Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Actually, the confession of Kuo Zhen had been thanks to Bo Sang. Senior Shou barely deserved any credit for it.
Bo Sang was from the Western Region and did not have an inherent reverence for the descendants of the Khan like the Norland people did. In fact, he was very curious and wanted to find out how special these so-called “descendants of gods” really were. Kuo Zhen was a timely test subject to satisfy his curiosity.
He was not good at intimidation, nor did he possess professional torture techniques. His torturing method was simple and crude: he just punched the prisoner with both fists, starting from the head and continuing to punch downwards.
Bo Sang kept beating the poor prisoner until he was tired, and then he continued with the beating after a short rest. He even started to be fond of his new job, finding it safer and more interesting than wielding a sword.
Kuo Zhen was tough. His eyes and nose bled and his teeth were knocked out, but he did not beg for mercy. He swore a lot, claiming that he would take revenge in Norland some day. He even described the torture methods he would use on Bo Sang and Senior Shou. Every time he described one method, he would add one sentence after it: “I know you, Bo Sang and Senior Shou.”
Bo Sang was persistent. He just kept going, ignoring the threats.
So the beating went on. When Bo Sang’s punching reached below Kuo Zhen’s waist, it was so painful that he could not help but swear out again , saying, “I will kill everyone in your family! I will…”
A seasoned torturer would know that this was the moment that his prisoner was on the verge of collapse, and those empty threats were his last struggle. But Bo Sang did not know that, nor did he care. He rested for a while, then stood up, ready to start a new round of beating.
Kuo Zhen finally broke down. “Stop beating. I’ll talk,” he said.
“Well,” Bo Sang was a bit disappointed. “I thought that the grandson of the Khan would last longer than others,” he commented.
It turned out that Kuo Zhen had an important mission.
The Norland Cavalry had been gathering on the southern border and preparing to fight against the Central Plain, under the command of the Khan. All the nobles had to contribute their soldiers, and they were only allowed to keep a few thousand guards at home.
Kuo Zhen was really supposed to be “dead”. He was supposed to leave the Royal Court secretly and go to the south to lead his army back on the appointed date.
The truth that Kuo Zhen was alive was a top secret. If the other lords had found out about it, they would have immediately figured out King Kuari’s plan. Therefore, Kuo Zhen had to secretly hit the road alone. Unfortunately, he had come across Bo Sang, who was collecting information for the Dragon King. When King Kuari discovered that his brother was missing, he did not dare to send people to look for him, even though he was very worried.
This information would shock all of Norland, but Bo Sang did not care. He threw another volley of fists onto Kuo Zhen until he pleaded for mercy again. Only then did Bo Sang call in Senior Shou to tell him about Kuo Zhen’s confession.
Senior Shou was stunned, finding himself being involved in the most terrible conspiracy of the Royal Court. He asked Fang Wenshi to take Kuo Zhen away, but was refused. The Dragon King’s camp was even more insecure.
That was the information that Fang Wenshi reported to the Dragon King.
King Kuari’s plan gradually became clearer: Golden Roc Fort would kill the Khan and frame it on the Dragon King. Kuo Zhen would lead the army back and take control of the whole situation when the Royal Court fell into chaos. Thus King Kuari would be able to make all the nobles surrender at the least cost.
Fang Wenshi, however, did not have much success in finding out the plot of King Rizhu and the Khan’s second wife. Despite of all his efforts, he could not get any officials or nobles to talk, and the information he got from ordinary Norland people was just hearsay.
Among these rumors, some said the Khan’s second wife was a heroine commanding thousands of soldiers. Others said that she was an adulteress, cheating with several North lords. None of the rumors were reliable, though.
Plus, Fang Wenshi could not identify the offspring of the Khan that the second wife was particularly close to.
“This woman is not simple. From the day that she married the Khan, she has been constantly challenged and vilified by many forces in the Court. But she has overcome all difficulties and has become more and more favored by the Khan. Most people believe that she stays away from the fights for the throne. Almost no one knows her relationship with King Rizhu, and many people even think that they are enemies,” Fang Wenshi reported.
Fang Wenshi rarely complimented a woman for her abilities. He then asked the Dragon King, “What should we do next? Continue our alliance with her?”
“Tell me what you think,” said Gu Shenwei.
Fang Wenshi took a deep breath. “We should remove the granddaughter of the Supreme King. It is said that the Khan has been interested in her, but it has not been made public. Now is the best chance to kill her. We can leave King Kuari alone for now, and let the second wife arrange for the Dragon King to meet with the Khan. After we get the guarantee of the alliance, we can proceed to the next step,” he said.
Gu Shenwei’s thoughts were similar. He did not have much choice now. Whether he chose to be an oberver or flee from Norland, he would be charged with the assassination, anyway. His best choice was to get deeper into the conspiracy and wait for a chance to fight back.
“I need someone familiar with the inside story of the Royal Court. Find this person, no matter how much money they want,” Gu Shenwei said, deciding to get help.
Fang Wenshi thought seriously for a while. “The subordinates of King Dari are living in fear everyday. Maybe one of them is willing to make some money,” he said.
Gu Shenwei tapped on his scabbard with his finger and thought for a moment.”No, find someone from King Kuari’s residence, preferably one of his trusted followers,” he said.
“This… King Kuari treats his subordinates more harshly than prisoners,” Fang Wenshi said, not following the Dragon King’s thoughts.
“Prisoners are even easier to buy off,” Gu Shenwei said, suddenly remembering the words that Zhang Ji had said to him. The minions always count how much they have contributed. When the payment is less than the contribution, or there is no payment, they willl betray. “Try it,” he said.
Compared with Zhang Wei, Fang Wenshi was younger and simpler. After thinking for a while, he slowly nodded and said, “Well, I’ll try.”
Gu Shenwei did not want a “try”. He corrected his military counselor, “Although it is a ‘try’, it must be successful and fast. You have three days. I have to see this person with my own eyes.”
Fang Wenshi’s face turned a little red. This was the first time that the Dragon King had given him a compulsive order. He used to take the initiative to ask for tasks. “Yes, sir,” he said walking to the door. Still, he felt that his guarantee was not clear enough and turned to say, “If I fail to buy a traitor of King Kuari, I… I’ll retire and no longer call myself a counselor.”
To the Military Counselor, this oath was as serious as promising his life. The word “counselor” was of great significance to him. Removing it from his name was like taking away half of his life.
Gu Shenwei responded with a hum.
Maid Lotus stepped out of the corner and asked, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll betray you?”
Although Fang Wenshi was not a person who talked about loyalty and principles, Gu Shenwei trusted him. This was because the Dragon King and the Counselor had something in common: both had worked very hard in their lives, but had never been treated with much respect by the highborn. Even after the seaside slope battle, and after they had taken the five countries of Xiaoyao Lake and the Land of Fragrance, they were still looked down upon.
To the Norland lords, one of them was a killer on the run and the other an unsuccessful scholar, and it would always be this way. They would never take such a team seriously. When they needed to forge an ally, Golden Roc Fort was always the first candidate in their minds.
The second wife of the Khan and King Rizhu came to the Dragon King for an alliance, but that was only an alliance in nominal terms. In fact, it was more like employment, and Gu Shenwei was uncertain if he would even be paid.
“I would rather that he betray me. It’s better than being kept in the dark,” Gu Shenwei said.
The two helpers that King Rizhu had promised arrived in the late evening.
They came to the tent through a hidden passage that Gu Shenwei had set up for special visitors to see him without having to go past the guards.
As he had guessed, one of them was, indeed, Wildhorse. The other one was a young man Gu Shenwei had met before. On the day when Gu Shenwei went to King Rizhu’s camp, he saw this young man cleaning Flame Foal with General Zhe Su.
“My name is Liman, son of General Zhe Su,” he introduced himself with a smile. He looked like a kind young man, curious to the world, and very different from his father, who was as sullen and strong as a black tower. “We are both here at the Dragon King’s disposal,” said Liman.
It was well known that Wildhorse, and especially Liman, were the subordinates of King Rizhu. King Rizhu sent them to participate in the assassination as proof to the Dragon King that he would not abandon him after the mission was completed.
Liman was not upset with this new identity, even though he was almost a hostage. He had only seen the Dragon King once, and had taken him as just an ordinary, pale young man until Flame Foal was stolen. Then he realized that he had underestimated the Dragon King, so he was very happy to have the opportunity to cooperate with him.
Wildhorse was not happy at all.
He held onto his hilt with his only remaining hand, stood at the door, and stared at the Dragon King with vigilance and coldness, the fierce killing intent emitting from every pore of his body.
Liman sensed the tension in the tent. One of his tasks was to ease the relationship between Wildhorse and the Dragon King. “I heard that killers have no private hostility. Anyway, we are all in the same boat now. If there is no trust, I’m afraid that the ship will capsize,” he said.
Wildhorse softened and made several stiff gestures. Liman smiled in embarrassment. “Sorry, I don’t understand you,” he said.
Gu Shenwei understood part of it. Maid Lotus gave it an accurate interpretation. When she was in Golden Roc Fort, she had acted as an “interpretor”. “Let’s have a duel on the day when the mission is completed, and the loser will have to die,” she interpreted.
“Okay. Let’s hope it will be quick this time. One of us has to die,” Gu Shenwei answered.
The two had no deep hatred, but their mutual aversion grew worse and worse. Wildhorse was particularly uncomfortable about this alliance. As a killer, he preferred to act alone and felt he could handle Golden Roc Fort and complete the task without the help of the Dragon King.
However, his broken arm was his fatal flaw. King Rizhu preferred to let the Dragon King lead the mission, because he had been hunted for years, but only became stronger and stronger.
Liman seemed to not care about their pact. He said, “Time is short. The Dragon King can give us an order now.”
“From today on, you and Wildhorse shall take orders from her,” Gu Shenwei said, pointing to Maid Lotus.
Wildhorse had no objection. He had a slightly better impression of Maid Lotus than Liman, who was hesitant. As a nobleman of Norland, he had always been contemptuous of women. It was hard to tell whether he was the same way towards the second wife of the Khan, as he had never talked to her directly. Still, he felt ashamed of being asked to take orders from Maid Lotus.
“O… kay,” he answered reluctantly.
With a few words, the Dragon King left the two to Maid Lotus, and then turned and walked out.
Now it was Liman’s turn to have the feeling of “contemption”.
“The first task for you two is to assassinate the granddaughter of the Supreme King,” Maid Lotus ordered. She had made an assassination plan that ensured that the Dragon King would not be connected.
Liman was stunned. He could not understand why they had suddenly become the instruments of the Dragon King when the original plan had been the other way around.
