Chapter 17: Not Knowing One's Place

“Your scout was killed on the spot?” He thought for a moment. “That hawk demon has been with A-Hao for many years; it always perched on his shoulder. I even fed it myself.”

“It was tortured to death.” Hearing his father call the hawk demon a “scout,” He Lingchuan felt much more at ease, knowing it wouldn’t be treated as a mere minor demon. “Nian Songyu and Grand Master Sun must have learned from it that I sent it.”

He couldn't fight alone; he had to remember that his father was his strong backing.

If his father, a powerful official, couldn’t handle it, then he certainly couldn’t.

He Chunhua, however, said indifferently, “It’s just a hawk; what’s the big deal if it’s dead?” He picked up his brush and continued writing.

He Lingchuan was stunned. “Father!”

He hadn't expected He Chunhua to react this way and quickly tried to persuade him:

“They clearly need something from the He Residence, they knew that Little Gray was sent by me, they knew this was just a minor misunderstanding, yet they still crushed it to death!”

He lightly thumped the table, making the Four Treasures of the Study jump. “Father, these two men don’t respect our family at all. They think they can mold us as they please, flatten us as they wish, and expect us to bow down and work for them without even complaining!”

“Sun Fuping is a Grand Master favored by imperial grace, while I am merely a prefect in a wild land. That’s a world of difference. Normally, he can mold me as he pleases, flatten me as he wishes, and then crush you with a little finger. Otherwise, how could it be called a strict hierarchy?” He Chunhua laughed instead of getting angry. “You’ve been too comfortable in Blackwater City for too long; you don’t know your place or the immensity of the world!”

As he spoke the last few words, his tone became severe.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't resentful; the other party clearly looked down on them from the bottom of their hearts.

They crushed your scout to death, and you still have to work for them, even die for them!

Yes, that’s how superior they felt.

But a higher official outranks and can crush a lower one, and Grand Master Sun came bearing a royal decree. What could Prefect He do?

He Lingchuan protested, “But Uncle Hao...”

“When you’re subordinate, you must accept your fate!” He Chunhua frowned. “He’s taking it too hard? He’s decades old.”

He Lingchuan decisively changed the topic. “You also said that’s ‘normally’!”

“Stop complaining, stop being clever, and think of more solutions.” He Chunhua put down his brush, stood up, and flicked his eldest son’s forehead. “However, we can’t be completely passive either. This is still the He family’s territory, after all. Tell me, how do you want to ‘complain’?”

“It would be better to let my second brother come up with ideas; he has more tricks up his sleeve, but in my opinion—” He Lingchuan sneered. “Even if we end up having to do their bidding, we might as well use delaying tactics first to humble their arrogance. Besides us, who knows the exact whereabouts of the Sand Leopard’s relics? Furthermore, they killed our man... well, demon. Shouldn’t there be a price to pay?”

“A price?” He Chunhua forced a smile, feeling those words resonate deeply with him. “You have a point.”

His eldest son had matured; he felt a small sense of relief.

“Oh, by the way, what about those two guards from Donglai Prefecture?” He Lingchuan knew that He Chunhua had originally intended to release them.

“Leave them be,” He Chunhua said nonchalantly. “We’ll talk about it in a few days. Anyway, they don’t care.”

Nian and Sun cared about the whereabouts of the token, Donglai Prefecture cared about the Great Square Pot, but the guards themselves were irrelevant.

***

At the dinner that evening, both parties conversed cheerfully, and host and guests alike enjoyed themselves.

Fueled by alcohol, He Chunhua practically thumped his chest, assuring them he would definitely find the pass to the Coiling Dragon Desert.

Then ten hours passed.

Nian Songyu, of course, felt like time was dragging. He urged them once. He Chunhua admitted he had found nothing, while again assuring them he would do his utmost.

This time, he dispatched men to Blackwater City, making a show of posting notices and searching the entire city.

Their attitude was excellent; their efficiency was abysmal.

Naturally, such a search would yield no results.

The He family’s advantage was time; they were in no hurry.

The esteemed Grand Master finally became impatient and, along with Nian Songyu, paid a visit. Unfortunately, Prefect He was out, so his second son, He Yue, had to host them.

Both men’s eyes lit up when they saw He Yue, and they didn’t stint on compliments. Nian Songyu, in particular, after chatting with He Yue for a few moments, seemed to feel like they had met too late, even uttering words like, “We are of similar age; we should interact more in the future.”

He Lingchuan sullenly took a sip of tea. When it came to age, weren’t he and Nian Songyu closer? How could this guy say such a thing with a straight face? His second brother always had a good appearance and was more likable than him, but weren’t these two acting a bit exaggerated?

He Yue, as per his father’s instructions, was delivering official platitudes: “Blackwater City has been fully mobilized, but with the Red Cliff trade route closing soon, the influx and outflow of people in the city have greatly increased. It’s a mixed bag of people, adding much difficulty to our search mission.”

He Lingchuan, fearing his second brother might be at a disadvantage, sat by his side, observing the young man who appeared remarkably sincere on the surface but was in fact utterly unyielding—just like his father, He Chunhua.

Nian Songyu grew impatient and didn’t bother with further pleasantries. “Then close the city gates and search! This matter concerns the nation’s fate; what’s the big deal about closing the city for a few days?”

“That won’t do,” He Yue said with a wry smile. “The Baling Kingdom’s envoy will arrive in Blackwater City in the next couple of days and then return west from here. This is their last chance to go home this year. Any delay could lead to a major misunderstanding between our two nations!”

He paused. “The Baling Kingdom has always coveted Great Kite, and there have been numerous skirmishes at the border. They’re just looking for an excuse.”

Nian Songyu laughed in exasperation. “So, you’re saying Blackwater City can’t be closed, or closing it will trigger border warfare?”

“Highly likely!” He Yue stated emphatically. “Qiansong Prefecture cannot bear that!”

Sun Fuping, disliking their endless bickering and time-wasting, simply cut to the chase: “I heard that Young Master He suffered an injury and was confined for forty or fifty days?”

“Indeed, it nearly cost me my life.” He Lingchuan had been sipping tea on the side for a while, and finally the conversation turned to him. He pulled open his collar, revealing the wound on his neck. “See?”

The Sand Leopard had bitten his neck fiercely back then. Though the wound had healed, it left a jagged, gruesome scar, indicating the grave danger he had been in.

Nian Songyu stared at the scar. “How did you get this injury?”

“This was when I went to Gourd Mountain...” He Lingchuan paused, as if surprised. “Oh, where did Captain Nian hear that I was gravely injured? Not many people know about that.”

Nian Songyu replied without hesitation, “My subordinates found out. As you said, Blackwater City has many mouths and is hard to keep information under wraps.”

“These bastards dare to spread even my news indiscriminately?” He Lingchuan angrily put down his cup. “Who exactly was it? Tell me, Captain Nian, and I will not let him off lightly!”

Nian Songyu fell silent, his gaze becoming even sharper.

That feeling of sharp needles pricking his face returned. He Lingchuan, not to be outdone, glared back.

A staring contest? He never backed down.