Expedition Ritual

"Maybe they got it, but something happened along the way and they never brought it back to the Xianyou Kingdom?" He Lingchuan insisted on arguing—or, no, raising a reasonable objection. "The fact that the treasure was never used on the battlefield doesn't mean it's still sitting untouched in the Coiling Dragon Desert."

"No, it's still there." State Preceptor Sun sounded supremely confident. "Otherwise, how do you think the Coiling Dragon Wilderness became a desert?"

He Chunhua kept turning the broken comb over and over in his hands, showing no sign of passing it over. Just as State Preceptor Sun was about to ask for it, He Chunhua spoke first. "I'll hold on to it for now."

Sun Fuping knew the two of them didn't trust him, so he gave up on asking for it.

He Lingchuan was a little surprised. "Huh? Didn't you say the Great Wind Army's vengeful spirits hadn't dissipated, and had drained the life from the entire wilderness?"

"Even if that's true, it's only the outward appearance. Without the Great Square Pot, they would've long since dispersed into the world. Don't forget, if they could hatch tens of thousands of Mind-Beguiling Insects, then holding tens of thousands of vengeful spirits should be no trouble at all."

The Mind-Beguiling Insects had no form, body, or substance. They resembled souls—or, perhaps, were themselves part of a human soul. Since the Great Square Pot could contain such things, it was likely capable of holding vengeful spirits too.

Nian Songyu added from the side, "The Coiling Dragon Ruins aren't far. We can make a quick trip there and back. Perhaps we'll be able to withdraw before September, without having to face the Coiling Dragon Desert's fury."

It was already August 15, with only fifteen days left until September. Then again, the Coiling Dragon Desert didn't consult an almanac before throwing a fit. How could anyone know exactly when it would change its mood? It might come early or late.

He Chunhua nodded. "We've been gathering men while searching for Leopard Tooth. We can set out the morning after tomorrow!"

Nian Songyu frowned. "Can't we go tomorrow? It's already mid-August..."

Before he could finish, Sun Fuping raised a hand to stop him. "Let's make it August 16. Gathering the men at this point is already difficult for Lord He. I'll also need some time to prepare the Expedition Ritual."

Before the king's army set out on a campaign, the State Preceptor had to perform a ritual: first to divine the outcome, and second to pray for good fortune.

Under normal circumstances, how could the little county soldiers of Qiansong Prefecture ever receive such an honor?

Before everyone dispersed, He Lingchuan went to Nian Songyu again. "Commandant Nian, what about that explanation?"

Nian Songyu had his mind full of the Coiling Dragon Desert, and asked offhandedly, "What explanation?"

"The person who leaked the news that I was injured," He Lingchuan reminded him. "Give me a name, and I won't bother you about it again."

Now that both sides had agreed to cooperate, Nian Songyu hadn't expected this good-for-nothing young master to keep digging. He really didn't know what was good for him. His expression turned cold. "My guards said that person can't be found anymore."

That was that. What could this country bumpkin trust-fund kid do about it?

He Lingchuan looked disappointed. "You really can't find him?"

Nian Songyu's mouth twitched. "It's a trivial matter. Young Master He should focus on what's at hand."

Uncle Hao happened to be walking past behind them and heard those words.

At dusk, the Red and White Path suddenly came looking for He Lingchuan.

"First Young Master He, something terrible has happened!"

He Lingchuan was startled at first, then looked thoughtful. "Don't panic. How big a deal can it be? Where's Uncle Hao? Go find him for me!"

Two days flew by in the blink of an eye.

With all sides doing their utmost to make things happen, those twenty-odd hours passed in peace.

The Coiling Dragon Desert's horrors were seared into everyone's minds. There were cautionary tales of people dying there every year, but He Chunhua still managed to gather two hundred people by the appointed time.

Not everyone in the force He Chunhua had assembled was a soldier. Quite a few were convicts exiled to the frontier.

The Yuan Kingdom's exile terms were long. Other countries imposed sentences of just ten to fifteen years, but its sentences ran from eighteen to twenty-five. Convicts exiled to Blackwater City had long since prepared themselves for the thought that they might never return.

The Yuan Kingdom had been embroiled in civil war for years. It was either warlords carving up the land or rebels rising from the grass roots. The fighting had chewed through wave after wave of soldiers, and recruits had long been hard to come by.

Qiansong Prefecture had also fought several foreign wars over the past decade, leaving its regular army severely depleted. So Blackwater City tried to recruit locally wherever possible. Exiles and even murderers were accepted into the ranks as long as they were strong and healthy. They even received pay, and were spared a life of endless labor.

This time, State Preceptor Sun had also brought an amnesty order from the Royal Court.

Anyone who joined them in exploring the Coiling Dragon Desert would be freed as soon as the mission was complete. No matter how serious their past crimes, they would all be pardoned.

And there would be generous rewards.

Generous rewards always drew brave men. Plenty of things in this world were worse than death—poverty, for instance.

The government's reward money would be enough for these poor bastards to bid farewell to the Five-Fingered Widow, marry a proper wife, then take three or four concubines. They could have five or six chubby sons, buy seven or eight mu of fine paddy fields, and spend the rest of their lives in comfort without lifting a finger.

In short, they could either die suddenly or get rich overnight.

Besides, the frontier was full of desperate men to begin with, so dozens more people volunteered than He Chunhua had expected.

The deputy commander leading the force, Zeng Feixiong, had a father who'd been mad for nearly twenty years and suffered from a wasting illness. Each month, his medicine cost more than his salary, and by now he was up to his neck in debt. He Chunhua promised that if Zeng Feixiong led the expedition into the Coiling Dragon Desert, all his debts would be paid off. His father could enjoy his remaining years in comfort, with medicine and people to care for him, and someone to dress in mourning and see him off when the time came.

In these troubled times, a peaceful end might be several times harder to come by than a fortune.

And so Zeng Feixiong joined them.

It was the fifth watch. The sky was still dark, but the force had already assembled at Blackwater City's north gate, waiting for the State Preceptor to perform the ritual.

An altar had been set up there. Sun Fuping had bathed beforehand, changed into a bright yellow robe, and mounted the platform.

Only the sovereign and the State Preceptor could wear this color. Anyone else would be beheaded.

He Lingchuan was fascinated. In this world, sacrificial rites weren't something you could simply handle with a peachwood sword, talisman paper, and a shout of "By the law of Heaven!"

Sun Fuping took out the long staff and lightly tapped it against the ground. The monster carved on its head raised its face to the sky and let out a piercing roar.

The beast had a broad nose, a gaping mouth, bulging eyes, and whiskers along its jaw. Its bellow sounded like a bull's and thundered across the land.

The passersby grew curious and gathered to watch.

The beast roared three times, each louder than the last. The final bellow boomed like muffled thunder, making everyone's eardrums ring.

As if answering its roar, the clouds rapidly thickened and darkened. Then several thunderclaps burst from the deepest part of the cloud bank and rumbled overhead.

This was known as the resonance between Heaven and man.

A dozen or so breaths later, it actually began to rain.

The clouds hung only above the force, so the rain fell only on the soldiers. The onlookers' clothes and hair remained dry.

That kind of precise control was remarkable.

"The beast on the staff is Yazi. It can summon wind and rain, but it's missing both horns," He Yue murmured beside his elder brother. "Why doesn't State Preceptor Sun use the power of fortune to call down rain? Wouldn't that take less effort?"

His voice was low, but Nian Songyu still heard him. "He can't. It might cause trouble during the ritual later."

"This isn't the ritual?" He Lingchuan stood between him and his second younger brother, putting himself between them like a screen. "Then what's the State Preceptor doing?"