Chapter 552: Busy War Machine

Chapter 548: The Busy War Machine

Panglong City.

He Lingchuan stepped out of the house and first counted the goldfish in the tank.

Numbers one to nine were all alive.

However, two of them seemed to have changed color. He wasn't sure if Sun Fuling's feeding of live worms had made them more vibrant, or if...

The weeping jasmine that had been placed above the fish tank, with its snow-like blossoms, had already withered. It was therefore ruthlessly removed, replaced by a pot of osmanthus.

The residents of Panglong City enjoyed planting osmanthus trees, but He Lingchuan's courtyard was too small. He wondered where Master Sun had found such a small pot, perfectly in bloom.

By then, Panglong City had shed its summer heat, and autumn winds were blowing, making it the perfect season to enjoy the osmanthus.

The fragrance of the osmanthus spilled from the courtyard into the house.

Wind chimes tinkled from next door. He Lingchuan peered over the wall and saw that Sun Fuling's gate was tightly shut; her master was not home.

He looked up at the clear blue sky. At this hour, shouldn't Master Sun be teaching class?

From the other neighbor's house came the sound of hurried footsteps, the clatter of heavy objects being moved, and a child's complaints.

He Lingchuan opened his courtyard gate and walked out, just in time to see a mule cart slowly starting to move. The male neighbor sat in the cart, waving goodbye to his family.

“Don't worry, I'll be back in three to six months!”

The wife held onto Little Fatty, watching her husband depart.

He Lingchuan didn't interrupt their farewell. Only after the mule cart disappeared around the corner did he approach and ask, “Why is he also traveling so far?”

The neighbor worked for the Panglong City administration, which He Lingchuan understood to be akin to a civil servant – their lives were relatively stable, without the need for long journeys. Why then was he leaving for three to five months this time?

The female neighbor sighed, “Yucheng City is being rebuilt, and he has to go help.”

Their son, Little Fatty, was puzzled: “Dad isn't a bricklayer or a carpenter; he can't build houses. Why does he have to go too?”

The word “too” from both mother and son was quite telling.

The female neighbor stroked his head and said, “Your dad is going to help manage the expenses and keep the accounts in order. Otherwise, who would pay the bricklayers and carpenters?”

Panglong City's last military expedition had directly annihilated Xiji as a state. Although the Xiluo monarch had ordered the Panglong military and civilians not to return east, Panglong City would not relinquish the territory it had so painstakingly acquired.

Therefore, the former territory of Xiji was inherited by Panglong City. Yucheng City was the former eastern border city of Xiji, separated from Jintao by only a river.

Jintao was close to Baling and Beijia, and its relationship with Panglong City was very poor.

As a border city, Yucheng City's original defensive facilities were old, and even its riverbanks had fallen into disrepair over the years. After conquering Xiji, Panglong City needed to strengthen its border defenses, so it had to thoroughly renovate Yucheng City.

Naturally, there were many Xiluo people in the former Xiji territory, including skilled artisans. He Lingchuan's neighbor, having gone there, would also be performing municipal service work.

In fact, this incident was merely a microcosm; the entire Xiji region was undergoing massive construction.

Besides relying on existing city facilities like Dragon Throat Pass and Yucheng City and other checkpoints and border towns, Panglong City also planned to construct several goods transfer and troop garrison locations in the Xiji region.

The plains of Xiji were also very fertile, suitable for crop growth. This meant that, in addition to the Chipa Highlands, Panglong City now had new sources of high-quality grain.

Because it was too far from the Chipa Highlands and too close to Jintao, Xiji's security was a major concern.

It had to be defensible once captured; Panglong City couldn't send troops there every day.

However, the new trade routes Xiji offered were exceptionally important. Therefore, over the past two months, Panglong City had been sending various talents there to help the Xiluo people in the Xiji territory become self-reliant as quickly as possible.

During his previous visits to the Soul Realm, He Lingchuan had found that many of his comrades had been ordered to be stationed in or reinforce Xiji. Commander Xiao himself had even been dispatched as an instructor, reportedly to train fifty thousand new recruits.

It was said that Zhong Shengguang was also considering candidates for the general to be sent to Yucheng City, who would later be responsible for garrisoning troops, training soldiers, and managing military agricultural settlements all at once.

It was now autumn, and after the harvest, it would be an excellent time for military training.

He Lingchuan thought he would also be sent to Xiji, but the Broken Blade Squad had not yet received such orders.

As for Xiji's old royal capital, there was now a large group of civil officials working to put post-war Xiji back on track.

Although Panglong City was rarely as peaceful and uneventful as He Lingchuan's familiar Blackwater City, the extent of the changes brought by Xiji's integration surpassed everyone's expectations.

Every day, many people left Panglong City, and many new faces flowed in. This war machine had started up again, but it was not busy with war.

Or rather, not yet.

New developments quickly diverted the residents' attention, diminishing their frustration over being unable to return east.

This major transformation of Xiji also ignited enthusiasm among the common people, and the number of volunteers heading there to assist grew daily.

This situation might continue for a long time.

He Lingchuan casually gave Little Fatty a few pieces of beef jerky and chatted for a few more moments. Then, a messenger on horseback approached from nearby and said to him:

“By order of General Hong, He Lingchuan is to report for duty at the Hall of Weapons at 12:45 PM.”

He Lingchuan acknowledged the order and headed south of the city.

Since he had killed the Jindou hatchling and rescued Wen Daolun within Panglong City, Zhong Shengguang and General Hong's trust in him had grown daily. During the Xiji national war, he had successfully completed his mission leading the Broken Blade Squad at Dragon Throat Pass, performed outstandingly in the Battle of Xiji Royal Capital and the Allied Immortal and Ba Armies Battle, earning numerous military merits. His proximity to Panglong City's high command was also increasing.

The activities he participated in had increasingly higher security clearances, and Zhong Shengguang and General Hong no longer avoided discussing sensitive matters in front of him.

Serving duty at the Hall of Weapons like this was an honor in itself for a Great Wind soldier. Only the most trusted warriors were qualified to guard Panglong City's war secrets.

Having ample time, he even managed to take a stroll around South Gate Plaza first.

The Julo tree by the river hadn't changed much. The strange-headed nightmare, tangled in its branches, complained as soon as it saw him:

“When will you let me go! I've completed all the tasks you assigned.”

“You're just a weakling right now,” He Lingchuan chuckled. “Wandering around, you'd easily be devoured by other nightmares.”

“I need a dreamscape, otherwise I'll weaken and die!” The Soul Realm wasn't even a place for it to stay long, let alone here… what was this place anyway!

“I'll help you find one when I have time,” He Lingchuan placated it. This nightmare had already seen the interior of Panglong City and was considered a partial insider; there was no way He Lingchuan would release it.

The Grand Flask and Panglong City were his biggest secrets; if they were ever revealed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He turned a deaf ear to the nightmare's mournful roars, quickly passing by Wanglin Street.

Passing by Yunling Island, he noticed more customers coming and going – if not shoulder to shoulder, then at least in a steady stream. Even in the cool autumn, White Fatty was so busy his forehead gleamed, whether from sweat or grease, He Lingchuan couldn't tell.

The shop had hired two more assistants, and many new items were displayed.

A shrewd merchant like White Fatty would display goods in prominent positions in his shop that were either very expensive, rare in quantity, powerful in function, or very new and trendy.

He Lingchuan immediately spotted a conch shell among the array of goods. It was oily yellow, larger than a hand, with patterns on its surface like tiger stripes, and small serrations at its opening.

Although he was blended in with the crowd, White Fatty had sharp eyes and recognized his landlord, scurrying over and saying:

“You've arrived!”

This fellow certainly knew how to receive guests; it was no wonder he made money. He Lingchuan chuckled, “Boss Bai, you're getting rich, business is flourishing. Say, shouldn't the shop rent be…”

Upon hearing his unscrupulous landlord hinting at a rent increase, White Fatty began to pour out his grievances: “Oh, you wouldn't believe it, sir. While it's true there are more new items lately, the costs are also high, and competition is fierce. The shop across the street stocks items similar to mine, but at slightly lower prices. If it weren't for my loyal customers…”

He Lingchuan gave him a sidelong glance: “If I hadn't given you advance notice, would you have dared to take over that shop on the west corner of Wanglin Street?”

When rumors of returning home were flying around, he had told White Fatty that the Panglong military and civilians would definitely not relocate east. At the time, people's minds were unsettled, and some on Wanglin Street were even trying to transfer their shops. White Fatty, upon hearing He Lingchuan's "inside information," not only dropped the idea of terminating his lease but, with a resolute decision, even acquired that shop.

This was a case of the bold thriving while the timid starved.

Now, with the Panglong military and civilians no longer leaving, the previous owners were filled with regret, watching White Fatty rake in money daily.

White Fatty quickly pulled out a box containing five ghost cicada exuviae: “Brother He, no, Master He, you're amazing! This is just a small token of my respect.”

He Lingchuan didn't stand on ceremony, snatching them up and tucking them into his bosom. Then he asked, surprised, “Usually, when I ask you to stock a few cicada exuviae, you make all sorts of excuses, saying it's difficult. Why are you so generous today?”

White Fatty wiped sweat from his brow: “Before, these were rare commodities, valuable but hard to find. You couldn't necessarily get them even if you wanted to.”

“And now?”

“Didn't we conquer Xiji?” White Fatty's mouth split into a wide grin, “With that roadblock removed, the trade routes south are clear, and we can even open up to Songguo's seaports! Goods from outside can come in, and the variety is much richer now.”

He Lingchuan understood.

Panglong City had always been an enclave, with its development hindered in all directions. Conquering Xiji had opened up the southern trade routes, which was extremely beneficial for Panglong City's external communication and commerce.

White Fatty was right; if the trade routes extended further, they could even reach the coast!

He Lingchuan even suspected that this was the true objective behind Zhong Shengguang and others' determination to capture Xiji — to secure external connections and escape the dilemma of being an enclave.

If he wasn't mistaken, Panglong City would put even more effort into consolidating and managing Xiji in the future.

For Panglong City, this was a brand new opportunity.

“So, that means you can sell me cicada exuviae cheaper from now on?”

“Uh…” His landlord was truly ruthless! “Yes, yes! I'll give you a… a ten percent discount!”

Stingy, He Lingchuan shook his head and pointed at the conch shell: “What's that?”

“Oh, that's a Dharma conch,” White Fatty said with a smile. “If used as a military horn, its sound can carry for ten miles, audible across virtually the entire battlefield. It can also remember different sounds and reproduce them directly, like bird calls or tiger roars… Would you like one? It's quite useful for missions.”

“No,” He Lingchuan replied, having seen the price tag.