Chapter 12: Populus Euphratica Mountains and Marshes

Just one more step, and the child would have been flattened.

The child picked up a rattle drum from the ground, coughing incessantly from the dust stirred up by the horses' hooves. The parent finally pushed through the crowd, scooped up the child, and ran off without looking back.

People on the street started shouting accusations, but the passenger in white robes seemed to pay no attention, looking up at Uncle Hao instead.

Uncle Hao's face remained impassive.

Liu Baobao, standing next to He Lingchuan, coughed loudly and asked, "Who are you people? Don't you know riding horses at full gallop in the marketplace is punishable by flogging?"

"Who would carry out the punishment?" the young man in white robes scoffed, a sneer clear in his voice. "You?"

The man's gaze was like needles, making Liu Baobao's face tingle, and he involuntarily drew his head back. "Blackwater City has strict laws. Try running a few more steps if you dare!"

After that, the young man ignored him, shifting his gaze to He Lingchuan, as if knowing he was the one in charge.

He Lingchuan smiled at him, but the other person stared intently for a moment before urging his horse forward again.

The gray-robed man behind him never looked up.

After this brief commotion, the two men slowed their pace. Men, women, and children on the street all watched them disappear around the street corner.

That direction led out of the city, towards the northeast.

Uncle Hao remarked, "Both of these men possess cultivation. Especially the gray-robed man behind, I couldn't discern his true strength. As for the young rascal in white, he might be from a military family."

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

Uncle Hao had once massacred over ten prominent families in the capital during the night. Later, he was enlightened by a Taoist practitioner, learned spellcraft, dispelled his malevolence, and achieved profound cultivation, earning him the status of a senior retainer in the He family. If he said the gray-robed man was formidable, He Lingchuan had no doubt.

These two don't seem like ordinary merchants. What are they doing in this frontier region?

At that moment, several Blackwater City patrols arrived in the middle of the street. Also alerted by the commotion, they asked the surrounding crowd, "What happened?"

"Two people galloped through the market and almost trampled a child!" the crowd chattered, the gist of their complaints being this.

Only two people? Then it wasn't the He family's young master, thank goodness. The patrol leader grew even angrier, but then he looked up and spotted He Lingchuan leaning out the window, watching the commotion. He quickly greeted him, his face relaxing and a smile forming at the corner of his lips. "Greetings, Master He?"

"Good, very good," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Are you here to chase them?"

"Chase!" the patrol captain declared righteously. "We strictly forbid galloping horses, yet you insisted. What is this if not contempt for the law? They must be severely punished!"

He Lingchuan pointed the way for them: "Those two headed towards the Northeast Gate."

The patrol captain thanked him and set off in pursuit with his subordinates.

After they left, Uncle Hao commented, "A few patrols won't be able to stop them."

"I know," He Lingchuan shrugged. "I was just testing the waters. This is Blackwater City; can they really cause a major disturbance in broad daylight?"

However, the patrols returned about fifteen minutes later, empty-handed.

He Lingchuan wasn't surprised by this outcome, but he still wanted to know the full story. "Where are those two?"

The patrol chief, not expecting He Lingchuan to still be waiting for the results, coughed awkwardly before explaining, "Those two are subordinates of General Zhenbei and the Governor of Xunzhou. They are in Blackwater City on official business and presented official documents bearing the fire seal."

He Lingchuan drew out a long "Oh."

He knew the patrol chief was referring to General Zhenbei Nian Zanli, who also served as Governor of Xunzhou – effectively the top military and administrative authority – whose power far exceeded that of the Jinzhou Prefect.

Below a prefecture is a commandery. Even He Chunhua, the Prefect of Qiansong Commandery, would respectfully refer to himself as "your subordinate" if he met General Zhenbei.

The patrols soon left, and Liu Baobao seemed a little uneasy. "Those two shouldn't remember me, right?"

"It's such a small matter, why would they bother remembering it?" He Lingchuan's reassurance lacked sincerity, but inwardly he wondered, *Why would the Governor of Xunzhou send subordinates to Blackwater City?*

Just then, two startling claps of thunder rolled across the sky, rumbling loudly enough to make ears ache and sending dogs in the street yelping and scurrying away with their tails tucked.

The people of Blackwater City, accustomed to such events, simply continued with their business as usual.

He Lingchuan looked west and saw a massive, thick bank of dark clouds churning on the horizon.

A storm was approaching.

"A storm is coming," the young man in white robes said, looking at the sky, then at the gray-robed man. "Do you think this place will do?"

The two of them were, surprisingly, at Gourd Mountain.

It had seven peaks, three of which were bare rock and soil, rugged like bald giants.

Although unassuming in appearance, Gourd Mountain was actually abundant in mice, rabbits, foxes, and deer. Occasionally, people could even hunt wild boars and gray wolves there.

The two stood on an animal trail, having just inspected several caves.

"Although the land and water are not rich, there are many creatures; the quantity is just barely sufficient," the gray-robed man said. A purple-gold pestle appeared in his hand. Its top was carved with a grotesque beast with bulging eyes and a large mouth, with four rings hanging below its feet. The end was sharpened like a cone, gleaming with a metallic luster.

With a sway in the wind, the pestle, originally over a foot long, transformed into a seven-foot purple-gold staff.

The gray-robed man plunged the purple-gold staff more than a foot into the soil until it stood firm on its own. Only then did he ask the white-robed youth for a green copper coin and insert it into the beast's mouth.

The beast's mouth closed on its own, biting down on the coin, and a red glow gradually intensified in its eyes.

The gray-robed man began to sway the top of the staff.

The rings hanging from the monster's feet immediately began to jingle and clatter. At first, the sound seemed chaotic, but after listening for a while, one could discern that it followed a specific rhythm, repeating over and over.

And each repetition was clearer, louder, and... carried further than the last!

The chirping of insects and birds that had filled the forest completely vanished, leaving only the persistent echo of the ringing bells.

The young man in white robes took a deep breath.

With his self-control, he tried to listen intently to the ringing, but soon felt lightheaded, his heart pounding, and his ears ringing. He had to break his concentration and stared blankly at the distant mountaintops.

By distracting himself, he could still bear it.

After about the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, a rustling sound followed by an exasperated voice came from behind them:

"Stop swaying it! Stop! Don't make that sound anymore!"

The purple-gold staff stopped at the sound. The two looked back and saw a Poplar tree shaking its branches and leaves, rustling, and the voice seemed to emanate from its foliage.

The Poplar tree was gnarled and vigorous, weathered by time, appearing to be at least three or four hundred years old, making it the largest tree in the vicinity.

The young man in white robes spoke first: "Are you the local Mountain Spirit?"

"I am the Mountain Spirit of Poplar Mountain, appointed two hundred years ago. Now this place is called Gourd Mountain," the Poplar Mountain Spirit's voice was peculiar, as if produced by countless leaves rubbing and vibrating. Initially somewhat indistinct, it grew smoother with each word.

It was as if someone who hadn't spoken for many years was re-acclimating to the ability to speak. "I have been dormant for a very long time; even local officials couldn't rouse me. Who are you?"

Only then did it sense the copper coin held in the beast's mouth on the purple-gold staff, and it was greatly surprised. "Oh, this is a State Decree Token from the new dynasty, I believe it's called... what kind of kite?"

"Kite Coin," the gray-robed man said, tapping the beast's head. The green copper coin dropped into his palm. If an idle bystander had been watching, they would have noticed that this object was slightly larger than an ordinary copper coin, with a hole at the top for easy stringing.