Where Immortals Once Walked

After all, the land was still overrun by roaming bandits, and the guards of the great families could help dissuade any such bandits from attacking them while they were migrating.

“Yes, some have fled,” said Ding Zuodong. “However, the Li and Shu families are doing the opposite. Rather than leaving or preparing to leave, they’re buying up property. They’re the real wind vanes of public sentiment. As long as they stay, most others won’t dare to move.”

“They must’ve seen our example and decided to gamble as well.”

“They’re not foolish to do so. The Li and Shu families have businesses spread throughout Xia Province, with Dunyu as their heart. Moving would be like ripping out their own bones and sinews.”

Hearing that, He Lingchuan’s face curved into a cold sneer. “So, they don’t mind gambling either, eh? When the summer swamps dry up, the ones lying dead at the bottom are always the biggest crocodiles.”

Ding Zuodong hesitated. “Still, they bet right this time, didn’t they?”

“This time, yes.” He Lingchuan clapped him on the shoulder. “Relax. The front lines will soon send word of victory. Those who kept faith in the He Family, and in Dunyu, will reap their reward.”

Though comforted, Ding Zuodong could not help feeling that the young master’s words carried a much deeper meaning.

“Alright, how much money do I have left?”

Hearing this, Ding Zuodong straightened at once. “Yes!” He took out his ledger and began to report every transaction line by line, without skipping a single detail.

Over the past six days, he had dashed about Dunyu and its surroundings like a whirlwind, snatching up prime assets across and around the city for He Lingchuan. Having once struggled in poverty, he now found himself handling a rich man’s silver—and oh, how freely he spent it. If something looked promising, he bid high; if it looked weak, he pressed hard.

For the first time in years, he felt alive.

But six days were all it took for eighty thousand taels of He Lingchuan’s hundred thousand to vanish into real estate and shares. And just today, more than ten thousand had gone out as well, leaving him with barely over ten thousand.

Ding Zuodong’s blood was still running hot. If the young master had allowed it, he would have gone right back out and spent the rest.

“When Dunyu stabilizes and confidence returns, we’ll make at least double on resale.”

He Lingchuan shook his head. “Double is too little.”

The value of that single violet-gold pestle alone could feed a hundred mortal families for a lifetime. Why settle for merely doubling silver?

“These are steady, long-term businesses,” Ding Zuodong replied with a grin. “Even without reselling, the rent income alone will flow endlessly.”

Steady cash flow was what made a good asset.

“Good.” He Lingchuan drew out a folded list. “Now that I have a pharmacy, go gather these herbs and deliver them to Ling Guang.”

Thanks to his new venture, his purchases were now at cost price.

In truth, his plan to make money had begun as nothing more than a practical concern. After all, yin and yang pills burned through silver too fast, and he had feared going broke.

Still, how did that small step turn into a citywide operation?

Well, I brought this on myself.

As he and Ding Zuodong were about to part, he called to Shan Youjun, “By the way, Jiao Tai will be released this evening. You can go and fetch him.” He tossed over a wooden token and a silver ingot. “He’s been locked up for days, and I doubt his injuries would have healed. Take this token to the Huixiang Hall for medicine and treatment, and put it on my account. As for this silver, give it to him as a token of my regard.”

Shan Youjun’s eyes went wide with joy. His knees buckled instinctively.

However, He Lingchuan was faster. He grabbed him by the arm before he could kneel. “Don’t you start that again. Get going!”

The young man’s heart touched Shan Youjun. In the six days since Jiao Tai’s arrest, Shan Youjun had held his tongue, neither pleading nor whining, a proof of his restraint and sense. Sun Hongye had chosen his men well.

* * *

That night, before bed, He Lingchuan patted the hilt of his broken saber. “Remember, tonight, I want another match against Meng Shan.”

Sure enough, when he entered the Panlong Dreamscape, he found himself standing right inside the Martial Review Hall.

Every night for the past few days, he had sparred with Meng Shan. It proved beyond doubt that the broken saber truly understood his commands.

He walked to the northern courtyard, slapped the fence, and shouted, “Meng Shan! Come out!”

Meng Shan emerged, frowning with impatience. “Are you here to spar, or just to get beaten again?”

Time after time, he had smashed this kid into the ground. Anyone else would have died four times over by now, yet the next day, this stubborn He brat would show up full of spirit, ready for another beating.

Is his body made of iron? Those bone-cracking sounds weren’t illusions, were they?

He Lingchuan smirked and used his tried-and-true two-word taunt, one that always worked, “You scared?”

Steam all but blew from Meng Shan’s nostrils. With heavy strides, he crossed over to the southern courtyard.

The moment he appeared, the onlookers knew a show was coming. Spectators from both the northern and southern courtyards gathered, whistling and cheering. Some shouted encouragement for Broken Blade, He Lingchuan’s nickname.

He lost every match, true, but losing again and again while still daring to fight earned its own kind of respect.

And Meng Shan, that walking bear of a man, was no ordinary opponent. Even the hardened soldiers of the Gale Army hesitated to face him.

Out of nowhere, Skinny appeared and said with bright spirits, “Place your bets! How long do you think Broken Blade will last today?”

He Lingchuan had never won, but his endurance grew nightly, giving the bookie perfect fodder for his betting pool.

He Lingchuan tossed him a silver ingot. “Put me down for lasting fifteen minutes!”

He was the one getting pummeled, after all. Why should he not earn a share of the pot?

“Done!”

“I’ll be betting on something else!” Meng Shan cracked his knuckles. “Let’s see how you die today.”

He Lingchuan raised a hand. “Wait, can you answer a question of mine first?”

“Fine. Speak.” Meng Shan snorted. The man actually seemed in a decent mood. In the end, the human punching bag in front of him was too tough for him not to respect.

“Have you fought the Red General before?”

“Of course.” Otherwise, how would I have surrendered willingly?

“And did he beat you easily?”

Meng Shan rolled his eyes and raised three fingers. “Five moves.”

Then he added smugly, “Most of those guys in the northern courtyard couldn’t even last two.”

From the crowd, two Gale Army soldiers shouted indignantly, “That’s just because you’re fat!”

In the end, weight was also a form of strength.

He Lingchuan exhaled slowly. The road ahead is long indeed...

The saying was true; there is no end to the path of cultivation.

* * *

The night was clear and windless, the sky vast and crystalline.

Under these calm skies, the Zhan Family’s convoy traveled south, their wheels rolling through the dark. They covered nearly twenty kilometers before reaching Bu County just before dawn.

Trailing behind them were almost twenty thousand others—merchants, peasants, smaller nobles—all fleeing the uncertain fate of Dunyu.

Bu County’s resident population was less than seventeen thousand; there was no chance of housing such a crowd. The curfew was still in effect, and the gates remained closed tight.

For over an hour, the Zhan Family negotiated with the gate officer, but the upright, rigid gatekeeper refused them entry.

In the end, everyone had to camp outside the county city, pitching tents on the frozen ground. Those who arrived late found even the last scraps of firewood in the nearby grove already picked clean.

This was simply the life of a refugee. They could not expect warmth, kindness, or even hot water.

For many of the Zhan Family nobles and wealthy merchants, it was their first taste of real destitution. But when they thought of how Dunyu City would soon be engulfed by war, relief still outweighed humiliation.

Better a wretched life than a glorious death, they told themselves.

Thankfully, it was early spring. The air remained cold, the snow not yet fully melted, but at least they need not endure the biting cruelty of deep winter.

After twenty kilometers of exhaustion, most people fell asleep on ice and snow alike.

But before dawn, two horses came thundering from the north, their riders shouting at the gate, “Urgent dispatch from the provincial capital! Open the gate!”

Three shouts later, the guards verified the orders and opened up.

The commotion spread like ripples. Even half-asleep refugees stirred in their tents, whispering among themselves.

“There’s an urgent message from Dunyu?”

“What could it be? Has the Xun Province army made it further south?”

Speculation rippled through the crowd and quickly reached the Zhan Family.

An hour later, roosters crowed. The gates opened for the day.

Zhan Song, the head of the Zhan Family, wasted no time leading his family into the city to find an inn. After a night in the open, every one of his bones ached.

But they had barely sat down to breakfast when a servant burst in, panting with excitement. “Victory! Victory!”

Zhan Song’s brow furrowed. Before he could speak, his wife snapped, “Don’t shout like that! Where are your manners?”

Zhan Song, however, leaned forward. “Speak!”

“Bu County has posted announcements everywhere! The new governor-general personally led the troops against Xun Province’s army. There were three battles, one each at Xinhuang, Hetao, and Lu’an, and we won all three! A thousand and six hundred men defeated over nine thousand, and two enemy generals were even beheaded!”

The bun slipped from Zhan Song’s chopsticks and rolled onto the table. “That’s... what the notice says?”

The members of the Zhan Family all erupted in disbelief.

“How could that be possible?!”

“They’re lying! They must just be trying to keep people calm!”

“Impossible, how could sixteen hundred beat nine thousand?”

Zhan Song’s head swam with noise. At last, he slammed his palm on the table. “Silence!”

The slam silenced the room.

His wife ventured timidly, “Dear, what do you think?”

Zhan Song steadied himself. “Send a fast rider back to confirm. For now, no one leaves Bu County.”

There was nothing else to do; even the boldest among them dared not argue.

After the others dispersed, Zhan Song sat alone for a while, unease gnawing at him. He went out for a walk to clear his head.

Everywhere he turned, faces were lit with smiles. The jubilation grated against his mood.

He ducked into a teahouse. Each table was abuzz with talk of the victory.

The waiter hurried over with a pot of tea and a plate of snacks.

“I didn’t order these.”

“They’re on the house!” the waiter grinned. “Our troops crushed the enemy! It’s a day for celebration!”

“It’s not the first victory ever claimed,” Zhan Song muttered. “What’s all the fuss about?”

“Less than two thousand against nine thousand, and we won!” The waiter’s eyes shone. “This new governor-general really knows his stuff.”

Zhan Song said evenly, “Let’s hope he can keep winning.”

“Yeah,” the waiter sighed. “Still, I wonder if the new governor-general can handle the fat cats of Dunyu City. I hear a big crowd of them arrived today, fleeing south. If we’ve won, what are they running from?”

Zhan Song’s lips twisted bitterly.

Outside, firecrackers cracked through the morning air. The city was alive with laughter, banners, and cheering. It might as well have been a festival.

However, the refugees from Dunyu who had followed the Zhan Family’s lead stood trembling in uncertainty. Right outside the city gate, a fresh notice had been posted, as if written just for them.