After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 21: Chapter 22: National Preceptor Sunx’s Scheme

”A prayer for blessings,” Nian Songyu said irritably. ”Don’t you have any common sense?”

As the rain poured down on him, Hee Lingchuan felt instantly refreshed. It was as if his body had been cleansed from the inside out. Not only was all the old grime gone, but every muscle also felt filled with power.

The soldiers also cried out in joy.

Black Water City had long been battered by wind and sand, and many of its residents suffered from damaged tracheas, hearts, and lungs. But this rain healed them by sixty or seventy percent, and their breathing became easy once more. Ailments like chronic joint pain and muscle strain also quietly healed under the cleansing of the Spirit Rain, the heavy feeling in their bodies vanishing completely.

The crowd’s gazes toward Sunx Fuping were suddenly filled with reverence.

The National Preceptor had always seemed too remote to the common folk, a figure floating on the clouds, intangible and distant. It wasn’t until he revealed this skill that soldiers and civilians fell to their knees on the spot, worshiping him as if he were one of the Deities.

Seizing the opportunity, Sunx Fuping delivered a resonant pre-expedition speech, instantly boosting the troops’ morale to its peak.

This was precisely the effect he had wanted.

Nian Songyu glanced at Hee Lingchuan. ”Now, the consecration ritual begins.” ’Time to let these country bumpkins see something amazing.’

After the downpour, the clouds thinned and the air cleared. Everyone’s clothes were soaked through, water still dripped from their pant cuffs, and the ground was a muddy mess.

Sunx Fuping raised his long staff again and tapped the ground. A peculiar scene unfolded.

The residual water on everyone’s bodies seeped out of their clothing and flowed to the ground.

Then, the puddles at every soldier’s feet began to move, slithering like snakes toward the altar.

On the platform sat a large Glaze tank, roughly the width of two people’s arms linked together. It was so perfectly transparent that one’s gaze could pass through it unhindered.

As if alive, the water on the ground defied gravity, flowing upward and queuing to enter the massive tank.

Soon, the Glaze tank was filled to the brim.

The ground outside the gates of Black Water City, trodden by thousands and constantly battered by inescapable sandstorms, was indescribably filthy. Yet the water that flowed from it into the tank was as clear as distilled water, without a single impurity.

’It’s impossible to recover spilled water,’ Hee Lingchuan thought, giving an inward thumbs-up. ’But he just did.’ Regardless of Sunx Fuping’s character, this one Spell was enough to reveal his profound mastery.

’The great National Preceptor really has the goods.’

”Every one of you who will march with me on this expedition, your fortunes are now more or less in here.” Sunx Fuping turned to Zeng Feixiong and held out his hand. ”The yuan coin. Bring it.”

The Society Commands of each kingdom took different forms. In the Yuan Kingdom, the Society Command issued to officials of all ranks was the yuan coin.

Zeng Feixiong had it ready, so he took it out and presented it.

His yuan coin was also shaped like a large copper coin, but the kite emblem on it was only light blue.

The significance and color of a Society Command were influenced by many factors beyond just official rank and authority. Judging from Zeng Feixiong’s yuan coin, however, he was just an ordinary Deputy Captain.

Sunx Fuping frowned. ”It seems insufficient.” With that, he tossed the yuan coin into the Crystal Tank.

Interestingly, the yuan coin didn’t sink. It floated steadily in the very center of the tank. The water’s surface, however, was no longer calm and began to ripple.

As the water swirled around it, the color of Zeng Feixiong’s yuan coin deepened, shifting to a shade between dark blue and light green.

”Even with the morale of the entire army, it’s barely adequate.” Sunx Fuping pulled a cloth pouch from his robes, opened it to give Hee Chunhua and the others a glimpse, then cinched it shut and tossed the entire thing into the tank.

Inside was half a pouch of yellow sand that squirmed on its own, untouched.

Hee Yue whispered, ”Is that the raging sand from the Panlong Desert?”

Hee Chunhua nodded, his eyes glued to the tank.

When the Panlong Desert acts up, no one dares enter its core region. This period is known as the Sandstorm Season. The half-pouch of raging sand, which the Hee Family had paid a fortune to acquire, had been collected from Red Cliff Road during one such season.

Though not from the core, of course.

The moment the pouch entered the water, however, the entire tank began to boil, and countless bubbles surged to the surface.

Hee Lingchuan thought he even saw flashes of lightning and heard rumbles of thunder within it.

The water then turned murky, but large clouds of steam rose from the surface—one was deep blue, the other a dusky yellow tinged with dark red.

The two colors of steam swirled together, and strangely, everyone felt as if they were locked in a fierce, unending battle.

To be precise, after just two clashes, the dusky yellow vapor gained the upper hand, virtually pinning its opponent and grinding it against the water’s surface.

It was obvious at a glance that the two were on completely different levels.

Sunx Fuping’s expression was grave. ”It won’t do. The rank is too low, the Primordial Power too weak! Who else is there?”

Hee Chunhua’s voice was strained. ”Is it really impossible?”

”There’s no way to contend with it!” Sunx Fuping snapped. ”Does the Prefect have any brilliant insights?”

Entering the Panlong Desert during the Sandstorm Season meant a near-certain death. Any official or Military General with other options would refuse to take such a risk.

Besides, there were no other high-ranking officials present. The highest-ranking person was—

Hee Lingchuan shot a sidelong glance at Nian Songyu. ”Can’t he do it?”

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. ’I’m still too unfamiliar with this world.’

Nian Songyu scoffed, looking at him as if he were a complete idiot.

Hee Yue whispered, ”This army belongs to Black Water City; it’s not under Captain Nian’s command. For him to leverage the troops’ fortune, he’d either have to be officially transferred here or be stripped of his rank to become a commoner and then accept an appointment from the Hee Prefect. Either way would require a Royal Decree.”

How could a Military Officer from Xunzhou command troops from Jinzhou—under normal circumstances, anyway.

Sunx Fuping approached Hee Chunhua and the others, lowering his voice. ”Going in like this is suicide. Either we cancel the mission, or a high-ranking official from Black Water City must lead.”

’A high-ranking official from Black Water City?’ That could only mean Hee Chunhua.

His life, or his career?

Hee Chunhua’s expression changed. He knew he’d been trapped.

But all of his subordinates, including Zeng Feixiong, were watching him with expectant eyes.

He knew he couldn’t delay. He had no choice but to take out his own yuan coin. ”Let’s test it first.”

Hee Yue cried out anxiously, ”Father!”

’How did things change so suddenly?’

Hee Lingchuan went a step further, grabbing his father’s hand and trapping the yuan coin between their palms. ”Dad, don’t be rash! This is no time to be a martyr for the kingdom!”

Hee Chunhua slapped his hand away. ”Calm down.”

Nearby, Nian Songyu gave a thumbs-up and praised, ”Mr. Hee, what loyalty!”

The Hee Brothers shot him a furious glare. ’Is this brat that desperate to force our hand?’

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Hee Chunhua took a deep breath, walked to the edge of the Crystal Tank, and tossed in his own yuan coin.

His yuan coin was light green, more than one rank higher than Zeng Feixiong’s.

As the yuan coin entered the tank, the water’s surface churned even more violently. A great cloud of steam billowed up, and this time, it was yellow!

It was a different shade from the raging sand’s vapor; this steam was a yellow tinged with a certain brightness.

It wasn’t just the crowd that was staring. Even Sunx Fuping let out a long ”Hmm?” unable to hide his astonishment. ”A leap of four ranks?”

Even with the morale boost from the entire army, the leap from light green to a true yellow was still stunning, albeit temporary.

Hee Chunhua gave a self-mocking smile. ”It seems I’m quite well-liked.”

He asked Sunx Fuping, ”If I lead the army on this expedition, what are the chances I’ll make it back?”