Expedition Ritual

"Perhaps they obtained it, but an accident occurred on the way, and it wasn't delivered back to the Xianyou Kingdom?" He Lingchuan insisted on playing devil's advocate—or rather, raising a reasonable doubt. "Just because the treasure hasn't been used on the battlefield doesn't mean it's sitting untouched in the Coiling Dragon Desert."

"No, it is still there." State Preceptor Sun was brimming with confidence. "Otherwise, how do you think the Coiling Dragon Wilderness turned into a desert?"

He noticed He Chunhua turning the broken comb over and over in his hands with no intention of handing it over. Just as he reached out to ask for it, He Chunhua spoke first: "I'll keep it for now."

Sun Fuping knew he didn't trust the two of them, so he abandoned the idea of asking for it.

He Lingchuan was slightly surprised: "Huh? I thought it was said that the vengeful spirits of the Great Wind Army were undying, draining the vitality of the entire wilderness?"

"If that were true, it would only be the surface appearance. Without the Great Square Pot, they would have long since dissipated into the heavens and earth. Don't forget, if they can incubate thousands upon thousands of Mind-Beguiling Insects, then housing thousands upon thousands of vengeful spirits should be effortless."

Mind-Beguiling Insects are formless, bodiless, and intangible, similar to soul bodies—or rather, they are a part of the human soul itself. Since the Great Square Pot can store such things, it is highly likely it can also contain vengeful spirits.

Nian Songyu also chimed in from the side: "The Coiling Dragon Ruins aren't actually that far. If we go and return quickly, we might be able to withdraw before September and avoid facing the fury of the Coiling Dragon Desert head-on."

It was already the fifteenth of August, leaving only fifteen days until September. Then again, the Coiling Dragon Desert didn't exactly check a calendar before throwing a tantrum; the timing of its mood swings was hardly precise. It could be delayed or arrive early.

He Chunhua nodded: "We are gathering men while searching for the Leopard Tooth. We can set out the morning after next!"

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

Before he could finish, Sun Fuping waved a hand to interrupt him: "Let's make it the sixteenth of August. It is already difficult enough for Lord He to assemble men on such short notice. I also need time to prepare the Expedition Ritual."

Before a royal army sets out, the State Preceptor must perform a ritual—partly for divination, partly for blessings.

Under normal circumstances, how could the lowly garrison troops of Qiansong Prefecture ever enjoy such a standard of treatment?

Before dispersing, He Lingchuan sought out Nian Songyu again: "Commandant Nian, what about my answer?"

Nian Songyu's mind was entirely occupied by the Coiling Dragon Desert, so he asked casually: "What answer?"

"The person who leaked the intelligence about my injury," He Lingchuan reminded him. "Give me a name, and I won't bother you again."

Now that both sides had reached a cooperation agreement, Nian Songyu hadn't expected this playboy to insist on getting to the bottom of things; he was simply being ungrateful. His expression turned cold: "My guards say that person can no longer be found."

The matter was laid out there. What could this country-bumpkin rich kid do?

He Lingchuan looked regretful: "Really can't be found?"

Nian Songyu curled his lip: "A trivial matter. Young Master He should focus on the present."

Uncle Hao walked by from the rear and happened to hear this.

In the evening, the Red and White Path suddenly came to find He Lingchuan.

"Young Master He, something terrible has happened!"

Upon hearing this, He Lingchuan was first surprised, then thoughtful: "Don't panic. How big of a deal could it be? Where is Uncle Hao? Go get him for me!"

￥￥￥￥￥

Two days flashed by in the blink of an eye.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties, these twenty-plus hours remained calm.

The terror of the Coiling Dragon Desert was deeply ingrained in people's hearts, with cautionary tales of those who died there every year, yet He Chunhua still managed to assemble two hundred men within the designated time.

The force He Chunhua cobbled together was not entirely composed of soldiers; there were quite a few criminals exiled to the frontier.

The exile period in the Yuan Kingdom was exceptionally long. While other nations required only ten to fifteen years, here it was eighteen to twenty-five. Criminals exiled to Blackwater City had long since prepared themselves for the fact that they would never return.

The Yuan Kingdom had been embroiled in civil war for years, whether it was feudal lords carving out territories or grassroots uprisings. With such constant slaughter, army ranks were depleted time and again, making it difficult to recruit soldiers.

Qiansong Prefecture had also fought several foreign wars over the past decade, leading to severe attrition in the regular army. Consequently, Blackwater City tried its best to absorb local manpower. Whether they were exiles or murderers, as long as they were strong and healthy, they were inducted into the ranks. They were even paid a salary, sparing them from daily forced labor.

This time, State Preceptor Sun also brought a Royal Court amnesty decree.

Anyone who followed them to explore the Coiling Dragon Desert would be granted immediate freedom upon success, regardless of the severity of their past crimes—all would be pardoned.

There were also heavy rewards.

There is courage to be found under heavy rewards; there are many things in this world worse than death, such as being poor.

The bounty offered by the government was enough for these wretches to bid farewell to their lonely nights, marry a proper wife, take three or four concubines, father five or six healthy sons, and buy seven or eight acres of prime paddy fields. The whole family could live comfortably for the rest of their lives without doing a lick of work.

In short, it was either sudden death or sudden wealth.

Furthermore, the frontier was already full of desperate men, so the number of applicants was actually several dozen more than He Chunhua had anticipated.

The lieutenant leading this troop, Zeng Feixiong, had a father who had been insane for nearly twenty years and suffered from a wasting disease. The monthly cost of his medicine exceeded his salary, and he was currently buried in debt. He Chunhua promised that if he were willing to lead the team into the Coiling Dragon Desert, all his debts would be cleared. His father would be able to live out his remaining years in peace, with medicine to take, people to care for him, and finally, someone to wear mourning clothes and see him off.

In this chaotic era, a peaceful end was perhaps several times harder to come by than sudden wealth.

Thus, Zeng Feixiong came.

It was now the fifth watch, and before dawn had broken, the team was already fully equipped at the north gate of Blackwater City, waiting for the State Preceptor to perform the ritual.

An altar had already been erected. Sun Fuping had bathed beforehand and changed into a bright yellow robe to ascend the platform.

Only the Supreme Ruler and the State Preceptor were permitted to wear this color; anyone else would be beheaded.

He Lingchuan was very interested, as the ritual practices in this world were not as simple as using a peach-wood sword, paper talismans, and a chant to get things done.

Sun Fuping took out his long staff and tapped it lightly against the ground. The strange beast atop the staff raised its head toward the sky and let out a loud, roaring cry.

The monster had a broad nose and large mouth, bulging eyes, and whiskers on its jaw. Its roar was like that of an ox, shaking the surrounding wilderness.

Passersby on the road, piqued by curiosity, gathered to watch.

The monster roared three times, each louder than the last, the final one booming like a muffled thunderclap that left people's eardrums ringing.

As if in response to the beast's roar, the clouds in the sky thickened rapidly, turning black before several peals of thunder exploded from the deepest part of the cloud bank, rumbling downward.

This was the communion between heaven and man.

After a dozen breaths, it actually began to rain.

The cloud bank hovered only above the procession, so the rain fell solely upon the soldiers; the onlookers remained dry, their clothes and hair untouched.

Such precise control was truly remarkable.

"The monster on the staff is Yazi, which possesses the power to summon wind and rain, but it is missing two horns," He Yue murmured, standing beside his elder brother. "Why doesn't State Preceptor Sun invoke the national fortune to pray for rain? Wouldn't that be less exhausting?"

His voice was very low, but Nian Songyu still heard him: "He cannot use it, lest something go wrong during the ritual later."

"This isn't the ritual?" He Lingchuan, standing between him and his second brother, used his own body as a barrier to separate them. "Then what is the State Preceptor doing?"