Chapter 386: The Family

The Gu family has always shown itself to be a complete brainless brute.

They disregard consequences, seeking only present gain.

But if they truly have some scheme in Hezhou, then this matter must be viewed in a different light.

By brutal means they quickly amass wealth and power, establish a foothold in Hezhou, then aim for more.

In that case, this is not the act of a brute, but a precise and ruthless seizure of opportunity.

This move has considerable depth.

At this moment, Chen Li's questioning also ended.

He expressionlessly walked into the camp tent and reported the results of his inquiry to Chen Wuji's ear in a voice only the two could hear.

What Li Run said is true.

"You must still have some conditions you haven't mentioned?" Chen Wuji lifted his eyes and looked at Li Run.

Li Run shook his head. "What the colonel wants to ask is, how should I be settled? And what about my family?"

Before Chen Wuji could give an answer, he himself said: "The colonel can use me; if not, I can accept it, or even serve as a vanguard—there's no problem."

"As for my family, I still hope they can be kept safe; they haven't done any evil. As for the rest of the clan, I can help the colonel kill them, leaving none alive."

Chen Wuji took another look at this young man of similar age—his thinking was quick, his actions decisive, he had both skill and courage; no wonder this kid could become the pillar of the Li family's younger generation.

In Li Run's person, Chen Wuji finally understood why the Li family, as an exiled criminal clan, could rise in just a few decades to become one of the top two powerful clans in Yunan County.

You must know this is Yunan City, a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, not an ordinary small county town.

To become a prominent clan here is countless times more difficult than elsewhere.

The Li family's internal competition, which decides the family head by abdication, is indeed quite good.

At least it's better than the Chen family's complete reliance on the main vein and the head's lineage.

If given more time, the Li family will certainly go further.

Unfortunately, fortune turned against them, and the Li family produced someone like Li Linguo who does not follow the rules.

He used the Li family's strength to ignite a great fire in Yunan, and inevitably must face the consequence of being burned to ashes by the flames—this is the ultimate principle of heaven and earth, and the doctrine ancient sages have always taught.

Even if he does not fall into Chen Wuji's hands, he will fall into someone else's.

In any case, Chen Wuji does not think they can really achieve anything great by this means.

"My army still lacks a chief clerk; I wonder if Master Li is interested?" Chen Wuji asked.

Anyway, this negotiation colonel has already broken many rules; might as well break them completely, modeling everything after the border army.

Now that troop numbers are growing, a series of regulations should also mature.

The provincial troops' simple and brutal model is already somewhat unsuitable.

Li Run rose, slowly and respectfully performing a deep bow with clasped hands, "To be valued by the colonel is my honor; I am willing to use the Li family as a pledge token and openly express my loyalty to the colonel."

"It's the first time I've seen someone openly declare their loyalty; what do you plan to do?" Chen Wuji asked.

This kid's words are somewhat to his taste.

"Using me as bait to lure them." When Li Run spoke of this, his aura suddenly became fierce and confident: "If I tell them I have trapped the colonel in Sifang Mountain but lack sufficient troops to win, they will certainly lead their forces forward."

"Then I will seize the opportunity to strike back, and the colonel will attack from the rear; one battle can exterminate the Li family's vital force. Just this one battle will sound the death knell for the Li family."

"Their usable forces are now few; even if they frenziedly plunder during this period, at most they can muster two thousand able-bodied youths."

"Among these two thousand able-bodied youths, true combatants will not exceed five hundred; a mere mob of numbers without fighting power, I am only the bait—when the fighting starts, having the colonel's unit of the Mo Dao Army is enough. Actually, perhaps it's a bit of bullying the weak with the strong."

"To avoid suspicion, I will still hand over these rabble to the colonel for training; when the time comes, the colonel can assign me some other personnel, letting me put on a show to fool the Li family's people."

He has considered every aspect, even taking into account Chen Wuji's slight suspicion.

Xu Zengyi nodded at Chen Wuji without changing his expression.

Chen Wuji's advisor today was especially low-key, as if he had completely made himself an invisible person; when Li Run entered the tent, he said not a word the whole time.

"As you say." Chen Wuji settled the plan with just two short words.

Li Run clasped his hands firmly. "Please prepare the four treasures of the study for the colonel; I will now write a plea for help."

"Wushuang, go fetch it!" Chen Wuji ordered.

"Yes!"

After the brush and ink were brought, Li Run lifted the bowl of wine he had only glanced at earlier and drunk nothing from, downed it in one gulp, then rolled up his sleeve, seized the brush, and wrote swiftly.

This kid also writes a fine hand.

Chen Wuji looked and suddenly felt that this kid truly seemed like a protagonist.

Speaking of which, Qian Fugui, that refined brute, could also be considered half a protagonist.

After Li Run finished writing the letter, he again proposed using one of his confidants, while Chen Wuji would dispatch two capable men to accompany him in delivering the letter.

He… again and again was considering Chen Wuji's suspicions.

Having his confidant deliver the letter is to make the Li family believe, while asking Chen Wuji to send additional people is to watch his confidant and guard against plots.

This whole situation left Chen Wuji not knowing what to say.

This kid damn it has said everything he wanted to say; what else does he have to say?

Nothing left to say; then just do it as planned.

After the letter was sent out, Chen Wuji temporarily settled Li Run down, let him rest a bit, then began to arrange the battlefield.

As Li Run's front foot had just stepped out of the camp tent, the rear foot—Yang Tiejiang, who was on guard at the door—walked in.

"Colonel, I just heard that the Li family's young master doesn't intend to bring his original followers; give them to me, I just need those over a thousand outsiders," Yang Tiejiang said bluntly.

Chen Wuji helplessly said, "Old Yang, don't be so anxious; first finish this battle. Qin Feng's two thousand recruits being raised in the city are also on their way."

"Colonel, after this battle there will be more; you can't keep dragging things out this way, getting too deep with the troops—it's not good," Yang Tiejiang said sternly.

"My old comrades are all veteran soldiers; swapping in any other commander makes no difference."

"You've considered everything for me so thoroughly; it makes me feel like a talentless fool!" Chen Wuji laughed.

Fine, since you insist on doing this, then have it your way. Outside these surrendered troops, as well as the two thousand young strongmen recently recruited in Yunan, all come under your command.

He, this Negotiation Colonel, now seems to command the troops of four or five Negotiation Colonels.

He is now also like Li Yunlong when he captured Peaceful County City.

"Colonel, having strong branches but weak trunk is also a major taboo." Yang Tiejiang said gloomily.

Xu Zengyi nodded silently.