Chapter 43: Zhong Shengguang's Tomb

Sun Fuping stood up. “Since Commandery Administrator He and I apparently share similar lines of thought, let’s start off with this line of inquiry.”

“How?” Nian Songyu frowned. “You’re not seriously thinking of praying for rain in Panlong Ruins, are you?”

“Praying for rain here has less than a five percent success rate, and it would require five or six times more effort than usual,” Sun Fuping replied with a wry smile. “I just tried summoning a mountain or marsh guardian spirit, but there wasn’t the slightest response.”

Trying to summon a mountain or marsh guardian spirit here? Now that’s some wishful thinking.

He Lingchuan could not help but chuckle. “This place is so dry that even the lord of the land would have died of thirst.”

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

“If we can’t summon rain, maybe we can pour water directly. That’s probably what the team from the State of Baling did as well,” Nian Songyu suggested after thinking for a moment. “It’s impossible to bring rain down across the whole city, not to mention unnecessary, so we will probably need to pinpoint the exact spot.”

It was unlikely that the team from Baling had managed to summon rain across all of Panlong City, either. They would have used their limited water supply strategically. With a successful precedent to go on, State Preceptor Sun’s group just needed to build on the logic to estimate a probable location.

“My analysis says there are only a few spots where pouring water might trigger the season of mad sand: the Temple of Mitian, the Red General’s memorial hall, Zhong Shengguang’s memorial hall, Zhong Shengguang’s tomb, and the mass grave of Panlong City.” Then, Sun Fuping added, “Both those memorial halls were built while their subjects were still alive. They were extremely rare living memorial halls.”

It was common knowledge that only the dead, as well as gods, could rightfully receive incense offerings in a shrine or memorial hall. Building a memorial hall for a living person would not be veneration, but a curse. Most people who received such an honor could not handle the karma. In such cases, their lives were shortened at best, while those who had it the worst immediately lost their lives.

Clearly, Zhong Shengguang and the Red General were exceptions. They were individuals who were deified while still alive.

He Lingchuan asked curiously, “Why not include the Red General’s tomb?”

He Chunhua answered, “He was never buried. At most, there’s just a cenotaph. It’s not worth investigating.”

Nian Songyu followed up, “Even if we identify those key locations, how will we determine which one’s the right spot for water?”

“We can’t, but the Three Corpses Worms can.” Sun Fuping ordered some men to bring out a few sealed glass jars, each swirling with what appeared to be mist.

However, when everyone took a closer look, they realized that it was not mist at all. Within the glass jars were a total of four or five Three Corpses Worms writhing around!

They were unusually lively, each one ramming its head against the glass. At the moment, they looked more like jarred eels.

“They only move in one direction, and that’s away from the Generous Pot,” Sun Fuping explained. “This means that the direction opposite their movement is where the Generous Pot is. As long as we carry these jars around the target site, we’ll be able to pinpoint its location.”

This old man is frighteningly meticulous. It really seems as if he’s always thinking five steps ahead. If he ever chooses to play dirty, he’d probably be terrifyingly thorough...

He Lingchuan cast a discreet glance his way, growing more wary by the second.

The group picked up the jars and split up.

* * *

Naturally, the He father and son went together, and they headed to Zhong Shengguang’s tomb.

It was a cold, desolate night. Walking through the ruins of an abandoned city, the sense of decay and solitude was at its strongest when they finally reached Zhong Shengguang’s tomb.

It was situated in the northwest corner of the square at the southern gate. This was the same square they had passed through earlier. Surprisingly large and imposing, the tomb was built entirely of green granite and covered about a square kilometer of land. Judging by the surroundings, it was clear that many buildings had been demolished to clear space for this grand tomb.

And yet the epitaph was starkly simple: Tomb of Zhong Shengguang, Commander of West Luo.

Beside it were the dates of his birth and death.

More than a century had passed. Other than some obvious signs of past looting, the tomb remained remarkably intact, and not even the stone slabs covering the mound showed any chipped corners.

The He father and son stood in front of it and both exhaled deeply.

The story of Panlong City and the Gale Army had been passed down from year to year, still being sung and told throughout Heishui City. But how many people had actually come to pay respects to this legendary commander who died for his state?

He Lingchuan was quietly moved. “It’s hard to believe the enemy gave him a tomb this grand.”

When Panlong City fell, Zhong Shengguang slit his own throat, fulfilling his oath, “So long as the city stands, I live. If the city falls, I die.” After Panlong City was defeated, there was no one else from West Luo left to bury him. The only ones who could have built this tomb were his enemies.

“Xianyou had no choice. After Zhong Shengguang’s death, his head was severed and sent back to the capital of Xianyou as proof of victory. The whole state celebrated, and their royal court even enshrined it as a trophy. But from that moment on, strange things began happening in Panlong Wasteland. People and livestock perished, and no plant life could grow. What Xianyou wanted was a mineral-rich frontier, not a cursed desert that no living thing could enter. So they sent people back into Panlong City and gave Zhong Shengguang a proper burial, hoping it would calm his wrathful spirit.”

“But they failed.” What happened to Xianyou afterward, as well as what became of the Panlong Desert, needed no further explanation.

From who-knows-where, He Chunhua pulled out two bundles of incense, lit them, and handed one to He Lingchuan. “We’ve come all this way.”

Time to pay respects to a fallen hero.

The two bowed deeply and solemnly. Then, He Lingchuan pulled a pouch of kumis[1] from his robes and filled three cups.

The father and son raised their cups in a toast to the tombstone, drinking in unison.

He Lingchuan gently poured the rest of the kumis over the grave and said in a low voice, “Commander Zhong, watch over us as we pass through the Panlong Desert. If we make it out safely, we’ll return someday to offer you alcohol once more.”

After saying that, he took out the glass jar and walked a full circle around Zhong Shengguang’s tomb. The Three Corpses Worm inside did not shift at all. It simply kept pressing against the south-facing wall of the jar.

This meant that this tomb was not their target.

He returned to find He Chunhua standing still, deep in thought. “Father, what’s on your mind?”

“I’m thinking that if we really do find the Generous Pot and send it to the front lines, then the season of mad sand in the Panlong Desert might disappear forever.”

“Of course, but isn’t that a good thing? The Panlong Wasteland may look barren, but it’s actually rich in resources. Otherwise, why would the old coalition have fought so hard over Panlong City? If it weren’t blocking the way, Qiansong Commandery wouldn’t be this poor.” He Lingchuan glanced at He Chunhua’s expression mid-sentence and quickly paused. “What, did I say something wrong?”

“You’re not wrong. But still, I think the Panlong Desert should stay the way it is.”

He Lingchuan was puzzled. “Why?”

Who would prefer living beside a fickle, dangerous desert?

“The Panlong Desert is an obstacle. It’s a hazard and a wildcard, but it’s also a safeguard. Great Yuan is no longer what it once was. If we strip away this layer of protection, the consequences are unpredictable.”

“Are you seriously calling the Panlong Desert a safeguard?” He Lingchuan privately admired his father’s keen foresight, though he kept a teasing tone. “If we find the Generous Pot, our whole family’s moving to the capital anyway. Why should we care what happens to the Panlong Desert after that? Whether it rains or storms here has nothing to do with us.”

This kind of logic matched perfectly with the former He Lingchuan’s character. Commandery Administrator He looked at him and smiled. “You’ve got the knack for officialdom.”

No matter the promotion, the mess would be the next guy’s problem. All he had to do was pat his backside and move on. Like his son said, why worry on someone else’s behalf?

When the sky collapses, someone else will hold it up.

But of course, He Lingchuan understood exactly what his father meant. The Panlong Desert was a buffer zone between powerful states. Anyone trying to cross it to attack Yuan would face significant difficulty, especially since the season of mad sand, which lasted nearly half a year, was a nightmare for any invading force. Unless an army could live off the land and plunder enough to sustain itself, supply lines would be entirely severed.

1. This is a traditional fermented dairy drink made primarily from mare’s milk. ☜