After the Immortal Disappeared

"That’s not bad either. Dunyu is closer to the front lines, and the surrounding roads are easy to travel," Marquis Songyang mused. "However, Songyang Prefecture has no connections in Dunyu. I’ll have to trouble Mr. Hee to find a good plot of land for me."

Hee Chunhua naturally agreed readily: "It’s a small matter."

The two then chatted about the current situation.

Hee Lingchuan stood to the side, drinking tea, eating pastries, and playing the part of a spectator. This Marquis Songyang had bright eyes and pearly teeth, her bearing graceful. Whoever she looked at felt as pleasant as if they were being caressed by a spring breeze.

It was under her gaze that Hee Yue couldn’t even lift his head.

She was in her early twenties at most, yet her grace was infused with an air of grandeur. When discussing court politics with Hee Chunhua, she was surprisingly insightful, and some of their political views coincided.

Hee Chunhua was a man of great ambition, but he rarely had the chance to speak his mind freely with outsiders. The conversation went on for over half a double-hour.

Madam Ying had to cough to signal him several times before Hee Chunhua finally cut the conversation short, still feeling it was unfinished.

At this moment, Marquis Songyang was saying, "I’ve heard the Demon Puppet Master, Dong Rui, is the type who seeks vengeance for the smallest slight. He suffered a loss at the hands of you and your son, so he most likely won’t let this go."

"Thank you for the reminder." Hee Chunhua gave a wry smile. "I wonder who thinks so highly of me as to hire an assassin for a hefty price."

"It’s either Nian Zanli or Dongg Haoming. The former has a feud with you over his son’s death, while the latter’s plan to seize a Divine Artifact was foiled by you. No matter which one it is, killing you would help weaken the Royal Court’s power."

"Or perhaps it’s the remnants of Sunx Fuping’s faction?"

Marquis Songyang shook her head. "Sunx Fuping’s power has been completely uprooted. We can basically rule him out."

Hee Lingchuan interjected, "I thought his students and old friends were all over the Capital City."

"Sunx Fuping had students and old friends, but when he became the National Preceptor, he had to deliberately distance himself from them. The Imperial Censors would be watching closely. This is one of the most basic national policies—if a National Preceptor has private dealings with a high-ranking minister, that minister will be severely punished."

Hee Lingchuan shrugged. "Yeah, and that’s why he colluded with the Grand Commandant."

’So much for national policy, huh?’

"Sunx Fuping was childless, so there are no direct relatives to avenge him after his death." Marquis Songyang smiled. "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Young Master, you’re overthinking it."

As she spoke, she covered her mouth and yawned.

It was indeed very late. Hee Chunhua saw his cue, stood up to take his leave, and then said, "Since you are also heading north, Lord, why not travel with my army?"

Marquis Songyang agreed at once. "That would be wonderful. With the Supporting Army as an escort, the journey will be worry-free."

The group walked out of the courtyard. Hee Chunhua glanced back one last time before returning to the village house.

The village houses had already been allocated, mostly to the commanders, but Madam Ying had specially set aside two rooms for the old and young.

The Hee Family entered the house, where a brazier was already burning with charcoal, filling the room with warmth.

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Madam Ying put on a stern face and said, "Out here in the middle of nowhere, in a village that was just massacred, Marquis Songyang just happens to ’run into’ us! This woman has ulterior motives. We must be on our guard!"

The more she thought about Marquis Songyang, the more she felt something was off.

Hee Chunhua found it amusing. "If she truly intended to plot against us, why would she choose a place like this, which would only heighten our vigilance?"

Madam Ying glared at him, then at her two sons.

Hee Yue felt the weight of his mother’s glare, blinked, and tried to stay out of it. But Madam Ying called him out directly: "Yue’Er, what do you think?"

Hee Yue had no choice but to clear his throat. "Father, Master Craftsman Li Fubo once came to inquire about Sunx Fuping’s belongings, surely at Marquis Songyang’s behest. There’s some connection between this ’Lord’ and Sunx Fuping. Until we figure it out, it would be wise not to get too close."

Hee Chunhua actually took this to heart. He thought for a moment and said, "You have a point."

Madam Ying gave her second son an approving look.

Hee Lingchuan, however, tapped the table lightly. "Marquis Songyang is actually a woman? How come none of you ever mentioned it?"

’People call her Marquis Songyang, and everyone keeps calling her ’Lord.’ It’d be a miracle if I had guessed she was a woman!’

Hee Yue asked in surprise, "Brother, you didn’t know?"

"How would I know?" Hee Lingchuan said irritably. "Am I the only one living in a backwater border town with no news?"

"Marquis Songyang’s surname is Lil, and her given name is Qingge. The title is hereditary, but she’s the only female Lord in the current dynasty. I even heard the common women in Black Water City gossiping enthusiastically about it." Hee Yue found it strange. "Brother, you love digging up gossip so much, how could you not know this?"

Hee Lingchuan pointed to everyone in front of him. "So, all of you knew?"

Every member of the Hee Family, except for him, nodded with an expression that said, "Of course."

The butler, Old Mo, who was waiting at the side, also nodded with a broad smile.

’So Li Fubo didn’t mention it, Sunx Hongye didn’t mention it, and even that gossipmonger Assistant Liu from Shihuan City didn’t mention it, all because it’s a well-known fact?’

Hee Lingchuan stretched, feeling mentally and physically exhausted. "What’s for dinner? I’m starving!"

He had a dreamless night.

Hee Lingchuan had been eagerly anticipating the continuation of the great battle, but unfortunately, he couldn’t return to Panlong in his dreams. Perhaps the Broken Blade was being considerate, knowing he had overtired himself in the Dream Realm the previous night.

After getting up, he found that Hee Yue, that kid, hadn’t woken up yet. His face was flushed red, and he was mumbling something in his sleep.

Hee Lingchuan leaned in, trying to hear more clearly, but unexpectedly, Hee Yue’s eyes flew open and he let out a loud "AHHH!" while staring at him.

Both of them jumped in fright, and even the Guards outside the door rushed in.

Hee Lingchuan cleaned out his ear. "What are you screaming about? You nearly deafened me." Demon Sound Piercing Brain.

Hee Yue’s face was very red. He wouldn’t look at him. "I, I... I was just sleeping. Why did you lean in so close?"

"I heard you say ’good, good,’ and then ’slower,’" Hee Lingchuan said leisurely. "So, what is it that’s both good and needs to be slow?"

"Uh." Hee Yue glanced down, then suddenly leaped up and ran outside. "I need to pee!"

"There’s a bucket in the back."

It’s unclear if Hee Yue heard him. In any case, he haphazardly threw on an outer robe and bolted.

The snow had stopped, but the morning air outside was exceptionally cold. Hee Lingchuan tutted. ’Youths are just full of vigor.’

He suddenly had a rather unpleasant realization:

Ever since acquiring the Broken Blade, his dreams were only about Panlong City, or he would sleep like a log, not dreaming at all.

The only exception was dreaming of the Immortal Cave Mansion, but that was related to the Divine Bone, and thus indirectly related to Panlong City as well.

In other words, he had lost the ability to visit other Dream Realms.

’Are my dreams for the rest of my life going to be only about Panlong City? That would be so dull.’

He was still young. He wanted to have youthful dreams like Hee Yue, dreams that were vibrant, sweat-drenched, passionate, and... celestially blissful.

"Hey, big bro, let’s make a deal." Hee Lingchuan patted the Broken Blade. "How about you let me have other kinds of dreams once in a while?"

The Broken Blade, of course, gave no reaction.

But Hee Lingchuan was sure it had heard him.

...

The dead villagers had been buried. Before the troops set out, Hee Chunhua offered them a stick of incense and recited a prayer.

"In times like these, human life is the only thing that’s worthless." Marquis Songyang, Lil Qingge, also put her palms together. "Mr. Hee is truly kind-hearted."

Just then, the small weasel perched on Wu Shaoyi’s shoulder squeaked twice. Wu Shaoyi immediately said to the others in a low voice, "My weasel says the crows on the branches have been staring at us, and they reek of human blood."

Startled, Hee Chunhua looked up. Sure enough, on a large tree next to the graves, nearly a hundred crows had gathered at some point, staring down at them.

Crows were a common sight in winter, and the Supporting Army had seen countless of them on their journey, so they had subconsciously ignored them.

But with Wu Shaoyi’s reminder, everyone realized something was wrong:

When had crows ever been this quiet?

Furthermore, a dozen of them were larger than their peers, almost the size of vultures. The way they stared at the humans was strange, like they were looking at dead meat.

But the two Wolf Demons on the ground were also staring at them, licking their lips.

Hee Chunhua said slowly, "Their beaks are very sharp. Don’t they look like ruling pens?"

The more they looked, the more they resembled them.

Hee Lingchuan pulled the Ghost Eye Bow from his Storage Ring, intending to teach these crows a lesson.

But before he could even nock an arrow, the flock of crows, as if sensing the danger, let out a great "CAW! CAW!" and took to the skies, flying toward the back mountain in a great swarm.

Their departure shook the great tree, causing snow to fall from its branches.

He helplessly brushed the snowflakes off his clothes. "The recent Emperor’s Liquid was clearly low in both quantity and quality. How could it have spawned so many Demons?"

Hee Chunhua’s expression turned grim. "Chaotic times breed monsters; peaceful times have few evil spirits."

Lil Qingge looked at him and asked, "Then how does one achieve peace?"

Hee Chunhua shook his head. ’How many powerful people have sought the answer to that question?’ Instead, it was Hee Lingchuan who smiled and said, "It probably requires the coming of an unparalleled hero-king."

Although the man-eating crows were despicable, humans couldn’t chase down birds, especially not in broad daylight. So, both Hee Chunhua and Lil Qingge gave up on the idea, packed up camp, and set out on the road.

The murderers went scot-free; reality is often this helpless. The so-called ’vast net of justice’ is merely something people tell themselves to feel better.

How many newborn Demons were roaming the lands of the Yuan Kingdom, and how many could their group of six hundred-plus people possibly deal with?

The advisor, Mozhe Jingxuan, could only comfort the furious Madam Ying, "Demons whose intelligence has just awakened always go through a chaotic phase. They’ll settle down after a while." Most of them would settle down. Otherwise, a human army would soon teach them how to be proper demons, since this was still Da Yuan’s territory.

But Hee Lingchuan understood that this referred to "normal circumstances." Right now, Da Yuan was overwhelmed by a war on two fronts. Did it have the Heart Power to eradicate these "skin diseases" on its own territory?

That was why Hee Chunhua had lamented that chaotic times breed monsters.

’Some skin-deep ailments, if not treated, will eventually develop into stubborn diseases that rot the bones and marrow.’

As the Supporting Army left, the flock of crows followed them in the sky for several miles, cawing chaotically in what was both mockery and provocation—they were extraordinarily arrogant. A few of them even tried to fly over the people and poop on their heads, causing Madam Ying to let out a shriek.

Zhao Qinghe and Zeng Feixiong suddenly ordered their men to draw their bows, and the Supporting Army fired their arrows in unison.

WHOOSH! A rain of arrows flew into the sky, immediately downing a dozen or so crows.

’These damned things. If you don’t show them who’s boss, they’ll walk all over you.’

The startled flock of crows flapped their wings frantically and climbed higher. The men let loose another volley, downing four or five more. The two giant wolves rushed out to retrieve them one by one and bring them back to the carts. Lunch was served, and they had toys now, too.

Having suffered this loss, the crows finally understood that this group of people was different from ordinary villagers and were not to be trifled with. Only then did they turn away sullenly and depart.

Snow began to fall from the sky again.