During this period, Emperor's Flowing Dew descended four more times.
The Panlong Wasteland was bursting with even greater vitality. Boundless golden fields stretched along both sides of the roads, waiting only for a bumper harvest.
Passing through Tianheyuan, He Lingchuan discovered that the autumn meadows had turned into vast golden plains under a high, distant sky.
A herdsman's dog still recognized him. Wagging its tail, it scampered over in a flash and circled his horse's hooves, barking merrily.
He heard that several torrential downpours had struck over the past six months, giving birth to a few more rivers across the plains. Winding through countless twists and turns, smooth as silk and azure blue, they infused the grasslands with boundless vigor.
The ecology of the wasteland had been completely transformed.
*Whoosh, whoosh.* A pair of swallows skimmed the tips of the tall grass, chasing insects that had grown increasingly sluggish with the onset of autumn.
He Lingchuan lingered for a long time, unable to tear his eyes away from the painterly landscape. Having witnessed the reality of the Bo Kingdom, where nine out of ten fields lay barren, the sight before him brought immense peace and delight to his heart.
This was his second home, and it was only growing better and better.
On the way back to Panlong City, he also noticed two new cities under construction out on the wasteland.
Near the great lake where he used to water his horses, several hundred large yurts had been pitched, surrounded by herds of cattle and sheep.
Was this... a tribe?
He Lingchuan and his companions deliberately went in to explore. They happened upon a bustling market teeming with clamoring voices and brisk trade. They even filled a waterskin with warm cow's milk so they could drink as they walked.
It was rich, fragrant, and truly delicious.
Hu Min clicked his tongue in wonder. "We've only been gone half a year, haven't we? How has the wasteland transformed so completely?"
As they spoke, a series of resounding, long blasts—like steam whistles—sounded in the distance.
He Lingchuan initially thought someone was blowing a horn, but the children in the market cheered, "The elephants are here! Let's go outside and see the elephants!"
Elephants?
Door Plank scratched his head. "Hold on, did the Panlong Wasteland ever have such things?"
They had all served as wasteland scouts, roaming this land day in and day out, yet back then they hadn't seen so much as an elephant hair or footprint, let alone a whole elephant.
He Lingchuan followed the crowd outside, and sure enough, he saw a herd of colossal beasts heading toward the lake.
"Wasteland elephants!"
These creatures closely resembled the mammoths—or woolly mammoths—he had seen in picture books in his other world. They were a couple of sizes larger than normal elephants, covered in light brown fur with subtle stripes. Four curved tusks jutted forward like lances, exuding an imposing might.
Some fifty wasteland elephants were fifty moving mountains of flesh.
As they drew near, they completely blocked out the landscape behind them.
Beijia had its Baixiang Kingdom, and He Lingchuan had also encountered elephant demons in Lingxu City. Before marching into battle, they would affix spiked sheaths or rakes onto their long tusks, wreaking devastating havoc against cavalry and infantry alike.
Naturally, this herd ambled forward looking quite gentle.
The two matriarchs leading the way had fur tinged with white, clearly the elders in charge. At their low rumbles of command, the herd steered clear of the humans and livestock and headed to the lakeside to drink.
Children darted and ran alongside the herd, and the elephants paid them no mind. Two calves wanted to play with the kids, but were called back by their elders.
Even the "calves" stood ten feet tall; what if they accidentally stepped on a human child?
A nearby man chuckled. "These wasteland elephants come by every day to drink."
It seemed the tribespeople and the giant elephants lived together in peace; otherwise, the atmosphere would not have been so harmonious.
He Lingchuan turned to ask him, "Excuse me, where are you folks from?"
"We are the Bitter Bamboo Tribe." The man had dark skin and a short yet sturdy frame, bearing the distinct traits of his people. "We migrated up from the south to build a new city here. Once it's finished, we'll move inside to live."
The south?
The southern kingdoms?
A'luo asked in surprise, "With Panlong City's permission?"
"Of course. If our hosts refused to accept us, how could we have come here?" The man pointed toward the herd of elephants. "Same goes for them."
Indeed. With Panlong City's iron grip on the wasteland, if it forbade them, not even Zhu Erniang could remain, let alone a herd of elephants.
Early the next morning, He Lingchuan finally returned to Panlong City.
Passing through the South Gate, he discovered to his astonishment that the swarm of Three Corpse Worms usually patrolling the barbican was gone!
Looking up now, there was nothing but empty air.
Others could not see the Three Corpse Worms, but He Lingchuan knew they had always been a crucial pillar of Panlong City's external defenses, capable of screening out anyone who harbored ill intent toward the city.
Why had General Red recalled them all?
Apart from being noticeably busier and having more new shops on the streets, the city was no different from how it had been half a year ago.
Zhong Shengguang was not at the government office, so He Lingchuan headed straight for Shumin Academy.
The bluestone walkways were swept spotless. In the corners by the walls, blooming cotton roses flushed pink over white, like the vibrant, smiling faces of children.
The ancient osmanthus trees of golden autumn gently draped their dense blossoms over the sturdy roof tiles; whenever a gentle breeze gave a nod, a shower of osmanthus petals rained down in swirling profusion.
When he saw Master Sun, she was leaning against a wall. Autumn light filtered beneath her sleeves as she stood alone amidst falling blossoms, imbued with their fragrance.
"You're back!" Her eyes shone with delight.
With schoolboys passing by, she could hardly give He Lingchuan a hug.
"I'm back." In the dream, they had been apart for over half a year, and He Lingchuan found that what he had missed most was her smile. "Happy?"
Master Sun nodded vigorously, her smile blooming like the cotton roses by the wall. "Mm-hmm!"
"Then let's cut class!" He plucked a tiny osmanthus flower from her thick black hair. "I'm starving. Come eat with me."
"All right," Master Sun said with a sweet smile. "Let's go."
Huh? He Lingchuan was slightly surprised. "Are you still the teacher who puts teaching above all else? What happened in the past six months?"
"Autumn break just happens to start today." Sun Fuling shot him a mock glare. "The older children have to go home to help harvest the wheat."
"Did you have this break before?"
"It only started this year," Sun Fuling said with a smile. "Shumin Academy took in many new students who are residents of the new city at the foot of the Chipa Plateau. Their academy isn't built yet, so they're studying here temporarily. As you know, crops barely grew in that area before, but last year they started planting grain."
Eleven showers of Emperor's Flowing Dew in two years had transformed nearly the entire landscape and ecology of the Panlong Wasteland. When even the most barren gravel desert sprouted grass, what was impossible about the wasteland opposite Panlong City turning into farmland?
After half a year away, new eateries in Panlong City had sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain. Walking down a single street, seven out of ten establishments were new.
Flavors from all across the realm had arrived.
Sun Fuling picked a specific one and walked in arm in arm with He Lingchuan.
This restaurant specialized in steam-pot chicken. A clay pot was brought out, heated by smoldering charcoal beneath and topped with a lid. The scalding steam braised the chicken and wild mushrooms to tenderness, while the condensation collected to form a rich broth.
It was pure, natural flavor.
"This way of eating originated from the west, but the pots are fired from the wasteland's red clay. It's swept all across Panlong City lately."
He Lingchuan chuckled. "To think even this place has begun chasing trends."
It was no surprise that Yuheng City changed with each passing day, but Panlong City was such a solemn place. Yet the food, clothing, and entertainment of its people had actually grown rich and varied.
Sun Fuling whispered, "I heard from the headmaster that some merchants originally wanted to set up illusion arrays in Panlong City, but Commander Zhong wouldn't allow it."
He Lingchuan understood immediately upon hearing this. "Hedonistic pursuits and base entertainment—Panlong City is still wary of them."
Panlong City had no tolerance for such indulgent revelry.
Sun Fuling let out a soft sound of surprise, her eyes filled with curiosity. "You know of them? Did you see any on your travels?"
How was he supposed to answer that? He Lingchuan scratched his head. "The Julu Kingdom had them, but they weren't anything good—very crude, really."
An illusion array was essentially an illusory transformation designed for an immersive experience.
Naturally, the most popular content was forever unmentionable.
He wasn't lying; the Julu Kingdom indeed had illusion arrays, but they were shoddy and poorly made.
The truly exquisite illusion arrays that blurred reality and illusion were something he had only seen in Lingxu City. With magnificent storefronts and attentive service, anyone digging deeper would find they were all backed by powerful noble clans.
Addictive things brought in the most money, and easy profits rarely fell into the hands of ordinary folk.
He quickly changed the subject. "By the way, why are there so many new things in the city?"
"Panlong City reduced taxes again. In times of peace—or normal times like now—the land tax and grain levies across the wasteland are reduced in tiers, and commercial taxes have been cut in half. Everyone's burden has been lightened significantly, so more of what they earn stays safe in their pockets."
With taxes lowered, people had more spare money and the confidence to spend it, so the markets and commerce naturally flourished.
He Lingchuan was thoroughly surprised. "Reduced again?"
When he first entered the Panlong World, Panlong City's taxes were heavy—battles were fought every couple of days, after all. Though soldiers and civilians stood united, people lived in poverty, and the harsh material conditions were a harsh reality.
Who could have guessed that after only a few years, the common folk's coin pouches would already be bulging?
"Over the past two years, Emperor's Flowing Dew has fallen so frequently that grain prices plummeted. Commander Zhong said that the Panlong Wasteland and Maohe Plain now produce plenty of grain, enough even to sell outside. On top of that, booming trade has caused customs duties and marketplace taxes to surge, which is more than enough to cover fiscal expenditures with surplus to spare. Therefore, he hopes the common folk won't have to pinch pennies and can live secure, peaceful, and prosperous lives." Sun Fuling smiled. "When the announcement came out, firecrackers went off all across the city."
"I see," He Lingchuan murmured, visibly moved.
For Panlong City to share its wealth with the people so eagerly proved that Zhong Shengguang had not forgotten his original aspirations; he still cared deeply about the well-being of the common folk.
Unlike so many rulers who lost themselves amid years of warfare and political intrigue, growing so accustomed to demanding sacrifices from the common people that they forgot to govern for their sake.
To govern the people with benevolence and righteousness—He Lingchuan seemed to glimpse a core reason why Panlong City's origin power was so extraordinarily formidable.
Yet once the initial emotion faded, he immediately began weighing the implications.
Panlong City had been accumulating strength for less than two years. Its territory and military were expanding rapidly, and fiscal and military spending had risen sharply. From a ruler's perspective, it was not yet time to start spending that capital freely.
Wars were fought with money and logistics. Zhong Shengguang, who had spent years making bricks without straw, should have understood this better than anyone. Why had Panlong City chosen to store wealth among the people rather than stockpiling vast stores of grain and silver while the years were at their best?
Commander Zhong kept his truest thoughts hidden deep in his heart, so He Lingchuan naturally could not know them all. Yet he knew very well the ultimate historical fate of Panlong City, which prompted a speculation:
Could it be out of guilt?
He Lingchuan immediately thought of another person:
His cheap father, He Chunhua.
Chapter 1140