Where Immortals Once Walked

From Woling Pass to Immortal Spirit Lake was a winding road of over two hundred kilometers. Would Lu Yao really sacrifice dragon blood just to invite the Crocodile God here to admire the scenery?

Nobody would believe that. The first thought that would pop up in anyone’s mind would be that Lu Yao must have been scheming to unite the three armies under his one banner. With the Crocodile God backing him, he no doubt fancied himself fit to play the role of supreme commander.

He Lingchuan asked, “If I kill Lu Yao and take the dragon blood, would you serve me instead?”

“No, the dragon blood is already in my keeping.” The giant crocodile blinked once. “But if you do kill him, I’ll help you for free, one time.”

“Oh? And why are you suddenly so generous?” Could pies really fall from the sky?

“Hong Xiangqian’s death. He can’t wash his hands of that.” The Crocodile God’s vertical pupils turned toward He Lingchuan. “Catch my tear. If, in the future, you soak it in the waters of Immortal Spirit Lake, you’ll gain my protection.”

A tear was about to roll off the corner of its eye. He Lingchuan hastily pulled out a crystal vial to catch it.

So this is a crocodile’s tear? Held to the light, the drop gleamed faintly blue.

Just from the Crocodile God’s tone, he sealed the vial tight and stowed it carefully away like a treasure.

“I still don’t understand one thing.”

“Speak.” The Crocodile God was already showing signs of impatience.

“Why did you leave the northern monster state and come into Great Yuan?” Obviously, after leaving the north, this giant crocodile kept heading south, first joining the shocking battle at Woling Pass, then following the waterways until it reached Immortal Spirit Lake.

Yuan was a web of rivers and lakes. For such a creature, they were nothing less than expressways.

“That was years ago. The new emperor of the northern state took the throne, and he was at odds with my clan,” said the Crocodile God coldly. “It wasn’t just us who left.”

“And what are your plans now?”

The Crocodile God pondered, then said, “Immortal Spirit Lake is fine. I’ll make my home here.”

The lake’s surface stretched more than four hundred kilometers, and beneath lay caverns and hidden channels beyond counting, connected to a network of rivers and streams. Prey was abundant here, and the Crocodile God was well pleased with the geography.

He Lingchuan coughed lightly. “Then have you considered taking the mantle of a water spirit?”

“Like that turtle?”

“Yes.” He Lingchuan smiled. “If you remain just a wild monster that eats people, the locals won’t tolerate you for long.”

The Crocodile God chuckled dismissively, full of disdain.

But He Lingchuan pressed his case, “Even if you’re not afraid, they won’t spare your offspring. It would be better to claim the seat of the local water spirit. When you do, you’ll be bound to safeguard this body of water, yes, but the royal court will grant you origin energy to cultivate, and you’ll receive regular offerings from the people. The benefits outweigh the burdens.”

At the mention of “origin energy,” the Crocodile God’s eyes lit faintly with temptation.

That turtle monster’s actual strength was far inferior to its own, yet with the origin energy of a water spirit augmenting it, the beast had fought on equal terms for an entire night before falling. If it, too, could claim such a boon, its future cultivation would benefit enormously.

Not to mention, once the locals erected a shrine in its honor, they would be bound to cast live animals as sacrifices on a regular basis.

Free meat, delivered to its doorstep, what monster would turn that down?

Fish every day was monotonous; one needed to change the menu now and then.

At the side, the little crocodile monsters swept their tails across the ground in eager encouragement, signaling their mother to quickly accept.

The Crocodile God had only one last question: “And can you really make this happen?”

“I can!” He Lingchuan thumped his chest in guarantee. “As long as you help us wipe out Lu Yao, that will be a great merit. I can then ask the Grand Administrator of Qiansong Commandery to send word to the local authorities, applying for you to be granted the post of Water Spirit of Immortal Spirit Lake. With a mighty monster like you standing guard, the officials would laugh themselves awake from their dreams.”

In this world, humans and monsters coexisted by default. Just as humans lived within the monster states, monsters lived within the human states—it was nothing unusual. When the authorities encountered particularly troublesome or uncontrollable great monsters, the best solution was to bring them into the fold, inviting them to take up posts as water spirits or water gods.

When weighed on the scales, few intelligent monsters were unwilling. After all, it meant guarding their own territory as they always had, only now with stipends or offerings from humans. Peace was preserved, humans were reassured, and the monsters gained steady resources. It was a relationship wherein both sides won.

As for whatever crimes the monsters might have committed in the past, whether it be eating men, drowning villages, or worse, all that would be pardoned. Compared with bandits and brigands, officials much preferred to recruit monsters. Monsters, for all their ferocity, were usually straightforward in temperament. They did not fancy themselves to cunning schemes nor sudden betrayals. Most, if not all, monsters held their posts as mountain, marsh, or water spirits for centuries or even longer. Dynasties might rise and fall in the meantime, yet the new rulers were quick to confirm those positions all the same.

So the Crocodile God did not hesitate long before agreeing.

When He Lingchuan managed to bring such powerful allies to his side, Wu Shaoyi and his men began looking at him with strange expressions.

To be honest, even dragon blood, which was Lu Yao’s prized bargaining chip, had not moved the Crocodile God half as much as the official post of a water spirit did.

Such was the power of a proper place on the rolls; this was the power of authorized strength.

One of Wu Shaoyi’s men, a fellow named Lian Deng, rubbed his hands together and said to He Lingchuan, “Brother He, helping the soldiers break Lu Yao’s siege means blood and sweat for us, maybe even losing brothers. But as for ourselves, it doesn’t seem to do us much good, does it?”

He Lingchuan glanced at Wu Shaoyi, who stood silent to the side, face unreadable. He knew the man’s thoughts must be in turmoil. So he said, “As long as you remain rebels, you’ll be hunted by the state just like Lu Yao. There’s no difference.”

The brigands’ faces soured.

Ever since their defeat at Woling Pass, every man among them knew how miserable the life of a beaten dog could be. Even Wu Shaoyi himself was uncertain of their future, unable to make any promises.

But then, He Lingchuan continued, “Unless... you’re willing to be granted amnesty.”

“Amnesty?” The word made them look at each other, surprised, yet not repelled.

He Lingchuan did not need to look at the others; he only had to look at Wu Shaoyi. The man’s impassive expression alone told him there was room for hope.

After all, the three armies had gathered secretly in Immortal Spirit Village for no other reason than to band together and carve out a foothold for survival. If they could not beat the system, then joining it was not the worst path. Even the Crocodile God, that proud and untamed beast, had chosen to accept a post. How could they not feel a pang of envy?

Wu Shaoyi’s gaze turned sharp. “And you have the authority to promise this? You’re just a mere officer following the army. On what grounds?”

“I do, on the grounds that I am the eldest son of He Chunhua, Grand Administrator of Qiansong Commandery!” He Lingchuan coughed a few times, finally revealing his trump card. Empty promises were worthless. Only the weight of an identity could smash noses and draw blood and still leave men smiling. “My father has just been appointed to Xia Province as its governor-general, and the troops he brings north are his personal troops! Once you submit, you’ll become trusted men of the He Family. From then on, you’ll be veterans of the army, pillars of Xia Province, free to feast, strut, and thrive.”

He knew perfectly well that men like these had no patience for lofty talk of ideals or destiny. What mattered was a real, solid guarantee.

“Feast, strut, and thrive”—those few words alone summed up a lifetime’s pursuit for most of them.

Sure enough, the brigands’ eyes flickered, already wavering.

Lian Deng scratched the back of his head and said, “But the royal court’s gone back on its word more than once. Even if General Wu submits, what if they...” His voice trailed off. After all, they were the so-called Righteous Army. They were instinctively wary and distrustful of state troops.