Chapter 331
Chapter 331
Someone was standing in the room. He was a gaunt man wearing a mask. The mask looked twisted, giving it a very strange appearance. Xu Qianqian had never seen him before, but she had heard of his reputation. He was none other than the great bandit, Chou Du-huan.
In the State of Yue, there were two famous bandits: Three-Eyed Night in the west and Chou Du-huan in the east. The states of Wu and Yue had sent countless masters to eliminate Chou Du-huan, but none had returned alive. His martial arts were simply too formidable. He didn't have many subordinates, but they were all elite warriors who left no trace of their movements.
Three-Eyed Night committed all sorts of atrocities, plundering countless commoners and merchant caravans, and commanded thousands of bandits. In contrast, Chou Du-huan had only a few hundred followers. Though he had killed dozens of people, his victims were always tyrannical local gentry, military officers, or officials. Yet, the reputations of the two were comparable.
When the Tang and Su clans sent over two hundred masters to wipe out the Jin Clan's fiefdom, and Jin Mulan was surrounded by dozens of masters from the Western Regions, Chou Du-huan appeared. With just a few dozen men, he repelled hundreds of masters. He single-handedly defeated dozens of Western Region masters in one fell swoop, killing two sons of the Tang Clan and over ten of their Western Region allies. He was truly a remarkable man.
“I, Chou Du-huan, have always killed only corrupt officials and wicked local gentry. But I have no other choice, so today I must break my code!”
The voice of Yue's famous bandit was as raspy as if it had been burned.
“I must take your head and exchange it for something else. My apologies! My sword is very fast, so you won't feel any pain.”
The great bandit Chou Du-huan aimed his sharp sword at Xu Qianqian's neck, ready to strike her down in a single blow. Xu Qianqian didn't beg for her life. Instead, she widened her beautiful eyes and stared at him.
“Chou Du-huan, what is it that you want? Perhaps you don't need to take my head. You could just ask my man for it. If others can give it to you, then my man can give it to you as well.”
* * *
The Capital.
That night, Shen Lang stayed at Zhang Xun's house. If anything happened to Zhang Chong, he needed to be the first to respond. Zhang Xun couldn't sleep all night. He knelt by the bed, praying to his ancestors and the gods.
At dawn, sunlight slanted into the room, illuminating Zhang Chong's gaunt face. He was like a man pinned down by a heavy weight, unable to wake no matter how he tried. But with all his strength and will, he broke free and, with immense effort, opened his eyes. Zhang Xun felt his father's hand move and looked up at him. He was overcome with joy.
“Father, you're awake!”
After a long moment, Zhang Chong's focus slowly returned, and he could clearly see his son before him. Opening his eyes this time felt like being reborn.
“To think that intestinal abscesses, considered incurable, can be treated?”
Zhang Chong said weakly. He knew what illness he had, and he had been certain he would die this time. Zhang Xun was so overcome with joy that tears welled up in his eyes. No words could describe the elation in his heart. His entire world had been on the verge of collapse, the great mountain in his heart about to crumble. Yet, from the depths of such hellish despair, his father had returned to life. Shen Lang had said that for a patient to recover, waking up quickly was crucial. Only a few hours had passed since the treatment, and his father was already awake. He had triumphed over the grim illness and survived.
“Shen Lang saved you, Father. His medical skills are truly miraculous.”
Even seeing his father awake, Zhang Xun still found it utterly incredible. He knew Shen Lang possessed a monstrous intellect, but he had never imagined it extended to curing an incurable disease like intestinal abscesses. Moreover, he had treated it in a way no ordinary person could even conceive of. Hearing his son's words, Zhang Chong was stunned, his expression becoming incredibly complex. He let out a long sigh.
*The ways of the world are truly mysterious. To think that the one who saved my life in the end was my greatest adversary.*
“Now that you're awake, Lord Zhang, you've won half the battle for your life.”
Shen Lang entered the room. Zhang Xun was about to kneel before him but stopped himself. This was a debt of gratitude too great to be repaid with mere words. Zhang Chong's feelings toward Shen Lang were complicated, and for a moment, he couldn't speak. In his entire life, he had knelt to the King, felt gratitude toward Zhu Rong, and been moved by Prince Ying Ji and others, but he had never received such a profound favor—the gift of life itself. He didn't know what to say, and his weak face flushed with a hesitant shame.
“Young Master Shen, how far have you progressed in your plan to eliminate the Su Clan?”
Zhang Chong finally managed to speak, finding it more natural to discuss serious matters. Shen Lang counted on his fingers before answering.
“The decisive moment will arrive in about thirteen days.”
Hearing this, Zhang Xun and the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, who were standing by, were shocked.
*He's even set a specific date for the final battle? And he's saying this so openly in front of Zhang Chong, whose allegiance is still uncertain?*
Zhang Chong thought for a moment before speaking.
“Are you planning to let your opponent make the first move and then counterattack from a position of mortal peril?”
Shen Lang was impressed. Conversations with someone this intelligent saved a great deal of effort. Just by saying there were thirteen days left, Zhang Chong had deduced that in the final confrontation between Shen Lang and Su Nan, Su Nan would be the one to strike first. The logic behind this was incredibly complex. The King was currently rather fond of Shen Lang, so to deliver a fatal blow, Su Nan would have to choose a moment when the King was most furious with him. The King was callous and unvirtuous, fond of taking his anger out on others. Therefore, to harm someone, one had to strike when the King was at his most enraged to achieve the greatest effect with the least effort. Conversely, if Shen Lang were to initiate an attack on Su Nan, he would have to choose a time when the King was pleased. This was because the King secretly detested Su Nan, and Su Nan felt the same way about the King.
Zhang Chong continued.
“His Majesty the King will soon be engaging the King of Wu in a decisive battle at the border. Do you believe His Majesty will lose?”
Shen Lang nodded, once again filled with admiration.
*Zhang Chong is truly one of a kind. To have such a sharp mind immediately after regaining consciousness from a serious illness. His high fever just broke, and he should still be groggy.*
Zhang Chong also nodded.
“I think so as well. Every time the King of Wu has lost a decisive battle in the past, it was merely an act of weakness. Now, with our State of Yue bogged down in a quagmire of a war to suppress the Nanguo rebellion, the King of Wu will seize this opportunity to flaunt the strength of Wu. Therefore, the King is bound to be defeated in this battle.”
It wasn't just Zhang Chong; Su Nan had also seen through this. For the past ten days or so, Su Nan had ceased his war with Shen Lang, creating a rare period of quiet. This was by no means a truce or a time to lick their wounds. Although Shen Lang had won a minor victory in their previous clash, neither side had been seriously harmed. The temporary cessation of hostilities was to wait for the outcome of the battle between the King and the King of Wu.
“Do you have a flaw?”
Shen Lang nodded in response to Zhang Chong's question.
“Yes. And it's a flaw that cannot be fixed through normal means, one that could instantly lead to my death. Since I cannot patch it, I will instead enlarge it, fill it with poison, and hand it to my enemy to deliver a fatal counterblow.”
Zhang Chong thought for a moment, then nodded.
“I have a rough idea of how this will unfold. Shen Lang, you are skilled at taking risks, but this contest will be decided in the blink of an eye. You will face an extremely perilous situation.”
But how could Zhang Chong grasp Shen Lang's flaw from just a single sentence? It was because Shen Lang had once been his greatest adversary. He had studied all of Shen Lang's weaknesses countless times. He naturally knew which of them was the fatal one. However, after careful consideration, Zhang Chong had ultimately chosen not to exploit it. It was something Su Nan could do, but Zhang Chong could not. It was a matter of principles, a matter of character.
“Lord Zhang, what do you think my chances of winning this contest are?”
Zhang Chong thought for a long time before answering.
“You have planned for a long time, conceiving and executing each step, so your chances are not small. But felling Su Nan in a single blow is an incredibly difficult task. He has managed his clan for decades and holds immense power in the court. Moreover, he has monopolized all diplomatic relations with the State of Qi until now. If Su Nan falls, Qi will surely cause a disturbance. With the war against Nanguo now at a critical juncture, if Qi joins the fray, the outcome will be unpredictable. Unless…”
At that moment, Zhang Chong fell silent, staring at Shen Lang with eyes full of disbelief. Unless, that is, the State of Qi were to erupt in civil war, leaving it too preoccupied to deal with anything else. Inside the Supreme Court, he had paid no mind to the political affairs of the outside world, able only to read handwritten letters from his son, Zhang Xun. Even then, only letters carefully selected by the Supreme Court, and only after the guards had given him a hard time, would reach his hands. But he was aware of the major event of Shen Lang's diplomatic mission to the State of Qi.
Shen Lang nodded.
“The State of Qi will soon be in turmoil.”
“The matter of the Qi warriors burning the Ancestral Temple?”
Shen Lang nodded again.
“That was also my doing.”
Zhang Chong trembled in utter disbelief. Beside him, Zhang Xun was astonished.
*Shen Lang, are you revealing even such secrets? Our Zhang Clan was practically your enemy.*
Had Shen Lang only said this in front of the Zhang Clan? He had revealed it before the King and Su Nan as well. However, Zhang Chong knew more of Shen Lang's secrets, secrets even more fatal than the burning of the Ancestral Temple.
Zhang Xun asked from the side.
“So, it turns out you made the people of Qi burn the Ancestral Temple not just to save Jin Mucong?”
“It was a perfect opportunity, so I aimed to kill two birds with one stone.”
Zhang Chong closed his eyes, but he couldn't hide his inner turmoil. He still had a slight fever, but after the high fever broke, he felt a sense of coolness. Though his head was dizzy, it wasn't enough to hinder his thoughts. All of Shen Lang's plans linked together in his mind, becoming instantly clear.
*First, burn the Ancestral Temple. Second, go to the State of Qi as an envoy. Third, have a decisive battle in the court. Fourth, eliminate the Su Clan. Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Each link in the chain is perfectly connected, and the timing of their execution is precise, down to a matter of days. Moreover, he exploited a major crisis—a natural disaster where people were dying. The smallpox outbreak in the State of Qi and the King's decisive battle—by seizing these two moments, he could anticipate his enemy's thoughts. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. Didn't Shen Lang do the same in Xuanwu City, taking one step while seeing three or four steps ahead to achieve a great victory?*
Of course, Zhang Chong was also a man who could see three or four steps ahead with every move. Both sides had played a grand game with brilliant moves, but Shen Lang had been slightly luckier and emerged victorious in the end. This time, would Su Nan be able to see through Shen Lang's scheme? Furthermore, Shen Lang had brazenly revealed his own fatal flaw to his enemy. Such viciousness and audacity were truly admirable.