Chapter 60: Prisoners of War Within the Wrathful Souls Hm, even though Mao Tao could understand some of the writing, he actually made it look like he was just as lost as Nian Songyu and me. It looks like this guy isn’t stupid. “I don’t know much Baling script, so I had a hard time reading much. But Tao Bo did ask that whoever dug up his journal send it to Baling, promising a generous reward. Also, he mentioned that, judging from this illusion, it seems certain that some god has indeed fallen.”
He Lingchuan’s heart skipped a beat. “Mitian?”
It looks like the State of Baling has a lot more inside knowledge, but that’s only natural. After all, they were one of the warring states. “I couldn’t make out those few words.” Mao Tao smiled wryly. “Also, the Generous Pot might not be movable.”
He Lingchuan’s expression changed. “Are you sure?”
We risked everything to come here just to retrieve the Generous Pot. If it can’t be taken away, then wouldn’t everything we’ve done be for nothing? Also, what about the battle at Woling Pass? The question startled even him. Since when had he cared so much about Great Yuan’s war effort?
“I’m not sure, that’s why I hesitated to say anything.” Mao Tao mumbled, “I only studied for three years. If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have dozed off in class.” This was a classic case of not appreciating one’s studies until one truly needed them.
“What else?” He Lingchuan rubbed his chin. State Preceptor Sun had surely seen those lines, but he had kept silent. Is the old man confident that he can take the Generous Pot away, or is he plotting something else? “Uh, there was one more thing. Tao Bo believed there was a powerful presence in this world.” Mao Tao then admitted, “But I couldn’t make out the rest, and I don’t want to make any wild guesses.”
A powerful presence? “You mean the peeping tom hiding in some corner?”
Mao Tao shrugged. How am I supposed to know? “Big Brother Chuan[1], why do you think the state preceptor kept quiet about this?”
“Well, maybe he thinks that it’s none of our business.” He Lingchuan changed the subject. “How long have we been setting fires?”
“Uh, it should have already been over an hour?”
“Oh, time to head back then.”
“But the north—”
He Lingchuan cut him off, “The north probably isn’t important.”
Why does the young master seem so sure? “If the northern buildings aren’t burned, what if the state preceptor holds it against me?” Outside, Mao Tao would blindly follow He Lingchuan’s lead, but here...
“Young Master, please don’t abandon me.”
“We’ll head back first. If the illusion isn’t broken, I’ll go north with you,” He Lingchuan said with a grin. “What, are you afraid that those two will eat you?”
He had hit the nail right on the head. Mao Tao gave an involuntary shudder. He was the weakest of the four, and if he did not want to be the first one on the menu, he at least had to stick with someone.
By now, they had used up all their oil and firewood, so Mao Tao dropped the cart and did not argue further, turning toward the southern gate.
“Young Master, are we going straight over?” Why bother taking the long way, sticking close to the eastern wall? “Just follow me and stop asking pointless questions.” He Lingchuan could not explain it, but the closer he got to the south, the heavier and more uneasy he felt.
It was as if disaster were looming.
He chose this route because the buildings on the east side were tall and the area was crisscrossed with rivers, making it a good place for keeping hidden.
By now, both the east and west of the city were ablaze, shrouding the whole city in a doomsday glow.
* * *
Meanwhile, within the lightning-summoning array[2] outside the illusion, the world was a dark mass of heroic spirits, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The ordinary wrathful souls had long since been pushed out of sight. Only the souls of the Gale Army remained, encircling the expedition team with perfect discipline. The Gale Army souls now appeared as deep and still as an abyss, the wild violence from their first appearance long since gone.
In life and death, they were a formidable force.
What kind of pressure does it put on the living to have tens of thousands of dead soldiers silently staring at them?
The soldiers of Heishui City felt their scalps tingle. They could not even say if it was fear or if it was due to the lightning constantly raining down from above. Surrounded by so many military souls, many of them questioned if the array could continue to protect them. He Chunhua would constantly encourage his men, shouting, “Don’t be afraid! There’s nothing to worry about! The heavenly lightning will keep us safe! To stand here is to serve our state!”
Lightning serpents danced through the runes inscribed on the ground, a constant reminder to both sides of the array’s hidden might.
Earlier, when the cavalry officer threw a spear, it was instantly disintegrated by the heavenly lightning before it could even reach those within, thereby failing to harm any of the living within the array. This had helped steady everyone’s nerves. However, who could have guessed that the Gale Army could scheme, could weigh the situation, and even send for reinforcements?
Now, the vast army gathered outside the array did not look like it was just there to watch. With their numbers, an assault seemed inevitable. At the moment, their greatest fear was that while the Heavenly Lightning Defensive Array was powerful, it was powered by human effort, like a lever. If the array’s power was a ten, then the people manning it had to provide at least one. However, could the morale of a hundred-odd soldiers, bolstered by a commandery administrator’s mandate token, really allow them to last until the state preceptor returned?
When it came to this, even He Chunhua had his doubts.
The massing of heroic spirits was meant to crush them with sheer momentum. It was the classic enactment of the strategy wherein one won without fighting, conquering the enemy with sheer intimidation. Additionally, the Gale Army surely had more moves in store.
He Chunhua’s other big worry was for his eldest son, who was still inside the pool.
Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu were up to no good regarding the He family, and with his son alone inside, he worried about whether he could hold his own. Even though he had sent Zeng Feixiong and others in, who knew how many hidden dangers lay within? Could He Lingchuan really handle it all?
He Chunhua silently told himself that his son was born lucky, so he was sure to survive any crisis; yet, he could not help but worry.
If anything happens to He Lingchuan... “What’s going on?”
“Are there prisoners of war among the wrathful souls?” The commotion among his men snapped He Chunhua from his thoughts. He looked up and was startled, too.
The Gale Army parted, making a path and driving several hundred wrathful souls forward from the rear.
These were the first souls to emerge from the well. Some of these souls were humanoid, while others were monstrous, though most of them were still in military garb from various factions.
“The coalition army, the military souls of the Xianba Coalition Army.” War had raged on the Panlong Wasteland for thirty-two years; it had practically been a meat grinder that claimed not only the lives of the people of West Luo but also the lives of countless soldiers of the coalition army as well.
They, too, had died and been gathered by the Generous Pot, never to find peace.
These wrathful souls, once howling with resentment, were now herded by the Gale Army and looked clearly uneasy. The lightning roaming the array only made them more fearful.
He Chunhua’s face changed. “The Gale Army is going to drive them against the array!”
As soon as he said that, the Gale Army issued an earth-shaking order. Sure enough, blades and spears pressed the wrathful souls forward. Their eyes reddened, milling in place before finally charging headlong toward the heavenly lightning.
The array roared to life, and as soon as they struck the barrier of lightning, they were blown to pieces.
Still, more and more hurled themselves forward.
To the living, all they saw was the flicker of the array and the rumble of thunder, while the Gale Army waited in grim silence beyond. During this time, the unease only grew.
In war, it was a brutal but effective tactic to drive prisoners to the front lines as human shields. The enemy hesitates to strike, and your own side seizes the initiative. Such methods, cruel as they are, have never been absent from the annals of battle.
1. He’s referring to He Lingchuan here, though he’s specifically just using the “Chuan” part of the name. ☜
2. This should still be the same Heavenly Lightning Defensive Array as in Chapter 51. Also, the capitalization might look like a mess, but I’m basically only capitalizing actual “named” arrays, while I don’t capitalize more general-sounding arrays. ☜