A Rift

Aside from him and Situ Han, everyone else had brought a generous supply of food. Nian Songyu's cured meat looked unremarkable, black with a reddish tinge, but once roasted over the fire, it gave off an irresistible aroma. It had clearly been seasoned with plenty of spices. Slice off a couple of pieces and pair them with fine, white steamed buns, and the expedition started to feel a little like a picnic.

He Chunhua mixed up a bowl of sesame and peanut paste. The moment boiling water hit it, the aroma of sesame and peanuts drifted even farther than the scent of meat. He had also added some cashews and walnuts, instantly raising it to a whole new level.

He Lingchuan had always felt that the only proper way to drink something like this was to slurp it down noisily, but his father ate with such refined manners that not a sound escaped him.

He Chunhua heard the State Preceptor's words and pondered them briefly. His expression changed. "We came at the wrong time? Wait, could he have meant the Furious Sand Season?"

"Every treasure-hunting party avoided the Furious Sand Season, yet none of them found anything. Zhu Gen tried every known method and supernatural art, but still couldn't detect the Great Square Pot. So he concluded that the treasure had most likely been carefully hidden by Zhong Shengguang, or even by the god he worshipped. Finding it required meeting certain preconditions." Sun Fuping spoke slowly. "Otherwise, no matter how thoroughly later searchers combed every inch of the Coiling Dragon Ruins, they would never find it."

He Lingchuan's mouth was slick with oil as he ate with gusto, but that didn't stop him from talking. "Zhong Shengguang hated the coalition forces, so of course he wouldn't want them to get the Great Square Pot. Is it possible the god took the pot back, and it's no longer in the mortal realm? Maybe all the strange things happening in the Coiling Dragon Desert are the work of vengeful ghosts—no, sorry, of heroic spirits. After all, Three-Corpse Insects are born in the human body. They aren't unique to the Great Square Pot."

He lived by the principle that no matter how hard life got, he would never deprive his stomach. First, he tore off a leg of soy-glazed goose and devoured it, then crunched his way through a couple of fragrant pan-fried noodle cakes.

The noodles native to Blackwater City were springy and chewy when boiled, then dried with hot air. They were surprisingly similar to the instant noodles he'd loved in another world. The locals boiled the noodles, coated them in flour again, then pan-fried them into cakes and sprinkled them with chili and spices. The result was excellent travel food, just as handy at home as on the road.

At the time, He Lingchuan had insisted on extra meat and eggs.

He practiced martial arts, so he ate far more than the average person and couldn't go a meal without staple food and meat.

What a glutton, and what atrocious table manners. Nian Songyu shot him a disdainful glance. "Three-Corpse Insects that can even invade spellcasters have to be a specialty of the Great Square Pot."

From the moment a person entered the world, Three-Corpse Insects lived within them. As they grew, the insects grew more unruly, muddling their thoughts, stoking their greed, and breeding wicked impulses. That was why they were also called the "Three-Corpse God"—they were no mere insects. Anyone seeking cultivation and enlightenment had to pass through a trial: wield the wisdom sword, slay the three corpses, and cleanse the mind's eye.

Of course, the three corpses one had to slay were the Three-Corpse Insects in one's own body.

The Three-Corpse Insects lurking in the Coiling Dragon Desert could ensnare even spellcasters with clear minds. They could also remain active outdoors for long periods, fearing nothing but sunlight.

These upgraded Three-Corpse Insects had to have come from the Great Square Pot.

He Lingchuan gave a dry laugh. "So, according to the State Preceptor, the Great Square Pot only appears during the Furious Sand Season?"

"Very likely."

"Then we won't keep you company. You can stay here and play by yourselves." He Lingchuan sprang to his feet and headed for the exit without looking back. "Dad, let's go home!"

The Furious Sand Season? What a joke. There were a thousand ways to kill himself; he didn't need to come all the way here to do it!

A figure flashed before him. Nian Songyu stood with his sword drawn, blocking the stairway. "Sit back down, or I'll send you on your way right now. No need to wait for the Furious Sand Season!"

"Oh?" He Lingchuan laughed instead of getting angry. "That didn't take long. Showing your true colors already?" He turned to his father. "Dad, these two only want to use us as cannon fodder. Are you staying or going?"

He Chunhua set down his half-finished bowl of sesame paste and stood up. "The State Preceptor has planned everything to perfection and has victory in hand. It seems he can claim the treasure and return even without Blackwater City's help."

Nian Songyu's smile turned vicious. "Do you think this is still Blackwater City? Killing you would be as easy as killing chickens! Once you and your father are gone, I'll still be in command of this two-hundred-man party. Who would dare object?"

If the He father and son died, naturally the person with the highest rank would take command. The expedition would still be in their hands.

Zeng Feixiong had already gotten to his feet. Now his half-drawn saber rang out with a clang. "Commandant Nian, watch your words! We follow Governor He!"

The guards stationed outside the building rushed in at the sound and surrounded everyone.

A few words were all it took for the place to become charged with tension.

He Lingchuan's eyes shifted. What would happen if they broke with the others right now? Would those two really dare to kill him and his father?

Nian Songyu was a fierce fighter, but could the two hundred men under his command handle State Preceptor Sun?

Was this their chance to take the two of them out?

The thoughts flashed through his mind, and the answers were already clear:

Yes. No. No.

It seemed he and his father couldn't get out of this unscathed. They would have to think of something else.

"Young man, what a temper." Sun Fuping tossed aside his flatbread and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. "Governor He, you've always had a reputation for being level-headed. Why are you joining the boy in making a scene? If this were a death trap, would I have traveled a thousand miles to die?"

Before Governor He could speak, He Lingchuan jumped in with an answer. "You wouldn't. You'd just send us to our deaths."

The old one and the young one had meant them no good from the very beginning.

Nian Songyu glanced sideways at him. "Trying to drive up the price again? Wasn't once enough?"

The more Nian Songyu looked at He Lingchuan, the more he loathed him. He Lingchuan felt exactly the same way about Nian Songyu.

Neither of them bothered to hide it anymore.

"Everything else is negotiable, Your Excellency, but wherever the Furious Sand passes, all life is extinguished. This isn't something to joke about. We shouldn't even consider testing it!" He Chunhua coughed. "Besides, the food and water we brought can last only another three to five days. Not long enough to hold out until the Furious Sand Season arrives."

He was trying to ease the tension, and Sun Fuping played along. "If we can bring on the Furious Sand Season, I'm confident I can get everyone out safely. If we can't, we'll return to Blackwater City before the real Furious Sand Season arrives. How does that sound?"

"Bring on the Furious Sand Season?" the bandit chief, Situ Han, couldn't help interjecting. "You can start it early?"

And die early, too?

He had stayed tucked away in a corner, quietly finishing a flatbread before taking out a few black-skinned scorpions to roast. He knew he had no place speaking up here; everyone in the room was his superior.

But the more he listened, the more it sounded as though he'd followed them straight into a dead end.

"Wait, hold on!" A thought struck him, and his expression changed. "There are still people on Red Cliff Road. If the Furious Sand Season comes early, they're sure to die!"

"With only a few days left before the Furious Sand Season, anyone with sense knows not to chase the last copper coin." Nian Songyu didn't think much of it. "Besides, in past years, the Furious Sand Season didn't begin at a precise month, day, or hour. Governor He, haven't there been casualties on this road every year?"