Setting aside his schemes against He Lingchuan's original self, the man possessed far more capability and boldness than most officials in the Yuan court. Perhaps the storm-tossed Yuan Kingdom truly needed an ambitious hegemon like him.
Toward such a figure, He Lingchuan had no desire to judge him through the lens of private morality or personal grievances.
As for the feud between him and He Lingchuan's original self, with their venture to the Panlong Ruins as the dividing line, let it end here.
"You said earlier that He Chunhua was injured?"
Qiu Hu noticed that he no longer said "my father," instead addressing He Chunhua directly by name.
This lord of his wasn't blinded by foolish filial piety—impressive!
"He was wounded in the right shoulder, and it looked serious. But I believe so long as it's properly treated, his life won't be in danger." He hadn't gone up for a closer look, having only stolen a couple of glances from afar behind a sand dune.
"He was probably injured in the Panlong Ruins." What He Lingchuan was wondering, however, was what He Chunhua would do next.
The southern rebellion had been quelled, and the evaluation of the Red Cliff Road was complete. Would He Chunhua now have to march north to attack the Grand Marshal?
The Yuan court was likely desperate, but in He Lingchuan's view, He Chunhua wouldn't be in any rush.
The Grand Marshal was a tough nut to crack, and having just won several consecutive victories, his army's momentum and morale were at their peak. He Chunhua was a smart man and would surely avoid a direct clash for now.
If he stayed in the Yuan Kingdom, there would probably be quite a grand spectacle to watch. Even so, the desire to leave had already taken root in his heart.
This kingdom was rotting to its very core. He had no roots and no followers here, and even less interest in sticking around to perform surgery on it.
It was time to say goodbye to the Yuan Kingdom, and goodbye to the past.
The past was wiped clean.
Right then, Qiu Hu asked him, "Where are we headed next?"
He Lingchuan called all the Mount Rong disciples over, placed several pouches of jewels and silver banknotes onto the table, and said solemnly:
"When I went to Mount Rong to ask for men, I only said I was returning to the Yuan Kingdom on business. Now that business here is settled, I am heading east. This journey spans immense distances across the sea, with endless dangers and obstacles ahead. If any of you wish to continue following me, it would be my great honor. If you wish to return to Mount Rong, I will give each of you a pouch of jewels and a thousand taels in silver banknotes, and we shall part ways here."
The Mount Rong disciples looked at one another upon hearing this.
Though this journey into the Panlong Desert had been bizarre and treacherous, everyone had returned safe and sound, and He Lingchuan's reward was exceptionally generous.
Stay and continue following him, or take the money and return to the sect?
Now came the time for each to make their choice.
Before long, one Mount Rong disciple stood up, bowed to He Lingchuan, took a pouch of jewels and the banknotes, and strode out.
With an example set, other disciples stood up one after another and followed suit.
In all, five departed.
He Lingchuan waited a while longer. Seeing that the remaining ten had no intention of rising, he asked, "Are all of you present willing to travel east with me?"
Tao Ran chuckled. "Following Young Master is far more interesting than staying on Mount Rong or serving some royal court."
The others nodded in agreement. "Exactly!"
"We want to go overseas too, to see foreign lands!"
He Lingchuan then asked Qiu Hu, "What about you?"
Sect Master Xue and Elder Dao of Mount Rong had made it very clear from the start: Qiu Hu was merely "loaned" to him.
Where he went from here was Qiu Hu's own decision to make.
Qiu Hu replied without hesitation, "I'm going with Young Master!"
If before leaving Mount Rong's territory he had merely felt gratitude toward He Lingchuan for helping him avenge Bai Village, then after walking the line between life and death in the Panlong Realm, his admiration for He Lingchuan had deepened.
If nothing else, the death of Duyun Emissary He Jing of the Heavenly Palace was undoubtedly tied to Eldest Young Master He!
He hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, yet he was absolutely certain of it.
Furthermore, although the trial in the Panlong Realm had ended abruptly, he was convinced there were far more hidden causes and consequences involved behind the scenes.
Eldest Young Master He was the one in the know, pulling strings from behind the curtain.
Following someone like this to carve out a new world in foreign lands—Qiu Hu saw a bright future ahead.
If life was merely about seeking safety and comfort, it would be utterly dull.
Doing this would also be of immense benefit to tempering his moral resolve and advancing his cultivation.
Sometimes, choice mattered more than effort.
Deep down, Qiu Hu also felt a sense of shared misfortune with He Lingchuan.
In the Panlong Realm, he had watched with his own eyes as He Lingchuan showed endless forbearance toward his biological father, while He Chunhua remained dead set on sacrificing his eldest son!
Such a beast didn't deserve to be a parent!
Qiu Hu was an orphan, raised by villagers under Mount Rong's domain. He had always thought his own background tragic, but looking at He Lingchuan, having a father like that was worse than having none at all!
By comparison, he even felt relatively fortunate—at least he had no elder constantly scheming to sacrifice him to ghosts and gods.
He Lingchuan had no inkling of his internal thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he said solemnly to the gathered men:
"From this day forth, we stand united in purpose, sharing fortune and misfortune together!"
The men rose and cupped their fists in salute.
"We are willing to go through fire and water for our lord!"
He Lingchuan felt invigorated, wanting nothing more than to laugh out loud. From this moment on, these eleven Mount Rong disciples had truly become his trusted retainers, the foundation and confidence with which he would cross the sea and build a new domain from scratch!
He had his own core following once more.
Tao Ran stepped outside to check around twice before returning to report, "They've gone far."
"They" referred to the disciples who had chosen to leave.
Though trained under the same sect, from now on each pursued their own path.
Qiu Hu asked at just the right moment, "Where to next?"
He Lingchuan drew a sheet of yellow paper from his bosom and slapped it onto the table. "Here!"
Everyone looked down: "Blade Harbor?"
Tao Ran pondered for a moment. "I think I've heard of that place. Whew, it's definitely not close."
"The Panlong Desert is completely open now; there's no need to stick to the Red Cliff Road. We will bypass Blackwater City and head south to Baisha Bay to rendezvous with Dong Rui and Zhu Daniang, then board a ship out to sea." He Lingchuan had already worked this out during his ride on the earth dragon to Baiyuan Post Station. "If the voyage goes smoothly, we'll make landfall at Blade Harbor."
Everyone wondered silently in their hearts: *And then?*
"And then—" He Lingchuan smiled, his next words making their hands itch with eager anticipation, "we will carve out a world of our own."
The Yuan Kingdom was not where his heart lay. What he yearned for was distant lands, where what belonged to him awaited.
He had fulfilled the wishes of his original self and inherited his body; it was only right that he also inherit what had rightfully belonged to that body to begin with.
After drifting for two years, He Lingchuan had had enough of an unsettled, wandering life.
His ambitions had grown as well; he wanted to expand and advance, but holding a territory of his own was the only solid foundation.
The time had come.
***
Thirty days later, He Chunhua returned to Yazhou.
The Yuan court had already received news that the Mount Rong envoys had finished inspecting the Red Cliff Road, along with his report stating that the Andongese had attacked Blackwater City and the He family's eldest son had died in battle. The monarch sent a swift missive lavishing praise and offering warm words of comfort.
With the man having just lost a son and mourning his death, the monarch didn't have the heart to order him north immediately.
Yet this "consideration" lasted only half a month; after all, the nation's predicament was truly dire.
He Chunhua reported that he had been severely wounded in the great battle at Blackwater City, and that during his journey back to Yazhou, the injury had worsened into a grave illness.
The monarch of Yuan issued decree after decree urging him north to subjugate Dong Haoming, but He Chunhua claimed only that his illness had struck him down like a collapsing mountain, leaving him powerless to raise troops.
For more than a year, he had hurried back and forth, fighting north and south, winning great renown and merit for Great Yuan while inevitably becoming worn down and exhausted. On his way back to Blackwater City after repelling the Andongese, he had even collapsed and fallen from his horse in public, yet after recuperating in Blackwater City for only a few days, he had hurried on his way. When the officers and soldiers of Yazhou heard that their commander-in-chief was wounded and had even lost his eldest son on the battlefield, they were filled with admiration and heartache alike. And when they heard that the monarch was desperately pressing General Changning to march north, the entire army cursed the monarch of Yuan as a wretched scoundrel and the Yuan court as utterly beyond saving.
During his period of "recuperation," He Chunhua stepped up recruiting soldiers, buying mounts, and intensively training troops across his territory.
By this time, his renown as General Changning and Marquis of Wuwei had spread across both north and south, and the policies he enacted in Yazhou won the people's hearts. Coinciding with the autumn grain entering the granaries and leaving them bursting with surplus, the territory presented a rare scene of peace and prosperity.
Thus, talented figures and fierce warriors who had long been disillusioned with the Yuan Kingdom flocked to join him, hoping to display their abilities under the Marquis of Wuwei and achieve fame and distinction.
Water flows downward, but people strive upward; commoners from surrounding regions likewise brought their elderly and young, fleeing with their whole families to cast their lot with him.
Another forty-some days later, Dong Haoming's grand army broke through the northern defense line of the Yuan general Ke Jihai, pushing forward over three hundred li toward the Yuan capital.
Meanwhile, on the eastern battlefield thousands of li away, the clash between the Mou Kingdom and Beijia grew increasingly heated, with continuous reports of victory.
The follow-up team dispatched by the Heavenly Palace finally arrived at Blackwater City. After interrogating and inspecting the area for nearly half a month, they split into two columns: one headed for the Panlong Ruins, while the other continued north toward the Baling Kingdom!
Yet the target of their search—the mastermind behind the upheaval in the Panlong Desert, He Lingchuan—had already led his followers to Baisha Port at the southernmost tip of the Yuan Kingdom.
A brand new journey set sail from here.
—————————— Volume *Nailuo* ends here. The next chapter begins the new volume, *Bailie*.
Chapter 857