Chapter 628

This feeling of looking down on all living beings was truly addictive.

There were also many shops, teahouses, and opera houses on Tiantongdao, as well as places that didn't know what they were selling, all hidden in single-family detached houses behind green trees and blue walls. Looking at the door headers and signs, they strove to highlight the word "elegant."

But in He Lingchuan's view, they actually only showed one word:

Expensive! Inexpressibly expensive.

Walking on the spring-filled floating island for two quarter-hours, they arrived at the Ke Mansion.

He Lingchuan was a bit surprised; the mansions on Tiantongdao were not large in area. Compared to the manors in the lower city that often occupied half a mountain, their area might only be one-tenth of the others.

Even the Ke Mansion only occupied thirteen mu, which was less than nine thousand square meters.

An island is an island; land is limited, and it is impossible to squander it like in the lower city. There were many nobles raised in Lingxu City over six hundred years; if you want to live in the sky, I want to live there too, so everyone can only squeeze in and be neighbors. If you want a manor that is boundless, you can only go to the lower city.

The facade of the Ke Mansion was both grand and arrogant; even a guest visiting for the first time would not recognize it wrongly.

Not to mention anything else, outside the black gate of golden sandalwood, there stood two exquisite purple-gold horses, taller than real horses, with a vigorous momentum.

Although there was no decoration on the whole body, these two statues could be called the most valuable treasures on Tiantongdao.

Because before the reconstruction of the Xushan Heavenly Palace, they stood outside the gate of the Star-Plucking Tower!

The purple-gold horses bestowed by the Heavenly God were the supreme glory enjoyed exclusively by the Ke family.

The Crown Prince of Chiyan arrived, and the doorman flew in to report.

Before long, Ke Yanjing, the fifth young master of the Ke family who had appeared at Pianxiang Villa a few days ago, came out to greet them.

Fushan Yue had a smile on his face, but he felt strange in his heart.

His return visit today was by appointment, and the Ke Mansion had also given a receipt. In terms of etiquette and specifications, when the Crown Prince of Chiyan visits, the head of the Ke family, Ke Shouyi, should have come out to greet him.

Why did Ke Wu come? Fortunately, Ke Wu was also well-versed in these human relationships; upon meeting, he bowed and said: "We have unexpected guests at home, and my father is currently entertaining them. Please don't blame me, Brother Fushan! How about we go to the Plum Garden for some tea first?"

"Let's go." What kind of distinguished guest could it be that Ke Shouyi had to entertain personally even when they showed up unexpectedly?

In the Ke Mansion, the main body of the building only occupied one-quarter, and the rest were gardens, animal pens, and springs.

Red flowers and green trees could be seen everywhere on Tiantongdao; how could the Ke Mansion use common goods to fill the garden landscape? Everything that could enter the garden was a bonsai with ingenious craftsmanship, or a spirit tree at least several hundred years old. Every flower vessel was particularly exquisite, with pearls, agates, gold, and jade being frequent guests on the pots.

Seeing these bonsai, He Lingchuan finally knew where the "Flower Stone Mountain House" that Ke Wu gave him came from.

It was probably just picked from here at random.

He Lingchuan passed by a rockery and saw a seven-foot-tall fire-red coral tree planted on it, shaped like a peacock spreading its tail, with every fine branch being perfect.

Fu Shanyue was moved: "Grand Commander Fan is very thoughtful."

He Lingchuan sighed secretly in his heart, suddenly remembering the fishing town behind the house of the long-armed ape Old Ge. The old man who led the way for him for the first time walked with a limp, which was said to be because he had been diving for treasure for many years and had developed osteonecrosis due to decompression sickness.

In the demon kingdom, even if you work hard until you are seriously ill, it is not as easy as the fish demons working in the water.

That is extremely unfair competition, but what else can ordinary people rely on to make a living?

"The Plum Garden is just ahead," Ke Wu laughed. "We have a five-hundred-year-old plum king in our garden. It became a demon when the Emperor's Dew fell a hundred years ago, and the flowers it blooms are exceptionally large and fragrant."

As soon as the words fell, two people, a man and a woman, turned in from outside the round moon gate.

The man was a stranger, of medium build, about fifty years old; the woman was a beautiful woman with a goose-egg face. Although she was dressed in plain clothes and only had a white jade hairpin in her hair, it did not diminish her graceful and noble air.

Most importantly, He Lingchuan recognized this face—

National Preceptor Qingyang!

He never expected to run head-on into National Preceptor Qingyang in this courtyard of the Ke Mansion where plum blossoms were blooming furiously.

Xi Yunhe's painting skills were truly superb; a few strokes captured the charm of National Preceptor Qingyang. Now that He Lingchuan saw the real person, he could recognize her at a glance.

Fushan Yue was also stunned, his footsteps stopping.

National Preceptor Qingyang was originally chatting and laughing with Ke Shouyi. Seeing Fushan Yue walking towards her, she was also two parts surprised, but immediately laughed: "Little Fushan, long time no see."

"Greetings, National Preceptor Qingyang!" Fushan Yue had always presented himself as someone who feared nothing, but when he saw her, he bowed as a junior: "Ten years have passed, and the National Preceptor's demeanor remains the same."

So Ke Shouyi's guest was National Preceptor Qingyang; no wonder he had to entertain her personally.

Ke Shouyi and Fushan Yue also exchanged greetings. National Preceptor Qingyang's gaze swept past Fushan Yue's side, ignoring Jiao Yu, but looking at He Lingchuan, she said: "Who is this?"

"This is my special envoy, He Xiao."

National Preceptor Qingyang's gaze was deep, and she let out a long "Oh": "So you are He Xiao!"

These words were meaningful, and even Ke Shouyi could taste some implications.

He Lingchuan cupped his hands and bowed to her: "Greetings, Lord National Preceptor!"

On the surface, he still had to do the full etiquette.

Her voice was full of emotion: "I heard that you saw my wicked disciple in Bai Sha Jue?"

He Lingchuan's gaze flashed: "You mean, Mai Xuewen?"

"His real name is Xi Yunhe; you should already know that, right?"

He Lingchuan's answer was watertight: "Chief Bai communicated with the Crown Prince a few days ago and also mentioned this matter."

The losers died out, and only the winners could eat the leftovers.

There were words within words. He Lingchuan pretended not to understand and said solemnly: "This is indeed a very difficult and thorny fugitive!" Shouldn't you thank yourself for your good teaching back then? National Preceptor Qingyang asked Fushan Yue: "How is the follow-up of this case?"

Fushan Yue let out an "Oh": "Let me report to the National Preceptor; from the day Chief Bai arrived at Bai Sha Jue, he took over the whole case. I was ordered by my father to come to Lingxu City, actually to ask about the follow-up. Currently... sigh!" He shook his head.

To put it bluntly, I don't know either.

Fushan Yue was the earliest investigator, but the Qinggong was vaguely the end point of the case. The meeting between the two sides was really a bit awkward. Fushan Yue meant that this matter was no longer under our jurisdiction, so don't come to me for trouble now.

He Lingchuan listened from the side and secretly found it funny; Fushan Yue was already well-versed in the routines of officialdom and the workplace, and the future was promising.

National Preceptor Qingyang smiled slightly: "Chief Bai is investigating the case; of course, we will cooperate fully." She turned to Ke Shouyi and said, "Then, I will leave that matter to Lord Ke. I'll go first; you guys chat."

Ke Shouyi was all smiles and insisted on sending her to the main gate.

National Preceptor Qingyang could not refuse, so she walked out accompanied by the four, chatting with them a few times on the way.

He Lingchuan observed that she was gentle, peaceful, and articulate, treating people like a spring breeze. The Elixir of Immortality case that dragged her into the center of the vortex had Xi Yunhe as the primary responsible person, and He Lingchuan should be next. But from the look and smile she cast over, He Lingchuan couldn't feel any hostility at all; instead, it was as broad-minded and friendly as looking at a junior.

Such grace, such bearing.

If he hadn't been involved in the Elixir of Immortality case, if he hadn't had a deep talk with Xi Yunhe, then he would most likely think that the woman in front of him was very worthy of respect and admiration.

After walking these few steps, he understood somewhat how Xi Yunhe felt back then. No wonder someone as smart as Xi Yunhe couldn't see through the true face of his mentor for many years.

Fushan Yue also said that there were still many people in Lingxu City who were fiercely criticizing the progress of the investigation, meaning they refused to believe that National Preceptor Qingyang was related to the Elixir of Immortality case.

Even if you spread all the evidence in front of them, they would still stiffen their necks, refusing to believe it.

Besides, He Lingchuan knew best what kind of opponent Bai Ziqi was. What he thought was watertight still showed flaws in front of him.

But Bai Ziqi had been fighting with National Preceptor Qingyang and hadn't gained any advantage yet. He could find a clue, and National Preceptor Qingyang could block it when she turned back. This disaster just couldn't be led into the Qinggong.

In terms of reputation, the Qinggong was at a disadvantage.

But in terms of the progress of the case, it was Bai Ziqi who was in a dilemma.

Moreover, Xi Yunhe and Fang Canran were both right; how could someone like National Preceptor Qingyang only defend and not attack? Most of her counterattacks were in the dark, but He Lingchuan was no longer investigating the case, so he couldn't feel it.

He wanted to probe about the Heavenly Centipede Bone Flute several times, but held back.

Now was definitely not a good time; he must not create more complications.

After National Preceptor Qingyang boarded the carriage and left, Ke Shouyi turned to Fushan Yue and laughed: "National Preceptor Qingyang came unexpectedly, so I had to entertain her. I hope Your Highness won't blame me."

"A small matter." Fushan Yue didn't care at all and asked casually, "What did National Preceptor Qingyang come for?"

"We do things for the Qinggong, so she came to make some requests; it's no big deal."

Fushan Yue was tactful and didn't ask further. The relationships among these high-ranking nobles in Lingxu City were intertwined, and sometimes even he felt they were profound.

Ke Yanjing played his role well and coughed lightly from the side: "Your Highness, will the Elixir of Immortality case really be traced to the Qinggong?"

"The clue was broken at the Qingfu Temple; I don't know if Chief Bai has any new discoveries; if not, it won't be traced to the Qinggong." National Preceptor Qingyang had just left, and these guys were already chewing on people behind their backs. Fushan Yue looked at him and laughed, "Ke Old Five, have you heard of Qingfu Temple selling the Elixir of Immortality?"

Ke Yanjing was startled and waved his hands repeatedly: "Your Highness is joking; how could I have heard of it?"

"The Elixir of Immortality is very difficult to manufacture; not to mention it requires a large amount of pulp beads, the medicine primer is the most rare. In the vast Lingxu City, there are very few who can get this kind of medicine primer." Fushan Yue dragged out his tone, "Besides, it is a prohibited item, so the price must be sky-high. Where can ordinary families afford to buy or use it?"

On the Elixir of Immortality case, he had more say than these powerful figures in Lingxu City.

The lives of the rich are valuable, so the Elixir of Immortality is naturally expensive.

(End of chapter)