A Busy War Machine

Panlong City. He Lingchuan stepped out of the house and first counted the goldfish in the vat. Numbers one through nine were all alive and well. However, two of them seemed to have changed color. He couldn't tell whether the water fleas Sun Fuling fed them had made their hues more vibrant, or... The weeping clerodendrum that had once hung above the fish tank had lost its snow-like blossoms, so it had been unceremoniously moved aside. In its place sat a potted sweet osmanthus. The residents of Panlong City loved planting sweet osmanthus trees, but He Lingchuan's courtyard was too small. He had no idea where Master Sun had procured such a tiny potted plant, which happened to be in full bloom. By now, the summer heat had receded from Panlong City, replaced by autumn breezes. It was the perfect season to appreciate sweet osmanthus. The fragrance of the blossoms drifted from the courtyard all the way into the house. A wind chime chimed next door. He Lingchuan propped himself up on the wall and peered over; Sun Fuling's gate was tightly shut, the master away. He glanced up at the azure sky. At this hour, the master was likely teaching class. From his neighbor's house on the other side, however, came chaotic footsteps, the scraping sounds of heavy objects being moved, and a child's complaints. He Lingchuan opened his courtyard gate and walked out, just in time to see a mule cart slowly start moving. The male head of the neighboring household sat inside, waving farewell to his family. "Don't worry! Six months at most, three months at least, and I'll be back!" The woman of the house held onto Xiao Pang, watching her husband depart into the distance. Not wanting to interrupt their parting, He Lingchuan waited until the mule cart disappeared around the street corner before stepping forward to ask, "Why is he traveling so far, too?" His neighbor worked for the Panlong City government offices. In He Lingchuan's terms, he was a civil service drone whose life was relatively stable and free from long journeys. Why was he leaving for three to five months this time? The female neighbor sighed. "Yuheng City is being rebuilt, so he has to go help." Her son, Xiao Pang, was thoroughly puzzled. "Dad isn't a mason or a carpenter, and he doesn't know how to build houses. Why does he have to go, too?" The word "too" on the tongues of mother and son carried a wealth of meaning. Stroking the boy's head, the woman said, "Your father is going to help manage the expenses and balance the accounts. Otherwise, who would pay the masons and carpenters their wages?" The last time Panlong City dispatched its troops, it had directly annihilated the state of Xiji. Although the King of Xiluo had decreed that the soldiers and civilians of Panlong were forbidden from returning east, there was no way Panlong City would spit back out territory it had swallowed with such difficulty. Thus, the former territory of Xiji was inherited by Panlong City. Yuheng City was a border fortress in the eastern reaches of former Xiji, separated from the Kingdom of Jintao by merely a river. Jintao was close with the Baling Kingdom and Beijia, and its relations with Panlong City were also terrible. As a border fortress, Yuheng City's original defensive fortifications were antiquated, and even its river dikes had fallen into disrepair over the years. To consolidate its frontier defenses after destroying Xiji, Panlong City needed to give Yuheng City a thorough overhaul. Naturally, there were many Xiluo people across former Xiji, and no shortage of skilled craftsmen. He Lingchuan's neighbor was merely going there to provide administrative and municipal services. In truth, this incident was only an epitome; massive construction projects were underway across the entire Xiji region. Beyond relying on existing municipal fortifications such as Dragon Throat Pass, Yuheng City, and other passes and border towns, Panlong City planned to build several cargo transit hubs and military garrisons within Xiji. The plains of Xiji were exceptionally fertile and well-suited for crops. As a result, besides the Chipa Plateau, Panlong City now possessed a new source of high-quality grain. Because it was so far from the Chipa Plateau and so close to Jintao, Xiji's security posed a major problem. Winning it was one thing, but holding it was another; Panlong City could not dispatch troops there day in and day out. Yet the new trade routes opened up by Xiji were of paramount importance. Therefore, over the past two months, Panlong City had continuously funneled all manner of talent there to help the local Xiluo populace take charge as soon as possible. During his previous few visits to the realm of souls, He Lingchuan had discovered that many of his comrades had been ordered to garrison or reinforce Xiji. Even Commander Xiao had been sent as an instructor, reportedly to drill fifty thousand new recruits. It was said Zhong Shengguang was also considering candidates to take command of Yuheng City, where the general would oversee garrisons, military drilling, and military colony farming all at once. Autumn had arrived, and after the autumn harvest would come the ideal season for military training. He Lingchuan had assumed he would be sent to Xiji as well, but the Broken Saber squad had yet to receive any such orders. As for the former royal capital of Xiji, a large contingent of civil officials was currently working to pull the postwar territory back onto the right track. While Panlong City was rarely as peaceful as the Blackwater City He Lingchuan was used to, the sheer scale of change brought about by the annexation of Xiji exceeded everyone's expectations. Every day, many people left Panlong City, and every day, a flood of new faces poured in. This war machine had roared into motion once more, yet it was not busy with war. Or rather, not for the time being. Novelties quickly diverted the residents' attention, diluting the sorrow of being unable to return east. This great restructuring of Xiji had also ignited the enthusiasm of commoners, with the number of volunteers heading out to support the effort swelling day by day. This phenomenon was likely to persist for a long time to come. He Lingchuan slipped a few chewy candies to Xiao Pang and chatted for a bit. Before long, a dispatch messenger rode up on horseback and called out to him: "By order of General Red: He Lingchuan is to report for duty at Gange Hall at three quarters past noon!" He Lingchuan received the order and headed toward the southern part of the city. Ever since he killed the Jindu pup in Panlong City and saved Wen Daolun, Zhong Shengguang and General Red had placed ever-growing trust in him. During the war with Xiji, he had led the Broken Saber squad to flawless success at Dragon Throat Pass and distinguished himself in the battle for the Xiji capital and the great battle against the Xian-Ba allied army. Piling up military merit, he drew ever closer to the upper echelons of Panlong City. The affairs he took part in carried increasingly high security clearances, and Zhong Shengguang and General Red no longer spoke around him with reservation. Standing guard at Gange Hall was itself a singular honor for a Gale soldier. Only the most trusted warriors were qualified to guard Panlong City's military secrets. With plenty of time to spare, he took a detour to South Gate Square. The Juluo tree by the river was unchanged. The moment the strange-headed nightmare tangled in its branches saw him, it began to grumble: "When will you let me go?! I've completed every task you gave me!" "Right now, you're a weakling," He Lingchuan said with a chuckle. "If you wander around aimlessly, another nightmare will gobble you up in one bite." "I need a sealed dreamscape, or I'll waste away and die!" Even the realm of souls was no place for it to linger long-term, let alone here... Just what was this place anyway?! "I'll help you look for one when I have time," He Lingchuan soothed it. This nightmare had already seen the inside of Panlong City and was half an insider; there was no way He Lingchuan would ever release it into the wild. The Dafang Pot and Panlong City were his greatest secrets. If they were ever leaked, the consequences would be catastrophic. Turning a deaf ear to the nightmare's mournful howls, he soon walked past Wanglin Avenue. Passing by Yunling Island, he noticed even more customers coming and going—if not shoulder-to-shoulder, then at least an unbroken stream of guests. Despite the crisp autumn chill, the plump, pale merchant was so busy that his forehead gleamed, though whether from sweat or grease was hard to tell. The shop had hired two more clerks, and the goods on display included many fresh arrivals. For a crafty merchant like Bai Guo, goods placed in prominent positions were either exceedingly expensive, scarce in quantity, remarkably potent, or trendy. At a single glance, He Lingchuan spotted a spiral conch shell among the row of merchandise. It was an oily yellow, larger than a palm, with patterns resembling tiger stripes on its surface and fine serrations along the aperture. Though He Lingchuan was blending in with the crowd, Bai Guo's sharp eyes recognized his landlord. Trotting over, he said, "You've come!" This fellow had a way with hospitality; he truly deserved to make money. He Lingchuan smiled. "Striking it rich, Boss Bai? Business is booming. Say, shouldn't the shop rent be..." The moment he heard his unscrupulous landlord angling to raise the rent, Bai Guo poured out his grievances. "Oh, you have no idea! There are more new items lately, but the costs are high too, and the competition is cutthroat! The shop across the street stocks whatever I stock, and they even undercut me by a fraction. If not for my shop's loyal regulars..." He Lingchuan gave him a sideways glance. "If I hadn't tipped you off in advance, would you have dared to snatch up that shop at the west corner of Wanglin Avenue?" Back when rumors of returning east were flying everywhere, he had told the plump merchant that the Panlong army and civilians definitely would not migrate east. At the time, morale was unsettled, and people were transferring leases all along Wanglin Avenue. Hearing his "inside information," the plump merchant had not only abandoned the idea of breaking his lease, but had gritted his teeth, stomped his feet, and bought out that shop as well. It was a classic case of the bold feasting while the timid starved. Now, the Panlong army and civilians were staying put, and the seller was consumed with regret, left only to watch the plump merchant rake in gold day after day. Bai Guo hastily produced a small box containing five ghost shadow cicada sloughs. "Brother He—no, Lord He, you're brilliant! A modest token of my respect, please don't take offense." Not standing on ceremony, He Lingchuan scooped them up and slipped them into his robes before asking curiously, "Usually when I ask you to stock a few cicada sloughs, you hem and haw and claim it's too difficult. Why are you so generous today?" Bai Guo wiped his brow. "Before, these were rare treasures. Even with money, you couldn't necessarily find them, let alone get your hands on any." "And now?" "Didn't we conquer Xiji?" Bai Guo's grin nearly reached his ears. "Kicking aside that roadblock opened up the southern trade routes—they could even reach the seaports of the Song Kingdom! Outside goods can come in, and the varieties are far more complete." He Lingchuan understood. Panlong City had always been an isolated enclave, blocked on all sides from expansion. Taking Xiji opened up the trade route south, bringing tremendous benefits to Panlong City's outside communications and commerce. Bai Guo was right. If the trade routes extended further, they could reach the coast! He Lingchuan even suspected that this had been the true objective of Zhong Shengguang and the others in taking Xiji all along—to secure outside connections and break free from their enclave trap. If he wasn't mistaken, Panlong City would invest even greater effort in consolidating and governing Xiji hereafter. For Panlong City, this was a brand-new opportunity. "Which means you can sell cicada sloughs to me cheaper in the future?" "Uh..." *This landlord has a heart as black as coal!* "Yes, yes! I'll... I'll knock off another ten percent!" *Stingy.* He Lingchuan shook his head and pointed at the conch shell. "What's that?" "Oh, that's a magic conch." Bai Guo beamed. "If used as a marching horn, its sound carries over ten li away, basically reaching across an entire battlefield. It can also remember different sounds and play them back directly later, like birdsong or a tiger's roar... Would you like one? It's quite handy on missions." "No." He Lingchuan had already spotted the price tag.