Where Immortals Once Walked

“Your insight is profound!” He Lingchuan cupped his hands. “I have been instructed.”

“What instruction? It was just idle talk. Hurry up and treat me to dinner!”

And so, he dragged Ms. Sun to find lodging in Yuheng City and had dinner along the way.

The number of people in the city had visibly increased. Panlong City snacks were everywhere along the streets, and there was even poria paste.

Though Yuheng City was a border fortress, goods transported from White Sand Bay in the south had to be transferred here to reach the States of Jintao and West Luo. When one passed meat to someone, one’s own hands would be coated in grease. He Lingchuan once again felt how important Yuheng City’s position was.

If the bandit problem in Longchuan was not resolved, the southern trade route would be repeatedly harassed. Merchants would refuse to come, and both Yuheng City and Panlong City would be affected.

That was probably the intention of certain forces.

The little restaurant in Yuheng City served food in a rough style. The portions were astonishingly large, but there were more vegetables than meat, and there were no delicate refinements to speak of. Its main selling point was that it was filling and inexpensive. With a beauty by his side, smiling faintly and speaking softly, He Lingchuan felt that although this was not food served on gold plates and jade bowls, this was the life he wanted.

Thinking again of the dangers at every step in Lingxu City, he only felt as though all of that belonged to another lifetime.

Tonight, they would rest at an inn.

This inn had only been renovated not long ago, and the colors of the new and old timber differed greatly. He Lingchuan escorted her to her door as usual.

Their gazes met.

Even in such dim light, Sun Fuling’s eyes were still very bright. “Hm?”

Everything that should have been said had already been said at the dinner table. He Lingchuan coughed. “No, nothing. You’ve been busy all day and must be tired. Sleep well.”

The two rooms were right beside each other. He was just about to push open his door when Sun Fuling suddenly stepped closer, gripped his shoulders, and turned him back around.

Before he had time to react, Sun Fuling half rose onto her toes and kissed him on the lips.

Very light, very quick, like a dragonfly touching water.

He Lingchuan wanted to wrap his arms around her in return, but the moment his fingertips moved, she had already drawn back.

Her retreat was even faster than her advance.

“I’m very happy that you’re here!” Her face was faintly red as she pushed open her door with her backhand.

Creak.

Only He Lingchuan was left standing in the corridor.

Ms. Sun’s lips are so soft! For a moment, he stood dazed, his heart thudding several extra beats.

Heh, hehehe.

Sure enough, only by surviving does one get rewards.

The smell of wood and lacquer around him seemed to grow stronger. Two more guests came upstairs from below and saw him standing in the corridor, grinning foolishly at the door.

“Is something wrong with that guy?” What bad luck.

Hearing this, He Lingchuan’s face darkened, and he glared at them.

That blade-sharp gaze frightened the two so badly that their whole bodies trembled, and they hurried back to their room.

He Lingchuan slowly let out a breath. After finally calming his mind, he suddenly remembered that he had been ambushed again.

It seemed that whether Ms. Sun was kissing him or stabbing him, he still could not dodge.

From the bottom of his heart, he sighed. This makes absolutely no sense.

* * *

Early the next morning, He Lingchuan found Deputy General Chao Qian in the government office, busy as a bee.

This man was also of the Gale Army. After the Red General captured Yuheng City, he had stayed behind to guard the city. Previously, as Commander Xiao’s deputy in Yuheng City, he was quite familiar with the local customs, popular sentiment, military affairs, and administration.

The moment the clerk introduced He Lingchuan, Chao Qian immediately straightened his back and saluted with a solemn expression.

He Lingchuan could tell at a glance that his respect came from the bottom of his heart and was not mere formality. He could not help but find it a little strange. He and Chao Qian had never met before.

He did not know that “Broken Blade” was already a battle hero famous throughout Panlong City. Tales of his feats had spread not only in the army, but even out on the wasteland.

“Thanks, but there’s really no need to go to such lengths.” He Lingchuan waved a hand and smiled. “What are you busy with?”

“Oh, these are the recent recruitment rosters.” Chao Qian shook the register in his hand and quickly entered work-report mode. “Following Panlong City’s instructions, we established the Yuheng Army. The first batch was reorganized two months ago and put into training, but the number of troops was rather small. Now we’ve begun recruiting the second batch. In the initial stage, the backbone and officers will consist of some Gale Army soldiers and Panlong patrol guards with combat experience, while a large number of new recruits will be enlisted at the same time.”

“People from across the river have been causing trouble?”

“Yes. Over the past two months, Jintao people secretly crossed the Yin River five times to raid, steal from, and set fire to Yuheng City’s villages and towns. We negotiated with the other side, but Jintao claimed these were acts of civilians and had nothing to do with them.”

“Did you manage to catch any?”

“Yes, twice. They claimed to be refugees from Jintao, driven over by their soldiers. But several were recognized as bandits of Longchuan.” This was mutual buck-passing. “The Panlong City army can’t remain stationed in Yuheng City forever. We need to recruit as many people as possible and rush training during winter. Otherwise, once spring begins at the end of February, it will be the busy farming season.”

“How many people have you recruited?”

“As of yesterday, we had recruited 1,100 people, including 700 from West Luo and around 400 from West Ji—uh, Changhou.” Chao Qian said, “Oh, right, and more than a dozen monsters. They aren’t counted among that number.”

He Lingchuan immediately asked, “That isn’t a small number. Were they all conscripted?”

“Actually, the number who applied was more than three times that. Some West Luo people came from remote villages and towns to sign up, insisting on joining the army. We screened out many of them. As for those from Changhou, more than three hundred of them had also volunteered.” Chao Qian smiled. “They all came because of the Gale Army’s reputation. In the end, since they couldn’t enter the Gale Army, settling for the next best thing was acceptable too.”

“You screened them according to the requirements for Panlong patrol guards?”

“Yes.” Panlong City’s recruitment standards had long since taken shape, with only minor adjustments over the years.

“Those requirements are too strict.” He Lingchuan shook his head. “You should lower them appropriately. In its early stage, Yuheng City’s army doesn’t need to be as strict as the Panlong army. First there must be quantity, then quality.”

“Yes.” He Lingchuan was the commander. Chao Qian would not object to anything he said as long as it was reasonable.

“How was Yuheng City’s original army handled?”

“According to the Red General’s requirements, they were broken up and redistributed to different places, different armies, and different units, then reorganized and retrained. Fewer than two hundred were left here in Yuheng City.”

Surrendered troops were generally handled this way to prevent them from banding together and causing trouble. Therefore, Yuheng City’s current public security and stability maintenance mainly relied on troops detached from Panlong City.

This was obviously not a long-term solution. He Lingchuan had to establish Yuheng’s army and put it into practical use and combat as quickly as possible.

They had to grow flesh on their own bones.

“Alright, proceed according to plan.” From top to bottom, he was not the only one doing the work in the army. As commander, he only needed to issue orders. “Tell me about the Longchuan bandits. Have you dealt with them?”

Wen Daolun oversaw the overall situation. His understanding of Longchuan was probably not as detailed as that of the soldiers who actually caught bandits.

“They’re slippery. Overall, they’re much smarter than the bandits on the Panlong Wasteland. They basically don’t engage us head-on. At the slightest sign of trouble, they go back into hiding in Longchuan, and I can only say that that place is truly a nest of snakes and rats!” Chao Qian said. “We disguised ourselves as caravans three times and baited out two bandit gangs. After that, they became even more cautious. If they’re not confident, they don’t strike.”

He Lingchuan focused on the key point. “Where does their confidence come from?”

“They have informants in places like Yuheng City and White Sand Bay. They may even have some people hidden within merchant guilds and caravans.”

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