But times had changed. Today, he was no longer alone; behind him marched an imposing escort of several dozen men.
A commander on inspection required a proper display of pomp.
There was no fog today, leaving the opposite bank in clear view. The river shoals lay deserted, save for the occasional shadow flitting through the distant woods.
Things were much the same on their side: precipitous peaks, woodlands, gravel shoals, and withered grass—all present and accounted for.
Adjutant Chao Qian pointed out the terrain to He Lingchuan. "The terrain on our west bank consists mostly of low hills, unlike the sheer cliffs across the water that are naturally easy to defend and difficult to attack."
Indeed, their side of the river was open and flat, dense with tall river grass, though at this time of year it was naturally blanketed in immaculate white snow.
He Lingchuan wandered all about, lingering longest within the woods.
The forest covered more than ten qing, and without high ground nearby to overlook it, it made an ideal hiding place.
Both recent border incursions from the opposite bank had used this path to infiltrate the village.
Before Commander Xiao departed, he had wavered over whether to fell all the trees.
The local populace had vehemently opposed the idea. Outside of winter, this dense woods provided timber, game, wild herbs, wild fruit, and fragrant mushrooms, serving as a vital source of livelihood.
He Lingchuan's thinking was the exact opposite of Commander Xiao's. "Keep the woodland. Clear out all the dense reeds on the western shoals so the river's surface and bed are completely exposed, level the vegetation in the valley, and build two watchtowers on the hill behind."
That way, the path would be bare from beginning to end, laid completely bare from above to anyone passing through. Without foliage for cover, incoming enemies would find it far harder to disguise themselves.
A few suspended fluorescent spores hung overhead would then eliminate any fear of nocturnal infiltration.
Chao Qian remarked, "Since that path will be completely exposed, the people of Jintao won't care for it and will head for the woods instead."
With wide-open ground on one side and more than ten qing of dense woods on the other, small raiding parties would instinctively and tactically choose the latter for concealment.
"Isn't that playing right into our hands?" He Lingchuan asked him. "Who was originally the mountain spirit here?"
"A pack of wolf demons. They lent a hand during the previous skirmishes."
"Relieve them of duty. I've already asked Deputy Envoy Wen to issue another appointment." He Lingchuan gestured behind him. Chao Qian looked and saw several flatbed carts lashed together, hauling an enormous tree.
The tree stood roughly six zhang tall, not particularly towering for this forest, but its chapped bark was mottled with blue-gray and white patches—evidence of moss and ferns that had once covered it.
He Lingchuan rapped on the trunk. It gave off a dull clack, sounding more like metal than wood.
"Huh, isn't that the old elm demon from the city gate?" Chao Qian thought it looked familiar and slapped his forehead as the memory returned. "When we assaulted Yuheng City, it fought alongside the Xiji people against us."
"The wise man submits to circumstance. The day the city fell, it surrendered to us, or it would have ended up chopped into firewood long ago," He Lingchuan said with a chuckle. "Some people have even less sense than this tree."
The soldiers stepped forward and dug a large pit to bury the old tree's roots.
In winter, the ground was frozen solid, impenetrable to ordinary shovels. But these men took a rough-and-ready approach: they first dug a small pit, packed in explosives, and detonated them.
Then they planted more and detonated again.
After several blasts in succession, a pit three zhang deep was ready.
Supporting the tree, the men filled in the earth, and before long, it was planted firmly.
Some of the more meticulous soldiers even shoveled snow over the top, sprinkling it carefully.
Leafless in winter, the ancient tree splayed its branches like claws. He Lingchuan slapped the trunk—solid and steady.
Right there on the spot, he read out the official appointment, then retrieved the official seal and stamped it directly onto the trunk. "From this day forth, you are the mountain spirit of the Yin River Valley, with jurisdiction spanning a hundred li."
The mountain wind howled, coalescing into a strange sound. Listening closely, the soldiers seemed to hear the words: "At your command."
In just two or three days, every tree within its jurisdiction would become its eyes and ears.
This was one of the reasons the northern demon kingdom favored appointing old tree demons as mountain spirits. He Lingchuan found the logic sound and saw no harm in adopting their proven methods.
He Lingchuan then instructed, "Every fifteen days, cut four fresh branches and place them in water vases inside the meditation room, oriented toward the four cardinal directions. Whichever branch stirs without wind indicates the direction from which an enemy approaches."
With this old tree demon standing watch, any enemy entering the river woodland would have no way to escape the garrison's notice.
"Also, recruit a flock of avian demons. Owls with night vision would be best; human eyes are nowhere near as good in the dark." Those creatures had been everywhere in the Beijia Kingdom, causing no end of trouble during his flight. "I recall there being several nests of avian demons nearby, aren't there?"
Mortals could not endure lingering by the freezing riverside for long periods, but wild demons could.
Chao Qian noted down every instruction.
In truth, Commander Xiao had laid a solid foundation for his successor. Military affairs across Yuheng City were proceeding in an orderly manner, requiring very few adjustments. In particular, the first batch of recruits had completed preliminary training and could now be deployed on missions.
The issue was that after reorganization, the army remained under strength and untested in combat.
Barely over a thousand strong, they were stretched thin trying to garrison the border, defend the city, and patrol the trade routes to the south all at once.
He Lingchuan had no quick fix for this either; one could not fatten up in a single bite, and a battle-hardened army was not forged overnight.
Fortunately, General Red had seized Yuheng City with lightning speed and secured the granaries immediately, preventing the Xiji defenders from torching them. After another autumn harvest, food supplies this winter were ample, allowing the strapping lads in the barracks to eat meat every other day.
On the strength of such rations alone, many had eagerly signed up to enlist.
Having finished his military duties, He Lingchuan headed home. Passing the martial training hall on his way, he heard gasps and roars drifting from within.
The gasps came from commoners.
The roar was one he knew well: it belonged to Meng Shan.
The Gale Army had brought Panlong City's sparring tradition here as well. Two sets of fighting platforms had only been erected yesterday, and already challengers with itching palms were taking to the stage today.
Meng Shan was among the twenty men He Lingchuan had requested from General Red.
As He Lingchuan walked over, he caught sight of Meng Shan executing a shoulder throw, slamming some unlucky opponent into a stupor.
The spectators covered their mouths, but He Lingchuan could see the poor fellow was still alive—no broken neck, no severe internal injuries, just groaning on the ground and unable to rise for quite some time.
Since joining the Gale Army, Meng Shan was no longer as savage as before; he had learned restraint.
The match on the other platform was far gentler.
The ring bouts here also employed a points system, where victors could redeem their points at the armory for coveted weapons, gear, and supplies—and, of course, silver. The soldiers and civilians of Yuheng City had never experienced such a system before and were now signing up enthusiastically.
Shops along the street were hurrying along construction work. Standing on the bustling thoroughfare, He Lingchuan once more felt the atmosphere from when he had first entered Panlong City:
Thriving, vibrant, and full of life.
By the time he returned home, dusk was falling.
Brushing the snow dust from his hair, He Lingchuan had just unfastened his cloak when a loud splash of water sounded from next door.
"Master Sun?" What was she doing?
Sun Fuling's voice carried over the courtyard wall. "Ah, come over quickly!"
Right now? He Lingchuan hesitated briefly, then gave a light spring, vaulted off the top of the wall with one hand, and flipped cleanly over.
The walls here were much taller than those of the wood-grade houses in Panlong City, but he was already used to bypassing the front door.
Chapter 727