Everyone knew that “a friend of mine” meant himself.

“It really is a friend. She couldn’t handle it herself, so she came to me for ideas.” He Lingchuan smiled. “See? Now I have no choice but to ask you for help.”

“You only just arrived in Lingxu City. Why would anyone ask you to handle matters here?”

“Exactly. So, can the state preceptor help or not?”

Xi Yunhe thought for a moment. “If Nian Zanli attacks Yuan on his own, Lingxu City won’t care. But if he uses Beijia’s elite troops, that is equivalent to Beijia personally sending soldiers. If that happens, the Lord Emperor will certainly blame someone.”

Attacking another state without permission was a grave crime in Beijia. Even the vassal monster states could not act on their own initiative.

That was why Fushan Yue had never intended to approach the State of Xuluo on Nian Zanli’s behalf after hearing his request.

He Lingchuan nodded. “So there’s absolutely no way? I heard that when Nian Zanli attacked Yuan this summer, State Preceptor Shuang Ye allocated him quite a lot of origin energy.”

Otherwise, with Nian Zanli’s army, it would have been difficult to operate the Verdancy Vase.

“Allocating a little origin energy is different from mobilizing troops.” Xi Yunhe had served under two state preceptors in succession, so his understanding of origin energy allocation ran deeper than most. “In truth, you’re making two requests here: first, to get Nian Zanli an army; second, to obtain the Lord Emperor’s approval to send troops against Yuan!”

The first was already difficult. The second was several times harder on top of that.

So Xi Yunhe answered very bluntly, “One small clue is not worth such trouble from the state preceptor. Change your condition.”

“Why the hurry? Nian Zanli is eager to return and take revenge. As long as he can borrow soldiers, that’s enough. They don’t necessarily have to be Beijia’s.” He Lingchuan spread both hands. “Besides, borrowing troops is one thing. Whether they actually listen to him afterward is another matter entirely. I’ve heard State Preceptor Shuang Ye has a broad network and maintains rather friendly relations with foreign envoys.”

After receiving Li Qingge’s request, he had repeatedly considered the possibility of obtaining that bamboo tube from Nian Zanli.

Taking it by force was no good.

Even if he did not seize a fake, it would be easy to force a mutual-destruction outcome. If Li Qingge ended up dying because of that, wouldn’t he have helped by harming her?

He still had to make Nian Zanli hand over the tube willingly.

In simple terms, both sides had to agree. One gave, the other received, and the transfer had to be safe.

Since Nian Zanli was desperate to borrow soldiers, He Lingchuan had to address that desperation. At present, this was likely the only way to move Nian Zanli.

Xi Yunhe looked at him strangely. “Foreign troops are acceptable?”

“Can foreign troops not fight?”

Xi Yunhe seemed to smile. “I’ll report back to the state preceptor and let him decide.”

“One more condition,” He Lingchuan said quickly. “That divine technique you use to make puppets relay messages seems quite useful. I want to learn it too.”

“...Fine. It’s a minor trick, nothing more,” Xi Yunhe agreed readily.

He Lingchuan said breezily, “Then I have no problem!”

“I’ll come tomorrow with an answer.” As Xi Yunhe spoke, the servant took two steps back.

The numbness faded from the servant’s face. He blinked, utterly bewildered.

He looked at He Lingchuan, then at himself, having no idea what had just happened.

Xi Yunhe was gone.

He Lingchuan sighed and pointed at the food on the table. “I don’t want it. Take it away.”

“Yes, sir.”

The servant collected the tray, bowed, and left.

He Lingchuan had only said to take it away, not to dump it. Naturally, the servants would divide the food among themselves. It would not go to waste.

At this point, the Soul-Stealing Mirror could not hold back anymore, “Hey, I heard your conversation with the master of Songyang Mansion. Aren’t you from Yuan?”

“Mm.”

“Didn’t Yuan just fight a huge battle with this Nian Zanli and come out badly hurt?”

“Yes.” He Lingchuan returned to his room and casually set up another barrier before lowering his voice and continuing, “I was there for that battle too. I was washed into the Demon Nest by the Han River.”

“...” The mirror sank into gloomy sorrow. If He Lingchuan had not appeared, it would still be a happy single mirror, letting its mirror slave carry it wherever it pleased, eating people whenever it pleased. Though, now that it thought about it, the current situation was actually not bad either. It had found a long-term meal ticket, and it could slack off while still gaining benefits without working...

Hm? My train of thought has gone completely crooked!

“You’re from Yuan, and you still want to help Nian Zanli borrow troops to attack Yuan?” the mirror cried. “Even Li Qingge doesn’t want Nian Zanli to counterattack!”

“That’s only her story. It may not be true.” He Lingchuan patted the heart-protecting mirror. “Tens of thousands of elite soldiers can’t be stuffed into a pocket and carried around. No matter where troops are mobilized from, wouldn’t there need to be some token or credential?”

“You mean?”

“First, we get the bamboo tube Li Qingge asked for. After that, we make sure Nian Zanli can’t bring the troops with him.”

“You’ve already thought this through?” The mirror was surprised. “You already have enough matters on your hands. How do you still have enough brain left to think about this?”

If it had to handle so many troubles at once, every single one of them life-threatening, it would explode on the spot.

How does this kid sleep at night?

“However many matters there are, they still have to be handled one by one.” He Lingchuan smiled. “State Preceptor Shuang Ye finally came asking me for help. It would be too much of a waste not to borrow his strength.”

He was alone in Lingxu City, a minor figure at best. If he did not know how to borrow momentum, he probably could not accomplish anything.

He Lingchuan stretched and decided to practice with his spear in the rear garden. It was more open there, better suited for shifting, leaping, and maneuvering. The servants had also set up a straw dummy for him there the day before, specifically for spear practice.

But as he passed through the side garden, he saw a brilliantly feathered bird perched atop the arched gate, singing and dancing.

When the bird stood properly, its back and wings looked gray-brown. Only its head was indigo blue, with a vivid streak of yellow above its eyes like bright eyebrows.

But when it spread its wings, it seemed to transform into another bird altogether.

The undersides of its wings were a deep, dazzling red. Its tail was long, and when it beat lightly, it looked like a soft fan hung with ribbons, carrying an almost immortal grace.

With such a creature present, the cold and desolate autumn garden seemed to gain several degrees of warmth.

Of course, this fellow was male. The object of its grand courtship was a plain, dull-white female bird on the artificial mountain.

He Lingchuan stared without blinking. “What kind of bird is that?”

He had never seen one in Yuan.

A gardener passing by with water buckets smiled. “That’s a joybird. Its dancing is especially beautiful, and there are more than a dozen kinds, each with different markings and colors. Every year before winter, they pass through Lingxu City. I hear the noble folk up on the floating islands use joybird feathers to make round fans or fashion them into jewelry.”

The price of such items was naturally very high.

“Oh.” He Lingchuan had no improper thoughts toward this singing, dancing bird.

After the gardener left, the little squirrel in the tree finally leaped onto He Lingchuan’s shoulder.

It was very timid. Although He Lingchuan had already introduced this little monster to the servants of Mount Pan Residence, the squirrel never went near other humans.

He Lingchuan took out a handful of pine nuts for it. “Roasted yesterday.”

He treated the animals and monsters around him quite well, handing out snacks every so often. Because of this, the little squirrel’s favor toward him had soared.

It accepted the pine nuts, held them in its forepaws, and swiftly cracked two before whispering, “Great hawks often follow white huan birds. I don’t like them.”

White... huan? He Lingchuan’s heart tightened.

That word appeared in Venerable Muling’s prophecy.[1] 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

“What white huan?”

“This joybird.” The squirrel replied, “They were originally called white huan. Later, because of a taboo, their name was changed. Because nobles like them, joybirds have been hunted in great numbers. They’re rarely seen these days.”

He Lingchuan stopped at once.

Upon meeting Huan, leave your dwelling.

Was “Huan” referring to the white huan bird, also known as the joybird?

Is Venerable Muling’s prophecy already reaching the moment of verification?

Now that he had encountered a white huan bird, what was the next step? Leave?

Venerable Muling had specially left him a note over a thousand years ago—no, a prophecy. Surely it was not just to tease him?

When facing the result given by a master of divination like that, it was better to believe than not.

In any case, going out was no trouble. If his guess was wrong, he could think it over again later.

He casually grabbed a servant and asked, “Where did His Highness go?”

“They said he went to Tianliang Island early this morning.”

He Lingchuan shrugged, changed his clothes, and headed out.

But before he reached the main gate, he heard constant clanging and banging from ahead.

“What’s that sound?”

“They’re repairing the main gate. His Highness said the facade should be fixed up.”

He Lingchuan gave a faint smile. Fushan Yue was sensible enough. He had not stayed here for free.

After thinking for a moment, he simply slipped out through the back gate.

For the rest of the day, as usual, he wandered outside, eating, drinking, and amusing himself until the sun slanted westward.

Old Shan was out handling errands, but before leaving the day before, he had already clearly told He Lingchuan where Lingxu City was fun, where the food was affordable and delicious, which theaters had fresh new scripts, and which opera houses had the best performers. Everything had been explained plainly.

* * *

That afternoon, the Mount Pan Residence received an uninvited guest.

Four snow-white bo beasts pulled a large red sandalwood carriage to a stop before the Mount Pan Residence’s gate.

Bo beasts were common monsters, but their colors were usually azure, blue-purple, or white-red. Pure white ones such as these were rare.

Behind the carriage rode more than twenty mounted attendants. Two of the mounts were enormous, powerfully built giant apes, while the rest were guards in gold-red armor carrying halberds. Killing intent rolled from them.

Hearing the commotion, the old gatekeeper of the Mount Pan Residence came out and bowed. “May I ask which lord has arrived?”

“No eyes at all!” One rider urged his horse forward. “His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. Open the main gate at once!”

Like the other great residences in Lingxu City, the Mount Pan Residence had three gates—a large one in the middle, and two smaller ones to the sides. Only when an important figure arrived would the main gate be opened.

The gatekeeper was startled. “Ah, which Crown Prince?”

He could not be blamed. The crown princes of all the vassal monster states were addressed as “Your Highness.”

The rider lashed out with his whip, striking the gatekeeper so hard that the old man spun in place. Blood welled from the corner of the gatekeeper’s mouth, and he nearly fell face-first onto the ground.

The rider had still held back. Otherwise, that one lash could have killed him.

“This is the current Crown Prince of Beijia!”

The air itself seemed to congeal. Passersby nearby stopped at the sound and turned to look.

Very soon, the Mount Pan Residence’s main gate opened wide. The carriage drawn by four bo beasts slowly entered, and the riders followed on horseback under the gaze of countless watching eyes.

The great carriage drove straight in. It took fewer winding paths, crushed who knew how many flowers and grasses, and finally came to a stop before the main hall.

The two giant apes jumped down, opened the carriage door, and respectfully lifted out a soft-cushioned seat from within.

1. It was the first line, “Upon meeting Huan, leave your dwelling.” ☜