Chapter 15: Tidying Up

“She is a bit strict, hoping that once we make something of ourselves, we can return to the capital and achieve great things.”

He Lingchuan laughed heartily: “Give it a rest. She only hopes that you’ll finish your studies, return to the capital, and be the talk of the town. What does that have to do with me?”

There was a heavy sense of resentment in those words. He Yue looked displeased: “Why must you belittle yourself, brother? Have you ever thought about what you would do after returning to the Great Capital?”

“Go back to the Great Capital?” He Lingchuan stroked his chin. “No!”

The original owner of this body had never thought that far ahead, and naturally, he had no plans either.

To outsiders, Qiansong County was a desolate, bitter place, but in truth, both he and the original owner found it quite comfortable. The He family were the local kings here; they were used to throwing their weight around and were comfortable whether standing or lying down. But if they were sent to the Great Capital of the Yuan Kingdom, they would be nobodies.

In terms of heritage, financial resources, connections, or even the ability to spend money, the He family wasn't even fit to hold the belts of those high-ranking, powerful clans.

So why go? Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

He Yue reminded him: “This is Father’s long-cherished wish. We must do everything in our power to fulfill it; we swore an oath during the family rites.” *If a man has no long-term worries, he will have immediate sorrows.* With his brother’s attitude, it was no wonder Mother didn’t like him.

“I know, I know.” He Lingchuan patted his shoulder, looking indifferent. “You study literature, I practice martial arts; together, we are well-versed in both. One day when we return to the Great Capital, if anyone gives you trouble, I’ll just beat them into a pulp in the shadows.”

“Brother, you really are…” Faced with such unreasonable stubbornness, He Yue was left speechless.

But looking on the bright side, his brother’s reckless behavior in Blackwater City had always been out in the open. At least he now knew that returning to the Great Capital would require some underhanded tactics—that could be considered a form of progress.

Suppose so.

They ran into Uncle Hao on the way. The latter gave He Lingchuan a look and followed them.

What accident had happened now?

Once they reached the side hall, the two sat down. Uncle Hao walked outside to stand guard, ensuring no one came within a five-zhang radius.

He Yue picked out a tea set and touched the cold surface of the cup: “Are the State Preceptor and the Xun Prefecture Governor here to cause trouble?”

He Lingchuan yawned, looking listless: “They aren’t even the biggest trouble. The mastermind behind them is the Emperor’s father-in-law.”

“The Grand Marshal?” He Yue’s expression changed drastically. “You don’t mean… Dong Haoming?”

“Uh-huh, or do we have several fathers-in-law of the Emperor?” He Lingchuan thought for a moment. His father only said not to tell Madam Ying, but he hadn’t mentioned keeping it a secret from He Yue.

This kid had been helping with county affairs since he was nine; there was probably no need to hide this major matter from him. In any case, He Chunhua would be sending people into the desert in a few days, and He Yue would inevitably find out.

So, he readily explained the intentions of State Preceptor Sun and the others, from beginning to end.

He Yue listened carefully, occasionally interjecting with a question, but mostly he was busy lifting the kettle to boil water.

His brother was too lazy, so he had to do it himself.

By the time he had boiled the water and brewed the tea, He Lingchuan’s throat was parched from talking, so he grabbed the hot tea and gulped down two large mouthfuls.

“Second brother, what do you think?”

“The Grand Marshal wants to use us as a blade, but Father will likely agree. It would be useless for us to object.” He Yue analyzed, “Given Father’s age and qualifications, there is still much he can achieve by returning to the royal capital.”

Both sons were nearly adults, yet He Chunhua himself was not even thirty-five—still in the prime of his life, strong and energetic. He had already wasted the best twenty years of his life in this barren land; how could he tolerate being ignored and buried any longer?

“Fortunately, the whereabouts of Zhong Shengguang’s token are unknown. If they search for dozens of days and find nothing, they won’t be able to go to the Panlong Desert.”

He Lingchuan coughed lightly: “Actually, the token has already been found.”

“What? Where?” He Yue was startled, his gaze toward his brother growing increasingly suspicious. “You—how do you know?”

“It’s with me.” He Lingchuan patted his chest and said slowly, “Actually, this goes back to when I was seriously injured over a month ago…”

He tried to keep the story as brief as possible this time.

“Nian Songyu only said he went to find the leopard demon, but he didn’t mention wiping out their entire clan.” He Yue frowned deeply. “Besides, what exactly did the Xun Prefecture Governor send him here for?”

“Supposedly to assist State Preceptor Sun.” He Lingchuan stroked his chin. “It seems Father will be coming to me for the sand leopard relics soon.”

He Yue reminded him: “The Red and White Path is still holding two guards from the Donglai Prefecture. Now that you know their intentions, how do you plan to deal with them?”

“How else? Let them go, of course.”

“Release them?” He Yue was a bit surprised. “I thought you’d want to destroy the evidence.”

The best way not to offend the Donglai Prefecture was to ensure they never knew they had been offended.

“Is that necessary?” He Lingchuan scratched his head. “They’re just two second-rate guards; what are they worth to the Donglai Prefecture?”

“Hmm, you’re right.” He Yue thought to himself: *The mystery of these two men’s whereabouts is a problem after all. What if the Red and White Path slips up again? If Father decides to help them seize the Great Square Pot, it’s best to show some sincerity now to avoid being stabbed in the back when it comes time to claim rewards. They’re just two guards; in the grand scheme of things, they’re nothing. The Donglai Prefecture needs us right now, so they likely won’t make a mountain out of a molehill.*

He Lingchuan felt uneasy under his gaze: “What kind of look is that?”

Compared to before, his brother seemed to have changed, yet not entirely. He Yue pulled back his thoughts: “There are many suspicious points in this matter, and entering the Panlong Desert is a life-or-death gamble, even with the token in hand. Let them take the risks; you and Father must not get involved in this mess.”

“Got it.”

Just then, Uncle Hao came to report that the Red and White Path had sent someone over.

He Lingchuan met the man in the garden.

Through the window, He Yue saw his brother sit on a garden bench, prop his feet up, and ask: “Are those two things still alive?”

“They’re alive.” The man was a member of the Red and White Path who had tipped him off last time. “Any instructions, Young Master?”

“Get them out of the cell and clean them up.”

“Clean them up?” The man understood. “Should I burn them to ash or dissolve them in water?”

“I said clean them up, not kill them!” What was in these people’s heads? “The people backing them are here; I’ll probably have to release them in a day or two—alive!”

The cultist let out an “Ah”: “Release them?”

“What, are they missing any parts?” He Lingchuan frowned. This was bad. If he returned people to the Donglai Prefecture missing arms or legs, that wouldn’t be a gesture of goodwill—it would be a declaration of war.

“They’re complete, they’re complete, but… but…”

He Lingchuan’s heart sank. These guys were never worry-free. “But what?”

The man coughed: “One of them tried to escape yesterday, and we accidentally sliced off half his butt while catching him. You know, Chen Laoqi tends to be a bit heavy-handed.”

“I know? How would I know?” He Lingchuan glared. “I thought they were just eating too much stale food and getting a few extra bug bites. If this gets out, it won’t be their butts that get hurt—it’ll be the face of the Donglai Prefecture!”

In the study, He Yue heard this and covered his face with his hand. *Was it just an illusion earlier? My brother hasn’t changed at all.*