Chapter 81: Taking Advantage

"Would a treasure with spiritual intelligence just let him roast it into nothingness? Then who can handle it?"

"No one in Heishuicheng can manage it, and Jinzhou is a long shot too." The blacksmith hesitated slightly. "It's best to go to a large eastern city or the capital. I've heard the Profound Artifact Sect has outposts in those places; perhaps they have secret techniques or specialized furnaces to remove the gold-alloy from the staff head."

To put it bluntly, only a magic treasure can defeat a magic treasure. His place only had ordinary smelting furnaces; putting the staff in there would just be like giving it a sauna. Only a sect that specializes in casting magic treasures would have the proper equipment.

He Lingchuan knew it was useless to make things difficult for him, so he tossed a small ingot of silver to him, stood up, and left.

Zeng Feixiong hurried to catch up. "Let me buy you a drink, Young Master."

Three days after returning from the desert, he had received a generous reward, and County Magistrate He had also kept his promise, sending dedicated personnel to look after Old Man Zeng, providing care twelve hours a day.

The pressure on Zeng Feixiong had vanished; he felt the sky was bluer, his breathing was easier, and his purse was bulging.

He Lingchuan deserved much of the credit for him being able to return alive, and this desert trip had greatly changed his perception of the Young Master He.

He Lingchuan shook his head. "Another day."

The excitement of surviving the ordeal had passed, and returning to the daily routine of eating, drinking, and playing, he suddenly felt a sense of boredom.

He decided to just go home and sleep.

However, after taking two steps, a thought occurred to him, and he suddenly turned his head. "Change it to tonight. I'll have Liu Baobao treat us."

After returning to the manor, He Lingchuan didn't lie down to sleep; instead, he went to the small martial arts practice field to practice his saber techniques.

This trip to the Panlong Desert made him truly feel the gap between himself and Nian Songyu. After falling into the illusion and losing the support of his father and the Heishuicheng army, the thing he thought about most when facing Nian Songyu's malice was how to save his own life; he didn't even have the energy to be angry.

Only afterward did he realize that Nian Songyu's nature was even more vicious. The verbal mockery directed at him and Mao Tao in the Panlong Illusion was only because Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping had intended to sacrifice them later, and at the time, he couldn't be bothered to argue with people who were as good as dead.

The family's Traction Art only provided a foundation for He Lingchuan. While urging himself on, he also needed more and more profound techniques.

In the first two months after arriving in this world, he only wanted to lay low and enjoy his wealth, but the appearance of Sun Fuping and the others told him that in this world, trouble likes to find its own way to your door.

Over the past two days, he had also sought out He Chunhua, hoping his father could find him a more powerful and suitable cultivation method. He Chunhua readily agreed.

The saber light flashed, and in the blink of an eye, an hour passed.

The intensity that used to make him sweat profusely now only left his back slightly damp. Perhaps the experience between life and death had increased both his physical strength and resilience.

Finally, He Lingchuan stopped, wiped his face—which had been roughened by the desert sun—and decided to go to the kitchen to find something to eat.

It seemed he was getting hungry faster than before.

The He Manor was very quiet today; He Chunhua was at the government office, and Ying Hongchan was out, so he didn't have to deal with anyone.

He Lingchuan navigated the familiar path to the cupboard where the cook kept the food. He opened it and saw, oh, not bad—besides a mountain of red date cakes, there was also tender osmanthus almond tofu in the cooling cabinet. A touch with a spoon made it wobble.

The making and preservation of this almond tofu required summer ice stored in cellars. September in Heishuicheng had just entered the rainy season, and the weather was muggy and hot. Being able to eat a few spoonfuls of cool, sweet almond tofu at this time washed away all the heat in his head.

He Lingchuan took a large bowl and poured out nearly half the pot.

He had just eaten a few pieces when someone nearby said urgently, "Hey, leave some for me!"

He turned his head and saw He Yue.

"Why are you back?" The little bookworm shouldn't be home today.

"Came home to get some account books." He Yue also started scooping dessert for himself, his movements refined, but his bowl was as big as He Lingchuan's. "Wanted to eat something to cool off."

Watching his older brother wolf down the food, He Yue hesitated to speak.

When stealing food, He Lingchuan was always observant. "Speak up if you have something to say."

"Father and I have been so busy lately that our feet haven't touched the ground. One hundred and five people died on the Panlong trip, and thirty-seven were injured. The compensation and rewards are a huge expense, plus the promotions... the items were only finished today."

"Oh." What did that have to do with him? The Young Master He was always only responsible for being carefree.

He Yue hesitated.

"Anything else?" The boy's forehead was wrinkled into a 'chuan' character. "You look like you're constipated. Eat more almond tofu, it'll clear you out!"

He Yue subconsciously moved his bowl away.

"Most of this work was left to me because Father has been busy meeting with numerous merchant associations and delegations these past few days. He's been to restaurants four times alone."

"I know that. He even had me arrange a meeting with the Liu Merchant Association for him, that is, Liu Baobao's family." He Lingchuan was indifferent. "What's the problem? Isn't that part of his job?"

Every time the sandstorm season began and ended, He Chunhua was very busy because there was a large amount of trade activity in Heishuicheng at these times.

This year's sandstorm season had just begun, and the merchant caravans and delegations that caught the last bus on the Red Cliff Road to enter the Great Yuan had to clear customs here before dispersing into the east and central regions. The workload of He Chunhua's entire team was imaginable.

"All other large and small meetings were handed over to the officials in the office. Do you know what the characteristics of the guests Father has been meeting with these past few days are?"

He Lingchuan shook his head.

"They are all going to the capital." He Yue's expression was solemn. "The first batch set off three days ago. Now that the road east to Woling Pass is open, if you go there to take a boat and switch to the waterway, because it's downstream, you can reach the capital in just a few days!"

"So?"

"My office is not far from the meeting hall, and I can often hear laughter inside."

"What's wrong with that?" He Lingchuan felt it was quite normal.

"Big Brother, Father is usually quite dignified when meeting merchants; it's usually not this style."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" He Lingchuan looked for water; the red date cakes were a bit choking. "Stop mumbling like a woman."

"Let's just talk about this privately; don't spread it." He Yue hesitated again before saying, "I suspect Father wants them to go to the capital to build momentum and spread the rumors first."

"What rumors?"

"The news that we defeated Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu." He Yue revealed a slight smile. "Haven't you guys been bragging about it in Heishuicheng these past few days?"

He Lingchuan was unconvinced. "Isn't this a fact? How can it be called a rumor, and how is it bragging?"

"If Father hasn't submitted his report yet and this matter spreads first, it's called a rumor."

He Lingchuan was startled. "Father hasn't submitted his report yet? How is that possible?"

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 82 =====