The guards were shocked. They drew their blades and slashed.

The tiger dodged with nimble ease and knocked one of them down in two moves.

The other guard rushed in to rescue his companion, only for someone to catch his wrist, twist hard, and dislocate it.

Ever since he had “loosened Dong Rui’s joints” last time, He Lingchuan had found this trick extremely useful.

As the man cried out in pain, He Lingchuan followed up with a punch to the jaw, instantly causing the man to black out.

Of course, this guard was sturdier than Dong Rui. He Lingchuan had to use a bit more strength to put him down.

The gap in strength was simply too wide.

The other Lingxu City guards had never swallowed such humiliation. Roaring with rage, they surged forward to hack at the tiger.

However, the Chiyan troops Jiao Yu had summoned were not pushovers either. The commanding officer waved his hand, and more than a hundred men shoved forward to meet them.

The courtyard was not big. In an instant, it became a chaotic brawl.

Furious, Zhongsun Mou aimed at He Lingchuan and fired two water arrows. He Lingchuan merely twisted aside and avoided both.

“You who’s surnamed He, you dare strike down a superior envoy?!”

Separated by a hundred men, He Lingchuan could not be bothered to exchange words with the other party. He dug a finger in his ear and turned to walk away.

Zhongsun Mou was livid. He crouched, pressed a hand to the ground, and muttered a short incantation.

Solid ice suddenly condensed on the surface of the ground.

The icy surface spread rapidly toward the side rooms. Anything it touched, whether it be trees, stones, or even Chiyan soldiers, began freezing from the lower half upward, starting where it met the ground.

Even those not fully frozen felt as if they had been dropped into an ice cavern. Their movements slowed, their strength was drained, and even turning around took two extra beats.

Breathing itself became difficult.

This was the merfolk’s Ice Congelation Spell. It had a wide area of effect, and it was excellent for slowing enemies.

To hinder so many people at once was no simple feat. However, this inn was built by the water; a great lake lay right beside it, the air heavy with moisture. And today, thick fog drifted in. All of this together was a massive boon for a merfolk’s spellcasting.

Even with origin energy protecting them, the Chiyan troops could not fully offset the spell’s negative effects.

Of course, the spell could not last forever.

Zhongsun Mou’s guards seized the opening and forced their way forward, trying to rush into the side room.

The Chiyan troops dared block the guards, but they did not dare strike at Zhongsun Mou, who stood behind them, continuing to cause trouble.

No matter what, the other party was an officially recognized touring commissioner from Lingxu City, which monster state’s officer truly dared offend him lightly?

Just as the ice was about to reach the side room’s doorway, He Lingchuan abruptly turned and flicked a few pebbles at Zhongsun Mou.

They flew unbelievably fast.

“Watch out!” A guard beside him lifted his blade and knocked them away.

He blocked three in a row. The pebbles were deflected, but the shock numbed his palm, and he nearly lost his grip on the sword.

Such terrifying force.

A fourth pebble came. The guard had no choice but to grit his teeth and swing again.

But the moment the stone struck, it shattered. From inside billowed a plume of yellow smoke that rode the gust straight into their faces!

“Ugh—!” Zhongsun Mou and more than a dozen guards all retched uncontrollably.

Origin energy could reduce the damage from physical attacks and divine techniques, and even weaken the effects of poison and curses, but when it came to stench...

A foul odor did not count as real damage. It slipped past all that and went straight for the body’s violent, unavoidable reflex.

This stink bomb of He Lingchuan’s had been refined through multiple iterations. Compared to before, it had a stronger odor, a cleaner dosage, and more precise delivery. It was far unlike the old days when he would have to toss an entire sack at someone, which also made opponents wary.

The spellcasting broke. The Ice Congelation Spell collapsed. The Chiyan soldiers were freed at once and pressed the other side back.

He Lingchuan had considered the wind direction before throwing it. The lake breeze was blowing toward Zhongsun Mou. Even so, seeing their predicament, none of the Chiyan soldiers dared move in too close.

Zhongsun Mou vomited without pause, so foully sick his eyes had rolled upward as if he were about to faint.

He truly had not expected a dignified Crown Prince’s special envoy to use such a lowbrow method.

No wonder he’s Fushan Yue’s underling! They’re two vile pieces cut from the same cloth!

He Lingchuan raised his wrist. Two sleeve arrows shot out and buried themselves in the tree trunks just behind Zhongsun Mou’s cheeks. “Take one more step forward, and I’ll pin you to a tree!”

The wind from the bolts stirred Zhongsun Mou’s sideburns, but they did not actually graze him.

After speaking, He Lingchuan stepped into the room.

The fighting remained outside. Inside this side room sat one man, stubble bristling thick across his cheeks, wrists, and ankles bound in iron chains.

Talismanic runes were carved into the chains, glowing dimly and then bright, dimly and then bright. At the top, the shackles had pierced straight through the prisoner’s scapulae.

He heard the commotion outside, and he had even seen it, but his face remained indifferent, as if none of it mattered.

He Lingchuan walked up to him, grabbed a chair, and sat. “You’re Fu Songhua? Same trick, hiding in plain sight. But you even made your business flourish. You’re a step above Hong Chenglue, at least.”

At the mention of Hong Chenglue’s name, Fu Songhua’s jaw finally twitched.

“I’m the special envoy sent by Crown Prince Fushan Yue to investigate this case. If you’ve been wronged, tell me.”

Fu Songhua said nothing.

So He Lingchuan asked again. “The Lingxu City courier, was it really you who killed it?”

This time, the answer came quickly. “It was me.”

Outside, Zhongsun Mou’s mocking laughter drifted in.

“Mr. Mai is your subordinate?”

“He is.”

“Last spring, where did he commit his crimes?”

“...” Fu Songhua did not even pause much. “Can’t remember.”

He Lingchuan watched him. Clear-headed, coherent, doesn’t look like he’s someone under a mind-controlling spell.

In other words, he confessed voluntarily.

That also makes sense. Zhongsun Mou is taking him back to Lingxu City. He couldn’t have Fu Songhua arrive there as a vacant, bewitched husk.

Zhongsun Mou needs him lucid and ready to testify.

“The two trees at the door—elm on the left, crabapple on the right. The shop across the way has two doors painted different colors. They sell pastries. Every day at three-quarters past one in the afternoon, fresh mung bean cakes come out. They’re hot and flaky, loved by adults and children alike...”

He Lingchuan spoke slowly, calmly.

It sounded like nonsense, disconnected from anything. But Fu Songhua’s face changed, and he strained forward hard enough to make the chains clank.

“Y-you... what did you do?!”

He Lingchuan pointed outside. “That fish-man threatened you with that?”

Fu Songhua glared, teeth clenched.

The commotion in the courtyard was loud. He Lingchuan leaned in and murmured, “That leverage isn’t in his hands anymore. You can speak freely now.”

Fu Songhua could not help but ask, “Then w-where... where is it?”

“Of course it’s in my hands!”

“...”

He Lingchuan’s expression hardened. “Tell the truth, and the person you care about will be safe.”

Fu Songhua hesitated.

“Time is limited. That fish-man will walk in here any moment.”

Outside, the confrontation was heating up again.

Even though the Chiyan troops had the numbers, the other side were Lingxu City guards. No one dared truly cut loose and kill.

Meanwhile, the Lingxu City guards had no such scruples.

So the clash only escalated.

Zhongsun Mou forced his way through the crowd and strode toward the side room.

Who would dare lay even a finger on him?

Fu Songhua gritted his teeth, then suddenly roared, “I’ve been wronged! I didn’t kill the courier! I’ve been wronged!” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

His true energy was locked by the runic chains, but his voice was naturally thunderous. Even with the chaos outside, his shout drowned it out completely.

Even the other guests who had gathered to watch the commotion heard him clearly.

“I didn’t kill anyone! I was framed! I beg the special envoy to reopen the case and restore my innocence!”

Once he had pushed out the first shout, the next ones came smooth and fast, even with variations.

Zhongsun Mou’s steps faltered. He had not expected Fu Songhua to suddenly recant.

He Lingchuan stood at the doorway and called out, “That’s what I said. This case is suspicious. Under Chiyan law, grievances must be investigated. This case must be retried! County Magistrate Tian...”

He did not actually know what Chiyan law said, but surely it did not forbid the wrongfully accused from crying injustice.

County Magistrate Tian had been tortured by He Lingchuan for days. Hearing that drawn-out tone, he jolted and blurted, “Use the county yamen however you like!”

Zhongsun Mou shot him a cold and vicious look.

County Magistrate Tian kept his head down and hurried away, not daring to meet it.

“Fu Songhua is a fugitive wanted by Lingxu City. I try him, I bring him back, lawful and proper.” Zhongsun Mou snapped at He Lingchuan. “On what basis are you interfering?!”

“The supposed fugitive of yours is the key witness in my case. He gave false testimony and now recants. He has violated Chiyan criminal law. By law and by reason, he must stay here and be tried.”

“He Xiao, aren’t you afraid the State of Chiyan’s ruler will carve you into pieces to soothe Lingxu City’s wrath?”

“You’re really considerate.” He Lingchuan threw his head back and laughed, then pulled a letter from his chest and waved it. “I just received a handwritten note from the Crown Prince telling me to investigate boldly and without fear. The State of Chiyan’s ruler will back me.”

In truth, Fushan Yue’s words were that as long as He Lingchuan did not beat Zhongsun Mou to death or leave him crippled, everything else did not count. He was free to do whatever else he wanted.

There was only one bottom line he could not cross, and everything else did not matter.

Rampant arrogance? That was He Lingchuan’s old specialty.

“This is outrageous!”

Zhongsun Mou could not believe it.

Had Fushan Yue lost his mind? He’s always been wild, yes, but he’d had limits.

Zhongsun Mou had not finished speaking when He Lingchuan suddenly spun and snapped out several throwing knives, pinning several water snakes to the ground.

They were called snakes, but they were not much bigger than earthworms. Formed of water, their heads and bodies were blurry and indistinct, only their fangs were sharp and clear.

If one bit you, the result would likely be poison and sudden death.

While Zhongsun Mou argued with He Lingchuan to draw his attention, he had secretly released those water snakes to silence Fu Songhua.

The room was dim. And He Lingchuan had been facing outward. It would have been hard to notice the beads of water on the floor had been turned into spellcraft.

But the eyeball spider hiding inside was not for decoration.

He Lingchuan said no more. He grabbed Fu Songhua, rushed to the window, kicked the lattice open, and vaulted onto the roof behind.

Two quick bounds, and he was already far away. Only a single line drifted back on the wind, “Commander Lu[1], see you at the county yamen!”

Commander Lu was the officer he had borrowed. Hearing that, he roared, “Withdraw! To the county yamen!”

* * *

He Lingchuan’s speed was extraordinary. Fu Songhua was a burly man pushing 120 kilograms, but He Lingchuan carried him like he weighed nothing.

They turned corner after corner; the noise behind them faded to a whisper.

Then He Lingchuan shifted his footing, sprang onto another rooftop, and slipped through a window into a room.

It was a guest room in an inn, one He Lingchuan had booked this very morning.

Fu Songhua stared at him for two beats, his gaze strange. “Aren’t we going to the county yamen?”

A special envoy of the State of Chiyan like this man actually dared to clash head-on with a touring commissioner of Lingxu City. Is this man utterly fearless?

“No one will disturb us here.”

He Lingchuan leaned out the window for a quick look, then shut the door and windows. “Quick questions, quick answers. What is your real relationship to the Lingxu City courier case?”

“None.” Fu Songhua didn’t blink once. “I didn’t kill it. I never even saw it. But six days ago, I was arrested for no reason.”

“And you have nothing to do with Mr. Mai either?”

1. See note for explanation on commander. ☜