Chapter 00189: Colorful Bamboo Tube
# Colorful Bamboo Tube
Chapter 189
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 189: Colorful Bamboo Tube
Sun Hongye opened her mouth to speak, but after glancing around, she said, "This isn't convenient."
In the medical hall, people came and went.
At that moment, two young girls were changing the dressings for the patient opposite her, occasionally turning to sneak a look at He Lingchuan.
This place was only suitable for idle chatter.
He Lingchuan understood and changed the topic, asking, "How do you feel now?"
"Sore, swollen, and painful, my whole body feels weak," Sun Hongye replied, feeling somewhat tired after talking for so long, and did not hide it.
"There are famous doctors here; just follow their advice. I won't get you any medicine to avoid any conflicts in medicinal properties."
The poison on the arrow was vicious, and this kid had narrowly escaped death last night; he would inevitably have to endure some suffering.
"Rest well; I'll come to see you the day after tomorrow."
Afterward, He Lingchuan personally went to find the attending physician, instructing him to take good care of Sun Hongye, with all expenses covered by the He family.
That afternoon, Sun Hongye noticed that the food brought from the medical hall was quite different.
The carefully simmered pig liver porridge was enriched with goji berries, accompanied by two golden, crispy radish pancakes, and a large meat bun filled to the brim.
There was also a plate of pickled vegetables with a balanced salty-sweet flavor.
Others looked on enviously.
Upon inquiring, Sun Hongye felt even more favorable towards He Lingchuan.
He Lingchuan had just stepped out of the medical hall when Liu Bangban returned, taking a carriage back to the inn.
He himself was a patient, and after walking around outside, his wound began to throb again.
Madam Ying had already come to his guest room once in vain, and upon seeing him return, she frowned, "You’re injured all over and still running around. Do you not value your life?"
He Lingchuan detected the concern hidden within her reproach and cheerfully took out a small box, handing it over, "I bought a little something for Mother."
This square box was made of Huanghuali wood, light brown in color, and looked somewhat aged.
The surface was smooth, without any decorations or carvings, except for a wax seal in the lower left corner that read: Yang Liushan Fang.
Madam Ying opened the box and saw a pumpkin-shaped hand warmer lying on the soft cushion inside.
She herself had several hand warmers, styled either with flowers and birds or bats and longevity symbols, made of either purple copper or white copper.
However, this one was indigo with dark golden patterns, lacking a fixed design, the patterns varying in depth, yet it exuded a calm, noble, and grand aura, as if it could glow on its own in the dark.
Madam Ying could not take her eyes off it after just one glance.
There was no charcoal in the warmer, yet Madam Ying felt it was slightly warm to the touch, smooth and round.
"Where did you find this?"
"This is an artifact from the previous dynasty," Liu Bangban chimed in at the right moment.
"About two hundred years ago, Yang Liushan Fang was the most famous workshop in the eastern part of the Xiluo Kingdom. This 'Chun Jian' hand warmer is a treasured item left by the master himself. Originally, there was a complete set including a mirror, warmer, comb, hairpin, and box, each with its own mark, but today the other pieces are nowhere to be found."
Madam Ying played with the small warmer, saying, "It is indeed beautiful, but what does this color have to do with spring?"
Spring is characterized by greenery and the songs of birds, usually represented by red, yellow, and green.
How could it be such a deep blue and dark gold?
It would be more fitting for winter.
Liu Bangban smiled, "You may not know, but the owner of Yang Liushan Fang accidentally fell into the water when he was young. During early spring, when the ice on the lake was just melting, he looked up from beneath the water and saw the sunlight streaming through the cracks in the ice, creating such a scene. This moment stayed in his heart, and decades later, he finally replicated it in his work."
Madam Ying wanted to maintain her composure, but her smile was uncontrollable.
"So there are these stories behind it!"
Not wanting to lose her dignity in front of her eldest son, she cleared her throat and said, "Chuan'er has a good heart; Mother really likes it. Liu Bangban, a few official ladies will come to see me later, so please go to the city and buy some traditional pastries for entertaining guests."
She had injured her leg, but it did not affect the bones.
After receiving treatment from Lingguang, the pain had subsided.
Time was precious in Shihuan City; she could not just spend it on recuperation.
Liu Bangban quickly agreed and winked at He Lingchuan as he turned to leave.
This item was indeed procured by him.
In the past month or two, many officials and wealthy merchants had their homes raided.
Those valuable possessions quickly circulated in various ways; as long as one had the eye and the means, it was indeed a good time for treasure hunting.
If the He family had delayed another year, the price of that Chun Jian hand warmer would have at least doubled.
He Lingchuan gave him a thumbs up; only good stories make for good antiques.
Such a professional task as gifting to a woman should indeed be left to professionals; otherwise, it would be better not to give anything at all.
He also prepared a silver brush for He Yue and a set of clothes for He Chunhua as gifts.
When the guests arrived, Madam Ying had the servants add charcoal to the Chun Jian warmer, placing it joyfully on the tea table, ready to casually pick it up and play with it while chatting with the official ladies.
Such a beautiful and charming item, like jewelry, must be displayed for others to see.
……
As soon as He Lingchuan returned to the inn and had only taken a couple of sips of hot tea, a guard came to report:
"Li Fubo from Songyang Prefecture requests an audience."
He Lingchuan was overjoyed and personally went to greet him at the inn's entrance.
The chief craftsman of the central furnace from Songyang Prefecture, Li Fubo, arrived swiftly, accompanied by two disciples.
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Fubo introduced, "These are my direct disciples. They wish to travel north with me, assisting while gaining experience. I will cover their food and lodging expenses; may I ask for your leniency?"
"That would be wonderful," He Lingchuan replied with a smile.
"Why be so polite, Master Li? It is already too much for you to travel such a long distance with me. The expenses for the two young brothers will be on me."
Seeing his generosity, Li Fubo no longer declined, and the conversation shifted to the broken sword: "Recasting is like refining elixirs; it requires constant supervision and only one chance. It would be inconvenient on the road, so I was thinking of starting in Xia Prefecture instead?"
He Lingchuan understood the principle of haste makes waste and said it was not urgent.
He then took out a walnut boat from his pocket, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Master Li, could you take a look at this? Can it still be repaired?"
"The Mustard Seed Boat?" Li Fubo was taken aback.
"Is it also from Sun Fuping?"
"Good eye. I thought this was called a walnut boat," He Lingchuan handed it to him.
"It was confiscated by my father from Sun Fuping. I borrowed it last night, and it ended up in this state due to an enemy attack! Do you think it can be saved?"
"This was originally produced by our Songyang Prefecture, so of course, I recognize it."
He Lingchuan was somewhat surprised.
"This is also from Songyang Prefecture? Sun Fuping mentioned it was borrowed from a friend."
"It was borrowed from Songyang Prefecture; our lord has mentioned it a couple of times before."
?! This was awkward.
The original owner of the Mustard Seed Boat was the Marquis of Songyang, yet it was also a trophy of He Chunhua.
Fortunately, as Li Fubo examined it, he said, "No worries; it belongs to the fated. I believe our lord would have no objections. Hmm, interesting, the Mustard Seed Boat originally had an engraved formation. The maker boasted to me that once powered by Xuanjing, it would be impervious to water and fire."
"And yet it ended up burned to this state. Who dealt such a blow?" Li Fubo asked He Lingchuan.
"Could it be a demon puppet?"
He Lingchuan raised his brows.
"So Master Li knows about it too?"
"In a place like Shihuan City, news has wings," Li Fubo chuckled.
"The demon puppet refined by Dong Rui truly lives up to its name. If that fire were to burn a common person, they would turn to ash in an instant. Have you seen that demon puppet?"
"It has the face of a crow, bat wings, and a snake-like neck, and it's quite large. Master Li, do you know what kind it is?"
Li Fubo shook his head.
"I’m curious too. This kind of true fire is excellent for refining weapons."
Getting sidetracked, he looked at the walnut boat and said, "I specialize in weapon forging, not intricate items. I can't guarantee a perfect repair, but would you allow me to give it a try?" It would also save him from boredom on the journey north.
"Of course," He Lingchuan readily agreed, as the walnut boat wasn't his to begin with.
Li Fubo added, "By the way, may I ask, are there any other magical artifacts among Sun Fuping's belongings?"
"Sun Fuping's?" He Lingchuan thought seriously.
"The confiscated items were taken by my father. I only know there is a Silk Entangling Heavenly Net. Did Songyang Prefecture lend any other magical artifacts to Sun Fuping?"
"There is a Colorful Bamboo Tube, sealed with three seals of gold, red, and purple on its surface. This is an old item from the previous lord of Songyang Prefecture, and our lord hopes to retrieve it."
"A bamboo tube with seals?" He Lingchuan nodded.
"I will definitely ask my father when he returns."
Li Fubo said earnestly, "Thank you, East Master!"
As the military might prepare to head north at any moment, Li Fubo and his two disciples decided to stay at this inn, not returning to their sect.
That morning, the busiest person was He Yue.
Last night, the He family and Ke Jihai were ambushed while descending from Luming Garden.
Ke Jihai took the captives away, and He Chunhua entered the palace overnight to meet the emperor, stirring up a great deal of commotion.
This morning, the influential families who received the news sent people to visit the governor of Xia Prefecture, hoping to glean some information.
Madam Ying was overwhelmed after receiving a few guests, seizing the opportunity to sneak out for some shopping, leaving only He Yue behind at the inn, working diligently.
He Lingchuan thought of him as a leisurely young master, not caring about the chaos.
After lunch, he retreated to his room, seizing the time to adjust his breathing and practice martial arts.
Last night's battle was short yet thrilling, serving as both a training experience and a reminder:
Personal ability is fundamental; one must improve as soon as possible.
Compared to two or three months ago, He Lingchuan's cultivation had unknowingly progressed, especially in his agility, vision, and spiritual awareness, which were incomparable to before.
The werewolf demon puppet was as swift as a shadow; had it been the previous He Lingchuan, he would have been disemboweled after just two exchanges, unable to hold out until He Chunhua finished reciting the Silk Entangling Spell.
Regardless of whether there was Yuan Power assisting.
Ultimately, one's own cultivation is the foundation; Yuan Power is merely a power amplifier.
If the disparity in strength between both sides is too great, Yuan Power would hardly have any effect—just like He Chunhua in front of Sun Fuping.
That evening, He Chunhua returned from the capital, gathering the whole family for dinner to convey the emperor's will.
Seeing him full of joy, He Lingchuan knew that this trip to the capital had gone smoothly.
Indeed, He Chunhua informed his wife and children that the king summoned him to the palace, inquiring about the details of the ambush at Luming Garden, and then pointed at the sand table to ask about the strategies for defending the northern border.
If it were someone else, they might have been caught off guard, as they had not yet arrived at the location and had not personally witnessed the situation at the northern border.
However, since He Chunhua had been collecting frontline information since his appointment as the governor of Xia Prefecture and often discussed strategies with his aides, he was able to respond fluently at this moment.
(End of Chapter)