Yefutidaolu

Chapter 284 Rejecting Yang Ling
In the courtyard of the village, Gao Jian and Yang Ling were testing each other.

Gao Jian was testing Yang Ling's strength and influence, while Yang Ling was testing Gao Jian's magnanimity and willpower.

However, the outcome was unexpected for both sides.

It was obvious that Yang Ling underestimated Gao Jian's strength. He might have thought that he could put up a fight against Gao Jian, who was at the sixth level, but the facts proved that he was not. Gao Jian's strength far exceeded his imagination, and Gao Jian even figured out his background without his knowledge.

The secret of the rusty knife was never revealed, so Yang Ling didn't even know to what extent he had leaked his trump card.

On the other side, Gao Jian was also secretly alarmed.

Gao Jian never imagined that Yang Ling, a mere minor official in the prefectural government, could achieve such a feat!
He dulled the luster of the rusty knife, read the information within the other party's divine will, and obtained the scene from which the other party obtained the divine will.

At that time, Yang Ling was just a minor official, not even as good as a chief clerk, but he dared to take advantage of the Hu people's invasion to release prisoners, seize the armory, and then arm his own forces!
This matter has clearly been accomplished, which means that Yang Ling has a regular army under his command!

It has complete weaponry, a complete organizational structure, and it's even possible that its training methods were adopted from the regular army of the Divine Dynasty!
This person's ambitions are truly astonishing!
He's only at the fifth realm!
At merely the fifth realm, and even only the fourth realm when the rebellion began, what is this person doing? What is his ultimate goal?!

Gao Jian couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed, so he increased the force of his blows.

But at that moment, a bright light flashed across the sky, and a red light suppressed Gao Jian's hand.

At the same time, a sword aura flashed.

Gao Jian vaguely felt that the sword energy was somewhat familiar.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity, because... this sword energy seemed to have appeared behind the flying boat he was riding. It was precisely because of this sword energy that he landed on the ground and discovered Blood Sea Lord.

The appearance of this sword energy immediately alerted Gao Jian!
who is it?

Are they people from the netherworld, or something else?
Gao Jian's expression changed, and then he swung his sword, slashing at the sword energy.

The sword energy wasn't powerful; it seemed to be only meant to distract Gao Jian. So, in just a moment, the sword energy was deflected. But the instant Gao Jian swung his sword, Yang Ling had an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Yang Ling opened his eyes at that moment.

Gao Jian was taken aback.

He's awake already? Something's not right!

Gao Jian was very clear about the intensity of his suppressed qi and blood; a cultivator at the fifth realm would generally need a whole night to slowly recover.

But Yang Ling had already woken up the moment he let go.

In that instant, Yang Ling flipped up and glided away into the distance as if he hadn't been hurt at all. It was incredibly smooth, and this movement technique didn't seem to be something from a standard martial arts manual.

Gao Jian did not stop him.

If we really had to stop them, it's not that we couldn't, but... compared to Yang Ling, that swordsman over there is a greater threat.

Takashi pulled the rusty knife out completely, letting it hang down at an angle with the tip slightly touching the ground, and looked into the darkness.

“Swordsman…assassin? This sword intent doesn’t resemble martial arts combat or battlefield assaults; it’s more like a snake.” Gao Jian looked into the darkness and said this.

Following Gao Jian's gaze, a figure emerged from the darkness.

This person looks... you can tell at a glance that they're not a likable person.

He looked to be around thirty years old, with an appearance as withered as a dead tree, but his eyes were like those of a viper.

His viper-like eyes were chilling, and the way he wielded his sword was as agile and ruthless as a snake. His thin face and calm pupils stared at Gao Jian, but there was no murderous intent in his eyes.

Since the other party had no intention of killing, Gao Jian did not make a move directly, but remained in place to observe the situation and prepare for defense.

Yang Ling is a person who becomes more and more interesting the more you look at him.

Yang Ling quickly swam to his side and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, Gao Jian said to him, "Oh... I understand. Youmingdi didn't intend to kill me. Xuehaijun just came to see me. But you, Yang Ling... you orchestrated the crash of the flying boat. You wanted me to die there."

Yang Ling said, “That’s true, Lord Gao, but you should also know that you are a student of the Imperial Academy and you came with a mission. If you are allowed to act freely, there will be big problems. Once the aristocratic families and the Taotie tribe collude with you, the people of Liangzhou will have no way to survive. I dare not gamble.”

Yang Ling readily admitted to what had happened.

In order to nip the matter of the Imperial Academy students in the bud, he launched a preemptive attack on the flying boat.

Needless to say, the source of the intelligence was obvious. As a member of the Liangzhou government, he had plenty of opportunities to access such intelligence, so he made the judgment that he should assassinate Gao Jian.

"I could tell you had a strong gambling addiction, but now you're saying you're afraid to gamble?" Gao Jian smiled and said.

What Gao Jian said is indeed true.

After his attack failed, Yang Ling immediately changed his strategy and began to contact Gao Jian. After all, the students of the Imperial Academy were an unavoidable link. If he couldn't kill them, he had to prevent them from aligning themselves with the Liangzhou aristocratic families and the Taotie tribe.

Yang Ling smiled and said, "That's something we can't help. Many times, we have to gamble, like now. But it's not all gambling. I've been observing Lord Gao for a while and have investigated your deeds. I think you're not uncooperative. At least... you're not willing to collude with the Liangzhou aristocratic families, right?"

"Since that's the case, I'm willing to tell you all these things so that Lord Gao might know what I'm thinking."

Yang Ling just stared at Gao Jian, seemingly waiting for his answer.

Gao Jian looked at Yang Ling for a while, then said, "You killed a whole ship of people just to kill me? You saw the ship of people, only four survived, and... did you see that Liu Xin? His whole family died in there, only one of them was left."

"Of course I know, but there's nothing I can do. For the sake of over a billion people in Liangzhou, I have no choice," Yang Ling said helplessly. "I don't want to kill innocent people indiscriminately, but I always have to make a choice."

“Womanly compassion will only kill more people, Lord Gao. Do you perhaps... want to save everyone? If so, you will fail, you will lose miserably,” Yang Ling asked.

This is a very common, yet very pointed, question.

Is it feasible to kill one to save many? Do I have the right to make this decision? What should I choose?
The expert had already arrived at the answer long ago. The road ahead may be difficult, but that is no excuse. Life is often arduous, so many people, especially intelligent and wise ones, always give themselves many reasons.

Discarding unimportant things is all for the sake of that great goal.

Sacrifice is necessary; all of this is for the greater good.

But insightful opinions are not necessarily those of a wise person.

He was faced with a trolley problem, and the brilliant answer was... he should stop the trolley.

(See Chapter Fourteen for details)
No one will die. If anyone dies, that is a matter of profound insight. That is his divine will, the power that comes from the Buddha's light, as if it were to save all people.

Even in the deepest suffering of hell, there is salvation.

All beings in the six realms of existence can be liberated.

All the lonely ghosts and miserable souls were granted a chance to be reborn.

People come after, but insightful opinions come first!
Gao Jian shook his head and said, "Yang Ling, I used to think we might be able to cooperate, but now I realize that we are not on the same path."

"Are you one of the many powerful families in Liangzhou?" Yang Ling asked.

“It’s not good to work with them either, so I can cooperate with you and use your current power to help me complete the mission and make the lives of many people in Liangzhou better. However, I will not be involved in your cause,” Gao Jian said.

Yang Ling chuckled lightly: "I haven't invited you yet."

“You’ve already invited me. In the end, you just want me to join you, just like that swordsman behind you. Speaking of which, my background information was probably given to you by that swordsman, right?” Gao Jian pointed to the swordsman behind the other party who looked like a viper.

Yang Ling frowned: "Sometimes I really suspect that you've obtained something extraordinary. Why can you always guess these things? I haven't said anything, but Lord Gao always seems to know these things as if he can foresee the future?"

Gao Jian pointed to his head: "Nothing special, just use your brain. You obviously don't know me, and you can't possibly have your own informants in Shendu. And for certain specific information, only specific channels can get it."

"You're so certain about my character. If you're not a fool, then you must have seen what I've done in the past. Well... there are no people of yours in Cangzhou or Shendu. You don't have that ability. So the only way you could possibly get the information that 'I'm a good person' is through some organizations whose influence is spread throughout the entire Divine Dynasty."

“There aren’t many organizations of this type. You happen to know one, right? Yan Pavilion.” Gao Jian called out the name of a faction.

Yan Ge is an assassin organization whose main power is in Liaodong, but its branches have spread throughout the entire Divine Dynasty.

Yan Ge and Gao Jian had a past connection. Yan Ge's Song Da had helped Gao Jian before, but Gao Jian still doesn't know what happened after he left that night. He only knows that Yan Ge is actually a good person. Although it is an assassin organization, it does have a strong sense of loyalty.

After Gao Jian left Lijin Gate that day, no one from the Zuo family chased after him for a long time. He had a vague guess that someone must have helped him hold off the Zuo family's pursuers, and those people never came looking for Gao Jian in the end.

Because it's unnecessary; they help those with insightful opinions without needing the opinions to know or reciprocate. It's simply their own idea.

They offered their help on a whim, without feeling that Gao Jian owed them anything, nor did they intend to make him repay them, and they didn't even intend to let Gao Jian know about it.

However, Gao Jian was not a fool; with a little thought, he could guess what had happened.

At this moment, he saw a man who looked like an assassin, his sword energy like a snake, but there was no killing intent in his eyes. Moreover, Yang Ling knew his background and dared to reveal his secrets to him, which showed that this matter was not simple. He must have learned some unknown things, such as... his situation in Cangzhou.

Therefore, by combining the two, Gao Jian can easily draw a conclusion.

"Is Yan Ge also helping you? Your connections are truly extensive. Now I feel that you do indeed have the ability to help me complete the construction of the border." Gao Jian looked at Yang Ling with some admiration.

"Mr. Gao, what are you saying? Haven't you ever received any help from Yan Ge?" Yang Ling smiled.

However, after only a light laugh, he immediately composed himself and resumed his serious expression, saying to Gao Jian, "Then it's settled, Mr. Gao. You hand over the banner to us, and we'll help you handle the border affairs. You won't even need that million gold, unless you want to line your own pockets."

Yang Ling continued, "We'll send people here today, and we'll head straight to Yongning. Once we arrive, we'll immediately begin constructing the border fortifications. I'll be in charge of the personnel, but you must ensure I'm not disturbed, is that alright?"

Gao Jian immediately nodded in response: "No problem. You can prepare the border and the soldiers to fill the positions. I will deal with the Jin family and the Taotie tribe."

Clearly, although there was a casual atmosphere just now, everyone was actually observing each other's situations and thinking about their own actions, and now all the probing is over.

So, let's get straight to the point.

Gao Jian needed people to help him manage the border, to help him complete his mission, and also to prepare military provisions and pay.

To put it bluntly, Gao Jian came here to rebuild the border, to fill the new border, and to provide this brand-new fortress with supplies and logistics for at least ten years.

These are things he couldn't have accomplished alone, but now Yang Ling has demonstrated his ability to do so.

Yang Ling does indeed have an army, and he is indeed capable of building border defenses; he simply needs the help of a wise advisor.

After all, to do this kind of thing, one must withstand the pressure from the aristocratic families and the Taotie tribe, but Yang Ling absolutely cannot withstand this pressure, so he can only let Gao Jian use his status to bear it.

Speed ​​is of the essence in war. We must take this opportunity during Gao Jian's trip to settle the border and then use the established facts to silence the Taotie tribe and the Jin family!
"In that case, Lord Gao, let's not stay overnight and just leave?" Yang Ling invited Gao Jian to head to Yongning.

Gao Jian then said, "Wait a minute. Building a border post will definitely require a lot of money. Judging from your performance just now, I guess you're planning to collect the taxes yourself, right?"

Rebuilding the border will definitely require materials, craftsmen, and array masters. It's not something that can be done easily. Even with the help of Yan Pavilion and the support of previous forces, money will still be needed.

Yang Ling definitely couldn't come up with that money, so he would collect it just like the aristocratic families.

However, Yang Ling's approach should be lighter. The powerful families often levy four or five times the normal amount, while Yang Ling will probably only take what he needs. But this "need" is still a heavy burden.

It's just not that bad.

But this is a 'necessary sacrifice,' which Yang Ling can accept.

The reason why someone with superior insight cannot refuse is because they lack the ability to do so.

(End of this chapter)