Of the items Li Ling had mentioned, only devil finger wood was truly useful. The others had been added to throw people off the scent.
The Old Ancestor cared only whether the improved Spirit-Communing Incense was more effective. If it proved highly useful, he might not merely order the Unusual Events Bureau to help procure the wood, but even send people to Changzhou to cut it down. Naturally, he would not begrudge Li Ling a few extra portions of Spirit Materials.
Vice Minister Pei said, "I was just about to report to you, Prince Consort. We have already begun preparations. The others are manageable, but devil finger wood does not seem to grow on this continent, so it is difficult to obtain."
Li Ling asked a question he already knew the answer to. "How did we obtain it last time?"
Vice Minister Pei said, "We requisitioned it from the Unusual Events Bureau. As far as I know, they probably have four more portions in their storehouse, but their people seem rather unhappy. They keep putting up obstacles and finding excuses not to hand it over."
Four portions!
Li Ling was pleased.
If he could get all of them, he could hold back at least three portions and increase the strength of his divine sense by a full ten jin!
He could turn the remainder into an improved finished product to submit, giving his superiors an accounting without losing out himself.
What if the Old Ancestor was pleased and really sent people to Changzhou to cut down trees?
He immediately said, "Their reluctance is only natural. They work themselves to the bone, risking their lives everywhere, and only after great difficulty do they obtain a few spoils. For us to take those away without another word is hardly reasonable."
Vice Minister Pei said, "Then what should we do? At present, the Unusual Events Bureau is the only place we know can obtain those things."
"That is why we need to build a good relationship with them. We must not throw our weight around just because the Incense Affairs Bureau has an immortal master's decree behind it. That will leave a whole crowd secretly tripping us up," Li Ling said. "Contact the Unusual Events Bureau's senior officials on my behalf. I will host a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Tower and try speaking with them in person."
Three days later, at the Drunken Immortal Tower, Li Ling drank and chatted merrily with Commander Huo and Deputy Commander Ma of the Unusual Events Bureau, along with several attendant elders and senior officials accompanying them.
These were all leaders of the Unusual Events Bureau, the people who truly had a say. The backbone who handled the actual work, such as thousand-household and hundred-household officers, were not qualified to attend this banquet.
During the banquet, Li Ling seized an opportunity to say, "The Unusual Events Bureau slays demons and vanquishes devils, defending our borders and keeping our people safe. You are truly the pillars of our Mystic Xin Kingdom. I have long admired all of you."
Everyone chuckled a few times without committing themselves.
Deputy Commander Ma said half-jokingly, "Prince Consort Li calls us pillars of the kingdom, yet Vice Minister Pei thinks only of requisitioning the spoils we went to such trouble to obtain. That is not very considerate."
Commander Huo said, "You cannot put it that way. Prince Consort Li and everyone at the Incense Affairs Bureau are also acting on the immortal master's decree."
Vice Minister Pei hurriedly said, "Please forgive me, Commander. The orders came from above, and I had no choice."
Li Ling said, "You venture out in every direction, undertaking duties that carry you through life and death. Taking your hard-earned gains for nothing is indeed unreasonable. But the immortal master truly did issue a decree requisitioning Spirit Materials for incense-making. Neither I nor the Incense Affairs Bureau is holding up a chicken feather and calling it a command arrow."
Hearing this, everyone frowned slightly. So he intended to enforce the order firmly, with no room for negotiation.
But then Li Ling continued, "As an apology, I am willing to vouch for you and explain the stakes to those above, easing your bureau's burden somewhat."
"As for your bureau's expenses, including arms, manpower, money, and provisions, I, Li Ling, may also be able to offer a little help."
"Furthermore, the Spirit Materials I need are mostly related to incense ingredients and are not necessarily things you require. If your bureau wishes to exchange things you have no use for at present for something practical, you can approach the Incense Affairs Bureau."
Li Ling intended to use the Incense Affairs Bureau's convenient authority to requisition Spirit Materials to establish a trading market benefiting both officials and ordinary people throughout the kingdom. Earning the difference in prices would also bring handsome profits.
When that happened, he might even be able to exert influence over the entire world of unaffiliated rogue cultivators in the Mystic Xin Kingdom.
He could not accomplish such a thing alone. He could only serve as a bridge, persuading powerful institutions like the Unusual Events Bureau to participate.
The Unusual Events Bureau already had the authority and responsibility to monitor unaffiliated cultivators, so this would be an excellent development.
Sure enough, the men were tempted.
Commander Huo even declared on the spot, "This undertaking has great potential."
With the approval of the Unusual Events Bureau's leaders secured, everything that followed became much easier. Barely had the banquet ended before the devil finger wood, which had not been mentioned once, was delivered to the Prince Consort's Residence.
Li Ling gave it a brief inspection and found that most of the devil finger wood delivered this time was much the same quality as the previous batch. One portion, however, seemed distinctly different.
Ordinary devil finger wood was green or yellowish-brown depending on when it had been harvested, with an oil content of around five percent and a somewhat dull surface. This portion, however, had a distinctly clear, translucent quality like amber, as though waxy oil coated its surface fibers. It also felt heavier in his hand.
When he held it beneath his nose and sniffed closely, a peculiar fresh fragrance wafted toward him, seemingly carrying a mildly invigorating effect.
With his extraordinary gift, Li Ling soon discovered that this spiritual material had a resin content of over ten percent.
One important measure distinguishing agarwood timber from agarwood resin is its resin content. According to pharmacopoeia standards, a solid extract content exceeding ten percent qualifies as fifth-grade agarwood!
This portion of devil finger wood might be two or three times as effective as ordinary devil finger wood!
Li Ling immediately used it first to blend incense. After some mixing, he successfully produced ten portions of improved Spirit-Communing Incense. When he tested one, it indeed immediately increased his divine sense strength by around one jin.
One portion of devil finger wood could produce roughly ten portions of Spirit-Communing Incense. Using it all would yield an increase of at least ten jin.
Including the two portions he would privately retain, each providing around three jin of improvement, the total increase could reach fifteen or sixteen jin.
This would be an unprecedented surge in my divine sense!
Li Ling was greatly encouraged, but since the Unusual Events Bureau had extended its goodwill, he also needed to help get things done.
Rather than rush to continue Incense-Feeding Soul Tempering and use up this batch of improved incense in one go, he first made a trip to the outskirts of the city, specifically to seek an audience with his father-in-law, the Mystic Xin King.
Deep within a temporary palace adorned in glittering gold and jade, the hall doors were tightly shut, with curtains and layers of gauze screening everything from view. For no apparent reason, it seemed strangely desolate.
A palace attendant led Li Ling inside. Upon reaching the doorway, the attendant stopped and said, "Prince Consort, you may go straight in."
Li Ling turned to look around, helplessness showing on his face. "His Majesty is not at it again...?"
The attendant glanced at him without answering.
Li Ling understood enough. He could only steel himself, step forward, and knock with the bronze ring on the door.
Before long, the door opened a crack, and a beautiful palace maid poked her head out. "Please come in, Prince Consort."
She wore only a floral bathrobe, and her eyes stared boldly at Li Ling, fixed on him with an intriguing, provocative intensity.
Li Ling could only silently repeat harmony to himself and walk inside without letting his gaze stray.
An entirely different world lay within. A flock of beauties frolicked and laughed in extraordinary merriment, forming a stark contrast with the chilly quiet outside, where only a handful of guards stood watch around the perimeter.
This was a warm bathing palace created using geothermal heat. Steam rose from bathing pools of every size, forming a wondrous scene like an immortal paradise in the mortal world.
Apparently due to Arrays and restrictions, cold winds like those of deepest winter still blew along the walls, even though it was already May. These winds mingled with the heat rising from the hot springs, creating just the right temperature and humidity. With the faint fragrance of hundred-flower incense accompanying it, the place was exceptionally comfortable.
Air-conditioning on, quilt pulled up. He really fucking knows how to enjoy himself.
Li Ling sighed inwardly and followed the beautiful palace maid, searching for the Mystic Xin King.
His gaze roamed the surroundings. A wild banquet seemed to be underway. Some vaguely familiar dignitaries and young scions from the Royal City occupied separate pools, soaking while groups of three or five concubines they had brought themselves, or palace maids, attended them nearby.
Beside the pools, little boats made from exotic wood drifted along stone channels about a foot wide, carrying all manner of fruit, delicacies, and fine wine for people to take at will.
Li Ling's arrival did not disturb them, for everyone was absorbed in their own pleasures. Even those who occasionally moved about or conversed merely went to share the enjoyment of people in neighboring pools, or discuss whatever topics of eating, drinking, and amusement interested them.
After a while, the beautiful palace maid finally led Li Ling deep into the warm palace, where he saw the mountain-like figure of the Mystic Xin King in an enormous circular pool.
By his estimate, the king weighed over five hundred jin, sitting in the pool like a mound of grease. Seven or eight palace maids, their bodies conveniently shrouded in holy light, giggled as they scrubbed and bathed him with their own tender, smooth skin, occasionally splashing one another in play. Beside them stood a dozen or so attendants holding assorted fruit platters and wine jugs, every one alluring and voluptuous.
Yet the more he looked, the more something seemed wrong...
At least nearly half of them are men, aren't they?
Why are they wearing the same colorful gauze as the palace maids beside them, with powder and rouge smeared on their faces?
This is an assault on the eyes!
All things have spirit, except my father-in-law.
Li Ling sighed inwardly. Enduring the roomful of rank, musky, sour stench his extraordinary gift allowed him to smell, he cupped his hands in greeting. "Your son-in-law, Li Ling, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"You are... oh, oh, Li Ling."
The Mystic Xin King's body was mountain-like, but his face could almost be called small and delicate. Well maintained, he looked to be in his thirties.
He had a small nose and small eyes, with a rather ridiculous pair of drooping mustaches curling upward at the sides, making him indescribably comical. Waving an arm as thick as an ordinary person's waist, he said, "What are you all standing around for? Hurry and bring my good son-in-law a seat... never mind, come into the pool."
Li Ling said, "I would rather stand while we speak."
Somewhat displeased, the Mystic Xin King said, "Honestly, you child. I never see hide nor hair of you all year, and you refuse when I ask you to visit more often. I have told you, we are family. There is no need to be so distant."
Displeased though he was, when he spoke those words, a hint of fresh greenery emerged from his rank bodily odor. They were actually sincere words, something rare among royalty and nobility.
Li Ling had known long ago that the Mystic Xin King truly regarded his sons-in-law as family and did not keep them at a distance.
The princes, princesses, and their husbands all got along harmoniously as well, with little scheming against one another.
What created this remarkable sight was not conscience, but other reasons...
Leaving those aside, the Mystic Xin King himself had little interest in governing the kingdom. Once he had eaten and drunk his fill each day, he cared only for amusement. From time to time, he even invited friends to join him and share his pleasures, somehow earning himself a reputation as a generous and benevolent ruler.
His body was too fat, and over the past few years he had been unable to slim down. For some reason, he had developed a liking for soaking in hot springs.
The Immortal Sects had their own skin-protecting butter that allowed him to remain in the pools for long periods, using buoyancy to relieve the pressure on his body. He became so happy there that he forgot all thought of returning, and simply built a new temporary palace on this barren mountain outside the city, refusing to leave.
Li Ling had heard that he suffered from wasting-thirst disease. Over the past few years, his eyesight had grown increasingly poor, and his health had deteriorated.
Still, this father-in-law of his had enjoyed wealth and splendor since childhood, spending his entire life indulging in extravagance ordinary mortals could scarcely imagine. He also possessed over a hundred concubines and more than a thousand palace maids, and had fathered over a hundred children.
He had truly gotten his worth out of this life, and seemed to have no regrets.
"Your Majesty, I have come to request a decree authorizing the allocation of some arms, money, and provisions from the treasury to strengthen the Unusual Events Bureau."
Li Ling broadly explained his purpose in coming to request the decree, yet could not help sighing inwardly.
Under normal circumstances, how would a prince consort dare raise such matters with the king?
This was clearly colluding with outside officials and secretly conspiring with the military, a grave crime that violated the greatest taboos!
But on the Mystic Continent, rebellion was simply impossible. Since ancient times, no one had ever heard of nobles rebelling before a dynasty's allotted destiny had run its course.
Thus, there was no harm in speaking plainly.
"What does the Unusual Events Bureau's need for arms, money, and provisions have to do with you?" The Mystic Xin King was somewhat surprised, but it was nothing more than pure curiosity.
"The Old Ancestor ordered me to collect Spirit Materials and improve incense formulas. This will likely require considerable cooperation from the Unusual Events Bureau. Oh, and here is some Passion-Arousing Incense I made recently, along with some Fragrant Incense and Bath Incense that I have presented before. Please accept them."
Li Ling had not come empty-handed this time. He had specifically brought a pile of various incenses favored by royalty and nobility. He promptly took a list from his robe for the king to inspect.
Inwardly, however, he sighed. Tales of the Kaiyuan-Tianbao Era recorded an unofficial anecdote: while Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was doting on his consorts and neglecting court affairs, An Lushan, newly enjoying imperial favor, presented a hundred pellets of passion-arousing floral incense.
To get proper business done, I have actually imitated An Lushan.
"You are thoughtful. I will grant you a decree. As for exactly how much you need, discuss it with the officials in charge." The Mystic Xin King was quite easy to talk to, but he did not recklessly promise an amount, instead leaving Li Ling to discuss it with those responsible.
Those bureaucrats were the people who truly governed the kingdom. They knew far more about the treasury's condition and the state of the wars than royalty and nobility did.
For Li Ling, his proper business was now complete. He prepared to make a little casual family conversation, then find an excuse to leave.
Suddenly, a strange smell mingling fox musk and marigolds wafted toward him.
Li Ling's gaze involuntarily turned toward it, settling on a beautiful woman approaching gracefully with a fruit platter.
Her figure was graceful, her gait alluring, and her features charmingly seductive. Looking closely, he saw that she actually had brown hair and green eyes, lending her an exotic air.
"This woman..." Li Ling frowned.
The Mystic Xin King said with considerable pride, "Hahahaha! This is a foreign beauty my subordinates presented to me. Doesn't she look like a real slut? Let me tell you, the slutty ones are the most fun to play with!"
What kind of savage talk is that? Li Ling could scarcely muster a retort, but suddenly inspiration struck, and he detected an almost imperceptible rotten stench coming from the beauty.
Li Ling jolted, realization abruptly dawning. A practitioner of the demonic path?