Where Immortals Once Walked

Nian Songyu was a touch haughty. “Lord He, have you heard of the Endless Sea, south of the firmament? It’s battered by storms all year round, is riddled with deadly currents, and is home to sea monsters that roam unchecked. It’s long been considered a place where no living man may tread, yet I ventured there twice on royal orders and returned unscathed both times.” Clearly, he thought that the two country bumpkins before him had no idea what real danger looked like.

He Lingchuan coughed lightly. “And I suppose you had a guide for those voyages into the Endless Sea?”

“Of course.”

“But from the ninth month until as late as the second or third month of the following year, sometimes even until the fourth month, there are no guides for the Panlong Desert. There is simply no one who dares go!” He Lingchuan said while shooting a glance at his father. “In the past fifty years, the Panlong Desert has claimed over four thousand lives, and that’s merely the number reported. Who knows what the real toll is? Furthermore, during the period when the desert is at its worst, do you know how many have ever even made it back alive?”

“One!” He raised a single finger. “In the past fifty years, there has only ever been one, and he had gone mad. According to the shaman, he had lost one yang soul and one yin soul, so he would never recover his wits again.”

Sun Fuping’s eyelid twitched slightly. Then, with the poise befitting a state preceptor, he said, “The Minister of War has already sent men to retrieve a certain item. If we find it, we might just be able to cross the Panlong Desert safely. And besides, I’ll do all I can to keep the team safe.”

He Chunhua scoffed inwardly. So after all that roundabout chatter, you’re finally getting to the point. However, he feigned surprise on the surface and said, “And what might that be?”

What’s the Minister of War trying to retrieve? Is it what led to my son falling off a cliff?

“It’s a keepsake left behind by Zhong Shengguang. With it, we may be able to pass the Panlong Desert unharmed. Even the wrathful spirits guarding the ruins might let us through,” Nian Songyu explained. “The Minister of War’s investigations all point to the tribe of sand leopards along the Hongya Route. Lord He, did you know that Zhong Shengguang’s spirit pet back in the day was a sand leopard?”

“I do recall hearing something like that.”

“Well, that sand leopard’s descendants and kin still live in the Panlong Desert. We sought them out to inquire and ran into a minor dispute.” Nian Songyu waved it off like it was nothing. “A few of the sand leopards fled, and we spent forty or fifty days tracking them down. We suspect one of them might have made its way to Heishui City.”

He Lingchuan chuckled. “Well, that’s easy then. Just plaster search notices across the city for a missing leopard. In Heishui City, monsters roam the streets.”

Sun Fuping turned to He Chunhua. “We will still need the commandery administrator’s assistance. Time is precious, and the battle at Woling Pass cannot wait. Every moment we speak, more lives are lost on that front. Only by retrieving the Generous Pot can we bring this unjust war to an end.”

He Chunhua thought for a moment and then said, “If you find that keepsake, then I will dispatch our finest guides to lead the way.”

“Just the twenty of us won’t be enough,” Nian Songyu said, displeased. “The Panlong Ruins are a place of ultimate evil, and only the fate of a state can suppress such evil!”

So that’s what he’s after... He wants at least two hundred men and a martial general to lead them, bearing a mandate token, no less! After all, without such a symbol of authority, how else could they invoke the fate of the state to protect themselves?

He Chunhua’s expression darkened. Who would even be bold enough to go on a suicide mission like this one?

Seeing this, Sun Fuping added, “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but Lord He, when you escaped the rite of divine recompense issue unscathed and were exiled to Qiansong Commandery, the road was smooth, your travel well-provisioned, and your future appointments rapid and unusually favorable. Surely, you must know that that was in part due to the Minister of War’s repeated lobbying.”

Exiled criminals were usually branded and inked across the face, then sent to labor in wastelands for over a decade. He Chunhua had not suffered that fate, but the journey from the capital to Heishui City was over a thousand li, and he had been just eleven years old at the time. His whole household had been condemned. If no one had quietly provided him with silver, greased the right palms, and eased the way, that journey alone might have killed him.

There were countless souls lost on the path of exile. One more soul lost would make no difference.

And later on, his rapid rise through the ranks through merit, though earned, would never have been possible without someone putting in a word on his behalf.

As for the saying that excellent wine fears no narrow alley? That was nonsense.

He Chunhua had long suspected he had a patron up high, but he never expected it to be the Minister of War.

Sun Fuping went on, “To recover the Generous Pot and take Woling Pass would be a monumental contribution. His Majesty has personally decreed that anyone who renders merit on this mission shall be promoted one rank.”

He Chunhua remained silent for a moment, then finally said, “I will see to the preparations immediately. State Preceptor Sun, Commandant Nian, please move to the guest house for now. We will receive you at Pine Crane Tower later this evening.”

With their goal achieved, the two men stood up with pleasure. The He father and son escorted them to the main gate with all due ceremony.

* * *

Watching the two men disappear around the street corner, He Lingchuan asked his father, “Are you really going to send people into the Panlong Desert?”

He Chunhua said nothing, his expression weighed down by heavy thoughts. He still had commandery duties to attend to and left only a single instruction for his son: “Don’t mention any of this to your mother.” After saying that, he hurried off.

When He Lingchuan returned to the residence, he ran into his younger brother, He Yue, and their mother, Madame Ying. They were in the middle of a stroll through the garden.

Madame Ying asked her eldest son, “Who were those guests?”

He Lingchuan answered solemnly, “A state preceptor and the son of the Provincial Governor of Xun Province. They came to speak with Father about a classified matter.”

“A state preceptor?” Madame Ying paused, surprised.

He Lingchuan explained, “It was State Preceptor Sun, His Excellency Sun Fuping himself. He came all the way here from the capital.”

Sun Fuping was a figure of the highest order. He was the kind of man that even nobility would regard as an honored guest. Madame Ying was clearly taken aback, though she did not press further. She merely asked, “Is it good news or bad?”

Since it was classified business, it was not her place to pry. Madame Ying never interfered with her husband’s official matters.

“A bit of both,” said He Lingchuan with gravity. “It will depend on how Father handles it.”

Madame Ying’s eyes turned thoughtfully. “Why did your father bring you with him?”

For such sensitive business, it made more sense to her for her husband to have brought their steadier, more dependable younger son.

“I’m involved in the matter,” He Lingchuan said, his expression darkening. “Mother, are you saying that Father shouldn’t have brought me with him?”

His irritation was beginning to rise.

“You’re involved?” Madame Ying looked him up and down. “Don’t tell me you’ve caused trouble again?”

“Is that how lowly you think of me?” He Lingchuan’s face hardened as well. “Do you really see me as someone who’s only good at getting into trouble?”

But this time, Madame Ying might not actually be wrong.

Ying Hongchan’s tone softened. She advised him earnestly, “Lingchuan, you’re grown now. You need to be more sensible and steady so that you can share your father’s burdens.”

She glanced toward the main gate. “I’m off to distribute food outside. You two brothers can chat amongst yourselves.”

Together with her maids, she took her leave while He Yue stayed behind.

“Big Brother, how about we drink some tea?”

He Lingchuan understood and followed him toward a side hall.

They had only just taken a few steps when He Yue said, “Mother’s just blunt. She didn’t mean anything by it. Don’t take it to heart.”

“We have the same mother. Do you really think that I need you to comfort me?” He Lingchuan shot him a glance. “She’s been sick of me since forever and spoils you like a treasure. It’s been that way since we were kids. Save your breath. There’s seriously no need to try and cover it up.”