Chapter 643: Harbor
“The air in the Fu Realm is poisonous, so every team that enters has to keep a rinsing bead in their mouth,” Fushan Yue said. “The strange thing is that when the Fu Realm’s aberrant creatures accidentally enter the mortal realm and breathe our air, they become unusually excited. Even the mildest duonao beast turns aggressive once it enters the mortal realm.”
“Rinsing bead?” He Lingchuan had been thinking about the Fu Realm’s specialty, the “frost pellets.” “You mean the bead that lets people breathe?”
“The Fu Realm produces rinsing beads. We harvest them and press them under the tongue, and then we can breathe freely. Other talismans and spells people make themselves don’t work.” Fushan Yue explained, “But generally speaking, one rinsing bead can only be used for fifteen minutes. You’d better have stock on hand to replace it, or else hurry off to harvest new ones. Otherwise, a person will suffocate within thirty breaths, faint within fifty breaths, and then die. Monsters can endure a little longer, but they won’t escape that fate either. The annoying thing is that once picked, a rinsing bead only exists for twenty-four hours. Once it expires, it vaporizes on its own.”
“So they can’t be harvested and stored long-term.”
“Definitely not. Reasonably allocating the number of rinsing beads is a discipline in itself.”
He Lingchuan thought for a moment. “Each rinsing bead can only support fifteen minutes of breathing?”
“Strictly speaking, every person breathes at a different rate, and monsters breathe at different rates from humans. The breathing rate during ordinary activity is also different from the breathing rate during battle. Say a giant elephant used a rinsing bead to stay alive. It would definitely last much less time than it would for a human. That’s why few large-bodied monsters take part in the Grass Sea Hunt. But on average, a rinsing bead basically lasts fifteen minutes.”
Fushan Yue added, “Lingxu City has organized the Fu Realm hunts hundreds of times, so it has plenty of experience. These teams all assign specific people to harvest rinsing beads for the entire team’s use.”
“The Fu Realm is dangerous, isn’t it?” If that place were as safe as the beaches of the Grass Sea, ordinary commoners would have gone over long ago.
“Of course. Several centuries ago, when Lingxu City first began exploring the Fu Realm, they discovered that the environment inside was harsh and the strange beasts were dangerous. If dozens of people went in, it was already good if half came out alive. I heard the most terrifying year was when the advance party ran into a huge beast tide. Thirty people entered, and only two came out in the end. But the more times people go in, the more experience they gain. Now there’s a full set of training materials for hunting in the Fu Realm, so it’s long since become less dangerous than it was back then.”
He then smiled and added, “The flow of time is different between the two sides. As two years pass here in the mortal realm, seven to eight years seem to pass in the Fu Realm, enough for new duonao beasts to mature. Besides, there are powerful lord-level beings deep inside the Fu Realm. Lingxu City’s teams generally don’t provoke them.”
“Thirty years ago, a giant beast crossed through the eye of the storm and charged into the Grass Sea,” Fushan Yue said lazily. “Now that battle was worth watching. Nearly a hundred imperial guards died, though. Fortunately, it didn’t affect the commoners further behind.”
“How large a floating stone did it yield?”
“About four hundred grade.” Fushan Yue gave him a brief explanation. “This is based on the measurement system taking the floating stone produced by an ordinary duonao beast as one grade, which is a purple stone that’s roughly the size of a goose egg.”
In other words, the reward for intercepting that giant beast was equivalent to killing four hundred ordinary duonao beasts.
Of course, it had not been easy.
“But fortunately, even stronger duonao beasts can’t get through.” Fushan Yue pointed at the enormous storm over the Grass Sea. “They’re blocked by the spacetime barrier.”
He Lingchuan suddenly asked, “I see many powerful people present today. Why haven’t they entered the Fu Realm to hunt?”
“Anyone who’s at or above the General of the Roving Cavalry rank is forbidden to enter the Fu Realm for combat.” Fushan Yue smiled. “The Fu Realm is too dangerous. Lingxu City added this rule for the sake of fairness as well.”
He Lingchuan nodded.
If not for that rule, perhaps he could have found a way to take care of Nian Zanli inside the Fu Realm, saving himself a great deal of trouble later.
Fushan Yue then said, “Oh, right. I heard a piece of news just now, though I haven’t confirmed whether it’s true.”
The Grass Sea event had gathered nearly all the wealthy and powerful of the city, so all kinds of news were flying around like stray bullets.
“Lu Qingzhou died suddenly,” Fushan Yue said softly. “He was State Preceptor Qing Yang’s personal disciple, one of her most loyal confidants.”
Something happened to the Spring Palace again? He Lingchuan’s expression changed. “How did he die?”
“He returned home to visit his wife and children seven or eight days ago, then failed to wake up the next morning. His wife pushed him and found that he had already stopped breathing.” A noble happened to pass nearby, and Fushan Yue greeted him before continuing, “That night, no one in the whole family heard a single unusual sound. Even the dog outside the door didn’t bark.”
He Lingchuan raised a thumb. “Excellent method! They didn’t find any clues?”
Looking at Xi Yunhe alone was enough to know that these state preceptors all had sharp eyes when selecting disciples. Lu Qingzhou had been personally trained by State Preceptor Qing Yang and regarded by her as a confidant, so his intelligence, cultivation, and ability to adapt had to far surpass ordinary people.
Yet he had still died, and died in absolute silence.
As for someone who dared make a move against State Preceptor Qing Yang’s disciple and could do it so beautifully, He Lingchuan had only one candidate in mind.
“I heard the Spring Palace examined him. There wasn’t a single wound anywhere on Lu Qingzhou’s body.”
He Lingchuan thought, Just as expected.
However, State Preceptor Shuang Ye’s plan is already about to succeed. Why would he risk killing Lu Qingzhou at this critical juncture?
What secret was he carrying?
Or is he an obstacle in State Preceptor Shuang Ye’s operation?
No wonder State Preceptor Qing Yang’s complexion had looked so awful. In these recent clashes with State Preceptor Shuang Ye, she’s been passive at every turn.
The more He Lingchuan stirred up the elixir of youth case, the deeper he felt the waters ran.
“Your guess is probably the same as mine. But there’s no evidence anyway, so we may as well just watch the excitement.” Fushan Yue stood and stretched lazily. “We’ll leave a few people here, along with two physicians. I’m heading back first. Are you coming?”
The Storm Gate would remain open for thirty days. There would be plenty more to follow.
“Let’s go.”
* * *
He Lingchuan was woken by the cold wind.
When he opened his eyes, he found that the window had been left open. Night was approaching, and the evening wind showed people no mercy.
The charcoal brazier in the corner had long since gone out. He stood, moved his arms and legs, then pushed the door and walked outside.
There were no flowers in the little courtyard. Even the flowerpots had vanished to who knew where. The surface of the water jar seemed to have frozen over. Startled, He Lingchuan reached out and shattered the thin ice, only to find that the goldfish beneath were still alive. They had simply sunk to the bottom and refused to move.
He had not returned to Panlong City for quite a few days.
The Generous Pot seemed to know that he had recently been surrounded by danger and entangled in countless trifles, and had not dragged him into the dreamscape, allowing him to rest properly at night.
After all, human energy was limited. If one’s mind was occupied day and night, one’s thoughts would not be as nimble.
Even so, he had not dared sleep too deeply these past few nights.
On the other side of the courtyard wall, there was light.
Is Sun Fuling home?
He tried calling out, and the creak of a door opening came from next door. Sun Fuling emerged carrying a lantern. “You’re back? You were gone rather long this time.”
He Lingchuan leaned over the top of the wall and grinned at her. “Sorry.”
He did not know how long it had been since he had last seen her, but the young lady was still so beautiful. In the dimness, the lantern light shone on her face, making her fair skin seem to glow.
“Are you going out?”
Sun Fuling wore a pale blue jacket beneath a pure white cloak. She looked charming, brisk, and neat, clearly dressed to go out.
“To the academy, and to freeload a meal while I’m at it.” She yawned and set the lantern onto the wall. “I knocked on your door around noon, but you weren’t home.”
Ah, right, this young lady doesn’t cook. He Lingchuan smiled. “My treat?”
“Sure, but you have to accompany me to the academy first.”
He Lingchuan returned inside to fetch his cloak, then went out with her.
Sitting in the donkey cart and looking out, Panlong City’s streets were familiar enough to put his heart at ease.
Over the past few days, he had experienced so many roaring waves in Lingxu City and dodged so many schemes that his nerves had been taut the entire time. Even before sleeping, he had to set up barriers and arrays.
Only after entering Panlong City did his body and mind truly relax.
That familiar, intimate feeling that everything was within his grasp had finally returned.
This was his home.
“What is it?” Sun Fuling noticed his expression. “You look very tired. Was your latest mission difficult?”
“Mm, very difficult.” He Lingchuan stretched. “But now that I’m home, it’s all good.”
Sun Fuling smiled softly. “Yes. Once you’re back here, it’s all good.”
The two of them were sitting very close. Her almond-shaped eyes reflected the lights along the roadside, bright and fragmented, like sunlight scattering over spring water in rippling gold.
He Lingchuan reached out and brushed a few stray hairs away from her delicate brow.
The action was entirely instinctive, and even He Lingchuan himself froze. Sun Fuling raised an eyebrow, seeming a little startled as well.
His voice turned rough. “There was a leaf.”
How strange. Facing a peerless beauty like Li Qingge, he could be honey-tongued and smooth as anything.
But before Sun Fuling, for some reason, he became clumsy and at a loss.
Sun Fuling also looked at him without saying a word.
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere gradually grew strange.
Neither knew how much time passed before the cart driver finally broke the awkwardness, asking, “Young lad, where did you say you were going?”
The intersection was just up ahead, so it was best they not take the wrong road. Otherwise, it would take quite some time getting back on the right path.
The moment he spoke, the spell inside the cart shattered.
Sun Fuling looked away and smiled soundlessly before saying, “Shumin State Academy.”
He Lingchuan coughed lightly. “It’s almost dark. You’re returning to the academy at this hour?”
He sat in the same cart as Teacher Sun, leisurely traveling toward the academy. Around them were the clamor of the market, the sounds of children playing, and the distant crackle of firecrackers.
He had not heard that sound of firecrackers popping in a long time. He wondered whose family was celebrating something happy.
Beijia did not allow firecrackers, so it had none of this liveliness.
At this moment, Lingxu City’s danger and urgency all drifted far away from him. Time seemed to slow, and He Lingchuan became calm and unhurried once more.
This kind of relaxed, peaceful state of mind had been absent for far too long.
Sun Fuling’s voice remained clear and pleasant as she said, “Another teacher left today, so I have to cover the evening class.”
“Left? Where did she go?”
“She was transferred to Yuheng City. I heard that recently, the number of West Luo children enrolling in the old territory of West Ji has increased sharply, and they don’t have enough teachers. Commander Zhong discussed it with the headmaster and wants to transfer more people there. Those students will also become residents of Panlong in the future.”
After the State of West Ji was conquered by Panlong City, the long-oppressed West Luo people could finally hold their heads high. Those so-called “inferior people” who had once been obstructed in every way and forbidden from studying had finally gained the chance to enter classrooms.
“Well, that’s a wonderful thing.” He Lingchuan knew all of this.
“It’s just that three or four teachers left all of a sudden, so the academy is short-handed.” Sun Fuling smiled. “Yuheng City is going to expand. Things there are bustling with activity now, and I heard many people volunteered to go.”