Where Immortals Once Walked

Their daily missions already involved sleeping under the open sky and eating in the wind. They were not afraid of traveling at night.

Of course, out of the sixty-odd bandits, six or seven had escaped, nearly thirty had died, and the rest had basically surrendered.

So He Lingchuan led several dozen men of the Gale Army, escorted a large group of prisoners, and traveled all the way to Yuheng City.

* * *

“Whoa, this place has changed so much!”

The moment they entered Yuheng City, everyone clicked their tongues in wonder.

Seven or eight out of every ten Gale Army men traveling with them had followed the Red General eastward last year and had shed both blood and sweat during the Battle of Yuheng City, so their impression of this place was deep.

This city had only been reappropriated after the Red General captured it. Originally, it had been a border pass of the State of West Ji, as well as a military town. Its border-defense duties outweighed economic development, and aside from the garrison, it did not have many people.

Yet after revisiting the old place several months later, He Lingchuan discovered that Yuheng City’s area had expanded at least threefold!

The city walls were still being expanded. After nightfall, the craftsmen no longer climbed the walls to work, but scaffolding had been erected everywhere.

Inside the city, crowds bustled and flowed like woven threads.

Half of the streets He Lingchuan had once walked were being widened and renovated, while the other half had simply been changed and rebuilt.

The new roads were just like those in Panlong City—straight, orderly, wide, and flat, very suitable for moving troops.

The houses on both sides of the streets were either being renovated or rebuilt. Their specifications and styles were unified, making them look especially neat and full of Panlong City character.

They needed to put up street signs quickly. Otherwise, these identical houses and streets could make people lose their way in an instant.

This city had completely changed its appearance. It was thriving and full of vitality.

After entering Yuheng City and handing over the prisoners, He Lingchuan said, “Dismissed,” then went to carry Ms. Sun’s luggage.

The soldiers’ food and lodging would naturally be handled by Willow, Hu Min, and the others. There was no need for him, the leader, to worry about it.

Ms. Sun had brought many books with her. Aside from filling two storage rings to bursting, they also filled two whole carts.

All of these were to supply the newly established Yuheng Academy.

While He Lingchuan was helping her move the books, he accidentally dropped one box to the ground, and more than a dozen sets of examination papers spilled out.

He casually pulled out one set and glanced at it.

Wow, these are hard. What on earth is up with these questions?

He truly sympathized with the students of Yuheng Academy.

“You want to do this paper too?” Sun Fuling leaned over and glanced at it. “I’ll save you a set?”

“No, no, no!” He Lingchuan said solemnly. “This is mental nourishment for the children. How would I dare steal it from them?”

Sun Fuling blinked. “These are exam questions for hiring teachers. They aren’t for the students.”

“Ah?”

“Yuheng Academy needs to hire teachers. These are the questions.” Sun Fuling helped him pick them up. “If you pass, you can come be a teacher too.”

No wonder even I found them difficult! They’re so difficult that they’re downright deranged. So they aren’t for children! “Who wrote the questions?”

“Dean Xu.” She glanced at him. “Interested?”

“No, no. I still think fighting and killing are the most interesting.”

Making him study the ancient immortals’ language all day? His head would hurt.

When they sent the books into the library, He Lingchuan heard a commotion outside, along with what sounded like children’s shrill voices. Ms. Sun acted as though she heard nothing and did not even turn her head, but He Lingchuan went over to the second-floor window to watch the excitement.

It turned out that several boys were fighting, while a ring of students surrounded them and shouted encouragement. Oh, bruised faces and swollen noses. They’re hitting pretty hard.

The academy dormitory supervisor quickly hurried over, scolded both sides, and punished them with confinement.

By the time He Lingchuan came back to himself, Sun Fuling had nearly finished arranging the books. He quickly went to help. “Starting to bully people at such a young age?”

Sun Fuling smiled. “Who is bullying whom?”

“The one hitting the hardest. Isn’t he a Changhou student from West Ji?”

West Ji had been a state established by the Changhou people, while Panlong City’s people were West Luo.

“You have it backward. The child hitting the hardest is one of our West Luo people.” Sun Fuling placed books onto the shelves. “In the past, it was the West Luo people who were bullied in West Ji. Either they weren’t allowed to attend school, or they were bullied by Changhou students. Now it’s reversed.”

He Lingchuan suddenly understood. “No wonder Yuheng Academy is short on manpower. It looks like there are quite a lot of conflicts here.” She had not even looked. How did she know who was fighting whom downstairs?

At Shumin State Academy in Panlong Academy, the learning environment was very harmonious, and almost all the students were from West Luo.

“You’re wrong again.” Sun Fuling shook her head and laughed softly. “Originally, there were far more conflicts. These past few months, they have decreased sharply. Now, Yuheng Academy appears harmonious on the surface, too. You were lucky today to run into an argument.”

“Huh?” He Lingchuan was somewhat surprised. “Why is that?”

These children are still young. Wouldn’t those from Changhou be unwilling to accept the change in the status quo?

“Because they became people of a fallen state.”

Sun Fuling said this single sentence in a calm, ordinary tone, yet it made He Lingchuan’s thoughts turn cold the more he considered it.

Their state was gone, and even children this young had lost their spirit. They did not dare resist.

“In the future, they will all be people of Yuheng, people of Panlong City. There will only be differences of character and ability.”

He Lingchuan looked down at the children below, their eyes almost spitting fire, and felt pessimistic. “I don’t think that’ll be easy, right?”

“Of course it won’t be easy. But if they study together and work together, then given time, there is still hope for integration.” Sun Fuling sighed. “Education without discrimination—that is Headmaster Xu’s hope. I am not as optimistic as he is. Integration has never sounded as pleasant in reality as it does in words.”

At this moment, a messenger ran in and said, “Lord Wen requests your presence.”

Sun Fuling pointed outside. “Go. Master Wen is looking for you.”

He Lingchuan quickly asked her, “By the way, where are you staying?”

“In the academy’s faculty building.”

So she’s staying in a dormitory? “Uh, since you finally came to Yuheng City, why not switch to a larger house?”

Yuheng City was still expanding rapidly, and housing here was not as tight as in Panlong City.

Sun Fuling’s hands paused. She turned to look at him. “You mean?”

Those eyes, clear as autumn water, were startlingly bright. He Lingchuan felt a little uncomfortable. Only after coughing did he say, “I, I think... being neighbors again would also be quite nice.”

Their gazes met.

The corners of Sun Fuling’s mouth seemed to curve slightly. He Lingchuan could not tell whether she was happy or unhappy. She tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Alright. When you come back, we’ll find a place to live.”

“Good, good!” The atmosphere felt a little off. He Lingchuan hurriedly followed the messenger away.

* * *

In all of Yuheng City, the government office was one of the few buildings that had not been renovated. It was still as gray and plain as He Lingchuan remembered, small and shabby.

Officials did not repair their offices. This was common knowledge.

The iron kettle on the charcoal stove was boiling vigorously. As soon as He Lingchuan arrived, Wen Daolun personally poured a cup of hot tea and handed it over.

“Teacher Wen, you are too courteous!” He Lingchuan accepted it with both hands. “Oh, I should call you Lord Wen now.”

Wen Daolun had been appointed by Zhong Shengguang, promoted to deputy commander, and placed in charge of Yuheng City’s affairs.

Compared to several months ago, Wen Daolun had grown a little thinner, but his lively spirit had returned.

“After Officer Xiao returned, I kept wondering who Lord Zhong would send over,” Wen Daolun said with a smile. “I didn’t expect it to be you. Good, good! As expected of Lord Zhong, his eye remains as sharp as ever.”

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