Chapter 360
Chapter 360
“Li Qianqiu, do you wish to die? If that is your wish, I will grant it!”
Li Qianqiu, having no sword, broke off a tree branch and thrust it at Su Nan for the third time.
*Crack!*
Su Nan's black iron spear whipped through the air, grazing the top of Li Qianqiu's head. In an instant, countless strands of his hair were severed and scattered. The branch in Li Qianqiu's hand struck Su Nan's body and shattered into pieces.
“Protect the master, protect the master!”
Hundreds of experts swarmed forward to surround and protect Su Nan. The momentum Li Qianqiu had built to end the fight in a single blow waned with his second strike and completely dissipated by the third. The Sword King, Li Qianqiu, looked at his empty hands in dismay, then leaped away and vanished from sight. Su Nan glared in the direction he had fled but did not order a pursuit.
“Bring me a horse.”
Another fine steed was brought forward. Su Nan mounted the horse and asked.
“Is the water boiled? Fill the canteens, and let's continue on our way.”
A short while later, Su Nan, leading several hundred warriors, continued westward. Aboard his horse, he took out a canteen, but not to drink. He spat blood directly into it. Mouthful after mouthful of bright red blood filled the canteen. Moments ago, Li Qianqiu's branch had pierced his left chest. But he had used his internal energy to seal the wound, preventing any blood from escaping, and pressed westward with an unchanged expression. Everyone who saw this was astonished, their eyes filled with respect for Su Nan.
‘The master is this strong? To be able to fight the Sword King, Li Qianqiu, to a standstill?’
* * *
Sword King Li Qianqiu sat by a lake, deeply tormented.
‘Am I so useless? Has my peasant origin created such a deep-seated inferiority complex within me?’
Facing Su Nan, who was like a towering mountain of high status, he lost his confidence. At first, Su Nan had fled without a second glance. But the moment he realized he couldn't escape, he had decisively turned and charged at Li Qianqiu. Three times he had roared, "Li Qianqiu, do you wish to die!" At that moment, Li Qianqiu was reminded of his childhood. His parents had accidentally offended the village chief, and soon after, the chief had stormed into their home, furious.
“Li the Third, do you wish to die?”
The chief and his men had brandished their whips and struck them relentlessly. His father, mother, and the entire family dared not resist, prostrating themselves on the ground as they were beaten half to death. From that day on, a deep fear of officials had taken root in Li Qianqiu's heart. The sight of an official of a city lord's rank made him tremble uncontrollably.
When Li Qianqiu was very young, he was taken in by the previous Sword King and became a live-in son-in-law at the Sword Island. The following years were spent endlessly training, training, and training in martial arts. He grew stronger and stronger, but his interactions with people were extremely limited. Aside from those who sought him out for a duel, he had contact with very few people. Moreover, he considered all who came to challenge him martial artists, so he never knew whether they held official positions or how high their ranks were.
Count Tang Lun of Jinhai sent his son to the Sword Island to become Li Qianqiu's disciple. At first, Li Qianqiu had been reluctant to accept Tang Yan as his disciple. Being around a scion of a powerful noble family felt completely unnatural to him. But Tang Yan had an unusual disposition; he lacked the condescending air common to most children of noble families, so Li Qianqiu took him in.
Later, he also spent some time with Shen Lang. Aside from his talkativeness, he wasn't particularly difficult to be around. Shen Lang also lacked that condescending air. But today, facing Su Nan, he saw that very gaze—one that looked down from a great height, as if all creation were insignificant. It made Li Qianqiu extremely uncomfortable. He told himself over and over not to let his heart and hands tremble, but in the end, they did. As the saying goes, when two meet on a narrow path, the brave one prevails. In a duel between masters, momentum determines the victor. In the end, Li Qianqiu was overwhelmed by his presence.
Li Qianqiu looked at his reflection in the water and sighed.
“I'm truly useless. I'll probably live out my life as a failure.”
* * *
Su Nan returned to his family's domain without incident. The Su Clan sent an envoy to the capital to submit Su Nan's memorial of apology.
The King refused three times, as if he could not bear to let him go. After the Su Clan's envoy requested Su Nan's resignation for the third time, the King shed tears on the spot and said.
“Lord Su, why do you wish to abandon me?”
And so, the King finally granted Su Nan's resignation. Su Nan was now relieved of his two posts: Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and Grand General of the Garrison Army. However, the honorary title of Junior Guardian to the Crown Prince was left to him. The Su Clan's envoy was moved to tears, kowtowing in the grand hall and pledging that the Su Clan would remain loyal to His Majesty for generations to come.
Four hours after Su Nan's resignation from office.
Hundreds of people were kneeling at the execution grounds. Most of them were from Su Nan's direct faction, and their families knelt beside them. The Blackwater Terrace had moved swiftly, arresting all of them in just three days. The King once again issued an edict rebuking them.
“The stipends you receive from the crown all come from the people of Yue. Therefore, everything you eat and wear comes from the people. For you to collude with the State of Wu and harm the people of Yue is an act of madness and depravity. Your crimes are unforgivable. Behead them all!”
“Execute them!”
The executioners' blades fell, and hundreds of heads rolled to the ground. In the capital, the mere sound of the wind made people tremble in fear. The scene of blood-stench rising to the heavens was re-enacted.
* * *
Shen Lang had another audience with the King. This time, Zhang Chong was with him.
“I will personally lead my troops to a decisive battle with the King of Wu.”
Ning Yuanxian spoke these words in a clear, forceful, and deadly tone. Shen Lang felt a slight shiver inwardly.
‘The King is truly decisive and bold at crucial moments. Instead of passively waiting for the crisis, he takes the initiative, meeting an attack with an attack. Even as the war with the State of Nanguo rages fiercely, he's opening another front in the north...’
Whatever his plan was, regardless of whether a real battle with the King of Wu would occur, this was a massive gamble. If his plan failed, the State of Yue would face unbearable consequences. While not quite a gamble on the nation's fate, it was a wager of similar magnitude. The King's audacity was truly admirable.
Most other kings, when faced with such a crisis, would desperately cling to what they have, adopting appeasement policies and reacting passively. In contrast, Ning Yuanxian was willing to take enormous risks, to proactively strike and seize the initiative even in a highly disadvantageous situation. That boldness alone was remarkable.
But this meant that for the next few months, the State of Yue and the entire southern region would be in turmoil. A single defeat, whether on the southern or northern front, would plunge the State of Yue into an inescapable and catastrophic situation.
Dressed in military attire, Ning Yuanxian stood tall in the grand hall, looking down at Zhang Chong and Shen Lang.
“I will fight a decisive battle in the north, so I entrust Tianxi Province to you both. Can you ensure I can focus on the war without worry? Zhang Chong, Shen Lang, can you bear this heavy responsibility?”
Zhang Chong kowtowed and replied.
“Your servant will do everything in my power.”
Shen Lang also answered.
“I can. No problem.”
The King's eyes twitched.
‘Shen Lang, your attitude gives me no peace of mind. Must you be so flippant?’
It was fortunate that Zhang Chong was beside him. He was experienced, prudent, and calm.
“Zhang Chong, I have but one mission for you two. Suppress the Su Clan and prevent them from openly rebelling, at least until the situation in the north becomes clear. I don't care what methods you use, but you must suppress and contain them.”
“Your servant will do everything in my power.”
“If the Su Clan openly rebels and declares themselves king, you must trap them within White Night Prefecture and not let them advance a single step eastward. If Su Nan's rebel army crosses out of White Night Prefecture, there will be no need for your heads to remain on your shoulders. I will have them cut off immediately.”
Zhang Chong kowtowed and replied.
“If Su Nan's rebel army breaks out of White Night Prefecture, this servant will personally cut off his own head and present it to Your Majesty.”
“Shen Lang!”
The King suddenly shouted. Shen Lang instantly straightened his back.
“No foolishness, no acting on your own. You must proceed with caution. In all matters, you are to obey Zhang Chong's orders. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“I know you have a great enmity with the Su Clan. But for now, just hold them back for a few months. Once I have resolved the trouble in the north, I will personally eliminate the Su Clan and avenge you. Remember this one word: 'stability.' And these two words: 'containment.' Do not act recklessly!”
“Your servant accepts the command!”
Zhang Chong asked the King.
“Your Majesty, how many troops may this servant take?”
“Three thousand!”
Shen Lang was stunned by the King's words.
“Three thousand?”
The King said coldly.
“What? Is that too few? Even those three thousand I had to scrape together with great difficulty!”
It was the truth. The three thousand troops the King was entrusting to Zhang Chong were indeed soldiers he had assembled through every possible means. They were at war in the south, and in the north, the King had to put on a show, personally leading troops to feign a grand confrontation between the kings of Wu and Yue, all while coordinating with the surprise attack on the border. But even so, three thousand soldiers were far too few.
The Su Clan had thousands of private soldiers, and when combined with the horse bandits of the Three-Eyed Demon, they commanded an army of at least ten thousand. The garrison forces of Tianxi Province in the south had long been corrupted by the Su Clan's bribes, rotten to the core. As for the State of Qiang, all its people became soldiers in times of war, so it was impossible to estimate how many troops could be mobilized. When Zhang Chong and Shen Lang went to Su Nan's stronghold this time, how large an army would they face? Twenty thousand? Thirty thousand? Forty thousand? Perhaps even more. If the Su Clan and the State of Qiang successfully united, they would face an enemy of over a hundred thousand.
The King said in a clear voice.
“Zhang Chong, Shen Lang. If you two can stabilize the situation in Tianxi Province and prevent Su Nan from openly rebelling, that would be the best possible outcome. But if he does rebel, you must hold him back! You must not let the entirety of Tianxi Province in the south fall into enemy hands. If you can just hold out until I win a great victory in the northern war, you will have performed a great service. Zhang Chong, Duke Bian Xiao has already asked me for you several times. If you complete this mission in Tianxi Province, the position of Area Commander of Yanzhou will be yours.”
Zhang Chong kowtowed once more.
“Your servant will do everything in my power.”
Then, the King's gaze fell upon Shen Lang, but he didn't know what to say. This fellow seemed to have little interest in rising through the official ranks.
“Announce the edict!”
At the King's command, Eunuch Li proclaimed in a clear voice.
“By order of His Majesty the King! Zhang Chong is hereby appointed as the Commander of the Tianxi Province Garrison and the Prefect of White Night Prefecture. Shen Lang is hereby appointed as the Lord of Zhenyuan City. By His Majesty's command!”
Zhang Chong and Shen Lang both bowed.
“Your servants humbly accept the command!”