Chapter 462

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Chapter 462: “Mr. Nalan”

The next day, at the antique shop, Bai Wei entered, carrying a wooden box. He opened it, revealing the head of a fierce tiger resting on a fur.

Liu Tingyun, observing the wooden box, could not hide his astonishment.

“The taxidermy on this is really well done,” he remarked.

“Tiger skin is easier,” Bai Wei said casually. “You can just pull it apart, like pulling apart a leek.”

“Can I keep this skin?” Liu Tingyun asked.

“Okay, I can sell it to you at the market price. It doesn’t have any use for me,” Bai Wei replied.

Liu Tingyun nodded and took out his wallet, handing over three pieces of paper. “Here are one hundred thousand dragon coins.”

“Is the market price really so expensive?” Bai Wei asked, clearly surprised.

“It’s this particular piece of hide that’s valuable.” Liu Tingyun gently touched the animal skin. “Young Master Bai probably never imagined how many people would love to have its flesh and sleep on its skin.”

“Are you one of them?” Bai Wei asked, intrigued.

“I was planning on keeping this tiger skin as a gift for someone,” Liu Tingyun admitted, his eyes lingering on the tiger’s head, as he pondered how to handle it.

“Can we preserve it and hang it up as a specimen?” Bai Wei suggested.

“That’s actually a good idea,” Liu Tingyun said, his laugh hearty.

As Bai Wei watched him carefully put away the tiger skin and head, he brought up the matter at hand. “I have fulfilled your Miss’s request. It’s time to let me meet Mr. Nalan.”

Liu Tingyun nodded. “Since the young master willingly enters the game, we should accept it. But I hope you won’t find anything strange about Miss.”

Bai Wei nodded, understanding the sentiment.

Liu Tingyun led Bai Wei to another location. They descended underground, passing through a hidden passage, and arrived at a quiet courtyard.

The yard was deep and tranquil, with tall green bamboo standing proudly. Entering the main hall, they saw a figure seated behind a screen. She was slender and sitting in a chair.

“Please forgive me for not being able to meet Young Master Bai directly,” a slightly hoarse voice came from behind the screen. “I have experienced many things, and my appearance has been mostly destroyed. I don’t want to scare you. But, Young Master Bai, you needn’t worry about confirming my identity without seeing my face.”

Bai Wei sat on a bamboo chair and asked, “How can you prove that you are Mr. Nalan?”

Liu Tingyun walked behind the screen, pulling out a blue tail feather of Bi Fang.

A voice from behind the screen explained, “These two tail feathers come from the same source. They were split in half. No other tail feather like them exists in the world unless they are from the same one.”

Bai Wei carefully inspected them, comparing the feathers. After a moment, he nodded. “It is indeed the same one.”

“Can we trust Young Master Bai?” the voice asked again.

“I’m just cooperating,” Bai Wei said. “Whether you are Mr. Nalan or not, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“What’s important is how to save Bai Ze Kingdom, right?” the hoarse voice asked. “Why do you think I can help you?”

“Do what you can, and leave the rest to fate,” Bai Wei said confidently. “If it’s not possible, I can only go to Yunmeng City and kill thirteen thousand enemies.”

“If Young Master Bai has such power, it would certainly be worth trying,” the voice mused.

“I will consider it,” Bai Wei replied firmly, his tone resolute. He wasn’t joking; if his Golden Power reached a moderate level again, he would dare face thousands of enemies. But if it was possible to save Bai Ze Kingdom without a full-scale battle, that would be the best course.

“I understand Young Master Bai’s decision,” Nalan’s voice said, softening slightly. “As a gesture of sincerity, I will tell you something… I actually came to Bi Fang Country as a bride. I was secretly planning strategies as an advisor, but I didn’t expect Bi Fang to fall. Everything got out of control.”

Bai Wei asked, intrigued, “What is the situation?”

Nalan replied, “I am also investigating that.”

“You’re so close to each other, yet you don’t know who the murderer is?” Bai Wei asked, surprised.

“We may not be physically close, but we know who the murderer is,” Nalan replied gravely. “On the day before Bi Fang fell, the princes joined forces to kill him.”

Bai Wei was shocked. “They joined forces?”

“Xiangliu, Qiongqi, Ba Xia, Tao Wu, and seven others,” Nalan confirmed.

“You seem to have quite a few enemies,” Bai Wei observed.

“It doesn’t make sense for them to team up against Bi Fang,” Nalan explained. “In fact, Tao Wu and others didn’t benefit from this at all. Two of them were seriously injured, and one prince died directly.”

Mr. Nalan continued, “On the day when the princes gathered in the imperial court, suddenly a fight broke out, causing the heavens and earth to tremble. Bi Fang escaped but died soon after, triggering strange phenomena for miles around. Something’s not right.”

“The palace… did they die in the palace?” Bai Wei raised an eyebrow. “Could this have been a scheme by a skilled strategist?”

“I have considered it, but I haven’t found any clues,” Nalan said, pausing. “Even if we have an answer, it would only be…”

“The palace, the Third Princess?” Bai Wei interjected, his thoughts racing. “Are you trying to find out the truth about Bi Fang’s fall from her?”

“Since Young Master Bai is going to the palace to meet the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, I hope you can ask on my behalf.”

“Yes, I could do that,” Bai Wei said, “but even if we find out the truth, it won’t help the current situation. Bi Fang is already dead. And as long as you stay in Longyao City, even if you’re considering restoring the kingdom, money alone won’t be enough.”

Bai Wei continued, hitting the nail on the head. “I’m willing to help you restore the kingdom, but only if Liu State restores the vassal states. Lord Qiongqi won’t be interested in targeting Bai Ze Kingdom anymore. At least, we can establish a clear order of events, preventing the same fate from happening again.”

The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is a complicated place, with conflicts intertwining like canine teeth. Bi Fang and the other vassal states have deep hatred towards each other. No one will stand by as the other seeks revenge and succeeds.

Even Xiangliu and Lord Qiongqi are not in a rush to conquer this land. One reason is that both sides view this vast territory as a buffer zone until one side’s power becomes too great, triggering a full-scale war. This means both sides can intervene at any time, but for now, they are simply exerting influence.

Can we restore the kingdom elsewhere? Probably not.

A country is built by its people. The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is a conglomerate of interest groups. Now, it has become a group of scattered sand, without the support of the people, a government, or even a ruler. How can we talk about restoring the kingdom?

“These matters, don’t trouble Young Master Bai with them,” Mr. Nalan said calmly. “We have been preparing for the restoration of our country for a long time. We are just waiting for an opportunity. This will bring great benefits to Bai Ze Kingdom.”

“Am I your hope?” Bai Wei asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Maybe not,” Nalan replied, her voice low. “But we have no choice. Qiongqi and Xiangliu can endure, as they dream of conquering the world. But Ba Xia is not like them. It’s like an insatiable beast. Three cities this year, five cities next year, ten cities the year after…”

Bai Wei nodded, considering the information. “Please continue with your clever argument.”

“Ba Xia wants Longyao City. More than half of Liu State will fall into its hands. Our years of planning will be in vain,” Nalan continued, her voice firm. “Ba Xia just devours everything without thoroughly chewing. So, we’ve left a poison pill for it.”

“The Trojan horse plan?” Bai Wei pondered, intrigued.

“Yes,” Nalan affirmed. “Mentor’s Trojan horse plan—deceiving the enemy by combining reality with illusion—truly a miracle in military history. His military talents are worthy of being ranked among the top ten in history, and it’s also one of the inspirations for my own strategy.”

“Marvelous, marvelous,” Bai Wei praised humbly.

Mr. Nalan tilted his head slightly, a small smile playing on his lips. “?”

“Ahem, please continue, sir,” Bai Wei said sincerely, realizing his compliment had satisfied the strategist’s ego.

Nalan continued, undeterred. “Restoring the country is not an overnight task for us. We must gradually infiltrate and at least have the ability to withstand Lord Qiongqi’s troops. That’s why Ba Xia is an excellent buffer zone. We’ll disturb Ba Xia, cause internal conflicts, seize the opportunity to arm ourselves, capture cities, and hold strategic locations. This will buy us time for the restoration of our country.”

“Have you not considered the Xiangliu clan?” Bai Wei asked, raising another concern.

“I understand Wang Ran. He will not agree to send troops. Plus, there’s intense struggle for succession within the Xiangliu clan, with the military and civilian officials divided,” Nalan paused, her gaze distant. “Time is of the essence. We can only give it our all.”

Bai Wei tapped his fingers thoughtfully on his thigh. “What do you need me to do? Disturb Ba Xia, buy time—it sounds simple. But I still have to take Princess Bai Ze to the capital. If I make too much noise, it might jeopardize the mission.”

“Princess Bai Ze has already attracted attention from all sides—rivers and lakes people, bounty hunters, and pieces put into play by strategists,” Nalan said. “The path to the capital has been thoroughly assessed. It would be quite convoluted.”

“I’m well aware,” Bai Wei replied calmly. “I will carve a path with my sword.”

“Does Young Master Bai really care about Princess Bai Ze?” Nalan asked, curious. “What favor does she owe you?”

“It’s just a debt that can’t be repaid,” Bai Wei said, his voice low. “I only hope she stops crying.”

Nalan remained silent, then sighed. “You haven’t made your intentions clear. In business, fairness is important. I am offering to be a sworn brother as the Tiger General. If your plans are powerful, explain them clearly. I will consider whether to cooperate, depending on the situation. Even if we end up on a pirate ship, I can always return to Bai Ze Kingdom, but you don’t have that option.”

Bai Wei wasn’t interested in politics, but he was skilled in military affairs and negotiations. Cooperation didn’t mean being led blindly.

Helping Mr. Nalan restore his country was just a business transaction. Nalan kept the specific details hidden and mysterious.

Bai Wei’s most desired asset was the negotiation materials with the Third Princess of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. He was unsure if Mr. Nalan could persuade her to intervene. Therefore, he didn’t want to waste time on empty words and delays.

Mr. Nalan fell silent, contemplating. “It’s always like this when plotting. How could a strategist reveal all their plans? Action is 70%, and leaving room for maneuvering is 30%. This is the simple principle of the world. Strategists reveal only 30% and leave 70% for mystery and possible retreat.”

“I understand,” Bai Wei said, his voice steady. “If the Tiger General goes back, the city of Panther’s Eye will surely be taken. Entering Ba Xia will be blocked, like a fishbone stuck in the throat. The dream of restoring the kingdom could become an illusion. Even if there’s a slim chance, once the arrow is shot, it cannot be taken back. We must carry on the plan to restore the kingdom until the end. We’re already on the brink of life and death. If we keep hiding, it will be truly embarrassing. If it were your mother, she wouldn’t continue to hide either.”

The person behind the screen stood, and her voice changed from hoarse to ethereal and clear.

“Miss…” Liu Tingyun hesitated.

But the figure behind the screen waved her hand, and with a gentle push, the screen collapsed, revealing a graceful young figure.

She had bright eyes and white teeth, indigo hair, and wore a blue dress resembling a lotus. Her features were delicate, showing a hint of worry and seriousness beyond her years.

“Nice to meet you, Young Master Bai Wei,” she said softly. “My name is Nalan Qingshu. It has been three years since my mother, Nalan Jinghuai, passed away. Now, I am responsible for managing her affairs.”