Chapter 747: The Feeling of Life and Death Control

## Chapter 740: The Feeling of Absolute Power

The arrow was shot by He Lingchuan. Even amidst the chaotic battle, his control of strength remained precise; the thin man suffered only superficial flesh wounds, his bones unharmed. A few days of applying medicine back at the camp, and he would be fine.

This fellow was incredibly cunning. Despite arrows flying, missiles soaring, and soldiers fighting with bloodshot eyes all around, he remained completely unharmed, his face merely smudged with soot. This was typical behavior for the thin man. He also heard the thin man's ridiculously exaggerated shout of "Danger!" and saw the resentful look the thin man gave him after being hit by the arrow. The meaning was clear: he wanted more money.

"Good, good," Wen Daolun said, pleased, then asked He Lingchuan, "Once you have intelligence on Takigawa's internal situation, how do you plan to proceed?"

The construction of Yuheng City was not an overnight endeavor. Commander Xiao had diligently laid the groundwork, establishing military systems, scale, mobilization, setting various rules, and bringing the army to an initial state of readiness. The foundation was laid; now it was up to He Lingchuan.

"Takigawa's biggest problem is its internal chaos, with about fifty bandit gangs of various sizes," He Lingchuan slowly explained. "Even if we eliminate Qianjin Stockade and the Lu Family Gang, we would only be helping other gangs eliminate their rivals. Simply deploying troops to suppress them would likely be like pressing down one gourd only to have another pop up; they would be inexhaustible."

Not to mention Takigawa's complex terrain, with interwoven waterways and land, making it a stronghold for river pirates. Large machinery would be ineffective there, and given Yuheng Army's current strength, He Lingchuan was not optimistic about going in.

"According to the intelligence from our covert agents, although there are many bandit gangs within Takigawa, they previously maintained a delicate balance. This was likely the result of years of maneuvering among various factions," He Lingchuan said, popping a date into his mouth. "However, since the remnants of Xiji entered Takigawa, this balance seems to have been broken."

Panlong City annihilated Xiji too quickly. Several Xiji generals refused to surrender, so General Hong led his troops to eliminate them one by one. Their units, leading the remnants of their forces, retreated into Takigawa territory to become bandits, resting and regrouping while awaiting an opportunity for revenge. They are outsiders bringing new ways, but Takigawa's existing bandit gangs adhere to the belief that a mighty dragon cannot overpower a local snake. Wouldn't this naturally lead to conflict between the two sides?

"So, not only is the Xiji territory unstable, but Takigawa's interior is also in chaos," Wen Daolun said, then asked him, "Do you have a plan in mind?"

"We need to exert strong pressure on Takigawa," He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "Let them fight among themselves first."

After chatting with him for a while, Wen Daolun left the restaurant.

He Lingchuan was about to head back when he suddenly stopped, looking towards the shadows behind the courtyard. "Who's there?"

A figure slowly emerged, raising a hand to brush a stray lock of hair from their temple. It was Sun Fuling.

He Lingchuan smiled, "Teacher, what brings you here?"

"The whole city is celebrating your victory; how could I not come?" Sun Fuling took the wine cup from his hand and took a small sip. "How does it feel to command troops and win such a great victory for the first time?"

He Lingchuan was used to working alone; the Ruin Mountain Project was also completed largely independently. Even during Panlong City's external wars, at most, he acted as a brigade commander, leading a hundred or so people. To issue commands and have them obeyed instantly, leading an army against an enemy—this was truly a first in his life.

"Great, absolutely great!" He Lingchuan exhaled slowly, without pretense or concealment. "Having thousands of soldiers under my command, directing them wherever I want, it feels like... it feels like..." He couldn't think of the right description at the moment.

Sun Fuling smiled slightly, "Absolute power, the power of life and death?"

"Exactly!" He Lingchuan snapped his fingers. "Teacher, you know me so well!"

To grant life, to decree death, or to make life worse than death. This feeling was truly captivating. No wonder his father, He Chunhua, fought desperately to climb the ranks; no wonder Hong Chenglüe could suppress his hatred when he met He Lingchuan, his enemy's son, at the Dunyuan auction; no wonder Grand Tutor Qingyang and Grand Tutor Shuangye had been fighting to the death for over a century... Power truly was a wonderful thing. It allowed you to look down upon the world, to control the fate of countless lives. This pinnacle experience surpassed all other joys, something the common people couldn't even comprehend, yet he had experienced it first in Yuheng City.

Sun Fuling covered her mouth, laughing, "A few thousand soldiers under your command, and you're already so pleased with yourself. If, in the future, a massive army were to obey your every command, how inflated would your ego become?"

He Lingchuan sighed, "Where would I get a massive army?"

"It's all up to human effort," Sun Fuling said casually. "Haven't you already accomplished many impossibilities?"

He Lingchuan's heart stirred at her words, and he looked down at her. What did she mean by "many impossibilities already accomplished"?

"The old Xiji territory lacks neither people nor good land. If you and Mr. Wen can manage this place well, will you still worry about not attracting a massive army?" Sun Fuling gathered her hair. "It's getting late. I'll head back now. Take your time with your drink."

"I'll see you out." Yuheng City had won a great victory tonight, and all sorts of people were out and about, including many ruffians. Although He Lingchuan couldn't quite say who would be unlucky if those fellows encountered Teacher Sun, proper courtesy between a couple was still important.

Sun Fuling chuckled softly and, as expected, did not object.

He Lingchuan went back, greeted his subordinates, and then vigorously rinsed his mouth with water. When everyone saw Sun Fuling slowly stroll out afterward, they couldn't help but start cheering and catcalling. She waved to the crowd, acting as if she wasn't involved.

Commander He said with a smile, "If anyone dares to utter another sound, even a sneeze, they'll be running five laps around the city tomorrow!" The laughter instantly ceased. It was no joke; the new city was quite large, and running five laps around its perimeter would be exhausting. Seeing his subordinates silenced and shivering, He Lingchuan turned back to Sun Fuling and bowed: "Please." These little rascals, could he not handle them?

The two walked away under the gaze of all the soldiers. While Sun Fuling wasn't looking, He Lingchuan secretly popped three pieces of "chicken tongue incense" into his mouth. This was another name for cloves; they had a pungent and bitter taste upon entering the mouth. He chewed cloves not to sober up, but to cover the smell of alcohol. This item had a breath-freshening effect, but it was not produced in Panlong Wasteland or Xiji Kingdom, and had to be imported via southern trade routes, making it expensive.

The two walked and chatted, laughing pleasantly. From the restaurant to her residence, they had to pass through the city gate. After one or two hours of revelry, most residents couldn't keep up and were heading back to their homes, yawning constantly, to sleep.

The city gate remained open tonight because cleanup efforts on the battlefield outside were not yet complete, and logistics soldiers were still moving in and out. Weapons and armor were being brought in by the bundle, stripped from the dead; even arrows were being recovered in real-time. These military supplies could not be wasted.

Sun Fuling casually picked up a long arrow; there was still a bit of uncleaned blood on its tip. "After today's lesson, how long do you think the Jintao people will remain quiet?"

"They wanted to give me a warning, but they ended up getting a severe blow themselves," He Lingchuan mused. "Knowing that Yuheng City is tough, they won't dare to organize another large-scale siege for at least two or three months, but they might not rule out using other methods."