Where Immortals Once Walked

Watching the little crocodile monsters tearing into the poultry, He Lingchuan felt a swell of satisfaction. Cozying up to man-eating monsters like these was no easy feat. He had originally planned to use the turtle pearls as leverage, but on a sudden inspiration, he had tossed out the promise of an official post instead, and with nothing but empty words, he had managed to win over the Crocodile God.

Power—ah, power. This kind of influence really is just intoxicating. No wonder Father’s so obsessed with it.

By the time He Lingchuan had finished off seven or eight flatbreads, the brigands had concluded their council. Wu Shaoyi came over with his men.

“Does Governor-General He’s force have a name?”

“It does.” He Lingchuan took a sip of water. “It’s called the Coordinating Army.”

That was the result of deliberation between He Chunhua and his advisers. His original idea had been to name this trusted force, the one he intended to personally bring to Xia Province, the Blackwater[1] Army. But He Yue and the others had objected vehemently, arguing that naming it after their home turf was far too narrow-minded.

Wu Shaoyi said, “We’re willing to join, but I’ll need at least the rank of deputy general, and my brothers must all be assigned proper posts.”

“Deal.” He Lingchuan then thought for a moment before saying, “With General Wu’s seniority, a deputy general’s post is fitting. But let me be clear that your men may be broken up and redistributed into other units when the time comes.”

This was standard practice to prevent old loyalties from hardening into factions. Wu Shaoyi did not object. In fact, the caveat made him trust He Lingchuan more. If the young man had simply promised everything without condition, that would have reeked of hollow talk.

“Then let’s discuss our next move.” Wu Shaoyi settled himself on a tree stump.

His wounds were still far from healed. Though he had used a forbidden spell to shift the damage elsewhere, the blood loss was very real. His face was still pale. He had already swallowed several blood and qi-replenishing pills and was chewing on a chunk of old ginseng even now. It was only that which kept him from fainting from dizziness and shortness of breath.

He knew perfectly well what he needed most: a pot of ginseng chicken soup, meat and broth together, followed by a day and a night of solid sleep. Sleep, after all, was the best way to restore blood.

However, the current situation did not allow for such luxuries. The Grand Administrator’s eldest son was expecting him to score a first merit as proof of loyalty.

Hence, Wu Shaoyi picked up a stick and began sketching on the sand. “When it comes to the western mountain road, the forces ahead of us have already pulled far away. We’d be hard-pressed to catch them on horseback, and linking up with Commandery Administrator He’s men may not be feasible.”

He Lingchuan saw that what he drew were the outlines of the surrounding mountains.

“Since we planned to rendezvous at Immortal Spirit Village, I had scouts survey the terrain in advance,” Wu Shaoyi explained. “Here, the ridges follow the water. From Desheng Town to Immortal Spirit Village, the mountains all cling to the upper reaches of Immortal Spirit Lake. The overland route is arduous. Why not go by water instead?”

“By boat?” He Lingchuan glanced toward the wooden dock. “There aren’t enough vessels, are there?”

Only seven or eight boats bobbed at the shore. One was large enough to carry over a hundred people, but if that had been sufficient, Lu Yao would already have abandoned his horses and taken to the lake to block the state forces.

“Indeed, there aren’t enough,” Wu Shaoyi admitted. “But don’t forget, we still have them.” He then pointed at the crocodile monsters basking on the shore. “Their backs can carry men, especially the Crocodile God. The Crocodile God alone could carry sixty or seventy men.”

The Crocodile God was over seventeen meters in length, making it longer and broader than some river ferries. Dozens of men could crowd together shoulder to shoulder on its back without too much trouble.

The reason Lu Yao had never dared to use the Crocodile God for transport was simple. Their deal had already been fulfilled, and the Crocodile God no longer owed him anything.

However, He Lingchuan was different. The Crocodile God was now under official appointment, making it such that it was no longer just a wild monster, but the state’s own crocodile.

“The first batch of two hundred men can go by water,” Wu Shaoyi continued. “Whether for a sneak attack or for reinforcement, that alone will relieve the immediate crisis. As for the rest, they can ride overland.”

He saw He Lingchuan hesitate and added, “The most urgent task now is to make contact with Pei Xinyong.”

“Make contact with Pei Xinyong?”

“Exactly. He commands a thousand and six hundred men. He’s the decisive factor on the western mountain road. Suppose he helps the state troops, their chances of victory soar. If he sides with Lu Yao, then Commandery Administrator He is in dire straits.”

He Lingchuan’s face changed. “You’re right!”

From where it lay basking, the Crocodile God spoke up at last, slow and unhurried, “And where is it you plan to go?”

“Lu Yao’s seven hundred men stationed at Whistle Rock never showed themselves,” He Lingchuan explained, pointing at the sketched map on the ground. “That means that Pei Xinyong successfully intercepted them. Those seven hundred can’t advance eastward, so they’ll have to fall back west. That means we not only have to reach the state troops first, but we’d better get ahead of Pei Xinyong as well.”

“There are a couple of kilometers between Immortal Spirit Village and Whistle Rock, and since Lu Yao’s signal arrow went up last night, Pei Xinyong should have set out at least six hours earlier.”

When he intercepted the Whistle Rock ambush, it had still been pitch dark. By now, the sun was already high in the sky.

Wu Shaoyi actually smiled. “On those mountain roads, six hours doesn’t mean much. If we take the lake, we can catch up to them quickly.”

The roads through the mountains twisted endlessly. On the other hand, the broad expanse of Immortal Spirit Lake was open and direct. For this reason, the villagers of Immortal Spirit Village often traveled in and out by boat, whether to ferry people or goods.

He pointed at a spot on the map. “We should set our water route’s endpoint at Desheng Town. It’s built along the river and should have a dock.”

A dock meant proper roads wide enough for wagons and troops.

“But Desheng Town is occupied by Lu Yao’s men, and I heard that there are several hundred of them stationed there,” He Lingchuan objected. “Are we still going to go there despite that?”

“If we go by water and land there, we’ll have no horses. How else will we pursue Pei Xinyong?” Wu Shaoyi chuckled. “Lu Yao always keeps his elites close at hand. What he left in the town are definitely his weaker troops. The ones there are probably good for nothing but holding the rear. Even if we strike them with only two hundred, we’ll be able to dispose of all of them easily.”

This Young Master He seems to still be quite green, at least he doesn’t appear to have much experience of war.

Wu Shaoyi knew well that with clever maneuvering, two or three hundred could rout two or three thousand in a surprise attack.

Wu Shaoyi then went on, “According to my agreement with Pei Xinyong last night, I was to pin down Lu Yao while he intercepted the Whistle Rock ambush. Once both tasks were done, we would regroup. So he won’t chase them all the way to Desheng Town. At most, he’ll stop at Horse-Mounting Slope. That place is naturally defensible, so he’ll probably leave two hundred men there, and even if Lu Yao’s stragglers try a counterattack, they’ll be held at bay for a time.”

He Lingchuan nodded. “We also predicted that once Lu Yao’s Whistle Rock ambushers were attacked, they would scatter toward Desheng Town. It’s a natural instinct for them to retreat to their main camp—there, at least, they can fight or defend. This means that Pei Xinyong will likely pursue them that way as well. To prevent him from turning back midway, Commandery Administrator He’s troops will break off early, taking the fork to Qianteng Town.”

All of this had been part of He Chunhua’s plan all along. They had accounted for the risk of Pei Xinyong reversing course. After all, the man commanded over a thousand hardened fighters. If he came face-to-face with the state troops, how could he not be tempted?

Fortunately, the route into Immortal Spirit Village narrowed to a single road in the final stretch. But from the village outward, especially westward, several forks branched off. That gave He Chunhua’s group multiple layers of strategic buffer.

1. Note that the Heishui in Heishui City directly translates to blackwater or black and water. ☜