Chapter 185: One Night of Chaos

He Chunhua coughed, finding it awkward to admit he didn't know.

He Lingchuan yearned for a moment, then said, "Immortals certainly have many tricks up their sleeves. I wonder what ancient times were like; I'd really like to experience it."

"According to historical records, immortals and demons roamed the land, and colossal beasts rampaged, while ordinary people could only grovel, no more than ants," He Chunhua said calmly. "Great immortals and giant beasts had the power to move mountains and fill seas, often devouring the inhabitants of an entire city. Compared to then, I still think things are better now."

He continued, "News from the front lines indicates that Nian Zanli is mounting a fierce offensive on the northern front. After tonight's incident, the Royal Court will likely still order me north as quickly as possible, to depart within two days at the latest. Although my trip to Shihuan was perilous, after sending Zhu Xiuer back, various parties have shown goodwill, and I can better gauge the Royal Court's intentions."

He Lingchuan said boisterously, "Dad, our new territory is in the north, with little interaction with the Royal Court. We recruit our own soldiers and horses without needing to curry favor. Why should we flatter these corrupt nobles in the capital and Shihuan?"

His words were blunt, but He Chunhua was used to his style. "This is the way of officialdom, and it's also about preparing for a rainy day. In future crises, even if I don't expect anyone in the court to speak for me, at least they shouldn't undermine me or shoot me in the back."

He sighed, "Throughout history, how many loyal ministers and brave generals were not buried on the battlefield, but unjustly died at the hands of treacherous villains." Then, looking at He Lingchuan, he added, "Your quick thinking and impressive performance today, even General Ke praised you highly. Very good, very good."

The two demonic puppets sent by Dong Rui were extremely difficult to deal with, yet reviewing the entire battle, whether it was delaying the werewolf or subduing the ghost ape, his eldest son surprisingly played a crucial role.

Was it just luck? He Chunhua was increasingly doubting that.

A father knows his son best.

As his father looked at him with an appreciative gaze, He Lingchuan felt a slight chill. The phrase "quick thinking" was a compliment He Chunhua usually reserved for He Yue, but this time he had used it for his eldest son.

While others wished to be affirmed, He Lingchuan often used the old turtle demon's maxim, "Hide your sharpness, embrace your clumsiness," to encourage himself to be a bit more unassuming.

Tonight, with his family in danger, he had failed to hold back, and now he was suspected.

This was not good.

He Lingchuan deliberately raised his head and said, "General Ke believes I'm a heaven-sent military talent, so that can't be wrong. Once we go to the Northern Border, your son wants to lead troops into battle, slay enemies, and achieve unparalleled feats!"

"You repelled two monsters, and now you think you're invincible?" He Chunhua said with a chuckle, "Alright, I'll give you the chance when the time comes; just don't prove useless!"

He Lingchuan pressed his advantage, "Then how about you make me a Captain?"

"Military merits must be earned yourself." He Chunhua stood up. "Let's go find the wolf demons and have them choose their companions quickly. The longer we wait, the more complications may arise."

He Yue was startled. "Tonight? It's still the middle of the night, two hours until dawn."

"General Ke's trip to the capital won't be smooth sailing," He Chunhua said, glancing at the sky. "We'd best get our affairs in order before anything changes."

The "alliance contract" recognized by the rock wolves required two freshly slaughtered lambs, steaming hot. The leftover mutton from the inn last night certainly wouldn't do.

In the middle of the night, no butcher shops would be open. Maotao used silver to knock open the gate of the nearest slaughterhouse in Shihuan City and picked out two lively lambs from the back pen, thus fulfilling the promise to the wolf pack.

These lambs were less than a year old, their meat perfectly tender, truly deserving of He Lingchuan's description "prime." The two giant wolves ate with great satisfaction.

Next, they would establish individual alliances with the wolf demons.

This was a mutual selection process; an agreement could only be reached if both the human and the wolf found a connection.

Lu Xin, without hesitation, walked straight to He Lingchuan's side. "I choose him!"

He Lingchuan's performance that night had been the best, and the rock wolves had already noticed.

He Lingchuan was overjoyed. "You have good taste!" Besides Lu Ze, it had the highest status, most imposing appearance, and fiercest eyes among the wolf pack. If He Lingchuan took it out for a stroll, it would surely turn heads.

The remaining giant wolf, Lu Jin, walked around He Chunhua, Zeng Feixiong, Wu Shaoyi, and others under everyone's expectant gaze, sniffing here and there, and finally stood beside He Yue. "I choose him!"

He Yue was instantly flattered. "...Thank you?"

This impressive black giant wolf hadn't chosen his father or Zeng Feixiong, but him. Was it fate?

Lu Jin puffed out its chest, raised its head, and gave He Yue a mischievous grin. "Young Master, I'll protect you from now on!"

The others, not chosen, couldn't help but feel disappointed. He Lingchuan clicked his tongue in wonder and discreetly asked Lu Xin, "Is my second brother so popular?"

Lu Xin's long wolf face showed no expression. "He appears weaker, needing the strongest guard."

That seemed to make sense too.

The subsequent one-on-one agreements between humans and wolves proceeded smoothly and need no further elaboration.

Once the agreements were settled, He Chunhua ordered everyone to return and rest.

Before dawn, He Chunhua was shaken awake.

Ying Hongchan gently patted his shoulder. "Master, Zhao Qinghe has something to report."

What could be so urgent that it couldn't wait until daylight? He Chunhua's heart tightened. He quickly got up and dressed. Zhao Qinghe was already waiting for him in a corner of the small courtyard.

"What is it?" He Chunhua pulled his robe tighter against the biting cold.

Zhao Qinghe, now Zeng Feixiong's deputy, said, "My lord, do you remember Rui Manzi from the support army?"

"I personally selected him for the team, how could I forget?" He Chunhua had a bad feeling. "What happened to him?"

"Last night, he and another soldier got completely drunk at a tavern. As they left, they met a prostitute who propositioned them, and they went back to her place for the night. During that time, he babbled some things and bragged about the battle by Immortal Lake. His companion, after sobering up, remembered these inappropriate conversations, realizing they violated your gag order, and came to report to me."

After the battle at Immortal Spirit Village, He Chunhua had issued a gag order to the entire army, strictly forbidding them from discussing or spreading details of the past event, with severe penalties for violators.

This was a military order.

"Did they mention it in the tavern?"

"No."

"Only at the woman's home?"

"Yes," Zhao Qinghe replied. "It was also the woman who proactively asked when the General's wife's newly adopted goddaughter joined the team."

"Proactively asked?" He Chunhua narrowed his eyes. "When did Rui Manzi return to his lodging?"

"Twenty minutes ago. They even encountered a patrol on the way back who questioned them and only let them pass after checking their waist tokens."

"It's not yet dawn, and the curfew hasn't ended," He Chunhua said, looking at the sky. "Civilians still can't go out, so that woman will have to wait until daylight to send word and claim her reward. You still have time."

"Please give your orders, my lord."

"Do what needs to be done, but don't cause trouble for the city patrols." He Chunhua's eyes showed compassion. "Zhu Xiuer has finally escaped from a quagmire; she still has to live in Shihuan, and her reputation must not be tarnished."

"Also, Rui Manzi violated a military order. He is to receive twenty strokes of the cane, to be administered upon our return to Xiazhou." People need time to recover from a beating, and they still had a long journey ahead. "Furthermore, issue my order: the support army is strictly forbidden from drinking alcohol while in Shihuan City!"

Having finished speaking, he clasped his hands and returned to his room to rest.

"Bang, bang, bang," someone knocked on the door.

He Lingchuan was shooting arrows in his dream when the knocking startled him; his arrow went awry, and he woke up.

Before he could curse aloud, Old Mo, the butler,'s anxious voice came through: "Young Master, get up quickly! People from the palace are here!"

The palace?

He Lingchuan scrambled out of bed and opened the door. Two guards entered to help him dress and put on his shoes quickly.

By the time he reached the inn's front courtyard, the He family had all gathered. A pale, beardless, short, stout eunuch arrived to deliver the imperial decree:

The King summons General He Chunhua of Xiazhou to an audience in the palace!

An audience in the palace at dawn?

After conveying the King's will, the plump eunuch smiled at He Chunhua. "General He, please?"

He Chunhua adjusted his attire. He Lingchuan watched his father stride out, his face flushed and spirits high, showing no trace of fatigue from the fierce battle or staying up late.

The group quickly arrived and departed. Madam Ying smiled, "Entering the palace overnight, it seems His Majesty places great importance on this."

He Lingchuan yawned widely. "Is that all? I'm going back to sleep."

It had nothing to do with him anyway; he was just there to witness the decree.

During this second sleep, he didn't re-enter Panlong City in his dream but instead dreamt of an immortal's cave.

More precisely, he "saw" the divine bone necklace sink three *zhang* below the surface. The surrounding earth and rock, as if guided, poured into the central hole of the divine bone, entering without exit.

Soon, a tiny, inconspicuous light red crystal, the size of a grain of rice, was also drawn in.

It seemed very reluctant; the crystal fractured midway, transforming into an extremely faint wisp of red mist, attempting to escape in the opposite direction.

But the divine bone's power was stronger, forcibly pulling and dragging it until it was ultimately absorbed into the ring.

The underground disturbance ceased, and the divine bone necklace quickly rose back to the surface.

Then, He Lingchuan was woken by a series of short, sharp whistles.

He also heard hurried footsteps, shouts, and curses passing by outside the inn, growing fainter and fainter.

Can't a person get any sleep?!

He Yue happened to be passing by outside. He Lingchuan rubbed his eyes and called out to him, "What's going on outside?"

But in his mind, he was thinking about the dream he just had.

Was this what happened beneath the surface the last time he entered the immortal's cave?

The divine bone necklace absorbed that wisp of red mist, and after that, the Panlong dream allowed him to enter and exit freely?

"Soldiers are making arrests, and at the same time, all inns and bathhouses have been strictly ordered not to accept new guests and to hand over lists of their old guests," He Yue said. "Just now, dozens of people across the street were tied up in a string, like hawthorn candies on a stick, and taken away."

Shihuan City had an entire street of bathhouses that, besides bathing, also offered overnight accommodation, so they were likewise being monitored.

He Lingchuan understood. "The Royal Court is moving quite fast."

"The rebels have infiltrated Shihuan City and assassinated a Royal Court official. This happened right under the Emperor's nose; how could it not be taken seriously?" He Yue asked him, "How are your injuries?"

He Lingchuan cried out in pain as he only halfway raised his left shoulder. Lingguang, the medicine ape, then came over with pills. "Don't move your shoulder around, Master, and don't strain your muscles and bones. I'll give you two more types of medicine; it should heal in four days at most. Your other injuries should be mostly recovered in the next two days."