Chapter 40: The Tomb of Zhong Shengguang

"How do we find it?" Nian Songyu frowned. "Do you want to pray for rain in the Panlong ruins?"

"The success rate of praying for rain here is less than half a percent, yet the effort required is more than five or six times the usual," Sun Fuping gave a wry smile. "I just tried to summon the mountain and marsh spirits, but I received absolutely no response."

Summoning mountain and marsh spirits here was truly imaginative. He Lingchuan couldn't help but laugh: "This place is so arid that even the Earth God has dried to death."

"If we can't pray for rain, then we'll use water to pour it. Perhaps that's how the Baling Kingdom's team did it," Nian Songyu thought for a moment. "It's impossible to summon rain for the entire city, nor is it necessary. We must pinpoint the right location."

It was impossible for the Baling Kingdom's team to summon a city-wide rainfall here either; they had to use their limited water on precise locations. With a successful precedent, Master Sun and his group only needed to deduce based on the circumstances to estimate the general area.

"In my analysis, the locations where pouring water could trigger the Sandstorm Season are limited to these few: the Mitian Temple, the Zhong Shengguang Shrine, the Red General Shrine, Zhong Shengguang's tomb, and the mass grave of Panlong City," Sun Fuping added, "Those two shrines were built while the people were still alive; they are rare living shrines."

It is common knowledge that only the dead or deities can enjoy the incense offerings in a shrine; if a living shrine is built for a living person, it is not to worship them, but to harm them, because a living person is unlikely to have the fortune to endure it—at best it shortens their lifespan, at worst it costs them their life.

Clearly, Zhong Shengguang and the Red General were exceptions, figures who were deified while still alive.

He Lingchuan asked curiously: "Why not include the Red General's tomb?"

He Chunhua answered him: "He was never buried; at most, it is just a cenotaph, with no value in searching."

Nian Songyu asked: "Even if we find these locations, how do we determine which one to pour water on in the end?"

"We can't, but the Three-Corpse Insects can." Sun Fuping ordered someone to bring over several sealed glass jars, inside which mist seemed to swirl.

Everyone looked closely, and good heavens, where was the mist? Inside the jars were clearly four or five swimming Three-Corpse Insects! They were very lively, each pressing its head against the edge of the jar, looking somewhat like jar-raised eels.

"They only move in one direction, which is away from the Great Square Pot," Sun Fuping explained. "That is to say, the direction opposite to their movement is where the Great Square Pot is located. If you take these jars and walk around the target locations, you will be able to find it."

This old man is very calculating, planning everything in advance. If he were harboring evil intentions, he would likely be very thorough about it... He Lingchuan glanced at him quietly, feeling increasingly vigilant.

Next, everyone picked up the glass jars and went their separate ways.

The He father and son naturally walked together, heading toward Zhong Shengguang's tomb.

On a night of bleak, whistling winds, walking through the ruins of a city. This feeling of loneliness and decay reached its peak when they saw Zhong Shengguang's tomb.

Zhong Shengguang's tomb was located in the northwest corner of the South Gate plaza they had passed earlier. It was surprisingly a large and imposing tomb, built entirely of bluestone and covering a full two acres. Judging by the surrounding conditions, the person who buried him had deliberately torn down many houses to clear space for this large tomb.

The epitaph was very simple: Tomb of Xiluo Commander Zhong Shengguang, followed by his dates of birth and death.

Over a hundred years later, apart from the many traces left by later excavators, the entire tomb remained intact; the stone blocks forming the mound didn't even have a broken corner.

When the He father and son arrived here, they both let out long sighs.

The stories of Panlong City and the Great Wind Army have been sung year after year, echoing endlessly in the current Heishuicheng, but how many people can come in person to pay respects to this legendary general who gave his life for his country?

He Lingchuan remarked with emotion: "The enemy actually built such a large tomb for him."

Zhong Shengguang committed suicide when the city fell, fulfilling his vow that "if the city stands, I live; if the city falls, I die." Later, when Panlong City was massacred, there were naturally no compatriots left to bury him. The ones who built this tomb could only be his enemies.

"The Xianyou Kingdom had no choice but to do so. After Zhong Shengguang died, he was beheaded, and his head was sent to the Xianyou capital to claim credit. The whole country celebrated, and the royal palace kept it as a collection piece. However, ever since then, the Panlong Wasteland encountered strange events one after another; people and livestock did not survive, and vegetation would not grow. The Xianyou Kingdom wanted the mineral-rich wasteland, not a desert where no living soul could enter, so they sent people back into Panlong City to give Zhong Shengguang a proper burial, hoping to appease the anger of his vengeful spirit."

"And then they failed." What the Xianyou Kingdom became later, and what the Panlong Desert became later, need not be detailed.

He Chunhua found two bundles of incense from somewhere and lit them, sharing one with He Lingchuan: "Since we've made the trip, it's not easy."

Let us pay respects to the heroic soul.

The two bowed earnestly, and He Lingchuan took a flask of mare's milk wine from his bosom, then produced three cups and filled them.

The He father and son gestured toward the tombstone and drank in one gulp.

He Lingchuan gently sprinkled the wine on the grave mound and whispered: "General Zhong, you must bless us to enter and exit the Panlong Desert safely, so that we may have the chance to come back and offer you wine again."

He Lingchuan took out the glass jar and walked around Zhong Shengguang's tomb, but the Three-Corpse Insects in the jar did not change direction, always arching toward the south wall.

That is to say, this large tomb was not their target.

He walked a circle and returned to see He Chunhua lost in thought: "Father, what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking, if we really find the Great Square Pot and send it to the inland battlefield, will the Sandstorm Season of the Panlong Desert also become a thing of the past?"

"Certainly. Isn't that a good thing? The Panlong Wasteland looks barren, but it is actually rich in resources; otherwise, the Allied Forces wouldn't have fought so hard for Panlong City back then. If it lets us pass, Qinsong County won't be so poor anymore." Speaking of this, He Lingchuan looked at He Chunhua's expression and suddenly paused, "What, did I say something wrong?"

"Everything you said is correct, but I feel that it is best for the Panlong Desert to remain as it is."

He Lingchuan asked curiously: "Why?" Are there people who like to guard a fickle, barren desert?

"The Panlong Desert is an obstacle, a disaster, and a source of uncertainty, but it is also a safeguard. The Great Yuan is no longer as strong as it once was; if this layer of protection is removed, the consequences are unpredictable."

"What kind of safeguard is the Panlong Desert?" He Lingchuan secretly praised the County Magistrate for his subtlety, but on the surface, he laughed, "If we can find the pot, our whole family will move to the capital; why would we care about this Panlong Desert? Whether it blows wind or rains here, it will have nothing to do with us."

This line of reasoning was indeed very consistent with the personality of He Lingchuan's original self. The County Magistrate looked at him and smiled: "In the way of officialdom, you are quite transparent."

Regardless of promotions, the trouble would be for the next local official; he could just pat his backside and leave. Just as his eldest son said, why worry for others?

If the sky falls, there will always be someone else to hold it up.

In fact, He Lingchuan understood immediately. The Panlong Desert was a buffer zone between several major powers; it was difficult for anyone to cross it to attack the Yuan Kingdom. Moreover, the nearly half-year-long Sandstorm Season was a nightmare for almost every expeditionary force. During this period, unless one could sustain the war through the war itself and the looted supplies were enough to support the army, the logistics and supply lines would be completely cut off.

(End of chapter)