Chapter 23: Departure Sacrifice Ceremony

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“Perhaps they obtained it, but something went wrong midway, and it wasn’t returned to Xianyou?” He Lingchuan persisted in his argument—no, rather, he raised a reasonable question. “Just because the treasure hasn’t been used on the battlefield doesn’t mean it’s still untouched in the Coiled Dragon Desert.”

“No, it’s still there,” Grand Tutor Sun said with certainty. “Otherwise, how do you think the Coiled Dragon Wasteland turned into a desert?”

He saw He Chunhua examining the broken comb repeatedly, with no intention of handing it over. Just as he was about to reach out for it, He Chunhua quickly said, “I’ll hold onto it for now.”

Sun Fuping knew He Chunhua didn’t fully trust them, so he dropped the idea of asking for it.

He Lingchuan was slightly surprised: “Wait, wasn’t it said that the vengeful spirits of the Great Wind Army were indestructible and sucked the life out of the entire wasteland?”

“If that were truly the case, it would only be an illusion. Without the Grand Square Gourd, they would have long since dissipated into the world. Don’t forget, if they can incubate thousands of mind-flaying insects, then containing thousands of vengeful spirits should be no problem at all.”

Mind-flaying insects are formless, bodiless, and insubstantial, similar to soul entities; in fact, they are part of human souls themselves. If the Grand Square Gourd can contain such things, it can very likely hold vengeful spirits as well.

Nian Songyu also added, “The Coiled Dragon Ruins aren’t far. If we go and return quickly, we might be able to evacuate before September and avoid facing the full wrath of the Coiled Dragon Desert.”

It was already the fifteenth of August, leaving fifteen days until September. However, the Coiled Dragon Desert didn’t rage according to a calendar; its temper could change at any time, possibly earlier or later than expected.

He Chunhua nodded: “We’ve also been gathering men while searching for the Leopard Tooth. We can set off the morning after tomorrow!”

Nian Songyu frowned: “Can’t it be tomorrow? It’s already mid-August…”

Before he could finish, Sun Fuping waved his hand, interrupting him: “Let’s make it the sixteenth of August. Gathering men now is already difficult for Lord He. And I need some time to prepare the ceremonial send-off.”

Before a royal army departed, the Grand Tutor always performed a ceremony: first for divination, and second for blessings.

Normally, how could the small county soldiers of Qiansong County enjoy such a grand ritual?

Before they dispersed, He Lingchuan approached Nian Songyu again: “Commander Nian, what about the explanation?”

Nian Songyu’s mind was preoccupied with the Coiled Dragon Desert, so he casually asked, “Explanation for what?”

“The person who leaked information about my injury,” He Lingchuan reminded him. “Give me a name, and I won’t bother you about it anymore.”

With both sides having reached an agreement, Nian Songyu hadn’t expected this young scoundrel to still pursue the matter, which he found quite tactless. His expression was cool: “My guards said that person can no longer be found.”

That was that. What could this rich country boy do?

He Lingchuan looked regretful: “Really can’t be found?”

Nian Songyu twitched the corner of his mouth: “It’s a trivial matter. Young Master He should focus on the present.”

Uncle Hao walked by from behind and happened to overhear the remark.

In the evening, Hong Baidao suddenly came to find He Lingchuan.

“First Young Master He, something bad has happened!”

Upon hearing this, He Lingchuan was first surprised, then thoughtful: “Don’t panic. How big a deal can it be? Where’s Uncle Hao? Go find him for me!”

Two days passed in a flash.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties, these past two dozen hours had been peaceful.

The terror of the Coiled Dragon Desert was deeply ingrained in people’s minds, with fatal examples appearing every year. Nevertheless, He Chunhua managed to gather two hundred people within the specified time.

The force He Chunhua assembled wasn’t entirely made up of soldiers; many were criminals exiled to the frontier.

The Kingdom of Yuan had very long exile terms: while other countries imposed ten to fifteen years, Yuan’s were eighteen to twenty-five. Criminals exiled to Blackwater City were well aware they might never return.

The Kingdom of Yuan had suffered continuous civil wars for years, either due to feudal lords carving out territories or peasant uprisings. This constant conflict had depleted the army generation after generation, making recruitment incredibly difficult.

Qiansong County had also experienced multiple foreign wars over the past decade, severely depleting its regular army. Therefore, Blackwater City tried its best to recruit soldiers locally; whether exiles or murderers, as long as they were strong and fit, they were enlisted, even receiving wages and being exempt from daily hard labor.

This time, Grand Tutor Sun also brought an imperial pardon.

Anyone who joined them to explore the Coiled Dragon Desert would immediately regain their freedom upon success, and all past crimes, no matter how severe, would be pardoned.

And there would be substantial rewards.

Generous rewards attract brave men. There were far worse things in this world than death, like poverty.

The bounty offered by the officials was enough for these poor wretches to stop relying on their own hands, marry a proper wife, take three or four concubines, have five or six strapping sons, and then buy seven or eight acres of fertile paddy fields. Their entire family could then live comfortably for the rest of their lives without lifting a finger.

Simply put, it was either sudden death or sudden wealth.

Furthermore, desperate individuals were common in frontier regions, so the number of volunteers actually exceeded He Chunhua’s expectations by several dozens.

The deputy commander leading this team, Zeng Feixiong, had a father who had been insane for nearly twenty years and suffered from a debilitating illness. The cost of his father’s medicine each month exceeded Zeng Feixiong’s salary, and he was currently deeply in debt. He Chunhua promised that if Zeng Feixiong agreed to lead the expedition to the Coiled Dragon Desert, all his debts would be reimbursed, and old Zeng could enjoy his twilight years, with medicine, attendants, and even someone to mourn him properly upon his death.

In these tumultuous times of war, achieving a peaceful end was perhaps several times harder than becoming suddenly wealthy.

And so, Zeng Feixiong came.

It was the fifth watch, still before dawn, and the team was already assembled at Blackwater City’s North Gate, ready for the Grand Tutor’s ceremony.

An altar had already been set up. Sun Fuping, having bathed beforehand, ascended the platform in a bright yellow long robe.

Clothes of this color could only be worn by the emperor and the Grand Tutor; anyone else wearing them would be executed.

He Lingchuan was very interested, because in this world, rituals to summon gods were not simply a matter of peach wood swords, paper talismans, and quick incantations.

Sun Fuping took out his long staff and gently tapped it on the ground. The strange beast at the staff’s head immediately raised its head to the sky and let out a loud roar.

The monster had a wide nose, a large mouth, bulging eyes, and a bearded jaw. Its roar was like that of an ox, shaking the surroundings.

Passersby, curious, gathered to watch.

The monster roared three times, each roar louder than the last. The final one was like muffled thunder, making people’s eardrums throb.

As if in response to the beast’s roar, the clouds in the sky quickly thickened and darkened. Finally, several loud thunderclaps burst from the deepest part of the cloud mass, rumbling down.

This was known as the ‘interplay between heaven and man’.

After more than ten breaths, it actually started to rain.

The cloud mass was directly over the troops, so the rain only fell on the soldiers. The onlookers’ clothes and hair remained dry; they weren’t dampened at all.

Such precise control was remarkable.

“The monster on the staff is Ya Zi. It has the ability to summon wind and rain, but it’s missing two horns,” He Yue mumbled, standing beside his elder brother. “Why doesn’t Grand Tutor Sun use the power of fate to pray for rain? Wouldn’t that conserve his energy?”

His voice was very low, but Nian Songyu still heard him: “He can’t use that, lest it disrupt the ceremony later.”

“Isn’t this the ceremony?” He Lingchuan stood between Nian Songyu and his younger brother, acting as a barrier to separate them. “Then what is the Grand Tutor doing?”