Chapter 441 - 440: Win-Win

Chapter 441: Chapter 440: Win-Win

This place was over twenty li from the checkpoint, but many traveling merchants still chose to rest here, so it was very lively.

After entering the country, Uncle Da and a group of Guards bid farewell to Fushan Yue and hurried to the Chiyan Capital to report everything that had happened on their journey to the Monarch.

Another two double-hours later, a party of more than ten people slowly entered the town.

Hee Lingchuan, who had been eagerly waiting, went out to greet them.

"You’ve had a long journey, Marquis!"

The rider at the head of the group was dressed as a man in a tall hat and blue robes, a cloth covering their face against the dust of the road. But it couldn’t hide a pair of exquisite eyes, shimmering like water.

She leaped from her horse, lifted down a little girl, and only then removed her face covering, smiling at Hee Lingchuan. "I was busy crossing the checkpoint, and here you are, enjoying your leisure! Tell me, how are you going to thank me?"

With features as fine as a painting and a peerless beauty, it was none other than the Lord of Songyang Prefecture, Lil Qingge!

The little girl she had lifted down was Taozi.

The little girl had woken up after they crossed the checkpoint.

Fushan Yue came out as well, and Taozi immediately ran toward him, crying, "Young Master, Young Master!"

"You’re awake?" He noticed Taozi was still a bit unsteady on her feet and nodded to Lil Qingge. "Thank you."

Lil Qingge smiled. "It was nothing."

Hee Lingchuan immediately said, "The fine wine and good food for your dozen or so people are on me..." He then clapped Fushan Yue on the shoulder. "...and him."

Fushan Yue immediately rolled his eyes. Fortunately, Uncle Da had given him some traveling money before leaving; otherwise, he would be strapped for cash right now.

The group re-entered the tavern and found a quiet private room on the second floor, ordering a banquet. As for Lil Qingge’s subordinates, they settled in downstairs for the time being.

The three of them toasted Lil Qingge to express their thanks. She didn’t stand on ceremony, downing all three cups before turning her empty cup toward them. "There, satisfied?"

Hee Lingchuan had run into her in Dagong Town the day before, much to his surprise and delight.

Lil Qingge was also heading north to Lingxu City, so she immediately agreed to his request.

That was why Taozi hadn’t been in their cart when they passed through the checkpoint just now. Lil Qingge, being cautious, had hidden her in the Jiezhi Courtyard beforehand, fearing the slave brand on Taozi’s hand would be discovered during the inspection.

Hee Lingchuan had seen this Jiezhi Courtyard once before on the road to Dunyu. It was a tiny model that, when thrown on the ground, could transform back into a real courtyard complete with pine trees and fresh flowers—a truly fine tool, essential for home and travel.

If a pine tree could grow inside, Taozi could certainly be sheltered there for a short time.

Lil Qingge got her through the checkpoint effortlessly.

This marked Taozi’s escape from her status as a slave; she would no longer be bound by a tragic fate.

Sometimes, what seems like an insurmountable chasm to you is merely a small ditch that others can step over.

This was, of course, a huge help to Fushan Yue.

He was a smart man, and he immediately made a promise, offering her a jade pendant. "I owe you a favor, which you can call in anytime. Bring this Jade Pendant to find me, and I will honor it."

Lil Qingge smiled. "That would be wonderful. It seems Songyang Prefecture will have a patron in the Chiyan Kingdom."

She had already heard from Hee Lingchuan that this Ba standing before her would likely become the sole legal heir of the Chiyan Kingdom. That meant the weight of this favor could become very heavy in the future.

Business people love nothing more than making friends with the powerful and influential.

Shi the Second then sighed wistfully, "I had just asked Brother Hee to introduce me to Songyang Prefecture’s branch in Lingxu City. I never thought I’d get to meet the Mansion Master herself right here. How fortunate!"

The two business-minded people started chatting, hit it off immediately, and seemed to be getting along famously. Barely a quarter of an hour later, they had already sealed two deals.

Shi the Second successfully secured two agencies for Songyang Prefecture in the Fu Kingdom, and he was beaming with delight.

Meanwhile, Taozi wore a worried expression. She said to Fushan Yue, "Young Master, I think I’m going to D-I-E!"

Fushan Yue jumped. "Not here! Go take care of it in the latrine out back!"

Taozi grinned at him. "My tooth fell out!"

Her front tooth was gone, and her upper left canine had fallen out too, causing her to speak with a lisp.

Hee Lingchuan saw it too and remarked casually, "It’s normal for kids to lose their teeth at this age, isn’t it?"

"Three at once?" Fushan Yue took a rare moment to examine her closely. "What about your other teeth?" he asked.

"They’re loose. I think they’re about to fall out too." Taozi’s face was grim. "Young Master, I think I’m going to D-I-E."

"Who told you that?"

"My grandma. She d-i-e-d not long after she lost her teeth."

Fushan Yue scoffed. "Was she also an Earth Demon?"

Of course, a child wouldn’t understand these things. Hee Lingchuan took a sip of wine. "Is there some special significance to this?"

"This girl is transforming into an Earth Evil Child, but she has absorbed too much Evil Qi. Her body can’t handle it, so it’s expelling the excess by making her teeth fall out." Fushan Yue wasn’t worried; in fact, he seemed rather intrigued. "The fact that she woke up means there’s no major problem."

"And if she hadn’t woken up?"

"She’d be dead." Fushan Yue shrugged. "Or she’d have become a mindless Living Dead that only eats people on instinct."

He personally went out, found a waiter, and instructed the kitchen to kill a live chicken and bring him the blood.

What kind of Demons didn’t exist in the Chiyan Kingdom? The tavern staff had heard all sorts of strange requests from customers. So the waiter simply acknowledged the order and went to carry it out immediately.

The bowl of chicken blood was still steaming when it was brought in.

The metallic smell was so strong that Shi the Second couldn’t help but lean away.

Fushan Yue, however, cut his own arm and channeled his energy, causing dark red blood to flow into the bowl.

Taozi watched, blinking her eyes.

Shi the Second was startled. "You... What are you doing?"

"It’s rare to come across an Earth Evil Child. I’m running an experiment. Don’t worry, it won’t kill her." With that, Fushan Yue said to Taozi, "Drink it."

Taozi obediently picked it up and GULP, GULP, drank it all down. Then she licked her lips, as if wanting more.

Hee Lingchuan was thoughtful. "Are you trying to create another Ba?" ’This is such a common TV show trope. Can it really happen in real life?’

"There’s no harm in trying."

’He’s really doing it...’

"This is very good for you," Fushan Yue said, patting Taozi’s head. "But don’t drink too much in the beginning."

Hee Lingchuan asked him, "Can all the Witch Children from the Twilight Plateau become Earth Evil Children?"

"I don’t know if the other Witch Children are genuine, but a potential Earth Demon is extremely rare. Otherwise, it would be useless even if you threw all the Witch Children into the ruins of Thousand Star City."

After eating her fill, Taozi started to get sleepy. Fushan Yue carried her to a guest room to rest.

Once Shi the Second’s excitement for conversation had passed, he looked from Lil Qingge to Hee Lingchuan and realized he had been talking too much and stealing the spotlight. He quickly slapped his forehead. "Oh dear, I’ve had too much to drink and I’m a bit dizzy. You two take your time. I need to go back to my room and lie down for a bit."

With that, he bid farewell to Lil Qingge and left the private room.

Lil Qingge just watched Hee Lingchuan and smiled, and kept smiling until he felt uncomfortable all over. "Marquis, please stop smiling like that. It’s kind of creepy."

Only then did Lil Qingge’s smile fade. She let out a long sigh. "You have no idea how happy I was to see you yesterday."

Hearing such words from a great beauty, Hee Lingchuan quickly reached up to touch his own face. "I also think I’m quite lovable."

Just then, a waiter walked by. He stopped the man and had him clear away the extra bowls and chopsticks, wipe the table, and order some more food and wine.

Lil Qingge watched him silently, a flicker in her eyes.

’Is this boy really that clueless about romance?’

"When the terrible news that you’d been swept away by the flood reached Dunyu, I couldn’t believe it. I thought my Face Reading Skill had failed me, and I lamented the loss of this Treasure Saber." Lil Qingge pointed to the Floating Life Blade at Hee Lingchuan’s waist and said softly, "I heard Madam Ying cried for two whole days."

Hee Lingchuan’s smile faded.

When he was at home, Madam Ying was always finding fault with him, but it seemed she still had some genuine affection for her eldest son.

"My father and Hee Yue, how are they?"

"They are still very busy. Your father, especially, is swamped with work and has no time to grieve. Oh, and your home has been flooded with visitors coming to offer their condolences." Lil Qingge smiled. "I sent a condolence card and a sympathy gift, too. You can pay me back later!"

"Yes, yes, of course." Hee Lingchuan gave a light cough. "How are things in Xiazhou... in Dunyu?"

His meeting with Lil Qingge yesterday had been very brief, as she had other plans.

"Fine," said Lil Qingge. "Actually, all of Xiazhou is fine. When I left, Dunyu was celebrating the harvest festival. Firecrackers were going off everywhere, and the ground was covered in red paper. The harvest in southern Xiazhou was actually quite good this year."

"Huh?" Hee Lingchuan was confused. "Zhao Pan was defeated, yet Xiazhou is unharmed?"

Lil Qingge blinked. "Who told you Zhao Pan was defeated?"

Hee Lingchuan was even more perplexed. "I was in the Treasure Tree Kingdom and heard officials there mention that Nian Zanli had won a great victory at the Hanhe River. I’ve been worried ever since. If Nian Zanli won, doesn’t that mean his opponent, Zhao Pan, lost?"

"Oh? The Beiga Kingdom believes Nian Zanli was victorious?" Lil Qingge’s smile vanished. She spoke, word by word, "Then the strange thing about this battle is that General Zhao Pan and your esteemed father *also* sent a victory report about the Hanhe River to the Da Yuan Capital!"

"A victory report?" Hee Lingchuan cried out. "Nian Zanli drowned thirty thousand of Zhao Pan’s troops! How could General Zhao be the one sending a victory report?"

"The losses were heavy, yes, but General Zhao completed the mission assigned by His Majesty the King!" Lil Qingge raised her wrist and personally poured him a cup of wine. "To repel the enemy to the north. So, His Majesty the King’s commendation should have been issued by now, shouldn’t it?"

"’Repel the enemy to the north?’" Hee Lingchuan recalled what the two officials from the Treasure Tree Kingdom had said. It seemed they really hadn’t mentioned whether Nian Zanli’s army had continued its march south. "The Xunzhou people didn’t push south?"

"No, and they weren’t in any condition to." Lil Qingge shook her head. "Zhao Pan’s army lost thirty thousand men, but the Xunzhou Army didn’t fare much better. They also lost more than half their forces to the flood, and Nian Zanli himself fell ill. I heard that as soon as the floodwaters receded, your esteemed father and General Zhao gathered their troops and pursued the Xunzhou Army for several dozen li, and only then did they dare to write that victory report."

"After that engagement, the Xunzhou people lacked the strength to push south. They held the Hanhe River for two months. But because our army constantly harassed them and vied for control, and because the Hanhe River frequently flooded, making resupply difficult, they eventually retreated back to the northern bank."

"So the front line was pushed back to where it was before the great battle of the Hanhe River?" Hee Lingchuan murmured. "In other words, aside from more than sixty thousand casualties on both sides, the border didn’t change at all?"

Hearing this outcome, he was at a loss for words.