Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
As the most promising youth in the Royal Family of the Kang Kingdom, Shang Liao earned the recommendation of the late Prince as he lay on his death bed. The first impression he gave others, however, was that he was extremely ordinary.
Shang Liao was roughly 30 years of age and was short, thin and frail. He looked easy-going, with a slightly dark skin tone. He grew a sparse beard and dressed simply, but neatly. This gave him a look of a cautious, obedient minor government official; it was hard for anyone to believe that he was actually very ambitious.
The new King of the Kang Nation was, undoubtedly, the least outstanding individual the morning the five kings were coronated. He was even less noticeable than the two ladies carrying their babies.
Only observant onlookers could tell how Shang Liao stood out from the others.
The new Kings of the other four nations looked scared when facing the Dragon King, and the mother of the King of the Stone Kingdom was terrified to even get close to him. She had to be dragged over by the Princess to receive the Royal Seal and the Crown from the Dragon King. The Kings of the Sha, Hui and An Kingdoms were even more worried and anxious, as if their respective thrones were in jeopardy. Only the new King of the Kang Kingdom was calm and composed, and even though he did not possess much of the air of a king, he did not show any fear.
Gu Shenwei noticed, and summoned Shang Liao for a personal meeting that very afternoon.
To avoid going through unnecessary formalities, Gu Shenwei chose a sparsely furnished study room for the meeting. The desk, which was supposed to represent the status of its owner, was placed against a wall and four or five similar chairs were placed randomly around the room.
“The Prince admired you and believed that you could save the five nations of the Xiaoyao Lake region,” was Gu Shenwei’s opening statement. He did not have much time for small talk with Shang Liao, so he did away with the customary introductions and pleasantries.
“I hope you can address me as ‘the King of the Kang Nation’, Dragon King. That is, if that was what the coronation ceremony this morning truly meant,” Shang Liao replied.
Even if Shang Liao’s statement was somewhat provocative, his tone was still extremely polite, as if he did not care whether or not his request would be harshly rejected.
Gu Shenwei was a little surprised, and he secretly trusted the recommendation of the Prince even more. “Now that the army of the Golden Roc Fort is already drawing close, what good ideas do you have, King of the Kang Nation?” he asked.
“As the King of the Kang Nation, I would only have good ideas when planning the defense of my own country’s land,” Shang Liao repied confidently.
“You are defending your nation now. You can only return back to your hometown after defeating the Golden Roc Fort,” Gu Shewei stated.
Shang Liao gave a slight grin. His unassuming external appearance contrasted greatly with his sharp tongue. “This is a war between you and the Supreme King, Dragon King. It actually has nothing to do with me. Except for the Royal Seal and Crown, I have nothing — I don’t even have the recognition of the citizens of my own nation. Even if we manage to defeat the Golden Roc Fort, I wouldn’t dare return to the Kang Kingdom. Of course, you’ll send soldiers to escort me back, Dragon King. But I don’t see the difference between the Kang Kingdom seeing off the Golden Roc Fort and welcoming the Dragon Army into her lands. If you want my opinion, there you have it, Dragon King,” he said, casually.
Gu Shenwei was a little irritated — the new King of the Kang Nation was really pushing it. That said, he was still able to control his temper. Compared to flattery, he preferred to hear the harsh truth. “I told the late Prince something that I wish to tell you, too, King of the Kang Nation. Independence is not a gift. If you really want to have the true authority of a king, you have to earn it and pay the price for it,” he said.
Shang Liao laughed heartily, as if he was clueless that he had just irritated the Dragon King, who could easily have him killed. “This is the reason I was willing to visit you, Dragon King. Let’s talk about the price I have to pay,” he replied.
Gu Shenwei was starting to wonder if Shang Liao was just fond of boasting. He was obviously escorted by armed soldiers of the Dragon Army to visit the Dragon King, yet here he was talking of “being willing” to talk, as if he had had a choice in the matter.
Shang Liao began to realize what the Dragon King was thinking. “To be honest, I was always keen to negotiate with you, Dragon King. That was the reason I remained behind in the city and did not flee. The Supreme King believes that victory is within his grasp and would definitely not allow any country in the Xiaoyao Lake region to gain independence. It was a pity that the Prince refused to listen to my suggestion and wanted to take risks instead. It was such a pity. The Prince had undergone a huge transformation, and with more time, he could have become a great king,” he replied.
“I killed him,” Gu Shenwei said coldly.
“Everyone knows that,” Shang Liao replied in an even tone. “His Highness the Prince was willing to die for the independence of the Kang Kingdom, and all of his people still mourn his death.”
Gu Shenwei decided that he would not allow the powerless King of the Kang Nation to provoke him. As such, he nodded and replied, “The Prince was definitely worthy of remembrance. How about Your Majesty? Will you decide to take over his cause or will you choose to walk a different path?”
“I have only inherited his willpower. I disagreed with his methods from the very beginning and will not be repeating his mistakes now,” Shang Liao answered.
It was always hard to tell real talent from false bravado. The Prince of the Kang Kingdom was not very sharp, and it was very likely that he could have been fooled. Gu Shenwei remained silent for awhile, trying to size up his opponent. When he spoke again, he was already on high alert. “Let’s talk about the price you wish to pay,” he said.
“It’s very simple,” Shang Liao replied, as if he was an experienced manager of a shop who would not divulge his own bottom line easily. “You give me 10,000 men, Dragon King, and I will help you defeat the Golden Roc Army. As for when I shall return to the Kang Kingdom and who will be her real King, that will be left entirely up to me to decide.”
He was definitely being confident with the Dragon King; the amount of troops he wanted was one-third of the entire Dragon Army.
“This seems to be the price I have to pay,” Gu Shenwei replied.
“Hehe, it’s normal for you to not trust me, Dragon King. I’ve heard that you’ve built up a navy, and that preparations are all complete, except for the lack of a commander. Please allow me to humbly recommend myself. If I cannot completely defeat the Navy of the Golden Roc Fort within two weeks, I’ll gladly offer up my life. If, somehow, I manage to succeed, we shall discuss further about the prices both of us have to pay,” Shang Yiao offered.
Gu Shenwei had entered into many deals with several people in the past. He had encountered both honest and deceitful people before, but he had never been in a situation in which he had to give something first while the other party did not offer anything in return.
As his navy controlled many of the ships on water in the region, it was the only front which the Dragon King had an advantage over the Golden Roc Army. If he was to be betrayed now, the consequences would be disastrous.
“You have to prove yourself with small deeds first, King of the Kang Nation,” Gu Shenwei said. He initially intended to reject handing over his navy to Shang Liao.
“If you want a cat, you can test it by pitting it against mice, Dragon King. If what you want is a ferocious beast, then why start with small deeds?” Shang Yiao asked, rhetorically.
The Dragon King was still hesitant. Shang Liao went even further: “By serving you as the King of the Kang Nation, I’m already degrading myself, Dragon King. My military rank cannot be lower than anyone else, except you. Since you already have a Left General, appoint me as your Right General.”
Gu Shenwei made up his mind suddenly; sometimes you just had to trust your instincts. He rose from his seat and replied, “Right General, you have two weeks.”
There was no way the Dragon King’s appointment would not start a huge debate. The rank-and-file would, at most, be surprised by his decision, but for his Left General, Dugu Xian, it was unbearable. He was usually rule-abiding, but this time he broke with tradition and came to visit the Dragon King to openly oppose the decision. “Of all the five nations, the Kang Kingdom is the least trustworthy. How could you hand over the entire navy to him, Dragon King?” he asked, desperately.
Of course, Gu Shenwei had an explanation prepared: “The oarsmen in our navy are largely from the An Kingdom, and the sailors are mostly from the Land of Fragrance. The King of the Kang Nation cannot seize control of our navy.”
That was not the issue that Dugu Xian was most concerned about. He felt that he had to speak his mind now that these things had come to pass, and said, “Alright. But I have to know if the navy will still accept the orders of the Left General, too?”
Dugu Xian was still not direct enough. What he actually wanted to know was if there was a difference between the authority of the Left and Right Generals.
“The land-based troops in the Dragon Army will be commanded by the Left General, while our Navy will be controlled by the Right General. Final victory will still be decided on land,” replied Gu Shenwei. He skirted around the issue, but made it clear that both ranks were equal.
Dugu Xian hesitated before deciding to accept the Dragon King’s decision. He, himself, was a captive who surrendered and had not proven his capabilities in any battle as of yet, so he felt that he did not have a right to ask anything more. “Everything shall be as per your decision, Dragon King. Even though our navy cannot give us final victory, it will buy much more time for our entire army. It shouldn’t be taken lightly,” he said.
The struggle between both Generals had only just begun and would not end so easily. As his plan for dominance progressed, the Dragon King needed more able generals to aid him, and it was impossible to make all of them work together in harmony. The number of internal struggles would only increase in the future. Gu Shenwei was prepared for these issues to come up.
Dugu Xian took his leave and the Prime Minister, Zhong Heng, also came to question the Dragon King. He was much more tactful and asked, “There are five kings in the Xiaoyao Lake region, and you’ve only given the King of the Kang Nation troops, Dragon King. I’m afraid this will incur the jealousy of the citizens and soldiers of the other four nations.”
“It’s good for them to be jealous. The morale of our army will increase even further,” Gu Shenwei replied.
Zhong Heng knew very well that the Dragon King would not easily change his mind, so he did not object too much. But as the overseer of military supplies, he had to be clear on an issue. “The King of the Kang Nation…”
“From today onward, he shall be known as the Right General,” the Dragon King finished Zhong Heng’s sentence.
“The Right General sent someone over to me with a list of requisitions. How should I reply?” Zhong Heng asked.
“Try to meet his needs as much as possible,” Gu Shenwei stated simply.
“Yes,” said Zhong Heng.
Zhong Heng could sense the strong aura of a gambler from the Dragon King’s order and could only hope and pray for luck to be on their side. He then took his leave, as well.
“Hold on a moment. Let me see the list,” Gu Shenwei said as he held the Prime Minister back.
Zhong Heng had brought the list along with him, and it was written on a few pages of paper. He passed them to the Dragon King to look over.
Shang Liao’s requisitions were a little unique. Other than the standard weapons, armor and supplies, he had also requested rather weird items, such as lime and pine rosin. They were rarely used in battle.
“What did he want these items for?” asked Gu Shenwei as he pointed to the list.
“Are you unaware of this, Dragon King?” replied Zhong Heng as he glanced at the list, a look of surprise on his face.
“If you have these things, supply them to him,” said Gu Shenwei, quickly changing tact as he realized that he had accidentally exposed his distrust of the Right General.
Being a ruler took profound knowlege, even if one did not have many surbordinates. As the Dragon King, every word and every decision he said and made could be analyzed over and over again by others to be used as the basis for their actions.
Zhong Heng’s loyalty was unquestioned, but loyalty could also lead someone to do the wrong things. Xu Yanwei had proved this point on more than one occasion.
Gu Shenwei summoned Chu Nanping after Zhong Heng left.
“From today onward, you shall protect the Right General,” he instructed him.
“Right,” Chu Nanping replied. He had not changed much after the his training to be a killer – he still did not care if things went one way or the other. He treated the Dragon King’s orders as requests — his agreements were not meant to be taken as servitude.
“If the Right General leads our navy toward the harbor of the Kang Kingdom or shows intention of surrendering to the Golden Roc Fort, kill him,” said Gu Shenwei. He knew that he had to be extremely clear and could not afford to give vague hints when telling Chu Nanping what to do.
“Would you want his head if I had to kill him?” Chu Nanping asked.
“Yes,” said Gu Shenwei.
Gu Shenwei still felt that the entire matter was not properly arranged and called Maid Lotus over, as well. She was still the best weapon in his arsenal and rarely disappointed him. With that being said, he changed his mind when she arrived, as he felt that the task she was currently assigned was of more importance.
“How is Shangguan Fei’s practice coming along?” he asked instead.
While in the midst of preparing for war, Gu Shenwei had not forgotten about the ticking timebomb that was Qigong Deviation. He had a sudden inspiration to use the Yin and Yang Strength as the method to master the divine Sumeru Mustard kung fu. Wayless Qigong would act as the base for the Yin Strength.
Shangguan Fei was the first test subject of his experiment.
“It’s still hard to say. The main thing is that Shangguan Fei is highly resistant to it, and is unwilling to practice,” Maid Lotus answered.
It was natural that Shangguan Fei would reject practicing. He was not rejecting the divine kung fu itself, but the excruciating pain that came from the process of practicing it.
