Chapter 155: Three Verses Determine Life

The captive thought for a long time before slowly shaking his head. "I have no recollection. However, General Lu often went out alone without us, a habit he'd had for a long time."

He Chunhua stood up and said, "Alright, Qinghe, treat his wounds and get him some food and drink. Since he's cooperating, he deserves these."

The father and sons walked out of the woodshed.

He Lingchuan asked him, "Father, should we report this insider information to the royal court?"

"Yes, but we'll delay it for ten days. The captive is a witness; we'll submit everything together then."

He Yue nodded.

He Lingchuan asked curiously, "Why ten days later?"

"If we report it now, the royal court might reply and instruct me to stay at Woling Pass to investigate this matter." He Chunhua smiled. "What's our most pressing priority?"

"To take up your new post in Xiazhou, of course!"

Any other urgent matter was secondary; He Chunhua's top priority was to formally assume the position of Governor-General of Xiazhou!

He Lingchuan then understood. "Father, you're really cunning!"

In five to seven days at most, they would board a ship north. In ten days, they would be near Shihuan City, and a few more days would bring them to Xiazhou. By the time the royal court received the report, they would have to dispatch someone else to investigate Hong Xiangqian's *Bingjie*.

With everything settled, He Lingchuan yawned and stood up. "I'm going back to sleep. You should rest early too, Father." After all, it had been a busy day.

However, just as he and He Yue took two steps, their father called out, "Chuan'er, you were very brave covering our retreat this morning. Your father is very pleased."

He Lingchuan turned with a smile, expecting more praise, but He Chunhua immediately added, "However, you are not to do that again in the future."

"Huh?" He Lingchuan was astonished. "Father, weren't you going to praise me?"

"Among the three hundred men in the Support Army, there are plenty of capable people to cover a retreat; the eldest son of the He family doesn't need to personally engage." He Chunhua said gently, "What's the use of mere bravery? You are a lucky general, but good fortune can fail, and it's not something to rely on. You are sixteen now. A true man knows what he can and cannot do. Before you put yourself in harm's way, think more of your mother and your younger brother."

He Lingchuan was stunned for a moment before saying, "Oh. Got it."

With that, he turned and left.

Back in their courtyard, He Yue said to him, "After Big Brother fell off the cliff, Zhao Qinghe brought the bad news. Father was heartbroken, yet he still had to manage the safety of hundreds of people. His words were not meant as a reproach; don't take them to heart."

He Lingchuan shrugged. "Do I look like I'm taking it to heart?"

That night, the two shared a room.

In fact, He Lingchuan always felt something was off. If he were the original body, he would probably be seething with anger: finally getting a chance to show off, only to be lectured by his father.

But now, as he lay down, his mind was filled with the few verses the old turtle demon had left him:

To seek life amidst death, conceal your edge and feign clumsiness.

To seek truth within falsehood, ...

That old thing really liked riddles. He Lingchuan truly wanted to scramble its egg yolk.

He wanted to live.

He wanted to live a full and vibrant life in this chaotic era of spirits and disregard for human life.

But first, he had to solve the riddle.

The old turtle said its power was insufficient, and heavenly secrets were distorted, so it could only glimpse these. He Lingchuan had best accept them, as there was no other way.

The first two lines of these three verses were easy to understand: to survive, one must conceal one's brilliance and avoid standing out. He had been doing precisely that since he transmigrated, and now at least he knew he hadn't made a mistake.

If he were like those flamboyant, golden-haired "spirit boys" from the village, who only knew reckless aggression and constantly sought to stand out, believing that vindictiveness led to a joyful life and that all heroes in the world would make way for their protagonist's halo, his ashes might have been scattered long ago.

Yet, he occasionally slipped up, such as when he showed off his skills in Xianling Village and on West Mountain Road, which everyone witnessed. That was definitely wrong, and he needed to be even more discreet in the future.

The key was the last line.

What did "to seek truth within falsehood" mean? He Lingchuan inexplicably recalled his two experiences of entering the Coiling Dragon Dream.

Could it refer to that?

Moreover, he always felt these three verses seemed a bit lightweight, as if a conclusive fourth line was missing.

Looking at the format, wouldn't a fourth line make it more memorable?

The old turtle, embarrassed, said it couldn't figure out the fourth line no matter what, and told He Lingchuan to add it himself if he thought of it later.

Could he really just add it himself?

He Lingchuan thought for a long time but found no further clues, nor could he discuss it with anyone else.

These experiences were simply unspeakable, and the old turtle demon had also warned him that these verses must only be kept in his mind, never written down.

Oh, what a dilemma.

Regardless, he knew his future could be turned upside down by these three verses.

This was not a curse but a prophecy. Curses could be broken, but prophecies... He figured it was best to obey for now to stay alive, then plan his comeback.

After two thrilling and exhausting days, He Yue was too mentally drained to sleep.

As he tossed and turned sleeplessly, he heard his brother's snores gradually rise, wondering if he was perhaps having a lively dream.

What a carefree soul, He Yue sometimes envied his simple-minded older brother.

The next morning, He Lingchuan was mercilessly woken up.

A visitor had arrived, and He Chunhua called for him to hurry over.

The other bed was empty, the bedding neatly arranged; clearly, He Yue had gone out early that morning to run errands for his father.

He Lingchuan understood, quickly washed his face, and hurried over, only putting on his jacket en route.

Upon entering the hall, he saw that Wu Shaoyi had indeed arrived and was speaking with He Chunhua.

Both men wore smiles. As soon as Wu Shaoyi saw He Lingchuan, he said, "Young Master He, please bear with me in the future!"

"Hey, it's nothing, I was worried about you all last night," He Lingchuan lied with a straight face. "How are you feeling now?"

Wu Shaoyi sighed. "Depleted vital energy and blood can't be restored in a day or two. I'll just bear with it until it passes." He had used a secret technique to transfer his injuries, but the extensive blood loss had also caused a slight weakening of his organs. Without careful recuperation, he wouldn't recover for at least ten days to half a month.

"The doctor in my team is very skilled; he will arrange your medication and diet. You just need to focus on resting well," He Chunhua said cheerfully, then turned to He Lingchuan, "General Wu has brought three hundred elite soldiers with him who defected to us; they all need to be properly settled!"

As He Chunhua was heading to Xiazhou, the more talented people under his command, the better. Wu Shaoyi possessed both military talent and troops, both readily available. Although Wu Shaoyi himself could no longer fight on the battlefield, his addition would significantly bolster the Support Army's strength.

Wu Shaoyi shook his head and chuckled, "What general? I'm now a deputy general in the Support Army."

He Chunhua had indeed given him a position as a deputy general in the army, as negotiated by his eldest son.

Everyone laughed.

Seizing the relaxed atmosphere, He Lingchuan quickly asked about the battle at Desheng Town.

It turned out that after Wu Shaoyi arrived at Desheng Town by water, he conducted harassing guerrilla attacks against the Lu bandits stationed there, particularly targeting their horses. Stealing horses was difficult, but killing them was not.

Conveniently, these horses were also kept near the stream because there were too few water troughs in the town, and the Lu bandits didn't have time to retrieve them. The Crocodile God and its subordinates then seized the opportunity to devour over a dozen of them.

He Chunhua sighed, "It's a pity Pei Xinyong refused to pledge allegiance."

Pei Xinyong had no desire to surrender or to have his whereabouts known, so he naturally left Desheng Town as soon as possible after the battle.

In fact, it wasn't just Pei Xinyong. Wu Shaoyi had recalled all his subordinates, explained his future plans, and asked any brothers willing to join the official army to stay.

As a result, half of them left.

"I tried to persuade him, but unfortunately, everyone has their own ambitions. He said he would never return to officialdom," Wu Shaoyi said, spreading his hands. "I asked him about his future plans, but he only said he'd take it one step at a time and wouldn't tell me where he was going."

Although they were old brothers who had fought side by side, one was now on the official payroll, while the other would continue to be a bandit. They were destined to go their separate ways.

He Chunhua sighed, "What a shame."

After the three chatted for a while longer, He Chunhua stood up and left.

His duties were never-ending.

He Lingchuan poured Wu Shaoyi a cup of water. "I have good wine here. When you recover from your injuries, we'll have a couple of drinks."

Wu Shaoyi readily agreed.

"Earlier, what did you mean when you said Pei Xinyong wouldn't return to officialdom?" He Lingchuan, always sharp-eared, asked, "Did he used to be an official?"

"He worked at the Longxia Military Command for six years and became a Valiant Captain. The year the Chunhe River flooded, the Longxia Military Command was ordered to assist in transporting disaster relief supplies. Back then, old Pei was young and straightforward. He couldn't stand the rampant corruption and embezzlement in officialdom. Hearing that the sovereign intended to enforce strict discipline and rectify corrupt officials, he was greatly encouraged. So, he bypassed his superiors to report their corruption and illegal selling of supplies."

So Pei Xinyong had such a past? He Lingchuan was very interested. "What happened next?"

"Then he was like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot. His superiors remained perfectly fine, and the charges were directly pinned on him. With witnesses and physical evidence, he was completely unable to defend himself. Without even a trial, he was dismissed from his post and thrown into prison, where he endured every torture imaginable. His buttocks were rotting, and he nearly died in there. When others rescued him from prison, there were still maggots crawling in the wounds on his lower back. Although his injuries later healed, he was left with a chronic deficiency."

Wu Shaoyi shrugged. "That's why old Pei often says 'Great Kite is Great Kite.' He's not interested in officialdom, nor in Master He's offer of amnesty."

He Lingchuan was at a loss for words.

After a while, he continued to ask Wu Shaoyi:

"There's still something I don't understand. From what you've said, Hong Xiangqian should be a remarkable person. Why would he heavily rely on a notorious cannibal like Lu Yao? Wasn't he afraid that the bandit, I mean, the rebel army's reputation would be ruined?"

"Actually, in the eyes of the Holy Master, Lu Yao wasn't much different from us," Wu Shaoyi sighed softly. "We are all killing blades, and perhaps he was even faster and sharper."

He Lingchuan pondered the statement carefully, finding it made more and more sense the more he thought about it.

What distinction of good or bad does a blade have? The key lies in whose hand it is wielded.

Those who achieve great things don't fuss over minor details. Lu Yao's slight penchant for cannibalism and his minor moral blemishes might not have even registered as trivial in Hong Xiangqian's eyes.

In any case, Wu Shaoyi didn't know that the Holy Master had performed *Bingjie* to survive, and He Lingchuan had no intention of telling him.

Lu Yao often got heavily drunk later. Was that after he had properly settled Hong Xiangqian's primordial spirit?

How long a soul can exist after death depends on the strength of its primordial spirit. An ordinary person's soul usually dissipates within seven days, while a powerful primordial spirit might endure for a bit longer, but only for a bit.