This time, the captive pondered for a long while before slowly shaking his head. "I don't recall anything like that. But General Lu often went out alone and forbade us from following. That was a habit he picked up long ago."
He Chunhua stood up. "Very well. Qinghe, tend to his wounds, and get him something to eat and drink. Since he cooperated, he has earned this much."
Father and sons walked out of the woodshed.
He Lingchuan asked him, "Dad, do we need to report this inside story to the royal court?"
"We must, but delay it until ten days from now. That captive is our witness; we will hand him over together then."
He Yue nodded.
He Lingchuan wondered, "Why ten days later?"
"If we report it now, the court's reply might order me to remain at Woling Pass to investigate the matter." He Chunhua smiled. "What is our top priority right now?"
"Naturally, to head to Xiazhou to assume office!"
Claiming anything else was urgent was hollow; the single most important task before He Chunhua was to sit firmly and properly in the seat of Chief Administrator of Xiazhou!
Realization dawned on He Lingchuan. "Dad really is cunning!"
In five to seven days at most, they would board a ship heading north. In ten days, they would nearly reach Shihuan City, and a few more days would bring them to Xiazhou. By the time the royal court received the memorial, if they wanted to investigate Hong Xiangqian's weapon liberation, they would have to dispatch someone else.
With business concluded, He Lingchuan yawned and stretched. "I'm heading back to sleep. Turn in early too, Dad." After all, they had been running about all day.
Yet as he and He Yue took a couple of steps, their father called out to them again. "Chuan'er, staying behind to cover the rear this morning was very brave. Father was deeply gratified."
He Lingchuan turned with a broad smile, expecting a few more words of praise, only for He Chunhua to immediately add, "However, you are not permitted to do so ever again."
"Huh?" He Lingchuan was taken aback. "Dad, weren't you about to praise me?"
"Among the three hundred men of the Auxiliary Army, there are plenty of capable men to hold the rear. There is no need for the eldest son of the He family to take the field in person," He Chunhua said gently. "What use is mere valor? You are a lucky commander, but good fortune can run dry; it is not something to rely on. You are sixteen now. A real man must know what can be done, but also what cannot be done. Before throwing yourself into peril, think more of your mother and your younger brother."
He Lingchuan stood blankly for a moment before letting out an "Oh." "Understood."
With that, he turned and walked off.
Back at their courtyard lodging, He Yue told him, "After you fell off the cliff, Zhao Qinghe brought the grim news. Father was heartbroken, yet he still had to oversee the safety of hundreds of people. His words held no blame; do not take them to heart."
He Lingchuan shrugged. "Do I look like someone who took it to heart?"
That night, the two shared a room.
In truth, He Lingchuan always felt something was off. Had it been the original host, his lungs would probably have burst with rage: finally stealing the spotlight for once, only to get a lecture from his old man.
Yet the moment he lay down, his mind was flooded by the verses the old turtle demon had left him:
*Seek life in the jaws of death; conceal your edge and preserve simplicity.*
*Probe the real within the virtual...*
That old bastard truly loved speaking in riddles. He Lingchuan really wanted to stir its egg yolks out.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to live brilliantly in this chaotic world rife with grotesque supernatural forces and rampant disregard for human life.
Yet first, he had to solve riddles.
The old turtle had claimed its cultivation was insufficient and heavenly secrets were distorted, allowing it to glimpse only this much. He Lingchuan had better accept it with grace, as there was no other choice.
The first two verses were easy enough to grasp: to stay alive, one had to keep a low profile and avoid showing off. He had done precisely that ever since transmigrating, so at least he knew he hadn't gone astray.
If he acted like those dyed-blond, dust-kicking village punks who knew only how to charge forward blindly and fight for dominance—believing that an eye for an eye made for a thrilling life and that all the world's heroes had to make way for their protagonist halos—his ashes would probably have been scattered long ago.
Even so, he occasionally slipped up. For instance, displaying his prowess before everyone back in Xianling Village and along the West Mountain Road was definitely a mistake. From now on, he had to lay low even more.
The crux lay in the following verse.
What did "probe the real within the virtual" mean? He Lingchuan unbiddenly recalled his two experiences entering the Panlong dreamscape.
Could it refer to that?
Moreover, he always felt these three verses lacked weight, as though missing a punchline.
Judging by the format, wouldn't a fourth line be needed to make it roll off the tongue?
Yet the old turtle had admitted rather sheepishly that it could not divine the fourth line no matter what, telling He Lingchuan to supply it himself whenever he figured it out.
What the hell? You could make up a prophecy yourself?
He Lingchuan pondered for a long time without gaining any clarity, nor could he consult anyone else.
These experiences simply could not be spoken aloud. What was more, the old turtle demon had warned him that these verses could only be kept in mind and never set down in writing.
Sigh, truly vexing.
Regardless, he knew his future might very well be upended by these three verses.
This was not a curse, but a prophecy. A curse could be broken, whereas a prophecy... He had better obediently listen and keep himself alive first before seeking a turnaround.
After two thrilling, harrowing days, He Yue was mentally exhausted, yet sleep eluded him.
As he tossed and turned, he heard his elder brother's snores gradually rising. He wondered if his brother was displaying his prowess in dreamland.
Truly carefree. At times, He Yue genuinely envied his simple-minded older brother.
The following morning, He Lingchuan was ruthlessly shaken awake.
A visitor had arrived, and He Chunhua summoned him to hurry over.
The other bed was already empty, the bedding neatly arranged. Clearly, He Yue had gone out early in the morning to handle matters for their father.
He Lingchuan understood what was happening. He hurriedly splashed water on his face and rushed over, only throwing on his coat while on the path.
Entering the hall, he saw that Wu Shaoyi had indeed arrived and was speaking with He Chunhua.
Both wore smiles on their faces. The moment Wu Shaoyi saw He Lingchuan, he said, "Young Master He, please bear with me in the days ahead!"
"Ah, think nothing of it. I was worrying about you all night," He Lingchuan lied through his teeth. "How is your body feeling now?"
Wu Shaoyi sighed. "How can depleted qi and blood recover in just a day or two? Endure a bit, and it will pass." He had used a secret technique to transfer the wounds away, but having lost so much blood earlier, his organs showed slight signs of decline; without ten days to half a month of careful recuperation, he would not recover.
"The physician in my troop has outstanding medical skill. He will arrange your medicine and diet; just focus on resting well." He Chunhua beamed, then turned to He Lingchuan. "Joining us along with General Wu are three hundred elite soldiers. All of them must be settled properly!"
Heading to Xiazhou, the more talent under He Chunhua's command, the better. This man had generalship and soldiers, both readily available. Even though Wu Shaoyi could no longer fight on the front lines in person, his arrival greatly bolstered the strength of the Auxiliary Army.
Wu Shaoyi shook his head with a chuckle. "What general? I am now a deputy general of the Auxiliary Army."
He Chunhua had indeed honored the terms negotiated by his eldest son, granting him the post of deputy general in the army.
Everyone chuckled.
Taking advantage of the relaxed mood, He Lingchuan hurried to ask about the fighting at Desheng Town.
As it turned out, after Wu Shaoyi reached Desheng Town by water, he launched harassing guerrilla strikes against Lu's bandits stationed there, striking particularly hard against their horses. Stealing horses was difficult, but slaughtering them was easy enough.
It so happened that those horses were pastured not far from the creek because there were too few troughs in town. Lu's bandits failed to pull them back in time, and the Crocodile God even led its followers to devour over a dozen mounts during the chaos.
He Chunhua sighed. "A pity Pei Xinyong refused to join us."
Pei Xinyong did not wish to submit, nor did he want his whereabouts known, so he had naturally departed as quickly as possible following the battle of Desheng Town.
In fact, it was not just Pei Xinyong. Wu Shaoyi had recalled all his subordinates, explained his future plans, and allowed any brother willing to join the imperial army to stay.
In the end, half of them left.
"I tried to persuade him, but everyone has their own ambitions. He said he would never return to officialdom." Wu Shaoyi threw up his hands. "I asked about his plans for the future, but he only said he would take things one step at a time, refusing to tell me where he would go."
Though they had once been brothers fighting side by side, one was now on the government payroll while the other remained a bandit, destined to part ways.
He Chunhua sighed. "A pity indeed."
The three conversed a while longer before He Chunhua stood and took his leave.
His duties were endless.
He Lingchuan poured a cup of water for Wu Shaoyi. "I have good wine on hand. Once your injuries heal, let us share a few cups."
Wu Shaoyi readily agreed.
"Earlier, you mentioned that Pei Xinyong would never return to officialdom. What did you mean by that?" He Lingchuan's ears were sharp. "He used to be an official?"
"He served six years in the Longxia Garrison Command and rose to Guoyi Commandant. The year the Chong River flooded, the Longxia Garrison Command was ordered to assist in transporting disaster relief supplies. Back then, Old Pei was young and straightforward; he could not stand the bureaucratic sickness of skimming profits at every level and pocketing bribes. Hearing that the sovereign intended to enforce discipline and clean up the administration, he was deeply inspired and bypassed proper channels to report his superior for corruption and reselling relief goods."
So Pei Xinyong had such a past? Intrigued, He Lingchuan asked, "And then?"
"And then, he was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. His superior remained completely untouched, while the charges were pinned straight onto his own head. With witnesses and material evidence arrayed against him, he was left utterly defenseless. Without even a trial, he was stripped of his post and thrown into prison, enduring every manner of torture until his buttocks were beaten to a pulp, nearly dying inside. When others broke him out of prison, maggots were crawling inside the wound at his waist. Although his wounds healed later on, he was left with chronic debility."
Wu Shaoyi shrugged. "That is why Old Pei often says Great Yuan is just Great Yuan. He has no interest in officialdom, nor in Lord He's offer of amnesty."
He Lingchuan did not know what to say.
Only after a long pause did he continue to consult Wu Shaoyi:
"There is still one thing I don't understand. From what you all say, Hong Xiangqian must have been quite an extraordinary figure. Why did he place so much trust in a notorious cannibal like Lu Yao? Wasn't he afraid of ruining the repu—er, the righteous army's name?"
"In truth, in the Holy Master's eyes, Lu Yao was no different from the rest of us." Wu Shaoyi sighed faintly. "We are all just blades for killing. Perhaps his was simply faster and sharper."
He Lingchuan mulled over those words, finding them more and more reasonable the more he thought about them.
What good or bad was there in a blade? What mattered was whose hands held it.
Those who accomplish great deeds do not sweat the trifles. Lu Yao's slight penchant for eating human flesh and his minor moral stain probably did not even count as trifles in Hong Xiangqian's eyes.
Then again, Wu Shaoyi did not know that the Holy Master had undergone weapon liberation to linger on in the mortal world, and He Lingchuan had no intention of telling him.
Lu Yao had often gotten dead drunk afterward—was that after he had properly settled Hong Xiangqian's origin soul?
How long a soul could endure after death depended on the strength of the origin soul. An ordinary person's soul lasted about seven days, while those with powerful origin souls could hold out a bit longer—just a bit longer.
Chapter 150