Chapter 00098: Departure! Manager He's Path to Soaring
# Departure! Manager He's Path to Soaring
Chapter 98
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 98: Departure! Manager He's Path to Soaring
He wanted to practice his accuracy.
Having trained in martial arts for many years, his movements were steady.
But after shooting a few arrows, his accuracy was poor, with two even missing the target entirely.
So that one successful flying dagger rescue of his father in the Coiling Dragon Desert was truly a stroke of luck.
No, it was He Chunhua's good fortune that his son didn't accidentally behead him first.
He Lingchuan wasn't discouraged.
Recalling how Hu Min shot arrows as if they were extensions of his own arms, he knew such skill wasn't achieved overnight.
After drawing the bow fifty times, He Lingchuan set it down, relaxing his sore shoulders and arms, then regulating his qi before starting to practice with his blade.
This was something he had wanted to do ever since he woke up.
He closed his eyes, slowly recalling the fierce battles of the previous night.
Every block, every dodge, every injury, every head-on strike, and—
Every kill!
In his dream, he had killed six enemies and wounded or assisted in the defeat of nineteen others.
Now, these scenes replayed clearly in his mind, pausing and zooming in, allowing him to calmly record each success and examine each mistake.
He even remembered Commander Xiao's blade—swift, decisive, and ruthless, without a hint of hesitation.
And Meng Shan, whose ferocity and dominance in the face of danger made even Commander Xiao wary of confronting him directly.
He Lingchuan felt as if he had returned to yesterday's battlefield.
When he snapped out of it, he had finished a round of blade practice, his sword intent now smooth and harmonious, with many previously obscure points suddenly becoming clear.
Just then, a osmanthus flower fell.
He Lingchuan swung his blade, the edge stopping about an inch from the petal.
The flower seemed to pause mid-air for a moment before continuing its descent along its original trajectory.
Completely unharmed.
The servant standing in the corner of the yard couldn't bear to watch, but He Lingchuan seemed quite pleased, even smiling slightly.
Swinging a blade creates wind, and the faster the blade, the stronger the wind.
The osmanthus flower was less than an inch from the blade's edge, yet it remained undisturbed by the wind—a sign of his progress.
He Lingchuan had already developed a bit of blade qi, but controlling it at will was far more difficult than it sounded.
From external release to internal containment, he still had a long way to go.
However, when had his memory become so sharp, able to recall every detail of the previous night, replaying and savoring each moment?
Thinking back, it seemed both dreams had been like this.
Perhaps this was another benefit of the broken blade?
He then returned to drawing the bow and practicing with the blade, repeating the process several times.
As the sun slowly set, the servant had to remind him, "Young Master, don't forget Madam's instructions."
What had Madam instructed? He Lingchuan thought for a while before remembering she had asked him to distribute invitations to the upper circles of Blackwater City, inviting them to the He family's celebratory banquet the following night.
When an official was promoted, colleagues, friends, and family would come to congratulate them, and the host would prepare a lavish feast with music and dance—this was known as the "Tail-Burning Banquet."
He Chunhua had recently achieved great merit and been promoted several ranks, so the banquet had to be spectacular.
He finished his practice, took a bath, and got to work.
By the time He Lingchuan finished delivering the invitations and returned home, the moon had already risen.
He glanced at the broken blade on the wall and lay down to sleep, feeling a bit excited, hoping to dream of the Coiling Dragon again tonight.
He was eager to know the outcome of the riverbed battle.
Unfortunately, the night passed without dreams.
...
Three days flew by in the blink of an eye.
With the promotion of Prefect He, Blackwater City was as lively as a festival.
Even the He family servants enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention when they went out.
The He residence was bustling with visitors—those coming to offer congratulations and gifts nearly wore out the doorstep.
Most of these guests were received by He Yue, as He Chunhua was busy finalizing the list for his personal guard.
The Blackwater City army now numbered over 1,300, but he couldn't take them all.
After careful selection, he chose 300.
These 300 elite soldiers would be the foundation for his rise in Xiazhou.
In this regard, loyalty was more important than combat prowess.
Among them were three officers, including Zeng Feixiong.
He Lingchuan was surprised that this filial son was willing to follow them north.
Upon asking, he learned that Zeng Feixiong's father had suddenly passed away five days ago, but before his death, he had regained consciousness, allowing father and son to have a proper conversation.
Zeng Feixiong had fulfilled his wish of seeing his father off.
With no more ties, he no longer felt attached to Blackwater City.
In fact, one of He Chunhua's criteria for selecting his personal guard was young, strong bachelors, preferably without family burdens.
Otherwise, traveling thousands of miles with soldiers who had to bring their families along would inevitably slow down the march.
In addition, He Chunhua also brought along a few advisors.
Meanwhile, Madam Ying was busy settling wages and dismissing the household servants.
Apart from the old steward, the He family would only bring one male and one female servant on the journey, both loyal servants who had been with them for seven or eight years.
Everything would be kept simple on the road, and new staff could be hired once they reached their new destination.
Uncle Hao was also willing to go to Xiazhou, but He Chunhua had assigned him to temporarily stay in Blackwater City to help manage the family's assets, planning to head north in about three to five months.
He Lingchuan also met with Situ Han.
The sand bandits weren't going.
"We can't go. Our families are here, and they depend on us."
By now, Situ Han and the other sand bandits had been incorporated into the city army, receiving imperial rations.
With their newfound stability, they had no desire to travel thousands of miles to face the unknowns of Xiazhou.
Who didn't know that going there meant going to war? If they could live peacefully, who would want to go to the front lines? Situ Han pushed Mao Tao forward, "Only this kid insists on following you."
No matter how much they tried to dissuade him, he wouldn't listen.
That's what you call recklessness.
He Lingchuan asked curiously, "Isn't your wife in Blackwater City?"
"We broke up yesterday, and she even slapped me twice."
Mao Tao grinned, completely unfazed.
"I heard the girls in Xiazhou have bigger, more sparkling eyes, not like the rough women here. With vast fertile lands there, why should I stick to this small plot?"
Including the essential family members and logistics, He Chunhua's group totaled over 430 people.
He Lingchuan was surprised to see Liu Baobao as soon as he stepped out the door.
The man was holding a box and approached him, "Young Master, this is what you asked me to get a few days ago. Consider it a parting gift."
Curious, He Lingchuan took it and opened it to find several bottles of fine, white powder.
The bottles were unusually large.
"Uh..."
How did this look like contraband? "Did I really ask you to get this?"
No, he didn't.
How could he? He was a good young man.
"Didn't you want something that could relieve pain instantly without hindering movement?" Liu Baobao pointed to the powder in the bottle.
"This is it. It's called Shituo Powder."
He Lingchuan understood and happily accepted it.
Liu Baobao smiled broadly, bowing in farewell, "When you rise to greatness in the future, don't forget this small border town and your old friends."
"Of course!" He Lingchuan readily agreed.
That morning, the He family, leading their 400-strong guard, had a farewell tea, bid goodbye to the townsfolk, and set off north from Blackwater City amidst the cheers of the people.
(End of Chapter)