Chapter 395: Baoshu King's Festival

Along the way, He Lingchuan had already seen seven stages. Some market entrances were spacious enough to set up two at once. “With so many stages scattered all throughout the city, can the King of Baoshu really enjoy them all?”

The singing was so loud that, even standing so close to He Lingchuan, Second Boss Shi could not hear him clearly.

Only the black cat’s sharp ears twitched. Having caught his words, it leaped onto He Lingchuan’s shoulder and explained, “Of course, every tree in Fufeng City is the Baoshu King’s eyes and ears. Whatever people say or perform near a tree, it knows all of it.”[1]

He Lingchuan gave a thumbs-up.

Impressive!

On second thought, many guardian spirits seemed to have similar abilities. The Baoshu King was, after all, the monarch of a state, endowed with innate gifts. This was probably nothing extraordinary for it.

“I’ve heard that the State of Baoshu is the most peaceful and most populous nation in Beijia?”

“Among all the states not directly governed by the imperial court, that’s fair to say,” Second Boss Shi was the one to reply this time. “Of all the monster states, the Kingdom of Baoshu has existed the longest. I believe it’s existed for over five hundred years, and it’s fought the fewest wars. If I recall correctly, it’s thirty... something times?”

“Thirty-two,” the black cat provided.

“That’s one war every seventeen or eighteen years,” He Lingchuan counted on his fingers. “That’s considered few?”

It seemed his definition of few differed from that of Beijia.

“Compared to the other monster states, that’s already considered extremely few,” the black cat said. “Look at the State of Shanyu, it’s still in the middle of internal strife. And whenever the Emperor of Beijia wages war abroad, the State of Baoshu has to send troops along as well. Those count too. This place is peaceful, so people flock here. I myself migrated from the State of Shanyu.”

He Lingchuan asked, “What happened in Shanyu?” He had heard that Shanyu produced fierce birds of prey and was practically the air force cradle of Beijia.

“Their Junior Minister of War was arrested and thrown into prison. Everyone believed he was a good official and had been framed. Then he died violently in custody, and his death was said to be horrific. Many officials couldn’t stomach it and demanded that their king punish the real culprits. In the end, the royal court just pushed out a scapegoat. That’s when people snapped.”

He Lingchuan asked, “All that over one junior minister of war?”

The black cat licked its paw. “Oh, there was more than that. You could talk about it for a year and not finish.”

Curious, He Lingchuan pressed on. “With the State of Shanyu in chaos, why doesn’t Lingxu City intervene? It’s still part of the same realm, isn’t it?”

The black cat froze for a moment. “Each state governs itself. Why would Lingxu City interfere?”

“Aren’t they worried the unrest might spread?”

Second Boss Shi sighed and said, “No matter how chaotic things get in Beijia, they always settle down eventually. It’s been like this for years. Lingxu City has probably grown used to it.”

Local disorder, yet the central authority did nothing. It was a strange system indeed. It was no wonder foreign powers treated it as a model worth studying.

Before long, the two rejoined the caravan.

After squeezing through Fufeng City for more than an hour, the group finally passed through the northern gate.

The road ahead opened up, and their mounts could break into a light trot.

Flowers were everywhere.

It was nearly the sixth month, the season when all things bloomed. From Fufeng City’s northern gate toward Mount Baiyun, the road was awash with brilliant colors as flowers burst into bloom in riotous competition.

Even the most inconspicuous grasses pushed out tiny white blossoms to join the celebration. From afar, it looked as though a dusting of snow had fallen over green fields.

The mountain road had become a road of flowers, and the waterfalls nearly turned into cascades of petals.

A single glance was enough to know that spring filled the world.

The sight drew constant gasps from passersby. He Lingchuan heard a mother and daughter ahead exclaim, “We took this same road back to the city yesterday, but there weren’t nearly this many flowers!”

“They must have bloomed today, to celebrate the Baoshu King’s birthday.”

He Lingchuan was genuinely astonished. “Even with heaven and earth spirit qi in decline, the Baoshu King’s power can still reach this far?”

The heart-protecting mirror responded, “In the early Middle Era, this would have been nothing. But now, even being able to command a hundred flowers is no small feat. However, this is all greatly dependent on the Baoshu King’s true body. It’s eight hundred years old, and its influence over this city has expanded gradually. Even a few centimeters a day over centuries adds up to something remarkable.”

The Baoshu King had cultivated its domain for countless years, and Fufeng City was its core territory. Of course, it had been thoroughly permeated, without blind spots.

Following the flow of people and carts, He Lingchuan arrived at Mount Baiyun in the northern outskirts.

Mount Baiyun was not tall, only about three hundred meters above sea level, and its slopes were gentle enough that even the elderly could climb them. Today, however, Mount Baiyun might as well have been renamed to Flower Mountain. Wildflowers of every hue competed for attention, bees and butterflies dancing among them.

After cresting the ridge and looking down, He Lingchuan let out a long breath.

The southern slope was just as gentle, so mild that one could even ride a horse down at an easy pace.

The slope ended at a lakeshore.

Only then did he realize that Mount Baiyun’s summit was actually a volcanic crater.

It must have been dormant for ages. The crater had filled with water, forming a vast inner lake, which was also called the Heavenly Pool, its surface smooth as a mirror, barely stirring.

At the center of the lake stood a single tree.

Its branches soared skyward, its canopy broad and stately.

That crown spanned at least five hundred meters. Even from this distance, He Lingchuan could sense its overwhelming scale.

Its trunk was unbelievably thick, and its roots had taken hold so completely that it formed a forest all by itself.

From afar, dozens of trunk-like columns, each worthy of being called a king among trees, supported the colossal canopy together.

“I never thought I’d see a giant of this caliber in this day and age,” the heart-protecting mirror exclaimed. “It must be deeply loved by the people to receive such abundant origin energy for nourishment!”

When spirit qi was insufficient, origin energy filled the gap.

Second Boss Shi did not dare point directly at it. Tilting his head toward He Lingchuan, he said, “That is the star of today’s celebration, that is the Baoshu King!”

The sovereign of a vast land, a monster king of its generation.

He Lingchuan asked, “What species is its true body?”

Second Boss Shi chuckled. “I’ve heard it’s seabed wood? Or so they say.”

The knowledgeable heart-protecting mirror cut in, “Hmph, half-knowledge at best. That is a juluo tree!”

“So is it a juluo tree or seabed wood?”

“Seabed wood comes in many varieties, but the juluo are the rarest and most precious among them,” the heart-protecting mirror said proudly. “Even in the Ancient Era, it was seldom seen.”

He Lingchuan ignored its tone. “When you say seabed wood, do you mean the same kind that can house souls?”

The heart-protecting mirror explained, “All seabed wood is capable of that. Legend says they can grow up into the firmament, which allows souls to dwell upon them. Of course, they also grow in the main world.”

He Lingchuan could see clearly now that there was no soil beneath the Baoshu King’s base. It rooted directly into the lakebed, and it was thus truly worthy of the name “seabed wood.”

That meant its true height, measured from the roots, was even more staggering.

The heart-protecting mirror’s voice brimmed with longing. “If only I could get a branch, even just one.”

He Lingchuan asked, “And what would that do?”

“To experience the laws between firmament and reality,” the mirror replied. “Just like how I sense the City of the Dead every day now. Seabed wood naturally possesses that quality. This old tree has lived for eight hundred years, so its understanding must be profound. I want to study it, just study it.”

He Lingchuan had not expected a mirror to be so studious.

Most common folk stopped on the long slope, finding open ground to kneel. Some devout believers prostrated themselves fully, chanting prayers toward the Baoshu King.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Passing by one such worshipper, He Lingchuan caught fragments of the prayer. It began with “Boundless Merit, Primordial Enlightener, Ancient Spirit-Vanquishing Divine Majesty above...” and invoked six or seven gods’ honorific titles, then the Beijia Monster Emperor, and only then Baoshu King, the true focus of today’s ceremony.

The man’s expression was solemn, his chanting fluent and reverent. It was clear that they were not perfunctory words, but a standard opening used daily.

That made sense. The northern monster states revered gods, and teaching the common people to pray day and night was nothing unusual.

Of course, most people treated this trip to Mount Baiyun as a family outing. After kneeling and chanting, they laughed and chatted, letting wild children and little monsters run freely over the hillsides. It looked very much like a spring picnic.

On the saddle, the black cat stared fixedly at two nests of plump, white hamsters. Their tiny white paws kneaded furiously at a sheep’s back, and the cat’s eyes did not even blink.

He Lingchuan had to remind it, “Hey, your drool’s dripping onto the saddle.”

If not for the fact that this was the Baoshu King’s domain, someone might already have flown kites.

What He Lingchuan saw, though, was Baoshu King’s tolerance toward the people of Fufeng City.

After all, for a tree, perhaps solitary joy was inferior to shared joy.

The gentle slopes were dotted with many other trees as well, said to be the Baoshu King’s eyes and ears. No one dared cause trouble here.

Clear springs gurgled through the mountain, forming more than ten small waterfalls. He Lingchuan and Second Boss Shi followed the streams downhill, slowly approaching the lakeshore.

Two ape guards came to inspect them. After He Lingchuan presented his invitation, they were allowed to pass.

Commoners could only remain on the slopes to observe from afar. With an invitation from Grand Tutor Sha’s residence, He Lingchuan received the privilege of resting in the gallery as a guest. As for Second Boss Shi and the black cat, they were simply swept along with him.

Ahead, a row of buildings stretched along the lakeshore, known as Baiyun Residence. The central structure rose five stories high, flanked by long covered corridors. Today, however, there were too many people. Red carpets covered the open ground, which was about the size of a football field, in front of the corridors, and it was packed to the brim.

Baiyun Residence alone looked grand and imposing, yet against the backdrop of the towering tree behind it, it appeared refined and elegant instead.

The guest seating was in the corridors, with attendants strictly guiding people, not permitting any wandering.

Inside and outside Baiyun Residence, officials of the State of Baoshu filled the grounds, chatting animatedly.

The State of Baoshu was vast, larger than three or four States of Fu combined. Officials came from every corner, using this grand festival as an opportunity to socialize.

Second Boss Shi marveled, “Just counting the officials of the State of Baoshu present today, there must be over seven thousand... No, there are closer to nine thousand of them. You can really see the wealth of the state.”

And that was only the officials.

There were also guards, attendants, cooks, and all manner of service staff—the total numbers were far greater still.

He Lingchuan recalled the banquet Zhu Xiyan had held in Shihuan for Zhu Xiu’er. At the time, he had thought it magnificent. Yet compared to today’s spectacle, the number of attending elites back then was not even a tenth of this.

Of course, a minor girl of the Zhu Family could not be compared to Baoshu King. Still, according to He Chunhua, seven or eight out of every ten powerful families in Shihuan City had attended that banquet.

1. Note that Baoshu (宝树) literally translates to treasured tree or precious tree, so the Baoshu King is almost definitely a tree. ☜