Chapter 410: Fushan Yue's Experiment

This time, he had finally succeeded.

And then He Lingchuan appeared, bringing a whole new set of variables with him yet again.

* * *

Two days later.

During this season, the riverbanks in the Gale Tundra were likewise carpeted with wildflowers. Fuzzy horsetails and dandelions swayed in the breeze, while alpine rhododendrons[1], mock orange shrub[2], and irises flared in riotous bloom, colors spilling all the way to the horizon.

A small campsite had been set up by the water. Several people fed a fire and propped up a pot, all the while stealing glances toward Mount Fengmo in the distance.

The jagged tip of that colossal snowy mountain vanished into the sky, wrapped in drifting cloud and mist. It was magnificent and almost unreal.

These people were all Fushan Yue’s men.

As dusk fell, Fu Jiu still could not settle. For an operation this important, the young master had insisted on going alone, and everyone was worried sick.

The others had asked Fu Jiu, more than once, whether the operation would be successful this time.

Just then, someone tossed down a bundle of twigs and shouted, “The young master’s back!”

Fu Jiu spun around in alarm. Sure enough, he saw a rider galloping in from afar.

The tundra was relatively flat, meaning that visibility was excellent. The rider had spotted them too. In the blink of an eye, the chestnut horse he was riding was upon them. It skidded to a halt, reared with a shrill whinny, and splashed up clumps of flower and mud.

“Young Master, you scared us to death!” Fu Jiu hurried forward with a wide grin, grabbing the reins. “How did it go?”

Fushan Yue raised a small wooden vial and shook it twice for them to see. “Got it.”

His subordinates erupted in joy.

“Incredible, Young Master! Snatching treasure right out of the middle of an army!”

Someone quickly ladled out a cup of hot water.

Fushan Yue took it, gulped it down noisily, then exhaled. “Ah, that hits the spot.”

One of the men laughed. “That vial doesn’t look like much, especially for something so precious.”

“Exactly! The State of Shanyu’s ruler is stingy as hell. For a heavenly treasure like this, it ought to be in a gold goblet or jade bottle!”

Fu Jiu snapped back, irritated. “Do you think the Shanyu ruler’s taste is on the same level as you trash?” Then he asked Fushan Yue, “Young Master, how do you plan to use it?”

Fushan Yue pulled the stopper and held it out in front of him. “Smell it.”

Not understanding, Fu Jiu hesitated, then leaned in for a sniff before saying, “It’s really fragrant.”

“Let the others smell it too.”

Several of the men looked instantly intoxicated.

“It actually smells kind of sweet like honey.”

“Could it actually be honey?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Do you seriously think that the Shanyu ruler would go through so much trouble to secretly send a bottle of honey to Chiyan?” Fu Jiu lowered his voice, uneasy as he asked, “Young Master, is something wrong?”

“It wasn’t easy to get, but it still needs to be tested,” Fushan Yue said coolly before ordering two of his men to go catch live animals.

A quarter hour later, they returned with a white-spotted deer, two field mice, and a wild rabbit.

Fushan Yue had the men restrain the mice and the wild rabbit, while he personally dripped a single drop of the vial’s liquid into each of their mouths.

“Alright, keep them under watch and see what happens to them.”

Watching, Fu Jiu thought to himself,

So he’s using the mice and rabbit as test subjects.

The

young master really hasn’t changed. People who mistake him for a reckless brute would’ve had their ashes scattered long ago.

Another man pointed at the sturdy white-spotted deer. “What about that one?”

The deer was too large to carry easily.

Fushan Yue glanced at it once before saying, “Roast it.”

That night, the group slept out by the river as they usually did.

At dawn the next morning, Fushan Yue strolled over to the cage and took a look. The mice and rabbit were all still alive, lively even, nibbling dewy alfalfa through the bars.

It appeared that the liquid in the vial was non-toxic.

Yet, he still could not forget the ram rider’s expression that had seemed to almost be saying: Go ahead. Take a sip.

Was that brat just bluffing?

Fushan Yue fell deep into thought.

Behind him came Fu Jiu’s footsteps. “Young master?”

“Break camp. We’re moving.”

“Where to?”

“Remember how someone in Fufeng City ratted us out and got the authorities to surround us?” Fushan Yue’s voice then became as sharp as a blade as he said, “It’s time to settle accounts!”

* * *

Over the next two days, the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan traveled alongside the escort unit, providing them with considerable convenience.

Several more caravans caught up from behind. Seeing how warmly the escort unit treated the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan, they stamped their feet in regret, lamenting that they had arrived too late to build that connection.

Those from the escort unit had already treated their own wounds, recovered their spirits, and even replenished mounts at the market. So when they looked at the merchants now, their gaze was once again lofty and disdainful.

When they had been in trouble, the others had not lifted a finger. Now that they had turned the crisis around, why should they care in the slightest about those who provided them with no aid?

Of course, the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan was different. They had helped at the critical moment, and He Lingchuan even had ties to the grand tutor’s residence. As long as Xiang Yunhuan was not stripped of his position entirely when he returned, this favor would have to be repaid.

Of course, Xiang Yunhuan had no idea that the Wind Demon’s successful escape from the root sphere had been helped in no small part by He Lingchuan as well.

So the contact between the two sides grew even closer.

For Second Boss Shi, being able to attach his caravan to more Baoshu officials and military men made him grin until his mouth would not close. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that befriending He Lingchuan had been a stroke of farsighted genius. In all his years running trade routes, he had never once made this many connections or accumulated this much political goodwill in a single trip.

The Wind Demon’s attack had wiped out over a dozen caravans, snatching them up and turning them into high-altitude “droppings.” But because the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan had been farther away, and had the Wind Lion Lords holding the line, they had lost only a little over ten wagons and their cargo. It was nothing but a scratch, really.

And in return, they had gained the Kingdom of Baoshu’s friendship.

It was an excellent deal.

These days, He Lingchuan never lets his head touch the pillow. He spent every night regulating his breath and training.

Everyone knew that the month after an imperial nectar eruption was prime time for cultivation.

He had not even used the Hundred Virtues Pill, yet he could feel his internal circulation accelerating. Completing one full major cycle took only three quarters of the time it used to.

He also began trying to compress spiritual energy, creating more space inside his dantian.

He succeeded on the first try, though it was only a tiny, unimpressive droplet.

Even so, it was a staggering improvement.

And it was not just when he was regulating his breathing at midnight and noon that he felt it, even during normal walking and eating, the air itself seemed warm and sweetly fresh. A few deep breaths made his lungs feel washed clean, his head grow clear, and his entire body feel as though it had strength to spare.

As for the benefits to his cultivation, those went without saying.

And this was a highland, where the air was thinner and usually less comfortable for the human body.

He asked several people, and everyone reported the same sensation. That meant that it was not unique to him; it was heaven and earth granting a universal boon. Even the wild fields seemed more lively than usual.

Alfalfa that had previously only reached ankle height was now growing as high as the waist, and even the common cabbage white butterfly had individuals nearly the size of half a palm.

Change always began in the most inconspicuous corners.

In other words, spirit qi really had become richer, and it was doing it silently, like spring rain soaking into the soil.

He Lingchuan had heard public lectures about this phenomenon back in Panlong City’s Hall of Inquiry. After an imperial nectar eruption, the concentration of heaven and earth spirit qi always rose. After all, when spirit rain fell from the sky, living beings on the ground could rack their brains and still fail to catch more than a small share. Most of that imperial nectar sank into the earth and merged with mountains and rivers.

Which meant that for a long time to come, it would continue to nourish all life, slowly and steadily.

And it should not be forgotten that imperial nectar had erupted twice within a single year.

The previous time, at the end of last year, the amount had been small, but it was still better than nothing.

Before that, the last time it had visited the mortal realm had been decades ago.

Then only a few months later, it came again, and this time on a far larger scale.

In the Ancient Era, all things grew in dense spirit qi, and only the strongest monsters and immortals could rise above the rest.

This then raised an obvious question: why had the concentration of spirit qi gradually declined afterward?

Some argued that the damage from the Great Catastrophe of Heaven and Earth three thousand years ago still had not healed, causing spirit qi to leak away from this realm.

Others believed spirit qi was slowly recovering, just that it was being used up faster than it replenished, leading to depletion. As for what exactly was consuming it, nobody could say.

The world was vast, and spirit qi could exist in countless forms, and the reasons for consuming it were just as varied and bizarre. Which one, then, could be said to be the true cause?

No one could explain it, because no one could prove it.

In any case, He Lingchuan’s attitude to all this was simple: he just needed to seize this present feast of spirit qi.

Catching the right tide and riding the current mattered more than effort alone.

After leaving the Gale Tundra, the escort unit’s journey went smoothly. They encountered no further accidents.

The escort unit continued north, while the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan needed to stop and unload goods and place orders. They parted ways in Tong City.

Tong City lived up to its name, producing high-quality tung oil[3]. This substance was used to maintain wooden goods, forming an excellent protective layer against rot and corrosion, with a wide range of applications. With so many houses built from wood here, tung oil was a hard currency that merchant caravans purchased year-round.

Local artisans also made carved toys and lacquerware.

And the forests around Tong City produced medicinal herbs of all kinds. Deer antler and ginseng were common staples; in this season, wild mountain mushrooms also sprang up everywhere. Once dried, they developed a unique flavor.

Not to mention the valuable maca[4] grown here. The Stone Gate Merchant Caravan had a long-term, reliable supplier in Tong City. They could place an order now, collect on the return trip, and sell it back in the State of Fu for triple the price.

He Lingchuan had been living on mushroom hotpot for days. Toss in a few local quail, or a bit of ham, and he had to admit that they were delicious. Different mushrooms, different bases, and the taste changed completely.

Second Boss Shi, unfortunately, had the opposite experience. He ate together with He Lingchuan, but while He Lingchuan was completely fine after the meals, he actually suffered mild poisoning from the meals. The world would seem to spin wildly from his point of view, and he would see tiny little people running all over the place.

Luckily, the local doctors and physicians were experienced. They prescribed the right medicine, and he recovered.

That night happened to be the first day of the lunar month. The moon was hidden, and the wind ran high. Step outside without a lamp, and you could not see three meters ahead, and you would probably only hear the chorus of crickets singing from the cracks between the bricks.

A gust swept through, making the large tree beside the inn sway and creak.

At the peak of the rustling roar, a dark figure suddenly flipped down from the rooftop and yanked open the wooden window of He Lingchuan’s guest room!

It looked exactly like the wind had pushed the window open. Normally, any guest staying inside the room would walk over and shut it.

However, the room was empty. The window creaked and swung freely, unrestrained.

The dark figure waited a few breaths, then slipped through the window into the room, moving with impressive agility.

The black-clad intruder did a quick inspection of the room, lingering especially near the bed. Only then did he confirm that the room really was empty, noting that the bedding had been arranged into a vaguely human shape, so in the dim light it looked like someone was sleeping there.

The instant he saw that, he knew something was wrong. He lunged for the windowsill, intending to escape the way he had come in, but he found himself unable to move.

A talisman had been set into the floor near the bed. This talisman had been drawn to cast the Sinking Ground Spell[5]. You could step onto it with your front feet without issue, but once your back feet followed, you would be trapped in a sucking mire, unable to lift them out.

And because He Lingchuan only rented the large room, the intruder was far from both bed and table, so he was too far to reach anything even if he extended a weapon.

He was just about to throw up a grappling hook to catch the ceiling beams when a short, sharp scream suddenly cut through the darkness.

1. The specific species mentioned in the raws is Rhododendron lapponicum. ☜

2. This is referring to Philadelphus incanus, a deciduous shrub that is also commonly referred to as hairy mock orange. ☜

3. Tong (桐) in Tong City (桐城) is the same tong used for tung oil (桐油). ☜

4. This is also known as Peruvian ginseng. From a quick search, it’s said to be historically used for food and medicine, acting as an adaptogen to improve energy, stamina, and libido. ☜

5. I opted for this more literal translation due to the explanation of what the spell does, but if I were just given the word itself, I would have probably translated it as Sinkhole Spell. ☜