Chapter 24: Red Cliff Road

"From now on, I'll just have to rely on my wits," He Lingchuan said, changing the subject. "Dad, why must we return to the capital?"

"The He family's foundation is there. How can unworthy descendants not return?"

He Lingchuan rolled his eyes. "There are ears and eyes everywhere, must I spell it out?" He leaned close to his father's ear, his voice a mere whisper, easily swallowed by the sound of hooves. "Our entire family was killed by the Emperor. Why should we go back and risk our lives for him?"

He Chunhua frowned. "Otherwise, where else could I achieve my ambitions?"

As a man of ambition, doesn't one need to rely on others to build a career and achieve greatness?

"We could go to Baling in the west; doesn't our Qiansong Commandery border four different nations? And that demonic country to the northeast doesn't look bad either..." He Lingchuan kept a sharp eye out, dodging a slap He Chunhua aimed at his head. "Besides, the country is in turmoil. Even those commoners who raise banners dare to call themselves 'bush kings'! Look abroad—emperors change like revolving lanterns! I heard that in Xuanguo to the east, they've had eleven emperors in twenty years, the shortest reigning for only nineteen days."

A genuinely high-risk profession.

What was wrong with this brat, always thinking about treason? He Chunhua's face hardened. "Can a small, insignificant country compare to the Great Yuan? After all, we've been established for over sixty years, and our preparations are complete."

"Heh." He Lingchuan let out a long sigh. "We barely survived this time, Dad. Won't you tell me what's truly on your mind?"

He Chunhua was slightly startled, then suddenly stared at him. "Are you possessed?"

The question came so suddenly that cold sweat broke out on He Lingchuan's back.

"What?"

His eldest son was brave, but not usually perceptive enough to see through his reservations. He Chunhua looked at him steadily and said in a deep voice, "Don't ever speak of things that could get you executed again."

A gust of wind and sand blew by, and He Lingchuan sneezed.

His father's thoughts ran deep.

Both were cunning and calculating individuals. But this, paradoxically, brought him some peace of mind.

It appeared that Commander He had been passively drawn into this whirlpool, but who had truly outmaneuvered whom behind the scenes?

Grand Master Sun's entourage finally set foot on the Red Cliff Trade Route.

After passing through the mountain's core, a vast and boundless world of yellow sand stretched before them.

Dune after dune stood in the hot wind; some were as low as mounds, while others towered dozens of zhang high, comparable to mountains. Yet, unlike cliffs, they were not solid. Some massive dunes would vanish overnight, only to reappear suddenly in other depressions.

All vegetation had disappeared; there wasn't a single hint of green.

As far as the eye could see, there was only vast desolation.

The Red Cliff Road itself cut through the desert, five zhang wide, wide enough for several carriages to travel abreast. The stone bricks on the ground had lost their original color, becoming uneven from the countless footsteps of passing merchants. Some bricks were new, as Blackwater City and its neighboring country had each undertaken repairs for sections of the road. Other ancient bricks remained, their surfaces varying in shades of black, layered upon layer.

This made the Red Cliff Road resemble a massive, dark gray serpent coiling across the sand sea.

Zeng Feixiong also walked beside He Lingchuan and his father. Seeing He Lingchuan's curiosity about the bricks, he explained, "The bricks are covered in bloodstains, old and new. This road sees many sand bandits and countless battles."

"Oh, and some of the bloodstains are over a hundred years old. The Red Cliff Road was once the supply route for troops and provisions to Panlong City. It's said that countless massacres occurred along these routes."

To besiege a city, one had to cut off the enemy's reinforcements and supplies.

Hearing this, He Lingchuan immediately felt an aura of fierce bloodshed wash over him.

So many brutal battles, so many vibrant lives, so many resolute cries to defend home and country—all were ultimately buried by the endless yellow sand, leaving nothing behind.

Three years after Panlong City fell, Xiluo Kingdom was destroyed; six years later, Xianyou Kingdom also perished.

This pair of old rivals had fought for decades, only to both fall and crumble into the dust of history.

"Is that why everyone carries a 'Bell Banner'?" He Lingchuan pointed to the tall standard at the very front of their procession.

This was clearly the Great Yuan army, led by the highly respected Grand Master Sun, yet the banner of the procession bore a large embroidered character for "Bell."

It was incredible that people traveling today would fly an old banner from a previous dynasty.

In fact, it wasn't just their own group; almost every moving traveler on the Red Cliff Road raised the Bell banner high, as if sending a message to the entire desert.

Of course, all groups would take down the Bell banner once they left the Red Cliff Road and entered the territory of other countries. So, although He Lingchuan had heard of it, he rarely got to see this flag.

"Vengeful spirits and mutated monsters roam the desert, eating whatever they catch, but they don't step onto the Red Cliff Road. This is because it was the route the Great Wind Army marched countless times in the past. Everyone flies the Bell banner to pay tribute to the Great Wind Army of old and to ensure their own safety."

To He Lingchuan, it wasn't tribute at all, but clearly an imitation.

Zeng Feixiong pulled down the cloth covering his face, spat onto a handkerchief, and then put it away. "Neither saliva nor urine can be freely discarded on the Red Cliff Road. They must be collected and carried away; otherwise, it's considered disrespectful and will anger the heroic spirits here."

He Chunhua also added, "In the past, many countries didn't believe in such superstitions and forbade their merchants from flying the Bell banner on the Red Cliff Road. The result was—"

"—that they later had no choice but to permit it," He Lingchuan finished, understanding. "The living have no need to pick a fight with the dead."

Just then, several loud shouts came from behind them.

Everyone looked back to see a small, snow-white dog run out from another group at the rear, leaving the Red Cliff Road in a few bounds and dashing towards the nearest sand dune.

Its young owner, a five-year-old girl, instinctively raised her leg and chased after the dog the moment it slipped from her grasp.

Soon, she too left the Red Cliff Road.

Before her family could react, a guard rushed over from behind, shouting at her, "Come back! Come back quickly!"

It was his shouts that He Lingchuan and the others had heard.

The child's mother, a noblewoman, walked over and said disapprovingly, "Lower your voice! Don't scare my child!"

"If she doesn't come back, your child will be gone!" the guard roared back. "Come back quickly! The monster will eat people!"

The desert was empty, like a still painting; no wild animals appeared.

The little girl stopped, looking at the procession, then at the little white dog in the distance, hesitating.

The child's mother said disdainfully, "Go get her."

The guard refused, unwilling to take a single step off the Red Cliff Road.

The mother had no choice but to stride quickly towards her child, pick her up, and start walking back.

Nothing happened.

"Useless man..." The noblewoman hadn't finished her insult when the ground beneath her feet suddenly collapsed.

A large mouth suddenly appeared from below, swallowing both her and the child in a single gulp.

The screams were horrific and very brief.

At that moment, they were less than three paces from the Red Cliff Road.

After devouring the two, the monster did not immediately submerge. Instead, it quickly moved towards the white dog not far away.

The creature resembled a flounder somewhat, with its mouth on top of its head. Its body was like a large, flat, circular disc, its color similar to the yellow sand. Had it not suddenly leaped out, He Lingchuan might not have noticed its presence even if he had approached it closely.