After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 158: Chapter 159: No Designs on Each Other

But none of that was the point. The most important thing right now was to grab as much as possible!

He suppressed his excitement, but soon realized something was wrong:

There was too little.

After waiting for a long while, he finally felt another faint coolness on his face as a tiny droplet of Emperor’s Liquid landed on his cheek.

At this rate, forget filling half a wine jug; he wouldn’t even be able to cover the bottom of a snuff bottle after an entire night!

Hee Lingchuan was thoroughly disappointed.

A dispute suddenly broke out on the threshing ground. It turned out that one of Wu Shaoyi’s men and a veteran from the Supporting Army were fighting over some Emperor’s Liquid, neither willing to back down.

The object of their contention was a piece of Emperor’s Liquid the size of a pinky fingernail.

Most of this treasure dripping from the sky was as fine as rain silk, but a rare few drops congealed into a jelly-like state, a mix of pale green and white, resembling jade paste.

What started as a squabble between two men quickly escalated into a noisy confrontation between two groups, the soldiers’ tempers frayed by the desire sparked by the Emperor’s Liquid.

Zeng Feixiong and Wu Shaoyi had no choice but to waste precious time stepping in to mediate.

The once-quiet mountain forest was now abuzz with noise. Birds that had been sleeping stretched their wings toward the sky, squabbling with their neighbors in hopes of snatching a little more Emperor’s Liquid.

Around the farmstead, even hibernating wood frogs and long snakes slithered out, writhing in the undergrowth to rub the Emperor’s Liquid from the blades of grass onto their bodies.

The great mountain seemed to come alive. In the face of the Emperor’s Liquid, almost no living creature could remain calm.

This shower of Emperor’s Liquid lasted just over a double-hour from start to finish before tapering off.

Hee Lingchuan leaped onto a high branch of a large tree, scraping the leaves to collect the Emperor’s Liquid drop by drop.

In the process, he had to constantly fight off other creatures and was nearly bitten by snakes and scorpions twice.

Others quickly followed his example.

The Emperor’s Liquid Rain only lasted for about a double-hour, but no one slept a wink until morning, spending most of the night trying to collect it. Fortunately, the Supporting Army’s discipline was a cut above the rest, and Wu Shaoyi also kept a tight rein on his men, so no further major incidents occurred.

At 5:00 AM, the sun rose.

As soon as the sunlight touched it, the remaining Emperor’s Liquid instantly evaporated into white vapor and vanished without a trace.

The crowd’s sighs of disappointment marked the end of the night’s commotion.

Everything was about to return to normal.

The cooks started making breakfast. Before long, Hee Yue came to call his older brother for the meal and asked, ”How much did you get?”

”Sigh. Not even enough for a single gulp.” Hee Lingchuan’s lucky streak hadn’t kicked in. After scrambling for half the night, the Emperor’s Liquid he’d collected only filled half a small Jade Bottle.

’Ten milliliters at most,’ he eyeballed.

”It’s a once-in-a-few-decades opportunity. We’re lucky just to have encountered it,” Hee Yue said, taking it in stride.

Hee Lingchuan asked him, ”How do you plan to use it?”

”I already drank most of it. I’m saving the last little bit to add to my bath.”

’No wonder the kid is glowing with health and brimming with energy,’ Hee Lingchuan thought. ’He just drank the Emperor’s Liquid straight. That’s good, too. At least no one will be coveting it now.’

Hee Yue then reminded him, ”The Emperor’s Liquid is only effective for a mere twenty-four double-hours before it expires. Big Brother, you need to use it in time. Don’t waste this Supreme Treasure.”

”I know, I know.” Hee Lingchuan hadn’t decided what to do yet. The most common methods were to either drink it directly or bathe in it, like Hee Yue did. The Emperor’s Liquid appeared so rarely and its effects were so short-lived that there were almost no specific recipes for it. In contrast, there were many more human-developed preparations for Profound Crystals, which were formed after the Emperor’s Liquid seeped into the earth and solidified.

But it was unknown whether using those methods on fresh Emperor’s Liquid would enhance or diminish its effects.

No one had an easy time collecting the Emperor’s Liquid, so nobody wanted to experiment with the pitiful amount they had.

Hee Lingchuan took this question to Hee Chunhua, who had already consulted the Mages in the army but also hadn’t received a definitive answer.

In fact, ever since the Emperor’s Liquid Rain ended, Hee Chunhua had been repeatedly and severely reinforcing military discipline. He forbade any theft, robbery, verbal abuse, or brawling—violators would have their hands cut off. He had everyone gather on the threshing ground and sit in rows, ordering his elite Personal Guard to watch them closely. No one was allowed to leave. Only then did he barely manage to suppress the eager ambitions of those with ill intentions.

Just as the sun rose, Hee Chunhua organized the entire army to consume the Emperor’s Liquid in their possession together.

Hee Lingchuan also sat down, tilted his head back, and drank.

Although his movements were grand and his posture bold, he actually only drank a few drops. With lightning speed, he put the rest away. He just couldn’t bring himself to drink it all.

This method was designed to eliminate suspicion and prevent future jealousy and conflict that could affect morale: everyone drank it all in plain sight, with everyone else as a witness.

In reality, everyone knew how precious the Emperor’s Liquid was. But it had come so suddenly, and there was no better way to use it than to drink it directly. Besides, keeping it would just let it expire.

So, most people tipped their heads back and finished it off. Even those who had already drunk theirs would now lift their empty pouches and jars and pretend to drink again for all to see, warding off the covetous gazes of others.

It had to be said, this method was crude but effective. After everyone drank the Emperor’s Liquid, the looks they gave each other became much friendlier, no longer like hungry wolves.

This sudden opportunity—or crisis—was finally defused by Hee Chunhua’s decisive action.

He never underestimated the allure of the Emperor’s Liquid, nor did he ever overestimate human nature.

Watching his father manage the crisis from the side, Hee Lingchuan felt he had learned a great deal.

For a general, besides being skilled at strategy and planning, the courage and means to handle emergencies were also crucial.

Indecisiveness inevitably breeds disaster.

”There’s been a change of plans. I’m afraid we’ll have to stay here for two more days.” Facing the two brothers, Hee Chunhua sighed. ”After last night’s Emperor’s Liquid outbreak, I fear the entire Frost Union Town, Fengling Ferry, and even the river itself won’t be peaceful.”

Hee Chunhua had the prestige and the methods to swiftly suppress the greed and potential riots among his subordinates. But not everyone could learn or apply such tactics.

Sure enough, when the Supporting Army went to check on the situation in town, they discovered that riots had indeed broken out between the latter half of the night and sunrise. More than forty people had died fighting over the Emperor’s Liquid, and over two hundred were injured.

Travelers heading to Fengling Ferry to catch a boat would all stop over in Frost Union Town. It was a motley crew, and last night, they had all seemingly lost their minds, fighting endlessly. There were about seven hundred people in town at the time. The number of injured alone was nearly a third of the population, almost twenty percent of the buildings were damaged, and more than ten houses had caught fire.

When the Supporting Army’s scouts arrived, some houses were still smoldering, the fires not yet fully extinguished.

This was a clear testament to the immense allure the Emperor’s Liquid held for all living things.

Over at Fengling Ferry, whirlpools frequently appeared on the wind-swept surface of the river, a clear sign of surging undercurrents. Upon closer inspection, huge dark shadows could be seen cruising on the surface and underwater. It was unclear what kind of Water Race they were, but they were constantly attacking each other. Evidently, last night’s Emperor’s Liquid had left them agitated and greatly increased their aggression.

Under these circumstances, boat travel on the river would be very unsafe.

It was with this in mind that Hee Chunhua ordered the entire army to rest for two days.

At this time, the Village Headman also approached Hee Chunhua, hoping to borrow the Supporting Army’s strength to quell the unrest in Frost Union Town and temporarily maintain order. The whole town had descended into chaos last night, resulting in deaths and injuries. Now that dawn had broken, those with grudges wanted revenge, and those with grievances wanted to air them. Frost Union Town’s self-established Civil Peace Corps was too small to keep the peace.

Since the local authorities were asking for help, Hee Chunhua agreed without hesitation and dispatched three hundred soldiers from the Supporting Army to patrol the town.

Hee Lingchuan, however, didn’t set foot outside, choosing to hole up in the estate and focus on his Cultivation.

That morning, he had downed a few drops of the Emperor’s Liquid. It was cool as mint in his mouth, but after swallowing, his organs felt warm, his mind raced with excitement, and his body was bursting with energy he couldn’t vent. He even felt a heroic urge, as if he could cross a thousand miles in a single step and ride away gracefully on the wind.

Of course, it was an illusion. He was just high on the stuff.

One drop of Emperor’s Liquid was worth ten days of Cultivation, meaning he had gained forty to fifty days’ worth of Cultivation out of thin air. And that was just the obvious benefit.

Hee Lingchuan couldn’t let such an opportunity pass. He chugged two mouthfuls of warm water, returned to his room, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing. He smoothly completed six Grand Circulations and twelve Circulations.

Hee Chunhua knew both his sons needed to digest the benefits of this heavenly boon, so he sent men to stand guard at their door and prevent anyone from disturbing them.

His meditation ended.

Hee Lingchuan stood up, stretched his arms and legs, and yawned. He felt light and full of energy.

Other than that, there was nothing special.

’So where’s the effect of the Emperor’s Liquid? How is it supposed to manifest?’

Puzzled, he turned his head, wanting to see how Hee Yue was doing. But to his surprise, though the room was large, there was only the one bed he had just gotten out of. In the direction he was looking, there was a set of a table and chairs, a low cabinet against the wall, and a bundle of wormwood hanging on the door.

But there was no second person.

’Wait, wait a minute,’ he thought. ’This is definitely not the room I was in before I started my meditation!’

Hee Lingchuan strode out and found himself on the edge of a village. A small stream gurgled in front of the village, a hen clucked by his feet, and a little yellow dog ran up to the fence, its tail wagging so hard it looked like it would fall off.

In the distance, children were playing rough, and a few women were washing clothes by the water’s edge before carrying buckets back.

The Supporting Army was gone. This wasn’t the farmstead he was at before.

’Could it be?’

Hee Lingchuan suppressed his feelings and went to ask one of the women washing clothes by the river, ”Ma’am, excuse me, where is this?”

”Xingqian Village,” the woman said, giving him a strange look.

”How did I get here?”

The woman looked even more bewildered. ”How should I know?”

Hee Lingchuan pointed to the house behind him. ”Then whose house is that?”

”That’s Uncle Meng’s. Aren’t you the friend his son brought back?”

Hee Lingchuan had a pretty good idea of what was going on. ”Well then, how do I get to Panlong City?”

That’s right. For over a month, he had been trying and failing to enter Panlong City. Today, after getting the Emperor’s Liquid and cultivating diligently, he had been inexplicably pulled in.

’The Broken Blade or the Grand Square Pot,’ he thought, ’is so unreliable.’

As expected, the woman pointed east. ”Follow the road. It’s two li.”

Hee Lingchuan thanked her and headed east.

The stream behind him continued to flow merrily, and the washerwomen began to whisper among themselves:

”Did that young man hit his head or something?”

”My uncle fell off his horse once, and afterward, he didn’t recognize us either. He kept asking everyone where his home was.”

”What a shame, he’s so handsome!”

Hee Lingchuan: ”...”

Before long, the magnificent Panlong City indeed appeared in his field of vision.

Following the main road, he encountered many travelers.

Hee Lingchuan carefully observed everyone’s expressions along the way, terrified of a repeat of his first time entering the Panlong Dream Realm, when he was identified and hunted down.