A Recipe for Emperor's Flowing Dew?

He Lingchuan was rendered speechless. Panlong City seemed intent on turning every last person into a donkey on a commune. "Right now, a huge influx of outsiders from the Panlong Wasteland is pouring into Panlong City," Hu Min said with a chuckle. "They have no land, but plenty of labor. To feed themselves, they have to take on short- or long-term odd jobs, or become tenant farmers leasing land. So you won't have to worry about finding someone to farm your fields. Both the Pengcheng Office and I can help arrange it." Hearing that, He Lingchuan said at once, "Then I'll trouble you with it." Land and housing were precious means of production, impossible to buy with mere money in Panlong City; they could only be obtained with military or civil merit. It was an unmistakable planned distribution system. If newcomers wished to establish a foothold in Panlong City, they had to work hard and contribute to the place. As soldiers of the Gale Army went into battle and slew enemies, they inevitably amassed considerable landholdings. Since they lacked the time and energy to tend the fields themselves, leasing them to tenant farmers was the best solution. The landlords earned an income, the tenants filled their bellies, and everyone got what they needed. In other words, here in this dream of Panlong City, he had officially been promoted to landlord. He Lingchuan patted his chest, feeling an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. It was truly bizarre. In reality, he was the eldest son of the grand Chief Administrator of Xiazhou. Let alone a few mu of meager fields, he could buy whatever estates, taverns, shops, or gambling dens he pleased, and as many as he wanted. Why had that never felt nearly as rewarding as this dream? As for chewing tobacco, it was a variety of tobacco leaf that was first smoked, roasted, and then soaked in syrup. When using it, one simply popped a leaf into their mouth to chew, with no need for a flame. Its effects went without saying: the army permitted soldiers to use it to stay alert on missions, making it a reliable hard currency. He Lingchuan planned to keep it for now and sell it off only when short on cash. Of course, he had not forgotten the most pressing matter. "By the way, I want to learn archery. Could you give me some pointers?" Hu Min possessed formidable skill with the bow, hitting whatever mark he chose. He Lingchuan recalled the battle at Xianling Village, where his total ignorance of archery had repeatedly driven up the difficulty of the mission. He could put off training no longer. "Giving you three or four pointers is no problem at all," Hu Min agreed readily. Wasting no time, he took a seat and instructed He Lingchuan to retrieve the small rush mat from beneath the rice pot and nail it to the courtyard wall. He had come along today merely to help He Lingchuan inspect the house, not to fight, so he had not brought his bow and arrows. But that hardly mattered. Drawing a small throwing knife from his lower back and another from his boot, he handed them to He Lingchuan. "First, work on your aim. Throwing daggers or shooting arrows, it's all the same. Stand inside the room and throw from there." He Lingchuan took the knife, stepped indoors, aimed, and threw it with a flick of his wrist! A flash of cold light gleamed. The rush mat remained clean and bare, completely untouched. The knife had embedded itself in the corner of the wall. Under Hu Min's gaze, He Lingchuan's face reddened, and he cleared his throat. "A slip of the hand." "Too wide of the mark. Looks like we'll have to start from the basics." Pragmatic as ever, Hu Min offered no empty comfort. Instead, he began explaining how to exert and coordinate force through the shoulder, neck, arm, and fingers. The insights he shared were drawn straight from real combat, making them exceptionally valuable, and He Lingchuan listened with rapt attention. Opportunities to receive guidance from a seasoned veteran were rare. In the end, Hu Min concluded, "You don't need to overthink how to aim or how to exert force. Where the eye lands, the blade and arrow follow—that is true mastery. "Throw daggers or loose arrows a thousand times a day, and you'll gradually get the feel for it." He patted He Lingchuan on the shoulder. "By the way, what are your plans for the future? Panlong City may be safe, but living comfortably here is no easy feat." He Lingchuan had already settled on an answer over a month ago. He replied without hesitation, "I want to join the Gale Army!" If he was going to join, he would join the very best! This was not just about sentiment, curiosity, or passion; he had a deeper reason. Once He Chunhua took up the post of Chief Administrator of Xiazhou, he would have to mobilize troops to support the northern war effort and face off against either the Grand Marshal or the Governor of Xunzhou. He Lingchuan would have plenty of occasions to march to the front lines. Compared to clashes between massive armies, his previous skirmishes with bandits were mere child's play. For his own survival, he needed to adapt to the brutality of war as early as possible and accumulate combat experience without delay. Casualties in a dream could not be brought back to reality. How could he pass up such an immense advantage? Hu Min chuckled. "Fair enough. Tomorrow I'll bring it up with Captain Xiao and see if he can give you a recommendation. But be prepared: the Gale Army isn't easy to get into!" The Gale Army was Panlong City's elite force; its recruits were the cream of the crop. Just as He Lingchuan voiced his thanks, a sudden clanging of gongs echoed from the street outside, followed by someone shouting, "Crossroad announcement! Cross—road—an—nounce—ment!" Hearing that, Hu Min turned to He Lingchuan. "A four-strike gong cadence means the higher-ups have an urgent notice. Let's go listen." Whenever the authorities issued an announcement, notices and bulletins were posted in designated high-traffic areas. However, because many people were illiterate, heralds were assigned to proclaim the message aloud to ensure the government's directives were understood and carried out. There was also a craft to sounding the gong: the denser the strikes, the more urgent the matter. With his sharp hearing, He Lingchuan seemed to catch the sound of distant gongs as well. Clearly, these announcements were being carried out across various intersections, spreading rapidly on a broad scale. What could be so pressing? Drawn by the gong, a crowd gathered swiftly. He Lingchuan accompanied Hu Min across the street, where the herald drew breath deep into his dantian and bellowed at the top of his lungs: "Within three days, Emperor's Flowing Dew will descend from the heavens! By the direct order of Commander Zhong, Panlong City will be under curfew for the next three days! From the hour of Xu to the hour of Yin, all residents must return indoors and remain inside! Violators will be dealt with as rioters, and one finger will be severed! Those who turn in Emperor's Flowing Dew to the Ministry of Merits will be rewarded according to merit!" Like a clockwork bird, the herald loudly repeated this proclamation three times every cup of tea's time, taking breaks in between to answer questions from the commoners. Only after proclaiming for half an hour did he leave the crossroad. The moment He Lingchuan heard the words "Emperor's Flowing Dew," his attention sharpened. The surrounding townsfolk were also whispering among themselves. Their expressions were full of joy and excitement, with little hint of surprise. The only one astonished was He Lingchuan. Turning back with Hu Min, he asked, "How do they know when the Emperor's Flowing Dew will arrive?" "You'd have to ask Commander Zhong that; I haven't the foggiest idea," Hu Min replied, shrugging. "Counting this upcoming descent over the next three days, that makes four times in three years. The forecasts are always accurate, never off by more than two days." Because of that, the commoners were essentially certain the dew would fall within the next three days, and they were all waiting in high spirits. As for the warning in the notice, the penalty sounded severe—a civilian stepping half a foot outside would lose a finger. But having witnessed firsthand how Emperor's Flowing Dew inflamed human greed, He Lingchuan felt it was entirely necessary to lay down harsh rules beforehand. Without precautions, who knew how many bloody feuds and tragedies would erupt in the city? Panlong City faced the constant threat of foreign invasion, so it naturally wanted its soldiers and civilians united as one, with as little internal strife as possible. "The curfew begins at the hour of Xu. Buy your food and drink early, and whatever you do, don't step outside. If you have free time, gather Emperor's Flowing Dew from your roof or trees; turning it in to the Ministry of Merits can be exchanged for merit points," Hu Min said with a grin. "It isn't easy for non-combatant civilians to earn merit, so everyone is overjoyed." He Lingchuan scratched his head. "I'm worried I won't be able to resist drinking it." "You'd better hold yourself back! How could you just drink a treasure like that raw?" Hu Min sighed. "At the very least, refine it into a medicinal powder before taking it. That easily doubles its potency." He Lingchuan's eyes lit up. "Brother, good Brother Hu, you know how to refine it?" "Of course. It's no secret. Panlong City proclaimed the formula for Emperor's Flowing Powder long ago, and more than three or five times at that." Listening to the booming voice out on the street, He Lingchuan found it hard to imagine that such an invaluable formula was so readily accessible in Panlong City, available for any commoner to brew at will. Hu Min could not help laughing. "What's with that look on your face?" "I thought..." He Lingchuan said sheepishly. "Right, there's no way to force everyone to hand it over anyway, so they might as well let people use what they get." The law could not punish a whole crowd. If everyone hoarded it for themselves, Panlong City would never be able to penalize so many civilians. They might as well make the formula public so people could make good use of the treasure rather than waste it. Commoners were the foundation of any city. If their constitutions grew stronger and they fell ill less often, it was an immense boon to Panlong City as well. Hu Min rattled off a string of medicinal herb names off the top of his head, but stopped halfway through. "What is it?" "Aiya, I might as well just take you to see A'luo," Hu Min said, tapping his forehead. "He lives right nearby." "A'luo?" He Lingchuan asked, at a loss. "You forgot? He treated both our wounds before." He Lingchuan remembered at once. Back when his arm was fractured, it was that teammate acting as a medic who had set and splinted it. Having a combat medic like that around greatly improved a squad's endurance on the battlefield. "He's the adopted son of Grand Apothecary Helian Chen from the Elixir Office, and he's learned a great deal of medicine and herbology," Hu Min said, standing up. "The recipe I was reciting is just the standard one for the public. A'luo can tailor a formula to our needs, which will make it even more potent." That sounded even better. Right away, He Lingchuan followed Hu Min deeper into the neighborhood. "A'luo must have earned a lot of military merit, right? And he's the adopted son of the Elixir Office's Grand Apothecary. Why does he still live in a neighborhood and house like this?" The district was packed with low-slung shanties crowded right against one another, dense and dismal to live in. Some rooftops even had patches of different colors sewn over them, likely mended after who knew how many leaks. The only commendable feature was the flat, well-paved main street outside, wide enough for three horse carriages to drive abreast—primarily designed for transport and troop movements during wartime. "A'luo made a mistake once and had to forfeit all his accumulated military merit just to keep his head from rolling. That's why he had to start all over again." Hu Min touched on the matter without elaborating, merely sighing, "Human hearts are treacherous." He Lingchuan looked left and right. The street was now bustling with people coming and going, several times more crowded than when they had arrived by cart earlier. "Are all these people suddenly flooding the street because of Emperor's Flowing Dew?" "Of course. Everyone knows the recipe, so now they're rushing to buy herbs and stockpile them, ready to prepare Emperor's Flowing Dew. Looks like herb prices in the shops will shoot up again. We'd better buy quickly too, or the prices will change three to five times a day." A'luo indeed lived very close; they arrived before Hu Min even grew tired leaning on his crutches. He raised his crutch to knock on the door, but before the tip could touch the wooden board, the door creaked open on its own, and someone stepped right out. The crutch tip nearly jabbed straight into his mouth. Startled, the man jumped backward. Hu Min quickly pulled the crutch back and gave a dry laugh. "Where are you rushing off to?"