Chapter 30

Deep in the night, a squad of armored soldiers surrounded the left guest courtyard of the Marquis of Ma Yi's residence.

The main gate opened; Liu Lingzhu was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, eyes tightly shut, meditating.

"Mr. truly possesses remarkable composure!"

"If the Army Master does not wish to let me leave, can I leave?"

Li Shuang smiled.

"In that case, does Mr. know what I intend to do?"

"I do not fear death; I only regret that I harbor a supreme secret unknown to others. I wonder if the Army Master could dismiss his attendants, so that I may entrust this secret to the Army Master."

Li Shuang waved his hand.

"You all, go down!"

Inside the room, the armored soldiers withdrew, leaving only Yang Kan and Gao Ang.

Seeing that the two generals standing beside Li Shuang, both tall and clad in Mingguang armor, remained motionless, Liu Lingzhu ceased waiting.

"Does the Army Master know the Golden Omen of the Golden Knife?"

Upon these words, both Gao Ang and Yang Kan changed countenance greatly, turning their gazes toward Li Shuang standing in the middle.

Seizing this opportunity, Liu Lingzhu grabbed from his sleeve and flung it out.

Inside the room, the air was filled with powder, obscuring vision.

"Youngster, having fallen under my Western Region Illusion Incense, even if your martial arts are supreme and your strength unrivaled, you shall be no more than a prisoner beneath my steps."

When the powder dispersed, Liu Lingzhu saw the three people before him, and the smile on his face slowly froze.

White powder covered the faces of Yang Kan and Gao Ang, yet contrary to what Liu Lingzhu had said, they did not become prisoners beneath his steps; instead, they stared at him with faces full of anger.

As for Li Shuang, he had prepared beforehand and slowly closed his umbrella.

"Western Region Illusion Incense is indeed formidable, yet you failed to notice that the Western Region Illusion Incense you carried had long been replaced with flour?"

Liu Lingzhu instinctively stepped back, thinking:

When was it swapped?

In such a critical situation, Liu Lingzhu already knew that if he made no move, he would likely perish here.

However, Liu Lingzhu was by no means an ordinary man; in a flash of lightning and spark, he had already devised a countermeasure.

"Army Master, spare my life! I am willing to offer all my possessions to exchange for this life of mine."

Liu Lingzhu knelt on both knees, buttocks raised to the sky; judging by the posture, it seemed he had practiced it since childhood.

Silence filled the room for a long time; Liu Lingzhu bowed his head to the ground, eyes tightly shut. If this final move still failed, he would surely not escape death.

Time ticked away second by second; dense sweat seeped from Liu Lingzhu's thin back.

Finally, Li Shuang's voice emerged. In that instant, Liu Lingzhu felt his mind go blank and simply did not hear clearly.

"..."

"What did the Army Master say?"

"I said, you should have said it earlier!"

Li Shuang chuckled, caring not at all to repeat himself, and helped Liu Lingzhu to his feet.

"Quickly, prepare a cushion; the ground is cold; do not let Mr. catch a chill!"

Sweat poured down Liu Lingzhu's face, and when he was helped up, his legs still trembled.

"No need, no need; I prefer it a bit cooler."

Yang Kan and Gao Ang, witnessing this sudden turn of events, were momentarily unable to adapt. They saw Li Shuang help Liu Lingzhu onto the couch, then sit opposite him with a grin.

"I wonder how great Mr.'s fortune is?"

Liu Lingzhu pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

"Three hundred taels of gold!"

"Lately, I have heard that many charlatans in the northern lands habitually deceive people with esoteric arts, swindling money. This Army Master intends to submit a memorial to the court to execute such scum according to the law."

Liu Lingzhu wiped the sweat from his forehead; his lips trembled.

"Old, old; some things I can no longer recall clearly. Army Master, I remember now; I should have five hundred taels of gold."

"These charlatans not only swindle money but often seduce female devotees, corrupting human ethics; they are truly the utmost of evil. If this Army Master catches them, I will surely flay their skins and stuff them with straw!"

Gao Ang spoke up at the opportune moment:

"My Lord, what is 'flaying skins and stuffing with straw'?"

"It means stripping the skins of these charlatans who specialize in bewitching hearts, stuffing straw inside them to make scarecrows, and erecting them at the city gates to warn the world!"

With a plop, Liu Lingzhu failed to sit steadily and fell down.

"Mr., what is wrong with you? Why such carelessness?"

"Nothing, nothing! Army Master, I remember now; I have over two thousand taels of gold hidden in my ancestral home in Yan Commandery; furthermore, there are vast quantities of jewels, antiques, and copper coins scattered in fields, estates, and cellars in various places; I do not know the exact figures."

"Lately, I have heard that the Army Master, for the sake of the nation's great affairs, is deeply worried; I am willing to offer all these assets to the Army Master, enabling the Army Master to accomplish the grand policy of 'combining agriculture with relief, resolving both dilemmas'."

Li Shuang nodded.

"Mr. is indeed loyal and devoted to the state; I admire you to the utmost."

"The Army Master overpraises me!"

"Such talent as Mr.'s, dwelling far away in the rivers and lakes, is truly a pity!"

Liu Lingzhu's expression changed; he felt somewhat relieved.

If Li Shuang truly accepted him, then even without these assets, this journey would not have been in vain.

At the very least, his desire to draw close to Er Zhu Rong through Li Shuang could still be realized.

"Has Mr. heard of the United Hearts Alliance?"

Liu Lingzhu nodded and said:

"I heard it's an organization founded by the Army Lord?"

Who knew that as soon as the words left his mouth, Li Shuang hurriedly denied it.

"You can't just make things up!"

Everyone in the entire Heng Province knows about this; what are you pretending for?

Liu Lingzhuo cursed inwardly, but since he couldn't figure out Li Shuang's meaning, he could only smile awkwardly.

"Then I was mistaken!"

"Mr., you don't know; I only recently learned that there is such a secret organization in the Northern Frontier. Its members are all tribal chieftains of the Northern Frontier. They use the guise of 'Make the Xianbei Great Again' to secretly carry out treason. Lately, they have become even more audacious, intending to secretly stockpile grain and prepare weapons, planning to attack Take Pingcheng."

As he spoke, Li Shuang was filled with righteous indignation.

"I, Brother Daye, am a loyal subject of Great Wei; all my life I have known only how to serve the country with utmost loyalty. Hearing of such treasonous matters, I wish I could draw my sword and kill these traitors clean. However, I am merely a small governor of Ma Yi, my abilities are limited; how can I possibly oppose these dark forces?"

Liu Lingzhuo's eyelid twitched, and he looked at Li Shuang.

"Then what does the Army Lord mean?"

"Mr., your talent covers the world, and your wisdom and strategy are unmatched. I wonder if you could infiltrate this Tongxin Alliance for the court and round up all these traitors who are ruining the state."

Liu Lingzhuo's face turned pale.

This isn't asking for my service; this is asking for my life!

If these stupid Hu Ren chieftains cause some trouble, and the court investigates, what then?

"I am merely a small wizard; I can't carry a shoulder load or lift a hand, and I even struggle to kill a chicken. Even if I infiltrate this Tongxin Alliance, what could I do?"

Li Shuang thought for a moment and said:

"True, asking you to fight and kill is indeed unsuitable."

"The Army Lord sees clearly!"

"In that case, you shall directly become the Alliance Leader!"

"..."

In this deep night, Liu Lingzhuo huddled in the corner, watching Li Shuang holding that alliance charter, looking as if he had seen a ghost, helpless like a child.

Li Shuang's face was filled with a warm smile, guiding him step by step.

"Sign this alliance charter, and you will be the Alliance Leader of the Tongxin Alliance!"

"Army Lord, I can't do it."

"You can!"

"I really can't!"

"You really can!"