Chapter 30: Sand Bandits

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The strong wind made the wooden windows whine, and no one dared to open them. However, the light filtering through the cracks let He Lingchuan know that dusk was approaching outside.

He lay on the covers with his legs crossed, toying with He Chunhua’s Kite Coin in his hand. “Dad,” he asked, “who originally developed the use of primal energy? Some say it was taught by gods, others by immortals.”

When not activated, it looked like an ordinary coin. Who could have imagined that such a small National Seal could carry the fate of a nation and the public’s sentiments? Primal energy was truly mysterious.

“There’s no consensus, and history offers few clues,” He Chunhua said, frowning. “The origin of primal energy is very vague. After all, recorded human history only spans about two to three thousand years, and established nations only a little over a thousand years. It’s said that in ancient times, gods and celestials roamed the human world, and there were no nations then. It wasn’t until after a world-altering catastrophe, when gods and celestials disappeared and monsters ran rampant, that humans had to band together to resist, thus forming nations.”

He took the Kite Coin back from his son. “It was the emergence of the National Seal that made it possible for human nations to resist the demon tribes. Does it matter if it was taught by gods, by celestials, or if humans figured it out themselves?”

After all, cultivators are a minority; most people are born ordinary. How could they resist fully developed demon monsters? At that time, primal energy, generated by collective will and unity, became a powerful weapon for nations to combat the demon tribes.

From an initial standoff to a reversal of power dynamics, primal energy played an indispensable role. Today, human nations are far more numerous and cover much larger territories than demon nations and demon realms.

“So, no one still knows the origin of primal energy?” He Lingchuan sighed, turning back to the main topic. “Dad, why did you agree to go into the desert?”

“Could I have refused?” He Chunhua also half-reclined. Days of exhaustion made him feel as if his body would fall apart as soon as he relaxed. “If I had refused, Imperial Advisor Sun could have beheaded me by imperial decree.”

“Is being backed by imperial decree so great?” He Lingchuan sneered. “The king’s order also stated that we should cooperate with the investigation, but didn’t we drag our feet for so long? On the day of departure, you could have deliberately stalled if you had really wanted to.”

There are always policies from above and countermeasures from below; that’s true in any world.

This boy’s thoughts were much more astute than before. He Chunhua closed his eyes and rested for a while before saying in a low voice: “With Imperial Advisor Sun here, our chances of returning alive aren’t low. Besides, I always felt there was something strange about this trip to the Ancient Dragon City. If I didn’t come to see for myself, I feared a great misfortune might follow.”

He Lingchuan’s heart skipped a beat. “How so?”

“I can’t quite say,” He Chunhua shook his head. “It was just a sudden impulse. I had considered methods to evade it, but the worry in my heart grew heavier, and my intuition told me I should still go on this journey.”

What he called a sudden impulse was, in fact, what’s known as a sixth sense.

People of the era valued such intuitions greatly, and He Lingchuan couldn't say much more. But he still felt there was something strange about it. Governor He was known for his prudence and steadiness. Would he really put himself in danger just for a feeling?

But if he wouldn't say, how was his son to guess?

The next morning, the group set off again.

Though still on Red Cliff Road, travelers in this direction grew fewer and fewer. Imperial Advisor Sun’s team finally encountered the Coiling Dragon Desert’s second greatest menace: desert bandits.

These desert bandits were human, numbering around thirty riders. They were mostly burly men, moving like the wind on horseback. He Lingchuan immediately recognized that the burly, muscular men in the front were martial artists, and there might even be sorcerers among them.

The two groups approached each other from opposite directions and met face to face. Both were momentarily stunned, sizing each other up.

It went without saying how their side viewed the bandits. But in the bandits’ eyes, this group was well-equipped with neat attire, light armor, long sabers, standardized weapons, armor, and combat skills, along with clearly recognizable warhorses. What did that signify?

This was an army!

Either they were marching, suppressing bandits, or patrolling. What else would an army be doing in the Coiling Dragon Desert?

The common people do not fight the authorities. Furthermore, the army far outnumbered them, so the bandits were genuinely startled.

Fortunately, the masked leader turned and saw He Chunhua, and his eyes lit up. He actually spurred his horse forward, calling out, “Governor He, we’re just passing through!”

Before they started robbing, weren’t they just ‘passing through’? He Chunhua coughed, a little embarrassed. “We don’t have time to suppress bandits today, so just make sure you don’t cause any trouble… Are there any other people to the north?”

Imperial Advisor Sun and his companion looked at him, then at the bandits, and understood. It was clear these two sides knew each other.

“No, not a single soul,” the burly man chuckled awkwardly and quickly said. “We’ll be going now, so we don’t delay your important business!”

As the bandits were about to make a swift escape, Sun Fuping spoke up: “Wait! You must know the Coiling Dragon Desert very well, yes?”

“Uh, I suppose so,” the burly man replied. He noticed that this person was half a horse-length ahead of He Chunhua and carried himself with an extraordinary demeanor, suggesting he was a high-ranking figure. Such people were usually their favorite ‘fat sheep’—after robbing them of their valuables, they could also kidnap them for ransom, a two-for-one deal that left nothing to waste.

However, with Governor He nearby, they couldn’t act rashly.

“How long have you been here?”

“Ten—just a few years,” Situ Han quickly explained. “We always know when to stop…”

“Then stay.”

“Huh?”

Sun Fuping said to He Chunhua, “We’re short on hands, isn’t this just perfect?”

He Chunhua thought to himself, *Two hundred government soldiers aren't enough?* But he nodded outwardly, “That’s true. It’s hard to recruit people in the city.”

Imperial Advisor Sun smiled benignly, watching the bandits like a weasel watching chickens, making them uneasy and eager to flee. Unexpectedly, He Chunhua raised the Kite Coin and lightly coughed, “Stay! From this moment, Blackwater City officially incorporates thirty Mount Mang bandits—”

He Lingchuan counted them from the side, “Thirty-two men!”

“...thirty-two men, to be assigned under Lieutenant Zeng Feixiong and serve with the army!”

He Chunhua even listed their salaries and benefits.

The Mount Mang bandits stared wide-eyed, exchanging glances. Their leader, disbelieving, cautiously asked, “W-we’re becoming official soldiers just like that?”

This was too fake, too much of a joke, wasn't it? These officials really knew how to play games.

“Exactly!”

“Then, where are you going, Governor He?”

“We are at the Imperial Advisor’s command,” He Chunhua said, pointing at Sun Fuping. “We are heading deep into the Coiling Dragon Ruins.”

Seeing the government soldiers surrounding them from all sides, the bandits were instantly dumbfounded. “What?!”

After traveling more than ten *li*, Situ Han, the bandit leader, still felt somewhat dazed. He had checked the almanac carefully before coming out to rob today, so how had he suddenly become a regular soldier halfway through his journey?

He Lingchuan patted his shoulder, saying sympathetically, “Hang in there. As long as you make it back to the city alive, you’ll be on the imperial payroll from now on.”

How could being on the imperial payroll be as enjoyable as being a bandit king? However, with his men completely surrounded by Blackwater City’s army, there was nowhere to run. Situ Han’s smile was uglier than a cry, and a chill ran down his spine. “Young Master He,” he said, “are we really going into the Coiling Dragon Ruins? The Great Sand Season is approaching; getting trapped in there means certain death!”