Where Immortals Once Walked

With that, he turned, took a brocade box from the shelf, and handed it to He Lingchuan.

Inside were an official document and a command token.

“Congratulations. From this moment on, you are Commander He.”

He Lingchuan thanked him and accepted it, gripping the command token and turning it over in his hands to examine it. On the second day after he entered Panlong City, Zhong Shengguang and the Red General had left the city, leaving only an order behind for him to go to Yuheng City and assume his new post.

Receiving this command token meant he was now of the same rank as Xiao Maoliang[1]. Even in Panlong City, this sort of leap through several ranks was rarely seen.

Seeing him unable to hide his joy, Wen Daolun could not help but pour cold water on him. “Don’t celebrate just yet. Exceptional promotion often means the work will be difficult.”

He Lingchuan did not mind. “If it were easy, how could it ever fall to me?”

In one year, he had gone from a lowly patrol guard to a commander of the Gale Army. Was that not enough for him to brag about?

But he also understood that once he was promoted and given troops to command, his work and missions would no longer be simple fighting and killing.

A new trial had already begun.

Wen Daolun smiled. “Commander Xiao[2] did very well, but Guard Commander Zhong said the northern front urgently needs people, so leaving this place to you for some training is just right.”

He Lingchuan was very modest. “Lord Wen, please instruct me.”

As Deputy Guard Commander, Wen Daolun would henceforth oversee almost everything in Yuheng City and its subordinate towns and villages: planning and construction, finances, trade, culture, education, and more. He would practically be managing it all with one hand. Only the military and political side would be placed in He Lingchuan’s hands.

Yes, from recruitment to drilling, then to patrols and combat, the Yuheng City garrison would be entirely under He Lingchuan’s control from now on!

In troubled times such as these, military authority was greater than the heavens.

From this, one could see Zhong Shengguang’s trust in He Lingchuan.

Such honor and grace were not something an ordinary Gale Army soldier could ever enjoy.

Wen Daolun brought him to the neighboring guard camp to look at the sand table and explained as they went, “Our Yuheng City lies at the easternmost edge of West Ji. It is an important border stronghold, facing the State of Jintao across the river. This river is the Yin River. After West Ji was incorporated into Panlong City, Jintao has remained very nervous. Its troops have been massed at the border and have never withdrawn. When our people go to the Yin River to draw water or fish, they often encounter the other side shouting warnings or shooting arrows.”

He Lingchuan nodded.

Small states like Jintao and West Ji had originally believed they had Baling and Beijia backing them, so they made things difficult for Panlong City in every possible way and criticized it at every turn. With West Ji suddenly destroyed by Panlong City, Jintao was terrified, and some overreactions were inevitable.

“If we were only defending against the State of Jintao, we would not need to go to such great lengths to build up Yuheng City.” Wen Daolun did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. “What Guard Commander Zhong cares about is this West Ji Trade Route, which has now been renamed to Longchuan Trade Route.”

Zhong Shengguang hoped the words “West Ji” would disappear completely from history. Therefore, even the names of places and routes had to be changed.

He Lingchuan said at the right moment, “I heard bandits are rampant in southern West Ji?”

Before Zhong Shengguang took office, the Panlong Wasteland had also been a paradise for bandits. Later, that fierce man had created the Gale Army with his own hands and swept across the entire Panlong Wasteland in less than two years.

After defeating Zhu Erniang, the current Panlong Wasteland was basically firmly under Panlong City’s control. It had been a long time since anyone had heard news of bandits there.

“Correct. West Ji originally had only surface prosperity. Although the water and soil in the south are richer, wasteland cannot be reclaimed there, and taxes cannot be collected. Therefore, the former State of West Ji worked hard to manage the central and northern regions, while turning a blind eye to the bandits in the south. Over time, the bandit problem grew increasingly serious, even threatening the trade route between West Ji and White Sand Bay.”

It was not strange for bandits to exist along a trade route. Light and darkness were born together and accompany one another; every merchant understood that traveling for trade carried risks.

But when every bandit was waiting with their teeth bared to take a huge bite out of you, when the risk outweighed the profit, traveling merchants would naturally consider changing routes or giving up altogether.

When that happened, the income this trade route brought to its host would shrink drastically. Not only would the movement of goods be affected, but the towns and villages along the trade route would also lose their source of vitality.

This had originally been West Ji’s problem. After West Ji was conquered, it became Panlong City’s problem.

“There must be a reason West Ji’s government troops couldn’t beat the bandits, right?”

“The crux is all in Longchuan.” Wen Daolun pointed to the southeast on the sand table. “The bandits you brought back were indeed from Longchuan.”

He enlarged the sand table, and He Lingchuan saw a vast expanse of marshland in West Ji’s southeastern corner, east of the trade route.

“Is this... a lake?” Good heavens. There have to be nearly two hundred lakes here, right? Large and small, they were scattered everywhere like stars.

Southeastern West Ji was actually a genuine land of waterways.

“Yes. This place was originally a land of fish and rice, with an area roughly half the size of Chipa Highland. Its products are equally abundant, and it even has salt wells. Later, after suffering through several waves of unrest, West Ji failed to manage it properly, and it became what it is today.” Wen Daolun smiled bitterly. “Longchuan has 176 lakes, and more than fifty bandit gangs hiding among them. One could say chaos grows everywhere!”

He Lingchuan’s brows did not so much as twitch. “Do they all live by robbing the trade route?”

Shearing wool from just one sheep?

“They live in Longchuan. Normally, they farm and fish. Once they mount horses and ride out howling, they become bandits. Of course, what they rob isn’t only the southern trade route, but also villages in the central and northern regions. Sometimes they even go to the State of Jintao to make a little autumn raid.” Wen Daolun shook his head. “People and bandits are one body. That is what makes exterminating them difficult. The State of West Ji tried many times and returned defeated each time. It is said that two great generals of the Huyan Family both fell in Longchuan. Afterward, they simply let it go.”

These bandits were not weak in combat. He Lingchuan had just fought them on the way here and had experienced it personally.

Although the Gale Army had won... well, of course. The Gale Army had fought through a hundred battles and was not afraid even against the regular coalition armies of Baling and Xianyou. If the original West Ji army had come to suppress the bandits, their odds against the bandits would probably have been around six to four, with the bandits at four because their equipment and weapons were somewhat inferior.

If the battle took place in Longchuan, however, that was the bandits’ home ground, and the situation might reverse.

“These bandit gangs should also have larger and smaller ones, stronger and weaker ones, yes?” Wherever there were people, they would divide themselves into upper and lower, high and low, noble and lowly. He Lingchuan did not doubt that.

“Of course.” Wen Daolun nodded. “There are several large gangs inside Longchuan. It is said the other bandit dens must pay tribute to them, whether from plunder or fish catches.”

He Lingchuan gave a mocking laugh. “They really think they’re local emperors.”

“But West Ji stopped managing them long ago, and we have only just arrived. We do not understand Longchuan’s internal situation very well.”

He Lingchuan understood. “That falls within my duties.”

Wen Daolun added, “By the way, ever since the State of West Ji fell, several more bandit gangs have appeared in Longchuan.”

He Lingchuan reacted quickly. “Those who refused to surrender led their remnants into Longchuan?”

“That’s right. We captured West Ji’s royal palace too quickly. Some West Ji generals had not reacted before their state had already fallen, and they refused to surrender. These past few months, Commander Xiao has been busy leading troops to suppress rebellions and has defeated several forces. However, those remnants gathered again and hid in Longchuan.”

“So all sorts of people are heading into Longchuan.” He Lingchuan rubbed his chin. “Interesting.”

1. Recall that Xiao Maoliang is a colonel, though I had also previously generalized one of his positions, specifically 统领, as officer. The reason for that really was that I had translated Zhong Shengguang’s position (指挥使) as commander, though guard commander would have better distinguished it. Anyway, now that I’ve made the distinctions, I’ll be translating 统领 as commander, so Officer Xiao will now be changed to Commander Xiao. ☜

2. This is just a renaming of Officer Xiao or Xiao Maoliang’s position. See the other note for the reason. ☜