Chapter 1068: Chapter 696: To Live or To Die?
Lu Yu, Kong Yinghan, and Hopkins, as the commanders of the three routed armies besieging Qi Mountain, can immediately execute the agreed plans.
Hopkins is a man of his word, eager to secure greater spoils for the Aus Empire after the war, and for himself to attain a more illustrious position...
After all, Antonio of the Sea God Fleet has already taken the lead, helping the allied forces to seize the Beihai Fleet and several important ports.
He couldn’t let that garlic-breathed red-nosed monster push him down.
So, after the meeting, he promptly ordered the Thunder God Fleet to bombard the Qi Mountain base round-the-clock from all directions.
Bombs were dropped as if they cost nothing.
Meanwhile, the Qin Family Camp in the Zhaoling Region and the Heavenly Mechanism Army in the Barren Land commenced a full-scale counterattack, aiming to break Shen Wuxiang’s long-term blockade and control over them.
Suddenly, war erupted everywhere, blooming fully.
------
Qingfeng Tea House.
Shen Lehu looked up at the ancient building with its Jiangnan garden style, and said to his deputy Xi Yuan beside him, "You wait at the door, don’t come in."
"General..." Xi Yuan hesitated, saying, "Better let the brothers accompany you in? If Bai Xingjian has any ill intentions, we’ll have a way to respond..."
Shen Lewu waved his hand, saying, "I’m here to negotiate with him, not to show off force."
"Besides, no matter how powerful their Security Bureau is, can it compete with our Regular Army?"
"You wait at the door, nothing will happen... If he dares to have any vile ideas, you can level this tea house."
"Yes, General. We’ll now defend Qingfeng Tea House, ensuring not even a fly can escape."
Shen Lewu nodded and strode towards the inner room.
Led by a tea house attendant, Shen Lewu arrived at an Octagonal Pavilion in the garden.
With bizarre rocks, fish surrounding the pond, and maidens in ancient attire strumming strings nearby, it’s truly a mortal world’s beautiful scenery.
Bai Xingjian dressed in the Security Bureau’s black uniform sat upright before the tea table, the tea fragrance swirling, cloaking half of his face in this tea steam and water energy.
Shen Lewu released his Yin Yang Qi, secretly surveyed the surroundings, and found no suspicious activity, then strode onto the stone bridge, laughingly said, "Outside, the war rages; yet Brother Xingjian maintains this tranquility here. Truly a pleasant mood and refined taste."
Bai Xingjian raised the teacup, sipped the tea quietly, and spoke, "Shan He shattered, winds and drifts, anxiety burning unable to rest. Alas, lowly ranked and of light words, what can be done?"
Shen Lewu waved, gesturing for the tea-serving and string-playing maidens to leave.
He directly sat down opposite Bai Xingjian, poured himself a cup of tea, drank it all in one go, then looked at Bai Xingjian, saying, "Brother Xingjian is too self-deprecating, holding the authority of the Security Bureau, neither lowly ranked nor of light words."
"The Security Bureau has a few people, but in front of your Regular Army, they’re just clay chickens and pottery dogs. Probably wouldn’t last a single round before being flattened by you."
"Battles require regular troops. But in other areas, the Security Bureau is indeed a sharp blade." Shen Lewu chuckled, looking at Bai Xingjian, and spoke, "This is also why I specially invited Brother Xingjian here."
Bai Xingjian cradled the teacup, looked at Bai Xingjian, and asked, "What exactly do you want?"
"I feel there’s some misunderstanding between us, and I invited Brother Xingjian to resolve this misunderstanding."
"Oh?"
"I think our issue mainly stems from a lack of mutual trust and not swift enough communication."
"You must have seen it, the bandits issued a national announcement claiming Military Minister and Shen Xinglan were murdered by Tang Fei... This proves we’ve never imprisoned them, nor had any ill thoughts or plans against them."
"Honestly, more than anyone, I wish Military Minister lived well, Shen Xinglan lived well... They’re the foundation and face of our Shen Family, and the Empire’s towering white jade pillar."
"They’re gone, the Shen Family faces a crisis, and the Empire meets dissolution... We need a strong figure to step up and manage the situation."
Bai Xingjian looked at Shen Lewu and asked, "So, you wish to be that strong figure managing the situation?"
"I’m not qualified." Shen Lewu shook his head in denial, extremely straightforwardly said, "Honestly, my father isn’t qualified either."
"..."
Bai Xingjian glanced at Shen Lewu, quite surprised - this guy’s ruthless enough to curse his own father?
Of course, he was speaking truthfully...
Though Shen Jianping currently nominally controls the Government Affairs Office, he has no accomplishments or credibility in the military. Trying to forcibly seize power would likely unsettle the troops, listening without obeying.
Over time, trouble may arise.
"When Military Minister was present, he dominated. Now that Military Minister is gone, the immortals preside."
"You were personally promoted by the Military Minister; loyalty is unquestioned. He deeply trusted you, entrusting the Empire’s most critical security department into your hands. Now with Military Minister gone, we must avenge him, and also achieve our personal value."
"This is why I sought Brother Xingjian. We must unite, think, and act together, with concerted effort. Only then can we triumph in this war."
"Reliance solely on one-sided efforts won’t work; we’ll lose to the bandits, losing everything we now possess."
"Brother Xingjian, are you willing?"
"Unwilling, but what can be done?" Bai Xingjian displayed a helpless, unable-to-reverse-defeat sentiment.
"So many things could be done, supervising officials, correcting chaos, rooting out traitors infiltrated or turned by bandits within the Empire..."
"Most importantly, the Security Bureau can help maintain stability in key cities, strengthening public security. Before addressing external threats, we must solidify internal peace."
"Alas..." Bai Xingjian set down the teacup, sighed heavily.
"Alas, what?"
"Alas, I’m a policeman."
Shen Lewu’s expression froze, then asked, "What does this mean?"
Bai Xingjian stared into Shen Lewu’s eyes and said seriously, "Don’t you understand? You are the thieves, and I am the police. The duty of the police is to catch thieves."
Shen Lewu was shocked and asked incredulously, "You’re with the bandits?"
"From our perspective... you are the bandits, the national traitors, while we are the Righteous Army devoted to the welfare of the people."
"Impossible... this can’t be..." Shen Lewu’s face darkened as he said harshly, "You were elevated by Grandpa himself, you’re the Director of the Security Bureau... How could you betray him? How could you defect to the enemy?"
"Here you are the Director of the Security Bureau. As long as you perform well, you could climb to greater heights... What could they offer you over there?"
"Even if Tang Fei wins the war and takes the world... he has so many people around him, all close confidants... and you, an outsider who defected from our side, what good position could you possibly get? How could he trust you wholeheartedly?"
"Even if you don’t think for yourself, you should consider the Bai Family... The Bai Family supports the Shen Family, with the potential to become one of the top aristocratic clans in the world. Throwing in with them, what could you gain? You might end up discarded like an old shoe."
"You might not have realized one thing," Bai Xingjian said calmly, "I’m not the flag-bearer of the Bai Family; I’m an expendable asset."
"You’re not? Who is?"
"Bai Wuxin."
"Who is he?" Shen Lewu asked.
He didn’t know anyone by that name in the Bai Family and had never heard of it.
Bai Wuxin’s original name was Bai Ze, named after the auspicious beast in ancient Chinese mythology.
An animal that can speak, understands the emotions of all things, and knows the affairs of ghosts and gods, appearing only to a virtuous king, capable of eliminating all evil in the mortal world.
His mother, Li Zexian, personally gave him this name, taking one character each from his parents’ names.
After the Destruction of Tang Dynasty incident, his parents died tragically, and he faked his death to escape, secretly taken by He Xiaohua and others, and renamed Bai Wuxin.
He grew up in an orphanage, hiding his identity, unknown to the outside world.
Later, when the orphanage was flattened, he followed Tang Fei to the Old Land, where he established the Ghost Palace, an inner guard organization combining intelligence and assassination...
This was the most private and core position beside Tang Fei.
Equivalent to Chen Fenglei, the Chief Steward behind Zhong Daolong, but due to Zhong Daolong’s suspicious nature, and his betrayal of the late Empress Yu Sineng, who had a great favor with him, led to a rift and eventually his defection to Phoenix’s side.
"The son of Vice Officer Tang Li, my nephew... the Palace Master of Ghost Palace."
"..."
Shen Lewu knew about Ghost Palace, the secret organization around Tang Fei.
But what he didn’t expect was that the Palace Master of Ghost Palace was a descendant of the Bai Family...
Did Grandpa not conduct a ’political review’ before employing him?
Shen Lewu felt a deep sense of despair.
He understood that if Bai Wuxin was truly the Palace Master of Ghost Palace, then Bai Xingjian and the Bai Family could only unconditionally side with the bandits.
If the bandits won, they could become the most prominent family in the Empire.
In this world, how many could, like Bai Wuxin, become both the ’King’s’ knife and shadow?
"So, you have been serving the bandits all along?"
"Always," Bai Xingjian replied, "I’ve said before, we are the Righteous Army."
"For a long time?"
"For a long time."
"Did you kill Guo Nu?"
"Yes, I killed him."
"Did you release Sheng Jing?"
"Yes, I released him."
"And that press conference... You’re with the bandits, to confuse the public, you accused us first, alleging we seized power and imprisoned the Military Minister and Shen Xinglan..."
Shen Lewu’s expression turned fierce, a mix of betrayal and anger: "So, what are you planning now?"
"To keep you here," Bai Xingjian said, "You can’t get out, and without you, the Phoenix Dance Army would be leaderless. The other generals would scheme and fight, quickly becoming a loose sand, collapsing without attack."
Shen Lewu’s face showed a mocking smile, threatening, "Do you know... outside, I have three thousand elite troops armed to the teeth? If I don’t get out, this place will be leveled."
"I know," Bai Xingjian remained unafraid, still with his calm demeanor, "That’s your usual move. You’ve blown up the Phoenix Palace—what’s another teahouse to you?"
His fingers lightly tapped the table, and the guide, the tea maid, and the musician appeared, while more figures from deep within the teahouse moved closer.
"Who are they?" Shen Lewu’s eyes narrowed.
The teahouse was personally selected by his confidential secretary, a century-old establishment.
Before negotiations, his personal soldiers had come to check and clear the place.
The report was that there were no security issues, so now... what’s the situation?
Is there a problem with the place? Or is it the secretary and the guard detachment?
Now Shen Lewu trusts no one, suspects everyone...
"Wuyou Palace." Bai Xingjian looked at Shen Lewu and said, "The greatest secrets are hidden in plain sight, welcome to the worry-free world."
"..."
"So, will you live, or die... Have you made your decision?"
