Coming Ashore to Talk Terms

He Lingchuan helped Wu Shaoyi onto the crocodile's back, then returned to the rocky beach to look for the spear, only to find it was already gone. "Let's go." The Crocodile God slowly submerged. Holding their breath, the two held fast to the bony spines along its back. Fortunately, this stretch of water was short, and the Crocodile God swam swiftly. In little more than a dozen breaths, it surfaced and submerged no further. Both men let out a long breath of relief. In truth, the turtle's nest was very close to Xianling Village. He Lingchuan guessed Lu Yao and his men were still smashing ice over on the western path. To steer clear of their eyes, he had specifically asked the Crocodile God to take the long way around and come ashore from the east. For the giant crocodile, that only meant swishing its tail a few more times. With hardly any effort, it unhurriedly crawled up onto the eastern bank. Neither had expected one of Lu Yao's bandits to be wandering about here. Seeing movement by the lake, the bandit charged straight over. Weeds and brush obstructed his view, so at first he failed to see the Crocodile God, spotting only two figures limping into view. Assuming they were villagers hiding in the grass, he eagerly rushed over looking to rob them. Who would have thought that once he drew near—heavens, what an enormous monster! "C-c-crocodile God!" the man shrieked, whirling around to flee. How could He Lingchuan let him have his way? He reached out, ready to— "Take him alive," Wu Shaoyi suddenly stressed. He Lingchuan drew his broken saber, only to remember his throwing accuracy was dismal. "Uh, my aim is terrible." "..." Helpless, Wu Shaoyi produced that spear from who-knew-where and hurled it like a javelin. With a sharp whistle cutting through the air, the spearhead tore through the bandit's trousers and pinned him to the road. He Lingchuan hurried forward. Just as the rascal reached for his blade, He Lingchuan struck him on the back of the neck with an open palm, knocking him out cold. Looking at the spear again, it had pinned only the pant leg, without harming him in the slightest. He Lingchuan instinctively glanced at Wu Shaoyi. The man looked ready to breathe his last, completely haggard and half-dead, yet when the moment came to act, his strength and precision were flawless. A centipede dies but never stiffens—an old scourge dies hard. With someone like this, one truly could not let down their guard for a single second. Naturally, Wu Shaoyi sparing the bandit's life had nothing to do with mercy. Panting heavily, he wheezed, "This man can s-save my life!" The exertion from that throw had burst open the wounds all over his body again. Just then, footsteps approached from further up the bank. Evidently, the bandit's yell before being knocked out had drawn unwanted attention. He Lingchuan drew his dagger and slipped behind a tree. Just as he was about to launch an ambush, the grass rustled, and something pounced on the incoming bandit first. The creature moved with blinding speed. The bandit saw only a blur before a searing pain shot through his left eye. He cried out in agony, flailing his hands wildly. Taking advantage of the opening, He Lingchuan closed in and drove his dagger into the bandit's back straight through the heart. The world instantly fell silent. Turning his head, he noticed a creature moving nimbly along the ground. Though its body was hidden in the shadows and hard to make out, a pair of beady eyes reflected a faint, eerie gleam. What kind of critter was this? He Lingchuan raised his dagger slightly, but from behind, Wu Shaoyi called out, "Coal Ball, over here!" The creature darted over in a flash and dove into his arms with a squeak. He Lingchuan walked back and realized it was actually a sable. The fur on its back was so dark it looked as if an inkstone had spilled over it—the name "Coal Ball" was certainly fitting. The sable scampered across Wu Shaoyi, carefully avoiding his wounds, then looked toward He Lingchuan and tilted its head. "This man saved my life from the crocodile's jaws," Wu Shaoyi said, stroking its head. "Where are the others?" "They thought you were dead, so they all scattered," the sable suddenly spoke. Having already witnessed the Crocodile God speaking human tongue, He Lingchuan was hardly surprised. "Lu Yao took the chance to win some of them over, but most fled. They haven't gone far yet. I came back to check the situation." "Go track them down and bring them back." The words had barely left Wu Shaoyi's mouth before he changed his mind. "No, wait two quarters of an hour before you go." He Lingchuan cast him a glance, thinking to himself that this man was deeply suspicious. He did not entirely trust even the subordinates who were around him day in and day out, unwilling to let them see him at his weakest. By now, the sun shone brightly. Several giant crocodiles sprawled brazenly along the lakeshore east of the village, basking in the sun, a few even lolling with their jaws stretched wide in comfort. He Lingchuan swiftly made a sweep of the eastern end of the village. He found no sign of anyone, only a few free-range chickens wandering aimlessly. It seemed Lu Yao had left behind just two bandits to guard and loot Xianling Village. Evidently, times had been tight for the bandits lately if they refused to overlook the meager pickings of even a tiny village. He found a spacious house and carried both Wu Shaoyi and the captured bandit inside. He asked Wu Shaoyi, "How do you plan to use him?" "Transfer wounds," Wu Shaoyi wheezed with difficulty. "I once learned a secret art that can transfer injuries to another animal or human. But the requirements are extremely strict—ideally, our eight birth characters should match. This man... this man doesn't really fit, but fortunately you have the turtle pearl, so he can still serve as a makeshift vessel." Even injuries could be exchanged? He Lingchuan was instantly intrigued. "Is this secret art hard to master?" "Not hard, but I only have materials for one use, and there are many lingering repercussions," Wu Shaoyi smiled bitterly. "I can't afford to care about that now. Staying alive comes first." "Can you manage it on your own?" He Lingchuan stood up and stretched. "I still have to catch up to my convoy." Don't accuse him of leaving someone to die; he and Wu Shaoyi were neither kin nor friend—in fact, they stood on opposing sides. He had already fished the man out of a hopeless death trap; hadn't he fulfilled his duty and more? Besides, saving him would cost a turtle pearl, something that sounded like a priceless treasure. "No, I can't do it without you." Seeing him turn to leave, Wu Shaoyi had no choice but to grab the hem of his robe, pointing toward the spear beside him. "This spear is named 'Soaring Dragon'. It once belonged to Liao Mozhao, a renowned general of the Xuan Kingdom. The spearhead was forged from black gold blended with meteoric iron, while the shaft was crafted from a seven-hundred-year-old twin vine. Do you know of the twin vine?" He Lingchuan shook his head honestly. "Twin vines specifically refer to two types of vines that parasitize the Xianpan tree. Entangled in a struggle for the tree's nutrients, each strains with all its might to strangle the other. Over time, both grow stronger instead. Meanwhile, the Xianpan tree, often towering twenty to thirty zhang high, can ultimately be choked to death. You've seen for yourself just how tough and resilient the shaft of the Soaring Dragon Spear is, having been crafted from such twin vines." That spear had wedged inside the giant crocodile's maw, refusing to snap no matter how hard the beast clamped down. Even if the crocodile demon's toothache and fear of pain had played a part, the spear shaft's resilience had certainly left a deep impression on He Lingchuan. "In recent years, Xianpan trees have grown exceedingly rare, found only in deep mountains and great marshes untouched by human footsteps, and twin vines are even harder for anyone to harvest." He sighed. "In any case, I won't be wielding a spear ever again. This treasure is yours." He Lingchuan stroked the spear shaft. "If I heal you, once your comrades arrive, you might turn on me instead." Though the Soaring Dragon Spear was wonderful, it was not enough of a reward. He also understood that he was Wu Shaoyi's only hope of survival. This kid was no saint. Wu Shaoyi felt helpless, knowing He Lingchuan was about to talk terms with him. When fighting the Crocodile God, he could look death in the face without fear, but once back on dry land, breathing in the scent of earth and lake water, an overwhelming desire to live had seized him once more.