most formidable force in the Spirit Void City?"

"Oh?" the mirror asked, surprised. "Which one?"

"The Heavenly God."

"…Ah!" The mirror was ashamed.

He Lingchuan said coolly, "The fact that Bai Ziqi was dispatched so hastily to handle this case, and arrived so quickly, shows that the Demon Emperor likely didn't consult with the various factions, but issued the order directly. Otherwise, they would have been bickering for ten days or half a month. If there really were a power struggle, the Heavenly God undoubtedly won this round."

"Is it because it involves the Elixir of Immortality?"

"Mm. Xiang Yan once said that the Elixir of Immortality is one of the Heavenly God's inverse scales; it has unleashed its thunderous wrath over this matter before." He Lingchuan shrugged. "If it happens again, it doesn't seem all that strange."

"If we can ascertain the Heavenly God's stance, it will be very advantageous for us!" he continued. "The Heavenly God also wants to get to the bottom of the illicit refining of the Elixir of Immortality, so our goals are aligned! As for the rest, if they choose to turn a blind eye, it might just save us a lot of trouble."

"Once Wu Kai confesses, Cen Boqing won't be able to wash his hands of this," the mirror asked him. "What other trouble could we possibly have?"

"How could there not be?" He Lingchuan sighed, but he didn't elaborate further. "However, you were right about one thing: with this Spirit Void City envoy taking over the case, the pressure will primarily shift onto his shoulders. Heh, he can handle it. This is the best news for us."

Thinking of this, he breathed much more easily.

……

When He Lingchuan returned to the inn, Bai Ziqi was interrogating Wu Kai again.

Because he had been cooperating with the investigation, Wu Kai was finally fed a full meal, given two pills, and changed into a clean set of clothes, so his physical condition had improved significantly.

When Bai Ziqi entered the cellar, Wu Kai was gulping down a large basin of chicken soup.

It was an old hen stewed with crucian carp for over an hour; the broth was milky white, the meat was tender and falling off the bone, and it was seasoned with a heavy hand of pepper.

Wu Kai had been on the run for days and tortured for two, so he was in desperate need of nutrition.

He decided to let go of all inhibitions; he was going to die sooner or later, so he might as well eat and drink his fill now.

"What methods does Cen Boqing have to slip out of the manor without anyone noticing?"

He Lingchuan asked directly, "Last time, how did you rescue Cheng Yu right under my nose?"

Wu Kai set down his soup bowl and wiped his mouth. "The Cen manor has a treasure called the 'Ivy Grotto,' only the size of a palm, solidified using Mustard Seed Arts. As long as it's fueled with profound crystals, it can hide living beings within the grotto for up to half an hour. But the same person cannot be hidden inside twice within two hours, or their body will collapse from the pressure of the Mustard Seed Art."

"Mustard Seed Art!" Upon hearing the words "Songyang Prefecture," He Lingchuan knew things had gone south.

When He Chunhua led his troops to take up his post in Xia Prefecture, they happened to meet Li Qingge. She had taken out a tiny model of a courtyard, tossed it on the ground, and it became a real residence where they could shelter from the wind and rain, eat, sleep, and play cards.

She had stated clearly that the volume and weight capacity of such spatial artifacts were limited, so they couldn't be used for military logistics.

But hiding a person or two inside was no problem at all.

The spatial artifact she used was naturally top-tier, with lush trees and no such restrictions on living beings; Cen Boqing's "Ivy Grotto" was clearly a budget version.

He Lingchuan said irritably, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

It seemed Cen Boqing's previous attempts to break out were all a feint to make Fu Shanyue believe he was still in the manor, lowering his guard; only when the true crisis arrived did the two of them secretly slip away.

This Cen fellow wasn't as incompetent as everyone thought.

Wu Kai looked innocent. "I didn't know he would use it."

Bai Ziqi thought further ahead. "Even if he and Cheng Yu hid in the Ivy Grotto, someone still had to bring the artifact out of the manor." Otherwise, if the artifact remained in the manor, it would eventually be found by the soldiers.

Don't forget, the storage time was only half an hour. "Besides you, who does Cen Boqing trust most in the manor?"

"The coachman, Old Chen," Wu Kai said without hesitation. "His wife once suffered a sudden, critical illness, and it was the Madam who personally invited a famous physician to save her. Old Chen has been deeply grateful and has served the Cen couple with absolute loyalty. Whenever Cen Boqing goes out, he always uses Old Chen to drive."

"Go to the Cen manor, find this person, and interrogate him."

Bai Ziqi gave the order, and a guard turned and left.

He asked Wu Kai again, "Besides the Ivy Grotto, what other strange artifacts does Cen Boqing hide on his person?"

Wu Kai thought for a moment. "He wears a red jade ring on the ring finger of his left hand that can release two wolf puppets. They were refined from two tundra wolf kings; they have skin of copper and bones of iron, immense strength, and feel no pain. It was a gift from the Tu Hun envoy last year."

"There is also a root of a Linglong Precious Fruit. As long as it's buried in soil and watered with clear water, it will grow into a fruit tree within two quarters of an hour. Each fruit can feed one person, and depending on the soil's fertility, each tree can bear dozens to two hundred fruits. The fruits can be stored."

Bai Ziqi said, "Oh. He really has quite a few private treasures. This item is best for military marches or exile."

Wu Kai listed two or three more, then said, "That's about all he brought out of the Spirit Void City."

He Lingchuan felt impressed. Cen Boqing was indeed a noble son from the Spirit Void City; the treasures he casually produced were all top-tier. And this was just what he brought to Bai Sha Jue; the real bulk of his wealth was still back in the Spirit Void City.

Bai Ziqi's expression remained indifferent; with his vast experience, he didn't find these particularly impressive. "Is that all? Think carefully, are there any other shameful secret treasures?"

Wu Kai thought for a long time before shaking his head. "That's all I know."

No sooner had he spoken than the crescent-shaped amulet at his neck "snapped" and broke.

Wu Kai sensed it and pulled the token Fu Shanyue had given him from his bosom, only to see the token glowing with a crimson aura, its spiritual energy activating on its own.

"Cheng Yu is at work," He Lingchuan coughed. "This guy is truly persistent; he's determined to kill you."

"It's Cen Boqing who is determined to kill his old servant." Bai Ziqi looked at the broken amulet. "You have several layers of protection and arrays, yet he still managed to snap the amulet."

He Lingchuan pretended to be puzzled. "They should be busy fleeing right now, so how does Cheng Yu have the time to cast spells?"

"That means Cen Boqing is very confident that we can't find him." Bai Ziqi took a light breath. "They might have fled to a place they consider safe, and Cen Boqing couldn't wait to curse the witness to death—he doesn't know yet that I've arrived and have already interrogated Wu Kai."

If the Spirit Void City envoy hadn't arrived, and Wu Kai had died at Fu Shanyue's hands, then no matter what he confessed before he died, the Cen family could simply deny it—claiming it was a false confession.

Therefore, Cen Boqing was still obsessed with silencing him.

Bai Ziqi looked at Wu Kai. "Whether this man lives or dies no longer affects the progress of the case."

Wu Kai looked fearful. "Cheng Yu can curse a monarch to death; I'm afraid you won't be able to protect me!"

He Lingchuan found it amusing. Cheng Yu's greatest achievement, the so-called "cursing a monarch to death," was actually achieved with the help of the Hundred-Faced Nightmare, right? Although he wasn't quite sure how the monster managed it, the creature's power was something he remembered vividly.

Relying on Cheng Yu alone, he probably couldn't have pulled off such a feat.

Bai Ziqi took a jade-carved lingzhi from his bosom; it was finely crafted, only the size of a thumb, and radiated a warm white glow.

"This is a Cleansing Heart Talisman that has received divine grace within the Star-Gazing Tower, capable of making the wearer immune to all evil." As soon as this item was produced, the three people present immediately felt refreshed, and even their breathing became easier. "Warding off Cheng Yu's petty curses is even less of a problem."

Wu Kai stared at the Cleansing Heart Talisman and gulped.

Although he knew he would surely die upon returning to the Spirit Void City, once life begins its countdown, it becomes precious; he didn't want to die in the limited time he had left.

Moreover, the process of being cursed to death was too painful; he had already experienced it once and didn't want to go through it again.

"Can you, can you please..."

Bai Ziqi smiled gently. "You were not entirely truthful in your previous confession. Tell the whole truth, and I will bestow the Cleansing Heart Talisman upon you."

Wu Kai was startled. "I, I told the truth."

"You said you didn't know who was refining the Elixir of Immortality in the Green Lotus Temple; that's impossible." Bai Ziqi said coolly, "The business you and Cen Boqing were doing was extremely high-risk, with your heads on the line. How could you not know who your superiors were and continue to cooperate with them?"

Wu Kai muttered, "It's been like this since Master Cen's time. He wouldn't let us ask, saying that knowing too much would only invite disaster."

Bai Ziqi chuckled. "And the work you were doing didn't invite disaster?"

Wu Kai gave a bitter smile. "I really don't know."

Bai Ziqi scrutinized his expression, as if judging the truth of his words, then said, "Then tell me, how did you come to recruit such a dangerous character as Mai Xuewen into your service?"

"Ten years ago, I went to Ya Mountain on business and encountered a flood. I was saved by Mai Xuewen. He said he was also a desperate man without a home or occupation, framed by villains in the Mang Kingdom. After killing his enemies, he fled to the Bei Jia Kingdom, doing some business in the shadows, feeling quite depressed."

"I traveled with him for over two months, and seeing that his cultivation was decent and he was a righteous man, I invited him to work in the Swamp Fields of Bai Sha Jue."

He Lingchuan crossed his arms. "You invited a tiger into your home so easily?"

"It wasn't that fast. I let him manage legitimate businesses in the Swamp Fields, nothing that couldn't see the light of day. I observed him for over three years like that, and the profits from the businesses he managed increased by a large margin. Seeing that he was truly capable and tight-lipped, I gradually felt at ease and let him manage the blood pearl business in the Chi Yan Kingdom. Of the six teams hunting demons for pearls, the group he was responsible for was always the fastest and most efficient, never causing any trouble. I trusted him more and more, and thus lowered my guard, letting him know about some things..."

At this point, Wu Kai let out a long sigh. "Who would have thought I was inviting a disaster star into my home."

To He Lingchuan, Wu Kai had been cautious enough. He had observed a person for over three years before deciding to let him touch the core business.

Unfortunately, he had encountered a freak like Mai Xuewen.

(End of chapter)