After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 226: Chapter 225: A Tangled Mess

Hee Yue looked left and right, and after confirming there were no other living beings in the room, he let out a low sigh.

"That’s all just talk. Everyone knows His Majesty the King is easily swayed. When Father speaks with passion and conviction, he believes Father. But when others weep and wail, he sympathizes with them. Have you forgotten how the new reforms failed?"

Hee Lingchuan shrugged.

’He hadn’t forgotten, because he had no memory of it in the first place!’

This was no fault of his; the body’s original owner had paid far too little attention to national politics.

"Many people were disappointed by that failure, including the Grand Commandant, I imagine." Hee Yue sighed again.

Hee Lingchuan raised a finger to his lips and gently shushed him.

’This younger brother of mine is smart, just too idealistic.’ He switched topics. "Hey, don’t you think it’s a little too convenient that Old Li dropped dead right before we reached Dunyu? Isn’t there something fishy about it? It’s almost as if... heaven itself is on our side."

"He was seventy, after all. His life was like a guttering candle." Even though that candle had seemed quite thick before. "And even if he was killed by an Evil Technique, there’s no evidence to catch the culprit."

"That old man did plenty of wicked things; I’m sure many people were cursing him. The day his Amulet failed was the day he died." Hee Yue wasn’t particularly concerned with how Li Zhao died, but he was very concerned about the aftermath. "With Li Zhao dead, the Li Family will splinter, as will the four great families. This only benefits us."

Hee Lingchuan suddenly asked, "Will they suspect us? After all, we benefit the most from the current situation."

"Suspect us of what?" Hee Yue froze for a second, then understood and let out a snort of laughter. "How could they? We have no grievances or enmity with the four great families, Father is an official appointed by the Royal Court, and we’ve never even met Li Zhao. Why would we secretly harm him?"

His voice grew louder as he spoke, taking on a defensive tone. Hee Lingchuan shushed him several times but failed to cut him off.

"What’s going on?"

The courtyard door suddenly creaked open, and Hee Chunhua walked in. "Yue’Er, what has you so worked up?"

Hee Yue stood to greet him. "Father, my brother and I were just discussing how the Li Family might interpret Li Zhao’s death."

"The innocent have nothing to fear." Hee Chunhua’s gaze swept over the two brothers, softening. "Pay no mind to the idle gossip outside."

"How’s your wound?" He had noticed the bandage on Hee Lingchuan’s arm. "Your Medicinal Ape told me you bled yourself for the Seed Blade. Lost at least two pounds of blood, it said."

He also noticed the furnace in the corner and walked over to observe the Sword Mountain. "So you just stick the blade in like that, and that’s it?"

"Master Li said that in a few days, it will heal and grow on its own, just like a living thing."

"Good. I’ll assign more men here to make sure no riffraff disturbs the Seed Blade’s progress." Hee Chunhua smiled. "I’ve already spoken with Marquis Songyang. Since Master Li is already here, he might as well stay in Xiazhou for a while. He’ll be the main draw for the new Songyang Prefecture branch opening in Dunyu, and I’ll help them get off to a flying start by placing our first batch of orders with them."

"Orders?" Hee Yue immediately seized on the main point. "Do we have to pay?"

"Of course... on the state’s account." Hee Chunhua cleared his throat. "Given that we’ve only just arrived in Xiazhou, Songyang Prefecture has agreed to let us buy on credit. We can pay it off in installments within a year, interest-free."

The Hee Brothers exchanged a glance. It was a lifeline, and a significant favor at that. ’Marquis Songyang certainly has an eye for investment.’

"Songyang Prefecture is a Daoist Sect, and they’re short on staff in Dunyu, so they don’t normally forge mortal weapons. I’ve ordered a batch of armaments from them for our military commanders. Zeng Feixiong has wanted an Iron Long Spear for a long time."

The weapons of commanders are different from those of common soldiers; they are at least of the Magic Artifact Level. The arms wielded by men like Zhong Shengguang, Dongg Haoming, Nian Zanli, and even Sunx Fuping are all treasures worthy of legend. Even the Soaring Dragon Spear that Wu Shaoyi gifted to Hee Lingchuan was once the signature weapon of Liao Mozhao, a famed general of the Xuan Kingdom. Not even the immense strength of the Crocodile God could break it.

An ordinary mortal weapon could never do that.

Zeng Feixiong was only promoted last year, and the saber he carried broke during his fierce battle with Lui Yao. He’s been looking for a suitable replacement ever since, and a top-quality Magical Artifact would be ideal.

Hee Yue’s eyes lit up. "Father, have one forged for me, too!" As the Governor’s son, he surely had that small privilege.

In the Northern Land, the position of Chief Steward was equivalent to that of a Governor—the head of a state.

Hee Chunhua chuckled, readily agreeing. "Yue’Er is a gentleman, and the sword is the gentleman among weapons. I will ask the Master Craftsman to forge a Treasure Sword for you." He then looked at Hee Lingchuan. "Lingchuan, what about you? It seems you already have a saber, a spear, and a bow, don’t you?"

’The rebel leader Hong Xiangqian’s Ghost Eye Bow is with him now, too.’

Hee Lingchuan opened his mouth, but the words that came out were different from what he intended. "Oh, I haven’t decided yet. I’ll discuss it with Master Li."

Hee Chunhua nodded.

Seeing the loving look on his father’s face, Hee Lingchuan felt a flicker of complicated emotion. ’When it comes to Old Li’s death, was I thinking too badly of my father? After all, there’s no proof. Any speculation is just Chasing Shadows.’

Hee Yue said with concern, "Father, while your decisive actions today certainly demonstrated your power, I’m afraid the four great families won’t submit so easily."

Hee Lingchuan chuckled. "Then let them make their move. We’ll be ready for them."

Hee Chunhua nodded. "Don’t forget the plan we made in Ru County. If we only focus on Dunyu and squabbling with these few Noble Families and gentry, we’ll be thinking too small. We came to Xiazhou to settle the final score with Nian Zanli. He had Nian Songyu trick us into entering the Panlong Desert to toil for his family of rebels, nearly making us traitors to our kingdom. That is a debt that must be settled on the battlefield."

The northern front was the absolute top priority for the Governor of Xiazhou.

"Yue’Er, come to the State Government office tomorrow. I need your help going over the ledgers and taking a census to prepare for recruiting soldiers and purchasing grain." This was his second son’s specialty, and Hee Chunhua certainly wasn’t going to let it go to waste. "Chuan’Er, that Sunx Hongye under your command has some talent. I’ll be borrowing him for a while."

Although he had recruited nineteen people in Shihuan and scouted for more along the journey, he still felt stretched thin now that he was in Xiazhou.

’Sigh, a small place like Qiansong County has so few people skilled in governance. I could barely bring any with me.’

"Take him, take him," Hee Lingchuan said readily. "By the way, since he’s going to do the accounting, I don’t have to go, right?"

Hee Chunhua gave him a wry smile. "Could you even make sense of them?"

Hee Lingchuan coughed.

Hee Yue said, "There’s so much absurdity in Dunyu. The local Prefecture Yamen is utterly rotten."

"Why else would I need your help?" Hee Chunhua said flatly. "Right after the hearing today, I went to inspect the Treasure Vault’s Documents from previous years. They actually tried to fool me with cooked books."

A cold sneer touched his lips. "Next, it’s time to sort this mess out." Then he turned to his eldest son. "By the way, starting this month, your allowance is reduced to one hundred and fifty taels—all right, all right, calm down! Shut your mouth and listen to me!"

Hee Lingchuan had just opened his mouth to protest when his father shot him a glare, and he sullenly clamped it shut.

"We’ve just arrived in Xiazhou. Our expenses are higher than before, and our income is lower. The bit of money we brought from Black Water City has to cover a great many things. This afternoon, I found time to do a quick check of the State Government’s Treasure Vault, and it’s full of junk. There are hardly a few strings of cash left." Hee Chunhua patted his shoulder, his tone earnest. "So, in addition to finding new sources of revenue, we must also cut down on spending. The expenses for the Monkey and the Rock Wolf are being put on your mother’s account, so you’ll have to be more careful with your one hundred and fifty taels. Once we’re past this hurdle, I’ll slowly raise your allowance again."

Hee Yue watched from the side, not without a touch of envy. His father truly doted on his older brother, looking apologetic even while cutting his allowance to one hundred and fifty taels. His own monthly allowance was only fifty taels, though he never spent it all anyway.

Swamped with countless tasks, Hee Chunhua rose and left in a hurry as soon as he finished speaking.

He was bound to be burning the midnight oil on his first night in Dunyu.

Seeing that his brother’s face was still quite pale, Hee Yue also tactfully took his leave.

Hee Lingchuan poured himself a large cup of tea. As he sipped it slowly, he thought, ’Thank goodness I still have one hundred thousand taels in silver notes stashed away.’

This was the money he had secretly pocketed after selling Sunx Fuping’s Purple Gold Pestle to Songyang Prefecture.

However, his Cultivation of the Meridian Technique was about to enter the next stage, and the Yin Yang Powder he consumed needed to be upgraded as well. More expensive medicinal ingredients were required for it to be more effective.

One hundred and fifty taels a month wasn’t even enough to buy half a single dose of the ingredients.

’Dad’s right. I need to not only cut spending but also find new sources of income.’ Now that he was in Xiazhou, he had to figure out a way to make money, or he’d end up squandering everything he had.

It was a clear, cloudless day in Panlong City. Hee Lingchuan had just returned from a patrol in the Wilderness.

Liu Tong’s squad had recently been rotated to patrol the Wilderness. Unlike the Chipa Plateau, which had plenty of water, this place had a typical tundra climate. From a high ridge, one could see for dozens of miles.

The number of nascent Demons in the Wilderness was far lower than on the Chipa Plateau, and even fewer of them caused trouble, making it a cushy assignment for most squads. Liu Tong, however, was very experienced. Seeing that it had snowed a few days prior, he led his team to Smoke Mountain, about ten miles west of Panlong City.

True to its name, the mountain emitted smoke that was sometimes quite pungent. When Hee Lingchuan got there, he realized it was a very active volcano. Plumes of steam often erupted from fissures without warning, hot enough to scald an arm if one wasn’t careful.

It hadn’t erupted in a long time. Geothermal heat kept the base of the mountain surprisingly green, even while its peaks were blanketed in snow.

The ground beneath the pines and spruces was uneven. The melted snow formed icy puddles and pools, which in turn nourished mosses and lichens.

Liu Tong led them into a cave.

The cave, located at the foot of the mountain, was very long. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth. The ground felt soft underfoot, as the moss had grown so thick it was like a carpet.

It was also very warm, a refuge from the biting cold outside.

Hee Lingchuan was surprised to find guards posted outside the cave. After Liu Tong identified his group, the guards let them pass with an instruction: "You’re only allowed to take five each."

"There are only six of us left in my squad."

The Guard was silent for a moment before replying, "Then each of you can take one extra."

What kind of treasure in the cave was counted by the piece? Liu Tong soon revealed the answer.

Snails.

He found one without much effort and showed it to the others. "These are candy snails. Their shells are brightly colored, and it’s said no two have the exact same pattern. They’re one of the specialties of this Wilderness. Strictly speaking, they’re a specialty of Panlong City—they don’t appear anywhere else."

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