Chapter 817

The interruption of the sandstorm season had already caused the locals to exclaim that it was abnormal. Bold individuals took the risk to walk around the edge of the desert a few times and discovered that the once-frenzied local creatures didn't attack people much anymore, and ordinary people could also step into the desert without being eaten. Once night fell, the clear sky of the desert would show distorted red light, much like an aurora, or as if the sky of this world had been smashed into cracks, and one couldn't tell if the red light was shining up from the ground or penetrating from the outside.

After some time, the red light formed blurry shadows, beautiful but very abstract.

Later, it gradually became clear, as if there were mountains, buildings, and rivers... like a mirage.

No one knew what was going on. As close as Heishuicheng, people standing on the city gate tower, or even on the nearby small hills, could enjoy this strange sight.

Therefore, the second part of Liu Liu Baobao's letter was about the new guests in Heishuicheng.

Heishuicheng is closest to the Panlong Desert, so everyone curious about the changes in the desert chooses Heishuicheng as their first stop.

It followed the Panlong Desert in defying convention, slowly welcoming strange guests.

These new guests, those alone called themselves foot-traveling merchants, and those in groups of ten or dozens called themselves merchant groups.

Liu Liu Baobao believed they were all talking nonsense.

It didn't look like it; it just didn't look like it. Liu Liu Baobao ran a merchant group himself, and he could recognize the temperament of a caravan at a glance.

The identities of these new guests in Heishuicheng were worth questioning.

Liu Liu Baobao occasionally saw several groups scolding each other, and judging by their accents, at least one side seemed to be Baling people.

With the increase in outsiders in Heishuicheng, accidents also increased.

The number of adventurers entering the Panlong Desert increased day by day. They replenished food and water and exchanged for mounts in Heishuicheng, then headed north.

Some returned quickly, while others never returned.

As a native of Heishuicheng, Liu Liu Baobao had of course heard the legends of the ancient Panlongcheng, and he also knew that most of the people here were likely aiming for the Panlong ruins.

However, the number of adventurers who found the Panlong ruins was very few.

Most people lost their way in the desert. Only those with good luck could return dejectedly, and those with bad luck lost their lives.

One group of adventurers set off with ten people, but only five returned. These five survivors bought drinks in a tavern in Heishuicheng, saying they had indeed found the ancient Panlongcheng, which was a ruin by day but turned into a bustling, sleepless city by night, with markets, vendors, and children coming and going, very lively.

Two of the adventurers were curious and bold enough to actually order food at a restaurant in Panlongcheng.

But they didn't expect that these foods, which looked steaming hot and delicious, were actually very bland after entering their mouths, and even had an indescribable bitterness.

They couldn't eat it and turned to leave, but the waiter came to collect the money.

Four dishes and one soup, yet they demanded an exorbitant price.

How could these people be willing to pay? The waiter roared: "Someone here is trying to dodge the bill!"

Outside, a dozen government runners rushed in at the sound, fiercely coming forward to make arrests. The adventurers resisted, and the two sides engaged in a brawl.

Of course, a brawl was their version of the story; the reality might have been that they were beaten to the ground and knocked unconscious.

During this time, no matter whether they took out copper coins or silver taels to pay, the other side wouldn't accept them.

Later, these few were woken up by the scorching sun of the day; upon opening their eyes, they found themselves lying in the ruins with cracked lips, and they were also nearly dehydrated.

But their companions, the five who had eaten the restaurant food, were already dead.

After Liu Liu Baobao heard this, he went to consult the Great Shaman.

According to the Great Shaman Mandu, there is a distinction between life and death. The mistake of this group of people was that the living ate things they shouldn't have.

However, most people were considered lucky, at least they returned alive.

Another group was even more unlucky, suffering total annihilation.

Others had seen them in the depths of the desert; at the time, everyone was in high spirits, saying they had seen the lights of Panlongcheng from afar at night. But ten days later, their corpses appeared on the edge of the desert, the causes of death being beatings, piercing, violent trampling, and so on.

From the center of the desert to the edge was at least two hundred miles; no one knew how they died their way there.

But these misfortunes could not stop the footsteps of those who followed, and the number of outsiders in Heishuicheng instead increased day by day.

After reading Liu Liu Baobao's letter, He He Lingchuan had a clear idea.

After resting for a night and collecting the silver fish as a reward, the demoiselle crane set off at noon the next day, flying back to the west.

Two days later, another batch of the Yuan nation's collateral assets was evaluated.

Perhaps having learned of the severity and harshness of Hu Qin and the others, the accounts for this batch of assets were made very clearly, and there were basically no major problems. He He Lingchuan very readily signed for the second and final batch of loans, totaling 3.74 million taels in money, grain, and supplies.

The news of General General Changning's great victory in the south had already spread, and the Yuan nation had obtained another three million plus in loans, so the monarch ordered the Yuan capital to celebrate for a day; it was as lively as a festival here.

The entrance to the He residence was bustling with traffic, all teams coming to deliver gifts.

Everyone could see that this long-awaited great victory would make the He family's future bright and limitless! The most sought-after new nobles in the Yuan nation were none other than the He family.

Under these circumstances, the He residence kept its doors tightly closed, refusing all gifts.

This was He He Chunhua's requirement before he left.

Even Lady Ying stayed at home and did not socialize with the noble ladies.

"The moment they see me, they don't even say three sentences before wanting to push the young ladies of their families over." She looked at her eldest son, "Chuan'er, do you want to..."

"No." He He Lingchuan refused flatly, "I have no interest in mediocre beauties."

Beautiful skins are all the same.

In the blink of an eye, the affairs in the Yuan capital were finished. He He Lingchuan left five Other Rongshan disciples to continue monitoring the loan items, while he himself prepared to head west with Qiu Hu and the others.

Shan Shan Youjun came to volunteer, hoping to follow by He He Lingchuan's side.

He He Lingchuan sat in the courtyard looking at him, then suddenly sighed long and hard: "The fifty taels of silver you borrowed from Sun Sun Hongye, did you ever pay it back?"

Shan Shan Youjun's expression changed; he never expected the eldest young master He would ask about this.

"You are truly not cut out to be a spy." There was only understanding in He He Lingchuan's eyes, "Father sent you to monitor me, and you have to report my every move to him, right?"

Shan Shan Youjun opened his mouth to argue, but found that the brilliance in He He Lingchuan's eyes seemed to pierce straight into his heart.

In this instant, he understood that arguing was useless.

He He Lingchuan had already seen it and had already determined it.

Qiu Hu paced over slowly from the side, staring fixedly at Shan Shan Youjun.

His gaze made Shan Shan Youjun feel like he had thorns on his back.

He He Lingchuan said peacefully: "Those who know the times are heroes; I don't blame you."

In the Battle of Hanhe, He He Lingchuan was washed away by the flood and disappeared for more than a year. Shan Shan Youjun was originally his personal guard, and at that time, he had no choice but to go work under He He Chunhua.

If you take someone's money, you have to risk your life for them.

He He Lingchuan suddenly returned, and Shan Shan Youjun faced an awkward choice:

Should he continue to serve He He Lingchuan, or continue to take orders from He He Chunhua?

(End of chapter)