Chapter 38: The Capital for a Safe Return Home

He Chunhua said in a deep voice, "Yes, but it was absolutely not something we did deliberately."

"Human lives are precious, but the war in the central region is a race against time. If we cannot bring back the Great Square Flask in time, the rebels will advance along the river, and the capital may face a bloodbath!" Sun Fuping sighed deeply. "By then, the innocent civilians who die will be far more than hundreds or thousands... perhaps tens of thousands?"

He Chunhua opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. On one side was the greater good of the nation, on the other, the lives of people on the frontier. Which held more weight?

Seeing him fall silent, Nian Songyu also let out a small breath, secretly relaxing his tensed posture.

If Governor He had proven to be stubborn, he wouldn't have hesitated to draw his blade swiftly.

"The Sandstorm Season usually occurs in September each year and lasts until February or March of the following year." Sun Fuping knew this information by heart. "But there are occasional exceptions, right?"

He Chunhua thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yes, the official historical records of Qiansong County show that for several years, the Sandstorm Season arrived off-schedule, causing heavy casualties among people and livestock."

"What's it like when it arrives?"

"First, there are strong winds and heavy rain, with lightning and thunder, then the desert seems to howl like a vengeful spirit, and the sand dances wildly like dragons and snakes." That's why it's called the Sandstorm Season. "If a person walks into the desert at that time, they will be buried alive within a few breaths. The sandstorms won't subside until the following year."

"I've also checked the records. In fact, over the past century, the Sandstorm Season in Panlong Desert has changed its schedule five times: three times it came early, and twice it was delayed. The most recent instance was twenty years ago, when the Sandstorm Season advanced to mid-May."

He Chunhua also recalled it. "I had just arrived in Qiansong County then, and local residents talked about it for many years afterward. Even for the following seven years, traffic on the Red Cliff Trade Route was affected, only gradually recovering later."

People used the Red Cliff Trade Route for its safety. If the Panlong Desert's violent temper flared up unpredictably, who would dare risk their lives for money?

"Interestingly, I got a clue from Grandmaster Zhugeng: twenty years ago, he sent a team from Baling State to probe Panlong Ancient City again. He didn't go himself, but if you calculate the time, that team should have arrived here in April or May!"

This time, even Nian Songyu was surprised. "Grand Tutor, are you saying... that year's early Sandstorm Season was man-made?"

"Highly possible! At least the timing aligns," Sun Fuping said. "This team was personally led by Grandmaster Zhugeng's favored senior disciple, who must have received personal instructions from him before departing. After arriving here, they successfully triggered the early Sandstorm Season."

He Lingchuan said with a straight face, "But did they successfully return?"

Sun Fuping sighed and shook his head. "That failure was a great blow to Grandmaster Zhugeng. Afterward, Baling stopped organizing expeditions to Panlong City."

"Doesn't that prove they went but never returned?" He Lingchuan, exasperated, laughed instead. "Then what are we doing here?"

"What if I told you that when the Sandstorm Season arrives, the safest place in the entire desert is precisely Panlong Ancient City?" Sun Fuping turned slightly, pointing to the set of coarse porcelain wine vessels on the counter. "Look, are these things that can withstand a storm? Yet, they look exactly the same now as they did when the allied forces left Panlong Ruins."

Everyone's expression changed, and they couldn't help but look around.

Indeed, this tavern was open to the wind on three sides, yet the tables and chairs in the front hall and the kitchen utensils in the back were all neatly arranged. From Situ Han's perspective, he could even see two clay jars on the stove, containing either salt or lard. If sandstorms descended here every year, how could these things be preserved? Furthermore, this tavern, these two rows of street-facing shops, and so many residences within the city were all wooden structures over a hundred years old. Why had they not collapsed in the strong winds and sandstorms?

Upon entering the city, no one had given it much thought until Sun Fuping pointed it out.

He Chunhua let out a soft breath. "There is often no wind in the eye of a storm."

Therefore, even if the Sandstorm Season began, no matter how much sand and stones flew outside, Panlong City remained unaffected.

"You should have said so earlier; then we wouldn't have misunderstood," He Lingchuan chuckled to the sky, no longer bickering with Nian Songyu, and walked back to sit down and drink water.

Situ Han whispered, "But the Sandstorm Season lasts at least four or five months. What will we eat and drink during that time?"

Humans need to eat, and they had only brought a few days' worth of food and water.

This team was made up of strong, vigorous men who ate a lot, not cultivators who could survive without food.

Before anyone else could speak, He Lingchuan scoffed at him, "Think with your brain. If the Great Square Flask is taken by the Grand Tutor, how could it continue to generate the Sandstorm Season? Our return journey might even be more peaceful than our arrival."

He Chunhua furrowed his brow slightly.

Although this fellow was reckless, he wasn't wrong. Sun Fuping let out a slight breath of relief and stroked his long beard. "Exactly!"

It took a lot of effort to persuade this father and son to follow his arrangements; yet, if he were to simply kill them, leading the team would be difficult.

People's minds are prone to change.

When traveling abroad, local strongmen in such remote places, even with low official standing, could indeed be quite troublesome.

Unexpectedly, He Lingchuan turned back and asked him, "Grand Tutor, you still haven't clarified: what if we summon the Sandstorm Season but fail to obtain the Great Square Flask? How will we get back then?"

This was the key point!

Sun Fuping smiled, calm and composed. "Before we departed, I received special permission from my King to draw upon the divine altar's primal energy!"

Everyone rejoiced, putting aside their worries.

Primal energy is the amalgamation of national fortune, popular sentiment, and army morale.

It greatly enhances supernatural powers, can deter all evil spirits, and can also break enemy divine arts and formations. It is one of the nation's most valuable strategic resources, possessing various wonderful uses.

As a national strategic reserve, primal energy is usually sealed within the divine altar, and no official can deploy it at will. Fortunately, the Grand Tutor's role inherently involves this, and Sun Fuping, in particular, had received special permission from the monarch.

With this promise, the group's chances of leaving the desert alive increased tenfold, if not more. Although the fortune of the Kite Kingdom was not at its peak, protecting two hundred people out of the desert was not a difficult task.

At this point, He Lingchuan had eaten and drunk his fill. He stood up and stretched. "In that case, shall we start working at dawn?"

Nian Songyu smiled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Tired, going to sleep," He Lingchuan yawned. "Aren't we supposed to be busy tomorrow? There are no beauties to accompany me here, no tunes to listen to; what else can I do but sleep?" This kid just loved to give him trouble.

"Who told you that you could rest?" Nian Songyu didn't even bother to conceal his disdain. "You'll do the work tonight, right now!"

"Do what?" He Lingchuan, who disliked him the most, retorted, "You?"

Nian Songyu took a step forward, his face dark, and He Lingchuan immediately stepped back two paces, standing beside Zeng Feixiong. "Deputy Captain Zeng, protect me!"

Sun Fuping cleared his throat lightly. "Business first. Bring up the puppets."

Only then did He Lingchuan remember that the Grand Tutor had bound two puppets, infested with Three-Corpse Worms, back on the Walnut Boat, brought them all the way into the city, and they were still being kept outside.