Chapter 59: We Were All Deceived

He Lingchuan sneered, "Grand Tutor Sun previously told us to return to the South City Gate immediately after we finished, giving us warnings, threats, and even setting a two-hour deadline. Don't you feel overwhelmed by such 'favor'? They usually treat you like cattle or horses; when have they ever been this considerate?"

Maotao immediately recalled Grand Tutor Sun's two earnest reminders.

"But what if..."

"What if what?" Sudden concern often comes with ulterior motives. "If something goes wrong, what's the difference between being here and at the South City Gate? If we really need to seek their protection, we can just rush over then."

He also said earnestly, "Do they look like they care whether we live or die? If that's the case, why should we care about them?"

Maotao thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. I'll listen to you!"

***

He Yue was writing furiously in the government office.

The weather in Qiansong County was much better than in the Coiling Dragon Desert, but it was still scorching hot at the end of August. Everyone was waiting for a thunderstorm to cool down Blackwater City.

Today was exceptionally muggy and irritable. He wiped sweat from his forehead as he reviewed official documents.

Seeing this, the attendant behind him found a large palm fan and said, "Second Young Master, let me do it."

He had barely fanned twice when news flew in from outside:

The Coiling Dragon Desert had stirred; the Sandstorm Season had begun early.

*Clatter*, the pen in He Yue's hand dropped onto the desk, staining several documents.

The Sandstorm Season had begun, but his father and elder brother hadn't returned.

It was truly devastating news.

The attendant quietly called him several times before He Yue snapped back to reality. He said hoarsely, "Increase security personnel. The city won't be peaceful these next few days."

Each time the Sandstorm Season started early, it led to loss of life and property. Disputes between those affected, the families of victims, and merchant caravans would sharply increase.

In previous years, He Chunhua often dealt with cases of fatal brawls and altercations that occurred after the Sandstorm Season began.

Thinking of his father, a chill ran through He Yue's heart.

Madam Ying was waiting anxiously for news at home every day. Should he send back this terrible news?

That afternoon, he spent several hours in the office but couldn't get any more work done.

Not until dark did the young man listlessly stand up, preparing to go home.

No journey home had ever felt as unwelcome as this one.

Just then, a courier suddenly arrived, presenting eleven crumpled, wax-sealed letters to him.

"The eastern route is open. These are letters that had accumulated at Jiaxin Pass, now delivered all at once."

He Yue's heart sank when he saw so many letters: How many major events had occurred in the east?

Qiansong County was remotely located, and there was no direct waterway from east to west. Letters from the capital had to pass through Woling Pass and Jiaxin Pass to reach here.

The mountains along the route were steep and treacherous. Detouring would add three months to the journey, and the road conditions were particularly poor, so people generally didn't do that.

Before He Chunhua went to the Coiling Dragon Desert, he was constantly worried about the situation in the east. Even to honor his concerns, He Yue felt compelled to read all these letters.

He casually opened one letter, glanced at it, and his brow furrowed. He quickly opened another.

Then the next.

"This is outrageous!" He Yue slammed his fist heavily on the table with a loud bang, startling the nearby attendants.

Second Young Master He was always gentle and refined, a spitting image of the County Governor. Why was he suddenly so angry?

He Yue's eyes were red. For the first time in his life, he felt such grief, indignation, and hatred.

"Father, Elder Brother, your deaths were in vain!" he ground out through clenched teeth. "We were all deceived!"

The young man stood up and walked out.

Now, he had two terrible pieces of news to deliver home.

***

Nian Songyu carried the last crate of crossbow bolts onto the city wall.

Each crate here weighed several hundred jin. Even though he was an accomplished martial artist, after moving forty crates onto the wall, his arms felt sore and his feet heavy.

Sun Fuping was already standing on the wall, looking down. "Are they all up here?" Being older and of higher status, he naturally wouldn't engage in such manual labor.

With He Lingchuan and his companion absent, this work fell to Nian Songyu.

"Yes, that's all," Nian Songyu panted. "Those two rascals, I don't know where they've gone off to, so slow!"

After resting for a bit, he began applying a special oil, also known as fire oil, to the weapons.

Whether it was long crossbows or trebuchets, their power multiplied when ignited, effectively harming enemies. For now, however, the two men were interested in their ability to set the city ablaze.

Nian Songyu casually opened a crate, paused for a moment, then was overjoyed. "Nail bombs, of all things!"

Cannons had long existed in the world, but their power was ordinary, and the firing intervals were long. They were decent for attacking people, but at most, they would just create a crater when hitting a wall. Aside from being deafeningly loud, they were not much more powerful than crossbow carriages.

However, these "nail bombs" were raw iron cannonballs filled with tiny iron nails. Upon impact, they would explode with flames in all directions, not only injuring people but also easily causing infections.

Nian Songyu loaded a nail bomb, dusting off his hands. "It's been two hours, hasn't it?"

"Almost," Sun Fuping said, sitting on a crate and looking ahead. "The north side hasn't caught fire yet."

"The north side was assigned to the bandit. Did he run away?" Nian Songyu walked over, shading his eyes. "Should we start firing then?"

"Wait a bit longer."

If the Grand Tutor said to wait, they had to wait.

Another half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

The main street below the city wall was empty.

Nian Songyu gulped down some water. "What do you think?"

"Shall we give them a reminder?"

Nian Songyu shrugged, then took a deep breath and shouted, "He Lingchuan, return to the South Gate immediately!" And the bandit, whose name he couldn't recall.

He shouted three times in a row, his voice echoing throughout Coiling Dragon South City.

Perhaps because the place was too open, there was an echo. If He Lingchuan was on his way, he should be able to hear it.

After waiting for a while, the area below the city wall remained empty.

He then roared, "South Gate will be set ablaze! At your own peril!"

Once the fire starts, forget about other accidents, the blaze alone could burn those two to death!

Another half an hour passed. Sun Fuping finally stood up. "The bandit is with He Lingchuan. They're on guard and won't be coming over."

The fire in the north had never started. The bandit must have either encountered an accident or gone to meet He Lingchuan.

"That brat from the He family has always resented me," Nian Songyu asked him. "What do we do now?"

"The houses to the east and west are burning, and there's no anomaly. So the key to breaking the stalemate is indeed in the south, which aligns with my deduction. That He family boy has grown suspicious. He's not as rash as we thought." The distant firelight seemed to dance in Sun Fuping's eyes. "They think they're safe like this? Naive! Light the fires."

The last three words were directed at Nian Songyu.

Nian Songyu hesitated slightly. "And your original plan for the Blackwater City army?"

"They are standing right in my magic formation."

That single sentence dispelled Nian Songyu's doubts, and he lit the crossbow bolts.