He Lingchuan could not help but notice that her features were deeply set, her nose prominent, and her cheekbones slightly higher than those of typical women. Her face had a striking, sculpted refinement, yet it had nothing in common with delicate, demure, or gentle classic beauties.
He then recounted what he had seen and heard after tumbling into the spider cavern, deliberately leaving out the part where he had slit his own throat.
Sun Fuling said nothing the entire time, listening intently. Only after he paused did she say, "The legends of Zhu Erniang go back ages—who would have thought they were true? Judging by that, it must have been a demon immortal in ancient times."
"A demon immortal?" He Lingchuan thought about it and found it made sense. "True enough. A human who achieves immortality is called an immortal, so a demon who achieves immortality would naturally be called a demon immortal."
"Yet now it is bound by the mountain spirit. Or at least, it originally had a covenant with the mountain spirit not to harm passing humans." Sun Fuling sounded somewhat wistful. "A former demon immortal, now brought down to this."
"Are you that interested in ancient immortals?" The woman could barely even afford food.
"I'm just a little nostalgic, that's all." Sun Fuling took up a pair of fire tongs and poked at the firewood in the hearth. "There were so many immortals and divine arts in ancient times. Had we been born back then, we could have soared on clouds and mist, flying far out of this cage."
"Cage?" He Lingchuan picked up on her underlying meaning. "All these years, Panlong City has stood as solid as bedrock, and mighty figures like General Red have emerged here. Do you not hold much hope for it? The Panlong Wasteland is vast, after all—larger than some tiny sovereign states."
"Other small kingdoms aren't trapped in such dire straits as Panlong City, where every single day is a desperate struggle to survive." Sun Fuling rested her chin on her hand. "Baling and Xianyou have been dead set on conquering the Panlong Wasteland for over a decade without giving up. If only they could live in peace with Panlong City, how wonderful that would be."
"This wasteland is the corridor leading east to Xiluo Kingdom and northeast to Lu Lake. Without taking this place, Baling and Xianyou have no way to expand eastward." He Lingchuan dipped a finger into the rainwater vat and casually sketched a map on the table. "Lu Lake lies on the upper reaches of the Hongchuan River. If you take a boat eastward from there, you can reach the sea."
"Then why do they insist on expanding in the first place?"
That stumped He Lingchuan.
Though the world was never truly at peace, a nation's reasons for expansion were usually concrete and pragmatic. "Do you know, Miss Sun?"
"They themselves are being continually eroded by the northern demon kingdom. Despite a few counterattacks, they've lost far more battles than they've won." Sun Fuling also dipped her fingers in water and continued drawing on He Lingchuan's map. "Take Baling Kingdom. Four years ago, it lost the Honghetai plateau, and with it their most vital source of copper and iron ore. Some of their armies couldn't even replace their rusted weapons. How could they go on like that in the long run?"
He Lingchuan looked at her in surprise. "Their land was taken by the demon kingdom, so they came to take ours?" He had never heard of these historical events in any plays or storybooks, and local historical archives didn't even record them.
At this thought, an idea struck him. Among Sun Fuping's personal effects had been a journal, which He Chunhua had taken for himself. He hadn't let either of his sons see it, claiming it contained too many heretical practices and mostly detailed Sun Fuping's methods for locating the Dafang Pot. But could there be a chance it also contained specific historical records of Panlong City's past?
"Who told Xiluo Kingdom to be weaker?" Sun Fuling sighed. "The weak don't receive sympathy; they only get invaded."
"Four years ago, Baling Kingdom was defeated in the Battle of Honghetai. The old National Preceptor Qian Hang stepped down in disgrace, and Shao Yan took over as the new National Preceptor," she continued. "Baling has three National Preceptors, and as the newcomer, Shao Yan needed time to secure his footing. In recent years, the fighting between Baling and Panlong City had grown stagnant and dull—after all, a tug-of-war lasting over a decade would exhaust even men of iron. Shao Yan most likely assumed Panlong City's defenses had grown lax, which is why he suddenly dispatched Shao Yingyang to lead a massive army south on a raid."
He Lingchuan stared at her. "How do you know all this?" She was a woman who couldn't even get enough to eat, after all.
"Whenever lectures are held at the Hall of Immortal Inquiries, I always attend. Beyond analyses of current affairs, there are also commentaries by prominent scholars, which offer plenty of food for thought." Sun Fuling smiled. "Besides, I frequently borrow books from the archives."
He Lingchuan paused, then beamed with delight. "There are archives here?!"
"Of course there are. Right next to the Tizhen Office where you people often go. I've even stood on the upper floor of the archives and fed Master Zhang."
"Master Zhang..." The octopus demon that tested people's natural talents? That thing didn't seem to be a vegetarian. "You have extra food to feed it?"
"I'm not always this poor." Sun Fuling's smile faded. "Payday is five days away. Now that I don't have to pay off my brother's debts, I'll be fine once I get through these next few days."
"What kind of work do you do, Miss Sun?"
Sun Fuling lifted her chin slightly. "I teach at Shumin Academy."
"So you are a mistress at an official academy! Pardon my lack of respect." Shumin Academy was quite renowned; He Lingchuan had heard his eastern neighbor berating a child, saying that someone else's child had managed to enter Shumin Academy, bringing honor to their ancestors. It was named after the mountain where it originated. Originally a village school once called Shumin Xiang, it was said that last year Zhong Shengguang personally inscribed the name 'Shumin Academy', officially renaming it.
This single detail revealed the tremendous shift in Zhong Shengguang's mindset.
He was getting sidetracked.
In truth, Panlong City was likely much like anywhere else, filled with private tutors and clan academies, while Shumin Academy was an outright official school. Not just any family's scion could attend, and money alone was not enough to get in.
Likewise, securing a teaching post at a prestigious academy was no easy feat. Sun Jiayuan's sister was definitely capable.
As a regular, official instructor at Shumin Academy, Sun Fuling earned a salary that, if not significantly higher than that of ordinary residents, was at least more than enough to support herself.
"You are too polite." Sun Fuling tilted her head in return.
The water came to a boil, and He Lingchuan poured a cup for her. "No wonder you are so knowledgeable. If I run into things I don't understand in the future, I'll have to come consult you often."
"Very well." Sun Fuling took the cup but did not drink, using it to warm her hands instead. "Willow mentioned that you only recently moved to Panlong City and aren't familiar with the place. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can ask me directly." With that, she rose to take her leave. "It's late, so I won't disturb you any longer. Get some rest early."
She left He Lingchuan's small courtyard, pulling the door shut behind her.
*This Miss Sun walks awfully fast. Does she usually have to sprint to catch the academy bell?* He Lingchuan picked up the cup of hot water she had left untouched and drank it down in one gulp.
***
Once the Auxiliary Army and the forces of Songyang Mansion merged, the combined force became even more massive. Blessed by origin power, what demons or bandits would dare block their path? The remainder of the journey was exceptionally peaceful.
The following day, the Auxiliary Army arrived in Ru County, merely a stone's throw from the border of Xiazhou.
Unable to sit idle, He Chunhua took the opportunity to clean out two nests of troublesome demons and bandits along the march.
Having followed him all the way from Blackwater City to this point and endured numerous battles, the Auxiliary Army's morale and demeanor were completely transformed compared to when they had set out. Because of a natural barrier like the Panlong Desert, the border had actually been quite peaceful in recent years. The Blackwater City troops' regular duties had mostly consisted of fighting sand bandits and patrolling the Red Cliff Road, leaving little opportunity for formal combat.
Yet an army was like a weapon: the more it was honed, the sharper it became.
Although to He Lingchuan's eyes this force was not only incomparable to the Gale Army, but even fell far short of the Panlong City Patrol Guard, Mozhe Jingxuan and Wu Shaoyi now held it in very high regard. Their exact words were, "It can stand against the imperial army without being outmatched; it's merely a pity the numbers are a bit small."
He Lingchuan did not think they were purely flattering him. Traveling thousands of li by water and land, he had witnessed firsthand how neglected Great Yuan's military readiness was and how slack its discipline had become.
As his experience broadened, he noticed that even regular troops—whether local or central imperial forces—possessed combat prowess that left much to be desired.
No wonder that when Hong Xiangqian led a band of peasant rebels back then, he had routed the imperial troops time after time and even captured Woling Pass, putting Shihuan City and the royal capital in repeated jeopardy.
It takes more than one cold day for a river to freeze three feet deep.
Successive victories in subduing bandits and demons naturally raised morale, but He Chunhua's mood did not improve in the slightest. Judging from the deteriorating conditions along the route the farther north they traveled, the plight of the common people, the rampaging demons, and the rampant bandits within Xiazhou were likely far more severe than in the south!
From now on, that would be his territory.
With so many troubles plaguing his own backyard, what administrator could possibly be happy?
On that day, the army reached Ru County and halted to replenish supplies. Traveling north from here, Dunyu, the regional capital, could be reached in under thirty hours.
With their arduous long march finally nearing its destination, Madam Ying was in high spirits. Washing away the travel dust at the post station, she changed into a splendid brocade gown and touched up her makeup. Finding herself radiant before the mirror, she finally stepped out.
Yet in the lounge, there were only her two sons, a monkey, and two wolves warming themselves around the fire. Her husband was nowhere to be seen.
In just that short span—she had taken less than two hours to bathe and dress!
Madam Ying's expression instantly shifted from sunny to overcast. "Where is your father? Don't tell me he went off to find the Marquis of Songyang again!"
He Chunhua had never talked much about official matters with his wife, yet all the way north he had chatted endlessly and delightfully with the Marquis of Songyang, as if regretting they had not met sooner. Madam Ying was furious, but everything her husband discussed with the woman was proper business—either the northern situation or cooperation between the He family and Songyang Mansion—so she could say nothing.
Whenever the conversation hit a high note and He Chunhua burst into hearty laughter, Madam Ying's teeth itched with rage. Two days ago, her husband had even sent someone over to give that woman silver-charcoal—how utterly thoughtful!
When a man and a woman hit it off better and better in conversation, wouldn't it end with them clapping their hands in bed as a matter of course?
Her voice had spiked abruptly, startling He Yue. He Lingchuan said languidly, "Rest easy, Mother. The old man went to the county magistrate's office on official business."
Madam Ying looked dubious. "Truly?"
"It's true," He Yue chimed in. "Father left with a stern, grim face."
Madam Ying looked slightly sheepish. "Is that so?"
As long as her husband hadn't gone off to chase a woman, it was fine.
He Lingchuan rested his long legs on the low table. "Right now, all that's on Father's mind is reorganizing administrative and military affairs."
Of course, he only spoke half the truth. Wandering romantic thoughts and serious affairs didn't conflict with each other in the least; men had always had two heads.
In those earlier skirmishes against demons and bandits, He Chunhua had treated them as combat drills, dispatching several commanders to lead troops in turns. Even He Yue had enjoyed taking a turn, leaving He Lingchuan alone resting comfortably from start to finish.
He had wanted to fight too, but He Chunhua had patted his shoulder with a smile: "Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?"
When had he become his father's ox-cleaver?
"Actually, Mother, the one person you least need to worry about is the Marquis of Songyang."
Chapter 208