Volume Two: The Outlaws Here Chapter Ninety-Seven: Each Speaking of Old Acquaintances

“Yu Wenruo is dead? There’s such a figure in the Northern Domain?” Lin Changtian stared thoughtfully at Lian Hua, who had come to deliver the message. It wasn’t that the news was particularly shocking; rather, the protagonist of the story was too... obscure. At least to him, he had hardly heard of any heroes with the surname Yu.

But if Kuisheng went to the trouble of sending someone personally to deliver this message, then it was surely no trivial matter.

“Do you know who Yu Wenruo is?” Lin Changtian asked.

Lian Hua shook his head honestly. He was a minor figure, concerned only with the daily meals and tending to his bedridden mother at home. Generals liked to ask him a few questions but didn’t expect much of a response from his dull-witted nature; teasing Lian Hua was simply entertaining.

“Hmm, neither you nor I know him, so this person must be a fox hiding his tail. You’ll have to do me a favor—go and summon Senior Liu and Gongsun Twelve to the tent.”

Lian Hua nodded and turned to leave.

...

“Could the rebel really be Old Yu? Has he lost his mind?” Gongsun Twelve murmured, flipping the letter back and forth as if trying to find some forged evidence.

Lin Changtian ignored her and brewed a pot of tea, placing it before Liu Qingshan. He addressed the elder respectfully: “Where did this mysterious figure suddenly emerge from? His actions are bizarre. I’ve heard he dared to rebel against Ma Hui with only a private army. I can’t tell if it’s foolishness or arrogance.”

“You’re mistaken,” Liu Qingshan said, stroking his beard and squinting his eyes, shaking his head as he spoke with great reverence. “Yu Wenruo was no ordinary man—he was a wise general of a thousand autumns, a worthy advisor to the king, loyal and trustworthy, filial and kind. He was truly a unique pure stream in the Northern Domain.”

Others thought so too, but Lin Changtian was unconvinced; he saw an undercurrent of disdain hidden in the old man’s eyes.

“Senior, you know people well, and you’re right. Without Yu Wenruo, how could Ma Hui’s territory be so prosperous today? During the Battle of Luoyou Mountain, when the southern front fell, Lin Yuan’s right army marched in as if no one stood in their way. The ferocity of the troops was such that Anma City was on the verge of collapse! Yu Wenruo held Anma, Dong’e, and San Shui—three cities. Overnight, he emptied his family’s wealth to gather countless weapons and gear. The entire city was filled with elite soldiers, and he stubbornly held out until General Chu Ji’s eight thousand men defeated one hundred thousand in a decisive battle!”

Gongsun Twelve’s face flushed with pride. She pressed her skirt, stomped a foot on the table, and at the height of her excitement, pulled out a wine flask, gulping it down without care for decorum. Then she wiped her mouth and turned to praise Chu Ji again.

“If you talk about how many heroes there are in the Northern Domain, they’re countless. Kuisheng is one, Xuyong is another, and General Chen Ziliang is brave but a bit slow-witted. Hmm, if I weren’t a woman, I’d have been honored to make a name with them.” Gongsun Twelve poked her cheek, somewhat drunk, biting a lock of hair and slurring, “But the only ruthless man in the Northern Domain is Lord Chu Ji! Eight thousand against a hundred thousand—Lin Changtian, you were fierce when you fought Guo Huai, but could you go that far? No way!”

Lin Changtian sneered, unwilling to reason with a drunken woman.

But if it weren’t for the sharp retort from Sishan Lin, he wouldn’t be himself. Clearing his throat, he forced himself to appear like a competent general.

He said calmly, “I’ve heard that not a single one of Chu Ji’s eight thousand warriors survived, and he himself was ultimately discarded like an old bow after the bird is gone. Even when Ma Hui’s three western towns fell so disastrously, Ma Hui never unleashed that tiger from its cage. I’m no expert in warfare, but a man born under heaven wields his blade not merely to argue on behalf of someone else.”

“Ma Hui, such a petty man, will surely meet his fate—betrayed by all!” Gongsun Twelve was indignant, but her mind was clearer now. Knowing she couldn’t best this fearsome warrior, she cursed her so-called birth father under her breath.

Lin Changtian folded his hands behind his back, deliberately teasing Gongsun Twelve. “Then tell me, how could the Yu clan muster enough supplies and weapons to resist an army of hundreds of thousands? Emptying their fortunes shows loyalty, yes, but the corruption and abuse under Yu Wenruo’s protection surely did not do justice to his position. Think about it yourself—after the rebellion, after the glory faded, how many in Anma City still praised the Yu clan’s loyalty?”

Gongsun Twelve’s face showed a faint anger, though it seemed more like a playful scolding due to her beauty.

“You outsiders should refrain from judging things you haven’t experienced! Old Yu was a great sage, as Senior Liu said, a pure stream in the Northern Domain! As for General Chu Ji, although eight thousand men died with him and he alone survived, isn’t that harder to bear than anyone else? Neither of them were ordinary people—achieving glory, charging across the battlefield, strategizing like great chess masters. How dare you criticize them!”

Lin Changtian’s stubbornness flared up; he glared at Gongsun Twelve, forgetting entirely why he had summoned them.

Gongsun Twelve refused to back down, puffing out her chest and locking eyes with him.

Then... she watched as his anger turned to shame, and he lowered his head.

“Bah, you scoundrel, can’t you mind your own eyes?” Gongsun Twelve spat lightly. Still a woman at heart, she lost the verbal duel and, flustered, covered her pale face before storming out, slamming the door behind her.

Lin Changtian shrugged helplessly and turned to Liu Qingshan. “Senior, I’m right, aren’t I? Reasoning with women—even strangers—never resolves who’s right or wrong. Now I have to find that lazy Xuyong to apologize. I hear Gongsun Twelve has taken quite a dislike to him lately...”

“That I know. They’re familiar with each other, but one is fiery and talkative, the other... hmm, your metaphor fits well—he’s a limp rag.”

“Exactly. From the girl’s every move, it’s clear her heart belongs to a hero,” Lin Changtian teased, pointing out the door. “Maybe she’s waiting for some lord to come riding on a rainbow cloud to fetch her!”

Liu Qingshan chuckled and tapped his head. “Wouldn’t that be like giving this earthly beauty to a monkey?”

“Earthly beauty?”

“A woman who lowers her gaze and can’t see her own toes is already a rare beauty. But, Lin boy, guess who among men is the freest spirit?” Liu Qingshan sipped his tea, a mischievous glint lighting his face.

Lin Changtian shook his head, signaling ignorance.

“A man who sees a beauty and lowers his gaze enough to see three toes is the most charming in the world,” Liu Qingshan said slowly. Lin Changtian frowned, thinking it some profound wisdom, but said nothing.

Seeing his expression, Liu Qingshan laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. “You’ve yet to experience life. In a few years, when you find a girl you love, you’ll understand what I mean.”

“That’s true. I met one during my escape through the central north,” Lin Changtian blinked, smiling foolishly, recalling how a certain woman named Yu was teased by an apple.

Standing with hands on hips, well, she truly was an earthly beauty.

“That fellow, I think you have some nerve—figure out your own way to chase me,” Liu Qingshan said with a grin, recalling the impression left by another beauty he’d met.

Night had long since swallowed the moon over the pavilion, yet old tales spoke anew.

For a moment, Lin Changtian entertained the idea of rushing straight to the Central Plains.

To find a woman who was as lofty as the colorful clouds above, while he was but a drifting reed, even if reunited, he could never reach her.

But... these days are not what they once were, Lin Changtian muttered. He longed to shout in the direction of the Central Plains, though he still couldn’t tell north from south.

Does that matter? He already had tens of thousands of fierce troops by his side. He would simply take them to find her.

“When I find Yu Li, I won’t reason with her—I’ll just take her away, after all, I’m a bandit,” Lin Changtian said to himself. If not for Liu Qingshan tapping his head, he might have already planned a child’s name.

“Lin boy, stop playing dead and get up. We have serious matters to discuss,” Liu Qingshan said, finally stopping his tapping. Perhaps he had tapped a little too hard—Lin Changtian no longer muttered but lay still with froth on his lips.

In Sishan, there’s a peculiar rule: when there’s no danger, Senior Liu is the greatest danger.

His strength is such that even if he knocks you out, he believes he was too gentle and that you simply fell asleep.

“Senior Liu... I’m listening,” Lin Changtian swayed to his feet, again realizing the difference between the Heavenly Mandate and the Divine Realm.

Look at him—his head banging was far livelier than Lin Mingren’s in Fancheng.

“Lin boy, tell me, with Ma Hui shutting himself away, who really runs Anma City?” Liu Qingshan stroked his beard, smiling with satisfaction. He knew Lin Changtian was feigning death and was pleased with his own gentle handling.

“Well... I suppose it’s someone close to him. After all, nurturing a noble-born trusted subordinate wouldn’t suit Ma Hui’s temperament.”

Liu Qingshan nodded, growing more pleased with his head banging. See? Not only harmless but made him smarter!

“Exactly. Among all ministers, Yu Wenruo ranked just below the leader. Now that he’s dead, who will seize that power? After much thought, I fear only Du Zhaolin can be the second Yu Wenruo,” Liu Qingshan said solemnly, emphasizing Du Zhaolin’s name.

“Oh? Why Du Zhaolin? Just because he’s a close confidant of Ma Hui?” Lin Changtian sneered, emphasizing ‘close confidant.’

Liu Qingshan narrowed his eyes, closed the door tightly, returned to his seat, and said slowly, “That involves a tale of grudges and favors... hmm, or as you’d say, gossip.”

...