knife

Chapter 330: Heartfelt words
Tang Xiaofeng stared suspiciously at the unshaven man in front of him, who exuded a sour smell, and examined the seal in his hand again and again.

The Tang family and the Linghu family naturally corresponded with each other, and Tang Xiaofeng recognized Linghu Ye's signature and seal.

Linghu Zhishu,

I've heard of him for a long time, but I've never met him.

This person is an extremely important core figure in the Linghu clan. What is he doing here today, looking like a beggar?
"Brother Linghu, what's this?" Tang Xiaofeng returned the item to Linghu Zhishu with a smile on his face.

Regardless of whether we become competitors in the future, we should still be polite when we meet face to face.

Linghu Zhishu didn't want to waste time being polite with the other party or exchanging pleasantries first.

As members of aristocratic families, the Linghu clan, having lived outside the Great Wall for a long time, had developed a straightforward and direct approach to things.

In that crucial area outside the pass, sometimes if you're just being polite, people will take it seriously.

"Brother Tang, besides Jianmen Pass, where else can we enter Sichuan, or even directly attack Chengdu?" Linghu Zhishu's direct question caused the faces of everyone in the hall to change color.

"What does Brother Linghu mean by this?" Tang Xiaofeng's expression changed drastically.

This Linghu Zhishu is so rude.

Linghu Zhishu took a deep breath and slowly said, "Brother Tang, do you know Li Dachui from beyond the Great Wall?"

Li Dachui, I didn't know him before, but now he's very famous.

He penetrated deep into Yandu, split the Northern Yuan, angered the Northern Yuan emperor to death, and caused the three princes of the Northern Yuan to fight to the death.

This elaborate scheme also included Linghu Ye.

This caused Linghu Ye to lose a great opportunity to make a name for himself and even lose half of his subordinates.

The unruly General Xiao Changche voluntarily abdicated, and this former bandit suddenly became the most powerful man outside the Great Wall.

It can be said that a large part of Li Dachui's rise to power can be seen as the humiliating history of the Linghu clan.

Upon hearing Linghu Zhishu bring up this person, Tang Xiaofeng narrowed his eyes. The others in the hall, lacking Tang Xiaofeng's composure, all burst out laughing.

Linghu Zhishu naturally understood the laughter.

He lowered his eyelids slightly, trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart.

There's no way to argue about this.

A loss is a loss, and even my uncle has accepted it.

A true man can bend and stretch; he can be arrogant when he wins, but he must bow his head when he loses. As long as he hasn't lost all his capital, there will always be a time to make a comeback.

The Linghu family did suffer a loss at the hands of Li Dachui outside the Great Wall, but it was not fundamentally damaged and their foundation remains strong. However, if Li Dachui were to destroy their stronghold, they would be stripped bare.

For a moment, Linghu Zhishu really wondered if these people would still be able to laugh when they lost everything.

But he quickly regained his senses.

If Shu were to fall into Li Dachui's hands, given his methods, he could very well transform the place. With Shu's full support, the Wei family would find it even more difficult to contend with in Chang'an, which would affect the Linghu family's ambition to seize power.

When planning great things, why be concerned with trivial matters?

Let these people laugh if they want.

“Li Dachui has already entered the pass!” Linghu Zhishu said, enunciating each word clearly. “Moreover, according to the intelligence we have obtained, this person is plotting to seize Shu, and those who are conspiring with him include Zhang Songlin, the Minister of War, and Wu De, the Deputy Governor of the Black Ice Guard!”

"Minister of War Zhang Songlin?" Tang Xiaofeng's expression turned somewhat grim. "The Zhang family is nothing to cause trouble in Sichuan."

"What if Li Dachui led his army into Shu?" Linghu Zhishu looked coldly at Tang Xiaofeng. "There is something I need to tell Brother Tang. Although Li Dachui is young, he is a master of the Innate Realm."

"What?" Tang Xiaofeng looked at the other party in disbelief: "How old is Li Dachui? Even at the ninth rank of Xuan Yuan, he is already a rare martial arts prodigy. You actually tell me he is a Xiantian master? Linghu Zhishu, what kind of logic is it to threaten me with such falsehoods? Do you think I am a three-year-old child?"

Linghu Zhishu sighed, “Brother Tang, how much suffering have I, Linghu Zhishu, endured at the hands of Li Dachui? If you ask who in the world hates Li Dachui the most, it must be me. I wish this guy would just die peacefully, how could I possibly speak up for him outside? But the fact is the fact, this person is indeed young, but he is indeed a master of the innate realm.”

Hearing Linghu Zhishu's words, Tang Xiaofeng's expression gradually became serious. He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.

“Brother Tang, Wu De led tens of thousands of troops to take Sichuan, but built a fortified camp in front of Jianmen Pass. What is the reason for this?” Linghu Zhishu said calmly, “He is waiting for Li Dachui to lead his army to attack Chengdu. What will Brother Tang do then?” Tang Xiaofeng suddenly turned to the guard beside him and said, “Go and invite General Quan over immediately.”

Watching the guards dash out of the hall like the wind, Tang Xiaofeng said, "General Quan has been stationed at Jianmen Pass for more than ten years and knows the surrounding terrain like the back of his hand."

“I’ve heard of the new general before!” Linghu Zhishu nodded.

"While we have this opportunity, Brother Linghu, why don't you tell me about Li Dachui?" Tang Xiaofeng said. "I've heard a lot about Li Dachui, but none of it has been as personal as it has been for you, Brother Linghu. Is he really that powerful?"

Linghu Zhishu laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "To be honest, Brother Tang, I, Linghu Zhishu, have always been a proud person, but in front of this person, I can say that I have been utterly defeated and have lost all face."

"Is it just because of this that Brother Linghu traveled all this way to warn me?"

"No!" Linghu Zhishu looked at the other party and said, "My uncle has led two armies to Hedong. One army is advancing from Yuncheng straight to Chang'an, and the other army is advancing from Henan towards Tongguan. The two armies are advancing together to take Chang'an. Their purpose is to defeat Wei Zhengdao and avenge the late emperor and the late crown prince!"

Tang Xiaofeng smiled and nodded: "Of course I know that."

“Li Dachui has joined forces with the Wei family. If he takes over Shu, it will be a great disadvantage to my Linghu clan. If Brother Tang and others hold Shu, at the very least they will remain neutral, right? That’s why we’re rushing on our way.”

“That makes sense!” Tang Xiaofeng said. “We might even be able to lend a hand to the Linghu family!”

"That would be even better!" Linghu Zhishu clapped his hands and exclaimed, "If the Linghu family and the Tang family join forces, and if the east, west and Shu regions of the Yellow River unite, then at least one-third of the world's power will be firmly established."

“But we want to support His Highness Prince Ji!” Tang Xiaofeng added.

"No problem, no problem, everything can be discussed!" Linghu Zhishu chuckled. "Brother Tang, let me tell you some stories about Li Dachui."

"I'd like to hear it! What kind of cultivation technique does Li Dachui practice? Is it so miraculous? He's already at the Innate Realm at such a young age, then what about the rest of us? We've all lived our lives in vain!"

The two drank tea while listening to Linghu Zhishu recount some old stories from beyond the Great Wall. When the tea in their cups was being changed for the third time, the sound of rapid hoofbeats finally rang out from outside, and a moment later, Quanxin rushed in.

"General Tang, there is indeed a way to bypass Jianmen Pass!" Quan Xin's face was deathly pale as he looked at everyone in the room and shouted.

Tang Xiaofeng suddenly stood up: "Which road? How come you've never mentioned it before?"

"The Yinping Trail!" Quanxin said in a trembling voice, "From the Yinping Trail, we can cross the Motian Ridge, capture Jiangyou Pass, take Mianzhu, and then head straight for Chengdu! However, this road has been abandoned for over a hundred years, and even locals know very little about it. This road is extremely difficult for individuals to pass through, let alone large armies. But, but there is such a road after all!"

"Send someone to Yinping immediately to find out what's going on!" Tang Xiaofeng took a deep breath and said, "General Quan, how many troops are guarding Jiangyou Pass?"

"They're just some elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people who collect taxes!"

"Mianzhu is guarded by Hou Shun, a martial arts master with the peak of the eighth rank of Xuan Yuan, and three thousand soldiers!" Tang Xiaofeng said slowly.

"Even if he is a ninth-grade Xuan Yuan cultivator, how can he withstand Li Dachui, who has innate cultivation?" Linghu Zhishu said, "Your army has Old Master Tang in it. If you can get to Mianzhu quickly, you might be able to stop him there. On the Jianmen side, you should immediately send troops to defeat Wu De, and then quickly return to besiege Li Dachui!"

Looking at Linghu Zhishu, Tang Xiaofeng said, "My father was originally at Jianmen Pass, but Hong Zhan came a couple of days ago, and my father confronted him. Now I don't know where he went! Even Daoist Liaoran was attracted away by Yiming."

Linghu Zhishu was stunned upon hearing this, and after a long while, he said, "Aren't there any other innate masters?"

Everyone in the hall stared at Linghu Zhishu as if he were a fool.

"Brother Linghu, are there many Xiantian cultivators on your side? Besides Uncle Ling, who else is there?"

Linghu Zhishu sighed, "That means there aren't any left."

With one less top-tier combatant and now the opponent gaining the upper hand, this situation is becoming quite difficult.

"Brother Tang, the only chance now is to quickly send troops to defeat Wu De. Li Dachui must have taken away the elite troops of the army that entered Shu. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to cross the treacherous road that General Quan mentioned, defeat Wu De, and turn back with the whole army!"

"But how can I believe that what you're saying is true, and not that you're trying to frame me?" Tang Xiaofeng sat down and looked at Linghu Zhishu, saying, "So far, Brother Linghu has no evidence whatsoever, only speculation. Mobilizing a large army is no child's play."

“Even a master who specializes in lightness skills would need one or two days to make it to Yinping and back!” Linghu Zhishu said, “Time is the most precious thing right now, Brother Tang. It’s better to be safe than sorry!”

"General Tang, how about we test Wu De first?" Quanxin said, "This humble general will lead his men to attack him?"

"It's better not to try than to try!" Linghu Zhishu said, "On the way here, I passed by Jiguan Rock and saw Wu Deli's stronghold. If we attack with all our might and don't give the enemy any chance to breathe, we might be able to take it in one fell swoop. But if we use piecemeal tactics, we can only let Wu Deli take the opportunity to train his troops and slowly forge his rabble into a fierce and powerful army!"

"Brother Linghu, I don't need you to teach me how to fight!" Tang Xiaofeng flicked his sleeve: "Someone, take Brother Linghu to the back room to rest."

(End of this chapter)