How can one's wishes be fulfilled?
Tang Qi was still laughing when a hand suddenly reached out to his shoulder. Tang Qi instinctively tried to dodge but then suddenly realized what was happening and managed to hold himself firmly in place.
Deng Ning's rough, hard hand was stuck right on his shoulder, and a slight pinch caused a sharp, tingling pain to spread.
Have fun, and remember to enjoy yourself!
A threat made without any attempt to conceal it.
"Definitely." Tang Qi looked directly at him and smiled.
"This banquet was not just for Deng Yu; it was the first banquet hosted by Deng Ning after he was appointed Right General of the Right Army."
Cheng Junshi spoke only after Deng Ning and the others had walked away.
The implication is clear: they're forming cliques.
Tang Qi sat down again, ate the fruit in front of him, and chuckled, "Let's pray his place isn't smashed up."
Cheng Junshi turned to him, his brows furrowing slightly: "You're not going to make a move here, are you?"
"Brother Junshi, do I look like a brainless person to you?"
"You'd better not be."
Cheng Junshi, of course, believed that Tang Qi was capable of such a thing given his madness, so he added, "It seems that the commander of Jinbei will also be coming, so don't make a big fuss."
Tang Qi responded casually, then took another bite of the pastry on his plate—of course he knew this was what he expected. Deng Ning was far from being enough to make him flip the table.
It's best to make today exceptionally valuable.
Some of the banquet guests were soldiers from Jinbei, their military badges gleaming on their waists, and some of the bolder ones even kept glancing at Tang Qi.
"There are quite a few eyes watching you; it seems you're quite famous."
Cheng Junshi pretended to be drinking tea and secretly reminded him.
"You flatter me, you flatter me. My charm is too great, it's a real problem for me too," Tang Qi said nonchalantly.
Cheng Junshi couldn't help but roll his eyes: "People are afraid of becoming famous, just like pigs are afraid of getting fat, but you seem to have no fear at all."
"I've always been a compassionate person; I won't offend others unless they offend me. But it seems I have to do it today, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to leave this courtyard." Tang Qi clapped his hands after finishing his fruit.
"Was it the group that killed Cheng Luhe?"
"It is possible."
What does "maybe" even mean? He really couldn't understand Tang Qi's words anymore.
"Brother Junshi, I remember you are the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, right?"
He nodded, then heard Tang Qi laugh and ask, "So, if someone dies, is it your responsibility?"
Cheng Junshi frowned, thought about it seriously for a while, and then replied, "You can return."
Tang Qi couldn't help but laugh and then raised an eyebrow at him: "Alright, Cheng Shaoqing, you've done a good job. Tell your people to prepare to collect the body."
"How many days do you plan to spend in there? There's no reason for indiscriminate killing. Even His Majesty himself can't save you." Cheng Junshi rolled his eyes at him.
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you," Tang Qi assured him, although his credibility with Cheng Junshi was practically nonexistent: "Let's make it clear first, if they make the first move, I'll just be acting in self-defense. Remember to bail me out, Cheng Shaoqing."
Cheng Junshi glared at him again, then actually got up and left his seat, leaving him with a parting remark: "You should know your place. I'm not omnipotent."
"I can't save you every time."
"Tch," Tang Qi murmured as she watched his retreating figure, "If you can't save him, then don't. You don't owe me anything."
They're as gullible as ever, honestly.
Brother Junshi, even in hell, my last remaining conscience will be filled with unease for you.
...
"Let's begin with your blood."
After plunging the dagger into the neck of the last man and eliminating the pursuers, Tang Qi casually wiped the blood from his face and grabbed the men by the back of their collars, leaving long, unbroken streaks of blood on the clean, unmarked path.
He leaned each person against a tree, removed the horrific bloody holes in the middle of their necks, and the group of people looked as peaceful as if they were asleep.
Tang Qi picked up a few pitiful petals from the ground and scattered them evenly on everyone's legs as a farewell that wasn't quite a goodbye.
Sweet dreams.
After speaking, he stood up without any hesitation, his gaze fixed on the courtyard wall, which was only a dozen steps away. The people inside were the people he had slipped out of the main courtyard for.
—Wu Shunyi.
Tang Qi caught a glimpse of him at the banquet, so he slipped out and followed him all the way. The group of followers were naturally there to take his life, but unfortunately, Tang Qi was always the one being slaughtered.
He climbed onto the wall. The roof tiles were firmly attached, so there wasn't much noise when he stepped on them. Tang Qi found a spot that wasn't too far away and lay down, trying his best to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. In addition, he was wearing dark black clothes today, so he looked as ridiculous as a big spider growing on the roof.
"Brother Wu, it's been a long time."
He could hear the conversation inside the room, and he knew without guessing who the other person besides Wu Shunyi was.
Wu Shunyi looked at the person opposite him and said with a smile, "I haven't congratulated Brother Deng on being appointed as the Right General of the Army yet."
"Not at all, I should be congratulating Brother Wu on his appointment as the Protector of the State and the Military Governor."
Tang Qi had no interest in listening to the two men's mutual flattery. The crossbow he had just snatched from the group of tails was now aimed at the man's head, and the bolt would pierce through his skull in the blink of an eye.
"I heard that Brother Wu will be heading to Jinan next month?"
"Yes. There are many bandits over there, and I went there to suppress them."
The Jinan area was home to the most bandits, and the local people had suffered for many years. The previous local officials who were ordered to suppress them either died unexpectedly or resigned due to illness, leaving the area uncontrolled.
"I've heard that the food there is plentiful; Brother Wu, you'll probably have a great time there."
Due to its unique geographical location, Jinan is extremely rich in mineral resources, and has always been a coveted area for many. Although there are many bandits, there are always gamblers who are confident that they will be the one to fall into the trap.
Tang Qi gripped the crossbow bolt.
"Brother Deng is joking. My only purpose in going there is to suppress the bandits."
“Ha—” Deng Ning laughed and continued, “There are many bandits over there, so even if you take them for eight or ten years, no one will question it.”
The meaning behind his words couldn't be clearer—this could be used as a pretext to occupy Jinan.
“No,” Wu Shunyi continued to shake his head, “This time it was an imperial decree I requested from His Majesty, that within three years there would be no more bandits in Jinnan, and the people could live in peace.”
Tang Qi paused as he pressed the arrow down.
"What's wrong?" Deng Ning continued to laugh. "Brother Wu, have you suddenly decided you want to be a good official?"
"Doing bad things always makes me uneasy. Doing some good things now might save me from suffering in the afterlife."
“Brother Wu,” Deng Ning patted him on the shoulder, “there is no difference between a hundred bad deeds and a hundred and one bad deeds.”
“Of course there’s a difference,” Wu Shunyi said, smiling at him. “I’m from Jinnan.”
This surprised Deng Ning.
“I come from Jinnan, and I know better than anyone how hard life is for the people there.” Wu Shunyi removed Deng Ning’s hand from his shoulder and continued, “Brother Deng, I have no interest in pretending to be a noble person. After all, if I had any kindness, I wouldn’t have chosen to kill Tang Mian with you.”
“In Jinan, if you want to make a name for yourself, you can’t have a conscience,” Wu Shunyi said, his eyes crinkling. “Isn’t that what you all think?”
“In Jinan, if you want to be an official, you have to climb the ladder step by step, becoming a bloodstained knife and a blade of sin.” He opened his mouth and laughed: “I have no conscience, I can do it.”
“But Brother Deng, Jinan can’t be a knife for generations. It’s time to be human again.”
Deng Ning was stunned for a few seconds before bursting into laughter and saying, "Very well, then I wish Jinan a complete transformation from this day forward, and that the people will be free from suffering. It's a pity that I will soon be leading troops on a distant expedition and will not be able to see you off, this great man leaving Jinan."
"Brother Deng, is this expedition still aimed at dealing with the Southern Continent?"
"Hmph, I was used to being polite to them before, but I didn't expect it to embolden them. This time, I will make sure they dare not cross the border again."
Tang Qi's hand trembled as he pressed it toward the crossbow.
Killing them now would avenge his father and the brothers who died unjustly. But one was the Right General of the Rong Army, commanding a large army and about to go on an expedition, while the other was the Protectorate General of the State, preparing to quell bandits and allow the people to live in peace.
If they were to die today, would the Shuo Dynasty be able to promptly fill the two positions, or would it be powerless to back down and simply drag on?
Deng Ning, serving as the Right General of the Right Army, commands a large army and is a veteran on the battlefield. If he were to die, not only would the endless disputes over the position of Right General of the Right Army, which had just been settled, begin again, but there would also be no more suitable among the current military officers for the expedition.
Killing him and Wu Shunyi would inevitably shift the balance of power in the military, and the factional struggles would no longer be as balanced and stable as they are now.
Is a country in turmoil, beset by internal and external troubles, something you want to see?
Tang Qi clenched her fists.
But he was unwilling to accept it; so many people had died in the Wolf Strategy, and they had to pay with their lives.
—It is precisely because so many people died in the Wolf Strategy that we cannot kill them, because that would create even more innocent victims.
So what? Weren't those who died in the Wolf Strategy war innocent too?
No matter how innocent, the dead cannot be brought back to life. But those people are still alive and have the potential for a new life. Do you really have to extinguish it with your own hands?
—If they live, do those brothers die in vain?
—What if they make the same choice?
—Unless something unexpected happens, no one has the right to speak for the deceased and offer forgiveness.
—You can't kill him, at least not now. There will be plenty of time and many more opportunities in the future.
—The longer the night, the more things may change; now is the best time.
Tang Qi's mind was in a terrifying mess, like two different people arguing. Finally, he suddenly opened his eyes as if he had made up his mind.
Therefore, they must die today.
"Let's go, the water's flowing—!"
A sudden scream startled Tang Qi, who was nocking an arrow. He looked up and saw black smoke rising higher and higher from somewhere.
The fire, which had started somewhere, abruptly disrupted their plans. The two people who were talking in the courtyard were also interrupted by the noise. Deng Ning stepped out first to find the source of the noise, and Wu Shunyi naturally followed him out.
There was chaos in the main hall, with people shouting and people rushing to put out the fire.
Inside the courtyard walls, Deng Ning and Wu Shunyi had already reached the center and would step out of the courtyard in a few seconds.
There was no time for him to hesitate any longer.
Tang Qi changed the arrow and aimed it at Deng Ning's head in the center of the courtyard. When they came within range, he suddenly pressed his finger down without hesitation.
"Whoosh—"
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