That arrow had been shot by He Lingchuan.
Even in the chaos of battle, his control over his strength had remained precise. Skinny had sustained only flesh wounds with his bones and tendons untouched; a few days of rest with medicinal plaster once he returned to their stronghold would see him fully recovered.
That rascal was slick as an eel. Stray arrows and flying projectiles had filled the air, and blood-crazed soldiers had been everywhere, yet he hadn't suffered a scratch, his face merely blackened by smoke.
That was standard operating procedure for Skinny.
He Lingchuan had also heard Skinny's over-the-top scream of "Watch out!" and seen the resentful glare Skinny shot his way after taking the arrow.
The meaning was clear: *You'll have to pay me extra.*
"Good, good," Wen Daolun said, pleased. Then he asked He Lingchuan, "Once you obtain internal intelligence on Longchuan, how do you plan to proceed?"
The construction and development of Yuheng City was not the work of a single day. Commander Xiao had labored painstakingly here in the early stages, setting up the military system, scale, and mobilization, establishing regulations, and molding the troops into preliminary shape.
The foundation had been laid; what followed depended on He Lingchuan.
"The biggest trouble with Longchuan is still its internal chaos—some fifty bandit gangs, large and small," He Lingchuan said slowly. "Even if we wipe out Qianjin Stronghold and the Lujia Gang, we'd only be eliminating rivals for the other bandits. If we simply dispatch troops to suppress them by force, I'm afraid it'll just be like pushing down gourds only for ladles to pop up—an endless chore."
Not to mention Longchuan's complex terrain of crisscrossing waterways and land, which was the home turf of river pirates.
Heavy siege engines were useless there. Considering the Yuheng Army's current capabilities, He Lingchuan was far from optimistic about marching in.
"From the reports sent back by our undercover scouts, Longchuan had many bandit gangs, but in the past they maintained a delicate balance. That was likely the result of years of maneuvering among the factions." He Lingchuan tossed a peanut into his mouth. "However, once the remnants of the Xiji forces fled into Longchuan, that balance seems to have been shattered."
Panlong City had conquered Xiji too swiftly. Several of Xiji's leading generals had refused to submit, so General Red had led troops to wipe them out one by one. Their retainers and remnant forces had retreated into Longchuan territory to turn outlaw, biding their time to recuperate while looking for opportunities to strike back.
The newcomers were formidable outsiders who thought they knew best, while the original bandit gangs in Longchuan believed that even a mighty dragon could not crush a local snake. Naturally, friction erupted between them.
"So not only is Xiji's territory turbulent, Longchuan's interior is also in chaos right now," Wen Daolun said. "Do you have a plan in mind?"
"We must apply heavy pressure on Longchuan," He Lingchuan said after a moment's thought. "Let them tear each other apart first."
Wen Daolun chatted with him a while longer before leaving the restaurant.
He Lingchuan was about to head back when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, gazing into the shadows behind the courtyard.
"Who is it?"
A figure stepped slowly out of the shadows, lifting a hand to brush aside stray hairs by her temple.
It was Sun Fuling.
He Lingchuan smiled. "Master Sun, what brings you here?"
"The whole city is celebrating your victory. How could I not come?" Sun Fuling took the wine cup from his hand and took a light sip. "How does it feel to command troops and win a major victory for the first time?"
He Lingchuan had been used to working alone in the past, and the Mount Xu Plan had basically been carried out independently. Even in Panlong City's external campaigns, at most he had operated as a brigade commander leading a hundred or so men.
Issuing commands that were obeyed instantly and maneuvering an army to meet the enemy like this was truly a first in his life.
"Exhilarating. Absolutely exhilarating!" He Lingchuan let out a long breath, not bothering to feign modesty. "Having thousands of soldiers under your command, striking wherever you point—it feels like... like..."
For a moment, he couldn't find the right words.
Sun Fuling smiled faintly. "Holding absolute authority, wielding the power of life and death?"
"Exactly!" He Lingchuan snapped his fingers. "You know me well, Master Sun!"
To grant life, to inflict death, or to make someone wish they were dead—such a sensation was truly intoxicating.
No wonder his old man, He Chunhua, had fought tooth and nail to climb the ranks; no wonder Hong Chenglüe could swallow his bitter hatred upon encountering He Lingchuan, the son of his enemy, at the Dun Garden auction; no wonder National Preceptor Qingyang and National Preceptor Shuangye had spent over a century locked in a mortal struggle...
Power was truly a magnificent thing.
It allowed one to look down upon the world and sway the destinies of all living beings.
This pinnacle experience surpassed every other pleasure, something ordinary mortals couldn't even begin to fathom—yet here in Yuheng City, he had tasted it firsthand.
Sun Fuling covered her mouth with a giggle. "A few thousand men under you, and you're already this full of yourself. If thousands upon thousands answered to your command in the future, how high would you float?"
He Lingchuan sighed wistfully. "Where would I ever get thousands upon thousands?"
"Human effort can achieve anything," Sun Fuling said softly. "Haven't you already accomplished many things that seemed impossible?"
He Lingchuan's heart stirred at her words, and he looked down at her.
What did she mean by "accomplished many things that seemed impossible"?
"The former lands of Xiji lack neither people nor fertile soil. If you and Mr. Wen can manage this place well, need you worry about recruiting a massive army?" Sun Fuling smoothed her hair. "It's getting late. I'm heading back; you take your time drinking."
"I'll walk you back." Yuheng City had won a massive victory tonight, and all sorts of people were out on the streets, including plenty of loafers and loiterers.
Although He Lingchuan couldn't say who would be the unfortunate one if those ruffians ran into Master Sun, proper courtesy between a couple still had to be observed.
Sun Fuling gave a soft laugh and indeed didn't object.
He Lingchuan went back, said goodbye to his subordinates, and rinsed his mouth vigorously with fresh water. Seeing Sun Fuling stroll out slowly behind him, the men couldn't resist hooting and catcalling.
She waved to the crowd, acting so poised and gracious that it was as if she weren't the center of the fuss.
Commander He said with a beaming smile, "Whoever makes another peep—even a sneeze—will run five laps around the city walls tomorrow!"
The laughter came to an abrupt halt.
No joke—the new city was quite large; running five laps around the perimeter would work a man to death.
Seeing his men fall as silent as cicadas in winter, He Lingchuan turned back to Sun Fuling with a bow.
"After you."
*Cheeky bastards, you think I can't keep you in line?*
Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, the two strolled away.
Taking advantage of Sun Fuling not paying attention, He Lingchuan stealthily popped three cloves into his mouth. Also known as chicken-tongue spice, they burst with a pungent, bitter taste as soon as they hit his tongue.
He kept the cloves in his mouth not to sober up, but to cover up the smell of alcohol.
The spice was great for freshening breath, but neither the Panlong Wasteland nor the Kingdom of Xiji produced it; it had to be brought in via trade routes from the south, making it quite pricey.
The two chatted and laughed pleasantly as they walked side by side.
Walking from the restaurant to their residence took them past the city gate. After a couple of hours of revelry, most residents couldn't hold out any longer, yawning incessantly as they headed home to sleep.
Tonight, the city gate had not been closed yet, as the cleanup operation on the battlefield outside was still underway, with logistics troops constantly coming and going.
Bundles of retrieved weapons and armor were being hauled inside, stripped from the dead; even arrows were being collected promptly. None of these military supplies could be casually wasted.
Sun Fuling idly picked up a long arrow, its tip still bearing an uncleaned trace of blood. "After today's lesson, how long do you think the Jintao forces will stay quiet?"
"They wanted to give me a show of force, only to take a crushing blow right to the head," He Lingchuan mused. "Knowing that Yuheng City is a tough nut to crack, they won't dare organize another large-scale assault for at least two or three months. But we can't rule out other underhanded tactics."
Chapter 734