Chapter 302: Green Vase of Vitality

"That was before," Hong Chengli said bluntly. "Since He Chunhua became the Administrator of Xiazhou, he's been constantly sending grain to the front lines. It looks like he can continue to do so. If Zhao Pan isn't short on grain, how do you plan to fight, Master Nian?"

Nian Zanli suppressed a flicker of anger and replied with a smile, "Then, General Hong, what brilliant plan do you have?"

If Wu Qing hadn't sent word that Hong Chengli had a marvelous method to defeat the enemy, he wouldn't have tolerated such insolence.

Of course, there was another subtle reason, one they both understood but neither could mention:

Hong Chengli was a bona fide general of the Beijia Kingdom, decorated with achievements, while Nian Zanli was a surrendered general who had only recently pledged allegiance. It went without saying who should be more courteous to whom.

Hong Chengli looked at the heavy rain outside the tent. "Steal rain, not snow. This terrible weather is actually the best tempo for an attack." The sound of rain and the darkness could conceal all preparations against the enemy.

Nian Zanli waited for him to continue. No rational commander would force a river crossing in such weather; otherwise, the army might mutiny.

As expected, Hong Chengli then asked, "What if I can get your army, Master Nian, to cross the river and land?"

"Go on," Nian Zanli said gravely, realizing the implication.

"Twelve years ago, Juan Bao, a disciple of the Qinyang Imperial Preceptor of the Beijia Kingdom, defected. He was a foreign spy who had infiltrated, but fortunately, he was quickly arrested and brought to justice. However, several treasures he stole were never recovered. The most important one was the imitation Cloud-Water Treasure Vase, also known as the Verdant Bottle, enshrined in the Azure Palace."

The Beijia Kingdom has four palaces—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—each housing an Imperial Preceptor whose status and treatment are exceptional. While the other three palaces are straightforward, the character for 'Spring' placed before 'Palace' was considered somewhat unconventional or unseemly, so it was replaced with 'Azure' (青). The master of the Azure Palace is the Qinyang Imperial Preceptor.

"Imitation?" Nian Zanli asked curiously. "What about the original?"

"The original was in the hands of an ancient immortal. So much time has passed, it's likely long since vanished," Hong Chengli replied. "The true Cloud-Water Treasure Vase could collect water from three rivers and five lakes. Legend has it an immortal once used it to end a great drought in an entire province."

"This imitation, collected by the Azure Palace, was formed during the late ancient period. At that time, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was far more abundant than now, but immortals were becoming increasingly scarce, on the verge of fading away. This replica was also created by accident. It could only collect half a river's water, its efficacy far less than the original, and thus it consumed far less spiritual energy than the original. Later generations painstakingly preserved it, passing it down to the present."

Nian Zanli's eyes flickered as he listened. Hong Chengli wouldn't mention this treasure without reason, which meant...

Sure enough, the next second, Hong Chengli took a soft cloth pouch from his bosom and opened it in front of Nian Zanli. Inside was a gray bottle, whose material could not be discerned as either jade or stone; it could be called a gray stone vase, with a round body, narrow neck, and wide mouth. It hardly matched the poetic name "Cloud-Water Treasure Vase." The lid of the bottle was carved into a gecko, its tail resting on the body of the pot, its front limbs clasping the mouth of the bottle tightly, but with horns growing on its head and nose. Four characters were inscribed on the bottle's body: "Moisten Mountains, Enrich Fields."

Nian Zanli was overjoyed. "Thank you, General Hong! If we conquer Zhao Pan, you will have the greatest merit!"

"No need. I merely lent you a bottle."

Nian Zanli carefully took the bottle and examined it, asking, "Wasn't this treasure lost? How did it come into General Hong's possession?"

"After I resigned from office, I passed through Xiling Town, whose neighboring county was where the Qinyang Imperial Preceptor's disciple was apprehended. I took my wife into town for a meal and unexpectedly saw the Verdant Bottle in a general store, sitting on a shelf behind the door." Hong Chengli shook his head. "The treasure was covered in dust and cobwebs, very inconspicuous. If I hadn't seen it in the Azure Palace years ago, I would have missed it. I ended up buying it for fifteen copper coins, and the shopkeeper looked at me as if I were a great fool."

Nian Zanli sighed, "Such a supreme treasure, yet no one recognized its worth?"

"A powerful artifact is not something everyone can use, or use at any time. Master Nian, do you feel any trace of magical fluctuation holding it?"

Nian Zanli shook his head. Held in his hand, the item was no different from ordinary stone or jade.

"Try injecting a bit of primal energy into it."

Nian Zanli did as he was told. The moment he poured a wisp of primal energy into it, the gecko at the bottle's mouth stretched its body and opened its mouth. Its open mouth meant the bottle was open. Hong Chengli casually picked up a teacup and poured some water into the bottle. The bottle immediately shed its dull gray stone exterior, revealing an underlying color of white mutton-fat jade. "It also reacts to spiritual energy, but even all the spiritual energy in your body and mine combined wouldn't awaken it."

Nian Zanli withdrew his primal energy, and within three breaths, the bottle reverted to its original appearance.

"To swallow half a river's water, how is this treasure vase used?"

"Only two types of power can make this treasure operate at full effect," Hong Chengli said solemnly. "Either an immense amount of spiritual energy or an immense amount of primal energy."

Otherwise, given how hard he had struggled in Yuanbei in the past few years, he would have sold the bottle for money long ago. After he resigned, he no longer possessed primal energy, so he couldn't make the bottle show its transformation; it looked like a worthless, poorly made handicraft. As for spiritual energy, well, who in the entire world still possessed an "immense amount" of it?

"First, a word of caution: this treasure could originally only be activated by an Imperial Preceptor. Given our official positions and ranks, we do not meet its requirements. To make it work, Master Nian must mobilize the primal energy of the entire army and infuse it all into the bottle," Hong Chengli had considered this beforehand. "Even then, how long the Verdant Bottle can swallow the river water depends on how long the primal energy supplied to it can be sustained. The Handan River's water volume is currently several times its usual level."

The Handan River was currently in flood, its flow rate an astonishing figure.

Nian Zanli showed no intention of retreating. As the supreme commander of the army, even in non-combat situations, there were endless troubles to deal with within the ranks; like having too many lice, one simply stops feeling the bites.

"General Hong, how long do you estimate our army could stabilize the Handan River if we use this bottle?" Nian Zanli asked. "If half the army has crossed the river, and suddenly the bottle can't hold up, and a tidal wave crashes down, then this attack would become a massive joke. Zhao Pan on the other side would probably laugh for years, wouldn't he?"

"I see your army is well-disciplined and orderly, with strict regulations. Master Nian, you must command the hearts of your soldiers well." Hong Chengli, being a commander himself, could discern such things at a glance.

"They are all veterans I've led for over a decade." Nian Zanli had served on the border for many years, sharing hardships with his soldiers. "Their trust makes it easy for me to lead the army."

"Are there fifty thousand troops here?"

"Forty-six thousand."

"Then, the primal energy unleashed by this army should sustain it for at least... a little over fifteen minutes." Hong Chengli couldn't give an exact figure. "You and I both know that the essence of a magical artifact is for human power to contend against nature. In the face of such a flood, I dare not guarantee how long your army can hold out."

Although the Verdant Bottle was miraculous, it was essentially a medium that allowed the Xunzhou army to use primal energy to resist the flood. How long they could hold out was not decided by the Verdant Bottle, but by the military strength, morale, faith, and determination of Nian Zanli's forces.

"Only fifteen minutes? That's too risky." Nian Zanli pondered. "Furthermore, this attack is a one-way trip. The Verdant Bottle probably can't be used twice in quick succession, can it?"

"If you empty the water, it can swallow again," Hong Chengli pointed out. "The crucial issue is that you won't have any primal energy left to supply it. Moreover, because it will continuously draw all the army's primal energy during the river crossing, everyone will feel disheartened, heavy, depressed, and might even want to throw down their weapons."

In other words, this surprise attack on the opposite bank must succeed, or there will be no retreat. And because the Verdant Bottle will have consumed all their primal energy, the Xunzhou army will have no primal energy for protection once they land. If Zhao Pan counterattacks swiftly...

Nian Zanli fell into contemplation, then lightly tapped the table. "It's not impossible. Cutting off their retreat will give them the courage to press forward."

Advance or die; retreat means certain death. The army will then strive forward to find a way to survive. Otherwise, an army with negative morale might scatter at the first opportunity to flee.

The use of primal energy, for a commanding general, was truly a deadly art. "But fifteen minutes is far from enough."

Hong Chengli had already considered this problem. He took out a maple leaf and handed it over. "This is an Edict of Speech given to me by Imperial Preceptor Shuangye. General Nian, if you intend to use the Verdant Bottle, you might consider requesting Imperial Preceptor Shuangye to temporarily allocate primal energy."

Upon closer inspection, it was not an ordinary maple leaf, but a talisman crafted from gold foil. According to Hong Chengli, if one wrote on it, added a blood handprint, and then set it alight, the text on the talisman would be delivered to Imperial Preceptor Shuangye in real-time. It was a single-use communication tool.

Nian Zanli was ecstatic. Even he found it hard to imagine how formidable the Beijia Kingdom's primal energy reserves were. Now that he commanded a Beijia army himself, if Imperial Preceptor Shuangye could spare some primal energy for him, would the army still need to worry about the time limit for crossing the river?

"However, I must remind General Nian that the Verdant Bottle has not been used for a very long time. It is not a well-behaved treasure; it can occasionally be disobedient, and its use will cause a significant drain on your personal vitality."

"Ancient treasures are inevitably so." "Victory always comes with a price," Nian Zanli mused. "It won't drain my vital essence or shorten my lifespan, will it?" Some sinister treasures were that difficult to handle, and Nian Zanli did not want to fall into such a trap.

"No, it won't," Hong Chengli stood up. "Whether or not to use it, Master Nian, you can consider at your leisure. If you decide to act, perhaps choose a day with favorable winds."

Nian Zanli felt greatly relieved. He clapped his hands and called for someone to lead him to a clean tent for rest.

For three days consecutively, the rain grew heavier each day. Even in northern Xiazhou, the intensity and duration of this downpour were rare, considered a once-in-a-century event. He Lingchuan woke up to find it still dark, realizing he had only slept for about an hour. This was likely because the rock wolf next to him was grinding its teeth on a cow bone stick, making a clacking sound that even the rain couldn't drown out. Despite the short sleep, He Lingchuan had successfully defended his title in the Coiling Dragon Dream, defeating two challengers. Although the Martial Arts Hall had granted him forty days of rest, he was always in full health upon entering the dream; thus, he didn't need this 'vacation' and simply went straight into combat. The thin man was correct: anyone daring to challenge the champion possessed unique skills. The last challenger He Lingchuan faced was notably agile, his movements so fast he was difficult to pin down.