Chapter 1585 Extra: You're Shameless (Part 2)
Liao Jia was preparing to attempt to reach the pinnacle, so naturally he needed to make the most thorough preparations possible. Luo Sha hadn't expected the other party to come looking for him, and felt an urge to stick his head out the window and see which way the sun was rising. He and Liao Jia had no connection whatsoever; at most, they were nodding acquaintances.
However, he is no longer the fish that just came ashore.
I was surprised, but I remained polite.
"Please come in, Master Liao."
Liao Jia raised his eyes and glanced at the furnishings inside the mansion.
Luo Sha was one of the most unconventional figures among the military generals. He was not well-known, had little presence in the court, and had very few allies. He relied on his own cultivation level to maintain a foothold. However, no one dared to bully him; even at his worst, he was still a 20th-rank Marquis.
Why is the house so plain?
The furnishings inside the mansion were all original high-end decorations from the time of construction, with nothing added privately, which seemed inconsistent with Luo Sha's status.
Luo Sha laughed and said, "I won't be staying long."
He also had to support the tribespeople who had immigrated to the island. So many mouths to feed, their housing, jobs, and livelihoods—Luo Sha had to worry about all of this. All the official salary and rewards he'd received over the years were gone, but thankfully the hardest times were long gone, and now his tribespeople were living peacefully. The retainers who had followed Luo Sha ashore also had their own homes to settle down in. Luo Sha hadn't had time to accumulate any savings yet.
Aside from his shifts as a guard, he spends most of his time away from home, leaving his bestowed residence in the Phoenix Court mostly vacant. If the residence weren't untouchable, Luo Sha would have considered converting it into a rental property for extra income.
Liao Jia, being sensible, didn't ask any further questions.
After the two sat down, Luo Sha took the initiative to ask Liao Jia why he had come.
One doesn't visit the temple without a reason.
Liao Jia said, "To be honest, my lord, I have a request."
Luo Sha was stunned for a moment, racking his brains but unable to figure out why Liao Jia would need his help, especially to come to his door in person. He didn't agree immediately, but instead carefully analyzed what Liao Jia wanted from him—it certainly didn't require his strength, given Liao Jia's relationship with the military generals Yuan Cong, there were certainly capable candidates; it probably didn't require his connections either…
After much thought, the only thing he could think of was his special background.
Could it be that you're planning to sail to your hometown, a remote island?
Luo Sha couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it.
He went straight to the point and asked what was going on.
"I have grasped the key to the ultimate path of the scholar and have some clues. However, I may encounter some things along the way that could threaten my life. Therefore, I would like to ask Your Excellency to be by my side to protect me. If Your Excellency can agree, I will be extremely grateful."
Luo Sha asked, puzzled, "Can't anyone else do it?"
Wouldn't others be more attentive to Liao Jia if they had a good relationship with him?
Liao Jia raised the corners of his lips, a smile that was clearly tinged with bitterness, yet gave the impression that he was about to kill someone: "It's not that others are unsuitable, it's just that it might be difficult to maintain appearances. Your Excellency, being independent of your officials and not interacting much with others, is the most suitable."
Luo Sha's mind has also matured.
He sensed something keenly: "The enemy is in the court?"
This "enemy" is most likely someone with a wide network of connections, and Liao Jia might end up with the "enemy's" friends if he tries to find others. Luo Sha is different; he works diligently, collects his salary honestly, and is wholeheartedly devoted to taking care of the clansmen who came ashore with him. As long as his own interests are not affected, he basically avoids conflicts with other civil and military officials, making him a neutral party.
Luo Sha is strong and won't hold back in a fight against Liao Jia's "enemy" because of personal relationships, so he's indeed a good fit.
Liao Jia continued to smile slyly: "Yes, yes."
Luo Sha still didn't impulsively agree, but instead continued to probe Liao Jia: "This matter concerns Zhizhen... the Lord can't possibly ignore it. Why not ask the Lord to step in and mediate? If both sides sit down and have a proper talk, perhaps we can find a way to turn hostility into friendship?"
Liao Jia: "If this were feasible, I would have done it long ago. It is precisely because it is not feasible that I have shamelessly come to your door to ask for your help."
Luo Sha hesitated for a few moments before finally nodding in agreement.
Liao Jia was overjoyed: "Your Excellency is too kind."
You should definitely pay someone if you ask them for help privately.
This is a move by a Rank 20 Marquis, and the appearance fee is astronomical.
Luo Sha didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it all. This extra income, after taxes, would allow him to distribute more dividends to his clan at the end of the year, and buy each child some school supplies and new winter clothes. He was currently on annual leave; he just needed to report to the royal court, informing them of his itinerary and departure time. Three to five months away wouldn't be a problem. Liao Jia and Luo Sha packed their bags and set off, traveling at a leisurely pace, looking more like they were on vacation than fleeing from enemies. Luo Sha dutifully protected Liao Jia.
"My lord, there is no need to be nervous."
Liao Jia plucked a flower and pinned it in her hair.
He gazed at his reflection in the water, admiring his own handsome appearance.
Luo Sha, arms crossed and alert, remained silent.
More than ten days passed peacefully, and Luo Sha didn't encounter a single acquaintance, let alone one with considerable strength who had threatened Liao Jia. He couldn't help but ask, "When will the person Lord Liao mentioned appear?"
Liao Jia glanced at the boundary marker of Ganzhou.
I stretched and twisted my hips to relax my sore muscles.
"Aren't we looking for him right now?"
Luo Sha: "Huh?"
Instead of avoiding their enemies, they went straight to their doorstep to kill them?
However, this is indeed a good method.
If you're a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days?
First, cripple the "enemy" to give Liao Jia time to reach the pinnacle. Once Liao Jia succeeds, the deed is done, and everything will be fine. This way, Liao Jia can achieve the pinnacle without harming his colleagues or creating a deadly feud, which is indeed a better approach.
With this in mind, Luo Sha thought he understood everything.
but--
As it turns out, he hadn't thought things through enough.
Liao Jia led Luo Sha to a military camp. From afar, they could see smoke rising from the chimneys and hear the sounds of drills. As soon as they approached, they were spotted by a watchtower. Liao Jia took out an item that could prove their identity.
After verifying the authenticity of the token, the team leader returned it with both hands.
"The General is not currently in the camp."
"It's okay, I can wait."
The person arrived in less than fifteen minutes.
Upon receiving the news, Lü Jue immediately transformed into a warhorse and galloped back, fearing that Liao Jia had brought an imperial decree to mobilize troops. He had just dismounted and hadn't even greeted Liao Jia when he saw Liao Jia point at him and turn to Luo Sha, who had come with him, saying, "It's him."
Luo Sha: "???"
Lü Jue: "???"
His battlefield-honed intuition made him take a step back, instinctively placing his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, looking at the two men with a puzzled expression.
Luo Sha pondered for a moment, then asked a seemingly random question.
"Lord Liao, are you sure it's...him?"
Liao Jia nodded: "Mm."
After their conversation, Lü Jue saw Luo Sha approach him step by step, his powerful martial energy surging from his body and transforming into a long-unseen full suit of martial armor. He grabbed at the air with his five fingers, and a sharp blade appeared in his hand. Although there was no killing intent, this formation was clearly suspicious!
Lü Jue also met him in a fighting stance.
He demanded, "What are you all doing?"
Luo Sha: "Let's spar with the general and loosen up our muscles."
He didn't immediately threaten to cripple the man; he was on leave, while Lü Jue was still on duty. Attacking him without warning would be tantamount to attacking the entire camp. Although it wasn't impossible to fight, Luo Sha didn't want to bear the stigma of treason.
The entire continent belonged to the Kingdom of Kang.
If I lose this job, I will have nowhere to stand in the world.
It's just a friendly exchange, but the nature of it is different.
Lü Jue: "..."
When someone issues a challenge, how can he refuse?
He didn't notice the killing intent emanating from Luo Sha either. Just as the other party had said, he was only there to spar and challenge someone.
Coincidentally, Lü Jue has also recently encountered a bottleneck.
Perhaps he could gain some insight if he could fight against Chehou Luosha.
So he readily agreed.
The two tacitly flew into the deep mountains and forests to avoid harming innocent people.
Liao Jia followed along eagerly.
The two exchanged blows, which started out normally, but he quickly realized something was wrong. Luo Sha didn't seem to be there for a friendly spar; it was as if he was there to cripple him. In the end, he wasn't crippled, but he was trapped. Lü Jue, holding his sword, looked at him with questioning eyes.
Then Luo Sha asked Liao Jia, "Are you really going to cripple him?"
Lü Jue: "???"
We're all colleagues, after all. We have no past grudges or recent conflicts. We're just having a friendly spar. There's no need to be so vicious, is there?
Liao Jia smiled and said, "Not for now."
Luo Sha breathed a sigh of relief.
He still felt psychological pressure to take action against Lü Jue—mainly because he was afraid of losing his job and dragging his clan back to the isolated island with him.
Lü Jue: "Prime Minister Liao, what's going on?"
He wasn't blind; Luo Sha was clearly acting under Liao Jia's command.
Surely these two wouldn't have received a secret order from the Lord to sabotage themselves, would they?
Lu Jue reflected on his actions again and again, but still couldn't figure out why he was being treated this way—it couldn't possibly be because some relative he couldn't even remember had committed a heinous crime that would exterminate nine generations of their family, and that he was implicated.
After thinking it over and over, this is the only one I can think of.
Liao Jia smiled and said, "Of course, I'm borrowing Mr. Lü's services."
Lu Jue raised his hand to cover his eyes: "Don't laugh."
Liao Jia smiled, but he was even more afraid that his guess would come true.
If that's the case, he'll die with his eyes wide open in disbelief!
Liao Jia captured Lü Jue and made him write a letter requesting leave to send to the military camp. Lü Jue didn't know what Liao Jia was up to, but he did as he was told. Afterwards, he followed Liao Jia to a place, and the road there looked increasingly familiar: "What are we doing here?"
Isn't the place Liao Jia mentioned Mei Meng's academy?
The sound of reading aloud still drifted from the courtyard wall into the ears of the three people.
Lü Jue: "This place is not very welcoming to Prime Minister Liao."
The main reason is that Mei Meng doesn't really want to see Liao Jia.
Liao Jia said, "Even if you're not welcome, you still have to come."
He straightened his clothes, put on a smile more convincing than a human trafficker's, and knocked on the door, nearly startling the guards at the academy gate. Only after he explained his purpose did they stop throwing him out as if he were a human trafficker. Liao Jia came to see their dean, and before Mei Meng arrived, he had greeted Luo Sha with a smile, saying, "My lord, be prepared, there's a tough battle ahead."
Luo Sha: "..."
He said nothing, only glanced at Lü Jue.
If the tough battle Liao Jia was referring to was Lü Jue, he felt it wasn't tough enough. Lü Jue was progressing quickly and had high talent, but compared to him, who had activated the [Enlightenment] cheat, he was still too inexperienced. Not to mention that Lü Jue was still far from the threshold of becoming a Marquis, even if he had become a Marquis now, so what? Luo Sha had been at the Marquis level for much longer.
Liao Jia laughed and said, "It's not just Lü Shousheng."
The most formidable martial artist around Mei Meng is not Lü Jue.
It was Qi Cang, who had caused them a lot of trouble back then.
Qi Cang was already very strong back then, and he will only become stronger now.
Luo Sha became wary upon hearing this.
This is the scene that Mei Meng saw when she arrived.
Liao Jia, the uninvited guest, sat in the reception room drinking tea. A strikingly handsome martial artist stood to one side, arms crossed, subtly suppressing the bruised and swollen Lü Jue, preventing him from making any rash moves. Mei Meng remained calm and looked at Liao Jia with a composed expression: "May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"
"Liao Jia, Liao Shao Mei".
Those mere five words silenced Mei Menggan.
She said, "No one, not even dogs, is allowed in my academy."
Mei Meng's feud with Liao Jia stemmed from years ago. This guy interfered with her final ritual, stealing the fruits of victory to fulfill his own desires. It would be a miracle if she could even find Liao Jia agreeable.
"My lady, please don't be angry. Why don't you consider General Lü's predicament?"
Lü Jue: "???"
Mei Meng, who had cultivated her composure for many years, almost broke down. She looked at Liao Jia expressionlessly and said in a stiff tone, "You don't come here without a reason. Just say what you have to say. You're not here to apologize."
"I am not here to apologize. To be honest, I have had some insights, and after years of accumulation, there is finally a possibility of further breakthrough. However—if I want to reach the highest level, I still need Your Majesty's cooperation."
Two sentences were enough to break Mei Meng's defenses.
The burst of literary energy attracted Qi Cang.
"Who dares to be so insolent in the academy!"
Luo Sha then realized that the real battle was about to begin.
Mei Meng was so angry that her veins bulged and her facial features almost contorted.
"Liao Shaomei, don't push your luck!"
Liao Jia blinked and smiled.
Luo Sha, this 20th-rank Marquis guard, is reliable.
He can easily handle two opponents at once.
"Go elsewhere, lest you accidentally harm the students of the academy."
Even without Luo Sha's reminder, Qi Cang already knew.
By the time they calmed down, the moon was high in the sky.
Liao Jia leaned against the tree trunk with his arms crossed, smiling as he looked at Mei Meng, whose face was darker than the night sky: "My lady, don't be angry. I guarantee this will be a win-win situation. If you succeed in reaching the pinnacle, you may have another chance to complete the perfect ritual. Aren't you tempted?"
Mei Meng took a deep breath: "Do you think I'd believe that?"
Liao Jia: "It won't be worse than it is now, either way."
Mei Meng: "..."
She even wanted to tear off Liao Jia's face and weigh her to find out how much she weighed.
How could this guy say such a thing?
Liao Jia suddenly became serious: "Your Majesty must have tried to break through again in recent years, right? If I'm not mistaken, you must have made no progress."
Mei Meng: "So what if it is?"
Liao Jia said, "I know why."
It's actually not that complicated.
Mei Meng had completed the entire ritual back then, but Liao Jia intervened and stole it from her. Her cultivation level didn't decline as a result; instead, it remained stagnant. To put it bluntly, it's like Liao Jia took her place at university with her grades and student status, leaving her without proper enrollment.
Unless Liao Jia is willing to return it.
Mei Meng: "...Are you willing to return it?"
"Since the Queen is willing to assist me in completing the ultimate ritual, I no longer need 'it' and can naturally return it intact."
Mei Meng: "..."
Her head was throbbing and she was in excruciating pain.
Luo Sha, who had heard the whole story, was speechless.
No wonder Liao Jia wanted him to be her bodyguard.
If it were anyone else, he would have gotten a beating today.
Liao Jia gave what he thought was a friendly smile.
He raised his hand and said, "If Your Majesty does not believe me, I am willing to swear by a handshake."
Mei Meng did not respond immediately, but said coldly, "You're not asking me for help, you can't live without me."
Liao Jia sighed, "The Queen is wise."
Mei Meng is holding him back, preventing him from ever advancing further in life. If Mei Meng doesn't help him, he can also hold her back for life, causing them both harm each other.
Mei Meng: "..."
Her inner thoughts at that moment were extremely dirty.
(σ)σ:*☆
Mei Meng said she was very angry.
(End of this chapter)
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