Wen Daolun's skill in deduction was by no means low. That meant he had been on edge for an entire year... What astonished He Lingchuan, however, was the hidden meaning in General Red's words, subtly implying that this was Wen Daolun's own choice, given his "composed" attitude.
Could it be that Wen Daolun had voluntarily given up the chance to use the Dafang Pot to save his son?
How could that be possible?
Just then, another Gale Army soldier hurried over and reported in a low voice, "General, the old woman named Ji has died of exhaustion and frailty."
"The ferry whelps and their human mother sustain each other; harm to one brings ruin to all," General Red remarked, showing no surprise. "Did she say anything else before she died?"
"She said attacking Mr. Wen was the will of the heavenly gods, that she was merely acting in accordance with the mandate of heaven. She showed no remorse whatsoever, cursing relentlessly until she burst into wild laughter and died." Old Woman Ji had not only cursed Commander Zhong and General Red, but had also cursed everyone in Panlong City for being blind and foolish, oblivious even when death was upon them.
The foul language spewing from her mouth had been utterly vile, targeting below the belt with every breath; how could the soldier dare to relay it verbatim?
Though both were human mothers who had carried ghost fetuses, Sister-in-law Ji and Yun Gu had vastly different temperaments.
General Red paid no heed to any of that, merely saying, "So this ferry mother's target was Wen Daolun all along, and the attacks on the others were nothing but a diversion. It seems Yun Gu truly was the greatest variable, forcing them to downgrade their plan."
"Yun Gu?" That seemingly insignificant pregnant mother was brought up again by General Red. He Lingchuan racked his brain. "By variable, do you mean... her premature delivery?"
In the final moments of her life, Yun Gu had wept and repented, saying that the early birth of the "children" had enraged the gods, who rebuked her.
If the ghost whelps had been born on schedule, what would have happened?
"This entire plan was centered around the tormentor. After all, the chances of birthing such a monstrosity are slim, something even the heavenly gods cannot control. Once a tormentor is born into this world, they must make the most of it." She paused briefly. "If Yun Gu had given birth a few days later, when the Xianyou army invaded White Crane Ridge, I would have certainly led troops to face them. At that point, the city's defenses would have been empty. The tormentor born from Yun Gu could have nested in the city, devouring thousands upon thousands of living people in a short period, growing into a malignant tumor that Panlong City couldn't purge overnight."
He Lingchuan immediately recalled the flesh-and-blood fortress in the Demon Nest Swamp, where the Jiana tribe had failed to destroy the tormentor in time, only for it to grow rapidly and wipe out their entire clan within days.
That showed just how terrifying a ravenously feeding tormentor was. Moreover, the population of Panlong City vastly exceeded that of the Jiana tribe. Once the tormentor built its nest, would not the power it gained from devouring people soar through the heavens?
General Red continued slowly, "As for Old Woman Ji, she was likely kept in reserve. Although she did not birth a tormentor, when Panlong City was beset by crises from within and without and plunged into chaos, her 'children' could still serve a purpose: launching surprise attacks against senior officials to decapitate Panlong City's leadership."
The gods' plan had clearly accounted for General Red, Panlong City, Zhong Shengguang, and all the key leaders, intending to wipe them out in one fell swoop. What was more, it was so extraordinarily concealed in its early stages that it was nearly impossible to guard against.
Thinking through all this, He Lingchuan drew a sharp, silent breath, feeling that Panlong City had only escaped this calamity through tremendous luck.
"Had their plot succeeded, even if Panlong City wasn't captured, it would have been critically weakened, and public morale badly shaken."
After all, Panlong City had long been synonymous with impregnability and unity, recognized as the safest fortress on the wasteland. This was not merely the conviction of the locals, but even the psychological demon haunting their enemies.
If that shared belief were ever shattered, and people suddenly realized Panlong City also harbored internal vulnerabilities and unrest, their confidence would crumble overnight.
General Red seemed to chuckle softly. "Yet overplotting is never wise; no plan survives contact with reality. The Xianyou army invading White Crane Ridge changed commanders at the last minute, and their combat strength collapsed instantly."
He Lingchuan grasped the key point. "Then what did you mean by downgrading the plan?"
"The crux of the crux was timing! Yun Gu gave birth prematurely, meaning the tormentor couldn't be born inside the city while the Xianyou army attacked. As a result, no powerful flesh-and-blood fortress could be built, and it couldn't become the source of chaos in Panlong City. Even the ghost fetuses Yun Gu gave birth to were wiped out completely. With their original objective rendered utterly unattainable, they had no choice but to deploy Old Woman Ji and downgrade their target to Wen Daolun."
Settling for second best.
"Why did they target Mr. Wen?" He Lingchuan asked. "Just because he's one of Commander Zhong's most trusted advisors? The price they paid seems quite steep as well."
Because Zhong Shengguang was too difficult to kill, so the target was downgraded to Wen Daolun?
Not that Wen Daolun was unimportant, but to take his life, they had to sacrifice an entire brood of ghost whelps? Even if they were only whelps, the ferry mother was still a deity.
A golden hen lays golden eggs, and a god sires divine offspring—could they really just be used as expendable cannon fodder?
"The gods know very well that not just victory, but even testing the waters sometimes demands a price." General Red pointed eastward. "The same goes for us. To defend this fertile land and millions of lives, how could there be no cost?"
General Red added, "Wen Daolun and Commander Zhong share a bond forged in life and death."
Her words were pregnant with deeper meaning, but she stopped there and did not elaborate.
Even though He Lingchuan hadn't fully figured it out, he knew better than to pry further. He could only change the subject: "After reclaiming Weicheng, I heard you ventured into the Ghost Needle Stone Forest and defeated Zhu Erniang?"
Otherwise, why would the burrow spiders have become Panlong City's friendly neighbors again without a fuss?
It must have been negotiated from a position of strength; after all, both sides were pragmatists.
General Red replied crisply, "Yes."
"Then where is Zhu Erniang's weakness?"
General Red turned and stared at He Lingchuan. "Why do you ask?"
"Curiosity." Being stared at through the pitch-black eyeholes of her mask gave He Lingchuan the creeps. "Last time I ventured deep into the spider nest, she drove me into a corner. I just can't let it go."
General Red did not press the matter. "Zhu Erniang is an ancient archdemon. Even though her cultivation has been diminished layer upon layer, her methods remain, and she has countless offspring. She is not someone you can handle right now. What constitutes a weakness to me, to you..."
...might still be solid rock. If He Lingchuan dared to challenge Zhu Erniang alone, it would be throwing an egg against a stone.
He rubbed his nose, at a loss for words.
General Red added, "You had best gather a crowd and wait for the right moment."
"What if it's just me alone, and the fight is unavoidable?"
That bastard Dong Rui was completely unreliable; it would be a blessing if he didn't stab him in the back.
"If you are determined to throw your life away alone—"
He Lingchuan couldn't help but sigh.
"No matter," General Red changed her tone. "How could people of our caliber ever sit back and wait for death? In life or death, one must fight for every scrap of a chance."
She seemed to let out a quiet laugh. "Burrow spiders have a particular quirk. If you can seize the right moment, you might stand a sliver of a fighting chance."
With that, she gave a few whispered instructions.
He Lingchuan committed every word carefully to memory, clasping his fists in gratitude. "Thank you for the guidance, General!"
This might be precisely what he needed right now.
"Anything else?" General Red had already walked to the entrance, where her warhorse was waiting.
"The military merits I've accumulated can be exchanged for divine abilities or combat arts again." He Lingchuan seized the chance. "Could you advise me, General?"
"I've seen you fight: plenty of agility, but lacking burst power." General Red pondered briefly. "Go choose the Mirror Image Art."
Great minds really did think alike?
He Lingchuan was momentarily taken aback, but General Red had already mounted her horse, galloping away into the distance with her subordinates in a trail of dust.
A short while later, earth-shattering wails suddenly erupted from within the Wen residence.
Passersby stopped in their tracks, gazing toward the Wen compound.
He Lingchuan sighed inward, knowing that Wen Xing's injuries were too severe, and he had passed away.
Fourteen or fifteen was the prime age of vigor and promise, yet he had withered away before his time. And Wen Xing's story was merely an epitome of the fate shared by the people of the Panlong Wasteland.
Wen Daolun had watched helplessly as his son passed away. He Lingchuan could hardly bear to imagine his state of mind right now, so he promptly set off for the Pengcheng Office.
Everyone had their own tribulations to endure, their own long march to tread.
...
In truth, He Lingchuan had wanted to choose the Mirror Image Art last time, but back then, the Gold-Armored Bronze Automaton Technique seemed more appealing. After going through several major battles, he realized all the more that as long as one killed the enemy swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly, far fewer variables would arise.
Before heading to the Pengcheng Office, however, he took a slight detour to Yunling Island to pick up his goods from the plump shopkeeper, Bai Guo.
He Lingchuan had previously ordered seven ghost shadow cicada sloughs here and paid a thirty percent deposit; the shopkeeper had promised they would arrive today.
At this hour, Yunling Island had only a few window shoppers. He Lingchuan walked in to find the shop assistants so bored they were practically swatting flies, while Bai Guo was bickering with a customer.
The customer was in his fifties, his face heavily lined with wrinkles, his coarse cloth tunic bearing several patches. He looked nothing like the target clientele of a magic artifact shop, appearing more like an old farmer straight from the fields.
Only when He Lingchuan drew closer did he hear that this man wasn't really a customer, but a seller surnamed Wang.
Old Man Wang's child at home was sick, and he was short on money, wanting to sell an old scroll handed down by his ancestors to scrape together some medicine money.
Though called an old scroll, it was merely a thin sheet of beast skin parchment, yellowed and aged, with the characters on it almost entirely faded.
Bai Guo wanted to unroll it for a closer look, but Old Man Wang refused, saying he was afraid the shopkeeper might glimpse the critical information and memorize it.
The two were at an impasse when He Lingchuan arrived.
The moment Bai Guo saw him, the impatience on his face vanished, replaced by a warm, welcoming smile. "Brother He, you're here! Come, come, come, let me accompany you to collect your goods!"
Toward this wealthy, capable landlord and patron, he was exceptionally hospitable.
He Lingchuan cast a glance over and noticed that only a small corner of the parchment on the counter was exposed—and the characters on it were actually in the ancient immortal language!
Oh? Interesting.
He nudged his chin toward the counter. "What's going on here?"
"Someone selling goods," Bai Guo said, leading He Lingchuan toward the back. Only when they reached the back hall did he lower his voice. "He claims it's an antique, but it doesn't feel like one to the touch. Our shop's appraiser just happens to be on leave, and I can't read the script on that scroll, so I have no way to judge."
"You're not buying it?"
"If there's risk, I won't touch it." Bai Guo glanced at him and offered a well-meaning reminder, "Are you interested, Brother He? There are plenty of scammers out there."
"Let's see first."
After He Lingchuan and Bai Guo finished their transaction for the ghost shadow cicada sloughs, He Lingchuan came out to find Old Man Wang still there, looking dejected, having finished another cup of water.
"Shopkeeper Bai, please, find a way! I truly need this money!" He wiped at his eyes. "My grandson is critically ill!"
Chapter 331