From Woling Pass to Xianling Lake, the winding journey stretched for over four hundred li. Lu Yao had paid with dragon blood to bring the Crocodile God all the way here—surely not just to let the venerable creature take in the scenery?
Needless to say, the scoundrel was scheming to unite the three rebel armies. With the Crocodile God backing him up, he likely hoped to install himself as commander in chief.
He Lingchuan asked again, "If I kill Lu Yao and retrieve the dragon blood, could you perform a service for me as well?"
"No. The dragon blood is already mine." The giant crocodile blinked. "However, if you kill him, I can help you once for free."
"Ah, why are you being so generous?" Could a free meal really drop straight from heaven?
"He had a hand in Hong Xiangqian's death." The giant crocodile turned its vertical pupils toward He Lingchuan. "Catch my tear. In the future, if you immerse the tear into Xianling Lake, you will receive my protection."
The tear at the corner of its eye was on the verge of dripping to the ground. He Lingchuan hurriedly produced a crystal vial to catch it.
So these were crocodile tears? Held up to the light, the teardrop held a faint sheen of blue.
Going by the Crocodile God's grand boast, he corked the vial tightly and stowed it away with great care.
"There is still one thing I do not understand."
"Speak." The Crocodile God was growing visibly impatient.
"Why did you leave the northern demon kingdom and enter Great Yuan?" Evidently, after departing the northern kingdom, this giant crocodile had traveled south all the way, first taking part in the Battle of Woling Pass that shocked all of Great Yuan, and then following the waterways to Xianling Lake.
Across the realm of Great Yuan, the crisscrossing network of rivers served as expressways for the giant crocodile.
"That happened several years ago. A new emperor ascended the throne in the northern kingdom and clashed with my clan," the Crocodile God said coldly. "We were not the only clan to leave."
"Then what are your plans for the future?"
The Crocodile God pondered for a moment. "Xianling Lake is not bad. I shall settle here."
The lake surface alone spanned eight hundred li of open water, while beneath lay countless karst caves and subterranean channels connected to numerous streams and rivers, with food in great abundance. The Crocodile God was quite satisfied with the local geography.
He Lingchuan cleared his throat lightly. "Then would you consider taking up the post of Water Spirit?"
"Like that turtle?"
"Precisely," He Lingchuan smiled. "If you remain a wild monster and enjoy eating humans, the local authorities might not tolerate you."
The Crocodile God gave two dry chuckles, plainly contemptuous.
He Lingchuan pressed on persuasively: "Even if you do not fear them, they won't show any mercy to your young. In that case, why not take up the mantle of Water Spirit? Although you would have to protect the peace of these waters, you would have access to origin power granted by the royal court and enjoy regular offerings from humans. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks."
Hearing the words "origin power," the Crocodile God was indeed tempted.
The turtle demon's combat prowess had been vastly inferior to its own, yet thanks to the amplification of origin power granted to a Water Spirit, it had put up a fierce fight for an entire night before falling. If it could also secure that origin power boost, it would be of immense benefit to its future cultivation.
What was more, once the local residents built a shrine and erected a tablet for it, they would offer regular sacrifices to the Water Spirit, tossing ample live poultry and livestock into the lake.
Fresh food for free—what monster wouldn't want that?
Eating fish every day grew tiresome; it was nice to switch flavors once in a while.
Beside it, the little crocodile demon hurriedly swept its tail against its mother, urging her to accept without delay.
The Crocodile God had only one final question: "Can you actually arrange such a thing?"
"I can!" He Lingchuan patted his chest in assurance. "As long as you help us hunt down and kill Lu Yao, you will have rendered great meritorious service. I can ask the Prefect of Qiansong Commandery to write a letter to the local authorities, recommending you for the post of Xianling Lake's Water Spirit. Having such a formidable demon to protect the region would make the local officials wake up laughing in their dreams."
This world had always been shared by humans and demons. The presence of demons within human kingdoms, just like humans living in demon kingdoms, was entirely normal. When dealing with particularly troublesome or unmanageable powerful demons, the authorities' best course of action was pacification—inviting them to serve as Water Spirits or water deities.
Weighing the pros and cons, these enlightened, intelligent great demons rarely objected. After all, governing their own territory while drawing an imperial stipend or enjoying offerings, while humans enjoyed peace in return, made for a win-win arrangement.
As for past crimes committed by the demons—whether killing and devouring humans or flooding villages—bygones were bygones. Compared to bandits and brigands, the government much preferred pacifying demons, largely because demons tended to be straightforward, without treacherous schemes, and were unlikely to suddenly turn traitor. Many demons served as mountain spirits or Water Spirits for a century or two; even if dynasties changed several times in between, the new dynasties would swiftly recognize their positions.
Thus, without much hesitation, the Crocodile God agreed.
After He Lingchuan reeled in such formidable helpers, the way Wu Shaoyi and his men looked at him grew rather strange.
To tell the truth, not even the dragon blood offered by Lu Yao had moved the Crocodile God as deeply as an official Water Spirit post from the government.
Such was the magic of an official post.
One of Wu Shaoyi's subordinates, named Lian Deng, rubbed his hands together at this point and said to He Lingchuan, "Brother He, helping the government troops break Lu Yao's siege means shedding blood and sweat, and we might even lose men. You see, for us... uh, there doesn't seem to be much in it?"
He Lingchuan glanced at Wu Shaoyi. Seeing him standing quietly to the side, he knew the man's feelings were conflicted, so he said, "As long as you remain rebels, you will be hunted by the authorities day in and day out. In that regard, you are no different from the traitor Lu."
The bandits' expressions turned grim.
Ever since the defeat at Woling Pass, everyone had known how wretched life was for stray dogs on the run. Where the future lay for this band of men was something even Wu Shaoyi felt lost about, unable to offer any guarantees.
Yet He Lingchuan followed up immediately: "Unless you are willing to accept amnesty!"
Amnesty? Hearing those words, the men exchanged glances, but found no real aversion in their hearts.
He Lingchuan didn't need to look at anyone else; he only watched Wu Shaoyi. Seeing his expressionless face, he knew there was hope for this.
These three bands of roving brigands had quietly converged on Xianling Village for no other reason than to band together and carve out a place to survive.
In truth, if you couldn't beat them, joining them was a viable path. Even an untamed, recalcitrant wild monster like the Crocodile God was about to get on the government payroll and eat imperial rations; watching from the sidelines, they were deeply envious.
"Can you make that call?" Wu Shaoyi stared intently at him. "You are merely a minor clerk accompanying the army. On what authority?"
"I can—by the authority that I am the eldest son of He Chunhua, Prefect of Qiansong Commandery!" He Lingchuan gave a few coughs, knowing it was time to reveal his identity. Empty promises were useless, no matter how eloquently spun; only a formidable status, when slammed down hard enough to leave someone with a bloody nose, could still leave them beaming. "My father is heading north to assume the post of Governor-General of Xiazhou, and the troops he takes along will be his core lineage! Once you submit, you will become the He family's trusted confidants and future veterans of the army. In Xiazhou, won't you be living in luxury and throwing your weight around?"
He knew that talking about ideals or life philosophy with this bunch of hardened roughnecks was useless. Providing tangible security was what mattered most.
The eight characters "living in luxury and throwing your weight around" summed up the lifelong aspirations of most people.
Sure enough, the bandits' eyes flickered, visibly tempted.
Lian Deng rubbed the back of his head. "The royal court has gone back on its word plenty of times. Even if General Wu submits, what if they..." As a rebel army, they naturally harbored deep suspicion and wariness toward government troops.
Chapter 136