Where Immortals Once Walked

Sun Fuling wandered casually out beyond the city gate, so He Lingchuan had no choice but to follow.

Outside lay the battlefield. The moonlight was dim tonight, but the two could still make out the bloodstains on the ground and the marks left by the fighting.

Sun Fuling kicked aside a small pebble on the ground. “The enemies who attacked weren’t all Jintao people, were they?”

He Lingchuan opened his mouth to answer, only to realize that what she had kicked away was not a pebble at all, but someone’s tooth. A molar, at that.

“...” Better not tell her.

Seeing that he had not made a sound, Sun Fuling asked again.

“There were Longchuan water bandits, refugees from Jintao and other places, mountain brigands, or mercenaries hired for the job. There were no real Jintao soldiers.” He Lingchuan gathered his thoughts. “Jintao still doesn’t dare openly raise troops and invade, so they could only use scattered rabble like these. Still, their attack tonight was organized decently enough, even though they weren’t a regular army. Mm, whoever drilled them knows a thing or two.”

“Then can we at least enjoy a month of peace?”

“I expect they’ll break themselves into smaller groups and continue the old method—small bands of riders harassing the border,” said He Lingchuan. “But that’s only my personal judgment. Don’t take it as something that will happen for sure, and don’t go telling outsiders.”

Sun Fuling found that funny. “Commander He, who would I even tell?”

They stood beside several fir trees. The innermost tree had a hollow punched into its trunk, exposing the fresh wood fibers inside. Sun Fuling ran her fingers over the mark, a little curious.

“Hm? What made this?”

At the same time, as if possessed, He Lingchuan blurted out, “Teacher Qian?”

Teacher Qian was refined and fair-skinned. Teacher Qian was tall and slender. He had personally seen Teacher Qian showing goodwill toward Sun Fuling at Shumin State Academy, the admiration in his eyes undisguised.

Sun Fuling turned to him in surprise. “Teacher Qian? Isn’t he at Shumin State Academy?”

The moment the words left his mouth, He Lingchuan felt like an idiot. But he remembered Teacher Sun’s teachings well: one must not casually admit mistakes. So he gave a light cough and said, “Isn’t he going to be transferred over soon?”

“When?” Sun Fuling blinked. “I haven’t heard anything. How are your sources better than mine?”

There was laughter in her eyes. The more she blinked, the brighter and more limpid they seemed.

He Lingchuan knew she was teasing him, so he simply put on a stern face. “Everything I said just now was important military intelligence, concerning the safety of the entire city’s people. You are not to leak it!”

Sun Fuling bit her lip, but could not hold back her laugh. “I know!”

Beneath the dim moon, within the shadowed woods, He Lingchuan could still see her red lips, lovely as newly-bloomed crabapple blossoms.

Perhaps the murderous qi from tonight’s killing was running too strong, or perhaps the wine was surging upward. He Lingchuan took her by the shoulders and drew her closer, lowering his head as he said, “Let me test whether your lips are sealed tight.”

Sun Fuling instinctively retreated half a step, but the fir tree stood right behind her.

Her back had only just touched the trunk when the man’s shadow covered her completely.

Young Master He finally got his wish and tasted the crabapple blossom. It was fragrant, soft, and sweet.

At last, he understood why bees loved to circle flower disks.

At last, he understood why Ling Guang was always so fond of pear-flavored candies.

Who could refuse a taste like this?

No one knew how much time passed before Sun Fuling gently pushed him away. Her eyes were hazier than the moonlight, yet she reproached him faintly. “What did you eat? It’s so spicy.”

After saying that, she spat out a clove and studied it in her palm.

He Lingchuan’s fingers moved like the wind. He pinched it up and quickly tossed it away.

“Why kiss me in a place like this?” She pointed outward. About ten meters away, there was blood on the ground and dead bodies besides.

Other people kissed beneath flowers and moonlight. The two of them, apparently, preferred a more unconventional location.

“Uh...” He Lingchuan truly had not thought too much about it. He had only felt that Ms. Sun was especially alluring in that moment, giving him both the wicked thought and courage to act on it.

Besides, she had responded very well just now, completely unaffected by the lingering murderous qi and horror left upon the battlefield.

Then his expression turned solemn.

Sun Fuling poked his arm with one finger. “Hey!” Does he think that he doesn’t have to answer when he’s pretending to be serious?

“Shh—” He Lingchuan looked into the distance and said seriously, “Come with me!”

Just now, when he had lifted his eyes, he had seen several streaks of red light drifting through the low air not far away before descending to the ground.

That light looked familiar. Where have I seen it before?

However, the logistics soldiers cleaning the battlefield were still coming and going, yet not a single one looked up at the sky. They turned a blind eye to those red lights, even when the lights were right in front of them.

Can they not see the lights?

Seeing that he had proper business to handle, Sun Fuling adjusted herself appropriately. She was no ordinary woman, after all. Her smile vanished, and she followed him at once.

Both of them moved soundlessly through the night, advancing through the woods like ghosts.

Soon, it seemed as if a human figure flickered ahead.

A few streaks of red light flew down, as if they had come specifically to find him.

He Lingchuan slid forward in a rush, and with a Swallow Flash[1], appeared right in front of the man.

The man jumped in fright.

Sun Fuling walked out as well, and only then saw clearly that he seemed to be a logistics guard. He was picking up weapons and arrowheads from the ground, apparently nothing special. She did not know why He Lingchuan had stopped him.

The guard stammered, “M-my lord?”

“My lord?” He Lingchuan frowned slightly. “You’re calling me ‘my lord’?”

“Ah...” The guard looked timid and submissive. “I-I only just enlisted. I don’t know...”

“Every single person in Yuheng City recognizes me.” He Lingchuan pointed at himself without the slightest shame. “Anyone who doesn’t is a spy!”

Before the last two words were even out, the man raised his hand and fired a sleeve arrow at him, then turned and fled.

Compared to his attack, his movement technique was very clean, and his speed was quite fast.

Looks like he’s built for running.

Sun Fuling leaned against a tree and watched the excitement without moving.

The fellow had bolted before He Lingchuan had managed to show off in front of the beauty. His face darkened.

The man had only taken three steps when his vision blurred. He slammed hard into something solid.

There was a heavy bang as he was knocked a meter backward, seeing stars emerge in his vision as blood poured from his nose.

What he had run into was He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan had flashed right in front of the spy. He had not even needed to attack; the man had almost knocked himself unconscious and lay on the ground for a long while, unable to get up.

Sun Fuling covered her mouth and laughed quietly.

Is He Lingchuan’s body already that hard?

“Trash. Is that how you use a sleeve arrow?” He Lingchuan shook his head. “I definitely didn’t teach you that.”

He stepped forward and kicked the spy in the lower leg.

With a crisp crack of bone, followed by a scream, the man’s shin snapped.

He Lingchuan had almost kicked the spy into permanent disability before remembering that a beauty was standing nearby. Does being this violent cost me some impression points?

He looked back and saw Sun Fuling leaning against the tree, smiling brightly. He could not see the slightest hint of discomfort or displeasure on her face.

This place was a battlefield to begin with. Several hundred lives had just been harvested here, and a faint smell of blood drifted through the air, one that would probably take several days to disperse.

Tonight, she was still wearing a snow-fur cloak. Standing in such a gloomy, terrifying place, she seemed clear and pure as a white orchid quietly blooming in the dark night—beautiful, and somehow not at all out of place.

He Lingchuan lifted the captive and propped his back against the tree. With the man pinned in place, He Lingchuan began searching through his clothes.

After just a few moments, his fingertips touched a bit of cold metal.

1. Probably a move from the Swallow’s Return movement technique. ☜

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