Chapter 96: Waking Up at the Wrong Time

Hu Min reached behind him to touch his quiver; only two arrows remained. "One for you, one for me." If not for Governor Sun's chest, these consumables would have been used up long ago.

He helped He Lingchuan load an arrow: "Any last words?"

"Yes." He Lingchuan raised his crossbow, aiming at the wagon formation, "I just want to know, why did Governor Sun run away with a bear trap?"

Several Dafeng soldiers nearby heard this and laughed. Hu Min couldn't help but look at him twice: "If you make it back alive, find out the reason and burn paper offerings to tell me, how about that?"

"Sounds like a plan."

A crisp sound rang out; the carriage was smashed to pieces, and the final line of defense was about to break.

From He Lingchuan's perspective, his companions ahead were slightly hunched, knees bent in a half-squat, preparing to meet the surging tide of enemies.

He braced himself against the earthen wall of the riverbank and stood straight.

If this was the final battle, he shouldn't die lying down.

"Whoosh," the last arrow took away one enemy.

With his accuracy, it wasn't wasted.

The Baling people charged over like a tidal wave.

He Lingchuan threw down his crossbow, drew his long saber, and strode forward to meet them.

It was time for close-quarters combat again.

Just then, a shadow suddenly fell from the sky.

A Baling person had just rushed in front of He Lingchuan; before the latter could even swing his blade, something descended from the sky and smashed his enemy to the ground.

It was a short-haired monster bird nearly three feet tall, with a sharp beak, jagged teeth, and wings like a bat's, tipped with sharp claws.

Its wingspan reached a staggering two zhang or so.

As soon as it landed, it let out a loud "caw," making He Lingchuan's eardrums ache.

The friendly troops were fine, but many Baling people covered their ears and staggered back two steps; clearly, this thing had a sonic attack. If not for the protection of the State Order, ordinary people would have already collapsed and fallen unconscious.

He Lingchuan was also stunned.

This thing looked so familiar—wasn't it the demon bird from the Panlong Illusion? Of course, it was somewhat different from the one in the Panlong Illusion; for instance, it was much smaller, its body was no longer deathly pale, it was clearly a living creature, and its eyeballs could roll around...

Furthermore, He Lingchuan was certain it hadn't transformed from a swarm of bats.

But the fact that something existing in the illusion had actually appeared here meant—

Hu Min on the ground shouted: "Reinforcements are here!"

His voice was filled with the wild joy of surviving a disaster.

Almost at the same time, long, stirring horn blasts sounded from behind the Baling army.

Standing on the hillside, everyone could see the chaos erupting behind enemy lines by the light of the lightning in the sky.

It seemed an army had suddenly flanked them, their banners fluttering fiercely.

Commander Xiao also waved his spear and shouted: "Hold on, brothers, General Hong is here!"

General Hong! This name seemed to have magic, instantly injecting new vitality into the exhausted soldiers.

Everyone felt that the sabers they could barely hold onto suddenly became light again.

He Lingchuan hacked down an enemy, his figure swaying twice.

He had long since reached the end of his rope; every breath tugged at his chest, and the effects of the medicine had worn off, making every movement agonizing.

Commander Xiao still had time to support him, patting his chest and saying: "Hold on, we've won!"

Nothing could be more wonderful than those four words.

The dawn of victory was right ahead, within that reinforcement army that had bared its fangs like a dragon entering the sea.

He Lingchuan couldn't help but climb onto a large rock, wanting to see what the legendary General Hong looked like.

Logically, General Hong should be under that fluttering blood-colored banner.

He followed the banner down with his gaze, and suddenly, the world spun.

"Don't, don't don't don't—ah!"

He Lingchuan sat up with a start, a roar escaping him that frightened the servant nearby.

"What are you doing?" He Lingchuan glared at him.

Just a little more, just a tiny bit more, and he would have seen General Hong! To be shaken awake at such a moment made He Lingchuan so angry his lungs felt like they were about to explode.

"Young Master, p-please calm down!" The servant stammered; the Young Master's morning temper was too terrifying. "The Master requests you go to the side hall immediately; there is an important matter to announce. The Lady and the Second Young Master have already arrived."

"Important matter, what important matter?"

"I'm not sure, but the Master is very anxious."

"Got it!" He Lingchuan waved him away, rubbing his face in frustration.

The day had already dawned; outside, the wind was gentle and the scenery bright. Fallen blossoms drifted beneath the old osmanthus tree, and a few petals had quietly flown into the room.

It was a peaceful morning, as always. No one knew that He Lingchuan had dreamed of returning to Panlong, where he had spent a bloody and long night.

Right, the left hand.

He raised his left hand and wiggled his fingers.

Hmm, intact and still flexible.

It really was a dream, though the pain felt too real. But since that kind of damage couldn't be brought into reality, he felt relieved.

He Lingchuan calmed his mood before climbing out of bed to get dressed.

In that battle on the riverbed, did the Dafeng army eventually win? There shouldn't be any suspense.

Commander Xiao had promised him that if he returned to the city alive, he could join the city guard.

He didn't want to be any city guard, but perhaps he could build a better relationship with these soldiers.

What a pity; after exiting like that, the favor he'd spent all night grinding must have reset to zero, right? He Lingchuan sighed. While buttoning his collar, he suddenly noticed that the divine bone pendant hanging on his chest was emitting a faint red light.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

He picked up the divine bone to look closely, but it wasn't glowing anymore; it was as if the flash just now had been his imagination.

It usually had no presence, inconsistent with its grand name, only triggering a passive effect in the Panlong Illusion to help him exempt the "Blazing Body" divine ability cast by Sun Fuping.

He Lingchuan pinched and twisted it, then poured true qi into it, but there was no abnormality at all.

Forget it, time to go to the side hall.

￥￥￥￥￥

The family was gathered around the dining table, harmonious and happy. As soon as He Lingchuan stepped into the side hall, He Chunhua beckoned him over, his face beaming: "Come quickly, there's good news!"

He Lingchuan walked over and pulled out a chair: "Father, are you expecting?"

The old butler served him a bowl of mutton soup with thin noodles. The broth had been slow-simmered for two hours, paired with hand-rolled noodles and a sprinkle of tender green scallions; it looked plain but was actually rich.

He Lingchuan sat down and slurped a few mouthfuls—mmm, refreshing! Come to think of it, his appetite seemed to have grown again; one or two bowls definitely wouldn't be enough.

He Yue didn't bicker with him today, saying instead: "It is indeed a wonderful thing."

Even Lady Ying was smiling with pursed lips, looking full of joy.

"The memorial has reached the capital, and the court is shaken!" He Chunhua said, word by word. "Because of my meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, especially in executing the national traitor Sun Fuping, the Royal Court has ordered me to be promoted to Grand Coordinator of Xiazhou. We depart immediately!"

He placed a scroll of documents on the table: "The imperial decree has arrived; the rewards are still on the way."

He Lingchuan slapped his thigh, his joy evident: "Skipping several ranks, rising to the top in one step! Father, our family has made it big."

(End of chapter)