Chapter 00077: Good, Good, Good
# Good, Good, Good
Chapter 77
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 77: Good, Good, Good
"The Great Square Pot can absorb the resentful spirits from the Panlong Wasteland. Zhong Shengguang, who committed suicide after his defeat, is also one of them," He Lingchuan recalled.
"You wouldn't know, but when I first entered the secret realm, Panlong City was peaceful and prosperous, far surpassing Blackwater City. At that time, Zhong Shengguang had just taken up his post in Panlong City. I guess that was the most beautiful time in his memory, so the illusion completely replicated Panlong City during its peaceful era."
The world is too bitter, so one can only use illusory beauty to offset it.
It's the same for both the living and the dead.
"Later, Nian Songyu climbed onto the city gate, set up a crossbow, fired cannons, and burned the city. Most importantly, he blew up the Zhong residence, shattering the illusory dream and startling the Black Flood Dragon," He Lingchuan shrugged.
"No choice, everyone has a bad temper when they wake up."
"The Great Square Pot has been in Panlong City for over twenty years. Zhong Shengguang had already established a close connection with it. After his death, his soul was absorbed into the pot and became its spirit. That makes sense," He Chunhua was applying ointment to his eldest son's cheek.
The wound there had flesh turned outward, and the special ointment could speed up the healing.
"If we can't take the Great Square Pot with us, the Red Cliff Road might still experience the sandstorm season in the future," he pondered for a moment before asking, "By the way, I heard that the Heavenly God first possessed you. Why did it run away later?"
"I don't know either," He Lingchuan looked confused.
"When the white light enveloped my face, my mind went blank. When I regained consciousness, it had already run off to find Nian Songyu."
"How long did that take?" He Chunhua turned to ask the other witnesses.
"Just three to five breaths," Si Tu Han recalled.
"Did you have a headache or feel dizzy?"
"Yes, yes! Dad, how did you know?" He Lingchuan asked in surprise.
"My temples were throbbing non-stop, and it still hurts terribly now."
He Chunhua thought for a moment: "Go back and have the Great Shaman check you again to see if your soul has been damaged."
"Oh."
What did this "again" mean? He Lingchuan became slightly wary.
When had the Great Shaman examined him before?
The conversation quickly circled back to the Great Square Pot.
"Is this divine artifact truly integrated with Panlong City?"
"Maybe it is," He Lingchuan thought differently.
"Otherwise, why didn't Zhong Shengguang take advantage of the Great Square Pot's ability to control enemies with the Three Corpses Worms and the invincible Great Wind Army to reclaim his homeland? It seems this treasure has limitations in its use."
"The things of the Heavenly Gods are not so easy to use," He Chunhua nodded.
"What a pity, we can't use it to quell the rebellion. By the way, the Black Dragon said its mission was complete. What do you think that means..."
Seeing the four pairs of eyes staring at him intently, He Chunhua chuckled slightly and stopped speaking.
What could he get out of asking these four straightforward fellows? It would be better to go back and discuss it with He Yue.
He Chunhua was very unwilling to let go of this treasure.
He Lingchuan had never seen his father so obsessed with something before, even sighing deeply and lamenting in frustration.
He felt an impulse to help his father achieve his goal at any cost.
Of course, this was the original body's subjective emotion, not his.
Fortunately, He Chunhua also understood that the exploration had to end.
Just opening the well passage had exhausted all their resources.
The chances of finding a second way to obtain the Great Square Pot were slim.
Moreover, the spirits of the Great Wind Army patrolled the entire city, seemingly protecting but actually monitoring.
If the living wanted to undertake large-scale construction in the desolate Panlong City, these spirits might not agree.
They could only obediently return, with no room for任性.
At this moment, the food in the pot was ready.
The fried rice cakes boiled in water turned into rice porridge.
It was a bit grainy, not as smooth as specially prepared white porridge, but it was filling, especially when paired with flatbread and salted meat.
Everyone slurped it up.
Sitting in this desolate city, listening to the rain tapping on the eaves, and watching the spirits of the Great Wind Army wandering around, they all felt as if they were in a different world.
He Lingchuan even brought out good wine for everyone to enjoy.
After eating and drinking to their heart's content, drowsiness set in.
After more than ten hours of thrilling events, exhaustion took over.
Zeng Feixiong called for his personal guards to take over the watch, and everyone lay down and fell asleep.
￥￥￥￥￥
He Yue had gone to bed early but tossed and turned until the second watch before barely falling asleep.
The past few days had been the most difficult for the He family.
During the day, he had to handle heavy county affairs, and at night, he had to comfort his grieving mother.
Both tasks were daunting.
When he finally lay back in bed, sleep eluded him, and his mind was filled with thoughts of how to support his mother and secure their future.
His father's death had been a fatal blow to the family.
After a few days, even the spirited young man was nearly worn out.
However, at the crack of dawn, there seemed to be some commotion outside, followed by urgent knocking on the door: "Second Young Master, get up quickly! The master and the eldest young master have returned!"
The usually dignified old steward was so excited that his voice had changed.
He Yue scrambled up, stood still for a few breaths, then grabbed the robe by his bed and rushed out.
The front courtyard was bustling, and everyone was beaming as if they had found a great treasure.
The gloom that had hung over the He residence for the past two days had vanished.
In the center of the crowd were none other than He Chunhua and He Lingchuan, though they looked disheveled and somewhat haggard.
The usually composed second young master of the He family, disregarding decorum, shouted and hugged his father and brother.
He Chunhua patted his head: "Alright, alright, you've had a hard time these past few days."
He Lingchuan chuckled: "You should wag your tail to welcome us home."
He Yue rubbed his eyes, overjoyed yet finding it hard to believe: "The sandstorm season isn't over yet. How did you get back? Did you not go through the desert?"
"It's a long story!" He Lingchuan rubbed his face.
"Let's get cleaned up first. There's at least two pounds of dust on me."
"I also have important news to report!" He Yue knew what was important and grabbed his father's arm, speaking word by word: "The intelligence from the east has finally come in. The rebel army at Woling Pass has been suppressed, and Grand Marshal Dong Haoming has started a rebellion!"
This bombshell left the He father and son dumbfounded.
He Chunhua suddenly laughed heartily, as if all his worries and sorrows had been swept away: "Good, good, good, good!"
At this moment, Madam Ying also arrived, looking at her husband with tearful eyes: "You're finally back!"
...
It wasn't until the eastern sky brightened that He Lingchuan climbed out of the bathtub, stretching comfortably as if reborn.
There was no such luxury in the desert.
He soaked in two large tubs of hot water, and with the help of a bath attendant the He family had hastily hired, he finally scrubbed off the layers of dirt and dust.
He felt like he had come back to life.
The sandstorm season was far from over, but this group had safely walked out of the Panlong Desert thanks to the escort of the Great Wind Army spirits.
Wherever these spirits went, the resentful spirits and Three Corpses Worms would automatically disperse, and even the sandstorms became less fierce, allowing humans to pass.
(End of Chapter)