Chapter 76: False State Preceptor In actuality, the number of medicines in this world capable of rapidly restoring blood and qi could be counted on one hand. The few gu that Sun Fuping carried with him were still thin and underdeveloped, which was why he could not rely on them to recover after being blasted by the artillery fire earlier. In the end, it was divine intervention that saved him. Now, he intended to make He Lingchuan his blood bank and let the young man experience the agony of having his heart and brain devoured. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 At that moment, with parasites already invading his body and fresh wounds crisscrossing his skin, He Lingchuan was still oblivious of what exactly was going on. A bird monster swooped down and landed just beside him. It tilted its head, watching him, as if pondering something. He Lingchuan did not bother doing any guesswork. He simply did not have the time to spare for things like that, so he immediately shouted, “Kill him! By killing him, you’re helping not only me, but yourself as well!” Even though it clearly heard his words, the bird monster did not turn its head. But just as He Lingchuan felt a tinge of despair, the bird monster suddenly shook its wings, releasing a small swarm of bats. Its body, after all, was made of bats, so manipulating them was second nature. The bats pounced on He Lingchuan’s wounds, greedily nibbling and sucking blood. He flinched at the sudden tingling itch. Surprisingly, they were not inflicting him with any pain, and he even started to feel weirdly numb. “Hey, hey! What the hell are you doing?!” Naturally, the bird monster offered no reply. It simply spread its wings, preparing to take flight. He Lingchuan had no time to think. He drew his blade and began hacking at the net that Sun Fuping had thrown at him. Despite its silken softness, the rope was forged from bloodsilk and strips of a three-hundred-year-old iron rattan. The rope was multiple times tougher than steel, as well as impervious to water, fire, blades, and axes alike. After failing to do any damage to it twice, He Lingchuan suddenly remembered that he had just acquired a new treasured saber. If he was not going to use it now, would he ever have the chance to do so? And sure enough, it actually proved effective. The treasured saber slid from its scabbard and sliced through the rope like a hot, sharp knife through butter. Within moments, he managed to wriggle free and leap onto the bird monster’s back. “Give me a lift!” The bird monster staggered under his weight, and it instinctively moved to throw him off its back, yet, oddly enough, it changed its mind the next second and instead began a lumbering takeoff. Due to its massive size and added weight, it could not directly lift off the ground; it needed a running start to gain altitude. Seeing this, Sun Fuping panicked. He slammed his staff on the ground, and the beast head at the top opened its jaws, spitting a string of fireballs like a volley of cannon shots. The fireballs did not match the might of artillery fire, but it was definitely more than enough to shatter the bird monster’s wings or blow He Lingchuan apart. Of course, that was assuming it hit. Unfortunately for Sun Fuping, other bird monsters had been circling nearby. As if responding to a signal, they swooped down in droves, shielding He Lingchuan with their bodies. The fireballs exploded against the sacrificial bird monsters, not a single one landing on their intended target. As He Lingchuan’s makeshift mount moved to take to the sky, Sun Fuping’s face went rigid with fury. He was about to press the assault when a sudden clamor erupted behind him. Over a dozen figures charged forward, and the one at their lead bellowed, “Enough!” It was none other than He Chunhua, leading his retinue onto the field. The ever-composed commandery administrator now wore open rage on his face. “Sun Fuping! We risked our lives for your sake, yet you treat us as sacrificial fodder? With such treachery and venom, how are you fit to be a state preceptor?!” That brief delay gave the bird monster just enough time. With a few powerful wingbeats, it carried He Lingchuan several meters farther, rising quickly into the air. Sun Fuping sighed inwardly, knowing the best chance to catch the young man was gone. Even if he had a means to pursue, the other bird monsters still circling in the air were not there just for show. High above, clinging to his flying mount, He Lingchuan’s heart still pounded with the thrill of survival. When he saw his father arrive at the battlefield, he could not help but beam. Then, he immediately shouted, “Father! He’s not a real state preceptor!” He Chunhua froze mid-rant, stunned. “What?” “Get down there!” He Lingchuan shouted, desperate to regroup with his father, but the bird monster did not listen to his command. On the contrary, it only soared higher into the sky. “He never used a mandate token!” With the growing distance, He Lingchuan had to shout at the top of his lungs. “He can’t manipulate any fate! Kill him now, while you still can!” That revelation hit like a thunderclap. He Chunhua had met Sun Fuping before in the capital and was certain the man was the real deal. But thinking back, ever since Sun Fuping’s arrival in Heishui City, he had relied on others’ mandate tokens to cast spells. Sometimes it was Nian Songyu’s, sometimes it was He Chunhua’s own. Someone had once questioned it, and Sun Fuping had explained it away, claiming that the aura of his Yuan Coin might provoke attacks from the Three Corpses Worms and wrathful souls. Now that He Chunhua was actually giving it some thought, he realized that that explanation did not quite make any sense. Without hesitation, He Chunhua pointed at Sun Fuping and roared, “Attack! Bring this imposter down!” Sun Fuping’s beard trembled with fury. “He Chunhua! This is treason! Anyone who lays a hand on me will see their entire clan flayed to death!” But in the middle of his tirade, a bird monster stabbed him with its beak, and blood spurted from the wound immediately after. He Chunhua sneered. “Hah, are you saying that it’d be better for us not to kill you? Brothers, don’t forget about the Blood Sacrifice Array that he had set up outside! Think of our comrades and kin who were slaughtered for that imposter’s foul rites!” The scene of their companions dying, screaming within the Blood Sacrifice Array, had been seared into everyone’s minds. The moment He Chunhua invoked it, the troops steeled themselves to do whatever it took to kill the false state preceptor. In truth, He Chunhua’s thoughts aligned perfectly with those of his son. The He Family had already made a mortal enemy of Sun Fuping. Whether he was real or fake, he had to die here. If Sun Fuping managed to escape alive, it would mean the utter destruction of their family. On the other hand, if Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu both died, then explaining things to those who were not directly involved would be much easier. Just then, more of He Chunhua’s men arrived. They had entered the illusion via the pool but had been scattered. These few had ended up in Panlong City and followed the sound of battle to join the fight. Twenty seconds later, the thunder of hooves rolled in. The Gale Army had arrived. They were nearly two hundred men strong, and their faces were expressionless. Heishui City’s troops tensed at the sight of these heroic spirits, but the Gale Army ignored them completely. Their gazes were locked on Sun Fuping. The cavalry officer at the very front led the charge At this moment, He Lingchuan had been carried high up into the air. From above, he could see Sun Fuping completely surrounded, trapped in a whirling maelstrom of bird monsters, as well as Gale Army and Heishui City troops. Anyone with eyes could see that Sun Fuping had nowhere left to run. He Chunhua’s voice rang out cold and clear, “These are all wrathful souls. If the state preceptor could use his mandate token, he could turn this around!” But even as He Lingchuan’s mount soared farther away, no flash of mandate light ever shone from below. So, that old bastard really isn’t a state preceptor anymore? As the thought stirred and the wind howled around him, He Lingchuan suddenly hissed in pain. He twisted to look and saw that the bats clinging to his wounds had torn them open and were now pulling out black parasites. They held them delicately in their mouths, presenting them to him. “These were inside me?” he muttered in alarm, realizing only now that he had been ambushed. Damn that old snake. He almost took me down with him. He reached for his dagger, intending to skewer the worms, only to be blocked by a bat flapping its wing against his wrist. “I can’t kill them? These things are useful?” It was not just his imagination. The bats truly were intelligent! Left with no choice, he fetched a small sealable bottle and carefully collected the gu. The bird monster he was on flew around swiftly, and before long, they reached the southern battlefield. The bird descended and placed him gently atop the city gate—an ideal perch for viewing the chaos below. Situ Han rushed over. “Young Master! Lord Commandery Administrator went down to search for you!” “I know. They’ve surrounded that Old Snake Sun and should be able to kill him soon.” He Lingchuan snorted. “Actually, why aren’t you down there with them?” “Someone has to hold the fort, right?” Situ Han let out a nervous laugh. “We lost over eighty men to that so-called state preceptor’s tricks! We’re stretched thin as it is.”