Chapter 394: A Tangled Mess of Relations

Li Run also liked looking at these soldiers.

But this had nothing to do with him, not even a half‑penny relation.

Even this matter made him feel a bit defenseless.

Because he had history with Qian Fugui.

They were youths from prominent families in Yunan City, and they had interacted quite a bit before.

Li Run once thought Qian Fugui was frivolous and ostentatious, unlearned and unskilled; he had disliked him quite a bit and didn't want to play with him.

Not long after that, Qian Fugui suddenly transformed, becoming the Guoyi Commandant who led a crack unit of troops.

Moreover, given the situation in Yunan and the aura Chen Wuji now displayed, Qian Fugui would surely go even farther in the future.

But he had become a surrendered soldier who didn't even know where his future lay.

Li Run was well aware that he had not yet gotten past Chen Wuji's hurdle.

"Uncle Xue, you're being too kind to this wild nephew of mine. I'm just a bookish fool who doesn't know anything about training troops; I'm only copying what the books say. If you're interested, Uncle, I'll bring you a few volumes another day." Li Run personally poured a cup of wine for Xue Yi, his face always bearing a modest smile, refined and genteel.

Xue Yi stared with his big and small eyes and asked, "Do those things in the military manuals actually work?"

"After all, they're the classics left by the ancients," Li Run echoed.

Xue Yi tipped back his cup and drained it, then pondered, "Alright, help me find a few later; I'll study them carefully to see how much truth and falsehood there is in what the book says about leading troops in battle."

Li Run smiled and echoed in agreement, glancing at Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong, who kept staring fixedly at Xue Yi's neck, and he shook his head slightly.

The troops are fine, but these two as commanders make people a bit uneasy.

Their killer instinct is too strong.

Initially Li Run actually wanted Qian Fugui to stay hidden, not to show his face.

As a minor celebrity in Yunan City, many people knew Qian Fugui.

But Qian Fugui would not yield on anything; he insisted on being the vanguard who slays the general and seizes the flag.

When he got angry, he actually slashed his own face with a knife, then wrapped half his face in cloth, leaving only half his forehead, eyes, and mouth exposed.

His decisive slash left Li Run stunned; he didn't dare say another word.

Actually he couldn't figure out why he had to really slash himself.

Getting some blood on the cloth wrapped around his face could also achieve the purpose of disguise.

"Report!"

A Xue Family young strongman rushed over and whispered into Xue Yi's ear.

Li Run and the others saw it clearly: Xue Yi's face first turned black, then gradually became bluish‑purple, his lips changing color as well, the blue like he'd just gnawed on a few bites of charcoal.

Boom!

Xue Yi angrily slammed his fist on the table and sprang up, "You wretch, bullying people too much!"

"Uncle Xue, what happened?" Li Run hurriedly asked.

Xue Yi flung his sleeve in anger, "Don't bother me; I'm going to attack the enemy camp right now. Mobilize your troops—you know the terrain here, you take the vanguard, I'll assist from the rear."

The smile on Li Run's face gradually faded, "Uncle Xue, I'm afraid I can't agree to this."

"The terrain of Sifang Shan is special; whoever attacks first loses the geographical advantage. Compared to that, Chen Wuji's current situation is worse than ours—he's surrounded by valleys on three sides, and the mountain behind him has complex terrain and lush vegetation, making troop movement difficult."

"As long as we hold our position, before long they'll be forced to attack due to lack of supplies. Then the advantage will be ours, and Chen Wuji will surely be the fish on our chopping block."

"No matter why Uncle Xue suddenly wants to attack in a rush, I won't agree to this, let alone let me lead the charge—I don't have many troops and can't sustain such losses."

Xue Yi's face suddenly darkened, "It seems you don't even put this uncle of yours in your eyes. Either you send out troops, or I'll attack you first—you have only one of two choices!"

"After all, you're just a wild nephew!" Li Run chuckled, "If Uncle Xue wants to turn hostile, go ahead and try."

"In this battle, even a fool could see how to fight it; if you're going crazy, then bring your Xue Family folks—our Li Family is thinly populated, so sorry, we can't accompany you!"

Xue Yi exploded in anger, drawing his sword, "Then today I'll give you a good lesson on behalf of your father, you who were born but not raised by him. I have my own plans for sending out troops; all you need to do is obey my orders—march out!"

Before Xue Yi could swing his blade, two knives were already clamped left and right on his neck.

Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong, who had been staring at Xue Yi's neck for a while, finally swung their knives down, their speeds nearly identical.

Li Run calmly slipped his hand into his sleeve, tilted his head, and asked, "Uncle Xue, what did you just say? Aren't you afraid I'll chop off your head and then crush it like rotten fruit, so you can't tell bone from flesh?"

A human head is actually quite hard; kicking it a few times normally poses no problem.

Li Run still couldn't figure out how Qian Fugui had managed to stomp Li Xun's head to pieces.

The two blades forced Xue Yi to calm somewhat; he glared at Li Run with murderous intent and said, "If you kill me, you'll die too—my troops are outside."

"My troops seem to be more numerous," Li Run replied lightly.

"Moreover, this place is my turf."

Xue Yi stuck out his neck, stared at Li Run for a while, then snorted, "You kid really are better than those losers—fine, I yield."

"But I still have to fight this battle; I'll lead the men in attack, you just handle rear support—no need for you to send troops. Chen Wuji that dog has slandered my parents, ruined the reputation of those two elders; as their son, how can I ignore it?"

"I don't acknowledge any nonsense in this life except the character for filial piety; today I've lost my reason, so don't try to reason with me—I won't listen, I'm going to fight this battle!"

Li Run glanced at Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong, raised his hand in a gesture of invitation to Xue Yi, "If that's the case, Uncle Xue, do as you wish; if you die, I'll see to your burial."

"I've already drunk talisman water before setting out—it's not your turn to bury me!" Xue Yi shoved aside the knives at his neck and strode out of the camp tent.

Qian Fugui walked up to Li Run's side and asked softly, "When did this old brat start taking filial piety seriously?"

"After he killed his father, when else could it be!" Li Run gave a light laugh and shook his head.

Qian Fugui pressed the cloth on his face, "I don't know if his father's spirit below knows whether to feel moved or regret having sired such a creature—did this old brat really kill his dad?"

"Anyway, the rumor I've heard is exactly that—because his father wanted to kill his mother," Li Run said.

"Then is he really his uncle's son?"

"Others say he's his young master's son."

"Pah, they're all damned things."

Wu Bu Yong had already been listening nearby until he felt dizzy, utterly unable to untangle these relationships.