After hearing his confidant's words, Liu An pondered for a moment.
There would be both advantages and disadvantages to cooperating with the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table as he racked his brains for a solution.
"We'll definitely have to offer some benefits to get them to send troops."
"Your Excellency is wise!"
The confidant quickly added.
"We can return Jianmen Pass, and even give Shannan Prefecture to them,"
"Consider it... ceding territory and paying reparations in exchange for their cooperation."
Liu An muttered to himself, "Shannan Prefecture... Shannan Prefecture..."
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, carrying a hint of determination.
"Fine, losing Shannan Prefecture is better than handing over the entire Datong Dynasty to Lu Yan!"
"As long as we can get rid of him, it's all worth it!"
"My lord, what about...what about the Empress..."
The confidant carefully considered his words and asked cautiously.
It was as if they were afraid that a single wrong syllable would anger the ferocious beast that was about to devour them.
Liu An sneered and waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away an annoying fly.
"She's just a woman, what kind of trouble can she cause?"
"The only troops she can still mobilize right now are probably the Imperial Guards,"
"Other forces? Hmph, they've long been firmly under my control!"
"She's just a puppet I've kept in the dark about; she's nothing to fear!"
He walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.
"Lu Yan, Lu Yan, you shouldn't have blocked my way!"
"I'd like to see how you manage to jump around now!"
Seeing that Liu An seemed to be in a better mood, his confidant dared to continue speaking:
"Your Excellency is wise! However... this secret letter is sent to the Northern Xiang Kingdom, a long journey, what if..."
"There's no 'what if'!"
Liu An suddenly turned around, his eyes like knives, piercing straight to his heart.
"This matter can only succeed; it cannot fail!"
"You must personally deliver this secret letter to the King of Beixiang!"
"Remember, this matter is of utmost importance; there must be no mistakes!"
"Yes, sir! I will gladly die for you!"
The confidant trembled with fear at Liu An's imposing manner and immediately knelt down to accept the order.
And so, a secret letter was quietly sent to the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
...
In Lu Yan's study in Shannan Prefecture, the atmosphere was as heavy as the clouds before a storm.
"Sir, the waters behind this gambling den run much deeper than we thought!"
Li Kui scratched the back of his head, looking utterly dejected.
He originally thought that with his status and the skills he had honed under Lu Yan's command, he could succeed.
Finding out information is a piece of cake, isn't it?
Who knew that the people behind this gambling den were as slippery as eels?
His attempts repeatedly failed, and he even nearly exposed his identity on several occasions.
Lu Yan glanced at him sideways, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing:
"What? Little Kui, you used to be an all-powerful protector in the Asura Sect, able to scale walls and leap across rooftops, but now you can't even handle a gambling den?"
Upon hearing this, Li Kui immediately became anxious:
"Sir, please don't make fun of me!"
"The people behind this gambling den are very secretive; I've been able to shake them off several times when I tried to follow them,"
"Moreover, they seem to have realized that someone is investigating them in secret, and they are now more cautious."
Lu Yan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his brows furrowed.
He knew that what Li Kui said was true; the power behind this gambling den was far from ordinary.
If left unchecked, it will eventually become a malignant tumor in Shannan Prefecture.
"It seems we have no choice but to resort to force." A cold glint flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.
"What you mean, sir..."
Li Kui's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something.
Lu Yan's lips curled into a cold smile:
"Since they refuse to cooperate, let's just raid their base!"
"Xiao Kui, take your trained broadsword squad, tonight we'll go and deal with these rats!"
As night fell, Shannan Prefecture was shrouded in darkness.
Inside the gambling den, the lights were on and the place was bustling with noise, completely unaware of the impending danger.
Li Kui led a group of barbarian soldiers and silently infiltrated the gambling den.
Each of them wielded a sharp broadsword, their eyes cold and piercing, like demons from hell.
"Let's do it!"
At Li Kui's command, the Big Sword Squad rushed into the gambling den.
Amidst the flashing of swords and the screams of agony, a cacophony of emotions filled the air.
The gamblers scattered and fled, creating chaos.
The gambling den owner was a fat man with a big head and ears.
Looking at the group of killing gods in front of him, he turned pale with fright and trembled all over.
He never expected that Lu Yan would dare to bring troops to raid his gambling den!
"Who...who are you people? How dare you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Kui held a knife to his neck, his tone icy:
"Who we are is not important. What's important is that you explain who's behind this gambling den!"
The shopkeeper's oily face had long since been washed away by cold sweat, leaving only a deathly pale complexion.
Li Kui's broadsword was still pressed against his neck, and the chill of the blade made him shiver involuntarily.
The gambling den was in a mess; the gamblers had long since disappeared.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and sweat, making one want to vomit.
"Sir, sir! Spare me! I have an eighty-year-old mother to support and a three-year-old child to raise..."
The shopkeeper, with a mournful face, begged for mercy, trembling.
Li Kui clicked his tongue impatiently.
"Stop talking nonsense! I don't have time to listen to your wailing and crying!"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
