After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 416: Chapter 415: The Unenfeoffed Human King

News and books from the outside world were hard to come by here.

”However, there is another peculiar thing about the Yuanl Kingdom—” she continued. ”Its new Monarch is a human. The previous Demon King abdicated the throne to him before he died. If he were to accept the Deities’ investiture, there might have been a Human King among the twelve Demon Kings of Beiga, which would have been unprecedented.”

”Why wouldn’t he accept the Deities’ investiture?”

Sunx Fuling chuckled lightly. ”Who knows? Perhaps everyone has their own ambitions.”

”When an Emperor is enraged, blood flows and shields float. After the Demon Emperor broke through the Yuanl Kingdom’s defenses, he simply carved it up and gifted the pieces to the other five Demon Kingdoms. Of course, the most central region was reserved for Lingxu City. The King of Treasure Tree you just mentioned also received a large, prime piece of territory.” She sighed softly. ”From then on, Beiga established a new law: if a war were to break out between Demon Kingdoms, the other Demon Kings were to remain spectators and not interfere.”

She stroked the Sparrowhawk’s head. ”I heard from the dean of Shumin Academy that King Yuanl’s nephew was a close friend and classmate of Commander Zhong. They were kindred spirits. In fact, a Treasure Saber Commander Zhong owns was a gift from him. When news of the Yuanl Kingdom’s fall reached the Xiluo Kingdom, Lord Zhong was so grieved that he secluded himself for several days.”

”Treasure Saber?” Hee Lingchuan’s interest was piqued. ”The one with the Flood Dragon Head Ring?”

”You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?” Sunx Fuling laughed. ”What famous general only has one weapon?”

A thought struck Hee Lingchuan. ”Was this saber also forged more than twenty years ago?”

”Who knows the exact year? It’s said to have quite the history.”

Hee Lingchuan asked again, ”How could Commander Zhong have been classmates with King Yuanl’s nephew?”

”Commander Zhong once went to the Beiga Kingdom to study for six years,” Sunx Fuling said. ”Beiga is one of the world’s rare superpowers, rich in treasures and resources. All nations send their brightest students there to study. To this day, nobles of all ranks in the Xiluo Kingdom still take pride in having studied abroad in Beiga. It’s actually the same for all countries. As long as you have a Beiga education on your record, you’re almost guaranteed a high position upon returning home.”

Hee Lingchuan nodded slowly, but thought to himself, ’It seems Zhong Shengguang’s plea to the Mitian God was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision from four years ago.’

After hearing this detail, the whole affair became even more confusing and mysterious.

He lowered his voice. ”I heard another piece of news. The Xiluo Kingdom intends to relocate all the residents of the Panlong Wasteland back.”

Sunx Fuling was startled. ”Relocate them where?”

”Back to the homeland, to be resettled.”

”Where did you hear this?”

”Fatty Bai from Spirit Island told me. He probably heard it from an out-of-town merchant. It seems this news hasn’t spread in Panlong City yet.”

”How is that possible?” Sunx Fuling shook her head. ”Putting aside the long journey and the lack of a path back, even the motherland doesn’t want us to return.”

Hee Lingchuan was taken aback. ”Why?” ’Their own country doesn’t welcome its own people?’

”Have you forgotten? Four years ago, the motherland wanted to transfer a batch of Elites from Panlong City to quell a rebellion. Lord Zhong ordered Deputy Commander Mr. Jing to lead forty thousand Panlong City Army soldiers back east. They were the cream of the crop, veterans of a hundred battles. Thirty thousand civilians were relocated back with them. The entire Panlong City Army was only a hundred thousand strong at the time, which shows you how sincere Lord Zhong was. But after they returned, the forty thousand troops were broken up and integrated into various divisions of the Official Army. Mr. Jing was assigned to an idle post, and was too ashamed to return to the Panlong Wasteland to face Commander Zhong. Later, the route back to the country was cut off again, and Panlong City became blocked on all sides, once again an exclave, losing all contact with the motherland.”

”Because of this, Commander Zhong fell gravely ill from anger,” Sunx Fuling said slowly. ”Do you think the Xiluo Kingdom wants us back?”

Her tone was cold when she spoke of Xiluo.

Hee Lingchuan sighed as well. ”Why would they do that?”

”The Royal Court wouldn’t go out of its way to explain it to us. But if you search through the annals of history, it all boils down to one word, doesn’t it? ’Fear.’”

The Panlong City Army is an iron hammer. It can smash Baling, it can smash Xianyou. If Zhong Shengguang were to lead it back to the Xiluo Kingdom, wouldn’t it be just as effective at smashing the National Capital, or even the Monarch?

What Monarch wouldn’t be wary of a General who holds the hearts of both the people and the army?

Sunx Fuling looked thoughtful. ”However, the Panlong Soldiers and People have been separated from their homeland for over a decade. It’s only natural for their hearts to yearn for home. If this news is true, we’re in for big trouble.”

How many months of peace has the Panlong Wasteland even had? It seemed another storm was brewing.

”Who cares? Let’s drink and be merry while we can.” Hee Lingchuan raised his cup to her. ”Come on, stop worrying on Commander Zhong’s behalf.”

Sunx Fuling smiled and clinked her cup with his.

They both looked up and saw two tender green shoots of grass striving to grow on the low wall, set against the azure sky of April.

Everyone knew they would surely wither in the autumn frosts of September.

But right now, they were thriving.

A person lives a lifetime, grass lives a season; life and death are decided by fate.

All one can hold onto is the present moment.

He heard Sunx Fuling let out a very, very soft sigh.

They looked at each other without a word.

After an unknown amount of time, a sudden clamor broke out overhead, and two dark objects fell onto the top of the wall.

It turned out to be two fat magpies fighting over a rice cake, having a grand old time of it, squawking non-stop.

The tranquility of the small courtyard was shattered in an instant.

Sunx Fuling casually picked up a pebble and flicked it with her finger.

With a CRACK, the pebble hit the low wall next to the magpies and shattered into pieces.

The two magpies were in the heat of their battle and actually paid it no mind.

The Sparrowhawk, which had been hiding behind the low table trying to sneak some meat, leaped up, spread its wings, and charged at them.

’Acting like I don’t exist, are we?’

It had hidden so well that the magpies hadn’t even noticed it before. Now, seeing their natural predator attack, they forgot about the rice cake and the fight, squawking as they flew away.

Only two feathers floated gently down.

The Sparrowhawk chased after them and flew off.

’The atmosphere on the ground is tense. I’d better go up and fly around to digest my food.’

Seeing their panicked retreat, the two of them laughed.

Sunx Fuling took out a flute from somewhere and began to play.

The flute’s melody began light and nimble, like a lively kingfisher spreading its wings, darting between the lake and the green grass. Then, it gradually rose in pitch and volume, becoming like rustling maple leaves, painting the frosty sky with color...

In a single melody, she journeyed through the four seasons.

But at the end of winter’s final Chapter, she concluded with an upward, playful note before smiling at him.

Hee Lingchuan clapped in praise. ”A wonderful piece. You’re truly an optimist.”

She waved the flute. ”Wallowing in misery will only bring more worries.”

”That flute is a bit unusual.” Hee Lingchuan had been observing the flute in her hand for a while. It was shaped like a bamboo flute, but its entire body was a bony, grayish-white, with a faint luster upon closer inspection.

The most peculiar part was the two bright red circles at the end of the flute, which looked like a monster’s eyes.

”I made it myself. A few years ago, a Patrol Guard was selling wares at a market stall, and among them was a vertebra from a Celestial Centipede. I thought it looked suitable, so I bought it and modified it into this Bone Flute. The timbre turned out to be quite good,” Sunx Fuling said with a smile. ”Centipedes don’t normally have bones. Only a Celestial Centipede over three hundred years old will spontaneously grow a small, hard bone behind its head, just like this one.”

”And these two red circles?”

”They’re marks left from an injury that healed. I thought they looked quite symmetrical, so I kept them.” Sunx Fuling handed the flute to him. ”Want to try?”

Hee Lingchuan answered honestly, ”I can’t. I don’t know how to play any instruments.”

’I can only play the harmonica, but that’s useless here. As for Eldest Young Master Hee’s original self, there’s no hope there.’

”Wenxian Hall offers music classes, you know. The lecturer is a great beauty, and I hear every class is packed. You’ve really never heard of it?”

”No, I haven’t. Ahem, they have that kind of course?” On the Wenxian Hall notice board, he only ever paid attention to content related to Cultivation, rare artifacts, history, military strategy, and even herbal identification. As for music... ’Was there ever a notice for that on the board? How did I never see it?’ ”I’ll find some time to go listen next time.”

Sunx Fuling glanced at him. ”Want to learn? I can teach you.”

”Sure!” An idea struck Hee Lingchuan. ”Oh, right, I also want to learn the Xun. Do you know how to play it?”

He had almost forgotten. He still had a Xun, also known as:

Aunt Zhu’s Eye Socket!

”Wait here.” Sunx Fuling stood up, placed a hand on the wall, and deftly vaulted back into her own yard.

When she reappeared, she was holding a ceramic Xun with seven holes.

”Uh, do you have a nine-holed one?” Aunt Zhu’s Eye Socket was a nine-holed Xun.

”It’s all the same. Once you master one, you understand them all.” Sunx Fuling played a short tune. The sound of the Xun was ancient and simple, completely different from the melodious flute.

”Where did you learn to play so many instruments? Shumin Academy?”

”When I was young, my father was busy and didn’t have time to look after me, so I taught myself a few,” Sunx Fuling said with a smile. ”But you’re right, besides the xiao and the flute, I learned all the other instruments at Shumin Academy.”

”Alright, you try first.” She handed him the ceramic Xun. ”Let’s see what kind of musical sense you have.”

Seeing her unconsciously turn serious, Hee Lingchuan suddenly remembered something.

’Oh, crap, am I out of my mind? Why did I ask her to teach me?’

’The person in front of me is a Teacher with high standards and strict demands!’

Another day passed. The Stone Gate Merchant Team, having finished their procurement, finally left Tongcheng and continued north.

Recalling the fierce expression on Fushan Yue’s face before he left, Hee Lingchuan asked one of the hands to inquire about any unusual activity inside or outside the city. It seemed nothing major had happened, except that a village in the outskirts had caught fire that night, killing several people.

After two more days of travel, the merchant team finally left the borders of the Treasure Tree Kingdom and entered the Twilight Plateau.

This was originally Yuanl Kingdom territory. After its fall, it came under the direct jurisdiction of Lingxu City, and even the local officials were directly appointed by the Royal Court.

Hee Lingchuan noticed that after entering the Twilight Plateau, the atmosphere of the entire team seemed to relax. Everyone’s steps became lighter, and they often gathered to whisper about something before bursting into uproarious laughter. Even the usually taciturn groom, Old Liu, silently held up two fingers when someone asked him how many he wanted to ”sleep with.”

He asked Shi the Second, ”Why is everyone so happy?”

Shi the Second chuckled. ”How could they not be? Ahead is Tongluo County, the famous Gold-Dissolving Cave of the Twilight Plateau. These lads all have some money in their pockets and are ready to go there and enjoy themselves.”

They had been on this trip for over half a month, facing one accident after another, and had even nearly lost their lives passing through Wind Demon Mountain. With a ”land of warmth and tenderness” ahead, who wouldn’t want to relax and unwind?

”We’ve been to Fufeng City and Tongcheng. They had everything one could want, so why weren’t they this excited?”

”Ah, that’s different. Tongluo County is what you call cheap and good. You’ll know when you get there.”