Chapter 158: Who Should Not Keep An Eye On Anyone

However, none of this was the main point. What was most important right now was to acquire as much as possible!

He suppressed his excitement and quickly realized something was wrong: it was too little.

After waiting for a long time, he felt a faint coolness on his face again, as a tiny trace of Emperor's Dew landed.

At this rate, even if it dripped all night, it wouldn't even cover the bottom of a snuff bottle, let alone fill half a wine jar!

He Lingchuan was greatly disappointed.

A dispute suddenly erupted in the threshing ground. It turned out that Wu Shaoyi's subordinates and veteran soldiers from the support army were arguing fiercely over the Emperor's Dew.

What they were fighting over was a piece of Emperor's Dew the size of a pinky fingernail.

This treasure, dripping from the sky, was mostly fine like rain threads, but a very small amount also congealed into a jelly-like form, half green, half white, resembling jade paste.

At first, it was just an argument between two people, but fueled by the desire for Emperor's Dew, the soldiers became agitated, and soon it escalated into a brawl between two groups.

Zeng Feixiong and Wu Shaoyi had to waste precious time to step in and mediate.

The mountain forest, usually quiet at night, now became noisy. Previously sleeping birds stretched their wings towards the sky and squawked at their neighbors, hoping to snatch a bit more Emperor's Dew.

Around the farmstead, even dormant forest frogs and long snakes crept out, rolling in the undergrowth, trying to rub the Emperor's Dew from the grass leaves onto their bodies.

The great mountain seemed to come alive. In the presence of the Emperor's Dew, almost no living creature could remain calm.

This shower of Emperor's Dew lasted little more than an hour from start to finish before fading away.

He Lingchuan leaped onto a high branch of a large tree, scouring the leaves and collecting the Emperor's Dew bit by bit.

During this process, he constantly competed with other creatures, and twice he was nearly bitten by snakes or scorpions.

Many others emulated him.

The Emperor's Dew from the sky only lasted about an hour, but no one closed their eyes until morning, spending most of the night trying to collect it. Fortunately, the support army's discipline was relatively strong among its peers, and Wu Shaoyi also imposed strict control over his subordinates, so no further disturbances occurred later.

At dawn, the sun rose.

As soon as the sunlight touched it, the remaining Emperor's Dew instantly turned into white vapor, evaporating and vanishing without a trace.

The collective sighs and laments marked the end of that night's commotion.

Everything was to return to normal.

The cooks began preparing food. Soon after, He Yue came to call his elder brother for breakfast, and asked him, "How much did you get?"

"Alas, not even enough for a single gulp," He Lingchuan sighed. His usual good fortune hadn't manifested; the Emperor's Dew he had worked half the night to collect only filled half a small jade bottle. He estimated it was at most ten milliliters.

"An opportunity that comes only once in decades, it's a blessing just to encounter it," He Yue said, quite philosophically.

He Lingchuan asked him, "How do you plan to use it?"

"I've already consumed it, and I'm saving a tiny bit to add to my bath."

No wonder the boy looked radiant and energetic; he had apparently consumed the Emperor's Dew directly. That was good too; it prevented others from constantly coveting it.

He Yue reminded him again, "The Emperor's Dew is only effective for a mere twenty-four hours. It loses its potency after that. Big Brother, you must seize the time and not waste this treasure."

"Got it," He Lingchuan replied. He Lingchuan hadn't yet decided what to do with it. The most common methods were likely direct consumption or bathing, like He Yue. Emperor's Dew appeared too rarely and had a short shelf life, so there were almost no specific preparation recipes for it. However, for the mysterious crystals formed when Emperor's Dew settled underground, humans had more elaborate methods of preparation.

But applying these methods to fresh Emperor's Dew, it was unknown whether they would enhance or diminish its effects.

Collecting Emperor's Dew was difficult for everyone, and no one wanted to experiment with their meager stock.

He Lingchuan took this question to He Chunhua. The latter had already consulted the army's mages, but they also had no definite answer.

In fact, after the Emperor's Dew rain ended, He Chunhua repeatedly and strictly enforced military discipline, prohibiting mutual theft, robbery, insults, and brawls. Violators would have their hands cut off. He also gathered everyone in the threshing ground, made them sit in rows, and had his elite personal guards watch them closely, allowing no one to leave. Only then was he barely able to suppress the eagerness of those with ill intentions.

As soon as the sun rose, He Chunhua organized the entire army to collectively consume the Emperor's Dew they possessed.

He Lingchuan also sat down and tilted his head back to drink.

Although his movements were grand and his posture bold, he actually only drank a few drops. The rest he quickly put away with lightning speed — he was always unwilling to drink it all just like that.

You see, everyone drank it all in plain sight, with everyone as a witness. This approach was intended to dispel everyone's suspicions, to prevent future mutual distrust and robbery, which could affect morale.

In fact, everyone knew Emperor's Dew was precious, but it appeared so suddenly that there was no better way to use it than to drink it directly. Keeping it would only lead to it expiring.

So, at this time, most people tilted their heads back and gulped it down. Even those who had already finished theirs earlier now held up empty pouches or jars and pretended to drink again for others to see, to dispel any lingering covetous glances.

It must be said, this method was crude but effective. After everyone had consumed the Emperor's Dew, their gazes towards each other became much kinder, no longer like hungry wolves.

This sudden opportunity, or rather crisis, was ultimately resolved by He Chunhua's decisive action.

He never underestimated the allure of Emperor's Dew, nor did he overestimate human nature.

He Lingchuan watched his methods of crisis management from the side and felt he had gained a great deal.

For a general or commander, besides being skilled at strategic planning, the courage and skill to handle emergencies are also crucial.

He who hesitates when action is needed invites disaster.

"Our original plan has changed; we'll probably have to stay here for two more days," He Chunhua sighed, addressing his two sons. "Last night, with the eruption of Emperor's Dew, the entire Shuanghe Town, Fengling Ferry, and even the rivers are likely in turmoil."

He Chunhua possessed prestige and effective methods, and swiftly suppressed his subordinates' greed and potential riots. However, not everyone could learn or apply these tactics.

Indeed, when the support army scouted the town, they found that disturbances had indeed erupted from late last night until sunrise, with over forty people dead from fighting over Emperor's Dew and more than two hundred injured.

Travelers heading to Fengling Ferry to board boats would all stop in Shuanghe Town. The town was a mix of all sorts of people, and last night they had all gone mad, endlessly fighting over the dew. At that time, there were nearly seven hundred people in the town. Almost one-third of them were injured, nearly twenty percent of the buildings were damaged, with more than ten houses set ablaze.

When the support army's scouts arrived, some houses were still emitting black smoke, and the fires had not yet been fully extinguished.

The immense allure of Emperor's Dew to living creatures was evident.

Upon inspecting Fengling Ferry, whirlpools frequently appeared on the breeze-swept river surface, indicating hidden currents below. Upon closer observation, large dark shadows were often seen lurking on the surface and beneath the water. It was unclear what kind of aquatic creatures they were, but they frequently attacked each other, evidently the Emperor's Dew from last night had made them agitated and greatly increased their aggression.

Under these circumstances, river travel was extremely unsafe.

He Chunhua had considered this point, which was why he ordered the entire army to rest for two days.

At this time, the village head also approached He Chunhua, hoping to leverage the support army's strength to quell the unrest in Shuanghe Town and temporarily maintain order there. Last night, the entire town was in chaos, with casualties. After daybreak, those with grudges sought revenge, and those with grievances sought redress. Shuanghe Town's self-established civilian security group was too small to maintain peace.

Since the local authorities requested help, He Chunhua readily agreed and dispatched three hundred support troops to patrol the town.

He Lingchuan, however, stayed indoors, secluding himself in the farmstead to focus on his cultivation.

In the morning, he gulped down a few drops of Emperor's Dew. It felt cool like mint in his mouth. After swallowing, his internal organs felt warm, and his mind was stimulated. He was filled with boundless energy that had nowhere to be unleashed, and felt a surge of heroic spirit, as if he could stride a thousand *li* with one step and soar away on the wind.

Of course, it was an illusion; this was mainly due to the overwhelming effect of the dosage.

One drop of Emperor's Dew was equivalent to ten days of cultivation. Thus, he had gained forty to fifty days of cultivation out of nowhere. And this was just the superficial benefit.

He Lingchuan could not miss such an opportunity. So he took two gulps of warm water and returned to his room to meditate with closed eyes, completing six major circulations and twelve minor circulations with great satisfaction.

He Chunhua knew that both his sons needed to digest the benefits of this heavenly bounty, so he sent guards to stand by the door, preventing others from disturbing them.

His meditation ended.

He Lingchuan stood up and stretched his limbs, then let out a yawn. He felt his body was light and his spirit full.

Other than that, there was nothing special.

What about the effects of the Emperor's Dew? How exactly would they manifest?

He turned his head, curious to see He Yue's condition. To his surprise, although the room was large, it only contained the bed he had just gotten out of. In the direction he was facing, there was a set of tables and chairs. By the wall was a low cabinet, and a bunch of mugwort was hanging on the door.

But there was no one else.

Wait, wait a minute! This was definitely not the room he had been in before meditating!

He Lingchuan strode out and found himself on the outskirts of a village. A small stream babbled in front of the village, hens clucked at his feet, and a small yellow dog ran up to the fence, wagging its tail so hard it looked like it might fall off.

Not far away, children were playing. Several women were rinsing laundry, and then carrying water back.

The support army was gone, and this was not the farmstead where he had been earlier.

Could it be?

He Lingchuan suppressed his emotions and went to ask a woman who was rinsing clothes by the river, "Excuse me, elder sister, where is this place?"

"Xingqian Village," the woman replied, giving him a strange look.

"How did I get here?"

The woman looked even more puzzled: "How would I know?"

He Lingchuan pointed to the house behind him: "Then whose house is this?"

"Uncle Meng's," she said. "Aren't you a friend his son brought back?"

He Lingchuan now had a rough idea: "Then, please, how do I get to Panlong City?"

Indeed, for over a month, he had wanted to enter Panlong City but couldn't. Today, he received the Emperor's Dew and diligently cultivated, yet he was inexplicably drawn into this.

The Broken Blade or the Grand Flask, truly unreliable.

The woman, as expected, pointed east: "Follow this road, two *li*."

He Lingchuan thanked her and headed east.

The stream behind him continued to flow cheerfully, and the laundry women whispered among themselves:

"Is this young man out of his mind?"

"My uncle also didn't recognize us after he fell off his horse, and he'd ask everyone where his home was."

"What a pity, he's so handsome!"

He Lingchuan: "..."

Before long, the magnificent Panlong City indeed appeared in his sight.

Following the main road, he encountered many travelers.

He Lingchuan observed the expressions of people along the way, fearing a repeat of his first experience entering the Panlong dream, where he was identified and hunted.