Chapter 38: The Capital for Returning Home Safely

"Human life is precious, but the war situation in the central region is a race against time. If we cannot bring back the Great Fang Hu in time, the rebels will go down the river, and the capital may be bloodbathed!" Sun Fuping sighed long, "By then, the innocent civilians who die will be more than a hundred, a thousand... ten thousand?"

He Chunhua opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. On one side is the great cause of the nation, on the other is the lives of the frontier; which is lighter, which is heavier? Seeing him no longer speaking, Nian Songyu also exhaled slightly, secretly unloading the raised strength.

If Prefect He were pedantic, he wouldn't mind drawing his sword cleanly.

"The Wild Sand Season basically appears in September every year and lasts until February or March of the following year." Sun Fuping knew these materials by heart, "But there are occasional exceptions, right?"

He Chunhua thought for a while and nodded slowly: "Yes, the official history of Qiansong County records that the Sandstorm Season was not punctual for a few years, causing a large number of human and livestock casualties."

"What is the scene when it arrives?"

"First, there are violent storms, thunder and lightning, then the desert is like ghosts howling, and the wind and sand dance like dragons and snakes." That's why it's called the Wild Sand Season, "At this time, if a person walks into the desert, they will be buried alive within a few breaths. And the wind and sand won't stop until the following year."

"I have also checked the records; in fact, the Wild Sand Season in the Panlong Desert has changed times five times in over a hundred years. Three times in advance, two times delayed. The most recent one was twenty years ago, when the Wild Sand Season was advanced to mid-May."

He Chunhua also had an impression: "I had just arrived in Qiansong County at that time, and later the local residents talked about it for many years. Even in the seven years that followed, the passenger flow on the Red Cliff trade route was affected, and it slowly recovered later."

Everyone takes the Red Cliff trade route because it's safe; if the temper of the Panlong Desert flares up irregularly, who dares to earn this blood money?

"Interestingly, I got a clue from Ancestor Zhu Gen: twenty years ago, he sent a team from the Baling Nation to test the ancient city of Panlong again. He didn't go personally, but calculating the time, that team should have arrived here in April or May!"

This time even Nian Songyu was surprised: "National Master, you mean... the Wild Sand Season that year was man-made?"

"Very likely! At least the time matches." Sun Fuping said, "This team was led by the favorite grand-disciple valued by Ancestor Zhu Gen, and before setting off, he must have received personal instructions. After arriving here, he successfully triggered the Wild Sand Season in advance."

He Lingchuan said with a straight face: "But did they return successfully?"

Sun Fuping sighed and shook his head: "That failure was a great blow to Ancestor Zhu Gen. Later, Baling also stopped organizing Panlongcheng explorations."

"Doesn't this prove that it's a one-way trip?" He Lingchuan laughed in anger, "Then why are we here?"

"If I say that when the Wild Sand Season descends, the safest place in the entire desert is the ancient city of Panlong?" Sun Fuping turned sideways and pointed to the set of coarse porcelain wine utensils on the cabinet, "Look, are these things that can withstand a storm? But what the coalition forces were like when they left the Panlong ruins, it is still like that today."

Everyone's expression moved, and they couldn't help but look around.

Indeed, this tavern was open to the wind on three sides, but the tables and chairs in the front hall and the stoves in the back kitchen were all neat. From Boss Situ Han's angle, he could even see two earthen bottles on the stove, filled with either salt or lard. If the wild sand descended here every year, how could these still be preserved? Even this tavern, these two rows of shops along the street, and so many civilian houses in the city were wooden structures of over a hundred years, why didn't they collapse in the strong wind and wild sand?

Everyone walked into the city without thinking much, until Sun Fuping gave a reminder.

He Chunhua exhaled lightly: "There is often no wind in the eye of the storm."

So even if the Wild Sand Season is triggered, no matter how the sand and stones fly outside, Panlongcheng is unaffected.

"You should have said so earlier, we wouldn't have misunderstood." He Lingchuan laughed at the sky, no longer confronting Nian Songyu, and walked back to sit down and drink water.

Boss Situ Han whispered: "But the Wild Sand Season lasts at least four or five months; what do we eat and drink during this time?"

People have to eat; they only brought a few days of food and water.

This team was full of vigorous men, all rice buckets, not cultivators who could abstain from grains.

Before others could speak, He Lingchuan mocked him: "Use your brain to think, if the Great Fang Hu is taken away by the National Master, how can it continue to manufacture the Wild Sand Season? Our return journey might be even more peaceful than the journey here."

He Chunhua frowned slightly.

Although this guy was reckless, he was really not wrong. Sun Fuping breathed a sigh of relief and stroked his long beard under his jaw: "Exactly!"

It was exhausting to persuade this father and son to obey his arrangements; but if he really wanted to kill them at will, the team would be hard to lead.

People's hearts are fickle.

When out and about, such local snakes in such poor and remote places, even if their official reputation is low, are really quite troublesome.

Where did He Lingchuan turn back and ask him: "National Master, you haven't made it clear yet, if we summon the Wild Sand Season but can't get the Great Fang Hu. Then how do we go back?"

This is the point! Sun Fuping smiled, light and breezy: "Before setting off, I received special permission from my King to mobilize the altar's Yuan Power!"

Everyone was overjoyed and let go of these worries.

Yuan Power is the collection of national destiny, public sentiment, and military morale.

It has a great blessing for divine power, can deter all monsters and ghosts, and can crack the enemy's divine art arrays; it is one of the most precious strategic resources of the country, with all kinds of wonderful uses.

As the Yuan Power of the national war reserve, it is usually sealed in the altar, and officials cannot mobilize it at will. Fortunately, the National Master is originally the one who does this, especially since Sun Fuping also received special permission from the King.

With this promise, the possibility of everyone leaving the desert alive increased by more than ten times? Although the destiny of the Yuan Nation is not as good as it was in its heyday, protecting two hundred people from leaving the desert is not a difficult task.

Speaking of this, He Lingchuan had eaten and drunk enough, stood up, and stretched: "In that case, shall we start working at dawn?"

Nian Songyu smiled coldly: "Where are you going?"

"Tired, sleep." He Lingchuan yawned, "Aren't we busy tomorrow? There are no beauties to accompany, no little tunes to listen to, what else can we do besides sleep?" This kid just likes to go against him.

"Who told you that you can rest?" Nian Songyu didn't bother to hide his contempt, "You will do the work tonight, do it now!"

"Do what?" He Lingchuan couldn't stand him the most, "You?"

Nian Songyu stepped forward with a dark face, and He Lingchuan took two steps back, standing beside Zeng Feixiong: "Deputy Lieutenant Zeng, protect me!"

Sun Fuping coughed lightly: "Business is important, bring the puppets up."

He Lingchuan remembered that the National Master had tied up two puppets possessed by Three-Corpse Insects on the walnut boat and brought them all the way to the city, and they were still settled outside now.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 39 =====