After the fairy disappeared

Chapter 2673 The Deepest Secret Hidden in the Heavenly Palace
Unable to contain his curiosity, Fu Shanlie picked it up and unfolded it to take a look. It listed more than a dozen ingredients... uh, ingredients?
Even with his extensive knowledge, he had only heard of two of them and knew nothing about the others.

"What the hell is this?" It looks like a recipe.

He Lingchuan casually set up a soundproof barrier to ensure the secret wouldn't be revealed to anyone, then leaned forward with a mysterious expression:
"This is the recipe for 'heartbreak'."

Fu Shanlie didn't say anything, but his face was full of question marks.

What does "牵肠" mean? Does it mean the kind of "牵肠挂肚" (qiān cháng guà dù) that means to be anxious or worried about?

He Lingchuan wasn't surprised to see his expression. At this time, Fu Shanlie was still accumulating military merits and was not yet the founding emperor of the Chiyan Kingdom in later generations. He was not qualified to access the secret of "Qian Chang".

"Do you know why the twelve great demon kingdoms of Bega have been so devoted to the Heavenly Demon for the past four hundred years?" He Lingchuan pointed to the note in his hand. "This is the reason: every demon king who ascends the throne must receive the so-called 'divine blessing' magic, which is actually voluntarily swallowing this 'heart-wrenching' poison, thus binding his life to a certain heavenly god, sharing life and death together."

He looked at Fu Shanlie and smiled, "If you are able to establish a kingdom and receive your crown in Lingxu City and the Heavenly Palace, you will also have to take this medicine. Even with Ba's special constitution, you cannot be exempt from the effects of the 'Shared Life and Death' divine technique."

"Truly 'sharing life and death'?" Fu Shanlie was moved. "If the demon kings of the mortal realm are replaced, what will happen to the gods in the heavens whose lives are bound to them?"

"Nothing will happen, the bond can be broken." As expected of Fu Shanlie, his first reaction hit the nail on the head. He Lingchuan smiled, "The so-called 'living and dying together' means that if you, well, if they die, the Demon King cannot live alone; but the chain doesn't hold true when it's reversed. Think about it, how can the life of a god be tied to the hands of a human?"

He Lingchuan didn't explain the principles of divine magic to Fu Shanlie. If he wanted to, he would understand it himself.

“Only through such a test can the Heavenly Demons trust them. Because their lives are in the hands of the Heavenly Gods, even the Demon Kings cannot defy the Heavenly Demons’ will.” He Lingchuan raised his cup and sipped lightly. “So you see, throughout history, the Demon Kingdoms’ betrayals of Bega have always occurred between the death of the old king and the ascension of the new king.”

This kind of thing happens very rarely, but it does happen.

Fu Shanlie's eyes flashed:
"...Yuan Kingdom?"

The rebellion of the Yuan Kingdom perfectly matched Tiger Wing's words. Before his death, the old Yuan King entrusted the throne to humankind, but the latter did not accept the coronation of the gods and instead raised an army in rebellion.

“Yuan Kingdom is just one example.” He Lingchuan poured him wine. “Coincidentally, Xuluo Kingdom is also at this stage right now.”

Fu Shanlie squinted at him: "You mean to say that the Xu Luo Kingdom will betray Bega?"

“I didn’t say that.” He Lingchuan waved his hand to show his innocence. “I’m just reminding you that every change of the Demon King can be a time of turmoil.”

"Okay?" Those two words are quite intriguing. Fu Shanlie's gaze swept over the note in his hand: "Why did you give me this recipe?"

"For the past four hundred years, the Heavenly Demons have been able to use the Demon Kingdoms to restrain the Demon Emperor, and the formula you have is the key," He Lingchuan said solemnly. "Your Emperor has been searching for the formula of 'Heartbreak' for many years, but he has never been able to obtain it. This is the deepest secret hidden by the Heavenly Palace. If you take it back and present it to the Emperor, can you imagine what kind of reward you will receive?"

“If it’s true.” Of course, Fu Shanlie knew what that meant.

No matter how great his achievements on the battlefield, even if he directly annihilated Panlong and retrieved the Great Fanghu, it couldn't compare to the significance of this thin piece of paper and these eleven ingredients to the Emperor! "Since this is the deepest secret hidden by the Heavenly Palace, how did you obtain it?"

Even the powerful Emperor Bega, who has many talented subordinates and millions of subjects, couldn't get the formula. How could General Tiger Wing of Panlong possibly obtain it?

He must be thousands of miles away from the Heavenly Palace, right?
“This is the recipe that the Heavenly Demon gave to the Heavenly Palace. What’s the use of you just messing around in the Heavenly Palace?” He Lingchuan pointed to the sky. “We have to take the higher route and get it from up there.”

The Heavenly Palace on Earth is heavily guarded, but the situation in the Heavenly Realm is another matter entirely; how would the Bega people know?

"The one above?" Fu Shanlie asked in astonishment. "Which celestial being gave it to you, Mi Tian?"

“Of course it’s Mitian!” He Ling said mysteriously. “It both hates Lingxu Saint Venerable and is not afraid of making enemies with him. Don’t worry, Mitian has assured us with its own divine status that this formula is definitely genuine.”

Where did the "Heart-wrenching Recipe" come from? In reality, during the handover between the two Du Yun chiefs of the Heavenly Palace, Mei Wu Niang managed to extract the information.

This secret has been passed down orally from one chief to the next, never written down, to prevent it from being stolen by traitors. It concerns the foundation of the Lingxu gods' rule over the entire Bega, and is the highest-level secret of the Heavenly Palace, which has not yet been deciphered.

In the current world of Panlong, it is impossible for any outsider to obtain the Heart-Breaking Recipe.

Mi Tian is famous and has a high status. If He Lingchuan pins this matter on Mi Tian, ​​it will be easier to gain the trust of Fu Shanlie and the Demon Emperor.

Fu Shanlie asked doubtfully, "But that great god perished many years ago, and Mi Tian has long been at odds with the gods. If He had a secret formula, why didn't He reveal it sooner?"

Instead of answering, He Lingchuan asked, "I heard you have a bronze pestle called 'Bronze Fire' and two famous swords, 'Green Cicada' and 'Heartless,' but you never use them together. Why?"

“‘Copper Fire’ targets mediocre people, ‘Green Cicada’ kills only renowned scholars, and ‘Heartless’ sends kings and generals to their deaths. Each of the three has its own function; how can they be used interchangeably?”

The "common people" he referred to were those without official rank or title, including thieves, criminals, commoners, and ordinary soldiers.

However, Fu Shanlie raised an eyebrow, as if he understood what he meant.

“Isn’t that it?” He Lingchuan sat up straight. “As one of the ancient gods, Mitian possesses countless secrets. These secrets are also His weapons. Which one to use first, which one to use later, which one to use and which one not to use, all depend on the enemy before Him and His own situation.”

He paused for a moment: "Mitian has not used the secret of 'Heart-Tethering' for many years because he has not found the right opportunity. For four hundred years, no powerful force has emerged in this world that can rival Bega. No matter how important this secret is, it will not achieve its maximum effect if it is revealed."

"So now...?"

He Lingchuan spread his hands, his face calm: "Mitian has fallen, and His secrets have become our legacy. We can use them whenever we want, and His concerns are not necessarily our constraints."

Fu Shanlie asked warily, "If that's the case, how can we verify the authenticity of this formula? How can I be sure you're not deliberately using a fake formula to sow discord between Lingxu City and the Heavenly Gods?"

"You can't be sure, and it's not easy to verify under normal circumstances. But the coup in Xuluo Kingdom is a perfect opportunity, isn't it?"