Powerful winds howled through the wooden shutters, rattling them with a mournful whine. No one dared to open them. However, the slivers of fading light leaking through the gaps told He Lingchuan that night was fast approaching.

He lay sprawled on his bedding, one leg casually crossed over the other, idly toying with He Chunhua’s Yuan Coin. “Father, who was the first to figure out how to use origin energy? I’ve heard some say that it was taught to humans by gods, but I’ve also heard others say that it was by immortals.”

When inactive, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary coin. Who would have thought that such a small mandate token could carry the weight of a nation’s fortune and the will of its people?

Origin energy was just that mysterious.

“No one knows for sure, and history offers no answers,” He Chunhua replied, brow furrowed. “The origins of origin energy are extremely murky. Recorded human history spans barely two or three thousand years. As for the establishment of states, records of those only go back a thousand years. They say that in ancient times, gods and immortals still walked the earth, and there were no states at that time. It was not until after a cataclysmic disaster, when the gods vanished and demons overran the world, that humans banded together for survival. That’s when the first states were born.”

He took the Yuan Coin back from his son, then continued, “It was the appearance of mandate tokens that made it possible for human states to stand against the various races of monsters. Whether how to use it was taught by gods or immortals, or if it was discovered and learned by humans themselves, does it even matter?”

After all, cultivators were always a minority. Most people were born ordinary. How could such people resist monsters with real power? At times like that, the origin energy generated by the collective will of the people became humanity’s greatest weapon.

From barely holding their own to turning the tide, origin energy played a critical role. Nowadays, human states far outnumber and vastly outsize the states and domains of monsters.

“So in the end, no one really knows where origin energy comes from.” He Lingchuan sighed and shifted the topic. “Father, why did you come into the desert at all?”

“How could I not?” He Chunhua half lay down, his body aching from the long journey. The moment he relaxed, he felt like he might fall apart. “Had I refused, State Preceptor Sun could have executed me by royal decree.”

“Does a royal decree make him invincible?” He Lingchuan snorted. “That same royal decree asked for our cooperation in the investigation, didn’t it? And we dragged our feet for ages. On the day we left, if you’d really wanted to, you could’ve stalled again.”

Policy from above, countermeasures from below—what world doesn’t work like that?

This kid’s thinking had grown a lot more refined. He Chunhua closed his eyes and rested in silence for a long moment before speaking softly, “With State Preceptor Sun present, the odds of surviving are higher. Also, I just have a feeling that something’s off about this journey to the Panlong Ruins. If I don’t see it for myself, I fear something terrible might happen.”

He Lingchuan’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t say.” He Chunhua shook his head. “It was just a sudden gut feeling. I thought about making excuses to stay behind, but the unease kept growing. In the end, my instincts told me I had to go.”

That “sudden feeling” was essentially what people referred to as the sixth sense.

The people of this world took that seriously, so He Lingchuan did not press further. Still, he could not shake the feeling that something was strange.

Commandery Administrator He was known for his prudence and restraint. Would a man like that really risk his life over a hunch?

But if his father would not say more, how could he possibly guess?

Then, He Chunhua added, “Chuan’er, you’ve done well on this trip.”

“Oh?” Father’s actually praising me? He Lingchuan instantly perked up.

“There’s no need to be overly polite with Nian Songyu. You can continue using your own methods on him. He has a state preceptor behind him, but you have me. However, don’t fight him. You’re currently no match for him. You’ve handled that balance well.”

“Yes!” So that’s how it is; he wants me to play the bad cop while he plays the good cop. I, the eldest son, can naturally bluster about and say whatever needs saying, and then he can step in afterward to smooth things over.

His father could even find a use for someone as rough and reckless as him. No wonder people said he was made for the court life back in the capital of Yuan, gliding through the halls in wide sleeves and long smiles.

Wherever he went, he would be fine in officialdom.

* * *

The next morning, the expedition team was back on the road.

They were technically still on the Hongya Route, but the number of travelers heading in this direction was dwindling. And it was then that State Preceptor Sun’s party encountered the second great scourge of the Panlong Desert: sand bandits.

Sand bandits were human, and they had encountered a group of about thirty riders in total. The sand bandits were nearly all burly, hardened men on horseback, moving like the wind. At a glance, He Lingchuan could tell that several of the thickly muscled ones were warriors. And given the makeup of the group, there were likely spellcasters among them as well.

The two groups came face-to-face and froze upon spotting each other. They instantly began sizing each other up.

How their side viewed the sand bandits went without saying. But from the bandits’ perspective, this was what they saw: a unit with matching uniforms, light armor, standard-issue changdao and other weapons, and warhorses that were instantly recognizable.

All of this could only mean one thing…

This is a military unit!

There was no mistaking it. They were uniformed, disciplined, and heavily armed. In the Panlong Desert, what else could a military unit be doing? The only possibilities were marching, patrolling, or hunting bandits.

The rule was simple: civilians do not mess with the state. And with this military unit clearly outnumbering them, the bandits were absolutely taken aback.

Luckily, the masked bandit leader caught sight of He Chunhua, and his eyes lit up. He actually spurred his horse forward and called out, “Commandery Administrator He, we’re just passing through!”

Sure you are, isn’t that what you always say before engaging in robbery? He Chunhua coughed lightly, a little embarrassed. “We’ve no time to chase down bandits today. So long as you don’t cause trouble, we won’t bother you… Is there anyone further north?”

State Preceptor Sun and Nian Songyu exchanged glances, then looked back at the bandits.

Ah, these two clearly know each other.

“Not a soul. Not even a feather.” The bandit leader gave a hearty laugh, eager to appease. “We’ll be on our way then. We wouldn’t want to delay your official business!”

The sand bandits were preparing to turn tail and vanish when Sun Fuping suddenly spoke, “Hold on. You all must know the Panlong Desert quite well, yes?”

“Uh, well… you could say that,” the bandit leader said cautiously. The man ahead of He Chunhua by half a horse length looked refined and commanding. He was clearly someone important, the sort they usually loved to rob blind. After stripping their valuables, they could even kidnap them for ransom. Two birds, one stone.

However, with Commandery Administrator He present, they did not dare act rashly.

“How long have you been out here?”

“Uh, ten—just a few years,” the bandit leader stammered. “We always know when to pull back…”

“Good. Then stay.”

“…Huh?”

Sun Fuping turned to He Chunhua. “We’re short on manpower. Aren’t they just what we need?”

Aren’t two hundred troops enough for you? However, He Chunhua outwardly nodded and said, “True, it’s hard to recruit proper hands in the city.”

State Preceptor Sun smiled gently at the bandits, the way a weasel smiles at a chicken. His gaze alone made the men break out in a cold sweat. They instinctively edged backward, ready to bolt, but He Chunhua raised his Yuan Coin high and cleared his throat, “All of you are to stay! By order of Heishui City, we now officially conscript the thirty…”

He Lingchuan quickly counted and then told He Chunhua, “Thirty-two!”

“Thirty-two members of the Mount Mang Bandit Gang into the military. You are hereby placed under Deputy Commandant Zeng Feixiong and will follow all orders henceforth!”

He Chunhua even recited their pay and benefits.

The Mount Mang bandits blinked in disbelief, staring at one another. Their leader hesitated, then asked cautiously, “So… we’re soldiers now?”

This has to be a joke, right? Officials really know how to mess with people.

He Chunhua declared, “Yes!”

“Then, could Commandery Administrator He tell us where we’re going?”

“We answer to State Preceptor Sun’s command.” He Chunhua pointed at Sun Fuping. “We’re heading into the Panlong Ruins.”

Surrounded on all sides by armed soldiers, the bandits’ expressions turned to pure horror. “What?!”

* * *

More than five kilometers later, the bandit leader, Situ Han, was still dazed. He had checked the almanac[1] before setting out today. It was supposed to be an auspicious day for raiding! How did he end up a conscripted soldier halfway through?

He Lingchuan gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Hang in there. If you make it back alive, you’ll be eating state grain from now on.”

State grain did not taste nearly as sweet as mountain plunder. But with the army from Heishui City surrounding them on all sides, there was nowhere for them to run even if they wanted to. Situ Han’s smile looked more like a grimace. His back was soaked in cold sweat. “Young Lord He, are we really going into the Panlong Ruins? The season of mad sand is almost upon us. If we’re still in the desert by then, there’ll be no leaving. We’ll all be dead men!”

1. This refers to the Chinese almanac, which is a traditional calendar that provides daily predictions and guidelines based on astrology, lunar phases, and cosmology to determine auspicious and inauspicious activities. ☜