Chapter 141: The Magic of Establishment

The winding journey from Wuling Pass to Immortal Lake stretches over four hundred li. Lu Yao paid with dragon blood to bring the Crocodile God here. Did he really invite the old creature just to admire the scenery?

Needless to say, this fellow is planning for the three armies to converge. With the Crocodile God's assistance, he probably intends to become a supreme commander.

He Lingchuan then asked, "If I kill Lu Yao and obtain the dragon blood, will you serve me as well?"

"No, the dragon blood is already with me," the giant crocodile blinked. "But if you kill him, I can help you once for free."

"Oh, why are you so kind?" Was this too good to be true?

"He is not innocent in Hong Xiangqian's death," the giant crocodile's vertical pupils turned toward He Lingchuan. "Take my tears. In the future, if you immerse these tears in Immortal Lake, you will gain my protection."

The tears at its eye corner were about to reach the ground, so He Lingchuan quickly took out a crystal bottle to catch them.

These were crocodile tears? Held against the light, the tear drop had a faint blue tint.

Given the Crocodile God's grand pronouncements, He Lingchuan stoppered the bottle tightly and carefully hid it away.

"I still have one question."

"Speak," the Crocodile God was clearly impatient.

"Why did you leave the Northern Demon Kingdom and enter Great Yuan?" Apparently, after leaving the Northern Kingdom, this giant crocodile had traveled south, first participating in the Battle of Wuling Pass, which had shocked the entire Yuan Kingdom, and then followed the waterways to Immortal Lake.

Yuan Kingdom's land was crisscrossed by waterways, which served as fast routes for the giant crocodile.

"That was several years ago. The new emperor of the Northern Kingdom ascended the throne and did not get along with my clan," the Crocodile God said coldly. "My clan was not the only one to leave."

"Then what are your plans for the future?"

The Crocodile God considered for a moment. "Immortal Lake is nice; I'll live here."

The lake itself offered eight hundred li of open water, with countless underwater caves and hidden passages connecting to numerous streams and rivers, and an abundance of food. The Crocodile God was quite satisfied with the geographical conditions here.

He Lingchuan cleared his throat. "Then, would you consider becoming a Water Spirit?"

"Like that turtle?"

"Exactly," He Lingchuan smiled. "If you remain a wild demon, and especially if you like to eat people, the local population might not tolerate you."

The Crocodile God let out two 'heh-heh' sounds, clearly disdainful.

He Lingchuan strongly persuaded, "Even if you're not afraid, they won't go easy on your children. Since that's the case, you might as well accept the position of Water Spirit. Although you'll be responsible for keeping the waterways safe, you'll have Yuan Power provided by the Royal Court and also enjoy regular human offerings. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages."

The Crocodile God was somewhat swayed upon hearing the words "Yuan Power."

That turtle demon's combat power was far inferior to its own, yet it had fought fiercely for an entire night before falling, thanks to the Water Spirit's Yuan Power bonus. If it could also gain a Yuan Power bonus, it would greatly benefit its future cultivation.

Furthermore, after the nearby residents built shrines and erected tablets for it, they would regularly offer sacrifices to the Water Spirit, casting large numbers of live poultry and livestock into the lake.

Which demon wouldn't want free fresh food?

Eating fish every day, it's good to change the menu occasionally.

The small crocodile demon beside it quickly swished its tail, urging its mother to accept quickly.

The Crocodile God had only one last question: "Can you really make this happen?"

"Yes!" He Lingchuan thumped his chest, guaranteeing, "As long as you help us suppress and kill Lu Yao, it will be a great service. I can ask the Administrator of Qiansong Prefecture to write to the local authorities to apply for the position of Immortal Lake Water Spirit for you. With such a powerful demon providing protection, local officials would wake up laughing from their dreams."

This world was originally shared by humans and demons. It was perfectly normal for demons to exist in human kingdoms, just as humans existed in demon kingdoms. For particularly troublesome or uncontrollable great demons, the best official solution was to pacify them, inviting them to serve as Water Spirits or River Gods.

Weighing the pros and cons, these enlightened great demons had no reason to object. After all, they could manage their territories while also receiving royal stipends or offerings, and humans enjoyed peace. It was a win-win situation.

As for any past offenses by the demons, whether they involved killing and eating people or causing floods that submerged villages, these were all forgiven. Compared to mountain bandits and brigands, the authorities preferred to pacify demons because the latter were generally straightforward, less cunning, and less likely to suddenly betray them. Many demons held their positions as mountain or water spirits for one to two hundred years, and even after changes in dynasties, the new ruling powers would quickly acknowledge their status.

Thus, the Crocodile God agreed without much hesitation.

After He Lingchuan had enlisted such powerful helpers, Wu Shaoyi and his subordinates began to look at him strangely.

To be honest, not even the dragon blood offered by Lu Yao had impressed the Crocodile God as much as the Water Spirit position offered by the authorities.

Such was the power of official appointments.

One of Wu Shaoyi's subordinates, Lian Deng, rubbed his hands and said to He Lingchuan, "Brother He, if we help the government troops lift Lu Yao's siege, it will cost us blood, sweat, and perhaps even men. It seems... uh, not very beneficial for us, does it?"

He Lingchuan glanced at Wu Shaoyi, who stood silently to the side. Knowing the man's complicated feelings, He Lingchuan said, "As long as you remain rebels, you will be pursued by the authorities. There's no difference between that and being like Lu Yao, the bandit."

The bandits' faces darkened.

Since their defeat at Wuling Pass, everyone knew that the life of a 'stray dog' was difficult. Even Wu Shaoyi was uncertain about the future of his force and dared not make any guarantees.

He Lingchuan, however, continued immediately, "Unless you are willing to be pacified!"

Pacified? Hearing these two words, everyone exchanged glances, though they didn't feel much aversion.

He Lingchuan didn't need to look at others; he just focused on Wu Shaoyi. Seeing his expressionless face, He Lingchuan knew there was a chance.

These three factions of wandering bandits had secretly converged on Immortal Lake Village, wanting nothing more than to band together and secure a place to settle down in the future.

In fact, joining was not a bad option if they couldn't win. Even a wild, untamed demon like the Crocodile God was about to receive an official appointment and public provisions. The bandits, watching from the sidelines, were actually quite envious.

"Can you make that decision?" Wu Shaoyi's gaze was intense. "You're just a minor official accompanying the army; what gives you the authority?"

"Yes, I can, precisely because I am He Chunhua's eldest son, the Administrator of Qiansong Prefecture!" He Lingchuan coughed a few times, knowing it was time to reveal his identity. What good were empty words and flowery speeches without proof? Only one's identity, when revealed, could strike people like a heavy blow and make them smile. "My father is heading north to Xia Province to serve as Governor-General, and the troops he takes are his direct lineage! Once you submit, you will become trusted confidants of my He family, future veterans of the army. In Xia Province, won't you enjoy the best of everything and wield considerable influence?"

He knew that talking about ideals or life with these fierce individuals was useless; providing practical assurances was paramount.

Just these eight words—'enjoy the best of everything and wield considerable influence'—could summarize what most people sought in life.

Indeed, the mountain bandits' eyes glimmered, and they seemed somewhat moved.

Lian Deng rubbed the back of his head. "The Royal Court has often gone back on its word. Even if General Wu submits, what if they…" As rebels, they were naturally wary and suspicious of government troops.