Chapter 27: Sand Bandits

The gale made the wooden windows howl, and no one dared to open them. However, the light leaking through the cracks let He Lingchuan know that it was almost dark outside. He lay on his quilt with his legs crossed, toying with He Chunhua’s Kite Coin in his hand: "Dad, who exactly developed the use of primordial power in the first place? Some say it was taught to humans by gods, others say it was passed down by immortals."

When inactive, it looked like just an ordinary coin. Who could have guessed that a tiny State Order could carry the destiny of a nation and the hearts of the people? Primordial power was truly mysterious.

"Opinions differ, and it is hard to trace in the sea of history," He Chunhua frowned. "The origins of primordial power are very vague. After all, recorded human history is only two or three thousand years old, and organized states have only existed for a little over a thousand. It is said that in ancient times, gods and immortals walked among humans, and there were no nations then; it was only after the Great Cataclysm, when the gods and immortals vanished and monsters ran rampant, that humans were forced to band together to resist, and thus nations were born."

He took the Kite Coin back from his son's hand: "It was the appearance of the State Order that made it possible for human nations to resist the monster clans. Whether it was taught by gods, taught by immortals, or realized by humans themselves, what does it matter?"

Practitioners are, after all, only a minority. Most people are born ordinary; how could they resist monsters that have gained power? At such times, the primordial power born from the unity of the people becomes the nation's sharp weapon for dealing with monsters.

From standing on equal footing to the shifting of strength, primordial power has played an indispensable role. Today, the number and territory of human nations are far greater than those of monster nations or monster domains.

"So, you mean no one actually knows the origin of primordial power?" He Lingchuan sighed and returned to the main topic. "Dad, why did you follow them into the desert?"

"Do I have a choice?" He Chunhua also lay back. After days of fatigue, his whole body felt like it was falling apart the moment he relaxed. "If I refused to comply, State Preceptor Sun could have me executed by imperial decree."

"Is an imperial decree all that scary?" He Lingchuan scoffed. "The royal order also required us to cooperate with the investigation, didn't we drag that out for a long time? On the day of departure, you could have actually dragged your feet if you were determined to."

There are policies from above and countermeasures from below; isn't that the same in every world? This kid’s mind is much sharper than before. He Chunhua closed his eyes to rest for a long while before whispering: "With State Preceptor Sun here, the chances of returning alive are not low. Besides, I always feel there is something suspicious about this trip to the Ancient City of Panlong. If I don't follow along to see for myself, I fear there may be a great misfortune ahead."

He Lingchuan’s heart skipped a beat: "How so?"

"I can't put my finger on it," He Chunhua shook his head. "It’s just a hunch. I thought about finding excuses to decline, but the worry in my heart grew heavier, and my intuition told me I should make this trip."

What is called a hunch is actually what is known as a sixth sense.

People of this time place great importance on this, so He Lingchuan didn't say anything more. But he still felt there was something strange about it.

The Governor He is known for being steady and prudent; would he really risk his life for a mere feeling? But if he won't say, how is a son supposed to guess?

He Chunhua added: "Chuan'er, you performed very well on this trip."

"Oh?" Dad actually praised him? He Lingchuan immediately perked up.

"Don't be too polite to Nian Songyu; use your methods to pry information out of him. He has the State Preceptor behind him, and you have me behind you." He Chunhua’s voice was very low. "But don't resort to violence with him; you can't beat him. You’ve grasped that boundary well."

"Yes!" As expected, He Chunhua wanted his eldest son to play the bad cop while he played the good cop. The eldest son would blurt out everything that needed to be said, and He Chunhua would then step in to smooth things over.

His father could even properly utilize his own reckless and unruly personality; he was truly suited to return to Kite Capital and play the political game.

He would never be at a disadvantage no matter where he navigated the officialdom.

￥￥￥￥￥

The next morning, the team set off again.

Although they were still on the Red Cliff Road, travelers in this direction were becoming fewer and fewer, and State Preceptor Sun’s team finally encountered the second greatest scourge of the Panlong Desert:

Sand bandits.

This group of sand bandits were humans, about thirty or so riders, mostly rugged men who came and went like the wind. He Lingchuan saw at a glance that the few muscular guys in the front were martial artists, and there might even be sorcerers in the group.

The two sides approached from opposite directions, bumped into each other, and were both taken aback, sizing each other up.

There was no need to mention how his side viewed the sand bandits; but in the eyes of the sand bandits, this team was neatly dressed, with light armor and long blades, standard weapons, armor, and martial prowess, plus warhorses that could be recognized at a glance—what did that mean? This was an army! Whether marching, suppressing bandits, or patrolling, could an army be doing anything else in the Panlong Desert? The common people do not fight the officials, and besides, the army’s numbers far exceeded their own, so the sand bandits were thoroughly shocked.

Fortunately, the masked man in the lead turned his head, saw He Chunhua, and his eyes lit up. He actually spurred his horse forward: "Governor He, we are just passing through!"

Before they had looted anything, weren't they just passing through? He Chunhua coughed, feeling a bit awkward: "We have no time to suppress bandits today, just don't do any evil... Is there anyone else in the due north direction?"

State Preceptor Sun and his companion looked at him, then at the sand bandits, and understood.

These two sides clearly knew each other.

"No, not a single soul," the man laughed and quickly said, "We'll be off then, we won't delay your important business!"

Just as the sand bandits were planning to slip away, Sun Fuping spoke up: "Wait! You should know the Panlong Desert very well, right?"

"Uh, I suppose so." The man looked at him; he was half a horse-length ahead of He Chunhua and had an extraordinary bearing, so he must be a big shot with status. Such people were usually the big fat sheep they loved most; after looting their valuables, they could even hold them for ransom—a two-in-one deal with no waste.

But with Governor He at his side, they dared not act rashly.

"How long have you been here?"

"Ten—just a few years," Situ Han tried to explain. "We always know when to quit while we're ahead..."

"Then stay."

"Huh?"

Sun Fuping said to He Chunhua: "We are short on manpower, isn't this just perfect?"

He Chunhua thought to himself, aren't two hundred government troops enough? But on the surface, he nodded: "That's true, it's not easy to recruit people in the city."

State Preceptor Sun smiled kindly, looking at the sand bandits like a weasel looking at a chicken, making the other side feel a chill and want to run faster. Unexpectedly, He Chunhua held the Kite Coin high and coughed lightly: "All of you stay! The Black Water City officially incorporates thirty... of the Mangshan bandits..."

He Lingchuan counted clearly from the side: "Thirty-two people!"

"...thirty-two people, to be merged under the command of Deputy Captain Ceng Feixiong, to follow the army and obey orders!"

He Chunhua even listed their salary and benefits.

The Mangshan bandits widened their eyes and looked at each other. The bandit leader couldn't believe it and asked tentatively: "W-we are now government soldiers?"

This was too fake and too much of a joke, right? These officials sure knew how to play.

"Exactly!"

"Then, where is Governor He going?"

"To await the State Preceptor's orders," He Chunhua pointed at Sun Fuping, "to go deep into the Panlong ruins."

Looking at the government troops surrounding them from all sides, the bandits were stunned: "What!"

After walking more than ten miles, the bandit leader Situ Han still felt a bit dizzy. He had clearly checked the almanac before coming out to rob today, so how did he suddenly become a regular soldier halfway through? He Lingchuan patted his shoulder and said sympathetically: "Hang in there. As long as you return to the city alive, you'll be eating imperial grain from now on."

How could eating imperial grain be as happy as being a mountain king? But with his men surrounded by the Black Water City legion with nowhere to run, Situ Han’s smile was uglier than crying, and his back felt ice-cold: "Young Master He, are we really going into the Panlong ruins? The sandstorm season is coming; being trapped inside means certain death!"

(End of chapter)