EFB Chapter 2251 The Person Is Gone
Chapter 2251 The Person Is Gone
Chapter 2251 The Person Is Gone
“Anything that’s alive is prone to getting sick.” Aunt Zhu spoke up for the man-eating flower and Dong Rui, saying, “Even a man-eating flower isn’t invincible.”
Even inanimate objects need regular maintenance; He Lingchuan understood this principle, but:
"Dong Rui should have come up with a treatment prescription a month ago, but it's been delayed until now, and the bacteria have spread from the leaves to the stems! Also, the spore ball in the west of the city malfunctioned this afternoon and can't carry people."
Aunt Zhu guessed, "Could it be that the passage is blocked by pollen again?"
“No.” He Lingchuan was speechless. “Some idiot insisted on jumping out while the spore ball was running, and ended up being crushed into mincemeat, temporarily blocking the passage. If we don’t clear it, we’ll have to wait until the man-eating flower finishes digesting and absorbing him, which means we’ll have to stop running until at least midnight.”
Aunt Zhu laughed and said, "Isn't that what they deserved to die?"
Jumping into the belly of a carnivorous plant? Even someone as curious as it wouldn't do something so foolish.
Just then, a palace servant rushed in and knelt down to report:
"The Tower of Inquiry requests your presence; there is an urgent matter."
The Tower of Inquiry? This is a tall tower in the northwest of the Crimson Cloud Golden Palace, where some secret documents are stored. It is usually sealed off and guarded by disciples of the Illusion Sect, such as Lu Jing.
He Lingchuan felt a chill run down his spine for no reason, and his heart felt heavy.
On a whim.
And it's a very bad feeling.
"go!"
Aunt Zhu threw down the wine jar and stood up: "I'll go too."
He Lingchuan summoned the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, and he and the spider stepped inside.
The next moment, they were standing in front of the Tower of Inquiry.
"Your Majesty!" Lu Jing was already standing there waiting. Upon seeing the two of them approach through the mirror, he immediately bowed.
He Lingchuan strode into the tower, asking as he went, "What is it?"
"The spirit lamp enshrined in the red niche at the top of the tower has been extinguished."
He Lingchuan paused, then abruptly turned around: "What did you say?"
He was the Nine Nether Emperor, and even with his usual amiable demeanor, he still possessed an aura of divine might. Upon seeing this, Lu Jing felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, causing his chest to tighten: "Soul Fire Lamp..."
"Wait downstairs," He Lingchuan said, then strode up the tower.
Aunt Zhu followed closely behind, and in just two breaths, the two disappeared.
The Tower of Inquiry is 77 feet tall and has seven stories, each story being 11 feet tall, and each story contains a treasure.
However, there were no collections on the seventh floor, only hundreds of small niches carved out of the walls, each containing a small lamp.
The wind was strong on the tower, blowing right through the hall. But the lamps burned perfectly, their flames motionless.
These are soul lamps, each representing a human life, so they cannot be extinguished by ordinary winds.
But in the corner, there is a niche made of red bricks, where only a single lamp is placed.
Now, the lamp has gone out.
The lamp also cracked, and fragments fell to the ground.
He Lingchuan stared intently at the green lamp, his face filled with disbelief.
He rarely lost his composure like this. Aunt Zhu also looked at the lamp, her heart pounding with fear: "This...this can't be Fang Canran's soul lamp, can it?"
It was also the first soul lamp placed into the Tower of Inquiry.
"Yes."
Silence fell over the tower for a moment, broken only by the mournful sound of the wind.
“Brother Fang…” He Lingchuan closed his eyes and said with difficulty, “He has passed away.”
The Soul Lamp will never make a mistake.
The light stays when the person is alive; the light goes out when the person dies.
The existence of the Soul Lamp serves as a reminder of its owner's life or death.
Over the years, Fang Canran has traveled the world unharmed, spreading more than eight thousand Xinglong Pillars across the territory of Kshatriya.
This is a highly technical task; spreading the material too quickly or too slowly will not work.
But he did a great job.
The divine realm was in great chaos, and the Emperor's Dew frequently flowed; he made great contributions to this cause.
He Lingchuan never expected to receive such devastating news on this breezy night!
Aunt Zhu asked, "Can you find out who the murderer is?"
“The Soul Lamp can only indicate whether someone is alive or dead.” He Lingchuan’s neck stiffened, but he managed to shake his head. “The lamp is cracked, which means he committed suicide.”
The lamp went out but the cup remained intact; this was murder.
A broken lamp signifies suicide.
He had no idea where Fang Canran had gone. The world was vast; who could possibly know what Fang Canran had gone through?
Such a vast world, such a tiny individual, gone in an instant, who can hold them accountable?
He took a deep breath: "Auntie, I need some peace and quiet."
"Alright," Aunt Zhu said considerately, "You...please accept my condolences."
Having said that, it quietly retreated from the tower, leaving the space to He Lingchuan alone.
In its last glance before leaving, it saw He Lingchuan's figure all alone, facing the wall full of soul lamps.
It remembered a line He Lingchuan once recited: "Raising a cup to invite the bright moon, we become three with my shadow."
But these lights almost completely obscured his shadow.
Even someone as oblivious as Aunt Zhu couldn't help but sigh at this moment.
Ugh!
He Lingchuan stood silently for a while, then walked to the shrine and sat down cross-legged facing the green lamp.
Just like countless times before, he and Fang Canran sat and chatted.
The scenery around me suddenly changed. One second it was the tower spire through which the evening breeze passed, and the next it was a secluded retreat by the water, with koi swimming in the pond and osmanthus blossoms hanging from the trees.
Fang Canran sat opposite him, with a chessboard between them.
This whole thing has been going on for almost half a year now. Every time they move out, it takes less than half an hour, either He Lingchuan has something urgent to do, or Fang Canran receives a message that he has to leave. Both of them are very busy people.
After placing his piece, He Lingchuan said, "Brother Fang will be traveling far away soon. If you pass through Shen State, I still have some influence there and can lend you a hand."
Fang Canran stared at the chessboard, tapping the chess piece on the jar a couple of times in his hand, and casually said, "No need. It's best if I do this alone, without involving others."
What he is about to do will surely bring about a frenzied pursuit and retaliation if the Heavenly Demon discovers it!
Therefore, the fewer people who know this secret, the better.
"The Heavenly Demon can gaze upon humans. Its gaze will transform into a red line that focuses on a person in order to sense their movements. This red line is invisible to both demons and humans."
He Lingchuan reminded him, "If you are targeted by the Heavenly Demons, your whereabouts will no longer be able to be hidden from them."
Fang Canran's purpose in this long journey was to place the Xinglong Pillars everywhere.
If the Heavenly Demon were to track his movements, the other party could easily guess his little secrets simply by noticing where he had been.
Fang Canran was moved: "The Heavenly Demon is cunning. Thank you for informing me, Brother He. How can we break this?"
He Lingchuan then took out a whisk from his pocket: "The handle of this whisk is made of Juluo wood, which grows in Panlong City and has the power to penetrate the azure sky. Keep it with you, and whenever you come into contact with the followers of the Heavenly Demon, or visit any Heavenly Demon temple, don't forget to go out into the sunlight."
Fang Canran took it: "Under the sunlight?"
“If you are being watched by the Heavenly Demon, take this whisk and walk into the sunlight, and you will see the red thread,” He Lingchuan explained. “Just flick it gently, and the thread will be gone. Then you will be safe.”
(End of this chapter)