Chapter 1219: One Night Great Victory

Before Jiang Lishui could announce him, He Lingchuan appeared, looking energetic. He smiled at the arriving visitor, "Brother Situ, why are you here? You should be recovering from your injuries at this time."

Situ He's injuries had been properly treated, but they wouldn't heal overnight. His broken finger, in particular, was excruciatingly painful after the medication wore off. An ordinary person would be resting at home, but he disregarded the fatigue and insisted on coming in person.

"You saved my life; how could Situ He neglect such a benefactor?" Situ He dismounted and bowed deeply to He Lingchuan. "No words can express my gratitude for this great kindness. From now on, should Brother He have any need, Situ will not hesitate to give his life!"

If He Lingchuan hadn't arrived in time, he would have been tortured to death by the ghost king's avatar.

"If I hadn't been able to save you, Brother Situ, that would have been my greatest regret," He Lingchuan said, helping him up. "Did your family achieve a great victory last night?"

Dong Rui, following behind, curled his lip in disdain.

That fellow only returned at dawn. Dong Rui was willing to bet the entire Clover Island that He Lingchuan had gone to observe the battle firsthand, and now he was hypocritically asking if they had won.

"Thanks to you, Brother He!" Situ He's face was pale, making his dark circles particularly prominent, and his eyes were bloodshot. But he didn't care about his fatigue at the moment. "As soon as I returned to camp, my father first set a trap to lure the Bixia people out, then led troops to launch a surprise attack on White Spire Town. The enemy never expected us to dare abandon Ju City and raid their stronghold, so we achieved a great victory!"

The battle that night was intense but swift. Situ Yu's preemptive strike against their base gave them a decisive advantage, routing the enemy in one fell swoop.

"Over a thousand Bixia people were killed or wounded in White Spire Town, and we captured more than three hundred prisoners of war." This was a complete triumph, and Situ He beamed. "Before dawn, we recaptured White Spire Town, and my father sent troops to pursue the remaining Bixia forces, preventing them from escaping to Ju City!"

The Situ family had always wanted to reclaim Ju City; now, serendipitously, they had reclaimed White Spire Town instead.

This was also a great morale boost, especially after two consecutive defeats had left spirits low.

He Lingchuan, of course, offered repeated congratulations.

After witnessing the Battle of White Spire Town last night, he also felt relieved. More victories for the Situ family would stabilize their territory, which would be beneficial for both himself and the development of Yangshan Archipelago in this region.

Compared to the Bixia people, He Lingchuan was undoubtedly more willing to deal with the Situ family.

Situ He continued, "My father has returned to Yaopo and wishes to meet with Brother He there to express his gratitude again!"

The Situ family naturally wanted to reward their savior.

All things considered, last night's great victory stemmed from He Lingchuan saving Situ He, which allowed Situ Yu to launch an uninhibited surprise attack on the Bixia people.

Having incurred this debt of gratitude, the Situ family naturally had to reciprocate He Lingchuan's kindness.

"General Situ is too kind," He Lingchuan said politely, then turned and had two fine horses brought over for himself and Dong Rui to ride.

As they walked towards Yaopo with Situ He, He Lingchuan casually asked:

"Fu Liushan probably went to Ju City to rescue you as well. Has he returned yet?"

"He's back; he only returned after dawn," Situ He replied, recalling Fu Liushan's expression when he saw him at the camp. He couldn't help but cough lightly. "While Master Fu was happy I was out of danger, he was also a little frustrated."

"It was reckless of me," He Lingchuan said. "There are still evil spirits in Ju City, and as a professional Celestial Master, it would have been easier for him to deal with them." He Lingchuan said nothing about the difficulty of the rescue last night.

But Situ He was a discerning man. "The Bixia people could make so many arrangements outside the city, so their traps inside the city must have been even more elaborate. Both Brother He and Master Fu took immense risks to save me; the Situ family will remember this always!"

"I originally thought Fu Liushan was just an ordinary Celestial Master." Now that he thought about it, Fu Liushan's identity as a Celestial Master would be very useful when traveling through the Shanjin Plains.

"My father had asked for his help before. After our country fell, Master Fu was very sympathetic to our plight, which is why he offered assistance," Situ He explained. "But he is not from our country; he merely acts out of a sense of justice."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror snorted twice, "So he's a busybody, just like my master."

At this, Situ He's expression darkened slightly. "If General Qi had my luck, he wouldn't be missing and presumed dead."

"General Qi?"

"General Qi Tianbo, a former general of Gaopu, was also my father's close friend and fellow disciple. Before Gaopu fell, he fought to exhaustion defending the capital and was unfortunately captured and imprisoned in Song Military Prison. My father wanted to send people to rescue him, but upon inquiring, he learned that General Qi had been moved the night before. For a month afterwards, no news could be found, and my father, though saddened, had to give up." He sighed. "It's said that executions of death row inmates in Song Military Prison always happen in the middle of the night."

He bowed to He Lingchuan again. "Thanks to Brother He's timely rescue, otherwise I would have met the same fate as General Qi."

"Between brothers, there's no need for thanks," He Lingchuan said, changing the subject. "Now, tell me, why was your portrait displayed on the Bixia people's wall?"

Situ He gave a bitter smile. "I still had three years left in my studies at Lingxu Grand Academy. But two years ago, something happened at the Heavenly Palace, and Lingxu City ordered us to end our studies and expelled us prematurely."

He Lingchuan nodded. "Just like the Dou brothers, Dou Wenguan and Dou Wuxing."

The Dou brothers, who stayed in the Yangshan Archipelago, had no choice but to leave because Lingxu City expelled people.

Thinking of Dou Wenguan, He Lingchuan's mind stirred again. That fellow was good with words, and with things peaceful around Yangshan recently, there wasn't much diplomatic work. It was time to find him a new assignment.

"Yes, that year Lingxu City expelled many, many people, not just a large number of students but also merchants from various countries," Situ He said. "To my knowledge, hundreds of people from the Shanjin Plains were driven out; some had even served as officials in Lingxu for years, yet they were still expelled. Only a small fraction of those expelled went to other countries; most returned."

He Lingchuan felt a little abashed, realizing his single act of setting the Heavenly Palace on fire had changed the fates of countless people. "How many people like you returned?"

"I know of three to four hundred people, and there are many more I don't know about." The Shanjin Plains were vast; how could he know how many people studied or held positions in Beijia from there? "Those who could go from the Shanjin Plains to Lingxu City were at least prominent families with connections and influence in their local areas. After leaving Beijia, most had no choice but to return here."

Returning to their hometown was often better than going elsewhere.

Situ He then returned to his own family's story. "Not long after I returned, Bixia suddenly declared war on my former country, Gaopu. The entire nation hastily responded and resisted for over half a year, but ultimately..."

He let out a sigh.

"My father had been repelling the enemy on the northern front. Soon after, he learned that the capital had been breached and had no choice but to retreat to his own territory and continue holding out. Bixia sent us two ultimatums, both of which we tore up, infuriating them."

"Why didn't you surrender?" He Lingchuan asked matter-of-factly. "Your former country had already fallen."

When a country falls, its officials usually either surrender or establish their own power; very few choose to commit suicide.