Chapter 272: Hong Chengluo's Deduction

Despite the old woman's house being a chaotic mess, her memory was astonishingly good. Only she could find any item, no matter which nook or cranny it was tucked into.

Soon, eight large black-and-white jars were found. He Lingchuan carefully opened them for inspection, then smiled with satisfaction. "Excellent, they haven't gotten damp," he said, and then placed them into his storage ring. The immense benefit of a large storage space was evident at this moment.

Shan Youjun took out a silver ingot, handed it to the old man, and said, "Let's go."

Northeast of Baimu Town lay an abandoned mine pit.

It was a poor mine, small in scale, with an excavation period of only a little over ten years. The mine shaft had long since become a large water pit, its green waters teeming with fish. The dilapidated houses where the miners once lived had also found new occupants.

A large group of warhorses grazed in the woodland, and sentries guarded the area around the mine pit. Inside the dilapidated house, a military doctor was providing emergency treatment to Baili Qing.

After his arm was severed by He Lingchuan, he continued to direct the battle and the troop withdrawal. By the time the reinforcements rescued him, he had lost too much blood and his consciousness was blurred.

Vice-Lieutenant Xu Yingxian, sent by Hong Chenglve as reinforcement, was reporting that their forces had crossed the river to return, using the water to shake off the "tail" that had been following them.

Three other generals were also in the room, one of whom was named Tao Ze. He asked Hong Chenglve, "General, what's our next move?"

Hong Chenglve's expression was grim.

The number of skirmishers was originally small. He had divided them into two teams, taking a risky approach with the intention of a surprise attack. The Baimu Town operation, which he personally led, succeeded, but the Xinhuang operation failed, costing them two hundred men.

This was a significant loss for the Xunzhou skirmishers operating behind enemy lines. Especially with numerous casualties, there was a severe shortage of medical supplies and personnel for their care. Among the men Baili Qing brought back, two had just died from severe injuries.

"What's there to plan? We should seize the opportunity while the Xiazhou army's morale is unstable, burn the remaining half of their provisions, and leave Zhao Pan's army with nothing!" another general exclaimed, slapping his thigh forcefully. "I can't believe the Xiazhou Governor-General is here. To cut off the snake's head, you must capture the king... Hah!"

"Exactly! If we eliminate the Xiazhou Governor-General, the entire Northern Yuan will fall into chaos, and Zhao Pan's main army might even collapse without a fight! General Hong, you're about to lead us to a great achievement!"

Although Baili Qing was unconscious, his personal guards had recounted the details of the Xinhuang ambush.

Tao Ze immediately poured cold water on their enthusiasm: "We just lost two hundred men! With so few remaining, do you seriously think we can kill the Xiazhou Governor-General? General Baili initiated the ambush at Xinhuang Town and ended up severely wounded, forced to retreat. How do you think we compare to General Baili?"

The other two were silenced for a moment but still looked unconvinced. "But isn't General Hong here?" they mumbled.

Could an unknown Xiazhou Governor-General truly contend with the renowned General Hong?

"Silence," Hong Chenglve said, seeing Baili Qing frown even in his unconscious state, prompting him to tell the others to lower their voices. "The Xiazhou Governor-General wasn't killed by the explosion. I don't know if it was luck or caution on his part." He had personally set up that trap, yet He Chunhua had evaded it. "The ones killed in the explosion at the tavern were his subordinates. This means that person named He likely didn't openly reveal his identity."

Otherwise, why would He Chunhua miss a normal social engagement like a dinner hosted by the county magistrate?

A general asked curiously, "Would a governor-general of a prefecture sneak north with a grain transport convoy?"

"This person has a way about him. He's been very high-profile since taking office in Xiazhou Prefecture. I heard he brought the four prominent Dunyu families into line, making them provide money when he needed it and grain when he wanted it. Otherwise, Zhao Pan wouldn't have won those two recent battles." Hong Chenglve, even when he was posing as a civilian in Baimu Town, instinctively gathered intelligence. "I heard he was originally a minor official on the western frontier of Yuan, and later gained many military achievements. If we don't understand his disposition, the battles ahead will be difficult."

Just then, an outside sentry rushed in to report: "Something's in the sky!"

Everyone went out to look. A black dot in the sky was growing larger, heading toward the mine pit.

Hong Chenglve took one look and said, "Dong Rui is back."

The general beside him couldn't help but sneer, "Look at this fellow, always full of himself, with his nose in the air. General Hong sent him to assist General Baili, and he returned in utter defeat!"

The strange bird quickly landed by the mine pit, and the general fell silent.

Dong Rui dismounted from the bird's back. Others saw his palms wrapped in cloth strips, a monkey clutched in his arms, his clothes covered in blood, and the monkey closing its eyes, barely alive.

He looked disheveled, as if he hadn't fared much better than Baili Qing.

This was a wanted criminal pardoned by Grand Master Frostleaf, serving as a guest consultant during the Xunzhou cavalry's operations. Hong Chenglve still treated him courteously, stepping forward to ask, "Are your injuries severe? Should I call a military doctor?"

He had heard from Baili Qing's retreating subordinates that the monkey Dong Rui kept with him could transform into a gigantic ape, possessing immense strength and even fearless against armies.

Upon hearing this, Hong Chenglve immediately understood the value of this "guest consultant."

"Its injuries, you can't treat them," Dong Rui said, his face ashen. "The life-saving elixir was stolen. What about the Ghost-Head Ginseng you promised me? Bring it quickly!"

He spoke unceremoniously, but Hong Chenglve didn't take offense. After a moment of hesitation, he entered the house and said to the military doctor attending to Baili Qing, "Bring the remaining Ghost-Head Ginseng."

The military doctor paused, then found a jade box among the medicines on the table and handed it over.

Hong Chenglve opened the box to reveal half a green-skinned ginseng root inside. The entire head of the ginseng looked like a howling phantom, its expression so vivid and detailed that every line was discernible.

Although this item was named "ginseng," it was not a true ginseng but a mutated variety of aconite. It could alter its toxicity based on the nutrients it absorbed and its surrounding environment.

Only the upper half of the Ghost-Head Ginseng, specifically from the "mouth" upwards, remained in the box. Thus, its expression was far less sinister.

Dong Rui followed him in and, upon seeing it, became visibly displeased. "Half a root? This doesn't match our agreement!" he exclaimed.

"Lives were at stake. Many soldiers returned from Xinhuang gravely wounded and on the verge of death, so I authorized the military doctor to use it to save them first," Hong Chenglve explained gently, knowing he was in the wrong. "Take this half for now. Once we return to Xunzhou, I will apply to my superiors for another full root for you."

"Another full root?" Dong Rui laughed instead of getting angry. "Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how difficult Ghost-Head Ginseng is to acquire?"

To cultivate a Ghost-Head Ginseng, a spirit-infused aconite root must be planted alive inside the belly of a powerful monster or a person from a Daoist sect.

A spirit-infused aconite root must be ancient; however, an ancient aconite root doesn't necessarily become spirit-infused. This is the first hurdle.

A spirit-infused aconite root can not only draw nutrients from the soil but also extract essence from flesh and blood.

After cultivating it for seven months, potentially requiring one or two changes of host, the "ghost head" finally forms. At this point, it possesses both "great toxicity and great restorative power." Its efficacy is comparable to a powerful heart stimulant or a highly potent tonic, and if used correctly, it can pull an injured person back from the brink of death.

Hong Chenglve smiled. "Marshal Nian or the Kingdom of Beijia will have a way."

In the past, Dong Rui would have simply walked away, not uttering another word.

But now the Ghost Ape's injuries were truly critical, and Dong Rui had no time to argue with him. He snatched the precious ginseng, chose another dilapidated house, and began preparing the medicine on the spot.

The Ghost-Head Ginseng could not be consumed directly; he first had to grind away most of its toxicity.

Hong Chenglve followed him in, observing the puppet master's fluid and unhurried movements. It seemed his medical skills far surpassed those of their team's military doctors.

When crafting demonic puppets, one inevitably deals with biological tissues, using both medicine and knives. It would be strange if he weren't proficient.

"Who gravely wounded the Ghost Ape?" Hong Chenglve asked, eager for firsthand combat intelligence.

Dong Rui didn't lift his head, merely squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: "The He family father and son!" He then recounted the previous battle. "I have a long-standing grudge against them," he added.

Hong Chenglve's interest was immediately piqued. "What happened?"

Dong Rui then briefly explained the failed ambush at Lumingyuan in Shihuan City. Then he said bitterly, "If not for their interference, Ke Jihai would have been dead long ago."

With Ke Jihai dead, there would be one less Yuan general capable of stopping the Grand Marshal.

Hong Chenglve asked him, "Did you specifically go to kill Ke Jihai?"

"...And He Chunhua," Dong Rui said, glancing at him. "They were in two carriages, one in front of the other, so I figured I might as well take care of both of them."

He had made the big mistake of biting off more than he could chew.

"It sounds like they have a number of effective magical artifacts and some capable people with them." Hong Chenglve asked him, "Do you have any more information about this father and son?"

"Yes. Sun Fuping died by his hand."

Hong Chenglve was moved. "What? The Yuan Imperial Grand Master Sun was killed by him?"

"Yes. I heard this incident happened in the Panlong Desert, and no one knows the true details. Anyway, Sun Fuping and Nian Zanli's son, Nian Songyu, tricked He and his son into mobilizing troops to search for treasure in the ancient city of Panlong. They found no treasure, and those two didn't come out. Only He Chunhua and his son returned alive—during the Panlong Desert's fierce wind season. It's said that during that season, no living thing can survive the Panlong Desert."

Hong Chenglve frowned. "How could you underestimate such a person?"

Dong Rui gave a slight cough. "He Chunhua's cultivation isn't particularly strong. I thought someone like him could only eliminate Grand Master Sun Fuping through sheer luck, and I underestimated him."

"Oh, and his entire family was killed by the old emperor."

"Which old emperor?" This intelligence was too crucial for Hong Chenglve.

"The father of the current Yuan Emperor," Dong Rui said, wiping blood from his hands with a cloth. "It's said he mistakenly believed slanders and executed the entire He family, not sparing even six-year-old children. Only He Chunhua, being away, escaped death. The old emperor didn't pursue him further, instead sending him to a small frontier town."

"Failure to root out evil entirely often stems from a guilty conscience," Hong Chenglve said with a smile. "Despite all that, He Chunhua is still willing to serve as an official in Yuan?"

"What else could he do?" Dong Rui said dismissively. "What other good path could he possibly have?"

Hong Chenglve shook his head. "Yuan has only been established for sixty years. Its people and traditions cannot be compared with ancient nations like Beijia. How much loyalty to the monarch could there be here? Hmm..."

He fell into deep thought. "He Chunhua carries the grievances of his entire family, yet he's willing to dedicate his life to Yuan. This person must be cunning, ambitious, and driven by both profit and reputation."