Chapter 636: Shao Jian's Ending

Fang Canran said sternly, "With the foundation of not harming each other, we can continue to talk deeply. And—" He paused: "Maintaining this kind of ancient strange object is not easy; using it early can also reduce the burden early."

This guy is still afraid that he will report him to the Heavenly God, which is why he wants to put this kind of insurance on both sides! He Lingchuan stared at him for a long time: "With this good thing, why did you still deal with me just now?"

Fang Canran laughed, unable to explain.

Taking a few steps back, even if the two were friends and not enemies, he still had to probe the other party's strength.

This determined how the two sides would get along later.

Dragons associate with dragons, phoenixes with phoenixes, and friends of mice will dig holes. People of what level make friends of what level.

Even if they are their own people, they must be divided into upper, middle, and lower levels.

He Lingchuan also poked him, and immediately agreed: "Fine, sign the contract!"

Even if he had his verbal guarantee just now, and was the first to untie Fang Canran, this Grand Manager was still not at ease. Promises based entirely on self-consciousness, how can they be as safe as oaths under the gaze of inner demons?

Obviously, he knew very well that human words are the least trustworthy.

Fang Canran grabbed one of the handcuffs and put it on himself with a click.

He Lingchuan grabbed the other one and put it on.

Then both chanted the oath, the chain began to glow red, runes floated on the surface, flying up and down.

After the chanting was finished, the chain slowly disappeared, and the shackles on both their hands turned into ordinary silver bracelets, worn on their wrists.

"That's it." Fang Canran's expression relaxed significantly, "From this moment on, neither of us can break the oath, otherwise the end will be miserable."

The oath didn't mention that the two must be honest with each other.

Because, no one was willing to do so. They both had too many secrets.

Let's leave some room for each other.

He brewed tea and handed it to He Lingchuan: "Why did you say that Shao Jian is related to Emperor Flowing Pulp?"

He Lingchuan dipped his finger in water and wrote a character on the table quickly.

Fang Canran took a look, his pupils shrank, and He Lingchuan also noticed the veins on his forehead jump violently.

This character, of course, was—

Punishment.

The "Punishment" of the Punishment Dragon Pillar.

The next second, He Lingchuan wiped it off, picked up the cup and took a sip: "Did I write it correctly?"

After the Oath Chain took effect, the two could not harm each other, and he no longer worried about Fang Canran putting poison in the water.

Fang Canran's expression changed, and the look in his eyes couldn't hide his shock: "You...?"

The one surnamed He actually knew even this! This kind of detail, this kind of...

This matter, naturally no one in Lingxu City knew, otherwise Fang Canran would have been unable to live long ago.

He didn't expect that the secret his family had carefully guarded for more than a hundred years would suddenly be revealed by a stranger.

An outsider of unknown origin.

It was like an old, sturdy house that had been lived in for a hundred years, and the roof suddenly collapsed; this feeling was not very pleasant.

If it weren't for the fact that He Lingchuan had already bound an Oath Chain with him, and both sides couldn't harm each other, he would have killed him to silence him no matter what.

Regarding the secret of the Punishment Dragon Pillar, for more than a hundred years, except for a few high-level figures, it had been whoever touched it would die! "This secret, you also learned it from the illusion of that ancient city?"

He Lingchuan nodded.

Fang Canran's gaze was deep: "Then did you see who handed these things to Shao Jian?"

"Of course." He Lingchuan silently spoke the name—

"Mitian."

These two words, looking at the lip shape, were not difficult to see.

Fang Canran leaned back slowly and let out a long breath: "Sure enough."

"You didn't know?"

"Shao Jian was always tight-lipped and didn't mention the origin of these things to anyone. But I deduced that it also came from this ancient god."

After the Oath Chain took effect, both sides spoke straightforwardly, no longer beating around the bush, no longer desperately denying.

Fang Canran stared at He Lingchuan: "Is that ancient city you mentioned... Panlongcheng?"

"You know Panlongcheng?"

"How could I not know?" Fang Canran smiled, "Shao Jian always went there. Besides, I have also investigated the history of this city; the reason for the final destruction of Panlongcheng was the same as the Yuan Kingdom."

He sighed lightly: "Young Master He, did you really come to Lingxu City just for the Elixir of Immortality case?"

He cared about this very much, asking several times.

"I have long admired the great name of Lingxu City, wanted to come and open my eyes, and by the way, complete a friend's entrustment. As for the Elixir of Immortality case, at first, this was just a simple missing messenger case; when entrusted by Crown Prince Yue, I didn't know it was linked to the dignitaries of Lingxu City." He Lingchuan said honestly, "The water in this is too deep, alas. Later, the Envoy Bai required me to come to Lingxu City to assist in the investigation."

"There should have been many opportunities to get out in the middle, right?" Fang Canran drank tea, "Egg hitting a stone, ordinary people don't do such thankless things."

"Someone has to do it." He Lingchuan stared at him, word by word, "If everyone only cares about small interests, it is difficult for great justice to exist in the world."

"What was the friend's entrustment?" Fang Canran grasped the key point. So handling the case was just by the way, completing the friend's entrustment was the key point?

He Lingchuan laughed: "Just come over to help it handle some matters."

"What matters?"

He Lingchuan looked at him for a long while, and instead of answering, asked: "With Mr. Fang's background, where is not good to go, why stay in Lingxu City?"

Fang Canran is Shao Jian's descendant; just this identity being discovered would be enough for the Heavenly God to make him unable to die well. So staying in Lingxu City actually carried a huge risk.

Fang Canran didn't answer.

Both were silent.

The friendship was still shallow, making it difficult to speak deeply.

After a while, Fang Canran changed the topic: "Then after these things are over, where will you go?"

"Of course, slip away."

"Oh?" Fang Canran wondered, "With so many famous families beckoning, you are not tempted by even one?"

"Lingxu City and I have incompatible horoscopes; it is prosperous on the surface, but actually extremely ominous, not a place for me to live for a long time." He Lingchuan carried the secret of the Great Fang Hu and didn't want to stay under the Heavenly God's nose for a long time. "Besides, I have offended too many dignitaries, so I won't stay here to block their eyes."

He asked again: "By the way, I really want to know, what happened to Mr. Shao Jian in the end."

Fang Canran was stunned.

"I also want to know why you have been wearing this signet ring. Its material is ordinary, only adding two parts of refined iron, and it doesn't even have storage functions. As the Grand Manager of Dun Garden, there are better treasure rings to wear, right?"

Fang Canran looked at the signet ring: "Things passed down by ancestors, the material is not important."

"What is important?" He Lingchuan asked him, "Legacy?"

Fang Canran was silent for a long while, and finally said: "Mr. Shao dissolved the Red Snail Chamber of Commerce at the age of fifty-seven; three years later, he left after his sixtieth birthday, leaving a letter not to look for him, and his whereabouts were unknown since then; three years later, a bird demon flew to report the news that he was captured, beheaded, skinned and filled with straw, and the crime was slandering the Heavenly God. However, he committed suicide by taking poison before he was captured, so it didn't implicate his descendants."

He Lingchuan closed his eyes and couldn't help but sigh.

Earthen jars inevitably break by the well; Shao Jian ultimately got what he wished for.

Although He Lingchuan had long anticipated this result, and although Shao Jian had been dead for more than a hundred years, hearing what Fang Canran said, his heart still felt heavy.

After all, he had just been drinking and eating meat with Shao Jian on the Panlong Wasteland not long ago, talking about the past and present together.

Although he didn't forget the national hatred and family grudges, this person had always been optimistic about resistance, fighting, and even the future.

If not optimistic, how could he face such a powerful opponent, and how could he carry such a heavy burden for decades?

Shao Jian's second half of his life was almost fighting alone.

But people standing on Panlongcheng's side seemed to have no good endings; Shao Jian ultimately didn't escape such a fate.

Fang Canran had been observing He Lingchuan's expression, and at this time asked: "Why would you be sad for him?"

He had been a businessman for a long time and was very good at observing expressions. Although the youth's sadness and sighing only lasted for a short moment, they were natural.

Besides, they were discussing an ancient person from more than a hundred years ago; what need did he have to fake it? He Lingchuan straightened his face and said in a deep voice: "Heroes are nameless. Mr. Shao was not famous in the world, but his merits were sky-high; I deeply admire him."

He picked up the cup: "Come, a toast to Mr. Shao."

Fang Canran toasted with him, and heard He Lingchuan continue: "I also want to ask Mr. Fang about one thing."

"What thing?"

"Ancient giant demons left to this day are very few; I heard that the Xushan Mountain Swamp is one. I specifically went to the Zhaixing Tower to observe it several times, but it didn't show up." He Lingchuan laughed, "Is there any way to see it?"

What kind of question is this? Fang Canran was stunned, thought for a while before saying: "The rock pool of Zhaixing Tower is just its outdoor bathtub; the Mountain Swamp doesn't necessarily stay anywhere. If you want to see it immediately, I'm afraid you have to offer sacrifices."

"Specifically, what sacrifices must be offered?"

Fang Canran's gaze flickered: "Why do you think I know?"

He Lingchuan shrugged: "The Ke family often orders strange ores and exotic stones from Dun Garden; I think they are sacrifices offered to Zu Ju."

"That's true." Fang Canran recited a list of miscellaneous names, some ores, some spiritual woods, totaling more than a dozen items.

With He Lingchuan's memory, he didn't need a pen to record, but the more he listened, the more bitter his face became: "Need so many?"

And each one sounded very expensive! "The Mountain Swamp's taste is very delicate and picky." Fang Canran pointed out, "You don't need to feed it full, just choose two or three to offer."

He Lingchuan looked curious: "What happens if Zu Ju is full, does it also get sleepy like a human?"

"Of course, humans get sleepy after eating to digest food; Mountain Swamps need to digest minerals after eating, both need short sleep." Fang Canran laughed, "But as far as I know, if you want to make it full and sleepy, actually just enough Boundless Gold is enough."

"Boundless Gold?" He Lingchuan blurted out, "Isn't it the sword tip of the First Shore Immortal that the Ke family auctioned off at Dun Garden?"

Fang Canran nodded: "But that amount is definitely not enough, at least two times more."

At that time, the transaction price of that sword tip was 870,000 taels of silver, and two times more was 2.6 million taels of silver! Besides, Boundless Gold is a treasure with a price but no market, which can be met but not sought. Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't have a place to buy it even if you held money.

Wanting to feed Zu Ju full at once, the cost is actually so high?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 637 =====