Chapter 59: Chapter 60: We Were All Deceived
Hee Lingchuan sneered. "National Preceptor Sunx told us to hurry back to the South City Gate after we finished. He nagged and he threatened, even giving us a two-double-hour time limit. Don’t you feel flattered beyond belief? They only treat you like a beast of burden. When have they ever been so considerate?"
Fuzzy Peach immediately recalled National Preceptor Sunx’s two solemn warnings.
"But what if..."
"What if, what?" ’Sudden concern is often accompanied by ulterior motives.’ "If something unexpected happens, what’s the difference between being here and being at the South City Gate? If we really need to seek refuge with them, we can just rush over then."
He also spoke earnestly, "Look at the two of them. Do they look like they care whether we live or die? Since that’s the case, why should we care about them?"
Fuzzy Peach thought for a moment, then nodded. "You’re right. I’ll listen to you!"
Hee Yue was in the Government Office, writing furiously.
The weather in Qiansong County was much better than in the Panlong Desert, but it was still deathly hot at the end of the eighth month. Everyone was waiting for a thunderstorm to cool down Black Water City.
It was especially stuffy today. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he reviewed official documents.
A constable behind him saw this, found a large cattail fan, and said, "Second Young Master Hee, allow me."
He had barely fanned him twice when news flew in from outside:
The Panlong Desert was unleashing its fury; the Sandstorm Season had arrived early.
CLACK. The brush in Hee Yue’s hand dropped onto the desk, smearing several documents.
The Sandstorm Season had begun, but his father and older brother still hadn’t returned.
It was truly terrible news.
The constable called his name quietly several times before Hee Yue came to his senses. He said in a strained voice, "Assign more men to patrol. The city will be restless for the next few days."
Whenever the Sandstorm Season arrived early, it always led to losses of life and property. Disputes between the injured, the families of the victims, and the Commerce Association’s caravans would skyrocket.
In previous years, Hee Chunhua had often handled cases of fatal brawls that broke out after the Sandstorm Season’s arrival.
A chill ran through Hee Yue’s heart as he thought of his father.
Madam Ying was at home, anxiously waiting for news every day. ’Should I be the one to deliver this terrible news?’
That afternoon, he spent several double-hours in the Government Office but couldn’t manage to handle a single additional piece of official business.
The young man didn’t stand up listlessly until dusk, preparing to head home.
Never before had the journey home filled him with such reluctance.
But just then, a courier suddenly arrived and presented him with eleven crumpled, wax-sealed letters:
"The eastern route is open. These are letters that were held up at Jiaxin Pass. They’ve all been delivered at once."
Seeing so many letters, Hee Yue’s heart skipped a beat. ’Just how many major events have happened in the east?’
Qiansong County was remote. With no direct waterway from east to west, letters from the Capital City had to pass through the Woling Pass and Jiaxin Pass route to reach them.
The mountain ranges along the way were steep and treacherous. Taking a detour would add three months to the journey, and the road conditions were especially poor, so almost no one ever did.
Before Hee Chunhua left for the Panlong Desert, he had been constantly worried about the situation in the east. Even if only to fulfill his father’s last wish, Hee Yue had to read these letters.
He casually tore one open. After just a glance, his brows furrowed, and he quickly tore open another.
Then the next.
"How outrageous!" Hee Yue slammed his fist on the desk with a loud BANG, startling all the nearby constables.
Second Young Master Hee had always been gentle and refined, a spitting image of the Prefect. Why was he suddenly so furious?
Hee Yue’s eyes turned red. For the first time in his life, he felt such grief, indignation, and hatred.
"Father, Big Brother, your deaths were in vain!" he said through gritted teeth. "We’ve all been deceived!"
The young man stood up and walked out.
Now, he had two pieces of terrible news to bring home.
Nian Songyu hauled the last crate of crossbow arrows onto the top of the wall.
Each crate here weighed several hundred pounds. Even though he was a master of the Martial Dao, his arms were sore and numb, and his feet felt heavy after hauling forty crates up onto the wall.
Sunx Fuping was already standing on the wall, gazing down. "Is everything brought up?" Being older and of higher status, he naturally wouldn’t dirty his hands with such menial tasks.
With Hee Lingchuan and his companion absent, all the work fell to Nian Songyu.
"Yeah, that’s the last of it," Nian Songyu panted. "I don’t know where those two bastards disappeared to. So damn slow!"
He rested for a moment, then began coating the weapons with a special oil, also known as kerosene.
Whether it was large crossbows or catapults, their power was multiplied when set aflame, making them more effective at killing enemies. Right now, however, the two of them were more interested in their ability to set the city ablaze.
Nian Songyu casually opened a crate. He was startled at first, then overjoyed. "It’s actually Nail Bombs!"
Cannons had long existed in the Mortal World, but their power was mediocre and their firing interval was long. They were decent for attacking personnel, but at best, they only left a crater in a wall. Aside from the deafening sound, they weren’t much more powerful than a Crossbow Vehicle.
But these "Nail Bombs" were pig iron cannonballs filled with small iron nails. Upon landing, they would explode in all directions with flames, not only injuring people but also easily causing infections.
Nian Songyu loaded a Nail Bomb and dusted off his hands. "The two double-hours are up, right?"
"Almost." Sunx Fuping sat on a crate, looking ahead. "The north side still hasn’t been set on fire."
"The north was assigned to the Sand Bandit. You think he ran off?" Nian Songyu walked over, shielding his eyes with a hand. "Why don’t we start firing?"
"Wait a little longer."
If the National Preceptor said to wait, then they had to wait.
In the blink of an eye, another hour passed.
The main street below the wall was completely empty.
Nian Songyu chugged a few mouthfuls of water. "What do you think?"
"Shall we give them a reminder?"
Nian Songyu shrugged, took a deep breath, and bellowed, "Hee Lingchuan, get back to the South Gate, now!" There was also that Sand Bandit, but he couldn’t remember his name.
He shouted three times in a row, his voice echoing throughout Panlong South City.
Perhaps because the area was so open, his voice actually echoed. If Hee Lingchuan was on his way, he should be able to hear it.
After waiting for a long while, the area below the wall was still empty.
He roared again, "We’re lighting the fires at the South Gate! Your life is your own responsibility!"
’Once the fires are lit,’ he thought, ’forget any other accidents—the blaze alone might just be enough to burn those two bastards to a crisp!’
Another hour passed. Sunx Fuping finally stood up. "The Sand Bandit is with Hee Lingchuan. They’re on guard. They’re not coming back."
The fire in the north was never lit. The Sand Bandit had either met with an accident or had gone to rendezvous with Hee Lingchuan.
"That whelp from the Hee Family has always held a grudge against me," Nian Songyu said. "What now?"
"The buildings on the east and west sides are burning. No anomalies there. So the key to breaking the situation is indeed in the south, just as I deduced. Those two brats—no, the Hee Family’s boy has grown suspicious. He’s not as reckless and simple-minded as we thought." The distant flames seemed to dance in Sunx Fuping’s eyes. "Thinking they’re safe this way? Naive! Light the fires."
The last three words were directed at Nian Songyu.
Nian Songyu hesitated for a moment. "But what about your original plan for the Black Water City Army?"
"They are standing right in my Array."
That one sentence dispelled all of Nian Songyu’s doubts. He began lighting the incendiary bolts.
