Chapter 431: People Cannot Be Judged by Appearance

She then laid out her plan.

All those listening instinctively straightened their backs, including He Lingchuan, but simultaneously wore bewildered expressions. Only General Nanke exclaimed, "Good, good! I think it's excellent!"

Wen Daolun couldn't help but smile, "General, this plan is brilliant!"

General Nanke gave a thumbs up, "This way, we don't have to wait for the Bird Kingdom's ruler's orders; we can leave whenever we want. General Hong is right, we'll reject all the options they give us!"

Zhong Shengguang glanced at him, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "The method is good, worth careful consideration."

Zhao Xianhe couldn't help but ask, "Wait a minute, didn't General Hong decide that we should remain in the wasteland and not return to the kingdom? What does this mean now?"

Ling Chongshui, who had always been at odds with him, sarcastically jabbed at him, "So, Master Zhao, do you want to stay or go back?"

"My decision to stay or go is entirely up to Commander Zhong," Zhao Xianhe said, raising an eyebrow. He paused, then added, "The capital secretly issued a secret order to me, asking me to volunteer to lead troops back east along the Jinxi Corridor. Upon my return, I would be promoted and granted great honors. I have already reported this matter to Master Zhong."

Ling Chongshui was furious, "The ruler wants to pull the same old trick again, taking away another Deputy Commander and tens of thousands of elite soldiers?!"

The generals were equally enraged.

The ruler fundamentally didn't want Zhong Shengguang to return, yet he hoped the elite soldiers tempered in the northwestern wasteland could be recalled to stabilize his kingdom. That's why he sent the secret letter to Zhao Xianhe.

As everyone was criticizing noisily, Zhong Shengguang tapped the table and said solemnly, "Enough, my decision is made."

The moment these four words were uttered, everyone else fell silent. No one here could shake a decision made by Commander Zhong.

Any further questions had to be swallowed.

"Proceed according to General Hong's plan."

Once he set the direction, the generals gathered to brainstorm and discuss all the details.

It was truly comprehensive and meticulous, down to the smallest detail.

He Lingchuan listened attentively and realized how much preparation was needed to wage a war.

It was far more complex than he had imagined.

War is a matter of calculation. And no matter how thorough the preparations were, they were always far from enough.

Not to mention, Zhong Shengguang's current expedition was a spur-of-the-moment decision, executed quickly and urgently.

The moment to test Panlong City had come again.

After sorting everything out, more than an hour had passed. Zhong Shengguang drank a full cup of hot tea to soothe his throat before exhaling and saying, "In short, this is a great opportunity. Next, let's distribute the tasks."

The lights in the Hall of War were not extinguished until sunset.

After the meeting, the officials hurried away, some to make preparations, others to go home for dinner.

Everyone valued the farewell meal before the expedition, and it was usually set lavishly.

Wen Daolun, who was going home for dinner, smiled at He Lingchuan as he reached the door. "You've worked hard, standing with us old men all day."

He Lingchuan shook his head, "It was a real eye-opener."

He had almost no experience leading troops, so this kind of observation was extremely beneficial to him.

He carefully observed Wen Daolun. This strategist, whom Zhong Shengguang heavily relied on, smiled kindly, as if he had emerged from the grief of losing his son. Only the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were a bit deeper, his eyes a bit cloudier, and a few more strands of white hair appeared at his temples.

"Is there anyone waiting for you to eat at home at this hour?"

He Lingchuan replied honestly, "No. I was planning to go to Wenxuan Pavilion, but General Hong summoned me for duty."

"Is that so? That means you're highly valued." Wen Daolun patted his arm. "Keep up the good work, young man, I have high hopes for you."

For this level of closed-door meeting, only personal guards most trusted by Commander Zhong and General Hong were qualified to stand guard.

Otherwise, even a single leaked secret from here could cause a great stir.

At this moment, Zhao Xianhe walked over and called Wen Daolun to leave with him. Wen Daolun then said to He Lingchuan, "I'm leaving now."

Zhao Xianhe's gaze swept over He Lingchuan but did not linger.

After Wen Daolun left, He Lingchuan's gaze naturally fell upon Zhong Shengguang and General Hong, who were passing behind him.

After experiencing the illusions of the Abyss Kingdom ruins, he felt that Zhong Shengguang was even more enigmatic, and his relationship with the deity Mitian was perplexing.

Now, where was Commander Zhong hiding the Da Fanghu?

Would all consequences stemming from appeasing the gods be this complex?

Sensing his gaze, General Hong suddenly said, "What are you looking at?"

Even through the mask, He Lingchuan could feel her gaze fixed on him. By then, the Hall of War was almost empty, so he answered directly:

"If your plan goes ahead and the ruler also orders an evacuation, what then?"

When he said this, Zhong Shengguang and General Hong exchanged glances, knowing he had grasped the underlying idea.

General Hong seemed to let out two soft laughs, "What's wrong with an evacuation?"

"It won't be easy to fully open up the path back to the east," He Lingchuan stated bluntly. "Otherwise, we could have returned long ago. Why wait until now?"

Zhong Shengguang stared at him and said, "Do you think General Hong's suggestion is inappropriate?"

"What if it doesn't turn out as expected?"

"The worst outcome is simply returning without success. Why can't we bear that?" Zhong Shengguang smiled. "Do you think we've never suffered a defeat?"

"Military strategy is not static; striving for perfection is the greatest pitfall," he said, enunciating each word. "There's no such good fortune in this world."

He Lingchuan bowed his head, "Point taken."

"Go home now and spend more time with your family tonight," Zhong Shengguang said. "We're leaving soon, and this battle is critically important."

"Yes."

It was already dark when he left the Hall of War. Wenxuan Pavilion was closed, so He Lingchuan simply walked back, carrying two books.

On the way, he made a detour to the South Gate Plaza to check on the Ju Luo Tree.

The small tree was growing well, lush and green. A new sparrow nest had appeared in its canopy, and a new branch had sprouted from its main trunk.

Compared to its sudden appearance, its current state was too ordinary, as if it were no different from a common tree.

What did the Da Fanghu need a Ju Luo Tree for? He Lingchuan could never figure it out.

Since he was already there, he decided to have a hearty dinner at the Frost River Tavern. It was still bustling with activity, everyone chatting and laughing freely, completely unaware that a new major battle was about to begin.

This time, Panlong City was the one actively instigating it.

A few comrades came over to drink, one of whom was Duan Xinyu, who had explored the Flesh Fortress with He Lingchuan.

By then, Duan Xinyu had married. His new wife was precisely the girl who had run off in anger after He Lingchuan remarked, "She's either stupid or dull."

Duan Xinyu's married life was quite fulfilling. His young wife would grit her teeth whenever He Lingchuan was mentioned, which secretly pleased him. Thus, when he saw He Lingchuan, he was very enthusiastic, grabbing him and thanking him profusely.

He toasted him a few times, then others toasted him a few more, forcing He Lingchuan's dinner to extend to two hours.

After all, he knew well that after the next long-distance raid, some people might not be around anymore.

Upon returning home, as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw light filtering through the low wall.

The house next door was lit.

Sun Fuling was back?

He Lingchuan quickly fetched clean water to wash his face and rinse his mouth, then smoothed his wind-blown, dishevelled hair before leaning over the low wall and tapping on the tiles.

"Is Master Sun home?"

"No."

With a creak, Sun Fuling pushed open the door and emerged, dressed in white, her beautiful hair loose and damp.

She looked up at He Lingchuan, the moonlight illuminating her beautiful face like polished jade, softly glowing.

He Lingchuan immediately recalled the moonlight that night at the ruins of the Abyss Kingdom, which had also radiated such a full, shimmering glow.

"What is it?" Sun Fuling waited for him for a while, then had to ask.

"I thought you weren't home tonight."

"I was supposed to be on duty at Shumin Academy tonight, but a commander's order arrived this evening, requesting the academy to close temporarily, so I came back." Sun Fuling sighed. "Is there going to be another war? Every time before a major battle, students are sent home to reunite with their families."

He Lingchuan nodded.

"So when are you leaving?"

"Soon," He Lingchuan said, scratching his head. "Perhaps tomorrow, or in a couple of days. It depends on Commander Zhong's orders."

Silence fell over the wall.

After a long pause, Sun Fuling simply said, "Oh, so soon?"

"Yes," He Lingchuan said, staring intently at her. "Will you give me a send-off?"

He pointed to the wine jar in the corner of the courtyard. Sun Fuling shook her head. "You smell too much of alcohol already. Be careful not to drink too much, or you won't be able to get up tomorrow. Let's have tea instead of wine."

With that, she went back into her house to fetch tea leaves and an iron pot, then jumped directly over the wall.

"This was given to me by a student. Her family are tea farmers in Chipal Baiyuan, and she brought me the first batch of spring tea harvested from their garden this year."

He Lingchuan moved the stove into the courtyard and boiled water for tea.

"You must have heard a lot of rumors about the evacuation order in the city these past few days, right?"

"Yes, everyone's discussing it," Sun Fuling said, sitting down. "I didn't expect the ruler would rather risk accepting foreign aid, especially when things haven't reached a desperate point yet."

"Not yet?"

"No, not yet. There are still at least two contingents of royal reinforcement troops and the Imperial Guards near the capital," Sun Fuling said indifferently. "They're boasted as unparalleled in combat power, but I don't think much of them. Otherwise, why aren't they deployed now?"

"After all, it's the capital. These forces are needed to guard the capital fortress, so they can't actively go out and suppress enemies, can they?"

"These armies haven't fought in twenty or thirty years; who knows if they can still fight."

He Lingchuan knew that Panlong residents, including her, resented their home country's weakness. So he quickly changed the subject and started sharing some everyday anecdotes.

Sun Fuling also shared stories about daily life within Shumin Academy.

As they chatted, the night deepened.

Street sermons had long since ended, and the road outside was quiet. No footsteps had passed for a long time.

At that moment, strange noises came from the neighbor's house.

The common bungalows were too small, and the soundproofing was poor, so every bit of the noise reached their ears.

He Lingchuan recalled the ventriloquism performance he had heard in Shihuan City, which didn't seem as intense as this. The neighbor's bed wasn't very good quality either, creaking and groaning as if on the verge of breaking.

Sun Fuling's smile slowly faded.

Creak, creak.

The two exchanged speechless glances, neither knowing what to say.

Creak, creak.

Why this particular night? He Lingchuan listened carefully for a few moments: the guy next door had quite the stamina; he wasn't as short and unimpressive as he looked.

You can't judge a book by its cover.