Chapter 439: Cooperation Benefits Both

Before the sky had fully brightened, the smell of blood in Qingxi County had been mostly dispersed by the morning breeze.

Li Xun stood before the dilapidated wooden window of a civilian residence, his eyelids drooping, yet his pupils were piercingly bright. He stared at the figures of Hong Sect disciples patrolling back and forth at the end of the street, his fingers tapping against the window lattice rhythmically.

"My lord, how much longer must we hide?" Zhao Feng lowered his voice, his face full of anxiety, "We only have enough grain for three days."

Li Xun did not reply, his mind calculating rapidly.

He had seen the slaughter last night clearly—the Red Lotus Sect's commander had been beheaded by that expert from the Hong Sect who wielded a blade, and the entire situation had collapsed in an instant. Now, Qingxi County belonged to the Hongs, not the Reds; this was a certainty.

The County Magistrate had fled, the County Lieutenant was dead, and the Imperial Court's roots here had been severed clean.

But he, Li Xun, was still alive.

"Go and inquire," Li Xun turned around, "Who is in charge of the Hong Sect now, and where are they operating?"

Zhao Feng was stunned: "My lord, are we going to..."

"We are going to survive," Li Xun tugged at his lapels, "And we are going to get promoted."

Two hours later, Li Xun stood outside the main hall of the county government office.

The Hong Sect had only taken over this place for a day; the bloodstains had not even been wiped clean, and the waist-blades of the disciples standing guard still bore nicks on their edges. Li Xun glanced at them and knew in his heart—these people had fought their way here with real blades and real guns; they were not comparable to those useless soldiers who just collected empty paychecks.

"Announce me. Tell them that the Great Zhou Inspection Envoy, Li Xun, requests an audience with the Hong Sect Leader."

The guarding disciple looked him up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt. A middle-aged man wearing an official robe but looking disheveled, without even a decent sword at his waist—where was the slightest bit of an Imperial Court envoy's prestige?

"Wait."

Li Xun was not annoyed; he just stood outside the gate, his back straight as a board.

Zhao Feng muttered in a low voice: "My lord, won't we be too..."

"Shut up," Li Xun did not even lift his eyelids, "What do you think the Hong Sect is? A local gang. What they lack most right now is a title that the Imperial Court will acknowledge."

Zhao Feng seemed to understand, yet not quite.

Not long after, the guarding disciple returned: "The Sect Leader says you may enter."

In the main hall, Wei Zhuang sat in the main seat.

He was not wearing the Hong Sect's regular attire, but a black tight-fitting outfit, and right beside him was the eerie Shark Tooth Sword. When Li Xun entered the hall, Wei Zhuang was reading a document, his eyes focused, not even lifting his eyelids.

Li Xun stood still and cupped his hands: "Hong Sect Leader, I have long admired you."

Only then did Wei Zhuang look up, his gaze sweeping over the wrinkled official robe on Li Xun, and the corners of his mouth curled: "Inspection Envoy?"

"Indeed," Li Xun was neither humble nor pushy, "Li Xun, acting under the Imperial Court's orders to inspect the security of Qingxi County and the three surrounding counties."

"Security?" Wei Zhuang slapped the document onto the table, "When the Red Lotus Sect was slaughtering without restraint for three days, where were you inspecting?"

Li Xun did not change his expression: "Saving my life."

Wei Zhuang was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud.

"Interesting," he leaned back, "Speak, why are you looking for me?"

Li Xun took a deep breath: "The Qingxi County Magistrate is missing, the County Lieutenant died in battle, and now there are no officials in this city recognized by the Imperial Court."

"So?"

"So someone needs to take over," Li Xun paused, "And the Hong Sect needs an official status, and can also receive rewards."

The main hall was quiet for a few seconds.

Wei Zhuang narrowed his eyes: "You want me to submit to the Imperial Court?"

"Not submit," Li Xun corrected, "Cooperate."

He pulled a copper token from his bosom and took a step forward: "This is the credential of an Inspection Envoy. I have the authority to conscript local armed forces to assist in suppressing rebellions in emergencies."

Wei Zhuang did not take it, merely staring at the token.

"The Red Lotus Sect are rebels, and the Hong Sect are heroes who suppressed the rebellion," Li Xun said word by word, "I will report to the Imperial Court that the Hong Sect is reorganized into the Qingxi County Local Militia, under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court, and you, Sect Leader, will serve as the Chief Instructor of the Militia, a Junior Ninth Rank military official."

"Junior Ninth Rank?" Wei Zhuang sneered, "Trying to dismiss a beggar?"

"It is just the beginning," Li Xun was unhurried, "To the north of Qingxi County is Qing Province, and to the east is Tonglu Dao, both of which are territories of the Red Lotus Sect. The Imperial Court is currently short on troops and needs local forces to help. You help the Imperial Court take a city, and you get promoted one rank. After three cities, you go from Junior Ninth Rank to Junior Sixth Rank, is that enough?"

Wei Zhuang did not speak, his fingers tapping on the sword hilt twice.

Li Xun continued to raise the stakes: "Furthermore, the militia establishment belongs to the locality; grain, pay, weapons, and armor will all come from local taxes. How much tax your Hong Sect collects, I will not ask."

"You won't ask?" Wei Zhuang raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you afraid I will treat Qingxi County as my own territory?"

"You already do," Li Xun spread his hands, "I only need a document proving that Qingxi County is still in the hands of the Imperial Court. You want actual control, I want political achievements and a bargaining chip to save my life; each gets what they need."

Wei Zhuang stared at Li Xun for a long while, then suddenly stood up.

He walked in front of Li Xun and extended his hand: "Lord Li, happy cooperation."

Li Xun grasped that hand; the palm was full of calluses, and the strength was like iron pincers.

"Happy cooperation."

When walking out of the county government office, Zhao Feng was still a bit dazed: "My lord, it's done just like that?"

Li Xun straightened his lapels, a trace of exhaustion finally appearing on his face: "Done my ass."

"Ah?"

"A person like Wei Zhuang eats soft but not hard, and he will never truly submit to the Imperial Court," Li Xun lowered his voice, "He is agreeing now because he needs time to gain a firm foothold. Once his wings are full, this agreement will be a piece of waste paper."

Zhao Feng gasped: "Then we..."

"So I must report the merit before he goes back on his word, and get a real promotion," Li Xun's eyes turned cold, "As for what happens to him later, that is the Imperial Court's business, not my business."

Zhao Feng swallowed his saliva.

Li Xun looked up at the sky and suddenly asked: "Do you think Wei Zhuang might be thinking the same thing?"

Zhao Feng was stunned.

In the distance, in the main hall of the county government office.

Wei Zhuang stood by the window, watching Li Xun's departing back, the corners of his mouth curling into an arc.

"Sect Leader, are we really going to listen to the Imperial Court?" the deputy asked in a low voice.

Wei Zhuang did not turn his head: "Listen to my ass."

"Then just now you..."

"Get the status first, then talk terms." Wei Zhuang turned around, his gaze as cold as a blade, "Once the Hong Sect has gained a firm foothold in Wofeng Prefecture, the Imperial Court wants to take me in? They'll have to see if they have the ability."

The deputy grinned.

Wei Zhuang added another sentence: "However, this person Li Xun is useful to keep."

"Useful?"

"He can bend and stretch, knowing when to bow his head and when to turn hostile." Wei Zhuang narrowed his eyes, "This kind of person is much stronger than those trash who only know how to shout about loyalty to the sovereign and love for the country."

Three days later, an urgent document was sent from Qingxi County to the capital.

The document read: The Red Lotus Sect rebellion in Qingxi County has been quelled, the County Magistrate died in the line of duty, the County Lieutenant died in battle, Inspection Envoy Li Xun mobilized the Local Militia to assist in quelling the rebellion, beheading over eight thousand rebel soldiers and capturing over ten thousand, requesting the Imperial Court to bestow rewards.

On the same day, the Hong Sect posted a notice in Qingxi County: Effective immediately, the Hong Sect is reorganized into the Qingxi County Militia to assist the Imperial Court in maintaining public order; all law-abiding citizens may live and work in peace, and those who break the law will be killed without mercy.

Below the notice, after Wei Zhuang's name, four characters were added—

Chief Instructor of the Militia.