After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 338: Chapter 337: How Can We Sit and Await Our Doom?

Wen Daolun’s Inference Skill was quite advanced. That meant he’d been on edge for an entire year... What surprised Hee Lingchuan, however, was the hidden meaning in the Red General’s words. She was implying this was Wen Daolun’s own choice, given his ”calm” demeanor.

’Did Wen Daolun give up the chance to use the Grand Square Pot to save his son himself?’

’How could that be possible?’

Just then, another Great Wind Soldier hurried over and reported in a low voice, ”General, that old woman, Granny Ji, has died of exhaustion.”

”The Jindu Cub and its human mother are linked; harm to one is harm to both.” The Red General was not surprised. ”What else did she say before she died?”

”She said attacking Mr. Wen was the will of a Celestial God and that she was merely acting on its decree. She showed no remorse, cursing repeatedly until she died laughing.” Granny Ji hadn’t just cursed Commander Zhong and the Red General; she’d cursed everyone in Panlong City for being blind and heartless, oblivious to their impending doom.

The curses she’d spat out were incredibly vile, aimed below the belt. The soldier didn’t dare repeat them verbatim.

Even though they were both human mothers who gestated Ghost Embryos, Granny Ji and Aunt Yun had vastly different personalities.

The Red General paid this no mind, simply saying, ”So, this Jindu Mother’s target was Wen Daolun all along. The other attacks were merely a feint. It seems Aunt Yun was indeed the biggest variable, even forcing them to downgrade their plans.”

”Aunt Yun?” Hee Lingchuan thought hard, surprised that the Red General had mentioned the seemingly insignificant mother again. ”The variable you mentioned... you mean her giving birth prematurely?”

In her final moments, Aunt Yun had wept and confessed that the premature birth of the ”children” had enraged the Deities, who had rebuked her for it.

’If the Ghost Children had been born on schedule, what would have happened?’

”This entire plan was formulated around the Sadist. The chance of birthing such a monster is slim, something even a Celestial God can’t control. Once a Sadist appears, the opportunity must be seized.” She paused. ”If Aunt Yun had given birth a few days later, when the Xianyou Army invaded White Crane Ridge, I would have had to lead my troops to confront them. The city’s defenses would have been depleted, and the Sadist born from Aunt Yun could have built its nest, devoured tens of thousands of people in a short time, and grown into a malignant tumor that Panlong City couldn’t hope to excise.”

Hee Lingchuan immediately thought of the Flesh Fortress in the Demon Nest Swamp. The Jiana Race had failed to eliminate their Sadist in time, allowing it to grow rapidly and devour their entire people in short order.

It was a clear demonstration of just how terrifying a ravenous Sadist could be. Moreover, Panlong City’s population far exceeded that of the Jiana tribe. If a Sadist built its nest there, wouldn’t its power, fueled by devouring so many people, skyrocket to unimaginable levels?

The Red General continued slowly, ”As for Granny Ji, she was likely a contingency. She didn’t birth a Sadist, but had Panlong City fallen into chaos from threats both within and without, her ’children’ could have been deployed to assassinate key officials and weaken the city’s command structure.”

The Celestial God’s plan had accounted for the Red General, Panlong City, and key figures like Zhong Shengguang, intending to wipe them all out in one fell swoop. The initial stages were so secretive they were impossible to defend against.

Realizing this, Hee Lingchuan drew a sharp breath. Panlong City had been incredibly lucky to avert this disaster.

”If their plot had succeeded, even if Panlong City hadn’t been captured, its Primordial Qi would have been severely damaged, and public morale would have collapsed.”

After all, Panlong City had always been synonymous with impregnability and unity, widely recognized as the safest fortress in the Panlong Wasteland. This wasn’t just a belief held by locals; it was a Heart Demon for their enemies.

If that shared belief were shattered, if everyone suddenly realized Panlong City was vulnerable to internal weakness and turmoil, confidence would collapse overnight.

The Red General seemed to chuckle. ”But it’s never good to be over-prepared. Plans can rarely keep up with reality. The Xianyou Army invading White Crane Ridge changed generals at the last minute, and their combat effectiveness fell off a cliff.”

Hee Lingchuan seized on the key point. ”So, what did you mean by the plan being downgraded?”

”The key, the absolute key, was timing! Aunt Yun’s premature labor meant the Sadist wasn’t born inside the city during the Xianyou Army’s attack. It couldn’t create a powerful Flesh Fortress and become a source of chaos in Panlong City. Even the Ghost Embryos Aunt Yun did birth were all cleaned up. The original objective became impossible. At that point, all they could do was send in Granny Ji, and their target was downgraded to Wen Daolun.”

They had to settle for the next best thing.

”Why did they target Mr. Wen?” Hee Lingchuan asked. ”Was it just because he’s one of Lord Zhong’s most trusted advisors? The price they paid seems rather high for that.”

’So because Zhong Shengguang was too difficult to kill, they downgraded their target to Wen Daolun?’

Not that Wen Daolun wasn’t important, but was he worth sacrificing an entire brood of Ghost Children? Even if they were just cubs, the Jindu Mother was still one of the Deities.

A Golden Chicken lays golden eggs; a Deity gives birth to a Divine Son. Could they really be used so casually as cannon fodder?

”The Deities are well aware that it’s not just victory that has a price; sometimes even a simple probe requires sacrifice.” The Red General pointed east. ”The same is true for us. How could there be no cost to defending this fertile land and millions of lives?”

The Red General added, ”Wen Daolun and Commander-in-Chief Zhong share a life-and-death bond.”

Her words were heavy with meaning, but she didn’t elaborate.

Even though Hee Lingchuan hadn’t fully grasped the implications, he knew not to press the issue. He changed the subject. ”After retaking Wei City, I heard you went to the Ghost Needle Stone Forest and defeated Second Madam Zhu?”

’Otherwise, why would the Earth Cave Spiders so readily become Panlong City’s friendly neighbors again?’

’It must have been a negotiation from a position of strength. Everyone involved is a pragmatist, after all.’

The Red General’s answer was blunt. ”I did.”

”Then what is Second Madam Zhu’s weakness?”

The Red General turned, staring at Hee Lingchuan. ”Why do you ask?”

”Curiosity.” The pitch-black eyeholes of her mask sent a chill down Hee Lingchuan’s spine. ”The last time I went deep into the Spider Nest, she cornered me. I can’t let that stand.”

The Red General didn’t press the matter. ”Second Madam Zhu is an Ancient Great Demon. Even with her Daoist Practice greatly diminished, her skills remain, and she has countless offspring. She is not someone you can handle at your current level. What is a weakness to me, for you—”

’—is probably still solid rock.’ For Hee Lingchuan to challenge Second Madam Zhu alone would be like an egg hitting a stone.

He rubbed his nose, having nothing to say.

The Red General added, ”You should gather a group and wait for the right opportunity.”

”And what if I’m alone and have no choice but to fight?”

’That scoundrel Dong Rui is completely unreliable. I’d be lucky if he didn’t stab me in the back.’

”If you insist on going to your death alone—”

Hee Lingchuan couldn’t help but sigh.

”—it’s not impossible.” The Red General’s tone shifted. ”How can the strong, like us, simply wait for death? One must always fight for a chance, no matter how slim.”

She seemed to laugh softly. ”The Earth Cave Spider has a certain trait. If you can time it right, you might just have a sliver of a chance.”

At this, she leaned in and explained a few things in a low voice.

Hee Lingchuan carefully committed every word to memory and cupped his fist. ”Thank you for your guidance, General!”

’This might be exactly what I need right now.’

”Anything else?” The Red General was already at the doorway, where her warhorse stood waiting.

”I’ve accumulated enough military merit to exchange for another Divine Technique or Combat Skill.” Hee Lingchuan seized the opportunity. ”Might I ask for your advice, General?”

”I’ve seen you fight. You have plenty of agility, but you lack explosive power.” The Red General considered for a moment. ”Choose the Mirror Image Technique.”

’Great minds think alike, huh?’

Hee Lingchuan was taken aback for a moment, but the Red General had already mounted her horse and galloped off with her subordinates, vanishing in a cloud of dust.

A short while later, heaven-shaking sobs suddenly erupted from within the Wen Residence.

Passersby stopped in their tracks, their gazes turning toward the Wen Residence.

Hee Lingchuan sighed to himself. He knew Wen Xing’s injuries had been too severe; he had succumbed to them.

Fourteen or fifteen is a fine age, full of blossoming vitality, yet his life was cut short. Wen Xing’s story was but a microcosm of the fate of the people of the Panlong Wasteland.

Wen Daolun had watched his son die. Hee Lingchuan couldn’t bring himself to imagine the man’s state of mind right now. He quickly set off for the Pengcheng Bureau.

Everyone has their own trials to endure, their own long journey to walk.

「 」

Actually, Hee Lingchuan had wanted to choose the Mirror Image Technique last time, but the Golden Armor Copper Man Technique had seemed more appealing at the time. After several major battles, he had come to realize that killing enemies quickly, precisely, and ruthlessly eliminated many unnecessary risks.

Before heading to the Pengcheng Bureau, however, he took a short detour to Spirit Island to pick up an order from the fat shopkeeper, Bai Guo.

Hee Lingchuan had previously ordered seven Ghost Shadow Cicada Shells from him, paying a thirty percent deposit. The shopkeeper had promised the items would arrive today.

At this hour, Spirit Island only had a few window shoppers. When Hee Lingchuan walked in, he found the clerk idle enough to be swatting flies while Bai Guo was haggling with a customer.

The customer was a man in his fifties, his face a web of wrinkles. His coarse cloth clothes were covered in patches. He didn’t look like the target clientele for this Magical Artifact Shop; he looked more like an old farmer.

As Hee Lingchuan drew closer, he realized the man wasn’t a customer but a seller, surnamed Wang.

Elder Wang’s grandchild was sick, and he needed money, so he was trying to sell a treasured old scroll passed down from his ancestors to buy medicine.

It was called an old book, but it was really just a thin sheet of Beast Skin Paper, yellowed with age. The writing on it had faded so much it was barely visible.

Bai Guo wanted to unroll it for a closer look, but Elder Wang refused, afraid the shopkeeper would glean its secrets just by looking.

The two were at a standoff when Hee Lingchuan arrived.

The moment Bai Guo saw him, his impatient expression vanished, replaced by a warm, charming smile. ”Brother Hee, you’re here! Come, come, let me get your order for you!”

He was always especially enthusiastic when dealing with his rich, powerful landlord and customer.

Hee Lingchuan’s gaze swept across the table. He saw just a small corner of the Beast Skin Paper, but the script on it was unmistakably the Ancient Immortal Language.

’Oh? Interesting.’

He jutted his chin toward the counter. ”What’s this all about?”

”A seller,” Bai Guo said, leading Hee Lingchuan to the back. He didn’t lower his voice until they were in the rear hall. ”He claims it’s an antique, but it doesn’t feel like one to me. The shop’s appraiser is on leave, and I can’t read the script on the scroll, so I have no way to verify it.”

”So you’re not buying it?”

”Can’t take the risk,” Bai Guo said, glancing at him. He offered a friendly warning, ”Thinking of buying it, Brother Hee? There are a lot of swindlers out there.”

”I’ll take a look before I decide.”

After Hee Lingchuan completed his transaction for the Ghost Shadow Cicada Shells with Bai Guo, he came back out to find Elder Wang still there. The old man looked dejected and had just finished another cup of water.

”Shopkeeper Bai, please, try to think of something. I really need the money!” he pleaded, wiping an eye. ”My grandson is terribly ill!”