Chapter 22: Token of the Commander

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He Yue quickly pulled his hand away, saying angrily, "Captain Nian, please show some self-respect!"

Nian Songyu not only lacked self-restraint but also looked desperate as he pulled the young man into his arms and leaned down to kiss him. He Yue's face went ashen with fear.

Fortunately, someone lunged from the side, throwing a punch at Nian Songyu's face! This heavy punch was delivered with fierce power; if it had landed, Nian Songyu would have been sent flying at least ten feet, bruised and swollen. But he reacted quickly, shrinking his body, meeting the punch with his own, and simultaneously kicking his opponent in the chest with great force, clearly enraged. This, however, caused him to release He Yue.

The attacker's punch was actually a feint; his true killing move was the short blade in his left hand, silently thrusting towards Nian Songyu's ribs. As Nian Songyu noticed this, he also took two steps back, preemptively dodging a kick.

Only then did He Yue's cry reach them: "Stop! Don't fight!"

The newcomer was He Lingchuan. Without waiting for Nian Songyu to speak, he tilted his head, feigning surprise: "Captain Nian, is that you! I thought some shameless scoundrel had snuck in, trying to ruin my second brother's innocence." He Lingchuan said curiously, "Captain Nian, what are you doing standing in front of his outhouse?"

"I don't sleep well in strange beds, so I was just walking around. I happened to meet Second Young Master He and we were just chatting," Nian Songyu said, patting his sleeve. "The capital is truly a place where all sorts of people mix. You'll need more care and attention when you go there from the countryside." He gave He Yue a gentle smile: "Second Young Master He, it's rare to find such kinship. How about we have a drink again tomorrow night?"

He Yue's face was pale, and he said nothing.

"Great, my second brother and I will definitely join you then and drink until we drop!" He Lingchuan quickly interjected. "It's just that I tend to get quite boisterous when drinking and having fun, so Captain Nian, you'll have to bear with me."

Nian Songyu chuckled twice, feeling that the fellow's demeanor was somewhat sleazy, and decided not to engage further.

He Lingchuan then added, "Oh, by the way, have you found out who leaked the news of my severe injuries? I suspect it's an inside traitor!"

Nian Songyu's smile slowly vanished: "Not yet." With that, he turned and walked away gracefully.

The moment he disappeared, He Yue rushed to the pond to wash his hands, moving as fast as a rabbit shot in the tail. He Lingchuan heard him utter a rare curse word and saw his face was pale, washing his hands over and over, as if he wanted to scrub off a layer of skin. "Brother, good thing you were here." After all, he was only fourteen. No matter how mature he seemed for his age, he still needed his elder brother's support in such moments.

"Seeing his punchable face, my hands were itching too," He Lingchuan comforted him. "But even if I hadn't been here, he wouldn't have truly harmed you today."

"He was faking it?" He Yue frowned. "I checked into Nian Songyu; he supposedly genuinely has that kind of preference." For several generations, the Emperors of Yuan had favored male companions, making it a prevailing trend in the capital for high-ranking nobles and powerful figures to keep beautiful men. Young men with delicate features like He Yue were precisely the preferred prey for some.

"Whether he was faking it or not, I'm not sure," He Lingchuan chuckled. "But he was intimidating you so that, for the sake of your innocence, our family would have to expedite matters. Luring with benefits in the afternoon, threatening at night – that's called hitting it from both sides." He vigorously pinched his brother's cheek: "Look at this soft, tender skin. No wonder others harbor ill intentions. I told you to practice martial arts with me early on, but you refused."

He Yue slapped his hand away with a "smack." "They're already impatient. Is it because changes are imminent in the Coiling Dragon Desert?"

"Perhaps," He Lingchuan said, turning to walk out. "You should go to bed early. I'm going to find something to eat."

"The low cabinet in the main kitchen often has snacks."

"What is it today?"

"A bowl of walnut cakes," He Yue coughed. "But only half left."

"Not apple honey crisps?" He Lingchuan realized. "No wonder I sometimes couldn't find them! So you were secretly eating them!"

Only when he reached a quiet, deserted place did he vigorously shake his left fist. "Hiss, that hurts," he winced, looking at his reddened knuckles. The skin wasn't broken, but it was slightly swollen. "That Nian Songyu fellow, he's got some real skill." His fists were tempered year-round with iron sand and flint, capable of easily breaking wood as thick as a bowl. But the force transmitted back from that punch to Nian Songyu had made his finger bones ache.

The next morning, the two guests were invited to the main hall, where He Chunhua personally delivered the good news. "The entire leopard carcass has been recovered," Governor He said. He had been busy until late last night, sleeping only an hour, but now he was radiant and more energetic than his two sons. "However, I believe you two are only interested in this leopard tooth." He opened his palm, revealing the leopard tooth.

Nian Songyu eagerly leaned closer: "Let me see!"

No one cared how the leopard carcass had been recovered. It was merely a pretense, and everyone knew it. But He Chunhua sighed, "I thought some adversary had secretly acted, especially since Blackwater City is on the frontier, surrounded by enemies. I never imagined there would be so many hidden complexities. Please forgive us for delaying the Grand Tutor's important matter."

What else could Grand Tutor Sun say but be magnanimous? "No matter. Ignorance is no crime, and besides, Young Master He also suffered severe injuries."

So He Chunhua took out the leopard tooth and poured its contents onto a brocade plate: "It's all here, Grand Tutor. Please see which item is the token."

Everyone gathered to look, while Sun Fudong asked for a cup of water and dropped a plant seed into it. After just two stirs, the seed began to sprout roots and germinate, growing at a visible rate. In just over ten breaths, it grew into a flowering plant, bearing only one fuzzy white flower with six petals, the size of a fingernail. Sun Fudong picked up the items from the brocade plate, one by one, bringing them close to the small flower.

The flower showed no reaction, until—

Until He Lingchuan brought the broken half-comb close; the white flower suddenly withered, its stem and leaves shriveled, and finally it turned into powder, dissolving in the water.

"That must be it," Sun Fudong said, just as he was about to reach for it. He Chunhua, however, took the comb first, examining it closely. "More than a hundred years have passed, and the resentment attached to it is still so strong."

Nian Songyu wondered, "The token of a dignified commander from Coiling Dragon City is a comb?"

He Lingchuan shrugged: "He also had a wife and daughters."

He Yue then followed up with a question: "There's one thing I don't understand. When the State of Xianyuan finally broke through Coiling Dragon City back then, why didn't they seize the Great Square Gourd? They suffered considerable losses, so they should have known its value."

"According to the historical records of the State of Xianyuan, after their army captured Coiling Dragon City, they massacred its inhabitants. On the third day, the rivers and wells dried up, and even the water in the moat vanished overnight. On the fifth day, vegetation turned black and rotted; crops and withered grass all died. On the seventh day, all livestock collapsed and perished. Seeing this place as highly inauspicious, the Xianyuan army had no choice but to withdraw quickly. Moreover, without water or food, their troops couldn't sustain themselves. This very army was then immediately dispatched to fight in the north, and they never used the Great Square Gourd," Grand Tutor Sun said, taking a sip of tea. "Not only that, I've scourged all Xianyuan historical texts and found no record of any battle where mind-controlling worms were suspected to have been deployed. With such a treasure, once the State of Xianyuan acquired it, why would they not deploy it on the battlefield?"