The Commander's Token

He Yue retreated rapidly, shouting in anger, "Commandant Nian, please show some self-respect!"

Nian Songyu not only lacked self-respect, he even reached out to snatch the youth toward him.

He Yue was so terrified that his face turned deathly pale.

Fortunately, someone lunged from the side, throwing a punch straight at Nian Songyu's face!

The heavy blow whistled with force; had it landed, Nian Songyu would have been sent flying at least ten feet, bruised and battered.

But Nian Songyu reacted quickly, shrinking his body slightly to meet fist with fist, while simultaneously kicking toward his opponent's chest. The strike was powerful, clearly fueled by sudden rage.

This forced him to release He Yue.

The newcomer had actually feinted with the punch; his true killing blow was the short blade in his left hand, which silently stabbed toward Nian Songyu's ribs.

Once Nian Songyu realized this, he retreated two steps, dodging the kick with preternatural awareness.

He Yue's shout finally arrived: "Stop! Don't fight!"

The person who had arrived was none other than He Lingchuan.

Without waiting for Nian Songyu to speak, he tilted his head, feigning surprise: "Commandant Nian, why is it you!"

"I thought some shameless lecher had snuck in, trying to ruin my second brother's innocence," He Lingchuan wondered aloud. "Commandant Nian, what are you doing standing in front of his latrine?"

"I'm a light sleeper and find it hard to rest at night, so I was just wandering around. When I ran into Second Young Master He, I decided to have a chat," Nian Songyu said, brushing off his sleeves. "The Great Capital is a place where all sorts of people mingle. Since you are coming from the countryside, you will need someone to look out for you there."

He gave He Yue a gentle smile: "Second Young Master He, it's rare that we hit it off so well. How about we find time to drink together tomorrow night?"

He Yue's face turned ghastly white, and he remained silent.

"Sure, Second Brother and I will definitely keep you company then, and we won't stop until we're drunk!" He Lingchuan immediately took over the conversation. "It's just that I tend to get a bit rowdy when I drink, Commandant Nian, so you'll have to bear with me."

Nian Songyu gave a dry chuckle, feeling that this fellow's demeanor was somewhat wretched, and he had no desire to continue the conversation.

He Lingchuan added: "By the way, have you found out who leaked the news of my serious injury? I suspect there's a mole!"

Nian Songyu's smile slowly faded: "Not yet." With that, he turned and strolled away.

As soon as he vanished, He Yue ran to the pond to wash his hands, moving as fast as a rabbit shot in the tail.

He Lingchuan heard him mutter a rare curse, and seeing his brother's pale face as he scrubbed his hands over and over again, as if he wanted to peel off a layer of skin, he said, "Big Brother, thank goodness you were there."

He was only fourteen, after all; no matter how mature he acted, there were times he still had to rely on his older brother for support.

"Looking at that punchable face of his, my hands were itching too," He Lingchuan comforted him. "But even if I hadn't been there, he wouldn't have actually laid a hand on you today."

"Was he just putting on an act?" He Yue frowned. "I looked into Nian Songyu; it seems he really does have that kind of hobby."

Several generations of Yuan Emperors had favored the company of men, which had become the trend in the Great Capital, making it common for high-ranking nobles to keep beautiful youths. A boy as delicate and handsome as He Yue was exactly the kind of prey some people coveted.

"Whether it's an act or not, I'm not sure," He Lingchuan chuckled. "But since he's threatening you, for the sake of your innocence, our family will have to speed things up. Temptation in the afternoon, intimidation at night—this is what we call a two-pronged approach."

He pinched his younger brother's cheek hard: "Look at this soft, tender skin; no wonder others have malicious intent. I told you to practice martial arts with me long ago, but you refused."

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

"Perhaps," He Lingchuan turned and walked away. "Go to sleep early, I'm going to find something to eat."

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

"What is it today?"

"A bowl of Walnut Cake," He Yue coughed. "Though there's only half left."

"Not Apple Honey Pastry?" He Lingchuan suddenly realized. "I was wondering why I couldn't find it sometimes; it turns out you were stealing it!"

Once he reached a quiet, deserted spot, he finally shook his left fist vigorously.

"Hiss, that hurts." He looked at his reddened knuckles; the skin hadn't broken, but they were swollen. "That fellow Nian Songyu, he's got some real skill."

His fists had been tempered for years with iron sand and flint, capable of easily snapping a wooden blade as thick as a bowl. Yet, the force returned from that punch against Nian Songyu had made his finger bones ache.

Early the next morning, the two guests were invited to the main hall, where He Chunhua personally brought them good news.

"The entire leopard carcass has been recovered." Governor He had been busy until late last night and had only slept for an hour, yet he was now glowing with health, looking more energetic than his two sons. "However, I imagine you two only require this leopard tooth."

He opened his palm to reveal the tooth.

Nian Songyu leaned in impatiently: "Let me see!"

No one cared how the leopard carcass had been recovered. It was just a story, and everyone knew it.

But He Chunhua sighed: "I thought some rival was acting in the shadows. After all, Blackwater City is on the front lines, surrounded by external enemies; I never imagined there were so many internal complications. Please forgive me for delaying the State Preceptor's important business."

What else could State Preceptor Sun say? He could only be magnanimous: "It is of no matter. One cannot be blamed for what one does not know, especially since Young Master He was also seriously injured."

He Chunhua took out the leopard tooth and poured its contents onto a silk-lined tray: "It is all here. State Preceptor, please take a look—which one is the token?"

The group gathered around to look, while Sun Fuping asked for a cup of water and dropped a grass seed into it.

After just a few shakes, the seed began to take root and sprout, growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just over ten breaths, it grew into a flowering plant that produced a single, fuzzy white flower with six petals, no larger than a fingernail.

Sun Fuping picked up the items from the tray one by one, bringing them close to the small flower.

The flower remained motionless, until—

Until He Lingchuan brought the broken half of the comb closer. The white flower suddenly withered, its stems and leaves shriveling away until it finally turned into powder, drifting apart in the water.

"This must be it." Just as Sun Fuping reached out, He Chunhua stepped in to take the comb first, examining it closely. "Even after a hundred years, the lingering resentment attached to it is still this intense."

Nian Songyu asked in surprise, "The token of the dignified Commander of Coiling Dragon City is actually a comb?"

He Lingchuan shrugged. "He once had a wife and daughter, too."

He Yue chimed in with a question, "There is one thing I don't understand. Back then, when the Xianyou Kingdom finally breached Coiling Dragon City, why didn't they seize the Great Square Pot? They suffered enough losses; they should have known its value."

"According to the records of the Xianyou Kingdom, after the army breached Coiling Dragon City, they slaughtered the population. On the third day, the river wells dried up, and even the water in the moat vanished overnight. By the fifth day, the plants turned black and rotted; crops and withered grass alike died. By the seventh day, all the livestock collapsed and perished. Seeing the place as highly ominous, the Xianyou army had no choice but to retreat as quickly as possible; besides, without water or food, the men could not hold out. Furthermore, this troop was immediately redeployed to fight in the north, so they never got to use the Great Square Pot." State Preceptor Sun took a sip of tea. "Not only that, I have scoured the historical records of the Xianyou Kingdom and found no mention of any battle where the Mind-Beguiling Insect was suspected to have been deployed. Once the Xianyou Kingdom obtained such a supreme treasure, how could they not have unleashed it on the battlefield?"