Chapter 37: Chapter 38: Disagreement

Aside from him and Situ Han, everyone else had prepared a sumptuous meal. The salted jerky Nian Songyu brought looked unremarkable, a dark reddish-black, but it released an exotic, fragrant aroma when heated over the fire, clearly enhanced with a variety of spices. Slicing off a couple of pieces to pair with some fine, white-flour flatbread made the expedition feel a bit like a picnic.

Hee Chunhua prepared a bowl of savory roasted flour tea. When he added boiling water, the fragrance of sesame and peanuts wafted even farther than the aroma of the meat. He also mixed in some cashews and walnuts, instantly elevating the dish.

Hee Lingchuan always felt that the only satisfying way to drink something like this was to slurp it down with gusto, but his father ate elegantly and quietly.

Upon hearing the National Preceptor’s words, Hee Chunhua mulled it over for a moment, and his expression changed. "Went at the wrong time? Wait, he couldn’t be talking about the Sandstorm Season, could he?"

"Every treasure-hunting team avoids the Sandstorm Season, and every one of them has come back empty-handed. Zhugen exhausted every known method and Divine Technique, but he could never detect the Grand Square Pot’s existence. So, he concluded that the artifact was likely carefully hidden by Zhong Shengguang—or perhaps even by the Deities he worshiped—and that certain preconditions must be met to find it," Sunx Fuping said slowly. "Otherwise, no matter how many come after, they could scour every inch of the Panlong Ruins and never find it."

Hee Lingchuan, his mouth glistening with grease as he ate, didn’t let that stop him from talking. "Zhong Shengguang hated the Alliance Army, so of course he wouldn’t want them to get the Grand Square Pot. Could it be that the Deities took the Grand Square Pot back, and it’s no longer in the Mortal World? And all the strange phenomena in the Panlong Desert are the work of Resentful Souls—er, I mean, Heroic Spirits. After all, the Three Corpses Insect is born in the human body; it’s not like it’s a specialty of the Grand Square Pot."

He lived by the principle of never neglecting his stomach, no matter the circumstances. First, he tore into a braised goose leg, then CRUNCHED on two fragrant noodle pancakes.

The local noodles from Black Water City were boiled until they were perfectly chewy and springy, then dried with hot air, making them surprisingly similar to his trusty companion from his other world: instant ramen. The locals would boil the noodles, coat them in flour, pan-fry them into cakes, and then sprinkle them with chili and spices. This created a high-quality, long-lasting ration, perfect for home or travel.

When ordering his, Hee Lingchuan had made sure to ask for extra meat and eggs.

As a practitioner of the Martial Dao, his appetite was much larger than an ordinary person’s, and he couldn’t go a single meal without staple foods and meat.

’What a glutton, and his manners are so vulgar.’ Nian Songyu shot him a disdainful glance. "A Three Corpses Insect that can even infect a Mage has to be a specialty of the Grand Square Pot."

From the moment a person is born, the Three Corpses Insect is born with them. As one ages, it causes more and more mischief—sowing chaotic thoughts, nurturing greed, and giving rise to malicious intentions. That’s why they’re also known as the "Three Corpse Gods"; they are far from being mere insects. For anyone on the path of Cultivation, seeking enlightenment, a mandatory trial is to wield the Wisdom Sword for Slaying the Three Corpses, thereby attaining a pure heart and mind.

Of course, this refers to slaying the Three Corpses Insect within one’s own body.

But the Three Corpses Insect lurking in the Panlong Desert could infect even a Mage with a purified mind. Furthermore, it could remain active outdoors for long periods and feared nothing but sunlight.

An enhanced version of the Three Corpses Insect like this? It must have come from the Grand Square Pot.

Hee Lingchuan scoffed. "So, according to the National Preceptor, the Grand Square Pot only appears during the Sandstorm Season?"

"It’s highly likely."

"Then count us out. You all can stay here and have your fun." Hee Lingchuan shot to his feet and headed for the exit without a backward glance. "Dad, we’re going home!"

’The Sandstorm Season? Are you kidding me? There are a million ways to get yourself killed; I don’t need to come all the way out here to do it!’

A figure flashed before him. Nian Songyu stood with his sword in hand, blocking the top of the stairs. "Go back and sit down. Otherwise, I’ll send you on your way right now. No need to wait for the Sandstorm Season!"

"Hah?" Instead of getting angry, Hee Lingchuan laughed. "Showing your true colors this fast?" He turned to his father. "Dad, these two just want to use us as cannon fodder. Are you coming or not?"

Hee Chunhua put down the bowl of roasted flour tea he was halfway through and stood up. "The National Preceptor has planned everything perfectly and is assured of victory. It seems you can seize the treasure and return successfully even without the help of Black Water City."

A vicious smile crept onto Nian Songyu’s face. "Do you two think this is still Black Water City? Killing you would be as easy as slaughtering chickens! Without you father and son, this force of two hundred men falls under my command. Who would dare object!"

If the Hee father and son were to die, command would naturally fall to the highest-ranking person remaining. The expedition would still be in their hands.

Zeng Feixiong was already on his feet. With a SHING, he drew his saber halfway from its sheath. "Captain Nian, choose your words carefully! We serve only the Hee Prefect!"

Hearing the commotion, the Personal Guards stationed outside rushed in and surrounded the group.

In a matter of moments, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Hee Lingchuan’s eyes darted around. ’What would happen if we dropped all pretenses right now? Would those two really dare to kill us?’

’Nian Songyu was a formidable opponent, not to mention... could his own two hundred-odd men even handle National Preceptor Sunx?’

’Is this a good opportunity to take them both out?’

The thoughts flashed through his mind, and the answers came just as quickly:

Yes. No. And no.

’Looks like we can’t get out of this unscathed. We need another plan.’

"Such a fiery temper for a young man." Sunx Fuping tossed aside his flatbread and took a few gulps of water. "Hee Prefect, you’ve always had a reputation for being level-headed. Why are you letting this boy stir up trouble? If this were a suicide mission, do you think I would have traveled a thousand miles just to die?"

Before the Hee Prefect could speak, Hee Lingchuan retorted, "You wouldn’t. You’d just send *us* to our deaths."

’This pair, one old and one young, had bad intentions from the very start.’

Nian Songyu eyed him askance. "Still trying to drive up your price? Wasn’t once enough for you?"

The more Nian Songyu looked at Hee Lingchuan, the more he loathed him. The feeling was mutual.

Neither man bothered to hide it.

"Everything else is negotiable, Lord State Preceptor, but where the sandstorms pass, all life is extinguished. This isn’t a laughing matter; we shouldn’t even entertain the thought of trying!" Hee Chunhua cleared his throat. "Besides, we only have enough food and water for another three to five days. That’s not enough to wait for the Sandstorm Season to arrive."

He was trying to de-escalate, and Sunx Fuping cooperated readily. "If we can trigger the Sandstorm Season ourselves, I am confident I can get everyone out safely. If we can’t, we will return to Black Water City before the true Sandstorm Season begins. How does that sound?"

"Trigger the Sandstorm Season?" Situ Han, the Sand Bandit leader, couldn’t help but interject. "Can you even do that? Trigger it early?"

’And die an early death?’

He had been huddled in a corner the whole time, quietly gnawing on a piece of flatbread. After finishing it, he took out a few black-skinned scorpions to roast over the fire. He knew he was in no position to speak; everyone here was leagues above him.

’But the more he listened, the more it sounded like he’d followed them all onto a path to certain doom.’

"W-wait a minute!" His expression changed as a thought struck him. "There are still people on Red Cliff Road! If the Sandstorm Season starts early, they’ll all die!"

"The Sandstorm Season is only a few days away. Anyone with a brain knows not to get greedy for one last Copper Plate." Nian Songyu was unconcerned. "Besides, the Sandstorm Season has never started on a precise day or hour in previous years. Hee Prefect, am I wrong in saying there are casualties on this road every year?"