Chapter 00059: We’ve All Been Deceived
# We’ve All Been Deceived
Chapter 59
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 59: We’ve All Been Deceived
He Lingchuan sneered, "Earlier, State Preceptor Sun told us to hurry back to the south gate after finishing our task. He even gave us a strict two-hour deadline, with warnings and threats. Don’t you feel flattered? They’ve always treated us like beasts of burden. When have they ever been so considerate?"
Mao Tao immediately recalled State Preceptor Sun’s earnest reminders.
"But what if..."
"What if what?" He Lingchuan interrupted.
"Sudden concern often comes with ulterior motives. If something goes wrong, what difference does it make whether we’re here or at the south gate? If we really need to rely on them, we can just rush over then."
He spoke with a grave tone, "Look at those two. Do they seem like they care about our lives? If that’s the case, why should we care about theirs?"
Mao Tao thought for a moment, then nodded.
"You’re right. I’ll follow your lead."
￥￥￥￥￥
He Yue was busy writing in the government office.
The weather in Qiansong County was much better than in the Panlong Desert, but by the end of August, it was still unbearably hot.
Everyone was waiting for a thunderstorm to cool down Blackwater City.
Today was particularly stifling.
As he reviewed official documents, He Yue wiped the sweat from his forehead.
A servant behind him noticed and brought over a large palm-leaf fan.
"Second Young Master, let me help."
Before the servant could fan him twice, urgent news came from outside:
The Panlong Desert had unleashed its fury—the sandstorm season had arrived early.
*Clatter.* He Yue’s brush fell onto the desk, staining several documents.
The sandstorm season had begun, but his father and elder brother hadn’t returned yet.
This was truly devastating news.
The servant called out to him several times before He Yue finally snapped out of his daze.
His voice was hoarse as he said, "Increase the security patrols. The city will be restless these next few days."
Every time the sandstorm season arrived early, it caused significant loss of life and property.
Disputes between the victims’ families, merchants, and traveling caravans would skyrocket.
In previous years, He Chunhua had often dealt with cases of brawls and deaths that occurred after the sandstorm season.
Thinking of his father, He Yue felt a chill in his heart.
His mother had been anxiously waiting at home for news.
Should he send word of this disaster?
That afternoon, He Yue spent several hours in the government office but couldn’t bring himself to handle any more official business.
It wasn’t until nightfall that the young man stood up listlessly, preparing to return home.
Never before had he felt so reluctant to go back.
But just then, a courier arrived, presenting him with eleven crumpled letters sealed with wax:
"The eastern route has been cleared. These are the letters that were stuck at Jiaxin Pass, all delivered at once."
Seeing so many letters, He Yue’s heart sank.
What major events had occurred in the east?
Qiansong County was remote, and there was no direct water route from east to west.
Letters from the capital had to pass through Woling Pass and Jiaxin Pass to reach here.
The mountain roads along the way were treacherous.
Taking a detour would add three months to the journey, and the road conditions were terrible.
Few people bothered to do so.
Before He Chunhua left for the Panlong Desert, he had been deeply concerned about the situation in the east.
Even if it was to fulfill his father’s last wish, He Yue had to read these letters.
He casually opened one, glanced at it, and his brow furrowed.
He quickly opened another.
Then another.
"This is outrageous!" He Yue slammed his fist on the table with a loud *bang*, startling the nearby clerks.
The Second Young Master had always been gentle and refined, much like the county magistrate.
Why was he suddenly so furious?
He Yue’s eyes were red.
For the first time in his life, he felt such grief and hatred.
"Father, Elder Brother, your deaths were in vain!" he gritted his teeth.
"We’ve all been deceived!"
The young man stood up and walked out.
Now, he had two pieces of devastating news to bring home.
￥￥￥￥￥
Nian Songyu carried the last crate of crossbow bolts up to the wall.
Each crate weighed several hundred pounds.
Despite his martial arts training, hauling forty crates up the wall had left his arms sore and his feet heavy.
Sun Fuping was already standing on the wall, looking down.
"Is everything up here?" Given his age and status, he naturally wouldn’t do such menial tasks.
With He Lingchuan and the others absent, the work had fallen to Nian Songyu.
"Yes, that’s all."
Nian Songyu panted heavily.
"Those two scoundrels don’t know where they’ve gone. They’re so slow!"
After resting for a moment, he began coating the weapons with a special oil, also known as fire oil.
Whether it was a long-range crossbow or a catapult, setting them on fire would greatly increase their destructive power, effectively killing enemies.
Right now, the two of them were focused on their ability to set the city ablaze.
Nian Songyu casually opened a crate and was momentarily stunned before breaking into a wide grin.
"Nail bombs!"
Cannons had long existed in the mortal world, but their power was limited, and the intervals between shots were long.
They were decent for attacking people, but when it came to destroying walls, they only left small craters.
Aside from the deafening noise, they weren’t much more effective than crossbow carts.
But these "nail bombs" were different.
They were iron cannonballs filled with small nails.
Upon impact, they would explode in all directions, not only causing injuries but also making infections likely.
Nian Songyu loaded a nail bomb and dusted off his hands.
"Has it been two hours yet?"
"Almost."
Sun Fuping sat on a crate, gazing ahead.
"The north hasn’t caught fire yet."
"The north was left to the sand bandits. Did he escape?" Nian Songyu walked over, shielding his eyes with his hand.
"Should we start firing the cannons first?"
"Wait a little longer."
If the State Preceptor said to wait, then they had to wait.
Another half-hour passed.
The main street below the wall was eerily empty.
Nian Songyu gulped down some water.
"What do you think?"
"Should we give them a warning?"
Nian Songyu shrugged, then took a deep breath and shouted, "He Lingchuan, return to the south gate at once!" He couldn’t remember the sand bandit’s name.
He shouted three times, his voice echoing across the southern part of Panlong City.
Perhaps the place was too empty, as his voice echoed back.
If He Lingchuan was on his way, he should have heard it.
After waiting for a while, the street below remained empty.
He roared again, "The south gate is about to be set on fire. Your lives are your own responsibility!"
Once the fire started, who knew what accidents might happen? The flames alone might be enough to kill those two!
Another half-hour passed before Sun Fuping finally stood up.
"The sand bandit and He Lingchuan are together. They’re on guard and won’t come over."
The fire in the north still hadn’t started.
If the sand bandit hadn’t met with an accident, he must have gone to join He Lingchuan.
"That brat from the He family has always resented me," Nian Songyu said.
"What do we do now?"
"The houses in the east and west have already caught fire, and there’s nothing unusual. The key to breaking this situation must lie in the south, which aligns with my deduction. Those two boys—no, the He family boy—has grown suspicious. He’s not as reckless as we thought."
The distant flames seemed to flicker in Sun Fuping’s eyes.
"Do they think they’re safe now? How naive! Light the fire."
The last three words were directed at Nian Songyu.
Nian Songyu hesitated for a moment.
"What about your original plan for the Blackwater City army?"
"They’re standing right in my formation."
With that one sentence, Nian Songyu’s doubts were dispelled.
He lit the fire and loaded the crossbows.
(End of Chapter)