Chapter 132: Snakes and Rats Fight Each Other
The subsequent conversation was completely stress-free. With Shen Lang's words there, Xie Huailing knew that all the things she had prepared were useless; from now on, Shen Lang would never back down or show weakness.
“Miss Xie, you must have already made up your mind. What are your plans? What do you need me to do? Please tell me.” The person who agreed never hesitated and spoke frankly.
The matter of eliminating thieves concerns the justice of the court, so it's best to plan ahead as soon as possible. Even if Shen Lang trusts Xie Huailing's methods, he still needs to carefully consider and weigh the matter thoroughly.
Xie Huailing would no longer conceal anything at this point. In her plan, Shen Lang was indispensable. After a slight pause, she spoke: "Young Master Shen, please hear me out. In the current situation, Chai Yuguan has four envoys under his command, all of whom are highly skilled in martial arts. Although they are far inferior to you, they are still various kinds of experts. Chai Yuguan himself is even more unfathomable. Even if Wang Yunmeng were to fight him again, she wouldn't dare say she would win. In addition, there are the traitors of Bianjing, who are cunning and scheming, and who knows how many experts they will bring."
"Under such circumstances, to eliminate the traitors and then settle the matter at Chaiyu Pass, the only way is to win through wisdom and strategy, using tactics to weaken their strength, and then reaping the benefits. And the best way to weaken their strength is to find them an opponent, and the most suitable opponent..."
Shen Lang's eyes lit up, and he muttered to himself, already understanding: "...it's them."
“Exactly.” Xie Huailing said loudly, “In this cooperation, the thieves don’t trust Chai Yuguan, and Chai Yuguan may not be willing to become Cai Jing’s lackey in the future. As long as we can make the situation chaotic and make them draw their swords against each other, we can not only hurt both sides, but also let us watch from the sidelines until the end, saving up enough strength to make our move.”
In a chaotic situation, everyone is only concerned with self-preservation and defeating their opponents. Who can figure out how the situation has become like this?
In that situation, where both sides are severely injured or one dies and the other lives, wouldn't we be at the mercy of others?
"Brilliant plan." Shen Lang couldn't help but praise it. If it could be done, it would be enough to turn the tide with minimal effort. But he wanted to ask more clearly, saying, "Then, in Miss Xie's opinion, how can we make them draw their swords against each other? Situ Bian?"
Shen Lang is indeed clever. Xie Huailing's eyes flickered, her voice almost a soft murmur. Since arriving in this city, she hadn't overlooked a single clue; everything was exploitable: "This is one point. Situ Bian has been bribed by Cai Jing's henchmen and has secretly defected. As long as we can expose this to Chai Yuguan, he will certainly not tolerate being played like a fool any longer, and the cooperation will have no chance of continuing. But this alone is far from enough to make Chai Yuguan want to kill the traitors."
She said, "If a subordinate betrays him, he will want to return to the border region first and come back many years later. He won't want to confront Cai Jing or kill Cai Jing's henchmen. But what if he has more than one subordinate who betrays him? What if he knows that Cai Jing invited him into the border region only to kill him?"
Shen Lang was startled, and his heart surged with turbulent waves that crashed against the shore, rising and falling gradually. He also gradually grasped the key to understanding this process.
“Bai Choufei.” Shen Lang uttered this name. The greatest advantage of speaking with him was that Xie Huailing didn’t need to explain; Shen Lang understood everything on his own. This efficiency was something he rarely achieved even when speaking with Su Mengzhen. “Put Bai Choufei’s betrayal on Cai Jing’s scheme, leaving some deliberate ‘clues.’ If possible, even expose Jin Wuwang’s affair as well, so that Jin Wuwang will then go to Chai Yuguan and reveal the ‘truth’…”
He said almost everything he wanted to say; in the blink of an eye last night, Xie Huailing had thought of most of these things.
However, she still had to add that it was also a reason she had to convince Shen Lang. Xie Huailing said, "We can make more. I will get a Bai Choufei human skin mask. If Young Master Shen is willing, please pretend to be Bai Choufei for a few days."
As for Bai Choufei... he can leave if he wants to, and he can leave even if he dies. Xie Huailing will just grant him his wish.
"Furthermore, I will find an opportunity to reveal to Situ Bian that Wang Yunmeng is still alive and has a son with Chai Yuguan, so that he can pass it on to the thief. At that time, the thief will also think that Chai Yuguan has been deceiving him all along, and will re-evaluate this cooperation."
This was a plan that was almost flawless. When the time came, how could Chai Yuguan, who was not very shrewd, not reveal his murderous intent in front of the bandits? And the bandits, who had survived to this day, valued their lives far more than anyone else in the world. The situation would get out of control, and it would be a fight to the death.
Shen Lang naturally agreed; he couldn't come up with a better idea either. However, he frowned and asked, "This plan is indeed good, but if 'Fairy Yunmeng' finds out, will it be detrimental to Miss Xie?"
Xie Huailing never revealed Wang Lianhua's identity, nor did he mention his deal with Wang Yunmeng. Shen Lang deduced all of this from the ambiguous marriage. Having figured it out, he couldn't help but worry.
However, Xie Huailing let out a brief "ah" but didn't seem to care. With a cold expression, she said, "That's not important. I will also arrange for Wang Yunmeng to be involved in this lose-lose situation. She's going to die too."
Xie Huailing could never really continue this marriage. Besides, how could she be so naive as to think that Wang Yunmeng was truly looking for a rare commodity and genuinely appreciated her?
In the end, power is nothing more than coveting the power of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. In the future, they might even try to control her. Therefore, as long as she gets what she wants, sending Wang Yunmeng on her way is a matter of utmost urgency.
Since she spoke with such certainty, Shen Lang didn't ask any further questions and replied seriously, "If that's the case, there will never be a better plan than this. I completely agree with Miss Xie. I can impersonate Bai Choufei anytime. However, Miss Xie will need to put in some more effort regarding Qi Qi."
“That’s not a big deal.” Xie Huailing calculated the time. Today she still had to compete with Wang Yunmeng, that thousand-year-old fox. In comparison, Zhu Qiqi was an angel. “She’s more mature than you think. I understand what Young Master Shen means, but I think it would be better to tell her directly. Rather than creating more discord, it’s better to trust her this once and believe that she has grown into a sensible and responsible young lady.”
Upon hearing her words, Shen Lang fell silent for a moment, and Zhu Qiqi's face reappeared in his mind.
Suddenly, he also felt that there was no need to be so nervous. The young lady who caused trouble in the snow had already survived a round of scheming under Bai Choufei's control, so what else could he not say to her?
Xie Huailing had pointed this out the very day they first met. He could never make decisions for Zhu Qiqi, nor could he take over her life.
"Thank you for your guidance, Miss." Shen Lang breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly feeling much more relaxed all of a sudden.
What will Zhu Qiqi say to him? Will she shed tears, argue with him, or cry and worry about him?
Or perhaps, he thought back to their early days at the border, when he told Zhu Qiqi not to follow him too closely. Swords have no eyes, and he was busy apprehending villains; what if she got hurt? What if something really happened to them both? But she nestled in his arms and said softly, "How do you know I don't want to die with you?"
She stood leaning against the snow, her red dress more fiery than fire, and that was the same smile she wore when she saved him. Only now does he realize that he actually remembers every expression of hers, whether it's her beaming eyes or her mischievous quirks; he has never forgotten any of them.
Shen Lang smiled faintly and said, "I'll go talk to her right now."
However, before leaving, he didn't forget to bring up the important matter again, asking Xie Huailing in detail: "When will Bai Choufei's human skin mask be delivered? I want to make preparations in advance so as not to be exposed at the last minute."
Xie Huailing thought for a moment, then looked up and counted the time on his fingers. By now, Bai Feifei should have already found Bai Choufei. After Bai Feifei took Bai Choufei's life, he should immediately go to Wang Lianhua and pass the job on to him through Wang Yunmeng. At most, the mask would be in Shen Lang's hands in two days.
So she said, "Within three days."
Shen Lang said "okay," then got up to pay the bill and explain things to Zhu Qiqi.
Xie Huailing remained on the wooden chair, closing her eyes after the door closed. Without even thinking, she knew that Shaman would push the door open within five seconds and tell her how much more she needed to erase her tracks, how much groundwork she needed to lay for the scheme.
Many thoughts can only circulate within these five seconds, as if one has to embroider a pattern on a brocade in an instant, otherwise one will be wrapped up by the brocade and tightly bound down. There is no room for hesitation in the affairs of the world.
She was thinking about Bianjing, wondering what Lei Sun was preparing, whether he would make trouble before she could return to Bianjing, and what Su Mengzhen's countermeasures would be. She was also thinking about Bai Feifei. Bai Feifei probably wouldn't do something like painting a picture for Bai Choufei. She had no taboos in her actions and always carried out her ruthlessness to the end. She wouldn't want to leave him alive. More likely, she would ask him everything she could and then bring Bai Choufei's head over.
That would mean she'd have to carry a bloodied head to talk to Wang Yunmeng about ghost stories, and then play cat and mouse with Wang Lianhua. Never mind, never mind.
Xie Huailing rubbed his temples, deciding there was no need to think about it anymore; the door had already been pushed open by Shaman.
.
The countryside outside the city.
The sun shone like blood, so bright it was blinding. Before the lingering smoke and clouds of the sunset could even appear, a murderous aura, as if on the verge of death, already permeated the earth. A few scattered trees offered little cover, and there was no way to come or go behind them. No matter which direction they fled, it was all the same—equally hopeless.
So when Bai Choufei arrived at this place and stopped, he knew that this battle was unavoidable.
His knuckles clicked as he turned around. His tied-up sideburns flew past his eyes, then were stretched into a thin line by the wind, before falling back onto his shoulder. The ground was deserted, with only grass blades scattered by the spring breeze.
He saw a beautiful woman, a woman whose beauty could only be described as delicate and fragile. She exuded no murderous aura; she was simply combing her hair with her hands before him, as if still dissatisfied with the wind ruffling her features. She was serene, harmless, and like an Aries.
But a harmless beauty appears here, yet there is no harmless beauty in the world.
She glanced at him suddenly, and her entire demeanor turned fierce, like a venomous snake or a ferocious beast, transcending her delicate beauty. Bai Choufei had killed countless people, but at this moment, facing her, he couldn't help but feel the lurking killing intent and be cautious at all times.
No, I mustn't lose my composure. Bai Choufei forced himself to remain calm, staring at this beauty he had never seen before, and asked, "Before we make a move, may I ask if I have any grudge against you, young lady?"
The beauty didn't answer. Instead, she returned his gaze with the most uncomfortable look in his eyes—a look of utter contempt and arrogance that utterly disparaged him, placing him in the dust. She only spoke her own words: "You schemed against Jin Wuwang for martial arts techniques, and now you plan to steal those techniques to betray Chai Yuguan. What are you trying to do?"
A bolt from the blue struck Bai Choufei. Before he could even break out in a cold sweat and think of a solution, the beauty said again, "It's nothing more than the same few things: money, power, or, you might say, fame?"
White sorrows fly away, my heart yearns to soar.
The beauty didn't need his reply. Seeing his sudden change in expression, her own expression instantly turned icy cold, and a powerful, chilling inner force was already poised to erupt. She pronounced her judgment on him: "Hmph, you don't have that kind of fate."
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The Great Song Dynasty Free Fighting Tournament has begun; only the surviving warriors can return to the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower.
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