Ignorance of Heaven and Earth

"The scout you sent out was killed on the spot?" He pondered for a moment. "That hawk-demon had been with Uncle Hao for many years; it was always perched on his shoulder. I even fed it by hand myself."

"It was tortured to death." Hearing his father refer to the hawk-demon as a "scout," He Lingchuan felt a sense of relief; that meant it wouldn't be dismissed as just some minor creature. "Nian Songyu and State Master Sun must have learned from it that I was the one who sent it out."

He could not fight this battle alone; he had to remember that his father was his solid backing.

If his father, who held both office and power, couldn't handle this, then he certainly couldn't either.

He Chunhua, however, said indifferently, "It's just a hawk. If it's dead, it's dead. What's the big deal?" He picked up his brush and continued writing.

He Lingchuan was stunned. "Father!"

He had not expected this reaction from He Chunhua and hurriedly tried to persuade him:

"They clearly have a favor to ask of the He Manor, they clearly knew Little Gray was sent by me, and they clearly knew this was just a small misunderstanding, yet they still crushed it to death!"

He tapped the table lightly, causing the four treasures of the study to jump. "Father, these two don't hold our family in any regard at all. They think they can mold us however they like, flatten us whenever they please, and force us to work for them while forbidding us from even crying out!"

"Sun Fuping is a Great State Master favored by heaven, while I am merely a governor in a desolate land. That is the difference between heaven and earth. In normal times, he can mold me however he likes and flatten me whenever he pleases, and then crush you with a single finger—otherwise, why call it a strict hierarchy?" He Chunhua laughed instead of getting angry. "You've been too comfortable in Blackwater City for too long; you've forgotten the order of superior and inferior, and you've lost all sense of proportion!"

His tone turned chilling as he spoke the last few words.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't resentful; the other party looked down on them from the bottom of their hearts.

They crushed your scout, yet you still have to work for them and die in their stead!

Yes, that is exactly how superior they felt.

But when an official is one rank higher, he can crush you, and State Master Sun was even acting under royal orders. What could Governor He do?

He Lingchuan was unconvinced. "But Uncle Hao..."

"Those who serve must accept their fate!" He Chunhua frowned. "Is he unable to let it go?" He was already decades old, after all.

He Lingchuan decisively changed the subject. "You said it yourself—that's in normal times!"

"Less complaining, less showing off, and more thinking of solutions." He Chunhua dropped his brush, stood up, and flicked his eldest son on the forehead. "However, we cannot remain purely passive. After all, this is still the He family's territory. Tell me, how do you want to 'cry out'?"

"It would be better to let the second brother come up with a plan; he has more devious ideas. But as I see it—" He Lingchuan sneered, "Even if we have to do their bidding in the end, there's no harm in using a delaying tactic first to dampen their arrogance. Besides us, who knows the exact whereabouts of the Sand Leopard's relics? Furthermore, they killed our man... er, demon. Surely that requires a price?"

"A price?" He Chunhua pulled a smile, feeling that these two words struck a chord in his heart. "That makes sense."

His eldest son had grown; he felt a small sense of gratification.

"By the way, what about those two guards from Donglai Manor?" He Lingchuan knew that He Chunhua had originally intended to let them go.

"Leave them be." He Chunhua was equally nonchalant. "We'll talk about it in a few days; they don't care about them anyway."

Nian and Sun cared about the whereabouts of the token, and Donglai Manor cared about the Great Square Pot; the guards themselves were inconsequential.

At the banquet that evening, both sides chatted and laughed, and the host and guests were well-pleased.

Taking advantage of the wine, He Chunhua practically patted his chest, guaranteeing that he would find the pass for the Coiling Dragon Desert.

Then, ten hours passed.

Nian Songyu naturally felt that every hour was like a year and urged him once. While He Chunhua admitted he had gained nothing, he once again guaranteed he would do his utmost.

Only then did he send men to Blackwater City, putting on a show of posting notices and searching the entire city.

The attitude was excellent, but the efficiency was abysmal.

Naturally, searching like this would yield no results.

The He family's advantage was time; they were in no rush.

The dignified Great State Master finally could not sit still and went to pay a visit with Nian Songyu, but unfortunately, the Governor was out, so they had to be hosted by the second son, He Yue.

Both men's eyes lit up when they saw He Yue, and they did not stint on their praise. Especially after chatting with He Yue for a few moments, Nian Songyu seemed to feel they were kindred spirits, even blurting out things like, "You and I are of similar age; we should exchange ideas more often in the future."

He Lingchuan took a sullen sip of tea. Speaking of age, wasn't he closer to Nian Songyu's age? How could this guy say that with such a straight face? His second brother had a handsome appearance and was always more likable than him, but wasn't the performance of these two a bit exaggerated?

He Yue was following his father's instructions, reciting official jargon: "The entirety of Blackwater City has been mobilized, but with the impending closure of the Red Cliff trade route, the flow of travelers in and out of the city has surged. With such a mix of people, it adds significant difficulty to our search mission."

He Lingchuan was afraid his brother would be taken advantage of, so he sat to the side to accompany him. Watching the boy appear exceptionally sincere while being completely impenetrable, he looked exactly like his father, He Chunhua.

Nian Songyu lost his patience and couldn't be bothered with pleasantries anymore. "Then close the city gates and search! This matter concerns the fate of the nation; what does it matter if the city is closed for a few days?"

"That won't do." He Yue gave a bitter smile. "The Baling delegation will arrive in Blackwater City in the next two days and then return west from here. This is their last chance to return home this year. If there is any delay, I fear it will cause a major misunderstanding between our two countries!"

He paused for a moment. "Baling has always coveted the Great Yuan, and there have been many border frictions; they are just looking for an excuse."

Nian Songyu laughed in anger. "So, Blackwater City cannot be closed, or doing so will trigger a border war?"

"It is highly likely!" He Yue said firmly. "Qiansong Prefecture cannot afford that!"

Sun Fuping, tired of their bickering and waste of time, simply cut to the chase: "I heard the eldest young master of the He family was injured and has been confined to his home for forty or fifty days?"

"That's right, it nearly cost me my life." He Lingchuan had been drinking tea on the side for a long time; the topic had finally turned to him. He pulled open his collar, revealing the scar on his neck. "Look."

At that time, the Sand Leopard had bitten down on his neck with all its might. Although the wound had healed, it left a hideous, jagged scar, showing just how critical that day had been.

Nian Songyu stared at the scar. "How did you get this injury?"

"This was when I went to Gourd Mountain..." He Lingchuan paused, as if stunned. "Huh, where did Commander Nian hear that I was seriously injured? Not many people know about this."

Nian Songyu replied without thinking, "My men found out. Just as you said, Blackwater City is crowded and noisy; information can't be kept under wraps."

"Those bastards dare to spread rumors about me?" He Lingchuan threw down his cup in anger. "Who exactly was it? Tell me, Commander Nian, and I certainly won't spare him!"

Nian Songyu fell silent, his gaze becoming increasingly sharp as he looked at him.

That sensation of needles pricking his face returned, and He Lingchuan stared back, refusing to yield.

A staring contest? He had never backed down from one.