Chapter 551: The Request of Bai Bai Ziqi

"So it was a Gu?" "Indeed, it was very fast; from start to finish, it took less than thirty breaths." Bai Bai Ziqi signaled to the physician that he could proceed with the autopsy, then said to the two men:

"I have traveled all over Between Beijia. Twenty years ago, in the Xulu Kingdom, I saw a similar case and conducted specialized research on it. The deceased was an attendant to a high-ranking official; after poisoning his master, he died himself. Those killed by the Fate-Linked Gu almost always have this look in death."

"Fate-Linked Gu always come in a pair from a single egg. One larva is planted in the heart, feeding on heart blood and true qi. It takes three hundred days to mature, at which point it becomes a threat to the host. But by then, the host is completely controlled by the Gu-raiser, because the raiser can trigger the Gu to kill them at any time."

He He Lingchuan interjected: "What do you mean by 'linked'?"

"The Gu insects are twins from the same egg. One lies in the victim's heart, called the Yang Gu, or 'Ailment Gu,' while the other, the Yin Gu, is of course in the hands of the Gu-raiser. This thing can go years without eating, but the container used to keep it is crucial. It cannot be stored in gold, porcelain, or jade vessels, must not touch soil, and must be kept waterproof."

Fu Fu Shanyue asked casually: "Then what else can it be kept in? Bamboo?"

"Correct, usually a bamboo tube." Bai Bai Ziqi also found it ironic, "The bamboo tubes used for the chewing tobacco produced in Between Beijia are quite suitable."

A bamboo tube?

A Gu insect kept in a bamboo tube?

He He Lingchuan's gaze sharpened.

Aside from the chewing tobacco from various countries, he felt he had heard someone mention bamboo tubes somewhere else, but he couldn't recall it for the moment.

"Killing is also very simple. Because the two insects, refined through special methods, share a heart and a fate—living and dying together—as long as the Yin Gu is crushed, the Yang Gu will also go berserk and die within dozens of breaths. Before it dies, it will wreak havoc on the host's body and even release toxins to attack the meridians, which is why Wu Kai looks like this."

The physician under Fu Fu Shanyue was actually quite professional. During their conversation, he had already extracted the deceased's heart, drained the blood, and held it up for the lords to see.

Wu Kai's heart was riddled with small holes, almost like a sieve. No one could possibly survive such injuries.

Bai Bai Ziqi sighed deeply: "Open it up and take a look."

The physician obeyed.

Wu Kai's heart was sliced open. The three men present had eyes like torches, but for a moment, none of them saw anything unusual.

It was the physician who, after observing for a long time, used the tip of his blade to pick out a thin, purplish-black strip from the heart muscle, looking like a blood clot.

"Is this the Ailment Gu that Commandant Bai mentioned?"

Wu Kai had suffered greatly before death; a heart attack, with blood clots, was perfectly normal. As he pulled it away, everyone realized it was indeed a worm, though its abdominal feet were not very distinct.

Fu Fu Shanyue scratched the back of his head and said irritably: "What is the use of knowing he died of a Peach-Heart Gu? The dead cannot speak!"

Wu Kai's mouth was effectively sealed; some secrets were destined to be taken to his grave. If they couldn't dig deeper, the main culprit of the Elixir of Immortality case would only be Cen Boqing.

This was an attempt to pin all the blame on him.

"The Fate-Linked Gu is planted in the human heart; just raising it takes a year. Once triggered, no formation or divine ability can block it, and even the Substitute Death Art is ineffective, because even if the injury is transferred, the Gu remains in the original host's heart. You could say that if the holder of the Gu wants you dead, you have no choice but to die." Bai Bai Ziqi said while thinking, "But I have heard that the Fate-Linked Gu is extremely difficult to refine. Not only is the success rate low, but those who are proficient in it are few and far between. If they weren't worried about Wu Kai leaking secrets, they probably wouldn't have been in such a hurry to kill him."

Fu Fu Shanyue looked up, his eyes full of hope: "Can we start from that angle?"

Bai Bai Ziqi had investigated such cases before; perhaps there were corresponding resources he could mobilize.

"Perhaps. I need to write a few letters and ask some old friends for help in investigating."

Fu Fu Shanyue let out a breath: "That's good. As long as the trail isn't cold."

The three walked upward. Just as they reached the inn's courtyard, they saw the eastern sky turning a pale, fish-belly white.

Bai Bai Ziqi glanced at He He Lingchuan and smiled bitterly: "Dawn is coming. It seems the heavens don't want us to rest."

He had also made quite a few arrangements with Cheng Yu.

Fu Fu Shanyue invited him: "How about coming to my courtyard to have some tea and rest for a while?"

Bai Bai Ziqi did not stand on ceremony and nodded immediately: "Very well. I hear Chiyan has quite a lot of good tea."

He had seen all kinds of storms, but rarely did a case trigger so many surprises in a single day.

The three walked to Fu Fu Shanyue's territory, where guards cleared away the Crown Prince's previous leftovers and set out tea and refreshments.

"This lead on Cen Boqing can probably only be investigated this far for now." Fu Fu Shanyue said with regret, "Mai Xuewen is also missing; it's a headache. By the way, according to my father, the monster Mai Xuewen raised seems to have some history."

The Snail-Toad? He He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat, though he continued to crack melon seeds on the surface. Fu Fu Shanyue hadn't mentioned this before; did they already know the Snail-Toad was Dong Rui's work?

Bai Bai Ziqi: "Oh?"

"His subordinates rely entirely on this monster to burrow underground and catch demons, coming and going without a trace; it's very covert. But this monster relies entirely on the hard shell on its back. He Xiao once set a trap in Zitian Village to catch it, but its shell was a hundred times tougher than a turtle's. Even with a hundred soldiers possessing primordial power, it still managed to escape." Fu Fu Shanyue said slowly, "After this was reported, my father said that the hard shell sounded very much like a magic treasure he had heard of before."

"Oh?" Not only was He He Lingchuan fully focused, but Bai Bai Ziqi also raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"

"One of the treasures once kept in the Azure Palace, the 'Snail Dwelling'." Fu Fu Shanyue continued, "It is the life-bound magic treasure of an ancient Snail Immortal, said to have taken a thousand years to polish. Not only is it incredibly hard, but the interior is a palace in itself, capable of holding a hundred people; it is exceptionally spacious. But the Snail Immortal fell before the World-Ending War, and no other demon has been able to master this shell since. Somehow, it ended up in Between Beijia and entered the Azure Palace's collection."

Bai Bai Ziqi remained silent, and He He Lingchuan played his part as the straight man: "How could a treasure of the Azure Palace be linked to Mai Xuewen?"

Bai Bai Ziqi immediately said: "He Xiao, watch your tongue!"

He He Lingchuan coughed lightly: "I meant to ask, is there some hidden story behind this?"

Bai Bai Ziqi hesitated before saying: "More than a decade ago, a batch of treasures was stolen from the Azure Palace, and this Snail Dwelling was among them."

"Even the Azure Palace loses things!" He He Lingchuan was amazed, "Who has such ability? An inside job?"

"…Yes." This kid, he hit the nail on the head. "It was indeed an inside job. Although the thief was later killed, many treasures have been missing ever since and were never recovered."

He He Lingchuan was puzzled: "With such a major event, how could Cen Boqing, who was in Lingxu City, not know?"

If Cen Boqing knew, Wu Kai would likely know too; how would Mai Xuewen dare to use the Snail Dwelling so casually? Bai Bai Ziqi didn't answer, but Fu Fu Shanyue laughed: "Because the vast majority of people in Lingxu City don't know. The Azure Palace covered it up. Even if the Grand Minister of Agriculture knew, he wouldn't necessarily tell his son-in-law."

"But the Emperor… I mean, did those who were supposed to know, know?"

"Of course." Fu Fu Shanyue pointed to his own nose, "Doesn't my family know?"

"Then the lost magic treasure is just left as is?"

Fu Fu Shanyue's tone was mocking: "The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is so thin; do you know how many ancient treasures turn into scrap every year, only worth an antique price?"

He He Lingchuan shook his head without hesitation, like a country bumpkin.

In this regard, he was indeed a country bumpkin. In terms of heritage, ancient artifacts, or financial power, how could the Yuan Kingdom compare to Between Beijia? They had vast lands and abundant resources; they had so many antiques that they didn't feel the pinch even if one broke. The Yuan Kingdom would treat one or two items as treasures to be worshipped; they had no foundation to squander.

"Lost treasures and resold antiques are mostly reported as damaged or aged, and that's the end of it. You could even say you accidentally broke them, and no one would come to hold you accountable. These things were hidden in the deep palace anyway; commoners don't know and don't care, so why tell them?" Fu Fu Shanyue looked at Bai Bai Ziqi with a smile, "Commandant Bai must also know of this semi-public secret."

Bai Bai Ziqi coughed lightly but did not deny it.

He He Lingchuan realized: "So that's how it is!"

"The thief who entered the palace to steal the treasure is already dead, yet the Snail Dwelling ended up in Mai Xuewen's hands, used to stir up trouble." Bai Bai Ziqi said slowly, "When I return to the Azure Palace, I will have to visit the Azure Sun State Preceptor to find more clues."

This sentence was a disguised admission that he was currently at a loss regarding Mai Xuewen.

He He Lingchuan summarized it in his mind: the fugitive Mai Xuewen, who killed Lord Zhongsun Mou, was still at large and could not be caught, with no other options for now; the key criminal Wu Kai had died suddenly, and the only result was that Cen Boqing had confessed and pleaded guilty, with solid evidence against him.

Lady Cen, Yao Yao Xingning, had sent him an important witness—the actor from Listening Lotus Garden, Wu Kai's contact—but the leads from this person would also require returning to Lingxu City to continue the investigation.

Thus, the investigation into the Elixir of Immortality case in Baishajue had reached its end, and Bai Bai Ziqi had no reason to stay any longer.

Unless the other mission he was handling was also linked to this place.

What would he do next?

Fu Fu Shanyue had already asked: "Then, does Commandant Bai intend to return to Lingxu City to continue the investigation?"

He wanted to track the progress of the case, so naturally, he had to ask about Bai Bai Ziqi's next steps.

Bai Bai Ziqi didn't seem to have made up his mind yet; he turned the teacup in his hand several times before nodding: "Yes, I will escort Cen Boqing back. He Xiao—"

He looked at He He Lingchuan: "You have had dealings with Cen Boqing, Lord Zhongsun Mou, Mai Xuewen, and others. As a witness, you must also come with me."

"Ah?" He He Lingchuan pointed at himself, looking surprised, "I have to go too?"

Heh, Bai Bai Ziqi had indeed made this request to him. He wanted to interrogate him on the road, right?

Bai Bai Ziqi smiled and nodded: "The Crown Prince wouldn't be reluctant, would he?"

"How could I?" Fu Fu Shanyue raised his hand to pour him a cup of tea, then said to He He Lingchuan, "Not to mention the prosperity and splendor, Lingxu City is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, truly the best in the world. Wouldn't it be delightful for us to travel and enjoy the scenery along the way!"

Bai Bai Ziqi's gaze sharpened: "Us?"

"That's right." Fu Fu Shanyue grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, "I'm going too. Since Chiyan demon-folk were harmed, my father kept emphasizing that I must investigate this to the end. Sigh, so don't I have to go and see for myself?"

(End of chapter)