Chapter 332: Wen Family Father and Son

Zhu Erniang, of course, did not reply.

Once her figure vanished, the two sat by the water, staring at each other.

He Lingchuan really wanted to smash his rotten face with the wine jar. "Are you insane?"

Dong Rui hung his head.

He had been carried away earlier.

"Please tell me you’ve thought of other ways to escape."

Dong Rui shrugged. "It was bound to come to this eventually. If Zhu Erniang truly wants revenge, she’ll understand."

A useless teammate, indeed.

"For an ancient monster like Zhu Erniang, everything except life and death can be taken lightly. Whether she gets her revenge or not is irrelevant. If she doesn't eat you in the end, it can only be for that treasure." By then, the moon was no longer visible from the sinkhole. He Lingchuan tilted his head back, drained the last of his wine, and returned to the demon's lair to sleep.

Standing on the arena in the North Court of the Martial Arts Hall, He Lingchuan pressed his aching shoulder joint and bowed to his opponent with a fist-and-palm salute. "Thank you for the match!"

This was his first arena match since being promoted to the Great Wind Army, and he won.

His opponent, also a Great Wind Army soldier, had been knocked to the ground by his chop. He got up clutching his chest, gave He Lingchuan a look, and then left the arena.

This was not an open challenge match, but merely a routine individual contest in the North Court.

Only Great Wind Army members were permitted to spar in the North Court, and He Lingchuan could clearly feel the increase in combat difficulty.

His gaze swept across the fence separating the North and South Courts, where many patrol guards stood watching and applauding. He felt a pang of emotion.

In the past, he too had stood there, longing for the day he could enter the North Court.

Slim also stood outside the fence, waving at him.

In fact, because of his excellent performance in the Red Peak Mine, Slim had earned an additional commendation, giving him an opportunity to join the Great Wind Army. However, after careful consideration, he voluntarily declined the promotion, choosing to remain with the patrol squad.

His reasoning was simple: while the Great Wind Army offered high risks and high rewards, he had a large family, with several younger siblings who were not yet grown. As the eldest brother, he bore significant responsibility and therefore sought stability above all else.

Unlike He Lingchuan, a lone wolf focused solely on valiant advancement, Slim's choice was, of course, respected.

He Lingchuan smiled at Slim, about to walk over and chat, when someone behind him called out, "Broken Blade, well fought!"

He turned around, surprised. "Mr. Wen?"

The person who had approached was none other than Wen Daolun, the advisor highly trusted by Commander Zhong, often referred to as the 'strategist' by many in the city.

Behind him stood a youth of about fourteen or fifteen.

He Lingchuan had last met Wen Daolun through Sun Fuling's introduction, when he asked him to divine his fortune and interpret his destiny.

The four-character prophecy, "When you meet water, flee," was derived from him.

Though He Lingchuan hadn’t dared to give him his Bazi, his experience by the Han River had given him a favorable impression of Mr. Wen.

"Why is Mr. Wen here?"

"Originally, Deputy Commander Zhao was scheduled to conduct today's inspection, but he had other commitments, so I'm here in his stead," Wen Daolun said with a smile. "I'll also be heading to the Immortal Inquiring Hall shortly."

"Oh," He Lingchuan said, very interested. "It's your turn to lecture today, Mr. Wen. What will the topic be?"

"Many people are curious about the Beijia Kingdom," Wen Daolun replied with a smile. "So today, I'll speak about this northern demon nation."

This was exactly what He Lingchuan wanted to hear. "Excellent! I'll go snag a good seat in the front row."

Wen Daolun nodded. "Good, good. Will you be coming with Miss Sun?"

"Uh, I haven't seen her for quite some time."

"The students at Shumin Academy always keep their teachers busy. Miss Sun remains one of the most popular."

Sun Fuling's personality was somewhat reserved, making it hard for He Lingchuan to imagine her interacting closely with students.

Don't children usually prefer smiling female teachers who exude a maternal warmth?

"Oh, by the way, this is my son, Wen Xing," Wen Daolun said, finally pointing to the youth behind him. "He has always wanted to join the Great Wind Army, and next month he'll start by training with the patrol squad."

He then introduced the youth: "Xing'er, this is Broken Blade He Lingchuan. He blew up the spider's nest in Ghost Needle Stone Forest and killed the Divine Son in the Red Peak Mine. You've heard all about his exploits."

Wen Xing immediately stepped forward, and the two exchanged a fist-and-palm salute.

Wen Daolun smiled. "This boy absolutely loves hearing about your accomplishments. If you have time, perhaps you could give him some pointers."

He Lingchuan readily agreed. "I wouldn't presume. Wen, my friend, feel free to seek me out for a spar anytime."

Wen Xing was overjoyed and thanked him. "I will definitely come to learn from you!"

The youth's gaze was bright and fervent. Seeing him reminded He Lingchuan of He Yue, who was the same age and possessed the same energetic disposition.

Alas, he wondered how busy his second brother was in Dunyu. With the defeat on the Northern Summer front, the He family's days were surely not easy.

Wen Daolun stroked his beard. "Alright, we'll see each other at the Immortal Inquiring Hall then."

He wasn't skilled in martial arts, so his visit to the Martial Arts Hall was merely a formality.

He Lingchuan returned to the changing area to wipe off his sweat, retrieve his weapons, and re-equip himself.

There weren't many people in the North Court today, as General Hong had led over two thousand Great Wind Army soldiers out of the city for battle.

His promotion order had been issued later; otherwise, he might have joined the troops as well.

Afterward, he walked to the South Court to chat with Slim.

Slim praised his impressive Great Wind Army uniform. He Lingchuan remained unfazed, simply extending a hand to him. "How much did you win? Where’s my share?"

Slim cheerfully tossed him a dozen or so copper coins. He Lingchuan frowned. "That's it?"

"You’re the number seven arena master now, having beaten Meng Shan and Jin Duzai. The odds are terrible, tsk tsk! You’re lucky anyone even placed a bet." Slim casually asked, "So, you and Mr. Wen are quite close, huh?"

"We met once, and I asked him to interpret some characters for me," He Lingchuan replied casually. "That youth beside him is his son, Wen Xing."

"Oh, I know. Wen Daolun has three sons. The eldest died on the battlefield, and Wen Xing is the youngest. He’s said to be very promising. Mr. Wen had him late in life, and the whole family spoils him terribly, yet he’s longed for a military career since he was a child."

"How do you even know all this?"

"It's common knowledge among the patrol guards that Mr. Wen’s son is joining, though no one knows which squad he'll be assigned to," Slim chuckled. "Liu Tong is going to pray to the Mistress of Heaven, begging that he not be assigned to our squad."

Wen Daolun is currently Commander Zhong's trusted right-hand man, and his son joining the ranks will undoubtedly receive some preferential treatment. Even the most disciplined units can't avoid such situations. Patrol guards dislike these 'important figures' because they require special attention during combat, which is both troublesome and unrewarding.

He Lingchuan shrugged. It had nothing to do with him, anyway.

"These past few days, Liu Tong has been grumbling that as soon as the three of you leave, the squad will immediately fall apart."

Aside from He Lingchuan, the other two were Door Plank and Willow Branch.

Xiao Maoliang wanted him to form his own small squad, consisting of five to ten people, whose members could be selected and submitted for approval. Direct promotion from patrol guard to Great Wind Army fire chief was not uncommon in Dragon City, a place known for its unconventional talent acquisition. Furthermore, He Lingchuan’s military merits were remarkable, so no one raised any objections.

So he requested Door Plank and Willow Branch.

The superiors reviewed their files and found their military accomplishments to be solid; the only missing requirement for full enlistment was the 'squad leader' qualification. However, He Lingchuan emphasized their 'perfect teamwork and shared experiences of life and death,' arguing that comrades one could entrust with their life were more valuable on the battlefield than any other resource. Thus, his request was approved, though Door Plank and Willow Branch would temporarily be listed as candidates and would be fully integrated after a period of observation.

He Lingchuan smiled. "Everyone has their own ambitions."

Liu Tong wasn't as frank as Slim, but He Lingchuan could sense that he also had no desire to be promoted to the Great Wind Army.

In this world, while some strive bravely forward, eager to sail against the current, others prefer to settle for modest comforts. There's no right or wrong; it's simply a matter of individual choice.

The longer He Lingchuan stayed in Dragon City, the more he perceived the myriad facets of human life there, as vivid and authentic as reality itself.

People are just people, each with their own agenda. What difference could there be between a hundred years ago and a hundred years from now?

Slim was looking around again. Every time He Lingchuan saw that gesture, he knew Slim was about to spill some gossip.

Sure enough, Slim looked around, and seeing no one, he lowered his voice. "Deputy Commander Zhao Xianhe hasn't shown his face for several days. He hasn't shown up. Today's visit to the Martial Arts Hall should have been his, but Mr. Wen filled in. Isn't that strange?"

Commander Zhong originally had two deputies, and a few years prior, he had personally promoted another, all referred to as Deputy Commanders. He Lingchuan seemed to have vaguely heard of this Lord Zhao whom Slim mentioned; he was once a distinguished military officer with outstanding merits, and one of Commander Zhong's oldest companions. However, in his dreams within Dragon City, He Lingchuan was either on missions, practicing martial arts, or attending lectures at the Immortal Inquiring Hall. On the rare occasion he had free time, he would chat with Sun Fuling. He had no inclination to concern himself with these high-ranking military and political figures.

"You're going to concern yourself with Lord Zhao now too?" He Lingchuan crossed his arms. "You're too idle. Go find two more ways to earn money."

"Do you remember when Chief Hu sent people to illegally mine gold at Red Peak Mine?" Slim coughed twice. "He wouldn't have dared to do that on his own, not even with ten times the guts, would he?"

He Lingchuan's heart stirred.

Following Slim’s report, that very night the Great Wind Army discovered charcoal stoves, fire pits, and small water carts inside the Red Peak Mine, indicating clear evidence of illegal gold mining. He Lingchuan wasn't sure what Chief Hu confessed after being taken for interrogation, but the gold extraction had certainly not been a recent development.

The Red Peak Mine was one of Dragon City's most vital iron ore sites; one in every seven sets of military armor and weapons in Dragon City drew its primary materials from there. The official importance placed on it was undeniable, and there must have been numerous routine inspections and samplings. So why was it never discovered that it also produced gold?

To have been concealed for so many years, how extensive and entrenched must the protective network of Chief Hu and his associates have been?

Whose pockets were being lined by the illicit gold?

If Jin Duzai hadn't inadvertently exposed the operation by occupying the mine this time, how much longer would the parasites have continued to feed on the gold?

"Quite bold," He Lingchuan chuckled. "Are you suggesting Lord Zhao was behind it?"

"Lord Zhao is in charge of mountains, rivers, and mineral resources. Even if he wasn't corrupt, he's certainly implicated," Slim whispered. "Do you remember Chief Hu delaying the avalanche report by two days? During that time, someone sent forty to fifty skilled individuals into the mine to fight monsters. Who do you think could mobilize that many people?"

If not for the unexpected avalanche at Red Peak Mountain, Chief Hu probably wouldn't have reported the mine disaster. If it had been concealed for another ten days or half a month, the Flesh-Eaters' blood-and-flesh fortress would have become firmly established, and it wouldn't have been so easy for Dragon City to remove that thorn.