Chapter 395

Xue Yi is a downright stubborn person.

His filial piety is not mere talk; he truly abandons reason, ready to stake his own life and the lives of his two thousand troops to defend it.

Were it not for the act of patricide, his filial piety could be celebrated as a touching, admirable story, a fine legend.

But now, it's a pity.

Xue Yi's troops were merely taking a temporary break in the camp, not even bothering to pitch tents.

Upon receiving Xue Yi's order, they sprang into action instantly.

They didn't bother with formations, simply streaming out of Daying with attendants before and behind.

Li Run stood at the entrance of the grand tent, hands folded in his sleeves, and sneered, "Sometimes I think Heaven is truly unfair—such lowly scum can actually have attendants before and behind, command thousands of troops, and proclaim themselves king and overlord in a city of exiles brimming with talent."

"Most people just don't want to bother with them; if he really provoked those he shouldn't, he'd have died a hundred times over." Qian Fugui said.

"His elders must have told him who can be provoked and who cannot in Yunan City."

"Anyway, the old immortals in my family constantly nag me about this, and they always say our Chen patriarch is formidable. All those recluses in Yunan City who sell coffins, forge iron, and sell medicine now stand on his side."

Li Run said: "Because Deputy Commander Chen bears the surname Chen."

Qian Fugui laughed and waved his hand: "You don't understand; this really has little to do with family status."

"Do you know how I felt when I learned that the pot our Chen patriarch was selling me was made jointly with Yang Tiejiang? I was so frightened I fled the city for several days, only returning after my family's old immortals sorted things out."

Li Run was speechless: "It's just business; what's there to fear?"

"Hey, you who talk without back pain—does the Li family dare do business with the Western King's top general? We are exiled officials, not rebels; the words differ!"

"What difference does exile make? Neither of our families has produced an official His Majesty the Emperor would remember." Li Run shook his head, not taking it seriously at all: "The family's pedantic things indeed dare not, but actually there's nothing to dare."

"You don't think rebel and exiled official are different, do you? Why are you now comrades with Yang Tiejiang, eating from the same pot?"

Qian Fugui grinned: "Because I damn well want to be a rebel myself now."

Wu Bu Yong interrupted them: "I think you should stop idle chatter; Xue Yi has mobilized troops, the plan changed—shouldn't we also adjust and notify the deputy commander?"

"No rush." Li Run cut off Wu Bu Yong's words.

"Xue Yi has mobilized troops; Deputy Commander Chen must have seen it already. We need do nothing more—just wait a bit, then gather troops to guard the cliffside."

"After they suffer a blow at Deputy Commander Chen's side and are forced to withdraw, we'll hit them again. What's more urgent now are the troops Li Xun left behind; if we move against Xue Yi, I worry these men might cause trouble—any thoughts, you two?"

Qian Fugui said impatiently: "What more opinions? Just bury them all!"

"Seconded."

Li Run: ……

He turned to look at Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong, held back for a long while, then asked: "Have you always been… this blunt and direct?"

"Exactly." Qian Fugui said it as a matter of course.

Wu Bu Yong nodded.

Li Run: ……

Qian Fugui patted Li Run's shoulder: "If you have worries, just eliminate the person causing them—that's what the Chen patriarch always says, solving problems at the root."

"Look, we've fought battle after battle and left not a single prisoner—there's simply no room for worry. Frankly, the Chen patriarch's method is highly reliable and effective."

Wu Bu Yong nodded.

Li Run: ……

What the heck is he listening to, this twisted nonsense?

After a long while, Li Run said speechlessly: "Exactly—could it be that Deputy Commander Chen didn't leave prisoners not because he fears trouble, but because what the Qiang people and we three families have done is so extreme that harsh suppression is needed, making prisoners unnecessary?"

Li Run has studied every battle Chen Wuji fought before and after, even tried to reconstruct and deduce the battlefield, yet he still couldn't grasp some key points.

In his view, Chen Wuji's battles were fierce and domineering, handled with ease—having nothing to do with avoiding trouble.

"Is that so?" Qian Fugui looked at Wu Bu Yong.

Wu Bu Yong raised a hand to block: "Don't look at me; I don't like using my brain."

"Then what do you suggest?" Qian Fugui had no choice but to ask Li Run again.

Li Run glanced at Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong: "Do you have any silver or valuables on you?"

"Who brings silver to war?!" Qian Fugui retorted.

"Oh, I get it—you want to bribe those brigade commanders under Li Xun?"

"Exactly!" Li Run nodded without reservation.

"But after thinking, I suddenly feel it's better without silver. You two, muster the troops—we're getting to work. However, don't immediately attack the troops Li Xun left behind; wait a bit, await my signal."

Fearful that Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong, those two killing machines, would rush out and start slaughtering.

Li Run specifically added a sentence.

"Got it, got it, quit the nagging." Qian Fugui waved his hand and loudly ordered the troops to assemble.

The troops quickly assembled, dividing into three clearly distinct camps.

Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong deliberately placed Li Xun's troops in the middle.

If anything goes wrong, they will launch an attack from both sides instantly.

And Li Run's idea is also simple and brutal.

He openly confessed before all the officers that he had defected to Chen Wuji, letting them decide for themselves.

The brigade commanders under Li Xun are surely his confidants, most likely also Li family members.

Having them choose between Li Xun and Li Run presents little difficulty.

It's merely swapping in a highly promising family-head contender as master—acceptable.

But to have them suddenly abandon their family and acknowledge Chen Wuji, that opponent, as master—some would find it hard to take; this isn't picking sides, it's an outright betrayal.

"I won't make things difficult for you—if you won't accept, you may leave now!" Li Run spoke magnanimously, leaving the choice open.

But those few brigade commanders all hesitated.

They all make a living by wielding knife blades; the principle before them is easier to understand than what to eat today.

Only a fool would really believe it.

But there really are people who believed it.

"Li Run, you're a traitor!" A brigade commander stepped forward, loudly accusing Li Run.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a brigade commander beside him stabbed him through the heart with a knife, "Young Master Run, this kid has lost his mind; I'll take care of him for you."