Chapter 23: Position and Caution for the Lowly

Ahead stood a half-peak, its slopes barren and desolate, with only a few sparse bushes clinging to its nooks and crannies. Yet, anyone seeing it for the first time would surely be captivated by its unique shape:

The upper half of the peak was gone, but it didn't look like a natural break from weathering. Instead, the severed surface was incredibly smooth, as if it had been diagonally cleaved in two by a mighty swing of a blade!

The cut was abrupt and decisive.

Bear in mind that this was an entire peak, millions of tons of rock and earth, not a clump of bamboo that could be easily cut.

A local legend claims that immortals once battled here in ancient times, and with a single sword stroke, they cleaved the mountain peak. Thus, this severed peak is also known as "Immortal's Slice."

Such legends are common throughout this realm and are difficult to verify. However, He Lingchuan’s original self actually climbed Immortal's Slice several years ago and personally witnessed how incredibly smooth the severed surface was. There wasn't a single bump or indentation over such a vast area, a smoothness that even a meticulous craftsman could not achieve.

Whether natural or man-made, it was astonishing.

Sun Fuping gazed at the half-peak, as if sensing the fierce and sharp power of that ancient sword strike still lingering. After a long moment, he exhaled slowly, murmuring, "The path of cultivation truly has no end."

Further on, as they rounded a mountain hollow, an old Euphrates poplar stood solitary by the roadside. Beneath its dry, stiff branches, two bodies were conspicuously hanging.

The wind blew, causing the bodies to sway.

Many travelers had gathered beneath the tree, pointing and whispering among themselves.

As Grand Tutor Sun's retinue approached, they saw two white boards hanging from the corpses, inscribed with 'Courtesy Demands' and 'Reciprocity' respectively.

Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping's expressions immediately changed. With their sharp eyes, they instantly spotted a transparent tag pinned to the lapel of each corpse, bearing the characters 'Donglai'.

Two guards from Donglai Manor, who had been dispatched to track the Xishan Sand Leopard, had gone missing after heading towards Blackwater City. Sun and Nian were aware of this, as they had personally assigned these men. However, at the time, clues regarding the sand leopard's whereabouts had begun to emerge, so they hadn't pursued the matter.

Now, these two men were corpses, lying across their inevitable path.

Nian Songyu immediately discerned that both men had died from broken necks and had been tortured before their deaths.

Seeing Nian's face flush crimson and veins bulge on his neck, Grand Tutor Sun quickly gripped his shoulder. "Don't be rash!" he urged. "Isn’t this what we expected?" These two guards had been missing for a long time, and they had long ago considered the possibility of their being dead.

"We assigned the Donglai Manor men; that little wretch is retaliating against us!" Nian Songyu gritted his teeth. "He killed one hawk demon, and in retaliation, the other party harmed two of our men."

Donglai Manor was, after all, too far from the frontier. The Grand Marshal had allocated his own guards for them to deploy.

Grand Tutor Sun's expression darkened. "The larger objective is paramount!" he said. "No internal disputes now."

"Once we get the Great Square Flask..." Nian Songyu gritted his teeth, knowing that He Lingchuan had shrewdly anticipated their continued reliance on the Blackwater City army, and thus they could not openly turn hostile yet. He spun around and roared, "He Lingchuan!"

He Chunhua was also startled by the sudden sight of the bodies. Shouldn't these two be confined in the Red-White Path's farmhouse?

Then he recalled that his eldest son had always acted recklessly.

Even if he had shown some restraint over the past two months, it didn't mean his true nature had changed.

He Lingchuan slowly rode forward only after Nian Songyu called out twice, meeting Nian Songyu's almost erupting rage. "Captain Nian, what’s the matter?"

"Do you recognize these two?"

He Lingchuan scrutinised the bodies for a few moments, secretly startled. Had Uncle Hao really vented all his anger like this?

"Of course not. So many people pass through Blackwater City; how could I possibly remember every name?” He paused. “Hmm, they actually have Donglai Manor tags. How could such important figures be hanged in such a desolate, impoverished place?”

"Very well, very well," Nian Songyu said, smiling despite his anger, and suddenly changed the subject. "When your companions die on Red Cliff Road, how do you usually dispose of the bodies?”

He instantly guessed that He Lingchuan must have killed the two guards. This brat was trying to provoke him, and asking more questions would only lead to further mockery.

There was no point in further discussion with this person. There was no need to delve deeper.

"If we can’t bring them back, we perform a sky burial,” He Lingchuan shrugged. “They didn't come to a good end anyway, so let the creatures of the desert be thankful for nature’s bounty.”

He Chunhua quickly interjected, "Most often, it’s an earth burial."

"Then it’s an earth burial." After all, they were from Donglai Manor; it wouldn’t be right to leave their bodies exposed in the wilderness.

He Lingchuan chuckled. "A trivial matter. Captain Nian, you should focus on the present and avoid delaying the troop’s progress.”

Finally throwing that line back felt immensely satisfying!

A flash of resentment and venom flickered in Nian Songyu’s eyes, before he instructed Zeng Feixiong to send men to take down the two bodies and bury them on the spot.

The troop, of course, could not wait and continued its journey.

The feeling of being targeted by Nian Songyu was like a venomous snake at his back, making his skin crawl. He Lingchuan pulled his father to slow their pace, positioning themselves in the middle of the troop.

Captain Nian, being a proud man, naturally led the way. He certainly couldn't keep turning to glare at He Lingchuan, could he?

"What are you doing?" He Chunhua softly rebuked his son. "Killing those two accomplishes nothing. It will only further deepen our enmity with Nian Songyu.”

He didn't know that Uncle Hao was the actual killer.

"It lets me vent my anger!” He Lingchuan watched his father reprimand him so nonchalantly, and couldn't help but sneer. "Those two plotted against us with no bottom line, so a son isn't allowed to slap them back? Besides, he needs our help, so he certainly shouldn't turn on us now.”

"If we return alive, and later on…”

"If we return with the treasure, the Grand Marshal will be ecstatic. Why would he quibble over such a minor matter?” He Lingchuan said listlessly. “Father, you’re not old yet, but your courage seems to have diminished.”

He Chunhua pondered for a moment, his expression dimming slightly. "You’re right," he said. "I’ve been too cautious.”

He was always thinking about serving as an official in the imperial court later, especially since his family had just returned to the capital and their foundation was unstable. It seemed best to make as few enemies as possible.

Perhaps his thinking wasn’t wrong, but with such a timid and overly cautious mindset in front of the powerful, how could he ever achieve great ambitions?

He secretly chastised himself, then turned to He Lingchuan. "Chuan’er, you’re still blaming your father for dragging you along, aren’t you?”

Faced with such a question, should he frankly answer 'yes,' or grudgingly say 'no'? He Lingchuan could only chuckle. “How could your son dare?”

"As a father, who doesn’t wish for his son to be safe and prosperous? But in this world, that’s impossible.” He Chunhua patted his shoulder. “Chuan’er, you’re not a child anymore; it’s time you gained some real experience.”

He Lingchuan couldn’t help but retort, "When others gain experience, the difficulty progresses from low to high.” Only his father had plunged him straight into the deep end.

His eldest son was indeed full of resentment. He Chunhua smiled. "Don’t blame your old man for being ruthless. With you here, our chances of returning home safely increase by at least 20%. The Great Shaman’s words are not to be taken lightly.”

He Lingchuan rolled his eyes. If his original self was truly a blessed general, why did he die so quietly, and his body be taken over by an outsider like himself?

But this rhetorical question could only be kept to himself.

Arguing now would be futile anyway, especially since He Chunhua, as a local official and his father, essentially didn't need to explain himself further.