Chapter 00156: Three Verses Determine Life
# Three Verses Determine Life
Chapter 156
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 156: Three Verses Determine Life
This time, the captive thought for a long while before slowly shaking his head, "I have no impression. However, General Lu often goes out alone, not allowing us to follow. This has been a habit formed long ago."
He Chuanhua stood up and said, "Alright, Qinghe, you take care of his wounds and get him some food and drink. Since he is cooperating, this is what he deserves."
The three of them left the woodshed.
He Lingchuan asked him, "Father, should we report this matter to the Wang Court?"
"Yes, but we need to wait until ten days later. That captive will serve as a witness, and we will submit everything then."
He Yue nodded.
He Lingchuan asked curiously, "Why ten days later?"
"If we report it now, the Wang Court might reply and ask me to stay at Woling Pass to investigate this matter," He Chuanhua smiled, "What is our most urgent task?"
"Of course, it is to head to Xiazhou and take up our posts!"
Saying anything else was just a matter of urgency, but for He Chuanhua, the most pressing matter was to properly sit in the position of the Xiazhou governor!
Thus, He Lingchuan understood, "Father is truly cunning!"
In at most five to seven days, they would board a ship heading north, and ten days later, they would be close to Shihuan City.
After a few more days, they would reach Xiazhou.
By the time the Wang Court received the report and thought to investigate the matter of Hong Xiangqian's military dissolution, they would have to send someone else.
Once everything was said, He Lingchuan yawned and stood up, "I'm going back to sleep. Father, you should rest early too."
After all, they had been busy all day.
However, just as he and He Yue took a couple of steps, their father called out to him, "Chuan'er, you stayed behind this morning and were quite brave. I am very comforted."
He Lingchuan turned around with a smile, just about to receive more praise, but He Chuanhua immediately added, "However, you are not allowed to do this in the future."
"Huh?" He Lingchuan was astonished, "Father, weren't you going to praise me?"
"With three hundred troops in support, there are capable people to stay behind. There is no need for the He family's eldest son to personally go into battle," He Chuanhua said gently, "What use is mere bravery? You are a fortunate general, but good fortune can also fail at times; it is not something to rely on. You are sixteen now, a man should know what can be done and what cannot. Before putting yourself in danger, think more about your mother and your younger brother."
He Lingchuan was stunned for a moment before saying, "I understand."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Back in the small courtyard where they were staying, He Yue said to him, "After Big Brother fell off the cliff, Zhao Qinghe came to report the bad news. Father was extremely saddened, yet he still had to manage the safety of hundreds of people. His words were not meant to blame you, so do not take them to heart."
He Lingchuan shrugged, "Do I look like I'm taking it to heart?"
That night, the two shared a room.
In fact, He Lingchuan always felt something was strange.
If it were the original body, he would probably be furious: after finally gaining some recognition, he was met with a lecture from his father.
However, now that he lay down, his mind was filled with the few verses left to him by the Old Turtle Demon:
Seek life in death, conceal sharpness and guard clumsiness.
Probe the real in the void, ...
This old thing really liked to speak in riddles.
He Lingchuan truly wanted to scramble its egg yolk out.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to live splendidly in this chaotic world filled with strange powers and disregard for human life.
But first, he had to solve the riddle.
The old turtle said his power was insufficient, and the heavenly secrets were distorted, so he could only catch glimpses of these.
He Lingchuan had better accept it, or else there would be no other way.
The first two lines of these three verses were easy to understand; to survive, one must conceal their brilliance and show less sharpness.
Since he crossed over, he had been doing just that, and now at least he knew he had not made a mistake.
If he were like the flashy, reckless young man with golden hair by the village, who only understood being rash and seeking to stand out, thinking that revenge was the way to a fulfilling life, believing that all heroes should make way for his protagonist halo, then perhaps his ashes would have long been scattered.
However, he occasionally revealed his flaws, such as when he previously displayed his skills in Xianling Village and on the road to Xishan, which everyone had seen; that was definitely not right, and he needed to be more cautious in the future.
The key lay in the last line.
What does "Probe the real in the void" mean? He Lingchuan inexplicably recalled his two experiences of entering the Panlong Dream Realm.
Could it refer to this?
Moreover, he always felt that these three verses were light and airy, as if they were missing a final line.
Looking at this format, there should be a fourth line to make it flow, right?
In the end, the old turtle awkwardly said that it could not come up with the fourth line, and asked He Lingchuan to think of it himself in the future.
Can I really come up with it myself?
He Lingchuan thought for a long time but had no further clues and could not consult anyone else.
These experiences were simply unspeakable, and besides, the old turtle demon had warned him that these few verses could only be kept in his heart and must never be written down.
Sigh, what a headache.
But no matter what, he knew that his future might be turned upside down because of these three verses.
This was not a curse but a prophecy; curses can be resolved, but prophecies... he should obediently follow the rules to preserve his life before plotting a comeback.
The next two days were thrilling, and He Yue was mentally exhausted, making it hard for him to sleep.
While tossing and turning, he heard his brother's snoring gradually rising, not knowing if he was dreaming of displaying his skills.
What a carefree heart; He Yue sometimes envied this simple brother.
The next morning, He Lingchuan was ruthlessly awakened.
There were visitors, and He Chuanhua called for him to hurry over.
The other bed was empty, the bedding already tidied up, indicating that He Yue had gone out early to handle matters for their father.
He Lingchuan had a sense of what was happening, quickly washed his face, and rushed over, putting on his outer robe along the way.
Upon entering the hall, he saw that it was indeed Wu Shaoyi who had come, talking with He Chuanhua.
Both of them wore smiles, and as soon as Wu Shaoyi saw He Lingchuan, he said, "Young Master He, please bear with me in the future!"
"Ah, no problem. I was worried about you all night," He Lingchuan said with his eyes wide open, lying through his teeth, "How is your body now?"
Wu Shaoyi sighed, "The deficiency of qi and blood cannot be resolved in just a day or two. Just hold on, and it will pass."
He used secret techniques to replace his injuries, but he had lost too much blood earlier, and even his organs showed signs of decline.
Without careful nurturing for ten days or half a month, he would not recover.
"My team's doctor is highly skilled; he will arrange your medicine and diet. You just need to rest well," He Chuanhua said with a beaming face, then turned to He Lingchuan, "Along with General Wu, there are also three hundred elite soldiers who need to be properly settled!"
As He Chuanhua headed to Xiazhou, the more talented people he had under him, the better.
This person had both military talent and troops, both of which were readily available.
Although he could no longer go to the battlefield, once they joined, the supporting army would also greatly increase in strength.
Wu Shaoyi shook his head and laughed, "What general? I am now the deputy general of the supporting army."
He Chuanhua indeed followed the conditions discussed with his eldest son and gave him a position as a deputy general in the army.
Everyone laughed.
Taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere, He Lingchuan quickly asked about the battle at Desheng Town.
It turned out that after Wu Shaoyi arrived at Desheng Town by waterway, he harassed the stationed Lu bandits with guerrilla tactics, especially targeting their horses.
Stealing horses was not easy, but killing them was not difficult.
Coincidentally, these horses were raised not far from the creek, and because the town's water troughs were too few, the Lu bandits could not retrieve them in time, and were taken advantage of by the Crocodile God, who led his subordinates to eat more than a dozen horses.
He Chuanhua sighed, "What a pity, Pei Xinyong is unwilling to submit."
Pei Xinyong did not want to submit, nor did he want anyone to know his whereabouts, so he would certainly leave quickly after the battle at Desheng Town.
In fact, it was not just Pei Xinyong.
Wu Shaoyi recalled all his subordinates and explained the future plans, allowing those brothers who were willing to join the official army to stay.
As a result, half of them left.
"I advised him, but unfortunately, everyone has their own aspirations. He said he would never return to the officialdom," Wu Shaoyi shrugged, "I asked him about his future plans, and he only said to take it one step at a time, without telling me where he would go next."
Although they were old brothers who had fought side by side before, one was eating public rations while the other had to continue as a bandit, destined to part ways.
He Chuanhua sighed, "What a pity."
The three chatted for a while longer before He Chuanhua got up to leave.
His affairs were never-ending.
He Lingchuan poured a cup of water for Wu Shaoyi, "I have good wine here. Once you recover, we will drink a few cups."
Wu Shaoyi gladly agreed.
"Earlier, you mentioned that Pei Xinyong would not return to the officialdom. What does that mean?" He Lingchuan asked, his ears perked up, "Did he used to be an official?"
"He worked for the Longxia Zhechongfu for six years and became a Guoyi Duwei. During the flood in the Chenghe River that year, the Longxia Zhechongfu was ordered to transport disaster relief supplies. At that time, Old Pei was young and straightforward, unable to tolerate the corruption and exploitation in the officialdom. He heard that the monarch wanted to enforce strict laws and rectify the bureaucracy, which inspired him greatly. Thus, he reported his superior's corruption and the trafficking of supplies."
So Pei Xinyong had such a past? He Lingchuan was very interested, "And then?"
"Then he was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; his superior was always fine, and this crime was directly pinned on him. With witnesses and evidence, he could not argue. There was no need for a trial; he was dismissed and imprisoned, enduring all kinds of torture, nearly dying inside. When others rescued him from prison, there were still maggots crawling in the wound on his waist. Although he healed later, he was left with a deficiency."
Wu Shaoyi shrugged, "So Old Pei often says that a big kite is just a big kite. He is not interested in the officialdom, nor is he interested in the invitation from Lord He."
He Lingchuan did not know what to say.
After a long while, he continued to ask Wu Shaoyi:
"I have one more thing I don't understand. From what you all said, Hong Xiangqian should be quite remarkable. Why does he employ someone as notorious as Lu Yao, a man-eating demon? Doesn't he fear that the reputation of the bandits, uh, the righteous army will be tarnished?"
"Actually, in the eyes of the Holy Master, Lu Yao and we are no different," Wu Shaoyi sighed softly, "They are all killing blades; perhaps he is even faster and sharper."
He Lingchuan pondered this statement carefully and found it increasingly reasonable.
What distinction is there among blades? The key lies in who wields them.
Those who achieve great things do not fuss over trivialities.
Lu Yao's small hobby of eating people and his minor moral blemishes might not even count as trivialities in Hong Xiangqian's eyes.
That said, Wu Shaoyi did not know that the Holy Master had sought to survive in this world through military dissolution, and He Lingchuan did not plan to tell him.
Lu Yao later often drank himself into a stupor; that should have been after he had properly settled Hong Xiangqian's primordial spirit, right?
How long a soul can exist after death depends on the strength of the primordial spirit.
Ordinary people might last about seven days, while those with strong primordial spirits could hold on for a while longer, but just for a while.
(End of Chapter)