Where Immortals Once Walked

Madame Ying had not been wrong. Although the He Family had moved away, He Chunhua had still arranged for someone to maintain the grave properly and come twice a year to sweep it and make offerings.

Yet the stele bore only Lu Xiaoyun’s name. There was no mention of who had erected it, nor any other information.

He Lingchuan let out a soft sigh and placed the flowers and fruit he had brought before the grave.

He Lingchuan could not help but wonder just what sort of feelings He Chunhua truly held for Lu Xiaoyun. She had been dead for so many years, yet while he lived in Heishui City, he had still insisted on coming to pay respects twice every year, regardless of Madame Ying’s objections.

And yet, when it came to the son Lu Xiaoyun had sacrificed her life to give birth to, He Chunhua had been willing to offer him up in a rite of divine recompense.

He was still lost in thought when a voice suddenly called from behind him:

“Lord He?”

He Lingchuan turned around.

Beneath a tree about ten meters away stood an old man with graying temples. His skin was dark and weathered, his body lean and wiry, and he was leaning on a hoe.

The old man studied him carefully for a moment. “Oh, my mistake. Not Lord He. It’s Eldest Young Master He.”

“You recognize me?” He Lingchuan walked over. “Old sir, are you the gravekeeper?”

“Ah, yes.” The old man spoke slowly. “Eldest Young Master He used to run wild all over Heishui City. Naturally, people like us recognize you. How could someone like you remember an old fellow like me?”

He Lingchuan rubbed his nose.

Heishui City had once been He Chunhua’s territory. The original owner of this body had naturally been arrogant and domineering here, and practically everyone in the city had known the famous eldest young master of the He Family.

“Old sir, how much do you know about the late Lu Xiaoyun?” He Lingchuan asked. “Aside from Lord He coming to sweep her grave every year.”

The old man looked at him, then at the gravestone. “Hm...” He seemed to be deep in thought.

He Lingchuan inwardly sighed. So this old man only looks simple and honest. He pulled half a small silver ingot from his robes and waved it before the old man. “Please think carefully.”

The old man’s memory magically improved. “Lu Xiaoyun and her uncle moved to Heishui City more than twenty years ago. Back then, this place was still under the control of the Andong people. And the men under them—hah. They were a bad lot, every one of them. Her uncle opened a grain shop here, but business was poor. Every warehouse he rented either flooded or got overrun by rats. They lost grain all the time.” The old man struggled to remember. “If I recall correctly, her uncle fell ill and died only a few years later.”

He Lingchuan interrupted, “I heard she was a person of Bailie?”

“That’s right. I heard her say so herself. Her homeland was somewhere very far to the east. She and her uncle traveled by ship to a seaport, then made their way overland all the way here.”

He Lingchuan’s expression shifted slightly. “Did she ever say why they came from so far away?”

“No. Only that things had gotten bad back home and they couldn’t stay there anymore.” The old man continued, “More than ten years ago, I used to do odd jobs at her uncle’s grain shop. Whenever he got drunk, he liked to brag that the State of Bailie was descended from immortals.”

“Immortals?” He Lingchuan’s interest was immediately piqued. “What did he mean by that?”

“Something about how their homeland used to have immortals living there. Or was it an immortal... immortal...”

“An immortal sect?”

“Yes, yes! An immortal sect.” The old man nodded repeatedly. “Later, the immortals disappeared, so their people founded a state. But eventually they couldn’t hold on to that land either, so they had to migrate elsewhere.”

A state founded by descendants of immortals? He Lingchuan’s heart stirred. “Where did they migrate to?”

“Somewhere very far away, east past Beijia.” The old man scratched his head. “He mentioned the name of the place before. Said it was connected in every direction and extremely prosperous, but I don’t remember what it was called.”

“One time when he was drunk, he also said Lu Xiaoyun was the sole heir of their legitimate orthodox line.”

He Lingchuan’s heart skipped. “The daughter of their clan leader? Or the daughter of their ruler?”

“How would I know?” The old man scratched his nose. “Half the things he said when drunk didn’t even connect properly.”

He Lingchuan asked several more questions, but when it became clear the old man had no further clues to offer, he handed over the silver and turned to leave White Pagoda Temple.

* * *

Another day passed before He Chunhua arrived.

Unlike He Lingchuan’s lightly equipped little party, He Chunhua had brought nearly a hundred mounted men directly from the south. Their hoofbeats thundered across the open country, making for an imposing entrance.

The moment He Lingchuan saw him, he was startled. “Old man, how did you lose so much weight?”

He Chunhua had only spent a little over a month suppressing the southern rebellion, yet he had already grown noticeably thinner. His skin was deeply tanned, but his eyes seemed even brighter than before.

Nothing tempered a person quite like military life. He Chunhua had poured every ounce of thought and energy into those battles, and now his bearing radiated outward in a way that made him seem almost like a different man.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” He Chunhua beamed when he saw his eldest son. “Have you properly settled everyone from the Rongshan Sect? Treated them well?”

The He Family no longer owned any property in Heishui City. Even He Chunhua had to stay at a relay station or an inn after arriving.

“Of course. Everything’s been arranged.” He Lingchuan smiled just as brightly. “We’ve already completed the on-site inspection of the Hongya Route, and we’ve finished auditing the tax revenue from previous years too. Hah, I think some of those entries from a few years back were even handled by Little Two.”

He Yue had begun assisting his father with official affairs at a very young age, and He Chunhua had long since grown accustomed to entrusting important matters to him.

He Chunhua nodded repeatedly, looking extremely pleased. “Good. Excellent.”

He Lingchuan immediately added, “I’ll be heading back in another two days.”

“Good...” He Chunhua stopped. “What?”

Chuan’er’s leaving?

“Judging from the evaluation, the Rongshan Sect should be very satisfied with the Hongya Route as collateral. Deputy Envoy Hu Qin has already departed ahead of us and is on his way back to Rongshan. Now that everything here is settled, I was only waiting to see Father before I returned to Rongshan myself. Eight million taels, you know. I already signed off on the disbursement before leaving the capital, and now even Hongya has passed inspection.” He Lingchuan deliberately added, “Father, you really didn’t need to come all this way. I’ve already taken care of everything.”

He Chunhua stared at him, surprised. “The authorities in Qiansong Commandery actually let you audit their accounts too?”

“Of course they did.” He Lingchuan grinned. “I produced my official documents, then told them who I was. They were very cooperative.”

The current local officials naturally knew the He Family’s reputation. None of them were going to make trouble for Eldest Young Master He. Besides, He Lingchuan was here on official business, carrying authorization from the King of Yuan. Those documents were covered in enormous red seals, each intimidating enough on its own.

He Chunhua grumbled inwardly, but his expression remained perfectly calm. “We’ll talk about what happens two days from now when the time comes. The commandery administrator is hosting a banquet at Hongyan Tower tonight and has invited us. It’s been a long time since I was last here. Let’s see whether Hongyan Tower’s chef has gotten any worse.”

Naturally, no one objected.

He Lingchuan chuckled inwardly. The moment he mentioned leaving, He Chunhua had indeed grown anxious.

Now it was He Chunhua’s turn to figure out how to make him stay.

That evening at the tavern, host and guests alike enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

The commandery administrator who had succeeded He Chunhua in Qiansong Commandery was surnamed Hu. He had a square face and broad ears, and he could not have been more enthusiastic toward the He father and son.

Serving as an official in a frontier region like this was practically equivalent to exile. How much merit would he have to accumulate before he could finally leave this barren place and move upward? If he could establish a connection with Lord He, his future path would become considerably easier.

At just the right moment, he asked about the campaign in the south. That happened to scratch exactly where He Chunhua most wanted to be scratched. No matter how deep his self-control normally ran, once the wine began flowing, He Chunhua still ended up recounting his string of great victories from beginning to end, unmistakable pride coloring his words.

After all, this great victory was the stepping stone that would carry him higher.

Sitting beside him and listening, even He Lingchuan had to admit that those battles had not been easy for his old man.