Chapter 98: Setting off on Manager He’s Path to Success

He wanted to practice his accuracy. Because he had practiced martial arts for many years, his movements were very steady. But after shooting a few arrows, his hit rate was very poor; he even missed the target twice. So, that successful flying knife throw that saved his father in the Coiled Dragon Desert was truly an act of pure luck. No, it was He Chunhua who was lucky not to have been headshotted by his son first.

He Lingchuan was not discouraged. He recalled Hu Min's effortless archery, knowing it wasn't achieved overnight. After drawing the bow fifty times, He Lingchuan put down the heavy bow. He first relaxed his sore shoulders and arms, then regulated his inner energy before beginning his saber practice.

This was something he had wanted to do ever since he woke up. He closed his eyes, slowly recalling the intense struggle of the past night. Every parry, every dodge, every injury, every direct hit, and—every kill!

In his dream, he had killed six enemies and wounded or assisted in wounding nineteen others. Now, these scenes replayed clearly in his mind, freezing and zooming in, allowing him to calmly register every success and examine every mistake. He even remembered Commander Xiao's saber: sharp, decisive, and without any hesitation. And Meng Shan, whose ferocity and dominance, facing extreme danger without flinching, made even Commander Xiao wary of challenging him directly.

He Lingchuan felt as if he had returned to the battlefield of yesterday. When he came to his senses, his saber practice was complete. His understanding of swordsmanship had become more refined, and many previously obscure points now became clear. Just then, an osmanthus flower fell. He Lingchuan struck out with his saber, the blade passing about an inch from the petals. The osmanthus flower seemed to briefly hesitate in the air, then continued its descent along its original trajectory, completely unharmed.

The servant standing in the corner of the courtyard winced, but He Lingchuan seemed very pleased, even revealing a slight smile. Wielding a saber generates wind. The faster the saber, the stronger the wind it creates. The fact that the osmanthus flower, less than an inch from the blade, was undisturbed by the wind it generated, showed his progress.

He Lingchuan had actually developed a trace of "saber qi," but controlling its emission and absorption at will was much harder than it sounded. He still had a long way to go to transition from outward display to inner containment. But when had his memory become so good that he could recall every detail from last night, replaying and savoring each frame? He recalled that both dream experiences had been like this. Perhaps, this was again the doing of the Broken Saber?

He then returned to drawing the bow, then practicing with his saber, repeating this cycle several times. As the sun slowly began to set, the servant had to remind him, "Young Master, don't forget Madam's instructions." What had Madam Ying instructed? He Lingchuan thought for a while before remembering that she wanted him to widely distribute invitations to the upper-class families in Blackwater City, inviting them to the He family's "Feast of Ascension" tomorrow night. When an official was promoted, colleagues and relatives would come to offer congratulations, and the host would prepare a lavish banquet with music and dance, which was called a "Feast of Ascension." He Chunhua had achieved great merit this time, rising several ranks, so naturally, the Feast of Ascension had to be grand.

He finished his practice, bathed, then got to work. By the time He Lingchuan finished delivering the invitations and returned home, the bright moon had already risen. He Lingchuan glanced at the Broken Saber on the wall, feeling a little excited as he lay down to sleep, hoping to dream of Coiled Dragon again tonight. He urgently wanted to know the outcome of the riverbed battle. Unfortunately, he had no dreams that night.

Three days passed in a flash. With Governor He's promotion, Blackwater City was as lively as a festival. Even the He family's servants enjoyed being treated like celebrities when they went out. The He residence was bustling with activity; those coming to offer congratulations and gifts almost wore out the doorstep. Most of these visitors were received by He Yue, as He Chunhua was busy finalizing the list of his personal guards. The Blackwater City army currently totaled over 1,300 men. He couldn't take all of them, so after careful selection, he chose three hundred. These three hundred elites would be the foundation for his burgeoning development in Xiazhou. In that regard, loyalty was more important than fighting capability. Among them were three generals, including Zeng Feixiong.

He Lingchuan was surprised that this incredibly filial son was willing to go north with them. It turned out that Zeng Feixiong's father had suddenly died of illness five days prior. Before his death, he regained consciousness, and father and son finally had a good talk. Zeng Feixiong had fulfilled his wish of seeing his elderly father to his end. With no lingering attachments, he no longer held any fondness for Blackwater City. In fact, one of He Chunhua's criteria for selecting personal guards was strong, young bachelors, preferably unburdened by family. Otherwise, traveling thousands of miles to war with guards bringing their families would undoubtedly slow down their march. In addition, He Chunhua also brought along several strategists.

Madam Ying, meanwhile, was busy settling wages and then dismissing the household servants. Apart from the old steward, the He family only took one male and one female attendant on this journey, both loyal servants who had served for seven or eight years. Everything on the road would be kept simple; they would hire new staff once they reached their new destination. Uncle Hao was also willing to go to Xiazhou, but He Chunhua assigned him to temporarily remain in Blackwater City to help manage the He family's assets, before heading north in about three to five months.

He Lingchuan also met Situ Han, but the sand bandits wouldn't be going. "We can't go. Our families are all here and depend on us," Situ Han said. By this time, Situ Han and the other sand bandits had been recruited into the city army, receiving imperial pay, and everyone felt comfortable and unwilling to travel thousands of miles to face the unknowns of Xiazhou. "Who doesn't know there will be fighting there? Who wants to go to the front lines when they can live a stable life?" Situ Han pushed Maotao forward. "Only this kid insists on following you. He won't listen to any persuasion; that's just recklessness." He Lingchuan asked, surprised, "Isn't your wife in Blackwater City?" "We broke up yesterday. She even slapped me twice," Maotao grinned, unconcerned. "I heard the girls in Xiazhou have bigger, more sparkling eyes, unlike the rough women here. There's a thousand miles of fertile land there; why should I stick to this small, barren plot?"

So, including the indispensable family members and logistics personnel, the He Chunhua contingent ultimately comprised over 430 people in total.

He Lingchuan hadn't expected the first person he saw upon stepping out to be Liu Baobao. The man came up to him, holding a box. "Young Master, this is what you asked me to get a few days ago. Consider it a farewell gift." Curious, He Lingchuan took it and opened it to find several bottles of fine, white medicinal powder. The bottles were also absurdly large. "Uh..." Why did this look like contraband to him? "Did I ask you to get something like this?" No, he hadn't. How could he? He was a promising young man. "Didn't you want a medicine that would immediately stop pain without hindering your movements?" Liu Baobao pointed to the powder in the bottle. "This is it! It's called Shituo Powder." He Lingchuan felt relieved and happily accepted it. Liu Baobao, all smiles, bowed in farewell. "When you rise to prominence in the future, Young Master, don't forget your old acquaintance in this frontier town." "That's a certainty!" He Lingchuan readily agreed.

That morning, the He family, leading their four hundred personal guards, had a farewell tea and bid farewell to the common people. Amidst crowds lining the streets to see them off, they left Blackwater City and headed north.