Chapter 409: Chapter 279: Beiqing’s Number One Alchemist
"Ye Lingyue, you truly do not know whether to live or die, do you realize there will be no good days after offending the Dan Palace of Daxia?" Hong Fang, seeing Ye Lingyue daring to extort the Dan Palace, was so angry his face turned red and his ears grew hot.
"Why should I not dare? Hong Fang, as the Western Expedition General, you have truly disgraced the face of Daxia. The beast chaos has yet to be quelled, with countless villagers and soldiers injured and killed. What have you done, with just ten taels of funeral expenses for each villager, and fifty taels for each soldier? If the deceased were your own family and children, would you accept that? I almost forgot, General Hong doesn’t care about these things—your heart only thinks of yourself," Ye Lingyue mocked coldly and sarcastically.
"Ye Lingyue, you are too presumptuous!" Hong Fang grabbed Ye Lingyue’s garment in a fit of rage.
The girl showed not the slightest fear, her pitch-black pupils flashed with a touch of dark purple, as if she could see right through one’s soul in an instant.
Hong Fang was startled and unconsciously released his hand.
Just now, he suddenly felt a sense of fear.
Ye Lingyue sneered and walked away with a flick of her sleeve.
The next day, Alchemist Wei came with the response from the Dan Palace, which agreed to pay four million taels of gold as compensation for the losses caused by the Ninth-grade Python and to offer the sincerest apologies to the villagers and soldiers who died in Daxia.
This outcome was quite surprising for everyone in Qi City, including Hong Fang.
But it was within Ye Lingyue’s expectations—a Ninth-grade Python was not necessarily worth four million taels of gold.
Unless, of course, on its body lay an unspeakable secret, or it held special value—these were things only the people of the Dan Palace knew.
What place is the Dan Palace? It is where the high-ranking Alchemists of Beiqing gather. These Alchemists care very much about their reputation, never allowing even the slightest unfavorable rumor about them to spread.
Alchemist Wei delivered the four million taels of gold on the spot.
This indemnity could just be used to compensate for the losses of the villagers and the military camps.
Ye Lingyue was very decisive, returning the corpse of the Ninth-grade Python to the Dan Palace.
Having received the serpent’s corpse, Alchemist Wei returned to Beiqing.
Atop the high tower at the border, Alchemist Wei knelt respectfully in front of a man dressed in green.
"Lord Hong Ru, the snake’s corpse has been brought back."
The Alchemist in the green robe turned around.
It was a young man with refined and cultured features, who seemed to be no more than thirty years old.
Dark brows shaped like soaring peaks, straight nose akin to a mountain, and in his eyes, an arrogant pride that looked down upon the world.
However, at odds with his features was his grayish-white temples, and in his gray eyes shone deep wisdom.
The man’s appearance could not be considered as decisively handsome, but he was that kind of age-transcending beauty that caused countless young girls and women’s hearts to flutter.
This person was none other than Chen Hongru, a top existence in the Beiqing Alchemist World.
In Beiqing, he held a status second only to the Dan Palace Master, below Emperor Beiqing.
"Four million taels of gold, that Cauldron Master Ye from Daxia, is indeed very extravagant."
Even after paying the gold, the Dan Palace was clearly dissatisfied with Daxia’s approach this time.
Even Chen Hongru, who was always as cold as ice, was infuriated.
But no matter what, the Ninth-grade Spiritual Python held extraordinary significance to the Dan Palace, so he was willing to spend the gold to redeem it, even if the price was high.
Chen Hongru stood still, his sleeves unmoving, as an invisible spiritual power lifted the huge Ninth-grade Spiritual Python into mid-air.
But after only a glance, Chen Hongru’s complexion changed.
"The spirit core, where is the spirit core!"
As everyone knows, the greatest significance of a Spiritual Beast lies in its spirit core.
"But unexpectedly, as soon as the serpent’s corpse was brought back, Chen Hongru discovered that the Ninth-grade Spirit Python’s spirit core had vanished without a trace."
"No spirit core?" Alchemist Wei was also scared pale, hastily ordered people to cut open the python’s belly, only to find it completely empty inside.
"Good... very good, Daxia is really capable, daring to tamper with something from my Dan Palace!" Chen Hongru finally lost his temper.
The tower standing at the Beiqing Border trembled with his anger.
The alchemists inside the tower also panicked, not understanding why the Palace Master was so furious.
"This subordinate deserves death, this subordinate had never imagined that the spirit core would be gone." Alchemist Wei trembled with fear, not expecting Cauldron Master Ye, at such a young age, to be so cunning.
This time, he had truly been doomed by Ye Lingyue.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Hongru’s rage subsided somewhat.
"Let it be, it’s just a Ninth-grade spirit core, it’s not that important. I had you redeem this snake not to use it for Alchemy or Artifact Refining."
Not for Alchemy or Artifact Refining, then what does the lord want with the serpent’s corpse?
Alchemist Wei was utterly puzzled.
Lately, the lord had been in a foul mood, getting angry at the drop of a hat.
Alchemist Wei felt increasingly unable to understand the lord.
"You may leave now. I will deal with the snake’s corpse myself," Chen Hongru waved his hand dismissively.
Alchemist Wei bowed and exited.
He was dead, his only son, Xia Houhong was dead.
Chen Hongru closed his eyes.
Inside the tower, the surroundings transformed instantaneously, becoming a splendidly lavish palace.
In the palace, a beautiful woman in palace dress was weeping.
Her eyes were swollen red, and when she noticed the change in her environment, she looked up, and it was, indeed, Noble Princess Consort Luo who was in Xia Palace.
"My lord, you’ve finally come, my poor Hong’er, his death was so tragic."
News from the Xixia Plain had already arrived; Xia Houhong had unfortunately perished on his way to slay the Ninth-grade python.
His corpse was still missing as of now.
Upon hearing the news, Noble Princess Consort Luo felt as if the world was spinning.
She still couldn’t believe that Xia Houhong was dead.
"Rest assured, I will find out the truth. I have already located the python’s corpse, and soon we will know the real cause of Hong’er’s death."
Chen Hongru was indeed the man who had sent Yao Concubine and had an illicit affair with Noble Princess Consort Luo.
He held the position of Dan Palace Master, but his ambitions were grand; he longed for the throne of Daxia.
For over a decade, he schemed painstakingly, sending his concubine to Xia Palace, and his own offspring to the Crown Prince’s throne, thinking that everything was falling into place. Once Xia Houhong ascended the throne, he would be the Emperor above the Emperor of Daxia.
But who could have expected that all of this would turn into nothing but a pipe dream with the death of Xia Houhong.
Just thinking of this, Chen Hongru felt as if his heart was bleeding.
Although it was said from Qi City that Xia Houhong had unfortunately died at the hands of the Ninth-grade python, Chen Hongru didn’t believe it.
To ensure Xia Houhong’s safety on the Xixia Plain, he specifically sought the protection of Bi Emperor and Zhao Feng for him, and Zhao Feng had with him an Earth-level Square Beast refined by him, more than capable of ensuring Xia Houhong’s safety.
Yet under such circumstances, Xia Houhong still died. How could this not arouse Chen Hongru’s suspicions?