Chapter 00269: Transcendence and Compassion
# Transcendence and Compassion
Chapter 269
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 269: Transcendence and Compassion
When he was finally awakened by his subordinates, he realized that the cavalry from Xunzhou had launched an assault, causing chaos in the camp.
Zhou Hongyue in the barracks was killed in the explosion, and Wu Shaoyi, in pain, managed to get up and direct the remaining troops, but the morale had already been shattered.
As he watched the grain carts go up in flames one after another and saw his soldiers being killed one by one, the signs of a rout were evident.
Wu Shaoyi knew it was impossible to turn things around and could only issue the order to retreat.
Along the way, he gathered the remnants, managing to salvage this small force.
As for the provisions, most had been destroyed.
The Xunzhou cavalry had advanced into the territory of Xiazhu to intercept the grain route.
They knew that, with their limited numbers, they couldn’t transport the grain, so they typically set fire to it instead.
Wu Shaoyi lowered his head and said, “I ask you to punish this subordinate.”
“Because of negligence and losing provisions, you deserve to die,” He Chunhua said coldly, “but now we are short on manpower, so I will spare your life, and we'll see how you perform in the future.”
Wu Shaoyi could only thank him for his magnanimity.
The pride from their victory over the Xunzhou forces earlier had completely dissipated by this moment.
Half of the grain allocated by the Wang Court had been lost.
He had to report to He Chunhua the state of affairs at the frontline.
Fortunately, they still had half left.
He Chunhua then asked him, “I remember there are officials and local militia in Bailu Town, why didn’t they come to assist?”
Wu Shaoyi shook his head. “Perhaps they didn’t dare to come, or maybe they went out to capture bandits. I’ve heard there have been bandits running rampant lately, killing several officials in Bailu Town, and a prominent family has been thoroughly pillaged, with over thirty people killed clean.”
He Lingchuan couldn’t help but interject, “Isn’t it peculiar to have two murder cases in such a small town?”
“I’ve strengthened the defenses,” Wu Shaoyi said softly, “It’s said the one who killed the officials was a townsman, and he escaped after committing the crime. As for those bandits, the locals recognized them; they are not Xunzhou soldiers. So…”
Having suffered defeat and lost provisions, no amount of explanation would seem less than an excuse, and he had to fall silent.
He Chunhua furrowed his brows. “Who was the enemy commander? Did you see clearly?”
“Over thirty years old, tall and thin, with formidable combat skills—far surpassing Lu Yao,” Wu Shaoyi replied. “I didn’t see him the last time we pursued the Xunzhou cavalry, but I heard his men calling him 'General.'”
“Xunzhou really values our grain convoy, sending two generals to intercept at two towns.” Although they might be minor generals.
He Chunhua sighed heavily, “I underestimated them.”
This time, the grain convoy from Dunyu City was actually divided into two groups; one went toward Xinhua Town, the other toward Bailu Town, as both routes had passes that were difficult to defend.
To ensure safety, He Chunhua decided to split the troop carrying the grain, each taking a different route, so that if one side were ambushed, the other could still preserve at least half of the supplies, preventing soldiers on the northern frontline from going hungry again.
“That means these cavalry were also divided into two routes, intercepting the grain convoy at Bailu Town and Xinhua,” He Lingchuan thought, somewhat alarmed, “Is there a traitor exposing our plans?”
“How could that be? We only issued the order to divide our forces after we reached Panjiagou, and only I and Mr. Mo Zhe knew before then. After that, both groups only took two days to reach Bailu Town and Xinhua respectively.” He Chunhua pointed to his temple. “No matter how clever a spy might be, they wouldn’t be able to read my mind.”
So it was just luck?
“There are three main roads north, but the eastern official road is too dilapidated; no one wants to travel it, hence the enemy is left guarding the remaining two roads.” He Lingchuan pondered, “While it makes sense, it’s too risky. Their numbers are already few, and they still dared to divide themselves to confront us.”
The Xunzhou cavalry had penetrated deep into enemy territory; supplies were a significant issue.
Thus, they valued quality over quantity.
Whoever came up with such a scheme had guts.
He Chunhua's expression grew exceptionally grave. “Moreover, their tactics this time are completely different from before. Could it be a different commander?”
The common method of intercepting enemy supplies usually involved ambushing in the wilderness, but this time, the enemy changed their approach, attacking in the town and catching him off guard.
They aimed precisely at the leader of the grain convoy, swift, accurate, and ruthless.
He Chunhua had only narrowly escaped calamity.
With an opponent like this, how could Zhao Qinghe and Wu Shaoyi have easily achieved three consecutive victories before?
“All the prisoners we interrogated were clueless; they only act according to their general’s orders.” This was also a method to prevent confidential information from leaking.
He Chunhua asked his eldest son, “In your opinion, will they come back to intercept our supplies again?”
Seeing his father ask him this, He Lingchuan knew the elder was somewhat flustered; otherwise, why would he consult this eldest son whom he deemed least reliable? He thought for a moment and replied, “No. If they took Bailu Town but then faced difficulties at Xinhua, they should realize this route is problematic. Moreover, their numbers are too few; they lost over two hundred in the last encounter. We are different.”
After Wu Shaoyi returned, He Chunhua's army had gained another seventeen to eighteen hundred soldiers.
In terms of numbers, their side had increased while the enemy had diminished. “Furthermore, we will inevitably heighten our vigilance; it is unlikely they can execute the same trick again.”
The cost and risk for the enemy to launch another sneak attack were increasing.
After contemplating for a long time, He Chunhua slowly nodded. “This time they have burned nearly ten thousand stones of grain, a substantial achievement. If their commander is clever, he should know not to be greedy for success. Otherwise, if they attempt to intercept us again, they might lose everything they gained.”
His gaze hardened gradually. “It is best if they do not lose heart; that way we will still have the chance to turn the tide.”
Having made his determination, he ceased to worry about whether the enemy would come, instead fearing they might not come at all.
He then made some arrangements before standing up and saying, “We will rest in Xinhua for a day before continuing our journey tomorrow morning.”
Everyone accepted their orders and left.
In the east, the sun rose, but the soldiers of Xiazhu were exhausted.
He Lingchuan splashed some clean water on his face to wash away the mud and blood, then found a tent to sleep in fully clothed.
He had also been busy all night, and soon fell asleep as he listened to the sounds of troops moving about outside.
……
When he woke up from a dreamless sleep, He Lingchuan felt a hint of disappointment.
When he awoke again, the sun had risen high.
Dan Youjun came to find him. “The prisoner has spoken.”
“Did he confess after the water torture?”
“Not really.” Dan Youjun chuckled. “This person looks cowardly but is hard-headed. Each time he couldn’t withstand the torture, he only revealed a little bit. Jiao Tai almost castrated him before he finally relented.”
When He Lingchuan saw the prisoner again, he looked dispirited, with cracked lips, not knowing how much suffering he had endured.
“Give him some water.”
The prisoner took the bowl and quickly drank it all down, taking a long breath afterward.
He Lingchuan pulled out the short staff from his cloak. “Be proactive; if you explain everything clearly, you can save your life.”
This prisoner had already been tortured to the brink of exhaustion and no longer tried to play tricks.
He spoke in a low voice, “This is the Dragon Punishing Pillar, an ancient treasure, said to be made from copper pillars on the edge of the Dragon Slaying Grounds.”
“Such a high-grade item?” He Lingchuan toyed with the short staff.
Although it looked quite aged, upon hearing it was an ancient item, the texture felt even smoother to his touch. “What is it used for?”
“To collect nightmare essence.” The prisoner said, “War inevitably leads to casualties and vengeful spirits. The Frostleaf Country’s Master Kuan asked us to carry this treasure staff, to collect the nightmare essence after the battle and bring it back for transcendence.”
“Nightmare essence?” He Lingchuan was intrigued by this new term. “Is nightmare essence just resentment?”
“Not just that; it also includes bitterness, fear, and anger from those who died.” The prisoner’s voice grew a bit louder. “We collect this from the battlefield to transcend; it is… it is a tremendous merit!”
“Collecting nightmare essence for transcendence? Does your master have such a propensity?” He Lingchuan didn’t believe in the phrase "great love has no boundaries" even for a second. “Did he tell you all this?”
“It’s all true, and it’s not just Master Kuan’s invention!” The prisoner straightened his body. “This tradition has been maintained since the establishment of the Beijia Kingdom, lasting at least five or six hundred years!”
Five or six hundred years?
“If the nightmare essence remains, it might turn into malevolent spirits. Haven’t you heard about how revengeful spirits often appear on ancient battlefields?”
Like in the Panlong Desert? He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow.
The prisoner continued, “At least two battlefields collected nightmare essence, after which the locals enjoyed six or seven years of bountiful seasons! I experienced this firsthand and witnessed it with my own eyes!”
This person wholeheartedly believed in this, not knowing how Master Kuan had brainwashed him.
He Lingchuan did not argue but shifted his gaze. “This Dragon Punishing Pillar can’t be the only one, right?”
“Others also wield them, all designated by the master. But I don’t know the exact number.”
In other words, Beijia Kingdom collected dozens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of so-called "nightmare essences"? That implied there were tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dead! If the short staff actually contained a collection of resentments, the quantity would be astonishing.
The prisoner explained, “Not everyone can use the Dragon Punishing Pillar; only those with the potential to ‘open the heavenly eye’ can become servants.”
“How do you open this ‘heavenly eye’?”
“You must apply a special potion around the eyes and do it continuously for forty-nine days. Each day brings intense pain to the eyes,” the prisoner said. “If one lacks the potential, they would go blind after applying it once.”
No wonder this fellow was so astonished to see he could also perceive the nightmare essence.
He Lingchuan touched his eyelids, realizing he could open the ‘heavenly eye’ without enduring forty-nine days of suffering.
Truly, he was born with a blessing.
Could it be because of those two treasures on him?
“So, how do you transcend the nightmare essence after bringing it back?”
“The master will host a ceremony to worship the heavens!”
He Lingchuan shook the short staff in his hand, observing the ever-changing "nightmare essence" within the gems. “Just how long did it take you to collect this?”
Others cannot see the existence of nightmare essence and thus do not know what these people have done.
At the very least, this secret was not known to most.
“It’s been eleven years. Ninety-seven battles or incidents in total.” The prisoner swallowed. “I’ve never fought; I only go to the battlefield after the fighting ends.”
“You’ve indeed been busy running around all year long.” This guy averages seven or eight battlefields a year, all of which are places flooded with corpses. “How much nightmare essence is there among all these dead?”
“I’ve never counted, but it must be over a hundred thousand?” The prisoner gazed at the short staff, appearing a bit reluctant to part. “Five years ago, during the coup in the Mian State, the royal clan members were slaughtered, and I collected the nightmare essence of several tens of thousands.”
He Lingchuan was taken aback and somewhat surprised. “The Mian royal family had such resilience?”
(End of Chapter)