Chapter 167: Panlong Wilderness Spirit Rain Arrives

The Magistrate of Kuzhu County immediately, on behalf of the Kite Royal Court, officially designated it as the Water Spirit of Hongchuan. He promptly drafted the document, had the large, thick fish lips affix a seal, and then applied his own Kite coin and official seal.

As soon as the seals were applied, a blue light flashed over the large black fish, signaling the completion of the process and the birth of the new Water Spirit.

Only then did the soldiers push the last fat pig into the water.

The black fish bit it and sank into the depths of the pool, disappearing from view.

The Magistrate of Kuzhu County, looking somewhat weary, approached He Chunhua to express his gratitude. Without the flanking army’s support, his formation would not have been so impressive.

With the new Water Spirit in place, Hongchuan became much more peaceful. Consequently, Fengling Ferry could resume operations, and the waiting merchants joyfully boarded the boats.

Taking advantage of a little free time, He Lingchuan wandered around Fengling Ferry, discovering a particularly conspicuous old pagoda tree on a sandbank over three hundred zhang from the ferry crossing.

Although there were many pagoda trees in the area, He Lingchuan’s attention was immediately drawn to this one because it was truly unique:

It was a lightning-struck tree.

This old pagoda tree was originally very robust, with a trunk so wide it would take four people to encircle it. No one knew how many years it had grown, but it had been struck by lightning several times, as if the heavens disapproved. All its top branches had fallen off, and the entire tree was almost charred.

Yet, life proved incredibly resilient. New shoots sprouted from the old pagoda tree’s charred, seemingly lifeless main trunk, growing into new branches…

These new branches and shoots were much smaller than the original tree, but they were vibrant and full of vitality from top to bottom.

He Lingchuan finally understood what the old turtle demon meant by the "revived old pagoda tree"; it was indeed clear at first glance.

Moreover, it grew on a sandbank, away from casual observers.

He walked around the tree several times but found no hollows. He wasn't discouraged, though.

If a tree hollow were that easy for him to find, it would also be discovered by other birds and beasts.

He Lingchuan ran his hand over the charred trunk, found a depression at the base of the roots, and used his broken blade to start digging in the sand.

The sand was moderately soft, and He Lingchuan dug deeper and deeper.

Soon, he found a large hole beneath the tree roots, which was usually buried by sand. Inside, only a few crabs were napping.

He tossed the crabs out, took out the turtle egg and placed it inside. After a moment’s thought, he covered the egg with some aquatic plants and then placed a small bottle of pills beside it.

Might as well be thorough.

Afterwards, he refilled the sand, completely covering the tree hollow. The water currents would then take over, smoothing the area completely, leaving no trace of the hollow's existence, just as before.

With this done, he had fulfilled the turtle demon's entrustment.

"Farewell for now." He brushed the sand from his hands, also understanding why the turtle egg had to be hatched here:

This old pagoda tree, capable of flourishing anew from withered wood, must possess incredibly strong vitality, which was precisely the power the turtle demon needed for its second hatching.

Perhaps the turtle demon had originally grown up here. After all, the pagoda tree was much older than it.

Just then, He Yue called out to his elder brother from a distance, "Brother, the boat's leaving!"

"May we meet again if fate allows. I hope by then you will have found the true path of cultivation." He Lingchuan patted the charred wood, stood up, and left.

The flanking army also boarded boats at Fengling Ferry, traveling along the surging river towards Shihuan City.

He Lingchuan stretched and sat up from his bed.

He was still disoriented when he heard someone shouting loudly outside: "Street—corner—announcement—!"

What a familiar tune.

He almost forgot to retract his outstretched hand. He looked out the window to see that it was nearly dark, and his water vat was full.

He remembered falling asleep on the boat, with the last sounds he heard being the gentle lapping of waves against the hull, not the noisy street.

This meant he had entered Panlong City again, and—

He Lingchuan quickly dashed to the door, stood in the middle of the street, and indeed heard the same announcement: that the Emperor's Dew was coming and Panlong City would be under a three-day curfew starting tonight.

So, he was experiencing a continuation of his previous dream?

Incredible! Four days had already passed in reality, yet less than an hour had elapsed in the dream world of Panlong City!

The time difference between the two realms was truly arbitrary.

The sun had already set, so he couldn't go anywhere. But there was a wine shop nearby, so he rushed in and bought several jars of wine. Back home, he emptied and cleaned the jars, preparing them to collect the Emperor's Dew.

He also emptied his water vat and took out all his pots, bowls, ladles, and other containers, arranging them in the courtyard.

He also remembered Hu Min's instructions: to saw off two large branches from the tree in his courtyard to prevent its long arms from extending into his neighbor's property.

As soon as he finished these tasks, a commotion arose outside, as if countless people were cheering.

He Lingchuan stepped out of his house and saw that it was raining—a green rain.

The first time was unfamiliar, the second time, familiar. He knew this was the Emperor's Dew.

Panlong City's forecast was remarkably accurate; they could even pinpoint such an unusual celestial phenomenon.

What surprised He Lingchuan even more was that this time, the descending Emperor's Dew was still fragrant and aromatic, but it was far more viscous and darker in color than in reality, truly earning the "pulp" in its name.

In reality, the Emperor's Dew was a fine drizzle, a rare windfall for anyone it landed on. But here, the Emperor's Dew was falling as light to moderate rain. He Lingchuan extended his palm, and soon caught several drops of the greenish dew.

He couldn't help but taste it—it was truly fragrant!

The deep-seated greed in his heart suddenly erupted. But He Lingchuan, having previous experience and being prepared, forcefully suppressed the impulse and jumped onto the rooftop.

He flipped over the roof tiles, temporarily forming several channels. The Emperor's Dew accumulated more and more, slowly flowing down the channels, where he caught it with the wine jars.

Although it was just a trickle, collecting enough of it would make it priceless!

His neighbor also brought out two jars, climbed onto his own roof to collect the Emperor's Dew. Seeing He Lingchuan's method, he was greatly inspired and quickly copied the technique, also arranging his roof tiles.

He Lingchuan then noticed his neighbor covering his nose and mouth with a cloth. Smelling less of the Emperor's Dew's peculiar scent was very helpful in suppressing the hidden bestial instincts, so he quickly followed suit.

Everyone's faces were flushed, and necks were strained, yet they forcefully suppressed the urge to take more than their share. The Emperor's Dew had fallen several times within three years, so most people already had experience in dealing with it, knowing that if they resisted for a moment, there would be abundant rewards later.

He Lingchuan also heard children wailing loudly. Looking down from his elevated position, he saw that two families had already tied their children to tables, forbidding them from running around and spoiling the overall effort.

Just then, heavy footsteps passed by He Lingchuan's door, accompanied by a low roar.

He looked down and saw a mechanical beast slowly advancing along the street. Its shape and size resembled a tiger or leopard, with two green glowing eyes, making it somewhat eerie at first glance.

It seemed to be walking with its head down, but whenever a fight or quarrel was suspected, the mechanical beast would approach, paw at the wall with its front limbs, scratch at the door, and let out two angry roars to deter the residents.

About a quarter of an hour after this mechanical beast left, another one patrolled to the same spot.

They alternated in this manner.

If he weren't busy fighting his own greed, He Lingchuan would have truly given a thumbs-up and praised their "thoughtfulness."

These mechanical beasts must have been security patrols dispatched by Panlong City's authorities. For them, humanity was the least trustworthy, and force was the most reliable.

At that moment, all living creatures could not resist the allure of the Emperor's Dew, but only inanimate objects like the mechanical beasts remained unaffected, continuing to perform their assigned duties.

Mechanical beasts capable of self-patrolling, locating, and intimidating—who knew what powerful master had created them?

Sure enough, He Lingchuan soon heard the sounds of jars being smashed and pots being thrown from nearby, accompanied by shouts and cries. He didn't know who had succumbed to the extreme craving for the Emperor's Dew and gotten into a fight with others.

Human nature truly couldn't be left unchecked.

With an angry roar from the mechanical beast, He Lingchuan heard its heavy footsteps rapidly moving away.

Soon, a few screams came from that direction, but then silence fell, suggesting that those who had resorted to violence had been punished.

This scene also served as a good warning to the surrounding residents.

As the entire city endured this repeated torment, time slowly passed.

This descent of the Emperor's Dew lasted longer than He Lingchuan's previous experience, completely stopping only when dawn broke in the east.

He Lingchuan scraped off all the Emperor's Dew from the tree, then gathered all the jars and bottles filled with the dew, pouring them into each other until he finally had one wine jar full of Emperor's Dew.

He tightly sealed the lid, and the aroma vanished, along with its allure to people. Only then did He Lingchuan let out a long sigh of relief, wiping the thin sweat from his forehead.

The difficult night was over, and everyone began to enjoy the fruits of their victory.

Gazing at the wine jar in his hand, He Lingchuan felt a bit troubled.

The Emperor's Dew obtained from the dream should not have any enhancing effect on his real body; after all, it was all illusory.

Therefore, the most rational course of action was to hand over what he had gained that night and exchange it for merit at the Merit Department. Hu Min had said that merit was not easily obtained, but it could be exchanged for the most valuable things.

This instance of the Emperor's Dew falling from the sky was his unexpected gain.

Of course, all this needed to be verified. He Lingchuan pondered for a moment, then, tucking the wine jar away, he left his house.

The curfew ended after dawn, but few residents were out and about; most were still at home counting their spoils. He found a diligent donkey cart to take him to Hu Min's residence.

Along the way, he saw several charred and collapsed houses, as well as city guards carrying people out or clearing the scenes.

It seemed that even with mechanical beasts patrolling, even with Panlong City's repeated injunctions, even with its strict laws and severe punishments, and even though Panlong City residents, through years of war, had learned to obey orders strictly, human greed would still find a way to break through.

Hu Min lived in a Tin House, which, though also a private residence, was four ranks higher than He Lingchuan's. The roads here were wide, the streets clean and orderly, with green trees and red flowers everywhere. Every household had a small private courtyard, at least four times the size of He Lingchuan's wooden house, and the environment was significantly superior. Yet, the specifications were remarkably uniform: exclusively black doors, black tiles, and red walls, with hardly any difference in size, as if they were all carved from the same mold.

It appeared that unauthorized construction was not permitted here.

Since every street looked alike, it took He Lingchuan a long time to find Hu Min's residence.

Hu Min had just finished refining the Emperor's Dispersion. When he opened the door and saw He Lingchuan, he asked in surprise, "So early? Aren't you refining medicine?"

"How about I exchange some Emperor's Dew for a bit of your refined medicine? Just a small taste."