"Have a little faith in the National Preceptor." He Lingchuan nudged his chin toward Sun Fuping. "If the venerable National Preceptor himself is risking life and limb, shouldn't you and I show at least a shred of confidence?"
Sun and Nian rode far ahead, separated from He Lingchuan by a wide gap and over a dozen rows of soldiers.
They did not pay the slightest attention to the newly inducted gang of bandits.
Situ Han stared at their backs. "If I speak, can they hear me?"
"Don't worry, definitely not." He Lingchuan could not even remember how many times he had badmouthed those two.
Only then did Situ Han lower his voice. "Those two are truly arrogant. If we run into danger once we enter the desert, I doubt they'll give a damn about our lives. Young Master He, for the sake of every New Year's past, please look out for us brothers. Over thirty of us came out here to earn our bread, and back on Mount Mang, there are more than a hundred women, children, and kin waiting! If we die, they won't even have gruel to eat."
Though he called plundering and murder 'earning a living,' his expression was exceedingly earnest.
Worry was written plain and bare across his face.
"I know," He Lingchuan consoled him. "I'll keep an eye on you lot and make sure they don't send you off to die for nothing."
Once Situ Han walked away, He Chunhua asked his eldest son, "What did he mean by 'for the sake of every New Year's past'?"
"Doesn't he come to pay us New Year's greetings every year?" More importantly, every New Year, Situ Han prepared a handsome gift specifically for Young Master He. For instance, last year he had given He Lingchuan a necklace of luminous pearls—each bead nearly identical in size, lustrous and round.
Yes, the very necklace He Lingchuan had passed along to Uncle Hao.
What about the year before that? Hmm, he couldn't recall.
Naturally, there was no need to bother his old man with such trivial matters.
He Chunhua shook his head at him. Reckless as the brat was, he never hesitated to accept bribes and gifts.
***
Blackwater City, the He Residence.
Even though only two people were left at home, Madam Ying had instructed the kitchen to prepare an elaborate meal. Seven dishes were laid upon the table, making the feast even richer than usual.
Yet she had little appetite. After sipping half a bowl of millet porridge and taking merely two bites of the steamed roll He Yue placed in her bowl, she set down her chopsticks.
"Yue'er, where do you reckon your father has reached by now?" He Chunhua's departure felt as though it had taken her soul with it. Madam Ying had been unable to sleep at night, and even her delicate makeup could not conceal her haggard look.
"He should have passed a few courier stations by now," He Yue comforted her. "Zeng Feixiong knows the desert well, and with Grand National Preceptor Sun overseeing everything, Father and Elder Brother are certain to return before the wild sand season arrives."
Madam Ying sighed. "Everyone calls your elder brother a lucky charm of a general. This time, he'll truly need good fortune."
He Yue found her words curious. It seemed his mother did not blame their father for taking his elder brother along.
Madam Ying then asked about the administrative affairs of Qiansong Commandery, and He Yue assured her that he could handle them.
Finally, she asked, "Still no word from the east?"
"None. Floods have blocked the roads, and fierce fighting is raging in the east. The rebels behead any spies or scouts they catch, so couriers don't dare travel that way."
In truth, even without his father's repeated reminders, he would have kept a close eye on intelligence from the east.
Unfortunately, there was still complete silence.
***
By the following day, yellow sands stretched endlessly in every direction—above, below, left, right, before, and behind. Not a single living creature could be seen.
This short stretch of Red Cliff Road led toward the former Panlong Ancient City, a route no merchant caravan would ever take.
Everyone cherished every single step, knowing full well that this smooth, easy road was coming to an end.
"The road ends here!" came a shout from the front of the column.
The He father and son gazed eastward. They could still make out the massive base of a half-shattered peak sloping upward, jutting into the sky like a dagger.
As for the upper half, it had collapsed with a thunderous crash nearly a century ago, crashing directly onto the Red Cliff Road where the expedition was supposed to travel.
Boundless rocks and rubble had turned it into a dead end.
Zeng Feixiong murmured, "I wonder if this is Heaven's will." Perhaps it meant to ensure the heroic spirits slumbering within the city would not be disturbed by later generations.
"What's with all this wishful thinking?" Nian Songyu scoffed and ordered the men, "Dismount, everyone. We need to lighten our loads."
With no road ahead, the horses were of no further use. Each man packed five days' worth of dry rations and water, handing the horses over to several military cooks.
Situ Han stared at the boundless desert.
The undulating dunes were clean and pristine, without a single footprint upon them.
"How do we go from here? Take one step off Red Cliff Road, and we'll all be devoured!"
"Of course you won't. Shouldn't you sand bandits know best?" Nian Songyu's retort shut him right up.
Situ Han looked sheepish. Having spent over half their lives eking out a living in the Panlong Desert, they knew its taboos better than anyone and had their own tricks and techniques.
Nian Songyu pointed toward the desert. "You tell us: with no Red Cliff Road, how should we proceed? Surely you have some experience."
"First, your honors must put away your State Tokens. Under no circumstances should you show them, and certainly do not activate them!" Most of the people here were government officials.
Nian Songyu murmured an "oh" and asked, "Why?"
"When the heroic spirits in the desert were alive, they fought to defend their homeland's borders. If we march in bearing the State Tokens of another country, aren't we deliberately waving banners to draw their wrath? Those things are single-minded. If we can avoid them, avoid them; under no circumstances should we provoke them!"
It made sense. Sun Fuping instructed the officials, "Stow your Yuan coins. Do not display them."
Then Situ Han added, "Are we heading for Panlong Ancient City? The distance is vast, and walking on foot is impossible. I have no solution for that."
When sand bandits plunged into the desert, it was mostly to escape pursuit or blood feuds—a temporary measure born of desperation. No one in their right mind would trek through such a death trap on foot; that would be asking for an early grave.
"Which is why we must switch to a different mode of transport." Sun Fuping drew three objects from his robes.
They were three miniature carved boats, each about an inch long, crafted from halved walnuts with exquisite skill. Not only was the grain of the wood on the gunwales clearly defined, but even the folds in the boatman's garments and his drifting strands of hair were carved with meticulous precision.
The craftsmanship alone was of master quality.
"These are treasures I borrowed from a friend. They must be returned once we're done. Alright, step back, everyone!" With that, Sun Fuping produced three translucent azure pills, placed them into the raised right hands of the carved boatmen, and tossed the three walnut boats onto the sand.
Nian Songyu gasped in a low voice, "Profound crystals!"
The azure pills were the size of quail eggs, looking heavy enough to crush the walnut boats upon impact. Yet reality proved otherwise. The moment the pills touched the boatmen's hands, they vanished, and the tiny vessels began to vibrate strangely, as if something inside was about to burst forth.
No one was foolish; they had already retreated beforehand.
Sure enough, the walnut boats expanded at an astonishing rate, multiplying in size. In just two breaths, what had been one-inch toys transformed into wooden ships over five zhang long and a zhang tall!
They rested upon the yellow sand, perfectly scaled-up replicas of the original walnut boats. The boatmen standing at the bows had likewise grown to human size. Stepping forward, they lowered the gangplanks so the passengers could board.
Chapter 25