Volume Two: Bandits of This Realm Chapter 113: The Thoughts of All Parties

"Everything shall be as you wish. The lands of the Northern Territory were never mine, Du Zhaolin's, to begin with. Since Commander Ma has given his word, then let it be." Du Zhaolin paced the courtyard with his hands behind his back, speaking calmly and appearing quite at ease.

Yet his brows were tightly furrowed, as if to signal to someone in the courtyard that the words he had just spoken with such feigned indifference were merely angry outbursts—hollow words uttered against his true will, under circumstances beyond his control.

Unfortunately, the person he was trying to signal was busy picking his feet outside the mansion gate and could not see him.

Lin Changtian scratched his head, struggling to straighten his back to look more like a victor.

"Very well... pick an auspicious date to announce this to the Northern Realm. It is not that I am taking advantage of my position to bully you; these are the rules, as you well know."

Du Zhaolin pressed his hand against the hilt of his sword, eyes burning with a fierce gaze. "This, too, is something he promised!"

He was a scholar, yet the look of fury on his face made Lin Changtian’s heart skip a beat.

*The murderous intent in his eyes... it rivals the ruthlessness of Ma Hui,* Lin thought. He decided to soften his tone: "Why are you so fierce? The man is right outside the door; go ask him yourself."

"Commander, how could you agree to this? How terrified of death are you! It is a tragedy that the hard-won prestige of so many, built up over years of blood and sweat, has been reduced to ashes today." Du Zhaolin closed his eyes, his fists clenched. He glanced toward the mansion gate and then turned his gaze back to Lin Changtian, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

The burly man outside the gate was sunbathing, feigning sleep, acting as if he could not hear a word of Du Zhaolin’s questioning.

"Horse-thief! Answer me! Do you have the face to look at your fallen comrades who have no burial grounds!"

The scholar tore open his collar, acting like a common ruffian, shouting himself hoarse in a fit of pique.

There was still no response from outside the gate. The courtyard was so quiet that one could even hear the snoring of the man on the steps.

Du Zhaolin’s face was dark. If there had been anyone there, he could have wailed, cursed, and used every trick to provoke a response.

Even the opponent's thunderous rage would have been something. Unfortunately, even that was missing; the man was simply sleeping soundly, too lazy to acknowledge him at all.

A long silence followed.

"You were right about one thing: the lands of the Northern Territory are mine; they do not bear the surname Du." A voice drifted in from outside the mansion, soft yet exceptionally heartless, snapping Du Zhaolin, who had just calmed himself, back to his original state.

Du Zhaolin sneered, repeating the word "good" three times. Then, gritting his teeth, he squeezed out: "The Commander is wise! It is I who am foolish. I saw death in battle as glory, forgetting that you are merely a creature who clings to life and seeks shame."

There was no sound from outside the mansion again. No matter how he mocked, there was no echo.

Lin Changtian looked at Zhao Zileng and pointed at Du Zhaolin. "Is he always this brave?"

"Not really. Today... I’ve also seen something new," Zhao Zileng said with a bitter smile. He had never seen Du Zhaolin like this: hysterical, exactly like a resentful woman.

Du Zhaolin gave a cold snort and left only one sentence: "Peace talks tomorrow." With that, he flicked his sleeves and departed.

Zhao Zileng followed closely, not forgetting to bid Lin Changtian farewell as he left.

...

At Weinan Mountain Pass, Qiusheng was in high spirits. His plump frame made him look remarkably like the Maitreya Buddha.

"Did you see? The enemy at the pass is raising a white flag," Qiusheng laughed, his hunched shoulders finally relaxing.

Qi Yong rubbed his head, grinning broadly. He didn't respond, just kept laughing foolishly along with Qiusheng.

...

Lv Liang, standing to the side, chimed in, giving Qiusheng a thumbs-up: "The General fought this battle well. Not only did you hold for eighty-one days, but you also soundly defeated Chu Ji!"

"This... holding the line was the result of everyone fighting for their lives, but that battle where we won against Chu Ji, tsk, it wasn't exactly glorious." Qiusheng stroked his chin, looking somewhat regretful.

He wondered if he would ever have the chance to engage in a life-or-death struggle with that man again.

Qi Yong curled his lip and sneered, "What are you talking about? In military affairs, there has never been such a thing as fairness. None of us expected the Hidden Cavalry to cross the mountains and cut off the supply lines of Weinan Pass. They also didn't expect that Sishan would have an 'Order of Heaven' realm practitioner with such keen perception, capable of rendering Chu Ji’s layout void in an instant."

"That is true, but don't forget, there was no one to stop Senior Liu when he made his move. If I remember correctly, there are supposed to be four Order of Heaven practitioners in the Northern Realm on the surface. There is one in Anma City, and it is fortunate he didn't notice, otherwise, our lives would have been another matter entirely."

Qiusheng shook his head. He saw it clearly: the battle he fought against Chu Ji, which cost countless lives, wasn't as lethal as the single move made by Liu Qingshan.

"Stop with this gloomy talk! Open the gates and accept the surrender!"

Before the words had faded, Lv Liang rubbed his hands in excitement and dragged the other two toward the pass.

The horse-whipping General had lost his former air of arrogance. He bowed his head and handed the white flag to Qiusheng, saying shamefully, "The men of Sishan are true warriors. This battle was fought with valor, soldiers fought to be first, and commanders feared no death. The Northern Territory’s defeat is not unjust."

Qiusheng was not in a hurry to take the flag. He laughed at Qi Yong, "Why don't you hurry and bring Chen Ziliang out? He is the top contributor to this battle; don't let you or me show him any disrespect!"

The General curled his lip, still somewhat unconvinced. "If I may speak freely, the vanguard of this battle was undoubtedly defeated, but it was we who suffered for it! If it weren't for your master acting so recklessly, entering Anma City himself to sever our Commander's left arm, Ma Hui would not be so fearful of death, clinging to life and seeking shame..."

"My master?"

"The Sishan Commander, Lin Changtian, whose evil reputation is widespread—is he not the master of your Weinan Pass?" the General said with hatred. Having spent his life in the military, he was quite indignant at Ma Hui's actions.

Qiusheng was stunned. The voice was not loud, but it reached the ears of everyone at Weinan Mountain Pass. Many looked at each other, not knowing what to make of it.

After a long time, someone in the silence whispered: "Badass."

The entire pass nodded in unison, giving a thumbs-up toward the north.

Their own Commander was... a bit too fierce.

...

In Zhaonan City, Lin Yuan looked at a report, reading it over and over, never tiring of it.

"The Lord of Sishan is certainly fierce, pressing a whole city until it can't breathe! After this battle, the Northern Realm will be split into four, and Ma Hui has become the weaker side. In a few more years, I would like to see how this fellow manages to survive!" Xu Yannian, standing to the side, said with hatred; he held a vendetta against Ma Hui for the death of his father.

There was a "tap-tap" sound on the table. Xu Yannian looked down and saw that Lin Yuan’s fingers were drumming out a rhythmic beat.

"You and I have both met the man in the north. Could Ma Hui truly be the type to seek shame? Charging the formation alone on Luoyou Mountain just to save Chu Ji—can such a person be a coward afraid of death? There are too many oddities here. Do you understand?" Lin Yuan spoke slowly. He was troubled, having tried his best to guess what Ma Hui’s actions were for, but to no avail.

Xu Yannian scratched his head. He was known for two things: honesty and stupidity—either way, it was related to being dim-witted. "Commander, you know me. I only believe in brute force; that thing can solve all troubles. For example, if my wife is unhappy with me, she beats me up to vent her anger, and then she’s willing to cook for me. How could I understand such brainy, cunning matters..."

Lin Yuan tapped the table, intent on teasing him. "Don't you understand the principle of 'great wisdom appearing like stupidity'?"

"Someone praised me with that phrase before. He also told me to go far away and spread my wisdom to others," Xu Yannian said in a muffled voice. He paused for a long time, as if recalling the man’s name.

After a long time, even the corner of the table had been tapped into a pit, and he continued: "That person seems to be Old Man Liu. At the time, he was just like you, Commander, telling me to go torture others. He said if I let them go, I wouldn't be willing to—I’ve never done anything harmful to others since I was a child. Later, Old Man Liu got really annoyed and said I had 'great wisdom appearing like stupidity' and that if I went to talk to other people, it would be like spreading wisdom to the world."

"That old thief Liu Shiyong is truly a master at not offending anyone; at his age, he is very shrewd." Lin Yuan felt a bit melancholic. At the mention of Xu Yannian, he remembered the old man he had sent to Sishan.

He pondered for a while and murmured, "Liu Shiyong has been in Sishan for over half a year. I hear that Lin Changtian loves to bully old men. A talent who loves to play such games must not fall into his hands."

"Then should we call him back? The hundred thousand tigers and wolves on Luoyou Mountain should also retreat. We might as well have them stationed in the three western towns and let Liu Shiyong use that military prestige to properly reorganize them. How about that?" Xu Yannian rubbed his hands, a sharp light in his eyes, looking somewhat impatient.

He looked up and met Lin Yuan’s playful gaze. His heart went cold; he realized he had lost his patience and been led into a trap by the Commander.

"Great wisdom appearing like stupidity—that phrase fits you perfectly," Lin Yuan paused, teasingly. "Why don't you go find a tutor, ask for a piece of running script calligraphy, and copy it a few hundred times when you get home to help you remember?"

Xu Yannian dared not look down. He simply closed his eyes and played dead, not responding to Lin Yuan’s question.

"You blockhead! Next time, make it look more convincing. As for this matter, I'll grant it to you."

"Really? Commander, you aren't tricking me, are you? Are you really letting Old Man Liu continue with the job at the three western towns?"

Lin Yuan glared at him and laughed, "The elders are also restless; I’ll treat this as giving them—and your blockheaded self—some face. Get out and do your work, don't bother me!"

Xu Yannian nodded quickly, pushed the door open, and dashed off toward a tutor he was on good terms with.

He had actually decided to copy it a few hundred times.

Lin Yuan watched the departing figure—the man was huge, but the delicacy beneath his rough exterior gave him some comfort.

"Father Xu, your offspring is quite promising," he said to himself, then furrowed his brows and opened the next letter...

Come to think of it, why would the elders intercede for a discarded pawn?

...

The second batch of garrison troops from Anma City returned home, neither sad nor happy, hoping only for their safety.

Many families in the city had donned mourning clothes; it was desolate, with no hint of life.

Du Zhaolin had been eating vegetarian meals for several days. His excuse to the outside world was that he had a poor appetite and feared he could not digest meat.

"My Lord, why are you torturing yourself like this? The common people cannot see it and won't understand your pains; they will only continue to curse you to a bad end." Zhao Zileng was gorging himself. He loved the delicacies of Anma City—fatty but not greasy, crafted with exquisite skill; even the richest meat could be served elegantly.

"I am happy to go through the trouble. Who are you teaching how to do things?" Du Zhaolin glanced at Zhao Zileng. Catching him off guard, he quickly turned away and wiped the undignified drool from the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Zileng suppressed a laugh. His drooping eyelids were actually looking up. "My Lord, if you want to eat, just eat. You can have half of my meal; there’s plenty, it doesn't matter."

Du Zhaolin snorted coldly. Having tasted every delicacy and suffered countless hardships in his youth, how could he bow for a single dish?

"Is there any fat? Give me some, no lean meat! I’ve been craving it for days." He counted on his fingers and, seeing that seven days had passed, he felt at ease and snatched the rice bowl from Du Zhaolin.

"My Lord, tasting is one thing, but don’t get your saliva everywhere. I am a person who... does not like to share rice bowls," Zhao Zileng said with a twitching eye.

In a fleeting moment, Du Zhaolin wiped out the entire meal, muttering something unintelligible, seemingly scolding Zhao Zileng for having too many rules.