Where Immortals Once Walked

Dong Rui was just about to reach out and pat it when Xi Yunhe stepped forward and said, “I’ll get on first.”

So this bastard really is guarding against me. Dong Rui’s heart tightened slightly, though his face remained unconcerned.

Just then, a thunderous boom suddenly erupted beside them!

The storage room of the carriage station had exploded.

It was only six meters away from everyone, so the powerful shockwave from the explosion shoved them all into a stagger.

Thick white smoke rose, and shadows seemed to flicker within it.

The three guards immediately stepped forward. Xi Yunhe flashed in front of Dong Rui and said sternly, “Loose arrows!”

No matter who it was, it was safest to shoot them down first.

He actually did not feel all that confident about this escape either. Since State Preceptor Qing Yang had dared frame Dong Rui, that meant she very likely knew where the latter lived.

Pursuers might arrive at any moment. No one could blame him for jumping at shadows.

With the sudden change happening right beside them, no one noticed that the snail toad behind them had lowered its great head and drawn close to Dong Rui.

At that moment, a monster leaped out from the carriage station. With the white smoke blocking their view, the guards first thought it was a monkey.

But it was not.

It was actually a huge bat. Its face was not as ugly as other breeds; instead, it looked a little like a monkey and a little like a bear. When its mouth was shut, it was even somewhat cute.

Yet the moment it opened its mouth, it revealed a full set of canine teeth.

Aside from its head, there was no fur on its body. Its skin was like a lizard’s, covered with fine wrinkles.

Each of the finger bones in its wings carried long, slender spikes.

What the hell is that thing?

Even with Xi Yunhe’s broad experience, he had never seen a monster like this. It was full of strangeness and disharmony.

Wait, disharmony? His heart thumped. Isn’t this a monster puppet?!

Damn it.

“Grab—” Xi Yunhe abruptly turned back, just in time to see the snail toad open its huge mouth and swallow Dong Rui in a single gulp!

It dove downward like a fish plunging into water, slipping straight into the ground!

It did not give Xi Yunhe and the others the slightest chance to intercept.

In almost the blink of an eye, Dong Rui and the snail toad disappeared. The carriage station’s rear courtyard returned to an empty expanse of muddy ground.

“...” Well, there’s no catching up to him now. Xi Yunhe punched the wall.

At this moment, the guard who had gone inside to fetch the box also leaped back over the wall, startled and uncertain. “Lord, what do we do now...”

“Withdraw!”

An explosion in the marketplace would definitely draw onlookers. They could not remain here long.

Before Xi Yunhe left, he looked back one more time. He saw that monster puppet flap its wings and rise, flying to a watchtower not far away.

Hah, even that thing knows how to hide itself. Dong Rui truly deserves his reputation as a master of escape. A single moment of carelessness, and I actually fell for his trap.

Still, as long as Dong Rui no longer appeared and no longer implicated State Preceptor Shuang Ye, his own task could be considered complete.

* * *

The moment Xi Yunhe and the others left, He Lingchuan set down his large bowl and stood. “Bill, please.”

The explosion startled the nearby neighbors. Everyone came to the front of the carriage station, craning their necks and peering inside.

He Lingchuan walked over too, stretching his neck like the rest of them. In truth, a tiny spider on the wall sprang down and landed in his lapel.

After retrieving the eyeball spider, He Lingchuan turned and left.

The government office would soon send people over. For him, this place was likewise not suitable for lingering.

He reentered the noodle shop, led the cliff ram out from the back, and walked it along the street.

“Things are terrible!” the mirror in his chest chattered nonstop. “State Preceptor Qing Yang actually accused Dong Rui. What about Nian Zanli?”

He Lingchuan said nothing.

The mirror continued, “What if Nian Zanli really borrows those tens of thousands of troops? Then Yuan will be in huge trouble. Master, you’ll become Yuan’s sinner!”

He Lingchuan’s brow furrowed. He slapped his chest and said, “Shut up.”

He had originally had a series of plans, and one crucial part had been to use divine blood to frame Nian Zanli, causing him to be thrown into prison or tormented by Heavenly Palace scrutiny. That way, he would be unable to take State Preceptor Shuang Ye’s token and borrow troops to attack Yuan.

But now, State Preceptor Qing Yang had identified Dong Rui as the source of her divine blood.

Though Dong Rui did indeed have divine blood on him, this disrupted He Lingchuan’s plan all at once.

What do I do now?

Am I supposed to just sit by and watch Nian Zanli escape my trap? That would spell endless trouble in the future.

A sudden streak of ruthlessness flashed in He Lingchuan’s eyes. “Then I might as well go all the way!”

The mirror did not hear clearly. “What did you say?”

“Aren’t the gods determined to trace the source of the divine blood?” The street was noisy with people coming and going. He Lingchuan lowered his voice and said, “Then I’ll bind Nian Zanli and Dong Rui together!”

“Huh?” Bind... together? Does he mean what I think he means?

He Lingchuan, however, stopped speaking and spent the rest of the way back thinking through the new plan.

Accomplishing great things was never easy. When complications arose midway, he had to adapt to the situation.

Suddenly, something cool touched his face.

He Lingchuan looked up and saw silver threads falling from the sky.

It was raining.

* * *

The rain grew heavier and heavier. By the time He Lingchuan returned to Fleeting Thoughts Manor, his clothes were soaked through.

Fushan Yue was out and would not return to the manor today.

He Lingchuan strode openly toward the rear mountain. After losing him so many times, the Tongxin Guard had long since grown accustomed to his sudden appearances.

He boarded the pleasure boat and rowed himself out to the middle of the lake.

The lake behind Mount Qilin was very quiet, and several small islands sat within it like pearls set into the water.

Though it was late autumn, the trees on the islands were still thick and dense. The trees planted there in the past had all been specially chosen evergreens. Some could even change color or blossom in autumn and winter, such as the silk floss tree.

People standing on the shore could only see a ring of lush greenery on the island at the heart of the lake, knowing nothing of the details within.

There were even two giant banyans on the island, their canopies spreading like umbrellas and covering half the island.

He Lingchuan landed, then walked through the dense outer woods.

The island was not large, only about three hundred square meters or so, but beneath the giant banyans stood two elegant little retreats, with their layout, doors, and windows all intact.

Originally, this island had been a private place of leisure for the former owner. Later, along with all of Fleeting Thoughts Manor, it had been abandoned for ten years. After the estate was bestowed upon Fushan Yue, the servants worked hard cleaning the buildings and gardens everywhere, but these islands in the lake were the one thing they missed.

First, there were no boats. Second, it was only natural to slack off in places rarely visited by people.

In short, this was now an especially hidden location. Even birds rarely came here, as there were too many snakes. As He Lingchuan brushed through the grass, he actually came across four snakes. The largest was as thick as his wrist, while the smallest was thinner than a chopstick.

Clearly, the island at the heart of the lake, undisturbed for ten years, had become a paradise for snakes.

He Lingchuan walked to the clearing in front of the retreat. This place sat year-round beneath the shade of the giant banyans, and the ground was thick with rich humus and fallen leaves. After the rain, it was even damper, making it perfectly suited for reptiles.

The sudden heavy rain stopped, and the surroundings filled with the smell of earth and green grass.

He Lingchuan took several round beads from his robe, crushed them, and smeared them onto the ground.

These were snail toad eggs.

Just in case, he climbed the giant banyan, putting a bit of distance between himself and the ground.

How had Zhongsun Mou died? He did not trust the snail toad enough to repeat the same mistake.

Insect calls and birdsong filled the air.

He also took off his wet shirt and changed into a clean set of clothes.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the ground beneath the giant banyan suddenly sank slightly.

Then the snail toad’s huge shell slowly rose from the ground, stopping steadily under the tree.

Dong Rui jumped out from the snail shell and looked left and right. Seeing He Lingchuan jump down from the top of the tree, he spat on the ground.

“Why are you that far away? Are you afraid that I’ll ambush you?”

“With you, I feel perfectly safe,” He Lingchuan lied without blinking. “But I blasted the snail toad before. I’m afraid it bears a grudge.”

In other words, he still did not trust Dong Rui’s control over the snail toad. Dong Rui rolled his eyes, looked around, and said in disgust, “This is the kind of place you found for me?”

There’s actually a wild patch of jungle like this in a place like Lingxu City? Could this be some mountain manor?

And the two buildings ahead looked quite impressive from a distance, but in truth, they were covered in dust and fallen leaves. He even saw two earthworms crawling out of a window.

“We’re inside Fushan Yue’s Fleeting Thoughts Manor. This is an island, surrounded by water on all sides. Idle people can’t get here, and the wet earth is good for the snail toad.” He Lingchuan smiled. “You’re a fugitive. What you need is a hiding place. Were you expecting wine, women, and bright city lights?”

The way he saw it, Dong Rui was a total shut-in. When studying monster puppets, he could go ages without stepping out the door. He should be a very good match for this island.

Dong Rui scratched his head and accepted it.

With the snail toad in hand, it did not really matter to him where he lived. What difference was there between inside Lingxu City and outside it?

He patted the snail toad, and the enormous creature actually shrank rapidly. In the end, it was only as large as a hand drum.

He Lingchuan felt his eyes had been opened.

No wonder the snail toad hadn’t been easily discovered in the outskirts. So it can actually grow larger and smaller.

Thinking about it, though, every monster puppet Dong Rui made seems capable of changing size. I seem to recall that being said to be an ability of the gods. I guess that since he’s making these monster puppets using divine blood, they just come to gain that ability as well.

No wonder he dares remain in Lingxu City. As long as the snail toad’s bulk isn’t too conspicuous, the odds of him being discovered go down by at least half.

Dong Rui carried the snail toad to the roots of the big tree. The moisture here was heavy, and mollusks liked that. “Later, dig a pit here and fill it with water. The snail toad likes water too.”

“Fine.”

“I also need to make a concealment array.” Dong Rui looked up at the sky. “Birds often pass overhead.”

This was a state of monsters, after all. Who knew what corner might hide a pair of small eyes quietly staring at you? There was no such thing as being too careful.

He Lingchuan helped him set up the array.

This array was harmless to humans and animals. It was only a concealment array plus a ghost wall. Whether one approached from the ground or looked down from high above, this place would still appear as it had before, overgrown with weeds and trees. As long as someone did not use origin energy to see through it, they would not discover Dong Rui. Even if they walked around the island, they would not reach the buildings.

He had not expected Dong Rui to be so versatile. “A wanted criminal with a bounty on Beijia’s Ranking of Earth really is something else. Speaking of which, I think Zhu Erniang ranks higher than you.”

Dong Rui scoffed and said, “So what? Wait until Lingxu City issues the warrant this time, then take another look.”

The moment he said that, he felt something was wrong.

Wait, why am I even bothering with my ranking?

The array was simple and was completed in just a few moves. He Lingchuan took out an oiled paper package from his storage ring and handed it to him.

Dong Rui opened it and saw several beautiful golden-thread flatbreads, still warm.

“Yilan Bistro?”

“I’m not sure. It’s the noodle shop outside the carriage station, anyway.” He Lingchuan then handed him a storage pouch, which contained several buckets of clean water. “Don’t go near the lake. You’ll be easily exposed. If you absolutely must, ride the snail toad in and out from underground. If you need to find me—”

Before he finished speaking, a bat dropped from the air and landed on Dong Rui’s shoulder.