Chapter 266: Potion and Red Light

There was nothing to investigate in the pitch-dark gully bottom. He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun groped their way back to the foot of the cliff in the dark, then climbed back to the high ground using ropes lowered by their companions.

The return journey was quite smooth, without any hitches.

By the time He Lingchuan returned to the military camp in Xinhuang Town, it was brightly lit, personnel were bustling, and the atmosphere showed no signs of easing.

Extinguishing fires, clearing the camp, treating the wounded, detaining and interrogating prisoners, inventorying provisions, and exchanging messages with the county government—all proceeded in an orderly fashion under He Chunhua's command.

Seeing He Lingchuan appear, he left the officials he was speaking with and walked over. "How was it? Did you capture Dong Rui?"

"No," He Lingchuan shook his head. "He still managed to escape."

Dong was probably as slippery as a loach, impossible to hold onto.

"That fellow is hard to catch." He Chunhua looked disappointed but still patted his shoulder. "Never mind him for now; we have more pressing issues." He knew that after suffering severe injuries, Dong Rui wouldn't be a concern in the short term.

"Earlier, in the tavern explosion, the local county magistrate survived, but lost a leg. But Mr. Mozhe…" He sighed deeply. "He didn't make it."

He Lingchuan immediately said, "My condolences, Father."

Mozhe Jingxuan was an old retainer He Chunhua had brought from Blackwater City. His loyalty was unquestionable. His sudden death here was no small loss for He Chunhua, who was short on talented personnel.

"Also, the Xunzhou light cavalry retreating from here were met by reinforcements halfway, so our troops had to turn back."

Our men pursued these desperate bandits for over thirty *li*, but no one managed to claim the reward gold, so they returned dejectedly.

Lord Baili was too resilient.

However, the Xunzhou light cavalry suffered heavy losses. Of nearly three hundred who came, only about a hundred cavalrymen escaped, and more than half of those were wounded.

He Lingchuan felt a bad premonition after hearing this. "They had reinforcements?"

"When they reached Maming Slope, over two hundred strong, well-equipped soldiers suddenly attacked from the side. Our side had no choice but to abandon the pursuit and return." He Chunhua’s face was grim; he was also angry at his subordinates for their failure.

He Lingchuan already sensed something was off. "Where did these two hundred-plus Xunzhou soldiers come from?" Clearly, they weren't under Lord Baili, otherwise, they would have attacked Xinhuang with him earlier.

"According to the captives, the general whose arm you severed is named Baili Qing, a guerrilla general under Nian Zanli. He has quite a reputation and an impressive record; we didn't expect him to be defeated by you in a single round."

"It's a pity; such a big fish slipped away." Baili Qing's personal guards all bravely risked their lives to help him escape.

Just then, He Chunhua summoned the archer guard from earlier.

The guard looked only sixteen or seventeen, similar in age to He Lingchuan. Just now, he had unhesitatingly sacrificed his lifespan for the powerful strength to wound the Ghost Ape. Now, his face was pale, and his lips were purple.

Although the Ghost-Eye Bow was powerful, its use came with side effects.

He Chunhua patted his shoulder, his face showing approval. "Well done. You've earned merit."

Sweat beaded on the guard's forehead, but he was overjoyed. "Thank you, thank you, my lord!"

He Chunhua took a jade pendant from his storage ring and handed it to him, saying, "Wear this amulet. From today on, you are my personal guard."

The guard happily accepted it.

He Lingchuan looked at him and asked, "What’s your name?"

"This humble one is Hu Xuan."

He Lingchuan nodded. There were more and more new faces around his father. Come to think of it, he wasn't entirely sure how many confidants He Chunhua actually had.

The fires were extinguished, and the wounded were settled in nearby civilian homes. Seeing there was nothing for him to do here, He Lingchuan went to the camp and occupied a tent. He then instructed Rock Wolf to guard the entrance and allow no one in.

He himself sealed the bottom seams of the tent, ensuring not even a fly could get in. Only then did he light an oil lamp and take out the newly acquired glazed bottle to examine it closely.

As soon as the bottle was out, the Divine Bone necklace around his neck began to heat up again. He Lingchuan could feel its craving, like a person who hadn't eaten all day gazing at a sizzling, oily roasted lamb leg.

He thought for a moment, took off the Divine Bone necklace, and placed it on a bench. Then he pulled out the stopper of the glazed bottle and slowly brought it closer.

He didn't dare to smell it; the scent of some medicines could also be poisonous.

Interestingly, a faint whistling sound emerged from the circular hole in the center of the Divine Bone necklace, as if a small wind tunnel was hidden within.

He Lingchuan carefully poured a drop of the red liquid from the bottle into it.

Just one drop.

Then, this drop of red liquid fell into the circular hole in the Divine Bone and disappeared.

He Lingchuan picked up the necklace and searched on the bench, but found no trace of it. This indicated that the red liquid had passed through the circular hole and flowed somewhere unknown.

However, He Lingchuan now knew that the Divine Bone necklace was the key to entering the Grand Square Cauldron Illusion. So, who absorbed this liquid? Was it the Divine Bone necklace itself, or… the Grand Square Cauldron?

He recalled the Divine Bone necklace’s previous two instances of 'feeding'. One was the cornerstone of the Immortal's Cave, and the other was possibly Hong Xiangqian's spirit talisman; both were extraordinary items.

Now that this red liquid was favored by the Divine Bone, could it inversely prove that it was also a rare item?

However, after consuming one drop, the Divine Bone necklace stopped heating up. The wind tunnel in its center vanished, and it reverted to its ordinary pendant appearance.

"Do you want more?" he asked the Divine Bone necklace. Ever since he learned that the Transient Blade could understand his questions, he assumed this item could too, even though it never communicated with him.

The Divine Bone necklace showed no reaction, as usual.

That meant it had eaten enough. Just one drop was sufficient; it was quite easy to satisfy.

He Lingchuan put away the necklace and the medicine bottle, then left the tent. With Rock Wolf’s help, he found the medicine ape, Lingguang.

The monkey was diligently treating the wounded in the infirmary, and its movements were much nimbler than those of an ordinary military doctor, earning it widespread affection from the injured soldiers.

When He Lingchuan found it, it had a bib full of nuts hanging around its neck, heavy with gifts from the patients.

He took a few peanuts from the bib, peeling and eating them as he said, "I got some spoils of war; can you take a look?"

"Be right there!"

As it turned out, He Lingchuan waited a full quarter of an hour before Lingguang finally emerged from the pile of patients and returned to the tent with him.

He Lingchuan recounted the entire process of his failed pursuit of Dong Rui but successful acquisition of the glazed bottle. Then he told Lingguang, "Dong Rui originally intended to use this on the severely wounded Ghost Ape, so it might have emergency healing properties. Since it’s a medicine, I’ll leave it to you to analyze."

Lingguang’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. It held the glazed bottle and examined it repeatedly, like a child with a beloved toy, not even sparing He Lingchuan a glance. "Good!"

Seeing it unceremoniously claim the tent, He Lingchuan shook his head and exited.

For the people of Xiazhou, this night was destined to be a sleepless one.

Zeng Feixiong led his men to find the bodies of the sentries nearby. This explained why the sentries hadn’t raised the alarm when Baili Qing invaded Xinhuang. Therefore, He Chunhua ordered increased vigilance around the station and intensified the interrogation of prisoners.

He was eager to know who commanded this operation.

After returning from pursuing Baili Qing, Zeng Feixiong and his subordinates rested by a bonfire, drinking water and eating biscuits. He Lingchuan strolled over and offered him a flask of wine. "Want a sip? Tonight had truly been eventful."

Zeng Feixiong shook his head. "I'm on guard duty soon; I can't drink."

He Lingchuan chatted with him about the recent battle and inquired about the pursuit of Baili Qing. Zeng Feixiong, still some distance from the other soldiers, lowered his voice and said, "Beating a fallen foe is fine, but we crumble at the first sign of a tough opponent." The moment Baili Qing’s reinforcements arrived, the pursuers he led faltered. "The kind of force we’re assembling in Xiazhou isn’t fit for the northern battlefield."

He had been promoted now and needed to prioritize what Commander He prioritized. For Xiazhou at present, raising a capable fighting force was truly a luxury, as neither time nor financial resources were plentiful.

He Lingchuan was not surprised by his comment. "They need some training. Look at the various armies everywhere; how many are sent directly to the battlefield just days after recruitment? Where is the leisure or energy to train soldiers first? In fact, winning a few more battles is better than anything. One must know how to pick opponents."

He had firsthand experience in Panlong City: at least half of the Grand Wind Army’s valor came from confidence—the Panlong City people’s belief that they would win every battle, and the army’s overflowing self-confidence.

Jiao Tai leaned over and said, "More than a hundred of them still escaped; this battle was frustrating!"

Zeng Feixiong didn’t like to hear that, as he was the one leading the pursuit. He chuckled. "Most of those who got away were wounded soldiers, some quite severely. That was the Commander’s intention!"

He Lingchuan let out an "Oh."

Jiao Tai, being straightforward, didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"We find the Xunzhou people difficult to deal with because their light cavalry move quickly, leaving few traces," He Lingchuan explained to him. "Now they’re burdened with a host of wounded soldiers, and they’ll have to find a way to settle them, which will make it easier for them to expose themselves." For Xunzhou forces operating deep behind enemy lines, effective treatment after being wounded is a major problem.

My old man is truly cunning.

Just then, He Lingchuan suddenly saw a red light flash briefly not far to the west.

The light wasn’t strong, but it was prominent enough in the dark of night.

What was that?

As he watched, a few more red lights seemed to flash across, somewhat like lightning, but they caused no disturbance, and the surroundings remained quiet.

He Lingchuan looked around and suddenly noticed something strange:

The surrounding soldiers ate, drank, and chatted as usual, lacking even the slightest interest in glancing in that direction. Even Shan Youjun, Zeng Feixiong, and others seemed oblivious to the light.

He Lingchuan tentatively asked, "What was that?"

"Huh?" Jiao Tai asked, puzzled. "What?"

He Lingchuan pointed in the direction of the red light. "Don’t you see it?"

Everyone looked bewildered. "See what?"

They truly couldn't see it. He Lingchuan grumbled, "Never mind. What is that place used for now?" The place where the red light appeared seemed to be a few bungalows.

Zeng Feixiong glanced over. "That’s where we keep the prisoners of war."

He Lingchuan immediately clapped his hands, stood up, and headed toward the red light.

At least in the eyes of generals like Zeng Feixiong, who came from Blackwater City, He Lingchuan had long shed his image as an ignorant young master. In fact, half the credit for saving the military provisions tonight belonged to him. Thus, no one asked what he was going to do; everyone simply went about their own business.