Chapter 896: Deer Clan and Destiny

"Panlong City stands alone in the wilderness, facing Beijia from a distance, yet there's no direct conflict of interest between them. Why then has Beijia set its sights on Panlong City?"

Zhong Shengguang gave a wry smile. "For centuries, Beijia has been stirring up trouble everywhere, creating chaos to collect 'nightmare qi' for the gods. Did all those countries truly provoke it?"

Lu Xun nodded, saying earnestly, "Mount Ling has always maintained a cautious stance, and the elders are quite old... which makes them relatively conservative."

Zhong Shengguang immediately replied, "To defeat a Celestial God, one must first understand them. I believe Mount Ling still maintains its... observation channels with the Celestial Gods. Mitian is a true god; what's wrong with keeping such a reliable source of information?"

He stopped just short of explicitly saying that Mount Ling and the Celestial Gods were not entirely disconnected.

It's common for opposing sides to scrutinize, research, and infiltrate each other.

Lu Xun chuckled a few times, finding it difficult to respond. Lord Zhong certainly lived up to his reputation; he first implied Mount Ling had ties with Celestial Gods, then suggested that the minor deities Mount Ling was associated with were unreliable, and it would be better to cooperate with a true god instead.

"My purpose in coming here is to have a discussion with you and to witness the Panlong City army firsthand. I greatly admire the resilience of the people here. I hope Panlong can establish diplomatic relations with Bailie, fostering frequent exchanges in the future." Lu Xun coughed forcefully. "Seeing is believing, and I will certainly advocate strongly for Brother Zhong upon my return."

Although Mount Ling has not yet accepted Panlong City, the people of Bailie are willing to establish diplomatic relations with it first.

The words "certainly" and "strongly" allowed Zhong Shengguang to perceive the other party's sincerity. He turned and retrieved two cups of tea.

"Indeed, that is my desire. Let us use tea instead of wine to toast to friendly nations and good neighbors. Cheers!"

Both raised their cups, drank them down, and shared a hearty laugh.

After chatting for a while longer, Lu Xun expressed a strong desire to experience the local customs and traditions. Zhong Shengguang then summoned Wen Daolun and asked him to accompany their distinguished guest on a tour of the city.

He Lingchuan did not accompany them. After Zhong Shengguang saw the guest out of the office, he turned to He Lingchuan and said:

"Come with me."

He Lingchuan secretly drew a breath, knowing that the inevitable had arrived.

The two returned to the small conference hall.

Zhong Shengguang said, "Describe in detail your recent encounter with Fushan Lie."

He Lingchuan narrated plainly.

Zhong Shengguang listened very attentively, then took a sip of his tea. "Fushan Lie must have been desperate to risk himself like that. It indicates that your measures in Longchuan have been effective in thwarting Beijia's plans."

"Yes."

"Fortunately, Mr. Lu was not injured; otherwise, communication with Mount Ling would become even more difficult," Zhong Shengguang sighed. "The effective part of dealing with the Longchuan banditry is that you promptly discovered Beijia's involvement. Had they been allowed to lie in ambush and gradually grow stronger, they would have been far more challenging to contend with later."

Panlong City has no fear of overt enemies.

What they fear are the unseen, dark places where malevolent forces fester.

He Lingchuan recalled the old water lizard's memories from over a century later: Why did Panlong City gain and then lose the land of Xiji? The underlying reason, he suspected, was likely insufficient control over the entire Xiji territory, compounded by their strategy to first defend the eastern frontier and then suppress the Longchuan water bandits—

Upon taking office as the commander of Yuheng City, he spoke with Wen Daolun and discovered that this was indeed Wen Daolun's strategic approach.

There was no alternative; Yuheng City at this time lacked sufficient personnel and strong soldiers. With limited resources, they had to prioritize immediate problems, naturally postponing less critical matters.

Although Panlong City and Wen Daolun recognized the importance of the Longchuan trade route, they merely intended to regularly sweep away the water bandits to prevent them from becoming rampant.

No one took the Longchuan water bandits seriously. To the proud Panlong City and the valiant Daifeng Army, who had already forced the Baling Kingdom to retreat in defeat and disrupted Beijia's covert operations, how could they possibly regard a minor Longchuan bandit problem as significant when they could defeat adversaries of such magnitude?

Thus, with Beijia's covert support, this minor nuisance ultimately metastasized into an incurable malady.

After He Lingchuan assumed power, he shifted Yuheng City's strategic focus, elevating the eradication of banditry to a top priority. Only by swiftly severing the foreign enemy's insidious influence would Yuheng City avoid future predicaments.

Zhong Shengguang then asked him, "Do you believe Fushan Lie specifically set up this ambush because he learned of Mr. Lu's visit?"

He Lingchuan shook his head. "From Blade Port to White Sand Bay is a vast distance, spanning several countries and taking at least two months to travel. I don't believe Fushan Lie could have staked out the location with such precision, even if he knew of the visit."

"Furthermore, the moment Fushan Lie appeared, he came directly at me. The person he intended to kill was not Mr. Lu, but me." He was quite certain of this.

Did Zhao Yin'an, the actual guardian of Yuheng City in historical accounts, perish in this attack?

Zhong Shengguang let out a soft sigh. "Fushan Lie truly is a nuisance."

He Lingchuan quickly pressed, "Did Mr. Lu also join Mount Ling? What is his standing within Mount Ling?"

"If the immortals of Mount Ling do not appear or leave the mountain, all affairs are decided by the Elder Council. The Lu clan is a well-documented lineage of immortal descendants, so Mount Ling naturally holds them in high esteem. Mr. Lu is part of the Investigation Department, which operates under the Elder Council, and his rapport with Elder Dongxing makes him highly trusted."

He Lingchuan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is Mount Ling truly remarkable? If Mount Ling consistently refuses to allow Panlong City to join, what impact will that have on us?"

"The Elder Council comprises more than one individual; if some object, others will approve, so we simply need to try again. Mr. Lu also stated he would continue to advocate for us," Zhong Shengguang said, rubbing his eyelids. "Naturally, the more allies, the better, especially since Mount Ling also holds sway over the Baling Kingdom. However, it wouldn't be detrimental if we can't join Mount Ling; haven't we managed perfectly well for the past decade or more?"

He spoke lightly, but He Lingchuan was well aware of the immense effort he had invested in breaking Panlong City's isolation and siege.

Mount Ling's refusal, in essence, signified the immortal forces' rejection of Panlong City.

This point, without a doubt, greatly disappointed Zhong Shengguang.

Ultimately, could Mount Ling directly assist Panlong City in resisting foreign aggression? No.

If it cannot, then what right does it have to criticize the choices Zhong Shengguang and Panlong City made out of dire necessity?

He Lingchuan further deduced from this that Panlong City and Mitian were indeed deeply intertwined and difficult to separate. This connection surpassed even that between He Chunhua and Nairuo Tian.

What was the bond between them? Was it General Hong, or the Great Square Pot?

Zhong Shengguang casually remarked, "For the next few days, please accompany Mr. Lu on his excursions around Yuheng City. I've heard he is a gentle and upright person, and I hope he will report his observations truthfully to Mount Ling."

"The Lu clan are descendants of immortals, so their lineage has persisted for at least two millennia, correct?"

Zhong Shengguang smiled. "Yes, their family fortune seems unending. I've heard a legend that every few generations, a 'Son of Destiny' is born into the Lu family."

"'Son of Destiny'?" He Lingchuan, hearing a new term, immediately perked up his ears. "What is that?"

"In ancient times, the Lu clan was undeniably an 'Immortal Family,' producing many immortals. The most renowned among them was High Immortal Hongli, whose boundless power saw him through the Immortal-Demon War without falling. Yet, even he ultimately succumbed to the predicament of declining spiritual energy. Before his passing, his descendants wept bitterly, pleading for a clear path, as the world had already undergone drastic changes."

"High Immortal Hongli then told them that immortals were destined to decline, and that worldly affairs were inconstant and could not be forced. However, with his final blessing, every few generations, a 'Son of Destiny' would be born into the Lu clan, bearing immense good fortune, who might help the family overcome their difficulties."

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. "Is this true?"

Zhong Shengguang seemed unconcerned. "There's no proof for such legends; only the Lu family themselves know the truth of it."

A Son of Destiny.

He Lingchuan repeatedly mulled over those four words.

From Lu Xun to He Lingchuan's original self, there was an interval of roughly 170 to 180 years. How many generations of Sons of Destiny might have been born during that time?

He suddenly thought of He Chunhua.

That scoundrel!

At the time, when he asked about Lu Xiaoyun, had He Chunhua not told him the complete truth?

Did his former adoptive father believe the Lu family's rumors, leading him to have a son with Lu Xiaoyun?

He Chunhua had indeed always praised his eldest son as a 'lucky general.'

Hmm, no wonder Nairuo Tian chose him as a vessel; perhaps he was also drawn to the characteristics of a 'Son of Destiny'?

However, this legend didn't specify whether a 'Son of Destiny' had to be born into the main lineage or a collateral branch. Perhaps Lu Zhensheng, in reality, was the one who possessed extraordinary luck in his generation.

"But for the past two millennia, the Lu clan's territory has steadily shrunk, and their status has continuously declined. Can this truly be considered as possessing immense fortune?"

Zhong Shengguang waved his hand dismissively. "How can the mere fortune of a clan contend with the overarching tides of the world? Take Yuan Kingdom, for example: Brother Shao, a royal relative, certainly had good personal fortune. Yet, when Beijia annihilated Yuan Kingdom, he still became a refugee from a lost nation, left to wander the world."

Indeed, how can the power of an individual or the fortune of a single clan contend against the prevailing tides of the world?

"Even if the legend is true, a person so blessed appears only every few generations. It would be commendable if they could merely revitalize the family," Zhong Shengguang's assessment was quite objective. "It's truly remarkable for the Lu clan to have persisted for over two millennia."

Families that have endured for over a millennium, from ancient times to the present, are truly a rarity.

He Lingchuan then took a Dragon Punishment Pillar from his robes and handed it to Zhong Shengguang.

"This is the 'nightmare qi' collected over the past six months."

Zhong Shengguang gazed at the faint red substance within the pillar, which alternated between liquid and gas, and sighed, "You've been through a lot."

The old lands of Xiji lie beyond the Panlong Wasteland. The 'nightmare qi' here can only be collected by the Dragon Punishment Pillar; otherwise, it would be absorbed by the Tianluo Star.

The 'nightmare qi' within the Dragon Punishment Pillar originated from the newly deceased, including water bandits, puppet soldiers, and even Yuheng City residents. It was all mixed together, impossible to separate.

He Lingchuan had no desire to collect this 'nightmare qi,' but if he didn't act, Fushan Lie might very well collect it all himself.

The Dragon Punishment Pillar had begun to circulate externally, and the Beijia people had likely already acquired it.

He Lingchuan gazed at the Dragon Punishment Pillar and voiced his doubt: "There's also a faint white gas in here; it doesn't seem to be 'nightmare qi'?"

It was just a tiny, milky-white wisp; had he not frequently examined the Dragon Punishment Pillar, he would never have noticed it.

"Mitian once said that 'nightmare qi,' 'yin sha qi,' and miasma can all be collected with it, with the exceptions of spiritual energy and elemental force."

"I thought this Dragon Punishment Pillar was single-purpose, only for collecting 'nightmare qi.'" Indeed, an item crafted from precious divine bone surely has more than just one use.