knife

Chapter 353 Don't set your expectations too high
It's always easy to make demands of others.

But when it actually happens to you, you realize how difficult it is.

During the day, He Bing boasted that even with a knife to his throat, he would still try to fight back and seek survival in the face of death.

But when Li Dachui stood in front of him, all his courage vanished in an instant.

This made Li Dachui look down on him even more.

Two years ago, he and Xiao Changche killed the Tiele people and encountered Duanmu Miaomiao. The two of them were much braver than He Bing.

Knowing they were no match for them, the two still launched a fierce charge, even as they fell to the ground, even as someone patted Duanmu Miaomiao's foot.

The enemy will not spare your life just because you are weak.

Since there's no other way out, it's good to splatter the other person's blood before you die.

This is the belief of people who grew up outside the Great Wall.

Whether this person is a good person or a villain.

"Are you planning to go and seek refuge with He Zudao?" Li Dachui took a wooden stick and slowly poked at the fire, making it burn brighter.

As if struck by lightning, He Bing stared blankly at Li Dachui.

The other person isn't a mind reader, how could they know what he's thinking?

"you you"

You talked for a long time, but didn't utter a single word.

"How strange that I could guess where you were going?" Li Dachui asked with a smile.

“Yes!” He Bing finally regained some of the dignity that a great man should have. He slowly sat cross-legged in front of Li Dachui and looked at him, saying, “I believe that I have acted very discreetly and that everything is flawless.”

"There are no secrets in this world. As a veteran in the field of espionage, your very belief that this is wrong!" Li Dachui shook his head and said, "If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place! Geese leave traces as they fly by, and people leave their names as they pass by. How can there be no flaws at all!"

“It was Zhou Gang!” He Bing closed her eyes. “It could only be him who leaked the information about coming to see me to you, and based on this information, you deduced what I wanted to do, right?”

"Yes, you've finally captured the air of a Grand Chancellor of the Black Ice Guard!" Li Dachui nodded and said, "Exactly!"

"So, you really are Li Zemin and He Qingqiu's posthumous child?"

"Guess!" Li Dachui chuckled.

"Whether this matter is true or false is not important, but your attitude has made me truly believe that you are their bastard!" He Bing sighed.

Li Dachui raised his hand and slapped He Bing across the face.

He Bing saw Li Dachui raise his hand and tried to block it, but as soon as he raised his hand, he was hit hard on the face. It was just an ordinary slap without any real energy, but it still made He Bing's ears ring and five finger marks appeared on his face.

At this moment, it seemed that the two of them were just ordinary people without any true energy.

He Bing discovered that he couldn't muster any true energy.

They were completely powerless to retaliate against their opponent's attacks.

Despair spread throughout his entire being.

“This slap isn’t because you killed them back then, but to teach you to have the most basic respect for the dead, especially when their descendants stand in front of you!” Li Dachui said coldly.

“Kill me if you want, why humiliate me like this?” He Bing said angrily.

“Fewer and fewer people know what happened back then!” Li Dachui added a handful of firewood to the fire and said calmly, “Li Anmin is dead, and Kou Zhong is dead. I was there when they died, but I couldn’t find them to ask about what happened back then, so I had to come to you. I never humiliate people; I only kill.”

"Were you there when Kou Dayin died?" He Bing was shocked.

"Not only was he present, but I killed both him and Yang Jian!" Li Dachui said. "I personally cut off Kou Zhong's head and hung it on the city wall. Everyone says it was He Zudao who did it, but actually, it was me. It's just that He Zudao needed this to boost his reputation, while I didn't want the world to know about my existence so quickly. So, we each got what we wanted!"

“Since I’m going to die anyway, why should I tell you about what happened back then?” He Bing said.

“There are many ways to die!” Li Dachui said, “You can choose between a quick death and a painful death.”

“It’s all death!” He Bing lowered his head.

"Do you perhaps still wish to live?" Li Dachui asked, somewhat surprised.

"Wu De has switched sides with you, hasn't he?"

“To call it surrendering is too harsh. We should say we share the same ideals, which is why we've come together to do something for the people of this world!” Li Dachui said. “Seeking fame and fortune!” He Bing sneered. “Linghu Ye said the same thing, you said the same thing, and Wei Zhengdao said the same thing—all equally despicable!”

“It’s different. Some people just talk the talk, but I actually walk the walk. It’s a pity you didn’t have the chance to go to the area beyond the Great Wall. If you had, you would know that what I said was true. Wu De decided to cooperate with me precisely because he went to the area beyond the Great Wall!” Li Dachui said, “It’s not because I’m anyone’s son.”

"Since you've been cooperating with Wu De, you should know that Wu De has been traveling the world and planting spies all these years. Now that Wu De has joined you, these spies are all your subordinates, aren't they?"

"It should be considered so!"

“My brother He Yu has already taken these lists to Jiangnan!” He Bing said. “If he can’t get any news from me, he will take these documents and defect to Nan Chu. In that case, countless intelligence agents of the Black Ice Guard’s two intelligence lines in Nan Chu will fall into the hands of the Heavenly Net and they will be doomed. But as long as I am safe and sound, he will continue to lie low.”

“Your arrangements are indeed excellent,” Li Dachui said. “However, we have a clear understanding of your whereabouts. Do you think we would just stand by and watch your brothers leave without doing anything?”

He Bing clenched his fists tightly, and the veins on his face bulged.

"Don't harbor any illusions. He Yu is long gone, before you!" Li Dachui said. "Tell me honestly what happened back then, and I can spare the life of your child in Nan Chu, which will ensure the continuation of your He family line. What do you think of this exchange?"

"You even know this?"

"He Yu confessed everything thoroughly!" Li Dachui said, "That child was sent to Southern Chu by you when he was young, and he always thought he was a Chu person! He's quite good at studying, handsome, and looks like you. Who knows, he might even pass the imperial examinations someday!"

"What about my other family members?" He Bing asked in a hoarse voice. "They have no idea about the mess this is in!"

"Don't set your expectations too high!" Li Dachui said.

He Bing looked at Li Dachui in despair.

Li Dachui calmly replied, "Repay kindness with kindness, and avenge wrongs with revenge. After you learned my identity, you planned your escape, and that was one of the reasons, wasn't it? Falling into my hands, this was your only fate. I've even left you a lineage, so that people will burn incense and offer sacrifices for you during festivals. That's already being very lenient. If you don't want that, then so be it!"

"I do!" Tears streamed down He Bing's face. "Ask me anything you want to know!"

Outside, the wind grew stronger, and the north wind swept up large snowflakes that completely enveloped the world. From time to time, the roars of tigers and howls of wolves could be heard. They were probably attracted by the bloody smell of the prey slaughtered that night. However, these wild animals had extremely keen instincts and only lingered outside the village, not daring to cross the line.

At the fourth watch of the night, Li Dachui opened the door and slowly walked out. Looking back into the room, He Bing was sitting cross-legged by the fire, but there was no longer any sign of life in her.

Another enemy from back then died at his hands.

He turned and gently closed the door. By the time the wind, carrying snow, lashed against the door, Li Dachui had already disappeared from the courtyard.

When Li Dachui left his parents, he was just a newborn baby and had no concept of parents.

As I grew up, I gradually formed a rough image of my parents in my mind through different people. Everyone praised my mother highly, but my father did not have a good reputation.

However, now, the image of his father is slowly becoming more complete in Li Dachui's mind.

The useless fellow in his adoptive father's words, the fool who killed He Qingqiu, wasn't actually that bad. It was just that their enemy was too powerful, and they underestimated human nature, always judging others by their own standards, which ultimately led to one mistake after another.

In fact, the Crown Prince had already prepared to stage a military coup at the last moment, and He Qiku was the Crown Prince's final killing move.

This general, who was gradually promoted by the Crown Prince from humble beginnings, at that time controlled more than 60% of Chang'an's military strength and the entire city's defense.

The betrayal by He Qiku and his son led to Li Zemin's complete failure.

At that time, He Qingqiu was pregnant, and her martial arts cultivation level dropped from the Divine Realm to the Innate Realm. Moreover, she was not in Chang'an, which caused the Crown Prince to lose his greatest martial arts support.

The betrayal was so cruel that it cost the Crown Prince his last military support.

The coup d'état launched by Li Anmin, Kou Zhongwei, and others at this point in time was meticulously planned.

At that time, they probably couldn't have imagined that their rule would only last for a little over thirty years before it was on the verge of collapse.

At that time, the Qin Dynasty was already terminally ill. If the Crown Prince and He Qingqiu were to perform a radical cure, the Qin Dynasty might still have a chance to be revived.

However, the price paid is the loss of the interests of those wealthy and powerful families.

They don't want to.

Thirty years later, Kou Zhong and Wei Zhengdao finally realized that the actions of the Crown Prince and He Qingqiu were the only way to save the Qin Dynasty. So they made an abridged version, using the interests of the powerful families in Hedong and Hexi to alleviate the crisis facing the Qin Dynasty once again.

They failed again.

Because at this time, the powerful families of Qin saw an opportunity to hold another grand banquet, just as they had done centuries ago when they devoured the remains of the Great Yong.

A flowing dynasty, an iron-clad family.

(End of this chapter)