422: Chapter 422 An Unusual Taste

The one sitting and waiting was none other than the love-struck Kong Sen.

After being humiliated by Liao Meier, Kong Sen didn't get angry; instead, he stood up with a fawning smile.

"Meier, you look so beautiful today, just like a fairy."

"Move your dog eyes away! This lady didn't dress up for you to see!"

Liao Meier said fiercely, "If you don't leave now, watch out or I'll poison you to death!!"

Kong Sen said thick-skinnedly, "Go ahead and poison me. After you left, my heart died. To die at your hands, I am willing."

"You..."

Liao Meier was almost fainting from anger; she had never seen someone so shameless.

She didn't bother with more nonsense and went straight into the house to pack her things.

"Meier, where are you going?" Kong Sen hurriedly asked.

"Back to the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, to seek revenge, kill people, and become the Sect Leader. Are you coming?"

Liao Meier said mockingly, "A fool like you whose internal energy has been crippled? You probably wouldn't last three days back in Southern Border."

Hearing this, Kong Sen was excited: "I'll go! I've dreamed of being with you, returning to the shores of Yuquan Lake where we first met, making vows together under the moonlight..."

"Enough!! Shut up!!"

Liao Meier felt a wave of disgust and directly slapped Kong Sen away.

Kong Sen took the hit; his face burned and even bled, but his eyes were inexplicably excited.

She... touched me!

Seeing his burning gaze, Liao Meier felt like vomiting.

Heavens, they are both men, how can the difference be so vast?

Was I really blind back then to think this guy was okay?

Speaking of which, this guy collaborated with the Great Elder to murder the Prince, why didn't the Prince execute him?

Could it be... because of his ancestral things?

Liao Meier's mind stirred, and she suddenly thought of something, a charming smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

"Do you really want to return to Southern Border with me?"

"I do! Not just Southern Border, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth!"

Kong Sen nodded hurriedly, wild with joy in his heart: She smiled at me, she still has me in her heart!

"Fine, but I don't want useless people. If you want to stay by my side, you have to prove your value!"

Liao Meier imitated a certain someone, saying the exact same words.

...

Baishui City.

Every time Lin Xiao returned after a while, he could clearly feel the rapid changes.

The roads were wider, the villages outside the city had expanded, and trade had become more developed.

Because the trade routes to the Northern Barbarians and Western Qiang had been opened, many foreign merchants could be seen in the city.

At first, the commoners were somewhat resistant; after all, generational blood feuds were not so easily resolved.

But with the influx of large quantities of cheap cattle, sheep, horses, dairy products, and local grassland specialties, and various Central Plains products being quickly sold to the grasslands...

Everyone felt that when it came to doing business, one had to be a bit more pragmatic!

When Lin Xiao arrived at the Prefecture Governor's Office, a large group of prefectural officials was already waiting.

Fiscal Officer Zheng Siqi, who had followed the Zhenbei Army early on, had now achieved success in his old age and become the Governor of Baishui Prefecture.

"Prince, as you ordered, the potatoes purchased by the Western Qiang Hu Merchants have been delivered here."

"Mhm, thank you for your hard work, Lord Zheng."

Lin Xiao offered a few words of comfort and then pulled a few potatoes out of a large sack.

After confirming they were correct, Lin Xiao said, "All these potatoes must be sprouted first, and then planted after they sprout."

"Prince, these potatoes aren't cheap; they cost over a thousand taels of silver, yet there are only two sacks. How many people can they feed?"

Fiscal Officer Zheng Siqi and the other officials all felt it was a waste.

Lin Xiao knew this would happen, so he ordered a large flowerpot to be brought and, in front of everyone, took out a sprouted potato.

After cutting the potato into pieces, he planted them in the large pot.

Xiao Qingxuan saw the trick and said in surprise, "Husband, could it be that these potatoes can still grow after being cut into pieces based on the sprouts?"

"Exactly. That's why they need to be sprouted. Potatoes aren't planted whole. These two large sacks of potatoes can be used as if they were over a dozen sacks!"

After Lin Xiao demonstrated the process step by step, the group of officials finally understood and began to look forward to the autumn harvest.

Arriving with the Hu Merchants was also Princess Meng Xi's envoy, Diplomat Zhong Lang.

"Prince, besides sending these potatoes, the Queen also has a secret letter for you."

Diplomat Zhong Lang pulled out an envelope wrapped in sheepskin, tightly sealed, and handed it to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao quickly understood that there must have been further progress in the temple's research on the Celestials.

Since it concerned the Celestials, he returned to the Prince's Mansion and entered the study before opening the sheepskin envelope.

As expected, inside was a translated document detailing some records of the Western Qiang ancestors regarding the Celestials...

Most of the records were about miracles, which looked very mysterious but had little value.

Some were even just natural phenomena; anyone who knew scientific principles would just laugh them off.

But two pieces of information caught Lin Xiao's attention...

"The gods said they witnessed the destruction of the world?"

"The gods will kill living beings, but never humans? Because humans are special... beings favored by the gods."

World destruction?

Could it be that these Celestials are remnants of a previous civilization?

Not killing humans? Could it be because, as androids, their underlying code prevents them from killing humans?

This would explain why the Celestials are so powerful yet never directly rule the world, instead interfering through the hands of others.

Lin Xiao muttered this several times, leaving Xiao Qingxuan and the other women puzzled.

"Husband, what's wrong with these two sentences?"

"Muttering like a mystic, what are you saying?" Mu Wanying frowned.

Lin Xiao smiled: "It's nothing, just some guesses. Without concrete evidence, they're meaningless."

"Eh, Husband, why is there a piece of cloth inside?" Xie Juner, being sharp-eyed, noticed something else in the leather envelope.

Lin Xiao took it out and looked, his expression immediately turning a bit strange, and even the women beside him couldn't help but chuckle.

On that yellow silk, written densely, were two sentences repeated over and over—

"Prince, I miss you so much," "When will you come to see me?"...

Lin Xiao silently stuffed the silk back in because he faintly smelled that the cloth seemed to have an unusual scent...

Damn it, no wonder she used cloth!!

Women of the grasslands really know how to have fun!!

That evening, Leng Bingyan rushed back from outside, bringing the results of her investigation.

"Husband, it's clear now. Within the Northern Border, there are only five known Alchemists among the common people."

Leng Bingyan took out a map and pointed to the five locations marked on it: "Three of them have well-known backgrounds, coming from the Daoist Sect, Bagua Sect, and Pill Sect. Only two Alchemists moved to the Northern Border within the last ten years."

"One is named Jinguangzi, and the other is Taoist Yunhuo, located in Sha Prefecture and Yong Province respectively..."

Speaking to this point, Leng Bingyan's eyes were already somewhat excited. "Husband, I feel... this Taoist Yunhuo is most likely..."

Lin Xiao naturally understood and stood up, saying, "I happen to be going to Lincang to participate in Xinghua Village's Worlds Number One Wine Festival."

"I'll get off halfway and make a trip to Yong Province alone. You all should slow down as much as possible and pretend I'm still in the carriage to avoid alerting the enemy."

There must be many remnants of the Moon Worship Cult left. If First Prince Li Chengqi and Venerable Fire are truly in Yong Province, they surely have informants.

Going to arrest them with great fanfare will likely end in failure.

The women understood Lin Xiao's meaning; an Earth Immortal acting alone was the most efficient.

"Yes, Husband!"