Chapter 00141: The Power of the Formation
# The Power of the Formation
Chapter 141
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 141: The Power of the Formation
From Woling Pass to Xianling Lake, the journey twists and turns over four hundred miles.
Lu Yao summoned the Crocodile Deity here at the cost of Dragon Blood; could it be that he invited the elder to enjoy the scenery?
Needless to say, this fellow is thinking of uniting the three armies.
With the Crocodile Deity's assistance, he probably wants to take on the role of a commander.
He Lingchuan asked again, "If I kill Lu Yao and obtain the Dragon Blood, can you also serve me?"
"No, the Dragon Blood is already with me."
The Giant Crocodile blinked, "But if you kill him, I can help you for free once."
"Ah, why are you so generous?" Can pies really fall from the sky?
"The death of Hong Xiangqian is related to him."
The Giant Crocodile's vertical pupils turned to He Lingchuan, "Catch my tears. From now on, if you soak my tears in Xianling Lake, you will gain my protection."
Tears were about to fall to the ground from the corner of its eye, and He Lingchuan hurriedly took a crystal bottle to catch them.
Is this the crocodile's tears? Under the light, this droplet of tear even had a slight blue tint.
Given the Crocodile Deity's grand tone, he tightly sealed the bottle and carefully hid it away.
"I still have one thing unclear."
"Speak."
The Crocodile Deity was clearly impatient.
"Why did you leave the Northern Demon Kingdom and enter the Great Yuan?" It was evident that this Giant Crocodile had been heading south since leaving the Northern Kingdom, first participating in the shocking battle at Woling Pass, and then traveling along the waterways to Xianling Lake.
The land of the Yuan Kingdom was crisscrossed with waterways, serving as fast passages for the Giant Crocodile.
"This happened several years ago. The new emperor of the Northern Kingdom ascended the throne, and there was discord with my clan."
The Crocodile Deity said coldly, "I was not the only one to leave."
"What are your plans for the future?"
The Crocodile Deity thought for a moment: "Xianling Lake is nice; I will reside here."
The lake alone had eight hundred miles of open water, with countless underwater caves and secret passages, connecting numerous streams and rivers.
The food supply was also quite abundant; the Crocodile Deity was very satisfied with the geographical conditions here.
He Lingchuan lightly coughed: "Then have you considered taking a Water Spirit as a position?"
"Like that turtle?"
"Yes."
He Lingchuan smiled, "If you are a wild monster and love to eat people, the locals may not tolerate you."
The Crocodile Deity chuckled twice, clearly disdainful.
He Lingchuan earnestly persuaded: "Even if you are not afraid, they will not go easy on your offspring. If so, you might as well take the position of Water Spirit. Although you will need to ensure the safety of a region's waters in the future, you will have the Yuan Power allocated to you by the royal court, and you can also enjoy regular offerings from humans. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks."
Upon hearing the term "Yuan Power," the Crocodile Deity was somewhat tempted.
That turtle demon's combat power was far inferior to it, yet it managed to fight for an entire night due to the enhancement from the Water Spirit's Yuan Power before being defeated.
If it could also obtain the Yuan Power enhancement, it would greatly benefit its future cultivation.
Moreover, after the nearby residents built a shrine and erected a tablet for it, they would also regularly offer sacrifices to the Water Spirit, throwing a large number of live poultry and livestock into the lake.
Who wouldn't want fresh food that comes for free?
Eating fish every day, it would be nice to change the taste occasionally.
The little crocodile demon beside it quickly swept its tail, signaling its mother to hurry and accept the position.
The Crocodile Deity had only one last question: "Can you make this happen?"
"I can!" He Lingchuan patted his chest in assurance, "As long as you assist us in eliminating Lu Yao, it will be a great merit. I can ask the governor of Qiansong County to write to the local authorities, applying for you to take the position of Water Spirit of Xianling Lake. With such a powerful monster protecting you, the local officials would be overjoyed."
This world is inherently shared by humans and monsters.
The existence of monsters within human territories is as normal as the presence of humans in monster territories.
The best way for the authorities to deal with particularly troublesome or unmanageable powerful monsters is to recruit them, inviting them to become Water Spirits or Water Deities.
Weighing the pros and cons, these intelligent monsters have little reason to refuse, as they can manage their own territories while receiving royal rations or offerings, resulting in a win-win situation for both sides.
As for the monsters' past crimes, whether they killed or devoured people or caused floods that submerged villages, those are all bygones.
Compared to mountain bandits and robbers, the authorities prefer to recruit monsters, as the latter are often straightforward and less likely to betray suddenly.
Many monsters hold their positions as Water Spirits for one or two hundred years, and even as dynasties change, the new regime quickly recognizes their status.
Thus, the Crocodile Deity did not hesitate much before agreeing.
After He Lingchuan gathered a few powerful allies, Wu Shaoyi and his subordinates looked at him with strange expressions.
To be honest, even the Dragon Blood that Lu Yao produced did not impress the Crocodile Deity as much as the position of Water Spirit offered by the authorities.
This is the power of the formation.
Wu Shaoyi had a subordinate named Lian Deng, who rubbed his hands and said to He Lingchuan, "Brother He, if we help the officials break Lu Yao's encirclement, it will be bloody and sweaty, and we might even lose some men. You see, this seems... uh, not very beneficial for us?"
He Lingchuan glanced at Wu Shaoyi, seeing him standing silently to the side, knowing that this person had complex feelings, so he said, "As long as you are traitors, you will be hunted by the authorities, which is no different from Lu the Thief."
The faces of the bandits all turned ugly.
Since their defeat at Woling Pass, everyone knew that the life of a stray dog was not easy.
The future path of this group was unclear, and even Wu Shaoyi was very confused, not daring to guarantee anything.
However, He Lingchuan continued, "Unless you are willing to be recruited!"
Recruitment? Upon hearing these two words, everyone exchanged glances, but their hearts were not very resistant.
He Lingchuan did not need to look at others; he only needed to focus on Wu Shaoyi.
Seeing his expressionless face, he knew there was a chance for this matter.
These three groups of bandits quietly gathered at Xianling Village, merely thinking of banding together to fight for a place to settle down in the future.
In fact, if they cannot fight, joining is not a bad way out.
Even a wild monster like the Crocodile Deity, known for its unruliness, was willing to join the ranks and eat public rations; they were enviously watching from the sidelines.
"Can you make the decision?" Wu Shaoyi's gaze was intense, "You are just a minor official following the army; why should you have the authority?"
"I can, just because I am the eldest son of He Chunhua, the governor of Qiansong County!" He Lingchuan coughed a few times, knowing it was time to reveal his identity.
Empty words are useless; what good is it to speak grandly? Only identity can be thrown out to make others bleed from their noses, and they would still smile with joy.
"My father has gone north to Xiangzhou to serve as the chief overseer, and the troops he brought are his own direct subordinates! Once you submit, you will become my He family's trusted aides, and in the future, you will be military elders. In Xiangzhou, won't you be enjoying a life of luxury and power?"
He knew that discussing ideals and life with these fierce bandits was useless; providing some practical guarantees was the most important.
Just the phrase "enjoying a life of luxury and power" could summarize the lifelong aspirations of most people.
Sure enough, the mountain bandits' eyes flickered, and they were somewhat moved.
Lian Deng rubbed the back of his head: "The royal court has often gone back on its word. Even if General Wu submits, what if they..."
They were righteous soldiers, naturally wary and suspicious of the officials.
(End of Chapter)