Chapter 572: Muddled Through

The moment He Lingchuan took out this precious pestle, he was both surprised and somewhat disappointed. Was it really unrelated to the Great Fang Hu's anomaly? The six counties in northern Yan designated by the Star-Plucking Tower weren't small, so maybe the Great Fang Hu was causing trouble in other counties? After all, Mai Xuewen, another important suspect, hadn't gone far at that time and should still be within the six counties.

"If that Yin God could be repelled by this treasure, how did Cheng Yu kill the monarch of the Mang State back then?"

Fushan Yue shrugged: "Cheng Yu is a curse master who has been famous for a long time. His methods are varied. He killed the monarch of the Mang State, but he might not have used this Yin God, right?"

Bai Ziqi nodded slowly.

However, he seemed relieved, sighing heavily: "If you had taken it out earlier, I wouldn't have been so abrupt today."

He Lingchuan thought this guy was full of schemes; he had already shown a quasi-divine artifact, yet he still hadn't dispelled all his doubts.

"You also said it's a quasi-divine artifact. Secret treasures shouldn't be shown to others easily, let alone quasi-divine artifacts?" He smiled bitterly. "In the past, a great power only looked at the precious pestle once, appearing calm on the surface, but came to snatch it later. I was truly... afraid."

Who was this kid stabbing at? He might as well have pointed at Bai Ziqi's nose and said, you are powerful, I'm afraid you'll snatch it by force. Fushan Yue coughed: "Even I was tempted when I saw it; there are many people who covet treasures, so being cautious is always right."

People's hearts are separated by skin; He Lingchuan hadn't known Bai Ziqi for long at that time, so being vigilant was understandable.

"Moreover, Envoy Bai showed boundless supernatural powers as soon as he arrived in Baishaju, and I was far inferior, so I had to be more cautious."

On the first day Bai Ziqi arrived in Baishaju, he manipulated the lamp spirit to transform into a giant python while pursuing Cen Boqing and Cheng Yu, giving He Lingchuan a show of force.

It was no problem that he feared this Cloud Envoy.

Having been told this, Bai Ziqi waved his hand and smiled: "Just rest assured, quasi-divine artifacts aren't many in the present world, but Xushan has a few at least, so it won't covet yours."

He Lingchuan looked embarrassed: "Yes, yes, Envoy Bai is right."

He didn't think Bai Ziqi was exaggerating. If even Beijia didn't have a few divine artifacts or quasi-divine artifacts to hold the fort, there was no need to think about other small places.

Bai Ziqi didn't pursue the origin of the pestle.

Which divine artifact didn't have a trail of blood debts behind it? None of their origins were clean.

He switched the subject: "I heard from His Highness that you are from the Fu State?"

Fushan Yue thought about it—did he say that?

He Lingchuan nodded.

"What kind of place could produce such a young hero?"

"Yun County." This time He Lingchuan blurted it out, as if he had no hesitation after opening up to Bai Ziqi.

When Second Master Shi helped him handle his identity in Wu Ze County, he said he had come from his hometown in Yun County to seek refuge.

Bai Ziqi said "oh" and finally stopped asking.

He and Fushan Yue chatted about the recent situation in Lingxu City.

He Lingchuan gnawed on a few fried crabs and paired them with a sip of wine, enjoying himself.

Since Bai Ziqi had asked, he might send people to Yun County to investigate his background later. After all, the outsider status of "He Xiao" didn't count for much in normal times, but it seemed very abrupt in the Great Fang Hu case he wanted to investigate.

But He Lingchuan wasn't afraid.

Even in the Fu State, Yun County was a remote and closed-off little place. He Lingchuan had heard Second Master Shi say that the land there wasn't flat for three feet, and it was very inconvenient for carriages and horses to enter and exit; Beijia was too big, so even if Bai Ziqi sent a flying message to mobilize nearby people to investigate, the news would take at least dozens of days to come and go.

Dozens of days later, even He Lingchuan didn't know where he would be; Lingxu City wanting to arrest him—keep dreaming! Bai Ziqi looked at He Lingchuan and smiled: "In the past few days, He Xiao's reputation in the upper city has grown."

"Ah?" He Lingchuan was still gnawing on a fried crab, looking blank. "I'm famous? How could that be?"

What kind of vast ocean was Lingxu City, with so many powerful monsters hiding in it? It was no easy task for a little shrimp like him to make a name for himself.

"Don't know where the talk started, saying that the envoy employed by the Crown Prince made both Zhongsun Mou and Cen Boqing bump their heads and bleed in Baishaju, which was how the case was solved; also, even Deputy Commander Fan was defeated by you. It's incredible."

Fushan Yue also took over the conversation: "The Fan brothers have always been arrogant, but Fan Sheng was defeated by you. For the people of Lingxu City, this is much more exciting than you handling the case for the Crown Prince and forcing Cen Boqing back."

Fan Sheng! He Lingchuan had almost forgotten this person.

This Deputy Commander Fan had returned to Lingxu City in advance with the violent bears and his subordinates after the Cen Boqing case was settled.

"This is trouble." He Lingchuan pressed his forehead. "I even forgot I had a grudge with Commander Fan."

After returning to Lingxu City, Fan Sheng had soldiers and power, and an even more powerful older brother.

Would he care even more about the small grudge between himself and He Lingchuan?

Bai Ziqi and Fushan Yue looked at each other and laughed.

Fushan Yue said coolly: "Who doesn't know that the eldest of the Fan family protects his own? His two younger brothers were injured and defeated by you, and now your reputation is rising with your victories; it would be strange if he were happy."

He Lingchuan saw Bai Ziqi smiling without saying a word, and knew that Fushan Yue hadn't exaggerated.

He was a newcomer, yet he felt the deep malice from the high-ranking officials of Lingxu City; this wasn't good, this was very bad.

"But the eldest Fan relies on his status and might not necessarily take action against you personally." In the end, it was Bai Ziqi who couldn't stand it and offered a few words of comfort. "This kind of thing is about guarding against villains, not gentlemen."

This meal was enjoyed by both sides.

Watching Bai Ziqi's figure disappear into the bustling crowd, the two turned and walked back to the post house.

"Bai Ziqi wanted to take you for interrogation alone, but was always blocked by me, so he had to settle for the next best thing." The smile on Fushan Yue's face sank. "That should be considered settled."

He Lingchuan nodded.

Perhaps, not really.

Maybe Bai Ziqi hadn't truly dispelled his doubts, but just wanted to observe them in private?

But that was still a good thing.

He Lingchuan only feared Bai Ziqi's open confrontation, because his own capital wasn't enough for a head-on confrontation. If the Heavenly Gods and the Emperor didn't care about Chiyan's face and forcibly dragged him to the Heavenly Palace for interrogation, he and Fushan Yue would have no way to deal with it.

And the current situation had already given him room to maneuver.

This was only the third day, and the initial and most terrifying danger he faced upon arriving in Lingxu City had been temporarily alleviated.

But He Lingchuan knew in his heart that this advantage wouldn't last long, and this victory was too weak; he had to consolidate it as soon as possible.

Not long after, Fushan Yue came to find He Lingchuan with a red invitation: "Ah, I almost forgot, the Dun Garden Auction is being held tomorrow; do you want to go and broaden your horizons?"

"Dun Garden?" He Lingchuan had already heard this place name from Li Qingge. "What kind of place is that?"

"It's a famous villa on Pushan in the main urban area; the entire Pushan is its front and back yard. The Dun Garden Auction is held twice a year in spring and autumn, with countless rare treasures, and the wealthy and powerful from both the upper and lower cities will go to support it."

"Sounds good, but why hold it in the lower city?" He Lingchuan wondered. "Wouldn't it be more... I mean, wouldn't it have a higher grade if held on the floating islands?"

"General Golden Horn doesn't do that. He likes the fireworks of the lower city."

"And who is this?" A willful master, it sounded like.

"Dun Garden is one of the properties under the name of General Golden Horn, Jin Jingming, and it operates very successfully." Fushan Yue smiled. "The Golden Horn family has been rooted in Lingxu City for 217 years, four generations, and the tribe is prosperous. I remember there are more than 420 Golden Horn tribesmen, 37 of whom are demons, far higher than ordinary monsters."

Before He Lingchuan could speak, he added: "The Golden Horn family are all one-horned giant rhinoceroses, with amazing size and strength, and are a very important fighting force in Lingxu City. Once they put on heavy armor on the battlefield..." He shrugged. "Even giant elephants might not be able to stop them."

He Lingchuan was surprised: "A victorious general on the battlefield, but also very good at doing business in normal times."

"He has capable people helping him manage the industry, all humans." Fushan Yue laughed loudly. "Did you think a group of rhinoceroses would be good at trading?"

Alright. He Lingchuan casually took the invitation and opened it, only to find his own name, He Xiao: "Hmm? This invitation is for me?"

"They are very well-informed. In the past two days, Cen Boqing has been escorted back to Lingxu City, and the story of Baishaju is spreading rapidly. Perhaps hearing that you have dealt with me and Envoy Bai, Dun Garden thought it necessary to invite you to attend."

"Good, I'll go." He Lingchuan patted the invitation in his hand. "Is there an auction catalog?"

A comprehensive and well-prepared auction would of course send the catalog of auction items to the invited guests in advance, so that others could prepare money if they liked something.

The Dun Garden Auction had been held for seventy or eighty times, with rich experience, and these details shouldn't be overlooked.

Fushan Yue handed over a flat jade plaque the length of a little finger: "See for yourself."

"Eh?" He Lingchuan was surprised. "Jade slip?"

In the year or so since coming to this world, besides the Panlong City in the Soul Township, He Lingchuan hadn't seen a jade slip anywhere else. The carriers of text were paper, silk, and even bamboo.

He took the jade slip in his hand, and his spiritual sense probed into it, immediately "seeing" all kinds of dazzling auction items, from appearance patterns to text descriptions, all available, and some even had the transaction prices of similar items last time noted on the side.

This method was indeed much more convenient than paper copies.

He Lingchuan asked Fushan Yue while looking: "What have you taken a fancy to?"

"Just looking." Fushan Yue said lazily. "We'll see when the time comes."

￥￥￥￥￥

The next morning, Dun Garden.

When Fushan Yue and He Lingchuan arrived, the auction had already begun and would continue until after sunset.

Although he was mentally prepared, He Lingchuan was still shocked when he entered Dun Garden.

Big, simply too big.

This was the main urban area of Lingxu lower city, where the poor had almost no place to stand, yet Dun Garden occupied an entire mountain.

It was early autumn, and the sunlight at the hour of the snake cast a golden glow on the mountain, with the phoenix trees and five-clawed maples covering the last bit of cicada sound.

The west wind wound around the trees, and red leaves flew everywhere.

The waves of trees lay low, revealing only a corner of the eaves, with the sound of bells drifting leisurely.

Seeking monthly tickets~

It's the end of the month!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 573 =====