Immortality Path: From the Blind Man at the Pharmacy
Chapter 177 - 115, 116. Despite the chaos, they do not move southward, Yune swallows ghosts, the beast with the fur comes to life (big Chapter - seeking subscriptions)_3

Chapter 177: 115, 116. Despite the chaos, they do not move southward, Yune swallows ghosts, the beast with the fur comes to life (big Chapter - seeking subscriptions)_3

An Chenyu said, "I’ll take Ting inside for a bite, and as for you, don’t spend every day with the kids; you still have to lead soldiers."

Song Cheng nodded.

The door to the house opened and then closed again.

Song Cheng bowed his head and continued sewing the little snow rabbit. After a while, Ying came to ask for advice on cultivation, and soon after, two young apprentices arrived, followed by Zhao Hua bringing his wife and child over.

With the snow rabbit in hand, Song Cheng boasted to Zhao Hua, "Hua, my daughter drew this. Not bad, right?"

Zhao Hua praised him enthusiastically.

He admired his big brother for being this way: colder-hearted than him, but flawless when it came to family, always calm and unhurried, even with his broad talents, yet content to live as a layabout...

Song Cheng gave the few people some guidance, and in the blink of an eye, it was a bright and sunny, approaching midday.

Zhao Hua said, "Big brother, I might have a general who could try taking command of the Spear and Shield Army."

Song Cheng waved his hand and remarked, "Then let him try. As long as that general can integrate well, however he does it is fine."

Zhao Hua hesitated.

In some ways, this was like seizing his big brother’s soldiers...

Although he hadn’t thought of it in that way, from an outsider’s perspective, it was quite likely to be seen as such.

Song Cheng, looking at his "100" favorability rating, patted his shoulder and said, "Don’t I trust you? Let your general lead the men well."

With that light remark, he handed over the Spear and Shield Soldiers he had trained.

"Thank you, big brother."

Zhao Hua was incredibly moved, and then he spoke earnestly, "In this life, if I, Zhao Hua, ever do anything to betray big brother..."

Song Cheng interrupted, "Don’t make vows."

Zhao Hua fell silent.

Song Cheng softly spoke, "Making vows, save them to deceive others.

If vows could be tested that would mean words become reality.

It’s not that mysterious.

At most, it has a negative influence, causing your subordinates to imitate you; there’s nothing more to it,"

Zhao Hua: ...

He recalled his big brother’s terrifying "flip the table" move and suddenly felt as if he had learned something new.

He scratched his head with a smile and the two said their goodbyes.

Zhao Hua stepped into the courtyard, then paused abruptly, seeming to have more to say.

Song Cheng called from behind, "Just speak."

Zhao Hua sighed and walked back, saying, "Big brother, the situation in the north is getting worse.

Although Hanping Prefecture has cleared a lot of Ghost Servants, if the next Ghost Tide intensifies and the Ghost Servants become stronger, there’ll come a time when we can’t hold out.

Now, we have soldiers and food, and we have you, big brother.

If the Fox Immortal Su returns, we’ll have a Noble Family on our side too.

We... maybe we should move south, to that fertile and safe land.

Big brother, with your talents, you could definitely win a place for us."

Song Cheng remained silent.

Zhao Hua continued, "Six Towns is cold and barren, while East Sea State and Feng State are like the granaries of Dashang, rich and plentiful states.

I don’t know how foolish the Emperor must be to have scattered the people of Six Towns to those two states.

What’s the difference between that and throwing mice into a rice bin or locking thieves in a mountain of gold?

I know the Emperor wants the people of Six Towns because they’re good at fighting and enduring hardship.

He sent the Remnant Army and civilians of Six Towns to East Sea State and Feng State in part to strengthen local defenses and also to provide those lords with more servants.

But... big brother, I feel disaster is bound to follow, and if troubles arise, that will be the real turmoil.

And that would be our chance to enter the Central Plains, big brother!"

Zhao Hua spoke fervently, his eyes shining with passion.

"Big brother, I’ve learned the Beast Mastery Technique from the Ouyang Family. I am learning to control those Demon Beast snakes. These... can all become our strengths."

Song Cheng looked at his sworn brother.

This was the first time he realized just how ambitious his brother was.

But his own aspirations did not lie in conquering the four seas, nor in vying for supremacy, nor in seeking to be a fleeting yet dazzling firework, nor in striving to be remembered in history, to have his name appear in the annals centuries from now.

His eyes swept to the leather snow rabbit on the windowsill.

Zhao Hua followed his gaze and his expression darkened slightly before he again suggested, "Then, let me give it a try, big brother. If I capture a city, you all can move there to live."

Song Cheng responded indifferently, "You’re not allowed."

Zhao Hua: ...

Song Cheng patted his shoulder and said, "The north is remote and surrounded by numerous Ghost Servants; others are unlikely to covet it.

As long as we develop Hanping Prefecture steadily, cultivate more fields, raise more children, it will be a nation within a nation.

The army must be kept to protect this realm, to guard our home.

You’re my brother; I don’t want to see you venture into the meat grinder of the south.

You only live once; death is final."

Zhao Hua sighed and replied, "Yes, big brother."

...

...

In early spring, the ice thawed and the rivers roared.

The canal... was still being dug.

Fortunately, the northern parts had mostly been completed in the previous two years, and even with Ghost Servants rampaging, the impact was not severe.

The bustling activity was now concentrated in East Sea State and Feng State.

The Emperor was eagerly pushing for the "implementation of the canal project," undeterred by the troubled times and even assigning more workers in hopes of achieving a throughway between the south and the north soon.

Many of the scattered civilians from Six Towns who were sent to the two states were assigned to dig the canal.

Along the canal, the calls of overseers and the shouts of laborers were never-ending.

Yet at one particularly secluded tributary’s end, the water behaved abnormally.

Dark and ominous, as if the light couldn’t penetrate, the water exuded a strange inky hue.

Should anyone come close, they would notice that the inky color wasn’t the color of the water itself but rather seemed to be dense, distorted underwater plants.

However, if one approached the riverbank and looked closely down below, they would realize that those weren’t plants at all, but hair.

Very long hair.

A woman’s hair.

This hair, emerging from the riverbed, rose like a plume of black smoke, appearing to be... trying to escape.