Chapter 96

Hu Min reached into the quiver behind him; only the last 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 his 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 carrying animal traps?"

Several Dafeng soldiers nearby laughed upon hearing this. Hu Min couldn't help but look at him twice. "How about the one who survives and goes back finds out the reason and burns paper money to tell the others?"

"Sounds good."

A crisp sound was heard as the carriage was smashed; the final line of defense was about to be breached.

From He Lingchuan's perspective, his companions in front were hunched over, knees half-bent, preparing to meet the surging enemy tide.

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

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

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

With his accuracy, it hadn't been wasted after all.

The Baling people charged over like a tide.

He Lingchuan dropped his crossbow, drew his long blade, and strode to meet them.

It was time for close-quarters combat again.

Just then, a shadow suddenly fell from the sky.

A Baling soldier had just charged in front of He Lingchuan; before the latter could strike, something fell from the sky, smashing his enemy down.

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

Its wingspan reached a staggering two zhang or so.

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

The friendly troops were fine, but many Baling soldiers covered their ears and stumbled back; clearly, this thing had a sonic attack. If not for the blessing of the State Decree, ordinary people would have been knocked unconscious and collapsed long ago.

He Lingchuan was also stunned.

This thing looked so familiar—wasn't it the monster 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 eyes could dart around...

And He Lingchuan was certain it wasn't formed from a swarm of bats.

But the fact that something from the illusion had appeared here meant—

Hu Min on the ground shouted, "Reinforcements have arrived!"

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

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

Standing on the hillside, everyone could see the chaos appearing behind the enemy lines with the help of the lightning in the sky.

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

Commander Xiao also waved his spear and shouted, "Brothers, hold on, General Hong is here!"

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

Everyone felt that the blades they could barely hold a moment ago 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 he took tugged at his chest, and the medicine's effect had worn off, making every movement agonizing.

Commander Xiao still had the energy 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 in front of them, in 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 downward with his gaze, and suddenly, the world spun.

"No, no, no, no, no—ah!"

He Lingchuan sat up with a start, letting out a roar that frightened the servant nearby.

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

Just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more, and he could have seen General Hong! To be shaken awake at this 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 wants you to rush 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 sky was already bright; outside, the wind was gentle and the scenery clear. Fallen blossoms from the old osmanthus tree were scattered about, and a few petals had quietly flown into the room.

It was a peaceful morning, just like any other. 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 had been too real. But since that kind of damage couldn't be brought into reality, he felt relieved.

He Lingchuan calmed his mood before getting up to dress.

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

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

He didn't want to be any city soldier, but perhaps he could build some rapport with these soldiers.

What a pity; exiting like that meant the favor he'd spent all night grinding had reset to zero, right? He Lingchuan sighed, and 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 stopped glowing, as if the flash just now had been his imagination.

It usually had no presence, inconsistent with its illustrious name, only triggering a passive effect in the Panlong Illusion to help him negate the flame-burning divine ability cast by Sun Fuping.

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

Forget it, off to the side hall.

￥￥￥￥￥

The family was gathered around the dining table, happy and harmonious. 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. "Dad, are you expecting?"

The old steward served him a bowl of mutton soup with fine noodles. The broth had been simmered for two hours, paired with hand-pulled noodles and a touch 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 jubilant.

"The memorial has reached the capital, and the court is shaken!" He Chunhua said, word by word. "For meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, especially for slaying the traitor Sun Fuping, the Royal Court has ordered me to be promoted to Superintendent 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 face full of joy. "Skipping several ranks, ascending to the heavens in one step! Dad, our family has made it."

(End of Chapter)