Someone Must Scout the Way

Everyone was horrified. How could a mere nameless commander of the Gale Army be this ferocious? What they did not know was that over a century ago, the Zhong family's military doctrine had prized moving as swift as the wind and invading like fire, subduing the enemy with an opening thunderclap before methodically butchering them afterward. Nian Songyu's facial muscles twisted in agony, yet he shouted, "It can strike physical bodies! It's the water—it's because of the pool water!" A single dip into the pool water was enough for these resentful souls to make physical attacks? Hearing this, He Lingchuan snatched the Soul-Stabilizing Banner from the attendant Baishan's hands, bounded to the edge of the pool in two strides, and plunged the white cloth banner straight into the liquid. The white banner instantly drank its fill of bloody water, but fortunately, the talismans inscribed on it did not wash out. Immediately after, he raised the white banner and whipped it vigorously toward his companions. Droplets of water splattered across everyone's faces. Yet no one dodged. Instead, their faces filled with gratitude. Just then, the ghostly cavalry urged their steeds forward, charging into the fray once more. Zeng Feixiong wiped his face hard, gripped his saber, and leaped forward with a downward slash. "Brothers, charge!" *Clang!* Metal clashed against iron. His broad saber struck the tip of an enemy spear, both knocked aside without either gaining an advantage. Yet everyone else was overjoyed. It worked! They were finally no longer helpless targets waiting to be poked and skewered. Though their opponents were mounted cavalry, their side had a tenfold advantage in numbers. Could ten against one really fail? Their spirits bolstered, everyone drew their weapons and surged forward to clash with the enemy. As long as they weren't untouchable, it was fine! They were all elites; the gap between them couldn't possibly be that vast. Situ Han did not forget to flatter He Lingchuan. "Brilliant, Young Master! Turning the tables in a single move!" Yet he made no mention of Nian Songyu being the first to notice the pool water's miraculous property. In truth, thinking it through made sense: this pool of bloody water bridged the gap between the ethereal and the corporeal, so it ought to affect the living and spirit forms alike. But... hadn't the resentful souls burst out from the pool well in the first place? Why hadn't they been able to harm physical bodies when they first emerged? He Lingchuan glared at the Gale Army commander slashing away with abandon, having a nagging feeling that this was the exact scene the other side desired. They preferred flesh and blood flying, not bloodless slaughter. In just a few blinks, this commander singled out and killed two men and assisted in felling a third, so formidable that even Zeng Feixiong did not dare approach for a moment. He gave He Chunhua a bitter smile. "Father, we don't have enough men." Though both sides seemed locked in a stalemate, He Lingchuan felt it would be very difficult for their side to win. One resentful soul wounded three of their men before several soldiers combined forces to drag it down from horseback. Nian Songyu coated his blade in the water, charged up, and chopped off its head. Casualties finally appeared on the opposing side. However, the Gale Army commander noticed this as well. With a flick of his hand, a streak of cold light shot out like lightning. This time, the hurled spear was aimed straight at He Chunhua! Earlier, when the Illusionary Barrier shattered, the beast head atop the staff had spat out a dim sphere covered in cracks. Sun Fuping had then reached out to He Chunhua, demanding, "The State Token!" The latter had promptly handed over the Yuan coin representing his office as commandery governor. The Yuan coin's gentle radiance had immediately drawn the commander's notice, inviting the lethal strike. The heroic spirits of Panlong City undoubtedly despised a foreign State Token appearing on this land. At this moment, Sun Fuping was secretly gathering power, Nian Songyu was too far away, and Zeng Feixiong and the others were locked in combat with enemy soldiers, leaving He Chunhua's defenses completely wide open. Fortunately, He Lingchuan was standing right beside his father. Seeing the cold light hurtling toward them, he did not overthink, reflexively swinging his saber in a parry. A resounding *clang* rang out. The hundred-refined steel saber snapped into two pieces, and the sheer force carried by the spear blasted He Lingchuan backward. He felt as though a massive warhammer had struck his chest. Unable to hold it in, he spat a mouthful of blood, and then— Flying across ten feet of distance, he plunged straight into the pool. By all logic, the pool water was only a thin layer that didn't even cover the ankles. Yet as he tumbled into it, it was like falling into a bottomless abyss—with a *plop*, he vanished without a trace! Even so, his interception had served its purpose. The commander's spear was deflected off course, whistling past He Chunhua's armpit. An inch or two was all that separated a pierced heart from emerging unscathed. He Chunhua was terrified, rushing to the edge of the pool in a single stride. "Chuan'er!" No matter how he peered, the pool water remained shallow, its surface merely rippling without pause. Nian Songyu rushed over, initially worried that the governor would jump in after his son. But Commandery Governor He immediately spun around and swiftly shoved the State Token into Sun Fuping's hands. "Is Chuan'er alive?" "We will know shortly." Sun Fuping glanced left and right, pointing at the nearest sand bandit. "Over here!" "Me?" The man walked over as told. Sun Fuping led him to the pool's edge, took out a candle, and reached out to grasp at his shoulder. Astonishingly, he plucked away the pale blue life flame and pressed it onto the candle's wick. The candle flared to life, burning with a pale blue flame. The sand bandit stood dumbfounded for a moment. "This?" "This is your life flame. While you live, the flame burns; when you die, the candle goes out." Sun Fuping nodded. "Go on." With that, he shoved him hard. The strength behind it hardly belonged to a man in his sixties. Before the sand bandit could react, the shove sent him falling backward into the pool, following right in He Lingchuan's footsteps. "Hey!" Situ Han turned around just in time to catch sight of this. Dodging a thrust from a Gale Army soldier, he sprinted back. "What are you doing!" They were willing to risk their lives for the court, but they refused to be sent to their deaths as test subjects! "Hush!" Sun Fuping waved a hand, a surge of force driving Situ Han back two steps, while his own eyes remained glued to the candle flame. "Someone must scout the way." He Lingchuan's fall into the pool had been too sudden, leaving him with no choice but to send another person to test it. Meanwhile, He Chunhua's subordinates swarmed forward, striving to tie down the Gale Army commander. Ten breaths passed. Twenty breaths passed. The blue candle flame burned steadily. "He is still alive." The moment Sun Fuping confirmed it, He Chunhua let out a long breath of relief. If this sand bandit was still alive, it meant there was air beneath the pool water, which meant He Lingchuan was most likely alive as well. "There is even better news," Sun Fuping said with a smile. "No more resentful souls are emerging." Only then did He Chunhua recall that after those dozen-odd Gale Army cavalrymen, not a single new resentful soul had surfaced from the pool. Which meant— Sun Fuping shot Nian Songyu a glance. Catching his meaning, Nian Songyu vaulted straight into the pool. He vanished as well. "This is the only path to claiming the Dafang Pot." Despite their mounting casualties, Sun Fuping was in high spirits. He wedged He Chunhua's Yuan coin into the mouth of the staff's carved beast head, which snapped shut to bite down on the coin. "Fall back to the array! Quickly, retreat to the array to defend!" Sun Fuping slammed his staff against the ground three times in succession. "I need you all to unite your strength and rally your spirits!" The entire force immediately contracted toward the talisman array on the ground. In just this short span of time, their force had already suffered twenty percent casualties, whereas the opposing Gale Army had lost only four riders. When these things fought, their ferocity was inhuman—well, they weren't human to begin with. The moment they realized they were critically wounded, they immediately sought mutually assured destruction, taking down as many foes as they could. One cavalryman had been dragged down by their combined strength, its arms severed and its chest pierced through, leading everyone to believe it had lost all ability to resist. Who could have known that right before dying, it would leap up, baring a mouthful of gleaming white teeth, and tear out a sand bandit's throat!