Chapter 38: Chapter 39: The Capital for a Safe Return Home

Hee Chunhua said gravely, "Yes, but it was by no means intentional on our part."

"Human life is precious, but the war in the Central Region is a race against time. If we fail to bring back the Grand Square Pot in time, the rebels will travel downriver, and the National Capital could be facing a bloodbath!" Sunx Fuping let out a long sigh. "And the innocent civilians who would die then... would it be only hundreds, or thousands? Perhaps tens of thousands?"

Hee Chunhua opened his mouth, but nothing came out. On one side was the fate of the nation; on the other, the lives at the border. ’Which holds more weight?’

Seeing him fall silent, Nian Songyu also let out a soft breath, secretly easing the tension he had been holding.

’If Hee Prefect proved to be inflexibly moralistic, he wouldn’t have minded a swift draw of his blade.’

"The Sandstorm Season usually occurs around September each year and lasts until February or March of the following year." Sunx Fuping had these details memorized. "But there are occasional exceptions, are there not?"

Hee Chunhua thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "There have been. According to Qiansong County’s official records, the Sandstorm Season has arrived off-schedule a few times, causing massive casualties among people and livestock."

"What is it like when it comes?"

"First, gales and torrential rain, with flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. Then, it’s as if Fierce Ghosts are wailing throughout the desert, and the wind and sand dance madly like dragons and snakes." That was, after all, why it was called the Sandstorm Season. "At that point, anyone who walks into the desert will be buried alive within moments. The sandstorms won’t let up until the following year."

"I’ve also looked at the records. In the past century or so, the Panlong Desert’s Sandstorm Season has had its schedule shift a total of five times. It arrived early three times and was delayed twice. The most recent instance was twenty years ago, when the Sandstorm Season came early, in mid-May."

Hee Chunhua remembered it as well. "I had only just arrived in Qiansong County at that time. The local residents talked about it for years. For the next seven years, even the traffic on the Red Cliff Trade Road was affected. It only recovered slowly after that."

People traveled the Red Cliff Trade Road for one reason: safety. If the Panlong Desert’s violent temper could flare up at any time, who would dare risk their life for coin?

"What’s interesting is that I obtained a clue from Ancestor Master Zhugen: twenty years ago, he dispatched a team from the Baling Kingdom to probe the Panlong Ancient City once more. He didn’t go himself, but by my calculations, that team should have arrived here around April or May!"

This time, even Nian Songyu was astonished. "National Preceptor, are you saying... that the Sandstorm Season’s early arrival that year was deliberate?"

"It’s highly likely! At the very least, the timing matches up," Sunx Fuping said. "That team was personally led by a grand-disciple held in high regard by Ancestor Master Zhugen. Before they departed, he must have instructed them in person. Upon arriving here, they successfully triggered the Sandstorm Season ahead of schedule."

Hee Lingchuan said with a stone-cold expression, "But did they manage to make it back?"

Sunx Fuping sighed and shook his head. "That failure was a great blow to Ancestor Master Zhugen. Afterward, Baling stopped organizing expeditions to Panlong City."

"Doesn’t that just prove it’s a one-way trip?" Hee Lingchuan laughed, exasperated. "Then what in the world are we doing here?"

"And what if I told you that when the Sandstorm Season descends, the safest place in the entire desert is, paradoxically, Panlong Ancient City?" Sunx Fuping turned slightly, pointing to a complete set of crude porcelain wine cups on the counter. "Do these look like they could withstand a storm? Yet they’re in the exact same condition as when the Alliance Army left the Panlong Ruins."

The expressions of the group shifted, and they couldn’t help but look around.

It was true. The tavern was open to the wind on three sides, yet the tables and chairs in the front hall and the stove in the kitchen were all in perfect order. From where Situ Han sat, he could even see two earthenware jars on the stovetop, which would have been filled with salt or lard. If the sandstorms descended here every year, how could any of this have been preserved? ’Even this tavern, these two rows of street-front shops, and the many wooden homes in the city are over a hundred years old. Why haven’t they collapsed in the gales and sand?’

No one had given it much thought upon entering the city, not until Sunx Fuping pointed it out.

Hee Chunhua let out a soft breath. "There is often no wind in the eye of the storm."

So even when the Sandstorm Season began, no matter how much sand and stone flew outside, Panlong City itself would remain untouched.

"You should’ve just said so from the start! Wouldn’t have been a misunderstanding then," Hee Lingchuan said with a dismissive laugh. He stopped squabbling with Nian Songyu and walked back to his seat to drink some water.

Situ Han mumbled quietly, "But the Sandstorm Season lasts for at least four or five months. What are we going to eat and drink during that time?"

Everyone had to eat, and they had only brought a few days’ worth of food and water.

The men in this group were all vigorous and full of life—and they were all hearty eaters, not Mages who could survive by Fasting.

Before anyone else could speak, Hee Lingchuan jeered at him, "Use your brain. Once the National Preceptor takes the Grand Square Pot, how could it continue to generate the Sandstorm Season? Our return trip will probably be even more peaceful than our journey here."

Hee Chunhua frowned slightly.

’The boy may be reckless, but he’s not wrong.’ Sunx Fuping relaxed slightly and stroked his long beard. "Precisely!"

’It took so much effort to persuade this father and son to follow my plan, but if I were to just kill them off, the rest of the group would be difficult to manage.’

’How quickly people’s loyalties can change.’

’When you’re far from home, these Local Bullies from the backwaters, even with their low official standing, are a real pain to deal with.’

But then Hee Lingchuan turned back to ask him, "National Preceptor, you still haven’t explained: what if we summon the Sandstorm Season but then fail to get the Grand Square Pot? How do we get back then?"

This was the real question!

Sunx Fuping smiled, his expression as serene as a clear sky. "Before our departure, I received special permission from the Monarch to draw upon the Primordial Power of the Divine Altar!"

A wave of delight washed over the group, and their worries subsided.

Primordial Power is the culmination of a nation’s destiny, the will of its people, and the morale of its army.

It provides a massive boost to Divine Techniques, can suppress all manner of Wangling, and is capable of breaking an enemy’s Divine Art Arrays. It is one of the nation’s most precious strategic resources, with countless wondrous applications.

As a national strategic reserve, Primordial Power is normally sealed within the Divine Altar, and even the highest officials cannot deploy it at will. Fortunately, this was the National Preceptor’s domain, and Sunx Fuping, in particular, had received special permission from the Monarch.

With this promise, their chances of leaving the desert alive increased tenfold, if not more. Although the Yuan Kingdom’s fortune was not what it had been at its peak, protecting two hundred people on their way out of the vast desert was not an insurmountable task.

At this point, Hee Lingchuan had eaten and drunk his fill. He stood up and stretched his back. "Well then, do we start at dawn?"

Nian Songyu gave a humorless smile. "And where do you think you’re going?"

"I’m tired. Going to sleep." Hee Lingchuan yawned. "Don’t we have a busy day tomorrow? There are no fair ladies to keep me company, no music to listen to. What else is there to do but sleep?" ’This brat just loves to pick a fight with me.’

"Who told you it was time to rest?" Nian Songyu didn’t even bother to hide his contempt. "You’re doing the job tonight. Right now!"

"Do what?" Hee Lingchuan couldn’t stand the sight of him. "You?"

Nian Songyu’s face darkened as he took a step forward. Hee Lingchuan immediately took two steps back, positioning himself beside Zeng Feixiong. "Deputy Captain Zeng, protect me!"

Sunx Fuping cleared his throat. "Let’s focus on the matter at hand. Bring the Puppets forward."

Only then did Hee Lingchuan recall that the National Preceptor had brought two Puppets infested with the Three Corpses Insect from the Walnut Boat all the way into the city. They were still waiting outside.