knife

Chapter 392 Do you want me to save you?
He Yiming felt like the sky was about to fall.

Once he got back, he locked himself in his room and refused to see anyone.

Deep in the mountains, when he took the pine needle out of the dog's head, he felt a chill run down his spine, starting from the top of his head and spreading all the way to the soles of his feet.

That's an innate ability.

Why only take the dog's life and not theirs, He Yiming didn't know.

He knew very well that if he didn't leave, he would be the next one lying on the ground like a dog.

Han Zheng and Jiang Ping were actually protected by a master of innate skill.

Looking back now, it seems like it was something that should have been done in the first place.

Let's not even talk about Han Zheng. This Jiang Ping is said to be the Empress Dowager's most beloved younger sister, and she can enter and leave the palace as if it were her own home.

It's perfectly normal for the Empress Dowager to send a skilled person to accompany her sister out of concern.

While naturally gifted individuals are indeed a rare breed, they are not uncommon for a nation to command.

After all, even a master of innate talent is still a person, with a family, pursuits, and desires.

These wishes can be easily fulfilled as long as they are willing to do certain things.

Just like Hong Zhan's relationship with the Wei family.

Jiang Zhan provides the Wei family with top-notch military support, while in terms of worldly matters, the Wei family can fulfill all the wishes of the Hong family.

It is not easy for a master with innate talent to create a career on their own.

Zhou Zhi, from Tai'an City outside the pass, began his efforts at the peak of the eighth rank and struggled for nearly thirty years before finally establishing Tai'an City.

And this was in the sparsely populated, lawless, and dog-eat-dog world beyond the Great Wall.

Inside the pass, almost everything has already been devoured, making it incredibly difficult to get a share from someone else's plate.

With Han Zheng and Jiang Ping gone, the things I've done will be exposed to the world.

He Yiming trembled as he recalled the words Jiang Shiyuan had spoken before his death.

How to do it?

It's impossible to rely on Zhang Quanyi.

Once the truth comes out, he will inevitably throw himself out as a scapegoat, and when questioned from all sides, he will feign ignorance.

Whether it's He Zudao or Han Tan of Ruyin, they would both be happy to throw themselves out as scapegoats.

With tens of thousands of strong soldiers and the control of Luoyang, Zhang Quanyi's value was far greater than that of a mere leader of the Canal Gang.

No matter how I try to figure it out, it seems like I'm headed for a dead end!

Liu Chuang walked in carrying a jar of wine.

In just a few days, He Yiming looked much more haggard, and even his posture appeared somewhat hunched when he sat there.

What people fear most is losing their vitality and spirit.

He picked up the wine pot, shook off the mud seal, poured a full bowl, drank it all in one gulp, and then poured a second bowl.

"Liu Chuang, you and the others don't need to come back to Luoyang with me!" He Yiming said, picking up his wine bowl.

"Boss, you shouldn't go back either!" Liu Chuang said.

He Yiming smiled bitterly: "How can I not go back? My whole family, dozens of people, are being held by Zhang Quanyi. No matter how angry Zhang Quanyi is with me, if I go back, at least my family will have a way to survive!"

“If you go back, your family will have no way to survive!” Liu Chuang shook his head. “You are a peak ninth-grade Xuan Yuan expert. If you don’t go back, Zhang Quanyi will lock them up or even abuse them, but he would never dare to kill them! The one who started this, will he have no descendants? If a peak ninth-grade Xuan Yuan expert wants to take revenge on them, they may not be able to bear it. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a thousand days to guard against a thief! Isn’t he afraid that one day his family will be left alone? A surprise attack by a ninth-grade Xuan Yuan expert can still do whatever he wants.”

“That makes sense!” He Yiming sighed. “But Liu Chuang, I just can’t be heartless and watch my children suffer without trying to rescue them! Besides, if I don’t go back, the entire Canal Gang will probably become a target for these families to attack together. If I go back, I can take all the blame myself, my family will be safe, and the Canal Gang will be preserved. Otherwise, it won’t just be my family that will be implicated!”

Having said all that, Liu Chuang had nothing more to say, and the two simply drank in silence.

After a long while, Liu Chuang said, "If the gang leader leaves, the Cao Gang will be leaderless. Without a leader who can keep everyone in check, the Cao Gang will inevitably fall apart."

“It’s better than everyone following me to their deaths!” He Yiming said, “Besides, are you willing to share hardships and joys with me, but are the other branches and divisions in the gang willing? If things get out of hand and everyone turns on each other, the scene will be even more ugly.”

"Should we really place our hopes on Zhang Quanyi?"

“If things fail, there’s no hope left!” He Yiming sighed. “Zhang Quanyi will throw me out to take the blame, He Zudao will be angry that I framed him and will definitely take it out on me, and the Southern Chu will also deal with me because I dared to touch their people. Tell me, where do I have any way out?”

Suddenly, someone outside the window chuckled softly, "He Yiming, what if I could spare your life?"

The two people inside the room jumped up almost simultaneously, their eyes turning to the window. One was at the peak of the ninth rank of the Profound Origin Realm, and the other at the eighth rank; how could they not be terrified that someone had gotten so close without them noticing?
The window latch automatically popped up, and the window opened without any wind. Outside, a stranger's face smiled as he looked at the two people inside.

"Who is your Excellency?"

"It's cold outside, won't you invite me in?"

He Yiming took a deep breath and nodded: "Please!"

The person outside did not come in through the window, but walked to the door and knocked politely.

"Innate?" Inside the room, Liu Chuang's whole body stiffened, and he asked in a low voice.

"It should be!" He Yiming mechanically walked over, opened the door, and forced a smile on his face: "A distinguished guest has arrived. I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly. My apologies!"

Li Dachui walked in with a smile, went straight to the table, poured himself a bowl of wine, took a sip, and said, "The wine is good."

He Yiming walked to the table, but did not sit down. Instead, he looked at Li Dachui and said, "I wonder what advice you have for me, senior?"

Li Dachui pointed to the opposite side, "Sit down and let's talk slowly!"

Liu Chuang said in a low voice, "Then I'll go outside and keep watch!"

Seeing that neither of them paid any attention to him, Liu Chuang slowly backed out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.

"You were terrified in the mountains a few days ago, weren't you?" Li Dachui's lips curled up, seemingly gloating.

"So it was the senior who killed the dog?" He Yiming suddenly realized.

Li Dachui shook his head: "Then you're wrong. I was indeed there that day, Chief He. If I hadn't been there, all of you would probably have been killed by that person. The reason I only killed the dog as a warning is that this person couldn't determine who I am or what my relationship is with you."

"So, senior is actually my savior!" He Yiming finally understood the situation back then. No wonder the innate master on the other side didn't attack him. It turned out that he suspected that he also had an innate master, so he only warned and drove him away.

“It should be considered so!” Li Dachui chuckled. “As the saying goes, if you’re going to help someone, help them to the very end. Since I happened to be there and unexpectedly saved your life, I naturally don’t want all my previous efforts to be in vain, and I don’t want to see you fall into a dead end.”

"Who is this senior?" He Yiming asked. "Although you are a master of the Innate Realm, do you know what trouble I've run into? My troubles are not something that can be solved simply by having high martial arts cultivation!"

“My surname is Li, and my name is Li Dachui!” Li Dachui said, emphasizing each word.

The moment the name "Li Dachui" was uttered, He Yiming jumped to his feet, and a loud bang echoed from the outside gate as Liu Chuang, the gatekeeper, slammed his head against the door.

"Li Dachui, Protector-General of the Beiting Protectorate?" He Yiming pressed his hands on the table, his speech slowing down as he asked the question, pausing between each word.

“Not bad!” Li Dachui said, “The matter in Shu County is over. I was planning to go south to see the situation here, to check on He Zudao’s current situation, and to see the deployment in Southern Chu. By chance, I ran into your matter.”

"He Yiming greets Protector Li!" He Yiming bowed respectfully.

This man is now a true warlord, a powerful figure in the military.

His deeds are being told throughout the Guanzhong region. Previously, it was only about unifying the areas outside the Guanzhong region and splitting the Northern Yuan, but now his plot to seize Shu County has been added. Each of these is a major event that is extremely shocking.

"I can save you, do you believe me?" Li Dachui asked with a smile.

He Yiming took a deep breath.

Believe it?
Of course I believe it.

The person in front of me may indeed have the ability to save me from this predicament, but I am well aware of the price to pay.

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

People have to pay the price for everything they gain.

This time, someone saved your entire family's lives, so from now on, you'll have to work for them.

“If the Protector is willing to lend a helping hand, then He Yiming, along with the Canal Gang, will be willing to serve the Protector wholeheartedly from now on!” He Yiming said firmly.

It's so easy to talk to smart people.

Li Dachui laughed and said, "Very good. Where are your family members being held by Zhang Quanyi? Give me the location and the map, and I'll go and rescue them. Then I'll arrange for them to settle down in Shu County. As for you, you can stay here and be the leader of the Canal Gang. Someone will come to contact you soon!"

"Zhang Quanyi and He Zudao will probably not let me go!"

“What reason would Zhang Quanyi have to target you? Is he trying to confess without being asked? Admit that he instigated and bribed you to do this?” Li Dachui laughed. “The people you’ll be in contact with next are allies of He Zudao, so on the surface, you’ve pledged allegiance to He Zudao. Plus, Han Zheng and Jiang Ping aren’t dead, so this matter can be dropped!”

"You also have people on He Zudao's side?" He Yiming was shocked.

Li Dachui smiled and said, "The next person will tell you what to do."

(End of this chapter)