Chapter 00073: He Is No Longer the State Preceptor
# He Is No Longer the State Preceptor
Chapter 73
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 73: He Is No Longer the State Preceptor
In truth, the number of medicines in this world that could quickly restore one's vitality could be counted on one hand.
The few Gu worms were all emaciated, which was why Sun Fuping, despite being riddled with wounds from the ballista, couldn't use them to recover quickly.
In the end, he had to rely on the grace of the gods.
Now, he intended to use He Lingchuan as his blood bank, while also making him experience the agony of having his heart and brain devoured.
He Lingchuan, covered in scratches from head to toe, was still unaware of the foreign object invading his body.
At that moment, a demon bird descended from the sky and landed right beside him.
The bird tilted its head, looking at him as if deep in thought.
He Lingchuan, however, had no time to care.
He shouted, "Kill him! Helping me is helping yourself!"
Instead of turning its head, the demon bird released a few bats with a whoosh.
Its body was composed of a swarm of bats, so doing this was effortless for it.
The bats pounced on He Lingchuan's wounds, quickly biting and sucking his blood.
A numbing and itchy sensation spread through his body, but there was no pain.
The young man exclaimed in shock, "Hey, hey, what are you doing?"
Of course, the demon bird didn't respond.
It merely spread its wings, preparing to take flight.
He Lingchuan, not caring about anything else, drew his sword and began cutting at the net-like threads binding him.
Despite the delicate and soft appearance of the silk ropes, they were actually made from blood silkworm silk and three-hundred-year-old iron vine cores, making them several times harder than steel.
They were impervious to water, fire, blades, or axes.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to cut through, He Lingchuan remembered his newly acquired treasure sword.
If not now, when would he use it? The sword proved its worth immediately.
As soon as it was unsheathed, it sliced through the silk ropes as easily as cutting through a fishing net.
In just a few strokes, he freed himself from the ropes—no, the fishing net—and leaped onto the back of the demon bird.
"Take me with you!"
The bird sank slightly under his weight and instinctively tried to shake him off.
But for some reason, it changed its mind, flapped its wings, and began to run for takeoff.
Its massive body couldn't take off vertically; it needed a running start to gain enough momentum.
Seeing this, Sun Fuping grew anxious.
In the midst of his busy spellcasting, he struck his staff, and the beast head at its tip spat out several fireballs, firing them like a rapid cannon at the demon bird beneath He Lingchuan.
While their power couldn't match that of a siege cannon, they were more than enough to shatter the bird's wings or blast He Lingchuan half to death.
That is, if they hit.
Other demon birds had been circling nearby.
Seeing the fireballs, they swooped down, using their bodies to shield He Lingchuan from harm.
The dozen or so fireballs missed their mark entirely.
As the makeshift mount took to the air, Sun Fuping's face turned ashen.
He was about to press the attack when a group of over ten people rushed out from behind him.
The leader shouted, "Stop!"
It was He Chunhua, leading his men.
The usually gentle and refined prefect was now livid.
"Sun Fuping, we risked our lives for you, and in return, you used us as sacrificial offerings. How can someone as sinister and ruthless as you still call yourself the State Preceptor?"
In that brief moment of distraction, the demon bird flew several zhang into the air, heading skyward.
Sun Fuping sighed inwardly, knowing he had missed the best opportunity to capture He Lingchuan.
Even if he had other means to pursue, the other demon birds protecting the young man were no pushovers.
As He Lingchuan soared into the sky with his mount, his heart still pounding from the narrow escape, he saw his father arrive on the battlefield.
Overjoyed, he shouted, "Dad, he's not the State Preceptor!"
He Chunhua was stunned, momentarily forgetting his anger.
"What?"
"Go down!" He Lingchuan wanted to reunite with his father, but the demon bird refused to obey, flying higher and higher.
"He's never used the Imperial Seal!" With the distance growing, He Lingchuan had to yell at the top of his lungs.
"He can't control the nation's fortune. Finish him off!"
This revelation was earth-shattering.
He Chunhua had seen Sun Fuping in the capital before and was certain he was the real deal.
But upon reflection, since Sun Fuping had arrived in Blackwater City, he had indeed never used his Imperial Seal to cast spells.
Instead, he had borrowed Nian Songyu's or He Chunhua's.
When questioned, Sun Fuping had explained that he feared the aura on the Imperial Seal would attract the Three Corpses Worms and vengeful spirits.
Now, looking back, that was indeed a glaring loophole.
He Chunhua made a swift decision.
Pointing at Sun Fuping, he barked, "Attack! Kill this fraud!"
Sun Fuping's beard trembled with rage.
"He Chunhua, this is treason! Anyone who takes a step forward will have their entire clan executed by a thousand cuts!"
In his distraction, the demon bird's sharp beak pecked him, causing blood to gush out.
He Chunhua laughed coldly.
"Do you think we'll fare better if we don't kill him? Think about the blood sacrifice array, think about the comrades he sacrificed!"
The gruesome deaths of their companions in the blood sacrifice array were still fresh in their minds.
The men hardened their hearts, resolved to act.
In truth, He Chunhua's thoughts mirrored his son's.
The He family had already thoroughly offended Sun Fuping.
Whether he was a fraud or not, they had to kill him first.
Otherwise, if Sun Fuping escaped, the He family would face annihilation!
With Sun and Nian dead, Prefect He would have an easier time explaining things.
At that moment, a few more of He Chunhua's men arrived.
They had been scattered throughout the illusionary realm after entering the well.
These few had been sent to Panlong City and, hearing the clash of weapons, had rushed to join the fight.
Twenty breaths later, the thunder of hooves echoed.
The Great Wind Army had arrived, nearly two hundred strong, their faces expressionless.
The Blackwater City soldiers were somewhat apprehensive upon seeing them, but these spirits only had eyes for Sun Fuping, paying no attention to anyone else.
The leader of the Great Wind Army charged first.
From his high vantage point, He Lingchuan looked down to see Sun Fuping surrounded on all sides, almost swallowed by the vortex formed by the demon birds, the Great Wind Army, and the Blackwater City soldiers.
Anyone with eyes could see that Sun Fuping was at the end of his rope.
He Chunhua said coldly, "These are vengeful spirits. If the State Preceptor uses the Imperial Seal, he can surely turn the tide!"
However, even as He Lingchuan's mount flew farther away, no glow from the Imperial Seal was seen below.
So, the old man really wasn't the State Preceptor anymore?
Just as He Lingchuan was sighing in relief, he suddenly cried out in pain, "Sss!" Turning his head, he saw that the bats on his body had gnawed open his wounds and were pulling out black maggots.
Despite the maggots' frantic wriggling, the bats held them up to his face.
"From my body?" Unaware of when he had been sabotaged, He Lingchuan thought to himself how close he had come to being buried with Sun Fuping.
That old man was truly vicious.
He wanted to use his dagger to kill the maggots, but the bats knocked it away.
"Can't kill them? Are they useful?" It was no illusion; these bats were indeed intelligent! He had no choice but to find a small, sealable bottle and collect the Gu worms inside.
The demon bird was fast, and in no time, it reached the southern battlefield.
It then descended, placing He Lingchuan on the best vantage point atop the city gate.
Situ Han approached.
"Young Master, the Prefect has gone down to look for you!"
"I know. They're surrounding and killing Old Man Sun," He Lingchuan said irritably.
"Why didn't you go with them?"
"Someone had to stay behind to keep an eye on things, right?" Situ Han chuckled dryly.
"We were tricked by the State Preceptor outside and lost over eighty men! We're short on hands now."
(End of Chapter)