The porpoise turned and let out a sharp note, like a whistle. One of the river porpoises behind it instantly dove beneath the water, likely to spread the message to the aquatic races of the Liu River.

The others remained, because He Lingchuan had already requisitioned six fishing boats at the lower river bend. To keep them light and fast, each boat carried only two passengers.

The fishermen cast off the ropes and tossed them into the water. The lively porpoises bit down on them at once and began towing the fishing boats toward midstream.

With two porpoises to a boat, it was easy work. Once they got moving, they only grew faster and faster.

Though the river surface held no more than a light breeze, the boats they towed somehow gave the sensation of cleaving wind and breaking waves.

The fishermen standing at the bows were left feeling rather awkward. Whether they dipped their oars in the water or not made no difference at all.

All six boats headed downstream at a speed of at least twenty-five kilometers per hour.

The Liu River alternated between swift and slow stretches, and midstream were many reefs and little islets. If one were rowing by human strength, one would still have to steer carefully around them, moving nowhere near as swiftly as the porpoises.

More importantly, He Lingchuan knew that beneath the apparently calm surface, the Liu River’s aquatic races throughout this stretch had already been mobilized and were loyally carrying out the Crown Prince’s order to search for the targets.

Trying to find a single boat on the vast Liu River would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

No matter how meticulous Wu Kai’s escape arrangements had been, he was still only a man, with limited methods and limited ability.

He Lingchuan could not help but sigh inwardly. A tracking method like this was simply beyond unfair.

* * *

Three days later, far away in Lingxu City.

People had gathered beneath Star-Plucking Tower, waiting from sunset until moonrise, yet still there was no opportunity to enter.

The longer they waited, the more people came. They exchanged pleasantries and even chatted about the sudden fire that had struck the ever-popular Qingfu Temple in Lingxu City.

Once they asked around, though, it turned out they had all come for the same matter.

After another hour, the number of people gradually dwindled.

If they were not getting in, then they were not getting in. The people above had plainly decided to leave them hanging. There was no point in waiting further.

In the end, only three remained, stubbornly holding their ground and refusing to leave.

This time, only when the moon had climbed to its highest point did the lamp guardian inside Star-Plucking Tower emerge beneath the swaying tree shadows and bow to them.

“Honored Elders, have you come because of the touring commissioner case?”

“Correct. This is an affair of great consequence. We must see the Lord Emperor!”

“The Lord Emperor is currently communing with the gods and consulting their divine will. He will not return to the palace tonight.”

In other words, he would not be leaving Star-Plucking Tower tonight. They could wait all they liked and still never see him.

“But this case, this case... It must be discussed and weighed carefully. A special envoy must be dispatched as soon as possible.”

The lamp guardian said respectfully, “The Lord Emperor has already said that the envoy earlier dispatched to Chiyan will investigate this matter together with the rest. He should already have reached Baishajue. Your Elderships need not trouble yourselves over it.”

“The envoy sent to Chiyan?” All three were startled. None of them had heard of this before. “Who is it?”

The meaning of “need not trouble yourselves” was plain enough: you are not permitted to interfere. All three understood that.

“It is Lord Bai of our Star-Plucking Tower.”

The three men looked at one another. As expected, all of them fell silent, though their expressions remained complicated.

* * *

The next day.

At first light, when dawn was only just beginning in the east, the people of Baishajue were once again jolted awake by the thunder of hooves.

Those who rose early enough witnessed with their own eyes the Crown Prince’s special envoy returning triumphantly to the city, bringing back not only himself, but also a carriage and a prisoner bound like a dumpling.

Naturally, under the deliberate prodding of interested parties, that news spread outward at ever greater speed.

Wu Kai, the crucial witness in this whole chain of Baishajue cases, had failed to escape and had been captured and brought back by the Crown Prince’s special envoy!

In no more than ten hours, the entire city would know.

When He Lingchuan returned to the inn, Fushan Yue came forward warmly to greet him and clasped his arm forcefully. “You really are something!”

These past few days, he too had been tense and worried. Seeing He Lingchuan come back to the city with Wu Kai under guard, he let out a long breath of relief.

Steady now!

He Lingchuan clasped arms with him in return before smiling. “Has Cen Boqing behaved himself these last few days?”

Fushan Yue spat on the ground. “Behaved... my ass!”

It turned out that while He Lingchuan had been out of the city, Cen Boqing had not been quiet at all. He had tried again and again to escape, even attempting disguises and false appearances, hoping to slip out of the residence under the cover of confusion. Every time, Fushan Yue had thrown him back.

When the two fought, no one else dared approach. In the end, Cen Boqing lost and had half an arm injured, retreating sullenly back into the residence.

Fushan Yue’s temper had been stirred up as well. Seeing the man refuse the polite road, he simply ordered Commander Lu to have the front and rear gates of the Cen Residence sealed up with brick walls. If the people inside lacked food or drink, the soldiers could buy it and throw it over the wall for them. No one inside would be taking a single step outside.

Anyone who dared jump out would get beaten.

At any rate, the common people of Baishajue had thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle these past few days.

Fushan Yue had even rented the large residence next door to the Cen Residence and personally kept watch from the upper story.

He was a ba, after all. He could go several days and nights without sleep and still be full of energy.

In this deadly game, Cen Boqing had tried several times, and each attempt had ended in failure. Fushan Yue had more than once seen him smashing things inside the residence in fury. Baishajue had become a hurdle written into his fate. If he could only cross it and escape, he would be able to flee back to Lingxu City, where his chances would rise enormously.

But unfortunately for him, he simply could not get out.

By the time Fushan Yue reached this point in his story, there was a trace of satisfaction on his face as well. After all, when Cen Boqing had tried sneaking out of the residence, Fushan Yue had personally beaten him black and blue, which counted as settling an old score from Lingxu City.

He clapped his hands. “Come on. Let’s interrogate Wu Kai.”

Wu Kai had not been placed in the county jail. Instead, he was being held alone in the inn’s wine cellar.

Now he was enjoying the same treatment as Fu Songhua. He wore a cangue[1] inscribed with talismanic runes. The thing suppressed spirit qi, preventing the prisoner from using divine techniques.

The moment the Crown Prince arrived, everyone’s efficiency rose sharply. The cellar had already been cleared out. Only two chairs remained inside, while Wu Kai sat shackled on the floor.

At the four corners of the cellar floor, an array that restricted escape spells and techniques was active as well. This was to prevent anyone from coming in and abducting the prisoner.

Naturally, guards were posted both inside and outside the cellar.

Fushan Yue and He Lingchuan went down into the cellar and found Wu Kai sitting on the ground with his eyes closed.

People came, but he did not open them.

The guard on duty reported that ever since Wu Kai had been brought in, he had remained exactly like this. He had been silent, unmoving, and with his eyes shut.

“Wu Kai.” Fushan Yue tugged He Lingchuan over to sit down with him. “What do you want to eat? What do you want to drink?”

Wu Kai remained like an old monk in meditation.

The pursuit on the Liu River had involved more twists than He Lingchuan had expected. Wu Kai had changed boats midway.

Everyone had gone to enormous trouble, and at one point, they had even nearly lost him completely.

Fortunately, the water spirit had displayed its great authority over the aquatic races in its own domain. In less than half a day, they had still managed, by turns and inquiries, to trace the whereabouts of Wu Kai’s new boat.

After changing boats, the four had continued nearly fifty kilometers downstream before disembarking at a small wharf. The carriage driver, Wu Kai’s daughter-in-law, and the grandson disguised themselves as a family of three, while Wu Kai himself traveled alone, heading north.

The reason three or four days had passed was that He Lingchuan had hoped to use Wu Kai as bait to draw out other large fish. Besides, once Wu Kai came ashore there, He Lingchuan could see that he meant to take his family out of the State of Chiyan.

Once they crossed into Lingxu territory, it would become much harder for pursuers to catch them.

The surveillance on Wu Kai and his people had also been extremely tight. If Cen Boqing tried to strike this witness remotely in advance, they intended to rush in and save him.

Fortunately, Wu Kai had not suddenly collapsed.

And throughout the two days of surveillance, he had never made contact with anyone.

Either he had no one he could ask for help, or he did not dare ask anyone for help.

So He Lingchuan had netted them all in one sweep at the border checkpoint.

Even so, Wu Kai’s caution had left a deep impression on him.

As a reward, from the second half of the year onward, the amount of origin energy granted to that river porpoise as the water spirit of the Liu River would greatly increase.

But the old man had been stubbornly resisting ever since the day of his capture. His grandson cried, his daughter-in-law wept, yet he remained unmoved.

It seemed he had thought things through very clearly.

“So, you’re just waiting for the right price, aren’t you? Enough already. Stop putting on this act for me.” Fushan Yue sneered at Wu Kai’s manner. “Otherwise, I’ll have your grandson brought down here and suck him dry right in front of you.”

A hard method backed by exalted status. An opponent like that was the most troublesome kind.

Only then did Wu Kai open his eyes. In a stern voice, he said, “If you dare harm him, then even if I die, I still won’t speak.”

“If you tell the truth honestly, your grandson may still have a way to live.”

Wu Kai closed his mouth again and said nothing further.

No matter what else Fushan Yue said afterward, he refused to answer at all.

When they walked back up to ground level, Fushan Yue was in a foul mood. He waved a hand at the guards. “Use torture. Pry his mouth open!”

That method was simple and brutal.

But He Lingchuan said, “I’m afraid it won’t do much.”

Sure enough, after half a day, the guards reported back that Wu Kai had twice been beaten unconscious under torture, yet still gritted his teeth and refused to confess.

“He knows perfectly well that he’s the key witness. If he refuses to confess, neither he nor Cen Boqing may necessarily be convicted,” He Lingchuan said flatly. “If he does confess, then he himself certainly won’t escape death. If you were him, would you confess?”

“You can’t compare it like that!” Fushan Yue put on a face full of righteous indignation. “Do I look like the sort of person who knowingly breaks the law?”

He Lingchuan treated that line as though he had never heard it. “In a few more days, Lingxu City may send over a special envoy, and then things could take a turn. So whether it’s him or Cen Boqing, the thing they most want right now is to drag matters out.”

Fushan Yue considered this. “They’ve already begun doubting each other. We only need to give that a little extra push.”

If those two were united in heart and will, that would be what truly worked against them.

“Isn’t that already underway?” He Lingchuan’s flashy return to the city that morning had been with precisely that in mind.

By now, the news of Wu Kai’s capture had probably already reached Cen Boqing.

After thinking for a moment, He Lingchuan went back down into the cellar.

Wu Kai was still sitting there, his eyes half closed, but his face was black and swollen, and there were bloodstains on his clothes.

Who knew how Fushan Yue’s guards had treated him?

He Lingchuan dragged a chair over and sat beside him. The chair legs scraped loudly against the floor, making a harsh, grating sound.

At the first scrape, he noticed Wu Kai’s eyelids twitch.

Putting on a calm act? Heh, he’s clearly still listening to everything around him with all his might. He Lingchuan sneered inwardly before saying to him, “You still think you and Cen Boqing are tied to the same reed on the same line. In truth, the safest thing for him would be to kill you and silence you. After all, the secrets of the jiang beads and the elixirs of youth are all in your hands, and so many of his filthy deeds were handled by you. If a key witness like you dies, he can stroll away clean and free.”

Wu Kai did not move at all. Even his breathing remained steady.

“Of course, you’ve probably already thought that through. I noticed several of your protective talismans are broken. Was that from these two days on the run?”

Wu Kai looked fixedly at him.

He Lingchuan watched his expression, then let out a long “Ohhh” before adding, “So that’s how it is after all. Cen Boqing has been cursing you in secret these past few days!”

1. A cangue is basically a wooden board stuck around a captive’s neck. ☜