Though the old woman's home was as messy as a garbage heap, her memory was astonishingly sharp; only she could rummage out whichever item had been stuffed into whichever nook or cranny.
Before long, the large black-and-white jars were found—there were as many as eight of them. He Lingchuan opened them carefully to inspect them, then broke into a relieved smile.
"Excellent, no moisture." He immediately stowed them into his storage ring.
At times like this, the advantage of having a massive storage space truly showed.
Shan Youjun took out a silver ingot and handed it to the old man. "Let's go."
***
Northwest of Bailu Town, an abandoned mine pit.
This had been a low-grade deposit of meager scale, mined for only a dozen-odd years. The mine shaft had long since become a large water pool, its shimmering green surface home to fish, while the ramshackle huts once occupied by the miners now had new masters.
In the woodland, a large herd of warhorses grazed on grass, while sentries stood guard around the pit. Inside a dilapidated hut, a military physician was administering emergency treatment to Baili Qing.
After having his arm severed by He Lingchuan, he had continued to command the battle and withdrawal; by the time the reinforcements rescued him, he had lost too much blood and lapsed into a stupor.
Vice Commandant Xu Yingxian, dispatched by Hong Chenglüe as reinforcements, was reporting that their troops had crossed the river on their return, using the water to shake off the "tail" dogging their footsteps.
The other three generals were also in the room. One of them, named Tao Ze, asked Hong Chenglüe, "General, what are our plans moving forward?"
Hong Chenglüe wore a grim expression.
Their roving cavalry had not been numerous to begin with, and he had split them into two detachments, taking a dangerous gamble with surprise raids in mind. He had personally led the assault on Bailu Town and succeeded, but Xinhuang had suffered a defeat, costing them two hundred men.
For the Xunzhou cavalry operating behind enemy lines, this was a heavy loss. Worse yet, there were numerous wounded, and medical supplies and hands for nursing were far from adequate. Among the men Baili Qing had brought back, two had just succumbed to their severe injuries.
"What else is there to plan? Naturally, we seize the moment while the Xiazhou troops' morale is shaken to burn the remaining half of their grain, leaving Zhao Pan's army with nothing to eat but the cold wind!" Another general slapped his thigh hard. "Who would have thought even the Chief Administrator of Xiazhou would come? Cut off the snake's head, capture the ringleader to catch the band of bas—bastards!"
"Right! As long as we off the Chief Administrator of Xiazhou, all of northern Yuan will be thrown into chaos! With any luck, Zhao Pan's grand army will collapse without even fighting! General Hong, you'll be leading us to achieve glorious merit!"
Though Baili Qing was unconscious, his personal guards had already recounted the events of the ambush at Xinhuang.
Tao Ze immediately poured cold water on them. "We just lost two hundred men! With the meager hands we have left, you want to kill the Chief Administrator of Xiazhou? General Baili initiated an ambush at Xinhuang Town, yet ended up heavily wounded and beaten back. How do you and I compare to General Baili?"
The other two choked, though their expressions remained defiant. "Don't we still have General Hong?"
Could some obscure Chief Administrator of Xiazhou possibly match the long-renowned Senior General Hong?
"Quiet down." Seeing Baili Qing knit his brows even in his stupor, Hong Chenglüe told them to lower their voices. "The Chief Administrator of Xiazhou wasn't blown to pieces; whether that was luck or vigilance, we don't know." Hong had set that trap with his own hands, yet He Chunhua had dodged it. "The ones blown to death in the tavern were his subordinates, which means that man surnamed He most likely never revealed his true identity openly."
Otherwise, for a routine social engagement like a dinner hosted by the county magistrate, what reason would He Chunhua have had not to attend?
The general wondered aloud, "Would the head of an entire prefecture sneak northward behind a grain transport convoy like a thief in the night?"
"He has his ways. Ever since taking office in Xiazhou Prefecture, he has kept a high profile. I heard he brought Dunyu's four great clans thoroughly to heel; when he wants money, they give money, and when he wants grain, they give grain. Otherwise, Zhao Pan couldn't have fought those two victorious battles recently." While living as a commoner in Bailu Town, Hong Chenglüe had instinctively gathered intelligence. "I heard he was originally a minor official on the western borders of Yuan who racked up military exploits one after another later on. If we don't figure out this man's temperament, our subsequent battles will be hard to fight."
Just then, a sentry from outside dashed in to report:
"Report! Something in the sky!"
Everyone went outside to look. A black dot in the sky was growing larger and larger, heading straight for the mine pit.
Hong Chenglüe took one look and said, "Dong Rui is back."
A general beside him could not help sneering, "Look at him boasting and swaggering all day, walking around with his nose in the air. General Hong sent him to help General Baili, and he comes back thoroughly routed as well!"
The strange bird soon landed by the edge of the pit, and the man fell silent.
Dong Rui jumped down from the bird's back. The bystanders saw that cloth strips were wrapped around his palms and he was clutching a monkey in his arms. His clothes were soaked in blood, and the monkey lay with eyes closed, barely breathing.
He looked in a sorry state, appearing scarcely better off than Baili Qing.
This man was a wanted criminal granted amnesty by National Preceptor Shuangye, serving as a guest advisor during the Xunzhou cavalry's campaign. Hong Chenglüe still maintained courtesy toward him, stepping forward to ask, "Are your wounds severe? Shall I summon the military physician?"
He had heard from Baili Qing's men who escaped back that the monkey Dong Rui kept with him could transform into a giant ape of immense strength, unafraid even of an army.
Upon hearing that, Hong Chenglüe had understood where this "guest advisor's" value lay.
"You can't treat its injuries." Dong Rui's face was livid. "My life-saving spiritual medicine was snatched away. Where is the Ghosthead Ginseng you promised me? Hand it over, quickly!"
His tone was utterly abrasive, but Hong Chenglüe did not make an issue of it. After hesitating a moment, Hong stepped inside the hut and said to the physician tending to Baili Qing, "Bring me the remaining Ghosthead Ginseng."
The physician started, then located a jade box among the medicines on the table and handed it over.
Hong Chenglüe opened the box. Lying inside was half a green-skinned ginseng root. The head of the root looked entirely like a wailing malevolent spirit, its expression vivid and lifelike down to the finest creases.
Yet although crowned with the name "ginseng," this thing was not true ginseng at all, but a mutated strain of monkshood. It could alter its toxicity depending on the nutrients it absorbed and its surrounding environment.
Only the upper half of the Ghosthead Ginseng remained in the box—from above its "mouth" upward. Consequently, its expression was far less ferocious.
Dong Rui followed him inside, and at the sight, scowled in displeasure. "Half a root? This violates our agreement!"
"Human lives hung in the balance. Earlier, many soldiers returned from Xinhuang gravely wounded and on the brink of death, so I authorized the physician to use it to save them first." Knowing his side was in the wrong, Hong Chenglüe said mildly, "Take this half for now. Once we return to Xunzhou, I will submit a request to my superiors to grant you another root."
"Another root?" Dong Rui gave an angry laugh. "Are you mocking me? Do you have any idea how difficult Ghosthead Ginseng is to obtain?"
To cultivate Ghosthead Ginseng, one had to plant a spirit-awakened monkshood herb into the belly of a powerful demon or Daoist cultivator—and it had to be planted alive.
A spirit-awakened monkshood herb had to possess substantial age, but an aged monkshood herb would not necessarily awaken a spirit. That was the first hurdle.
A spirit-awakened monkshood herb could absorb nourishment not only from soil, but also extract essence from flesh and blood.
Cultivated like this for seven months—perhaps requiring one or two changes of vessels—the "ghost head" would finally form. Only then would it possess the dual virtue of extreme toxicity and supreme replenishment, acting like an invigorating shot and a restorative pill. Handled properly, it could drag an injured person straight back from the brink of death.
Hong Chenglüe smiled faintly. "Marshal Nian or the Beijia Kingdom will have ways."
Under normal circumstances, Dong Rui would have swept his sleeves and walked away without uttering another word.
Yet right now the ghost ape's injuries were critical. Dong Rui had no leisure to bicker with him; snatching the precious root, he picked another derelict hut and set about preparing medicine on the spot.
Ghosthead Ginseng could not be consumed directly; he had to strip away most of its toxicity first.
Hong Chenglüe followed him inside. Watching the demon puppet master work with smooth, flowing precision—hurried yet unflustered—his medical skill appeared far superior to that of the unit's physician.
Crafting demon puppets inevitably entailed dealing with living flesh and biological bodies, handling drugs and wielding blades; it would be stranger if he weren't skilled at it.
"Who wounded the ghost ape so severely?" Hong Chenglüe wished to hear firsthand combat intelligence.
Without looking up, Dong Rui squeezed a few words through his teeth: "The He father and son!" He then recounted the battle that had just transpired. "I have an old grudge with them."
Hong Chenglüe's interest was piqued immediately. "How so?"
Dong Rui briefly described the failed ambush at Luming Garden in Shihuan City, then added venomously, "Had they not interfered, Ke Jihai would have died long ago."
If Ke Jihai had died, the Yuan Kingdom would have lost one of the few generals capable of holding back the Grand Marshal.
Hong Chenglüe asked, "You went specifically to kill Ke Jihai?"
"...And He Chunhua." Dong Rui shot him a glance. "They were in carriages right behind one another anyway, so I figured I might as well finish them both off."
He had committed the grave error of biting off more than he could chew.
"It sounds like they possess quite a few handy magic artifacts and have capable hands by their side." Hong Chenglüe asked him, "Do you have any more information regarding this father and son?"
"I do. Sun Fuping died at his hands."
Hong Chenglüe was visibly moved. "What? Yuan's National Preceptor Sun was killed by him?"
"Yes. Supposedly it happened in the Panlong Desert, though nobody knows the true details. At any rate, Sun Fuping and Nian Zanli's son, Nian Songyu, tricked the father and son into dispatching troops into Panlong Ancient City to seek treasure. In the end, no treasure was found, neither of the two made it out, and only the He father and son returned alive—during the gale season in the Panlong Desert. It's said that in that season, no living thing walks out of the Panlong Desert."
Hong Chenglüe frowned. "How could you underestimate a figure like that?"
Dong Rui gave a light cough. "He Chunhua's cultivation isn't particularly formidable. I assumed that a man like him taking down National Preceptor Sun Fuping was mostly down to luck. I was careless."
"By the way, his entire clan was executed by the old emperor."
"Which old emperor?" To Hong Chenglüe, this intelligence was of vital importance.
"The father of the current Yuan emperor." Dong Rui wiped the blood from his hands with a cloth. "Word is he fell for slanderous rumors and wiped out the entire He household, sparing not even a six-year-old child. Only He Chunhua, away from home on his own, escaped death. The old emperor didn't pursue him further either, but banished him to a remote frontier town."
"Cutting the grass without pulling up the roots usually stems from a guilty conscience." Hong Chenglüe chuckled. "And yet, after all that, He Chunhua is still willing to serve as an official in the Yuan Kingdom?"
"What else could he do?" Dong Rui said dismissively. "What better path was open to him?"
Hong Chenglüe shook his head. "The Yuan Kingdom was founded a mere sixty years ago; its people's loyalty and traditions cannot compare to an ancient, storied realm like Beijia. How much loyalty to the monarch could there possibly be here? Hmm—"
He fell into contemplation. "He Chunhua bears the bloody vengeance of his entire slaughtered clan, yet is willing to risk his life for the Yuan Kingdom. This man must be calculating and deep-scheming, one who cares deeply for profit and fame."
Chapter 267