The information Yang Tiansheng had given him showed that not only did the Vassal King possess martial arts abilities, but he also had three anonymous Guizhen experts skilled in joint attack techniques by his side at all times, along with three hundred armor-clad guards. Ordinary people couldn’t even get close to him.
Moreover, the Vassal King’s residence was full of a large array of hidden mechanisms and traps, and over the years they had claimed the lives of countless impassioned men and women of jianghu.
Rushing recklessly into the Vassal King’s residence, even if one could leave unscathed, would make it very difficult to assassinate the Vassal King.
Once alarmed, it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens to find the old fox that is the Vassal King amid the teeming masses of Jiangzhe.
There was only one chance, and Yang Ge had to strike accurately with a single blow!
...
Elsewhere.
The contingent of the Upper Right Division heading back to Lu Ting had just passed through Kaifeng when they saw a troop of brocade-clad riders galloping head-on towards them, the fluttering pennant conspicuously emblazoned with a large "Shen" character.
Upon hearing the news, Fang Ke hastily dismounted and trotted out of formation, cupping one hand in the other before his chest and said, "I am Fang Ke at your service, Lord Shen!"
The eight hundred brocade-clad strongmen of the Upper Right Division saluted in unison: "At your service, Lord Shen!"
As the brocade-clothed riders parted to the left and right in front of Fang Ke, Shen Fa, dressed in black and carrying a spring-thunder saber at his waist, rode forward and suddenly reined in his horse.
"Heel!"
The jujube-red steed reared up, stirring up a warm breeze that slapped chaotically against Fang Ke’s face.
Fang Ke’s heart skipped a beat, his expression becoming even more respectful.
As the jujube-red steed landed, Shen Fa’s face darkened as he glanced at the coffins within the ranks of the Upper Right Division. His hand, holding the horsewhip, slightly lifted but ultimately fell back down.
Suppressing the anger in his heart, he raised his voice and bellowed, "You all have risked your lives battling the enemy and guarding the people along the southeastern coast, not betraying the emperor’s grace and salary, nor disappointing the brocade uniforms and ox-tail knives. Well done, everyone has contributed, everyone deserves a reward!"
The eight hundred brocade-clad strongmen of the Upper Right Division shouted in unison, "Thank you, Lord Shen!"
Shen Fa once again turned his gaze to Fang Ke, expressionless, and instructed, "Follow me."
Fang Ke, "Yes!"
Shen Fa turned his horse around and rode on; Fang Ke jogged to catch up.
The brocade-clothed riders closed ranks like the tide, obscuring the Upper Right Division’s view of their eight hundred brocade-clad strongmen.
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Once the brocade-clothed riders enclosed the area, Shen Fa shook his whip and lashed it across Fang Ke’s face without reservation.
Fang Ke dared not dodge and took the whipping.
"You cur!"
Shen Fa, seething with rage, exploded, "You’ve grown bold, haven’t you? To even dare deceive me? Who do you think you are?"
Although he had just taken a lash, Fang Ke suddenly felt like laughing.
He knew that his commander hadn’t finished speaking, and there was more to follow, "Yang Erlang, is it?"
Taking a deep breath, he respectfully replied, "Lord Shen, I’m from your immediate service. I owe everything I have to your support and cultivation. Even if I had the gall, I would never dare deceive you!"
"Still trying to justify yourself!"
It would have been better if he hadn’t spoken. As soon as he did, Shen Fa’s anger surged even more, and he swung his whip, delivering two more "thwack, thwack" lashes onto Fang Ke, "I sent you to Jiangzhe for a reason, dare you say you didn’t know? Where is that toad? He hasn’t come back, and you have? What for?"
Enduring the pain, Fang Ke with a face of grievance cried out, "Lord Shen, this is too much to ask of anyone. Where Lord Yang went, was that for me to decide? In Hangzhou, I begged and pleaded, and even knelt down for Lord Yang. It was so hard to coax him onto the ship, but shortly after we left Hangzhou, Lord Yang threw down a line about having a duel with Xiang Wudi of the Jiangdong the Xiang Family, telling me to take the men back to the office first, and then he jumped into the river and went swimming away... Was I to chase after him or control him?"
"Still spouting lies."
Shen Fa raised his whip toward Fang Ke but did not let it fall upon him again, "When did he board the ship? Do you really think I know nothing?"
Fang Ke hastily swore, "If there is half a lie in what I say, let my intestines burst and my belly rot... With Lord Yang’s temperament, don’t you know it? He said he’s just a common laborer, not in a position to be in charge of anything. After boarding the ship, he never stepped out the main gate or crossed the secondary one, even his meals were personally delivered by me to his lordship."
Upon hearing this, the anger on Shen Fa’s face gradually faded, but he still had his doubts, "Is that so? Do you know the consequences of deceiving me?"
Fang Ke: "All the skills I possess were taught by you, hand by hand, Lord. How could I possibly deceive you?"
Shen Fa’s face finally looked better, but the furrowed brow did not smooth out, "Just for the duel with Xiang Wudi, he wouldn’t even go back home? That doesn’t sound like him... You’ve spent a long time with him, think carefully, has he said anything untoward while on the ship, such as dissatisfaction or disapproval of someone, and so on."
He didn’t know why, but ever since he received the news about the battle at Nansha Bay, he had this nagging feeling that something was amiss, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
Anyway, his right eyelid kept twitching nonstop...
Learning that Yang Ge had not returned with the cavalry of the Right Division, that sense of unease was like a knife against his skin, feeling a chill throughout his body wherever he was, as if someone was harboring a sinister plan against him.
It drove him so much that he couldn’t even wait to summon Fang Ke to the Capital City, personally leading his men to meet him halfway, determined to get to the bottom of it.
And as Fang Ke heard Shen Fa’s question, his heart wavered for a long time... Should he report to Shen about Lord Yang’s attempt to assassinate the Vassal King?
After hesitating for a long time, he still felt that he should give Shen a hint or two, lest he be totally unprepared and take a big fall once the event unfolds...
Calculating the time, even if Lord Yang hadn’t killed the Vassal King by now, he should already be by his side, and it was too late for Shen to do anything.
"This..."
He looked around hesitantly.
Seeing his reaction, Shen Fa quickly dismounted, waved his hand to have the imperial guards retreat further, "Don’t have any reservations, the sky isn’t falling!"
’Heh, really?’ Fang Ke sneered inwardly, but his face still showed indecision and a heavy heart, whispering, "Upon your reminder, Lord, I do recall Lord Yang mentioning ’the Vassal King’ on the ship, followed by a cold laugh three times."
"The Vassal King?"
Shen Fa was stunned for a moment, his pupils first contracted sharply, then suddenly dilated.
He grabbed Fang Ke by the collar and pulled him close, his face contorted, spittle flying as he shouted, "Who did you say? That toad, who did he give a cold laugh to three times?"
Fang Ke was flustered, sweating profusely, "Lord, calm down, stay calm, the sky isn’t falling..."
"It’s over!"
Shen Fa let go of Fang Ke, feeling drained as the final piece of the puzzle fell into place in his mind, and everything became clear... though he wished nothing of the sort.
"It’s all over, Wei will no more have a Vassal King title..."
He held his head in his hands and staggered a few steps backwards, as if he could already hear the Emperor overturning the imperial desk, roaring in a furious rage.
"What do you mean ’it’s over’, Lord? Are you saying Lord Yang will go to..."
Fang Ke supported him considerately, his face first showing an epiphany, then immediately displaying the same panic and confusion, he growled softly, "Impossible, right? That’s a royal Vassal King, the Emperor’s own uncle... He, how could he dare!"
"He dares, of course he dares!"
Shen Fa affirmed his words, "That toad isn’t even afraid of death, what wouldn’t he dare... Oh, Vassal King, why did you provoke Yang Ge, the bastard? Isn’t this bringing disaster on both yourself and others?"
Fang Ke: "No way, right? Lord Yang wouldn’t be so rash, would he?"
Shen Fa:...