He Lingchuan snapped his eyes open and sat up with a start.
He was inside a carriage. The space was cramped. Spread across the low table before him was an unfinished game of chess, while on the opposite wall was a small stain. At his feet, a mountain-layered censer smoldered leisurely, wafting soothing incense.
He was back in reality.
He Lingchuan instinctively touched his own neck; both hands were slick with cold sweat.
Intact and unharmed.
He drew a long, deep breath. It was truly good to be alive.
This was his third experience of dying. The sensation of an icy blade slicing through his windpipe lingered stubbornly—and he had done it with his own hands, no less.
There was only one flaw with the Panlong dreamscape: it was too real.
How long would it take him this time to crawl out from beneath the shadow of death?
He Lingchuan thought optimistically: if one died enough times, would one eventually go numb to it?
He lifted the carriage curtain, and the whistling howl of the wind instantly grew distinct.
Ah, right. His father had been in such a hurry that they missed their lodging for the night, leaving the Auxiliary Army with no choice but to march on through an unexpected blizzard. He Yue had sought out Sun Hongye—the aide He Lingchuan had recently taken on—to pass the time over a game of chess, and He Lingchuan had joined them in the carriage to watch, only to "accidentally" fall asleep.
There was nothing he could do about it. The wind outside had sounded far too soothing, and the two of them were playing far too dull a game.
The curtain was parted, and Sun Hongye poked his head in.
"Oh? Eldest Young Master, you're awake?"
He Lingchuan yawned. "Why did you two run off halfway through the game?"
Sun Hongye cleared his throat softly. "The Second Young Master said it was best not to disturb your rest." The reality was quite the opposite: He Lingchuan's snores had been like thunder, so deafening they couldn't even focus on placing their stones.
"Come up and talk." He Lingchuan grabbed a cup and took two sips of cold tea. "I am absolutely exhausted!"
No one had any idea that while he appeared to sleep quietly here, his consciousness had ventured into the Panlong Wasteland, living through a ferocious battle and dying once more—a lingering dread still gripping his heart even now.
He had just endured a harrowing ordeal, yet the world knew nothing of it.
"Earlier, I thought I heard you say that the two generals, including Ke Jihai, breached Woling Pass using your battle strategy?" And after that, he had dozed off.
"Yes. It was I who presented the strategy to Lord Censor. He was overjoyed and entered the palace overnight, submitting the plan to the King in its entirety." At that time, Sun Hongye had served as a study companion in the household of Censor-in-Chief He Liwen, making it no difficult task to see Lord He.
"I've heard the tale of the two generals taking Woling Pass; even the street storytellers talk about it, but your name doesn't appear anywhere in it." He Lingchuan gave an understanding 'oh.' "Did that old man He have the gall to claim he came up with the strategy himself?"
"No, not quite."
It seemed Lord He still had some shred of shame.
"Lord He memorialized that his third son, He Jing, had been so troubled by state affairs that he tossed and turned for over two months before devising the plan." Sun Hongye smiled bitterly. "Afterward, the King rewarded He Jing lavishly."
He Lingchuan couldn't help but chuckle. "Stealing credit to bestow upon one's own kin—that's an old trick among officials. Nothing new under the sun, nothing new at all!"
"It was my own indiscretion. I couldn't hold back my resentment, and when word reached Lord He's ears, he expelled me from the He household."
The tea had long gone cold, and there was no charcoal in the carriage. He Lingchuan gripped the pot and channeled his true power; moments later, steam began to rise from the spout.
Then, he poured Sun Hongye a cup of hot tea with his own hands. "Back at Luming Garden, the He family's second son, He Su, spoke insolently to Zhu Xiu'er and me. The trouble with your carriage on the way down the mountain was almost certainly his doing as well. I originally intended to teach him a lesson, but then I thought, why not save that opportunity for you?"
Sun Hongye's expression shifted slightly.
Had it been anyone else, they would only have urged him to let it go. What right did a mere commoner have to challenge a high-ranking court official?
He Lingchuan continued, "Don't sell yourself short. Just look at the state of the He family's second and third sons—it's plain to see their clan's fortunes are waning. Stick with me in the north for a few years, and your chance will come before you know it."
Sun Hongye pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "Very well!"
He looked forward to demonstrating his full potential alongside the He family in the north.
"By the way, earlier we spotted lights across the opposite mountain; it might be a village or town. Master He has already sent scouts ahead to investigate," Sun Hongye said with a smile. "Madam Ying had quite a few complaints about it."
He Lingchuan poured himself a cup of hot tea as well and drank it to warm his stomach. "She was terrified by the bandits at Xianling Lake. Now she thinks every village under heaven harbors evil designs against us."
"Hunger and cold breed thieves; the madam's concern is not unfounded." Sun Hongye lifted the curtain and looked toward the mountain shrouded in night. Sure enough, pinpricks of light flickered ahead, looking especially welcoming through the snow. "Still, our troops are strong and our horses well-fed. Petty cutthroats wouldn't dare lay a finger on us."
He Lingchuan said lazily, "What bandits are there to fear? Our own entourage comes with bandits."
Wu Shaoyi and the several hundred subordinates who had surrendered with him had already been incorporated into He Chunhua's Auxiliary Army, even if they had not yet been issued military uniforms.
Sun Hongye's expression turned grave. "The Second Young Master told me about the battle at Xianling Village. You stayed behind to cover the rear, which showed courage. You survived falling off a cliff, which showed fortune. And you seized the opportunity to subdue the crocodile demon and Wu Shaoyi, which showed wisdom. Blessed with wisdom, courage, and fortune alike, you are far from as simple as you seem on the surface."
"Do I look that simple on the surface?" He Lingchuan rolled his eyes. "Keep the flattery coming. Maybe I'll give you a raise."
"Eldest Young Master, you affect cynicism yet harbor no vices; you are meticulous in thought yet never indecisive. You possess the very makings of a commander most needed for warfare in the north," Sun Hongye said with a smile. "If Master He possesses discerning eyes, he will surely entrust you with great responsibility."
Hoofbeats suddenly rang out not far ahead.
He Lingchuan parted the curtain and saw a lone rider galloping down the opposite mountain road, merging into the vanguard of the Auxiliary Army.
From the looks of it, the scout sent to reconnoiter the path had returned.
Sure enough, before long, officers rode back and forth relaying orders, telling the troops to stay sharp and prepare for emergencies.
He Lingchuan reached out and stopped one of them. "What happened up ahead?"
"A massacred village," the officer replied. "Seventy or eighty men and women have been slaughtered in the village ahead. The killers didn't even spare young children."
"Bandits raiding a village again?" The public order in Great Yuan really was atrocious.
"It doesn't look like wounds from bladed weapons. Master He ordered us to press forward, but to remain prepared for battle."
The wind and snow were growing heavier, and the Auxiliary Army desperately needed a place to rest. Although an ominous village lay ahead, once they passed it, there was no telling how far it would be to the next inn or shelter.
Marching through a blizzard was even more hazardous than a forced march on a rainy night.
Besides, He Chunhua now had several hundred soldiers under his command; even out in the desolate wilderness, what force could truly pose a threat to him?
Thus, the entire army continued forward according to plan.
With an incident ahead, He Lingchuan could hardly justify lazing in the carriage any longer. Mounting a horse, he rode toward the vanguard to find his father.
Half an hour later, the Auxiliary Army reached the village nestled on the mountainside.
This village was even smaller than Xianling Village. It had several dozen buildings in all, including dwellings, woodsheds, pens, and storehouses, and lamps were lit inside most of the houses.
Bloodstains marked both the ground and the walls.
He Lingchuan saw no corpses, but he did see drag marks trailing across the ground.
Chapter 201