"..." The grey heron tilted its head. Was this number so important?
Past intelligence indicated that the Xiji puppet troops' water stockade held more than eighty vessels, large and small.
Over the past few days, about twenty had quietly departed. Where had they gone?
Other feints might deceive the eye, but a reduction in the vessels used for travel indicated that Fu Shanlie was already deploying men outward.
"Please ask Master Zhang to keep watching Fu Shanlie—no, have him watch Fu Shanlie's adjutant, Hong Ming instead." Fu Shanlie was a master of water arts, moving like a ghost through the marshes. Even Master Zhang couldn't pin him down, so it was better to switch to another target.
He waved a hand, and the grey heron took flight.
Adjutant Chao Qian remarked, "It seems Fu Shanlie is making preparations as well."
He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. "He knows our attack is imminent and is pulling his elites out."
Both sides were making their moves.
"Let's go." He Lingchuan donned his helmet and strode outside, Hu Min, Door Plank, and the others following close behind.
Those in the know drew a sharp breath. The final operation to encircle and suppress the enemy was about to begin!
Yet just as their warhorses were led out, several figures walked into the City Guard Office, running right into them.
The moment he caught sight of the newcomers, He Lingchuan froze midway through mounting his horse, his complexion changing drastically.
"M-Mr. Wen?"
The man in the lead was none other than Wen Daolun!
In that instant, He Lingchuan's scalp went completely numb.
He had gone to such lengths to get Wen Daolun sent back to Panlong City, hoping to spare him a gruesome death. Tonight was the decisive battle to wipe out the Longchuan river bandits—why had Wen Daolun suddenly turned up at this crucial juncture?
Wen Daolun had approached with a smile, but seeing his reaction, he paused in surprise. "What, am I not welcome?"
The way Commander He looked at him was as if he had seen a ghost.
Back when he governed Yuheng City, the two of them had clashed over various matters, but those disagreements had largely dissolved once he returned to Panlong City.
Could He Lingchuan still harbor a grudge against him?
"Welcome! You are most welcome!" Recovering in an instant, He Lingchuan stepped forward and embraced him.
He had never been so warm before. Caught in the embrace, Wen Daolun hardly knew where to put his hands, thoroughly unaccustomed to such affection. "I was ordered by the Commander to receive a guest at Baisha Port, and I need to lodge in Yuheng City for the night."
"What do you mean, lodge!" He Lingchuan pointed toward the east side of the street. "Your old quarters are still there, unoccupied and free of dust. I'll send two servants over right now to open the doors and sweep the place clean!"
Hearing this, Wen Daolun felt a warm glow. "Oh? Then where does the new City Defender reside?"
"Zhao Linyang?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "He stays in the official quarters. Just last month, a whole row of new quarters was finished on Baimian Street."
After Wen Daolun was transferred back, Zhong Shengguang appointed Zhao Linyang as the new City Defender to manage civil affairs, a man of far less seniority than Wen Daolun.
Zhao Linyang understood the Commander's purpose in stationing him here, and He Lingchuan worked with him very smoothly.
Having said this, He Lingchuan shifted the topic. "Old Wen, what kind of distinguished guest warrants your personal escort?"
"His name is Qian Jishi. Our new ally sent him to study the Black Dragon marks in Yuheng City and Panlong City," Wen Daolun replied without concealment. "This time, Qian Jishi may take up long-term residence in both cities."
The Black Dragon mark? He Lingchuan gave an "oh."
When Lu Xun previously saw the Black Dragon mark in Yuheng City, he had merely noted that it was likely an acknowledgment from the Heavenly Dao. The mark was far too mysterious and had appeared in so few places that its precise function remained undetermined.
He Lingchuan stepped aside, revealing the Black Dragon mark on the wall of the City Guard Office. "The new ally is interested in this too?"
"New ally" naturally referred to Lingshan.
"The mark is rare, so it may hold research value."
The pleasantries ended there. He Lingchuan lowered his voice. "I have business tonight, so I won't be hosting a welcoming banquet for you. Once I'm back, let's share a good drink, how about it?"
Wen Daolun smiled and nodded. "Splendid."
With that, He Lingchuan took his leave of Wen Daolun and strode out of the City Guard Office with his men.
Before he had even cleared the gate, his expression darkened. He instructed Chao Qian, "Dispatch a few shadow guards to protect Mr. Wen. Keep a close eye on him."
Of all the times Wen Daolun could have chosen to come, he had to arrive tonight!
He Lingchuan disliked such unpredictable variables, but the arrow was already nocked on the string; the operation could not be called off.
Chao Qian acknowledged the order and went off to make arrangements.
He Lingchuan led over a hundred elites out of the city, but the farther south they marched, the larger the force grew.
Troops continuously merged into the ranks.
In the shadows, several pairs of eyes watched him in silence, tailing him from inside the city to beyond the walls, and then all the way to the south.
The hidden clash had already begun.
Two hours after He Lingchuan departed with his troops:
In Yuheng City, the residence of the new City Defender, Zhao Linyang, suddenly caught fire.
The flames rose swiftly and could not be doused by water, consuming two rows of buildings in rapid succession. Being right behind the government offices, Zhao Linyang hurried over shortly after receiving word.
A fire at an official residence naturally drew crowds of onlookers while patrols struggled to maintain order, creating quite a stir.
No one noticed an owl perched on a large jujube tree nearby, taking in the entire scene.
It observed for a full quarter of an hour before spreading its wings and flying south.
Those with wings were indeed faster than beasts on four legs.
Tonight, faint stars dotted the sky, devoid of any moon.
By the hour of the Ox, all creation lay silent.
Fu Shanlie sat cross-legged inside a wooden cabin over the water, a lamp flickering like a tiny bean of light before him.
He stared blankly at the flame, lost in thought.
The situation in Longchuan was like this empty room: dark on all four sides, leaving him only a single ray of light, a single thread of hope.
If he failed to seize this chance, Longchuan would no longer be his domain.
Supplying aid to the Longchuan river bandits had been a mission he volunteered for, never expecting Yuheng City to prove so difficult. Seeing that he had produced no results after a year, those wretched ghosts in Lingxu City began stirring up trouble, claiming his progress was too slow, nitpicking that he was inadequate here and wrong there. Even the Demon Emperor's imperial ears had been deceived, prompting orders urging him not to hole up in Longchuan and to swiftly reclaim the initiative.
He thought, fine, let's do it then.
But no matter what, he couldn't act recklessly. Young as Commander He of Yuheng City was, the man genuinely possessed real ability.
A rustle of wings sounded outside.
The owl flew in and settled on the wooden table beside him, murmuring several low whispers.
"The only one who appeared at the fire was Zhao Linyang?"
"He Lingchuan never showed up from start to finish? Are you certain?"
"What about the military camp to the south?"
"After the Zhao residence caught fire, did the messengers who went to the City Guard Office enter He Lingchuan's quarters?"
The owl provided its answers and flew off.
Seeing Fu Shanlie sit motionless, the confidant beside him couldn't help asking, "General, is that He fellow preparing to attack here?"
"Nine times out of ten," Fu Shanlie chuckled coldly. "He fears I'll set a trap on the night the Emperor's Flowing Dew descends, so he's opted for an early night raid. A pity for him—he might be adept at petty tricks, but when it comes to waging real war, he'll have to reckon with your grandpa's methods!"
"The military supervisor has been pressing you."
"Press my ass!" Fu Shanlie sneered contemptuously. "Let's see him press a miracle into being! If he's so capable, let him charge in himself!"
The confidant muttered, "Lingxu City really is absurd. You were doing fine, yet they insisted on sending a supervisor over."
Chapter 1031