Chapter 88: Chapter 89: A Procession of Refugees
Live a long life, build a wide network, and you’ll have connections with many noble families. At her age, she wouldn’t be running around outside to watch operas. She’d most likely invite a troupe to her home to set up a stage and perform. But what fun would it be for the old lady to watch alone? Inviting three or five—no, ten—families of noblewomen would make for a real party. The same logic applied to garden parties and other gatherings. These kinds of wealthy, idle old crones lived for socializing. They were long sick of the familiar faces at home.
So whenever she got her hands on some fresh, juicy gossip, how could she bear not to share it with her old friends?
Hee Lingchuan shook his head. His father had sent plenty of people to the Capital City, so Mrs. Hex wouldn’t be the only one spreading the news when the time came. His second brother’s deduction was right: his father was doing everything he could to fan the flames of rumor, leaving the Royal Court no opportunity to deny the Hee Family’s merits.
On his way to eat, two bolts of lightning suddenly flashed across the sky.
It had only been clear for two days. Now, a dull rumble of thunder returned, along with a downpour.
...
The downpour was so heavy he could barely open his eyes. Hee Lingchuan wiped the water from his face. In a matter of seconds, even his underwear and socks were soaked through, clinging uncomfortably to his skin.
He’d just gone to the outhouse after his meal. How had the scenery changed so completely the moment he stepped out?
It was pitch-black all around. The Hee Mansion’s windproof lanterns were gone, with only the occasional flash of lightning providing any light.
Even though it was too dark to see clearly, Hee Lingchuan was certain this wasn’t the Hee Mansion. The dense weeds before him were as tall as a man. If the Hee Mansion’s gardeners dared to slack off like this, they would’ve been kicked out by Madam Ying long ago.
The ground was a mix of mud, sand, water, and grassroots. He stumbled along, each step sinking to a different depth. There was no path, so he could only push through the grass.
Hee Lingchuan glanced back and saw a massive boulder behind him. It was a steep, solid face of basalt, with not even a blade of grass growing on it.
’No path behind me, so I can only go forward.’
The young man groped his way forward. After about a hundred feet, his foot suddenly found empty air!
He had been paying close attention, only shifting his weight after ensuring his footing was solid. So when his left foot suddenly stepped on nothing, he didn’t panic. He just threw his weight backward and retreated.
Parting the grass, Hee Lingchuan discovered he was at a dead end.
There was a cliff at his feet, with a drop of seventy or eighty feet.
’If I’d missed my footing and tumbled down, I might not have died, but I’d be half-dead at the very least.’
Hee Lingchuan let out a long sigh, wiping the grass seeds and rainwater from his face. ’How did I end up in this desolate wilderness?’ With his last experience in mind, he wasn’t overly surprised.
’Anytime there’s an inexplicable scene change and a memory gap, it’s probably the Broken Blade’s doing.’
’But while it’s dragging me into the Dream Realm, couldn’t it at least hand me a knife? Even one just for cutting grass to clear a path would be nice.’
’Now, where am I supposed to go?’
Two successive flashes of blue-white lightning lit up the heavens, and with them, Hee Lingchuan’s entire field of vision.
Only then did he realize that below the cliff lay a vast plain, dotted with occasional small hills. From his vantage point, he could look out over everything.
Most importantly, there were people on the plain!
It was a long column of people, passing almost directly below the low cliff where Hee Lingchuan stood, not even one hundred and fifty feet away. From his angle, he couldn’t see the end of the line.
’Not an army.’
There were men and women in the column, and judging by their clothing, they were mostly commoners. The wealthy could ride in carriages or on horseback, but ordinary people could only brave the wind and rain, supporting one another as they trudged forward.
Most people were carrying belongings on their shoulders or in their hands. Oxen and donkeys were laden with household goods, and dogs darted between everyone’s feet. Hee Lingchuan even saw a little girl, about eleven or twelve, clutching her mother’s hand with one hand and hugging a small cat to her chest with the other.
Washed clean by the rain, her little face was deathly pale, making her eyes seem huge and round, filled with confusion and a sense of being lost.
’Is this a column of refugees?’
Cavalrymen periodically rode back and forth along the column’s flanks, like soldier ants bustling around a marching colony.
Hee Lingchuan was very familiar with the Light Armor these cavalrymen wore. He knew at a glance that they were the Great Wind Army.
’The Great Wind Army showed up early this time.’
Hee Lingchuan considered for a few moments before deciding to blend in with the column. Otherwise, where else was there to go in this desolate wilderness?
’If I follow the Great Wind Army, at least the group will have a destination, right?’
More importantly, he had already seen a cavalryman hand his horse to a companion, run to the edge of the cliff, and begin scrambling up, using both his hands and feet.
’The sky is dark and the grass is long. I don’t think I’ve been spotted.’ Therefore, there could be only one reason for this rider to be climbing the cliff in the rain:
He was a Scout. Climbing to the highest point to reconnoiter and keep watch for the column was his duty.
This also indirectly confirmed that there were pursuers behind them.
Hee Lingchuan didn’t dwell on it. He quietly made his way down the other side of the cliff, clinging to the solid rock.
The torrential rain masked most sounds, and in the pitch-black night, everyone had to keep their heads down to watch the path. Besides, plenty of people in the column were quietly slipping behind small hills to relieve themselves before rejoining the group. So, he slipped into the column with ease and encountered no trouble.
’In a column of refugees, who knows anyone else?’
Even the Great Wind Army cavalrymen who occasionally rode past paid him no mind.
The last time, he’d been spotted the moment he entered the scene. He was a stranger in a strange land, and the locals could tell at a glance. Now, he was hidden in a sea of people, keeping his head down just like any other commoner. Why would the cavalrymen spare him a second glance?
And so, Hee Lingchuan followed the column quietly for more than a double-hour. Along the way, he even helped someone carry their things, earning a few words of thanks and using the opportunity to subtly fish for information.
The rain on the plains was relentless; if you opened your mouth, it would fill with cold water. But since he had helped, the family explained that they lived next to the distillery in Wei City Jun Town.
The man’s surname was Liu, and he worked brewing spirits at the distillery. Since he was the third-born of his generation in the clan, people simply called him Liu Sanjiu. He was fleeing with his wife and two children because the Baling Army’s latest offensive was especially ferocious. Wei City couldn’t hold, so everyone had to pack up and flee for their lives in the middle of the night, leaving many valuables behind.
Fortunately, they had only been walking for a few double-hours when the Great Wind Army arrived to escort them, which put everyone much more at ease.
So, where were they headed?
Liu Sanjiu said that if they could make it east to Shadan Pass, they would be safe. That was Panlong City’s territory.
How much farther was it?
On this plain, with no landmarks to speak of, no one knew for sure.
After walking with the column for so long, Hee Lingchuan’s heart grew a little heavy. He knew this scene had very likely played out in actual history.
Although the Panlong Wasteland was named a wasteland, it was far more fertile than the desert it would later become, capable of supporting many cities. He remembered Wei City was located several hundred li west of Panlong City. With elite soldiers and ample provisions, it had held out against enemy offensives for nearly twenty years.
What he was seeing today was likely the scene right before Wei City was breached. He was, in a way, witnessing history.
The most pitiable part was that for some of these commoners, this was not the first time they had been forced to flee their homes.
