After the Immortal Disappeared

The look in Hong Chenglu's eyes changed, bit by bit. It was a mix of dawning realization and frustrated anger.

"So it was you!" he said coldly. "For that alone, I ought to kill you!"

As his killing intent arose, the surrounding air seemed to drop by several degrees. Wuu Qing took a step back to avoid the brunt of it but didn't beg for mercy.

He knew that Hong Chenglu was a man of his word.

Sure enough, Hong Chenglu's killing intent quickly subsided. He continued his questioning. "Why did you seek out my brother and incite him to go to his death?"

Wuu Qing quickly waved his hands. "The firmness of Lord Hong's conviction ranks in the top three of all people I've ever met. How could I possibly have incited him? He firmly believed the Yuan Royal Court was rotten beyond saving and that only by toppling it and building a new nation could the countless common people find blessing. My master merely lent him a little support."

"And his death? Does that also have nothing to do with you?"

"The Rebel Army was unstoppable, and things were going well. Who knew Mr. Hong would suddenly be defeated and killed? My master was also deeply shocked."

"Is that so?" Hong Chenglu brandished the letter in his hand. "Does your master know why the Deities my older brother worshiped suddenly vanished?"

"This…" Wuu Qing was startled. "This is the first I've heard of it."

"Mr. Hong… General Hong!" He took a step forward and said solemnly, "My master wishes to ask you to come out of retirement!"

"I'm not going," Hong Chenglu replied, as if he had already known this request was coming. "I swore a blood oath to never use Divine Techniques again and to never again lead troops to kill!"

'Otherwise, what would all the suffering he'd endured over the years, and all the suffering his wife had endured with him, have been for?!'

"If you'll forgive my bluntness, although you swore such an oath to the heavens, heaven did not grant the mother and child a safe delivery. Your oath may not have taken effect."

Hong Chenglu remained silent.

His wife had suffered a difficult childbirth, unable to deliver for two long days. He knew his own killing karma was too heavy, and with the political situation so tense, he felt his hands were tied. In the end, he simply resigned his post and left, swearing an oath in hopes of a happy outcome for everyone. But the heavens showed no mercy. His son was still lost. Although his wife's life was saved, her foundation was damaged. Her qi and blood were depleted, and her meridians withered. A few years later, she gradually became paralyzed. He searched far and wide for famous doctors, but they all said she was incurable.

From that perspective, it seemed Wuu Qing wasn't wrong.

'You begged, but it didn't answer. Is there still a promise between you?'

"Besides, if the one you had prayed to back then wasn't Heaven, but a Celestial God…" '…perhaps your wish would have been granted?'

Hong Chenglu said flatly, "Shut up. I don't get involved in matters of ghosts and gods!"

Wuu Qing lowered his head. "I heard Lord Hong lament more than once that if you were willing to work with him—he planning the strategies, you commanding the troops—you would have few rivals in the world, and the cause of changing the nation could be achieved." He then pointed at the box on the table. "Lord Hong also said that though you are skilled in martial arts, when it comes to worldly possessions, you are fated only to lose whatever wealth you acquire. If you wish to continue living in seclusion, this money should be enough to see you through the rest of your life, as long as you don't spend it recklessly."

Hong Chenglu gave a faint, bitter smile. 'In the end, the one who understood him best was still his brother.'

"However…" Wuu Qing glanced at the corpse on the floor. "This place is no longer suitable for you. Killing an Official is no small crime, no matter where you are."

Hong Chenglu nodded. He couldn't stay here long.

"I know a bit of Face Reading and Qi Observation. Forgive my bluntness, Mr. Hong, but your forehead is dark and you are shrouded in bad luck. Your years in retirement must have been very unlucky, I presume?" Wuu Qing said cautiously. "You've shed your Official Position, so you have no Primordial Power to protect you. The killing karma you've built up, and the secret curses others have placed, have likely all come to bear upon you." He pointed to the box. "Furthermore, your fortune is like a river in decline; even if you get this money, you won't be able to hold onto it. It will be all gone before long."

How could Hong Chenglu not know this?

He wasn't short on money the last time he went into seclusion. But his house either caught on fire or was flooded, forcing him to move. After much difficulty, he settled in a new town, buying property and land. But the Money Bank where he deposited his silver proved unreliable. It was famous, with countless branches, yet it collapsed just like that. He became another victim, more than half his money gone.

The remaining real estate should have been fine, right? Wrong. At that time, he was in Lingzhou, so of course, his properties were in Lingzhou. But later, Lingzhou was conquered by the Northern Demon Kingdom, and his land deeds became worthless paper…

After arriving in Bailu Town, he even went into business with others. But whatever he invested in, he lost money on. The more he invested, the more he lost, until now he'd almost lost his shirt.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered resorting to robbery to make a quick buck, but the money he acquired would always vanish for some strange reason…

'Who said a capable man is capable wherever he goes? Who said buying property is a safe investment that makes you money? He really wanted to chop off the heads of those liars with a single slash!'

Even a vast fortune couldn't withstand such a run of bad luck.

He also knew he'd been secretly cursed. He had it dispelled a few times, but he'd just get cursed again right after, so eventually, he couldn't be bothered to waste the money.

Only then did Wuu Qing take a Jade Bottle from his robes and place it on the table. "This is a Red Jade Pill, refined by my master using his own Essence Blood. Each pill is to be taken in three doses. It can soothe the muscles and guide the meridians even in an ordinary person, clearing any blockages. Take it once every ten days, for ten consecutive times, and chronic ailments may be cured."

'Take this medicine for three months, and my wife might be able to walk again?' Hong Chenglu was moved. He finally realized his guest had saved his killer move for last. To persuade someone, you must appeal to their emotions and reason with logic. Wuu Qing had simply played two emotional cards, knowing he couldn't win with logic alone.

"Alright. We'll go with you." Hong Chenglu let out a long sigh, no longer fighting it. "We need to find a way to slip out of town."

Wuu Qing smiled. "The carriage is ready and waiting outside. Right now, every household is worried about their own safety; no one will pay us any mind. A merchant caravan is setting out this afternoon. It can take us away from Bailu Town."

For some reason, Hong Chenglu thought of the three youths who were beheaded. Even though the New State Official had just taken office and had a resounding reputation, he understood that from a place as small as Haotian Village to one as large as Xiazhou, nothing would fundamentally change, no matter who was in charge.

In fact, the entire Yuan Kingdom was the same.

Otherwise, why would his brother Hong Xiangqian have been willing to walk through fire?

With nothing left to his name, he picked up his bundle, lifted his wife into his arms, and boarded the carriage.

Wuu Qing locked the courtyard gate for him.

An old woman walked by not far away, her eyes full of curiosity. "Mr. Hong, where are you all going?"

Hong Chenglu returned a smile but said nothing as the carriage curtain was lowered, blocking the view of outsiders.

'That old woman was always wandering into his yard and swiping things.'

Soon, the carriage reached the end of the alley. Hong Chenglu looked back one last time. The messy alley grew smaller and smaller in his view. This had been his home for six years, living amongst the market streets and alleys. There was none of the romantic charm of a "great hermit hiding in the city"—only the unspeakable pain of an ordinary man being brutally worn down by life.

From this day forward, he would bid farewell to this wasted existence.

Wuu Qing handed him a commission letter and a scale-shaped token.

The token was thick, modeled after a Turtle Shell or perhaps a snake's scale, with very fine serrations along the edge. Turning it over revealed just a few blood-red words:

Beiga.

General Qingwu.

He bit his index finger to stamp the commission letter with his blood. The moment he grabbed the token, a dense yellow light suddenly emanated from his body!

Luckily, he was in the carriage where no prying eyes could see.

Primordial Power.

He closed his eyes, silently feeling the Primordial Power he hadn't experienced in so long.

In the instant the yellow light flared, all the accumulated bad luck, curses, and misfortune clinging to him were swept away completely!

Before Hong Chenglu even opened his eyes, he felt his body and mind instantly lighten, his thoughts becoming clear and bright.

The troubles that had plagued him for years were broken with such ease.

Wuu Qing clapped his hands and laughed. "Congratulations, General Hong! The old gloom is gone. You can now display your great talents once more!"

Hong Chenglu sighed inwardly. The wonders of Primordial Power were truly something. No matter how world-shaking your Divine Techniques or how unrivaled your martial prowess, you still had to come to the Royal Court and secure an Official Position.

'Having experienced its benefits, how could one ever give it up so easily?'

His wife grabbed his arm, her voice filled with unease. "You're going back to your old trade?"

Hong Chenglu looked at her and said seriously, "You need to get better. You need to stand up!" 'If he didn't go back, he wouldn't get the rest of the Red Jade Pills.'

"But that Life Trigram… it said you… it said you would eventually…"

"Die in the calamities of war?" Hong Chenglu smiled faintly, a new light returning to his eyes. "Ajin, I've had enough of living in seclusion. We both know that the only thing I'm good at is taking enemy heads with the blade in my hand."

As he spoke, his aura gradually emerged, like a sleeping lion awakening and baring its fangs.

From that moment on, he was like a different person.

"As long as you've thought it through." His wife, Ajin, didn't know how to dissuade him. She let out a long sigh and turned to ask Wuu Qing, "Where are we going?"

"Thirty li north of Bailu Town, there is a place called Wue Family Manor," Wuu Qing replied, treating her with great respect. "Three groups will rendezvous there. Many people are waiting to meet General Hong."

Soon, their carriage merged into a merchant caravan and headed north.

* * *

Another piece of good news came from the north:

Zhao Pan had led his army to recapture Songlin Pass within Xiazhou's borders.

The Xunzhou Army had invaded Xiazhou and had been trying to conquer cities and territories to gain a foothold. Zhao Pan's move knocked out an important stronghold of theirs, pushing the Xunzhou Army back north by more than twenty li.

A key reason for the victory was Xiazhou's timely delivery of military supplies to the front lines. The soldiers at the front didn't have to go hungry, so their morale naturally rose.

In fact, according to the Grain Transport Officer who returned to Dunyu, as soon as the supplies reached the front, cheers erupted throughout the camp.

The Xiazhou Prefecture, of course, shared this good news with the people of Dunyu at the first opportunity.

With two consecutive victories, the morale of the Dunyu people was boosted, and the city gradually stabilized. All trades and industries began to return to normal.

This was of great benefit to Hee Lingchuan, because Ding Zuodong had already begun to lease out the shops he had acquired a while ago, at a price ten percent below market value.

He had specialized in acquiring prime shops in good locations from the start. As market sentiment improved, they naturally became popular. According to his report to Hee Lingchuan, Eldest Young Master Hee's assets now included:

Nearly one hundred mu of fertile land, twenty-seven shops, one fishery, two self-operated restaurants, one pharmacy, one old-brand oil shop, one trading house, and six warehouses of various sizes.

Two months ago, it would have cost Hee Lingchuan at least three times as much to buy these prime assets.

Of course, all these properties were handed over to Ding Zuodong to manage.