After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 479: Chapter 478: The Fair One is Still Here

”Of course, Baisha Jue.” Hee Lingchuan rolled his neck with a CRACK. ”I have a feeling something big is about to happen there.”

He needed to be more shrewd, more meticulous.

More composed.

”Oh, right. The investigation in Zhitian Village is wrapping up. Send someone to pass our intel here to Fushan Yue.”

BANG, BANG, BANG. Someone was knocking at the door.

Hee Lingchuan opened his eyes to the familiar sight of the wooden beam above him.

A lonely spider was spinning a web on it.

He sat up and rubbed his face, realizing he was back in the Panlong Dream Realm.

He hadn’t been here in days. This time, he had appeared directly in his small wooden cabin. It seemed the Red General’s army had finally given up on returning east and had gone back to Panlong City.

Even though he had been mentally prepared for this, Hee Lingchuan still let out a long sigh, feeling deeply disappointed.

The chance to change the fate of everyone in Panlong City had just slipped away.

”Broken Blade!” someone called from outside. ”We’re going drinking! You in?”

”I’m in.”

Hee Lingchuan opened the door to see eleven or twelve of his comrades-in-arms standing outside, including Hu Min, Willow, and Skinny.

They found a small, nearby tavern, ordered a few jars of aged wine and some side dishes, and settled in.

After chatting with the group, Hee Lingchuan learned that after he had ”logged off” from the Dream Realm last time, the King of Xiluo had issued four consecutive decrees urging the Panlong Army to retreat back to the Wilderness, each one harsher in tone than the last.

This was mainly because after Xiji was annihilated, the next two kingdoms in the Panlong Army’s eastward path were terrified. While gearing up for war, they also pressured the Xiluo Kingdom and promised to help them strike at the Southwest Rebel Army.

Their territories bordered the Southwest Rebel Army’s, so if they caused trouble on the border, the rebels would surely be forced to pay attention.

What was even more laughable was that after the news of the Panlong Army’s planned return to the east reached their home country, the various rebel factions actually quieted down significantly!

Hee Lingchuan popped a salt-and-pepper peanut into his mouth. ”Why’s that?”

”Why else!” Willow said resentfully. ”They’re afraid we’ll go back and reap the rewards of their labor! None of these rebel factions are any good. Not a single one of them is thinking about the common people!”

Hu Min chimed in, ”Whoever takes the National Capital becomes the target of everyone else. Seeing that the Panlong Army was about to return, nobody was willing to put in a serious effort anymore.”

The Capital City isn’t so easy to take. Xiluo will save its last ounce of strength for its defense, and the city is also protected by the Great Demon, the Golden Bull. After killing a thousand enemies but losing eight hundred of your own, how could you possibly compete with the other rebel factions?

Now that even the Panlong Army was returning, faced with the pressure from such a fierce and valiant force, all the other factions began to preserve their own strength.

With them pulling back, the pressure on the Xiluo Capital City eased greatly. They immediately felt like they were back on top again, and the decision to prevent the Panlong Army from returning east seemed especially brilliant.

It was best to let this blade hang over the heads of all their enemies.

The threat was far more useful than the action.

Hee Lingchuan swirled the wine in his cup. ”So Lord Zhong retreated the army because of this?”

”There’s more to it than that,” Skinny said. ”We stayed on the front lines for too long. As a result, Baling attacked the Panlong Wasteland, and Lord Zhong repelled them twice. Afterward, Xianyou and Baling joined forces, continuously reinforcing their troops on the edge of the Wilderness. They gathered and set up camp, amassing an army of about a hundred thousand men, preparing for a full-scale invasion. After careful consideration, Lord Zhong had no choice but to recall us.”

”The Northern Demon Kingdom and the Baling Kingdom have always been backing these smaller states. Xiji, in particular, had to travel thousands of miles every year to pay tribute to the Northern Demon Kingdom. Otherwise, where would they get the nerve to challenge Panlong City? Now that Xiji has been suddenly wiped out, the other kingdoms can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

The resistance to the eastward push was immense: the smaller kingdoms were determined to fight to the death, and their mother country, Xiluo, strictly forbade it. To the west, their old enemies were invading. The Panlong Army was caught between two fronts, so it was indeed not a good idea to ignore Panlong City and continue the eastern expedition.

Willow said angrily, ”From the looks of it, the Baling Kingdom opening the Jinxi passage for us was just a pretense! They were just waiting for our main force to move out before launching a sneak attack from behind. Otherwise, how could an army of a hundred thousand, an Alliance Army at that, be assembled so easily!”

They say that before an army moves, the rations and fodder go first. To mobilize a hundred-thousand-man army, the amount of preparation involved is immense. It’s all money, an endless stream of minute expenses.

Besides, Xianyou and Baling have never been on good terms. For them to hit it off and deploy an Alliance Army this time... what could it be if not premeditated?

The reactions of these small kingdoms on the eastern route, the reaction of Xiluo, and the reactions of Baling and Xianyou—the Red General/Mitian and Zhong Shengguang predicted it all.

Hee Lingchuan glanced at her. ”Did you analyze all this yourself?”

Willow froze, a little embarrassed. ”Can’t I? Is there a problem with that?”

She was a straightforward girl, after all. She pursed her lips and said, ”Alright, alright, I didn’t come up with it. The masters at Wenxian Hall did the analysis. Wenxian Hall has been buzzing with activity lately because of these topics. Generals from all over are coming to give lectures, all about warfare. You have to get there a full double-hour early just to grab a seat. Oh, and last time, General Ling even had a public debate with someone in the hall.”

The Panlong Army had made a round trip to the east and was now back at its main base. The wavering morale of the people, after such an upheaval, settled back down again.

Now the common people all understood: it wasn’t that Panlong City’s leadership was unwilling to go back, but that circumstances made it impossible.

Willow took out a few silver ingots and pushed them in front of Hee Lingchuan.

”What’s this?”

”A bet’s a bet. This is my share and Door Panel’s.” Back in Yuheng City, they had bet that the Panlong Army would continue its eastward advance, while Aluo and Skinny had sided with Hee Lingchuan, betting on a return west. ”You guys can split the money.”

Hee Lingchuan shook his head and pushed the silver back. ”There’s no point in taking this money.”

It was just for a bit of fun, but the outcome of the situation was unpleasant. What was the point of taking the winnings?

Hee Lingchuan casually changed the subject. ”You just said... where did Door Panel go?”

”To see his old compatriot.” Willow didn’t stand on ceremony and put the silver taels away. ”Haven’t you heard? That guy from his hometown is stubborn as a mule. He actually petitioned the Red General in public back in Yuheng City, begging him to continue the eastern expedition and fight their way back home.”

Hee Lingchuan was startled. ”In public? Not as a group, I hope?”

”No, just him. Otherwise, he would have been executed as the leader of a mutiny!” Skinny said with a wry smile. ”Subordinates challenging their superiors is a huge taboo in the army. I was standing right behind the guy. When the Red General’s gaze swept over, my whole back went stiff.”

”What happened then?” The Panlong Army was known for its strict discipline, demanding unconditional obedience from its soldiers during wartime. For that man to publicly question and pressure the Red General, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he lost his head for it.

”The Red General sentenced him to sixty military lashes, to be carried out after returning to the city. He hasn’t officially joined the Great Wind Army yet, or his punishment would have been even heavier.” Willow shrugged. ”They administered the caning the day before yesterday. He was a bloody mess and will be bedridden for a while. Door Panel sent him some rice, flour, and medicinal soup.”

Hee Lingchuan fell silent. Military lashes were not easy to endure. Some Patrol Guards had died after taking just twenty strikes.

’Sixty strikes. The Red General must have been furious.’

Everyone was sullen. They drank until they were completely smashed before heading back.

...

Hee Lingchuan returned to his quarters. Just as he stepped through the door, he heard a voice from behind him.

”You reek of wine.”

He turned around to see Sunx Fuling perched on the wall, her head tilted as she looked at him.

Her smile was enchanting, a dimple gracing her cheek. She was beautiful enough to be in a painting without even trying to strike a pose.

Hee Lingchuan was immediately reminded of the Bone Flute in that one painting.

’The Fair One is still here. Good.’

Noticing him staring intently, Sunx Fuling looked from side to side, then at herself. ”What is it?”

”Nothing. Sorry if I’m stinking up the place.” Hee Lingchuan scratched his head and walked toward the kitchen. ”I’m going to go wash up.”

When he came out, Sunx Fuling had already placed a basket of fruit on the table in the small courtyard and was pulling out two pears.

”Want to try one? They’re said to be a new variety from the eastern Chipa Plateau.”

The pears were plump, each weighing about a pound, with brownish skin that didn’t look very appealing. Hee Lingchuan’s mouth was dry from all the wine, so he took one and bit into it, only to find his mouth filled with a sweet flavor, the flesh fine and smooth with little grit.

”Delicious.”

”You were out drinking with Hu Min and the others?” Sunx Fuling, meanwhile, drew a dagger to peel her pear, eating it one slice at a time. ”There’s been a lot of resentment in the city these past few days.”

”Returning empty-handed, no one’s going to be happy.”

”We took the opportunity to conquer Xiji, which also weakened the threat from the east,” Sunx Fuling said leisurely. ”It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

”True, but I still feel it’s a pity.”

Sunx Fuling asked him, ”If you were the Red General, would you have continued the eastern expedition or returned west?”

”The eastern expedition.”

”Why?” Sunx Fuling raised an eyebrow. ”You’d abandon Panlong City behind you? The Eastern Expedition Army is just the vanguard. There are millions of women and children following.”

’Because no matter the cost of the eastern expedition, it would have been better than the eventual destruction of the city and its people. Of course, that’s being a Monday-morning quarterback. From the perspective of that moment, the Red General’s decision to lead the army back west was a well-considered one with its own validity.’

He could only think these words to himself. Aloud, he had to say:

”Lord Zhong is holding down the fort in the rear. Besides, war is nothing more than the art of precise calculation. Whether to fight or not, to return or not, all depends on the price you’re willing to pay for your goal.”

Sunx Fuling blinked. ”Precise calculation? Who said that?”

Hee Lingchuan said nothing.

’During the Battle of Hanhe River, he was swept away by the flash flood. It was only months later that he learned the outcome of the battle from Lil Qingge, and he was profoundly shaken.’

’The Yuan Army and the Xunzhou Army both suffered devastating losses, with countless casualties. Yet the generals on both sides submitted memorials claiming credit, declaring that victory was theirs and that they had achieved their ”combat objectives.”’

’Wasn’t that the result of ”precise calculation”?’

Sunx Fuling sneered. ”The price? Are you willing to be that price? Are the old, the weak, the women, and the children willing to be that price?”

Hee Lingchuan took a bite of his pear. ”If everyone’s heart is set on returning home, maybe they would be?”

”No. People’s hearts are set on returning home, but they hope others will pay the price while they enjoy the rewards,” Sunx Fuling said coolly. ”Such is human nature, even for the people of Panlong City.”

Hee Lingchuan shook his head. ”I just think it’s a terrible shame to have lost this chance to return to the east.”

”Forget it. If you can’t change it, you can only accept it.” Sunx Fuling savored a slice of pear she had just cut. ”Who knows, maybe there will be another chance later?”

Hee Lingchuan’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this, but she acted as if it was nothing, as if it were just an offhand remark.

”I heard that Baling and Xianyou have allied again. That’s a very bad omen,” Sunx Fuling said softly. ”There’s bad blood between those two kingdoms. They just fought a battle last spring, and both sides suffered casualties. Yet this time, they’re able to work together.”