Chapter 00207: Snowy Night Death Village
# Snowy Night Death Village
Chapter 207
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 207: Snowy Night Death Village
He Lingchuan suddenly opened his eyes and turned to sit up.
He was inside a carriage, the space cramped.
On the low table in front of him lay a half-finished game of chess, while a small stain marked the wall opposite him.
At his feet, a Diedeshan Incense Burner was slowly releasing calming incense.
He had returned to reality.
He Lingchuan instinctively touched his neck, both hands slick with cold sweat.
Unscathed.
He took a long breath; it felt good to be alive.
This was his third experience of death, and the sensation of a cold blade slicing through his windpipe lingered—he had done it to himself.
The Panlong Dreamscape had one flaw: it was too real.
How long would it take him to crawl out from under the shadow of death this time?
He Lingchuan thought optimistically, if he died often enough, would he become numb to it?
He lifted the curtain of the carriage, and the howling wind became clear.
Right, his old man was anxious to hurry, having missed the lodging, and now the support troops could only press on through the sudden snowstorm.
He Yu was playing chess with He Lingchuan's newly recruited aide, Sun Hongye, to pass the time, and He Lingchuan had “accidentally” fallen asleep while watching the game.
There was no helping it; the sound of the wind outside was too gentle, and the two of them playing chess was too boring.
As he lifted the curtain, Sun Hongye poked his head in.
“Ah, young master, you’re awake?”
He Lingchuan yawned, “Why did you stop playing chess halfway?”
Sun Hongye cleared his throat lightly, “Second Young Master said it would be better not to disturb your rest.” In reality, it was the opposite; He Lingchuan's snoring was so loud that it made it impossible for them to make a move.
“Come up and talk.” He Lingchuan grabbed a cup and took a couple of sips of cold tea, “I’m so tired!”
No one knew that while he was quietly sleeping here, his divine sense had already entered the Panlong Wilderness to experience a grand battle, and he had died once, still feeling lingering fear.
He had just gone through a harrowing experience, while the world remained oblivious.
“I think I heard you say earlier that Generals Ke Jihai used your tactics to break through Woling Pass?” Then he fell asleep.
“Yes, I presented the strategy to the Imperial Censor, and he was very pleased, rushing to the palace that night to present it to the king in its entirety.” At that time, Sun Hongye was serving as a companion reader in the home of the Imperial Censor He Liwen, so meeting with the Censor was not difficult.
“I’ve heard the story of the two generals breaking through Woling Pass; it’s all over the streets, but your name doesn’t appear at all.” He Lingchuan said, “Did that old man He shamelessly claim it was his own idea?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
It seemed the Imperial Censor still had some face left.
“Lord He reported that it was his third son, He Jing, who was worried about the country’s affairs and couldn’t sleep for more than two months before coming up with the strategy.” Sun Hongye smiled bitterly, “Afterwards, the king greatly rewarded He Jing.”
He Lingchuan couldn’t help but laugh, “Taking credit for the achievements of one’s descendants is an old trick of officials. Nothing new, nothing new!”
“It was my fault for being indiscreet; my words of resentment reached Lord He’s ears, and he expelled me from the He family.”
The tea had long cooled, and there was no charcoal in the carriage.
He Lingchuan grasped the pot and channeled his true energy, and soon steam began to rise from the spout.
Then, he personally poured a cup of hot tea for Sun Hongye: “In Luming Garden, He family’s second son, He Su, spoke disrespectfully to me and Zhu Xiuer. The problems with your carriage going down the mountain are also related to him. I initially wanted to teach him a lesson, but then I thought, why not leave this opportunity for you?”
Sun Hongye's expression shifted slightly.
If it were anyone else, they would only advise him to let it go; what qualifications did a small nobody have to confront a high-ranking official?
He Lingchuan continued, “Don’t belittle yourself. Just look at the second and third sons of the He family, and you’ll know their luck is not strong. Come with me to the northern lands for a few years, and opportunities will come in a flash.”
Sun Hongye thought for a moment and nodded earnestly, “Alright!”
He was looking forward to making a name for himself by following the He family to the north.
“By the way, I noticed some lights on the mountain opposite; it might be a village or town. Lord He has already sent someone to investigate.” Sun Hongye smiled, “Madam has expressed some concerns.”
He Lingchuan also poured himself a cup of hot tea and drank it to warm his stomach, “She was frightened by the bandits by the Fairy Spirit Lake, thinking that all the villages in the world harbor ill intentions towards us.”
“Desperation breeds thievery; Madam’s worries are not unfounded.” Sun Hongye looked through the curtain towards the mountains in the night, and indeed saw flickering lights ahead, appearing especially inviting amidst the wind and snow, “But we are strong and well-equipped; the petty thieves do not dare to covet us.”
He Lingchuan lazily said, “What’s there to fear from bandits? Our team comes with bandits.”
Wu Shaoyi, along with several hundred subordinates who had also been recruited, although they did not yet have military uniforms, had already been incorporated into He Chunhua’s support troops.
Sun Hongye's expression became serious, “Second Young Master has told me about the battle of Xianling Village. Young Master, you stayed behind to cover the retreat; that is bravery; surviving a fall from a cliff; that is luck; and you took the opportunity to subdue the Crocodile Demon and Wu Shaoyi; that is wisdom. With wisdom, bravery, and luck all present, you are not as simple as you appear.”
“Do I look simple on the surface?” He Lingchuan rolled his eyes, “Flatter me well, and maybe I’ll give you a raise.”
“The young master is carefree yet has no vices, meticulous yet not indecisive; that is precisely the kind of talent needed for the northern campaigns.” Sun Hongye smiled, “If Lord He has discerning eyes, he will surely entrust you with important responsibilities.”
Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed not far ahead.
He Lingchuan lifted the curtain and saw a rider coming down from the opposite mountain path, merging into the front ranks of the support troops.
It seemed a scout had returned from probing the way ahead.
Sure enough, not long after, an officer rode back and forth, instructing the soldiers to be alert and prepare for unexpected situations.
He Lingchuan reached out to stop him, “What happened up ahead?”
“Massacre.” The officer replied, “In the village ahead, seventy to eighty men and women were killed, and the killers did not spare even the children.”
“Another bandit raid?” The security in Dayuan was too poor.
“It doesn’t seem like it was caused by weapons. Lord He ordered us to continue forward but to be prepared for battle.”
The wind and snow were growing stronger, and the support troops needed to find a place to rest.
Although the village ahead was dangerous, after passing this village, who knew how far the next inn would be?
Marching in the wind and snow was even more perilous than rushing through the rain at night.
Moreover, He Chunhua currently commanded hundreds of soldiers; even in the wilderness, what force could pose a threat to him?
Thus, the entire troop continued to advance as planned.
Since there was a change ahead, He Lingchuan could not remain in the carriage any longer.
He mounted a horse and rode ahead to find his father.
After a quarter of an hour, the support troops arrived at the village halfway up the mountain.
This village was smaller than Xianling Village, with dozens of houses, including residences, wood sheds, pens, warehouses, and most of the houses had lights on.
There were bloodstains on the ground and walls.
He Lingchuan did not see any corpses but noticed drag marks on the ground.