Where Immortals Once Walked

He Lingchuan cut him off before he could finish, “The war in the north is at a critical stage. Right now, the royal court is desperate for manpower! Every soldier they can send to the front is a blessing. They would never cripple themselves by throwing you away. Once the war is over, with merits under your belt and the highest power in Xia Province backing you, even if the royal court wanted to keep you on a leash, they’d first have to get past the governor-general!”

A governor-general was a truly high-ranking official. It was a post that oversaw both civil administration and military affairs. Even the royal court showed considerable deference to such a post.

Throughout the ages, amnesties for rebels had been commonplace. Some had lived out their days in peace; others had not. There was no fixed pattern when it came to this type of thing.

Wu Shaoyi turned to He Lingchuan and said, “This is no small matter. I’ll need to discuss it with my brothers.”

* * *

Up ahead lay Horse-Mounting Slope, which meant Pei Xinyong’s pursuit could finally be brought to a temporary halt.

The seven hundred ambushers Lu Yao had stationed at Whistle Rock, after losing over a hundred among themselves, had been driven all the way here by Pei Xinyong’s army.

This was a natural bridge, easy to defend and hard to attack. Once the enemy was chased this far, Pei Xinyong could leave a garrison of a hundred or two to hold the pass, while leading his main force back to Immortal Spirit Village to reunite with Wu Shaoyi.

But now, Pei Xinyong found himself wavering.

The spies he had sent to Immortal Spirit Village had reported back three times.

The first message said Wu Shaoyi had launched a successful surprise attack on the village. Lu Yao’s men had been caught off guard and cut down in droves, while Lu Yao himself had been chased to the lakeshore, seemingly preparing to flee by boat.

Pei Xinyong had never liked Lu Yao. Truth be told, a man-eating fiend like that earned little affection from anyone, especially after the Divine Master’s death, when every strength of Lu Yao’s had turned into a liability.

Still, Pei Xinyong had always believed that unity was required for survival. Only by sticking together could their scattered armies avoid being crushed one by one by the state forces. That was why he had advocated for the three armies to join hands and plan together.

Who would have thought Lu Yao harbored treachery, laying a trap for them instead?

If that were the case, then it would be better for him to help Wu Shaoyi eliminate Lu Yao now and leave no future threat.

The second report, however, brought fresh complications. It said the state troops had abandoned Immortal Spirit Village and moved onto the western mountain road.

At first, Pei Xinyong’s eyes flashed cold. He thought the authorities had uncovered his and Wu Shaoyi’s plan and were rushing to Whistle Rock to break the siege. However, the report continued, the soldiers had brought over a dozen wagons and carts, traveling with more than a hundred villagers from Immortal Spirit Village.

With that news, things began failing to add up. Who would bring families and baggage when setting out to exterminate bandits or brigands?

It did not seem like they were heading out on a pursuit at all. Instead, it appeared as though they were retreating. Had they discovered they could not handle Wu Shaoyi and decided to cut their losses?

Pei Xinyong still had not settled on how to deal with this strange troop movement.

But the third report turned everything upside down.

The Crocodile God had ambushed Wu Shaoyi. Lu Yao had pulled off a miraculous reversal, neutralizing the immediate threat, then seizing the chance to absorb a significant number of Wu Shaoyi’s men as his own!

That was a disaster.

Even a seasoned veteran like Pei Xinyong, long hardened by storms of battle, found himself momentarily at a loss.

At that time, he had been considering withdrawing his forces.

As Pei Xinyong was still weighing his options, a sudden flurry of wings beat down from above. One of his personal guards raised his arm, and the mechanical bird landed upon it.

The man opened a hidden compartment, drew out a slip of paper, and handed it over.

Pei Xinyong glanced at it, and his face changed drastically.

There were only a few words scrawled on it, but the metallic tang of blood was overwhelming; the message had clearly been written in fresh blood:

“You’ve fallen for a ruse of division! Turn east and strike down the state troops, then join me. All will be forgiven.”

It was signed with a single character: Lu!

Evidently, the spy he had stationed in Immortal Spirit Village had been discovered and slain by Lu Yao, who then seized the bird and wrote this ultimatum himself.

Is this a trap?

While Pei Xinyong brooded, one of his confidants leaned in and said, “General, if Lu Yao really meant to chase us down, he would have done it outright. Why bother sending this message?”

That’s true.

Seeing that he had his general’s ear, the confidant pressed further, “And if what Lu Yao says is true, then if those state soldiers aren’t dealt with, the news of the Righteous Army heading south will leak sooner or later. At that time, we’ll have endless trouble on our heels.”

Ever since their defeat at Woling Pass, the scattered Righteous Army remnants had been obsessively cautious about hiding their movements. The reason these three armies had chosen to rendezvous secretly at Immortal Spirit Lake was precisely because the place was quiet, making it a good spot for serious discussion. If their whereabouts were exposed, wave after wave of state troops would descend upon them, and that would be undeniably disastrous for them.

If Lu Yao was telling the truth, then they could join forces to wipe out the state troops.

If Lu Yao was lying to lure him back, well, those state troops numbered only two or three hundred, and with Lu Yao’s four or five hundred men added in, it still only made seven or eight hundred. Pei Xinyong himself commanded over a thousand and six hundred men, and in terms of both numbers and quality, he had no reason to be afraid.

If the battle turned sour, they could always withdraw. Besides, he recalled the earlier report about the state troops heading west, having dragged along wagons, carts, and villagers. That was hardly the mark of an army on campaign, but rather a group in retreat.

Having reasoned things through, he raised his head and gave the order, “Reverse our march. We’re heading back east to slaughter ourselves some dog officials!”

* * *

The brigands were holding council, which meant He Lingchuan had to excuse himself.

Inside, though, he was anxious. He had no idea how the government troops were faring, or whether they had already clashed with the enemy. Meanwhile, a bizarre procession was unfolding along the western mountain road:

Seven hundred of Lu Yao’s men ← Pei Xinyong’s army ← the state troops ← Lu Yao’s four hundred cavalry.

So many forces, all strung out along a single road, each one chasing the next. Even if He Lingchuan spurred his horse to its limit, at best, he would only catch up to Lu Yao’s rearguard, where a bloody clash was inevitable. And all the while, he still had no way to contact his father.

What a mess.

He had just persuaded Wu Shaoyi and these brigands to fight under his banner. If he could not bring them to the state troops’ relief, it would all be such a waste.

Frustration aside, his stomach growled again.

After fighting all night without food or water, it was time to replenish his strength. Slipping into villagers’ houses, he rifled through kitchens one by one and soon dug up a stack of flatbreads.

The brigands had seized the villagers’ newly harvested wheat, ordering the women to cook up a feast. But last night, a sudden windfall of fresh fish had shifted the menu, leaving these breads untouched in the kitchens.

Cold fish was rank and unpleasant. Flatbreads, at least, were serviceable.

He Lingchuan found a few browned and crispy wraps and ate them on the move. The faint sweetness of the wheat, along with a bite of scallions, soothed his hunger nicely. He had never been too picky about food.

Then, his thoughts turned back to those giant crocodiles.

He returned to the village and found a poultry pen. At first, he thought of catching a few chickens or ducks, but the pen was strewn with feathers. Only two scrawny chicks huddled behind the slats, trembling.

Clearly, the brigands had already looted this place. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed bloodstains on the ground. He soon found severed heads, as well as hollowed-out carcasses.

He lifted one for a closer look. No, this isn’t the work of humans. Whether bandits or villagers, if they killed chickens, they would have sent them to the kitchen, not left the remains like this.

Shrugging, he tried another yard and this time found a handful of plump fowl. He carried them down to the lake and tossed them in.

It was not his property anyway, so why not be generous with someone else’s goods?

The birds flapped and squawked, frantic and alive. The Crocodile God, still half-dozing in the sun, could not be bothered to move. But the younger crocodile monsters chased after the poultry with glee, and before long were munching away, feathers and all.