Chapter 336: I Refuse to Stand By and Do Nothing

Wen Daolun's divinatory arts were not of low rank. This meant he had been anxious for a whole year. What surprised He Lingchuan, however, was the hidden meaning in General Hong's words, which suggested this was Wen Daolun's own choice, due to his "calm" demeanor.

Could Wen Daolun have given up the chance to save his son using the Great Square Gourd? How was that possible?

Just then, another Dafeng soldier hurried over and reported in a low voice: "General, the old woman named Ji has died of debilitation."

"The ferry offspring and the human mother are interdependent; one's loss is the other's," General Hong said, unsurprised. "What else did she say before she died?"

"She claimed that attacking Mr. Wen was a divine instruction from the Heavenly God, and she was merely acting on heaven's will, showing no remorse whatsoever. She cursed repeatedly until she died laughing." Not only did Granny Ji curse Commander Zhong and General Hong, but she also cursed everyone in Panlong City, saying they were blind and ignorant, unaware of their impending doom.

The profanities she spewed were utterly vile, specifically targeting personal insults. The soldier dared not repeat them verbatim.

Though both were human mothers who had nurtured ghost fetuses, Granny Ji and Yun Gu had vastly different personalities.

General Hong paid no attention to this, merely stating: "So, the target of this ferry mother was Wen Daolun all along; attacking others was just a diversion. It seems Yun Gu was indeed the biggest variable, causing their plan to be downgraded."

"Yun Gu?" That seemingly insignificant pregnant woman was mentioned again by General Hong. He Lingchuan thought hard. "Are you saying the variable refers to her... premature birth?"

In her final moments, Yun Gu confessed, crying, that the early birth of "the children" had angered the deities, who had chastised her.

What would have happened if the ghost offspring had been born normally?

"This entire plan was designed around the Devourer. After all, the chance of giving birth to such a monster is very small, something even the Heavenly God cannot control. Once a Devourer appears, they must seize the opportunity." She paused. "If Yun Gu had given birth a few days later, when the Xianyou army invaded Baihe Ridge, I would have certainly led my troops to meet them. At that time, with the city's defenses empty, the Devourer born from Yun Gu could have nested in the city, consumed tens of thousands of living people in a short period, and grown into a malignant tumor that Panlong City couldn't remove for a long time."

He Lingchuan immediately recalled the flesh fortress in the Demon Nest Swamp. The reason it existed was that the Jiana people failed to eliminate the Devourer in time, allowing it to quickly grow strong and devour their entire tribe in a short period.

This showed just how terrifying a Devourer, feeding frantically, could be. Moreover, Panlong City's population far exceeded that of the Jiana tribe. If a Devourer were to build a nest there, wouldn't its power, rapidly expanding by consuming people, reach unimaginable levels?

General Hong slowly said: "As for Granny Ji, she was probably reserved as a backup force. Although she didn't give birth to a Devourer, during a time of internal and external strife and great chaos in Panlong City, Granny Ji's 'children' could still be useful, launching sneak attacks on important city officials to weaken the leadership of Panlong City."

The Heavenly God's plan clearly orchestrated the downfall of General Hong, Panlong City, Commander Zhong Sheng-guang, and other key figures, intending to eliminate them all. Furthermore, the initial stages were exceptionally covert, making it impossible to guard against.

Realizing this, He Lingchuan secretly drew a cold breath. He felt that Panlong City's escape from this catastrophe indicated incredibly good fortune.

"If their plot had succeeded, even if Panlong City wasn't captured, it would have been severely weakened and its people's morale shaken."

After all, Panlong City had always been synonymous with invincibility and unwavering unity. It was also widely recognized as the safest fortress in the barren lands. This was not only the perception of its inhabitants but also a psychological barrier for enemy forces.

If this shared understanding were to be shattered, and people suddenly discovered internal weaknesses and unrest in Panlong City, their confidence would collapse overnight.

General Hong seemed to let out a slight chuckle. "However, over-planning is not always good. How can a plan keep up with changes? The Xianyou army invading Baihe Ridge changed generals at the last minute, and their combat effectiveness immediately plummeted."

He Lingchuan seized on the key point: "So, what exactly do you mean by 'plan downgraded'?"

"The key of keys is timing! Yun Gu's premature birth meant the Devourer couldn't be born inside the city during the Xianyou army's assault. Thus, it couldn't create a powerful flesh fortress or become the source of chaos for Panlong City. Furthermore, all the ghost fetuses Yun Gu gave birth to were cleaned up, making the original goal completely unattainable. At that point, they could only send Granny Ji to act, and the target was downgraded to Wen Daolun."

Settling for a lesser alternative.

"Why did they target Mr. Wen?" He Lingchuan asked. "Just because Mr. Wen is one of Commander Zhong's most trusted strategists? It seems the price they paid wasn't small either."

Was the target downgraded to Wen Daolun because Zhong Sheng-guang was too difficult to kill? Not that Wen Daolun was unimportant, but to take his life, they had to sacrifice an entire litter of ghost offspring? Even if they were just young, the ferry mother was still a deity after all.

A golden hen lays golden eggs, and a deity gives birth to divine children. Could they be used as mere cannon fodder so casually?

"The deities are well aware that not to mention victory, sometimes even a probing action requires a price," General Hong said, pointing east. "The same goes for us. To defend this fertile land, with millions of lives at stake, how could there be no cost?"

General Hong added, "Wen Daolun and Commander Zhong have a life-and-death bond."

Her words carried deep meaning, but she elaborated no further.

Even if He Lingchuan hadn't fully grasped it, he knew he shouldn't ask more questions. So he changed the subject: "After recapturing Weicheng, I heard you went to the Ghost Needle Stone Forest and defeated Lady Zhu Er?"

Otherwise, how could the Cave Spiders have, without a word, become friendly neighbors to Panlong City again? It must have been from a position of strength; everyone is pragmatic.

General Hong replied bluntly, "Yes."

"Then what is Lady Zhu Er's weakness?"

General Hong tilted her head, staring at He Lingchuan. "Why do you ask this?"

"Curiosity," He Lingchuan said. The dark, empty eye-holes of her mask made He Lingchuan uneasy. "Last time I delved into the spider's nest, it pushed me to a dead end, and I've always felt unsatisfied."

General Hong didn't press the matter. "Lady Zhu Er is an ancient great demon. Even with her power significantly diminished, her abilities remain, and she has numerous offspring. She is not someone you can deal with at your current level. What's a weakness for me—for you it would be..."

"...still an insurmountable obstacle." For He Lingchuan to dare challenge Lady Zhu Er alone would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

He rubbed his nose, having nothing to say.

General Hong continued, "You'd best gather a group and wait for the right moment."

"What if I'm alone and must fight?"

Dong Rui was completely unreliable; it would be a miracle if he didn't stab him in the back.

"If you insist on going to your death alone—"

He Lingchuan couldn't help but sigh.

"No matter," General Hong's tone shifted. "How can someone as strong as I simply wait for death? One must fight for life and death."

She seemed to let out a low chuckle. "The Cave Spiders have a particular trait. If you can seize the right moment, there might be a slim chance of victory."

At this point, she whispered a few instructions.

He Lingchuan carefully noted every word. He clasped his hands in gratitude and said, "Thank you for your guidance, General!"

This was perhaps exactly what he urgently needed at the moment.

"Anything else?" General Hong asked. She had already reached the doorway, where her warhorse was waiting.

"I've accumulated enough military merits again to exchange for supernatural abilities or combat skills," He Lingchuan seized the opportunity. "May I ask for your advice, General?"

"I've seen you fight. You have enough agility, but lack explosive power," General Hong said after a moment's thought. "Choose the Mirror Art."

Could it be that great minds think alike?

He Lingchuan was momentarily stunned. General Hong had already mounted her horse and rode off with her subordinates, leaving a trail of dust.

A little while later, wails suddenly erupted from within the Wen residence.

Passersby stopped and looked towards the Wen residence.

He Lingchuan sighed inwardly. He knew Wen Xing had succumbed to his severe injuries.

At fourteen or fifteen, he was at the prime age of blossoming youth, yet he withered away prematurely. Wen Xing's story was merely a microcosm of the fate of the people in Panlong Barrens.

Wen Daolun had watched his son die. He Lingchuan could not imagine his state of mind at that moment. He quickly set off for the Pengcheng Department.

Everyone had their own trials to endure, their own long journeys to embark upon.

In fact, He Lingchuan had wanted to choose the Mirror Art last time, but the Golden Armored Bronze Man Art had seemed more appealing then. After several battles, he realized even more that by being swift, precise, and ruthless when eliminating enemies, he could reduce many variables.

Before going to the Pengcheng Department, he first made a small detour to Yunling Island to pick up goods from the plump shopkeeper, Bai Guo.

He Lingchuan had previously ordered seven Ghost Shadow Cicada Shells here, and had paid a thirty percent deposit. The shopkeeper had promised they would arrive today.

At this time, Yunling Island only had a few customers who were browsing but not buying. He Lingchuan walked in and found the assistant so idle he was almost swatting flies, while Bai Guo was haggling with a customer.

The customer was in his fifties, with a face full of wrinkles and several patches on his coarse cloth clothes. He didn't look like the target demographic for this magic artifact shop at all; instead, he resembled an old farmer from the fields.

Only when He Lingchuan approached did he hear that this wasn't really a customer, but a seller named Wang.

Old Man Wang's child was sick, and he needed money. He wanted to sell a treasured old book inherited from his ancestors to buy some medicine.

Though called an old book, it was actually just a thin piece of animal skin paper. It was yellowed and old, and the ink on it had almost faded away.

Bai Guo wanted to unroll it and examine it carefully. Old Man Wang refused, saying he was afraid Bai Guo might glean crucial information from it.

The two sides were at an impasse when He Lingchuan arrived.

The moment Bai Guo saw him, his impatient expression changed into a warm, welcoming smile. "Brother He, you're here? Come, come, I'll escort you to get your goods!"

He was exceptionally enthusiastic towards this wealthy and influential landlord and customer.

He Lingchuan glanced over. He noticed that only a small corner of the animal skin paper on the table was visible, and the writing on it was ancient immortal script.

"Oh? Interesting."

He gestured towards the counter with his mouth. "What's going on here?"

"Someone selling something," Bai Guo said. He led He Lingchuan to the back, only speaking in a low voice once they reached the back room. "He says it's an ancient relic, but it doesn't feel like one to me. Our appraiser is on leave at home, and I can't understand the writing on that scroll, so I can't make a judgment."

"You're not buying it?"

"If there's a risk, I can't buy it," Bai Guo said, glancing at him. He kindly reminded, "Brother He, are you interested? There are many fraudsters out there."

"Let me take a look first."

After He Lingchuan finished his transaction with Bai Guo for the Shadow Cicada Shells, Old Man Wang was still there when he walked out, looking dejected and having finished another cup of water.

"Shopkeeper Bai, please think of another way. I really need this money!" He wiped his eyes. "My grandson is very ill!"