Chapter 1050: Unexpected Will Definitely Come

The messenger didn't stop his horse, simply raising his wrist to make a gesture. Time was precious; he couldn't stop.

Seeing the signal match, the falcon made two mid-air turns to reduce its speed, then flew to his ear, keeping pace with the galloping streaked beast. No matter how fast the streaked beast ran, for the falcon it was merely a matter of a couple of wing flaps.

“What’s the situation in Yuheng City?” He Lingchuan’s voice emerged from beneath his black windproof mask. Tonight, he had dispatched a large army to annihilate the rebel forces and reclaim Longchuan; he absolutely could not return empty-handed. However, the main battlefield tonight was likely not in Longchuan, so they would have to split up.

He left Hu Min and Men Ban with 1,500 troops. Including the Yuheng army units gradually deployed around Longchuan over the past two days, and the personnel stationed within Longchuan, the forces for this attack on the Xiji rebel water camp were still quite sufficient. He Lingchuan, meanwhile, was riding back to Yuheng City alone! Before departing with his troops, he had instructed the falcon to report any unusual occurrences in the city. The moment the falcon appeared, his heart sank.

Sure enough, the falcon's first words conveyed unsettling news: “Zhao Linyang’s house caught fire less than an hour after you left, and water couldn't extinguish it. Many sorcerers rushed to help, and it took over half an hour to put out.”

“City Defender Zhao’s house caught fire?” He Lingchuan’s expression turned grim, and he spurred his horse faster.

The falcon flapped its wings and asked, “Was this done by the enemy?”

“Of course,” He Lingchuan replied without hesitation. “The arson is just a ruse; Fu Shanlie wants to test whether I’m actually in the city!” If Zhao Linyang’s house was on fire and He Lingchuan was still in the city, even if he didn’t go to inspect or offer condolences, someone would inform him immediately.

With this thought, he tossed a Hundred Benevolence Pill to the falcon: “Return to Yuheng City at once and relay this message to City Defender Zhao and Chao Qian: Fu Shanlie is about to launch a night raid!” The Hundred Benevolence Pill was a spiritual medicine made from Emperor’s Dew. It not only greatly replenished vital energy and stamina but also offered a gentle, sustained effect.

The falcon paused, startled. It hadn't even caught its breath before it had to rush back with all its might. But what could it do? It was stuck with a leader who loved to torment birds.

Just as it was about to accelerate, He Lingchuan added, “Also, tell Willow that the operation has begun; the new toy she bought a few days ago can now be put to use.”

“What toy?”

“I’m promoting you to Sky Patrol Captain, go, go!” He Lingchuan urged. “The safety of Yuheng City depends on how fast you can fly!” He patted the falcon’s head, and a faint red glow emanated from the bird’s streamlined body.

“Ahhh!” The falcon squawked in protest. “Got it, got it, I’m going now!” It shot through the night sky like an arrow released from a bowstring. The falcon’s flying speed was already astonishing, but with the special energy boost from He Lingchuan, its speed increased by about another ten percent, cutting a streak of light through the darkness. Who would win or lose the upcoming battle of offense and defense would simply be a race against time.

Watching its silhouette shrink to a small dot in the night sky, He Lingchuan sighed. Sure enough, tonight he and Fu Shanlie would be attacking each other’s bases. The difference was that he was attacking openly, while Fu Shanlie was launching a silent sneak attack. It remained to be seen who would ultimately prevail.

To say he wasn’t anxious would be a lie. Although he had devised a counter-strategy to turn the tables, He Lingchuan still had lingering concerns. Having faced Fu Shanlie for nearly a year, he knew the man was inherently suspicious. Unless he personally confirmed He Lingchuan’s presence in Longchuan, he wouldn’t believe his stratagem of luring the snake out of its hole had succeeded. After drinking and talking with He Lingchuan on the battlefield tonight, Fu Shanlie would immediately proceed with his next plan. Even if He Lingchuan had anticipated this step, he would still have to rush back to Yuheng City from Longchuan; the journey couldn't be skipped.

At this moment, he deeply missed Dong Rui’s snail-toad. With the power of the divine artifact “Mud Palace,” that large creature moved astonishingly fast underground in wet conditions, even faster than a horse. Therefore, during his return journey, Yuheng City would be without its supreme commander. This was a period of vulnerability.

Of course, Yuheng City was strongly fortified with powerful cannons, its soldiers were united, and contingency plans were well-prepared and rehearsed multiple times. Even without him, there shouldn’t be any issues with short-term defense. However, since Fu Shanlie dared to organize such a night raid, he must have some trick up his sleeve. He could at most anticipate Fu Shanlie's actions, but he couldn't guess his trump card. Especially with Wen Daolun still in the city!

In reality, he had read historical records about Wen Daolun: Died suddenly. Although the narrator, Old Water Lizard, didn't know the specifics of how, He Lingchuan deduced that Wen Daolun’s death was inevitably linked to the river bandits. In the Dragon Coiling World, he had finally managed to get Wen Daolun to storm back to Dragon Coiling City in a fit of pique. Yet, Wen Daolun had inexplicably returned, precisely on this night when He Lingchuan had ordered the bandit suppression and Fu Shanlie was most likely to attack the city! Was Wen Daolun fated to face this deadly tribulation? Moreover, He Lingchuan was hoping to achieve success in one decisive battle; wasn't Fu Shanlie thinking the same? If Yuheng City was successfully captured, would history revert to its original course?

He Lingchuan had also played a card to cover this vulnerable period, but there was no perfect plan in the world. He had carried out so many missions and knew that unforeseen events could occur at any time. Even after doing one's best, the outcome often depended on fate. Was he taking a risk? Of course. But warfare inherently involved risks. No matter how thorough the preparations, there was always the chance of the unexpected.

After another thirty li, rain began to fall from the night sky. The rain was light, yet intensely fragrant with blossoms. He Lingchuan looked up in astonishment, unable to help but curse. “Are you kidding me? Emperor’s Dew is actually descending at this very moment? Isn’t this just mocking him?”

According to Dragon Coiling City’s past forecasting standards, Emperor’s Dew was expected to arrive at the earliest in two days, which was why he launched the night raid on Longchuan in advance. Yet, despite all his intricate planning, he couldn’t outmaneuver the heavens and earth. Fortunately, the streaked beast he rode possessed demonic blood, and though it became agitated by the Emperor’s Dew, it could still barely obey, unlike ordinary horses that would abandon their master.

The spiritual rain struck his face, and He Lingchuan opened his mouth against the wind, swallowing a few mouthfuls. Which side was heaven favoring this time? Once the Emperor’s Dew arrived, ordinary horses became useless. No matter how well-trained they usually were, they now either opened their mouths to welcome the spiritual rain or lowered their heads to graze on the dew-covered grass, completely ignoring their masters’ whips and curses. If whipped too hard, they would even buck and kick. Thus, the arrival of the spiritual rain would undoubtedly cause trouble for certain individuals. He Lingchuan sincerely hoped that it wasn't his own people who would suffer misfortune.

In Yuheng City.

City Defender Zhao Linyang saw his own house ablaze, his brows tightly furrowed, but he did not step forward. Setting fire to his house was, naturally, a direct attack on him. His guards surrounded him, fearing someone would seize the opportunity to assassinate him.

The fire was fierce, and water couldn't extinguish it. Several sorcerers rushed over, using their magic and divine abilities to finally put out the blaze. Firefighters specializing in fire hazards entered the residence with their equipment to inspect the embers and ensure no reignition. The city guard also began to disperse the crowd of onlookers. In addition to residents, merchants temporarily staying in Yuheng City also ran out to watch the commotion.