My lord, spare his life!

Because the two sides had secretly formed an alliance, Che Si County naturally knew in advance that Dong Xian was going to send troops to threaten the trade route pass, and had made preparations to meet the enemy well in advance. Dong Xian's troops were stopped as soon as they arrived.

"Something seems off to me."

Wang Ba placed his adopted son, He Ning, in charge of the Dongxian camp, while entrusting the attack to his two children. To make the performance more convincing, Wang Ba did not reveal the cooperation between the two families. To minimize their losses, he specifically chose two men of mediocre ability and unremarkable temperament, and gave He Ning military power to restrict their actions.

He Ning naturally agreed to all of them.

There was just one thing he didn't understand.

Why did the godfather keep it from his godbrother and gods? Wouldn't it be more convenient to tell them the truth? If He Ning didn't know Wang Ba's personality, he would have thought that he was making fun of his own children.

Wang Ba: [Telling them would be inappropriate.]

He Ning didn't try to persuade him any further after hearing this.

Wang Ba, still worried, instructed He Ning: "While I'm gone, be careful. If they try anything to harm you or Dongxian, don't hesitate to take action. If you can't bring yourself to do it, spare their lives and wait for me to return."

The scope of "they" is quite broad.

He Ning clasped his hands in acceptance.

These words were not spoken in secret from Yuan Xie.

Yuan Xie: [……]

He watched from the sidelines, his eyes wide with amazement.

He thought to himself, "I can't completely trust what I hear from others; it's all just gossip. I initially thought Wang Ba was the most upright and normal member of the family, but now it seems that's not entirely true. The problem started with Wang Hongtu."

Wang Ba didn't care about the life or death of his offspring at all.

Yuan Xie couldn't help but think of the two unfortunate souls Wang Qi had publicly killed. These two weren't Wang Ba's adopted sons and daughters, but his own biological sons! Outsiders thought it was Wang Ba's ambition that led to the deaths of his two adult sons, but who could argue that these two sons were incomparable to the value of Wang Qi's blade? Of course, Wang Ba wouldn't break Wang Qi's sharp edge over such a thing.

Two sons?

If I'm going to be killed, then so be it.

Can a dead person come back to life?

[Wang Hongtu almost wished he could be Wang Gongsun's grandson...] Yuan Xie felt a pang of sympathy for Wang Ba's other biological and adopted children. He had thought they were just not as valuable as Wang Qi, but it turned out they weren't even as important as his adopted son, He Ning.

Wasn't the subtext of Wang Ba's words that He Ning couldn't bear to kill his own brother, so he would keep him alive to clean house when he returned?

These kids are complete scoundrels.

As the only seemingly normal child in this large family, He Ning's heart softened for a moment, and he subtly hinted to his two sworn brothers and sisters that they didn't need to rush to make merits, and that it was enough to just put on a show.

Your job is to take good care of the supplies and provisions.

It's clear that the sworn brother dislikes He Ning.

It wasn't because of He Ning himself, but because He Ning was Wang Qi's confidant. He both feared and hated Wang Qi, so naturally he wouldn't treat Wang Qi's people well, and he was even more worried that He Ning would do something underhanded. He was at the next table when Wang Qi slaughtered his two brothers. If someone hadn't intervened in time, he would have been Wang Qi's third victim. For a monster like Wang Qi, killing another brother was just a matter of course. Wang Qi might not remember, but he could recall that day every time he had a nightmare.

He remembers the feeling of blood splattering on his face.

I especially remember the feeling of making eye contact with the head that rolled to my feet.

He really thought he was going to die.

Fortunately, Wang Qi was not there, nor was Wang Ba.

What powerful backer does He Ning, this lapdog, have?

His eyes flashed with danger, his expression sinister and ruthless: "Just mind your own business and don't meddle in other things. Wang Gongsun is still missing, and Wang Hongtu is leading troops in the field; they're too far away to help. Neither of them can protect you."

He Ning respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: 【Thank you for your guidance, elder brother.】

【You—humph!】

He Ning's submissive and submissive attitude, as if he were someone to be easily manipulated and bullied, only fueled the anger in the other person. It seemed like he was being sarcastic and deliberately provocative. The man leaned close to He Ning's ear and said, "He Ning, your days of being arrogant and domineering with your dog of a master won't last long."

He Ning turned his head slightly, looking at the other person with indifferent eyes.

Feeling a chill run down his spine from being stared at like that, the other person took two steps back. Realizing that he had been intimidated by He Ning's single glance, he became furious and immediately stormed off.

He Ning suppressed the yin energy around him and gave an apologetic smile.

My brother was joking with me; I hope the goddess Yuanjun will forgive him.

Yuan Xie: [...No, I'm extremely envious. Since I was little, I've envied the atmosphere of loving fathers and filial sons, and harmonious brotherly love in other families.]

He Ning remained calm and composed: "That depends on fate."

Yuan Xie probed: "Has Wu'an been in a difficult situation these past few years?"

Wang Qi was rude to He Ning, and Wang Ba's other children also thought he was Wang Qi's confidant and ostracized him, leaving He Ning caught in the middle.

He Ning: [What about my sworn brothers and sisters, Yuanjun? Actually, it's alright. Adopted sons living under someone else's roof are not the same as biological children. My adoptive father raised me, his kindness is as deep as the sea. It's normal for my sworn brothers to have some complaints. It's just a minor squabble, nothing serious.]

Actually, even if his sworn brother hadn't warned him, he wouldn't have done anything. It was just that the other party was being overly suspicious. If He Ning truly intended to kill, why would he take matters into his own hands? Just as his sworn brother said, even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner. And what about Wang Qi?

Yuan Xie: 【...Ah, yes.】

He Ning didn't mind being called a dog at all. Being trampled on, ravaged, despised, cursed, and discarded like trash... he actually enjoyed this delicate situation, and even more so the astonishment of the other party when they realized they had misjudged him before they died.

The enemy's death, filled with unresolved grievances, was, for him, also a harvest of his hard work. It was not harvest season yet.

He Ning knew that Yuan Xie was deaf, so he would always considerately make sure that the latter could clearly see the shape of his mouth.

He asked, "Did you frighten the Primordial Goddess?"

The five words, "light and airy," sent a chill down one's spine. Yuan Xie remained calm and composed, though he couldn't help but mutter a few curses to himself. Everyone in this family, from top to bottom, was seriously ill. In comparison, Wang Gongsun seemed like a perfectly normal person.

Heavenly Bodhisattva, is this something that can be said?

Despite He Ning's repeated assurances that he wouldn't do anything underhanded, some people still didn't believe him. However, this person didn't reveal his true intentions publicly, but instead waited until he obtained military power and led his troops out of Dongxian County.

Something's not right, something's really not right!

I heard the mountain region is in complete chaos, so Chesi County should be neglecting its defenses at the passes. Even if we launch a surprise attack and fail, we won't gain anything. He didn't listen to He Ning's nonsense; if he actually followed He Ning's advice, he'd have no future. He wasn't particularly outstanding to begin with, and none of the old guard around Wang Ba thought highly of him. If he couldn't seize this opportunity to make a name for himself, he'd become even more insignificant. At that point, not only would Wang Qi kill him, but even He Ning might.

The second attack also yielded no results.

He was so anxious he wanted to bite his nails.

Besides him, there was also Wang Ba's daughter.

She said, "That group of enemies is very familiar with our operations. I suspected it yesterday; it seems they were prepared in advance."

All actions are targeted.

The sneak attack failed, and the frontal assault also failed.

As the saying goes, "One should strike while the iron is hot, but a second attempt will be less effective, and a third will be exhausting." After two failed attempts, morale had been somewhat dampened, and she sensed that those around her were also harboring resentment, their gazes towards her becoming hostile. The more she forced herself to remain calm, the more piercing those gazes felt.

You suspect there's a mole who betrayed us?

He couldn't help but think of He Ning's earlier hint—it seemed that Wang Qi's dog already knew they would return empty-handed.

The thought, once it surfaced, coiled around him like a snake.

I just can't get it out of my mind.

That's exactly what I mean.

Could the mole be He Ning?

Upon hearing this speculation, both of them fell silent.

Rather than suspecting He Ning, it's more accurate to say they were using the opportunity to suspect him. They all knew they'd wanted to kill Wang Qi for a long time, wanted to kill He Ning for a long time, and even—wanted to kill Wang Ba for a long time. Wang Ba was indeed their biological father, but he was also the source of their shackles.

To put it bluntly, if Wang Ba doesn't die, they will always be forced to be inferior to Wang Qi and that bastard He Ning.

Father-son/father-daughter relationship?

How could such a thing exist?

Wang Qi killed two of Wang Ba's own sons, and Wang Ba didn't kill him either. This made them realize that Wang Ba was also their enemy. It meant that Wang Qi could kill either of them at any time.

Wang Ba is my enemy!

Now, their enemy was leading troops away and wouldn't be back for a while, and that little beast Wang Qi was also missing. The atmosphere between the two men became inexplicably tense; they only needed to exchange a glance to understand each other's thoughts. It wasn't that they were particularly in sync; it was simply because they shared the same idea—if they didn't kill He Ning now and take over Dongxian, when would they?

Once Wang Qi and Wang Ba return, there will be no more chances.

Both of them felt their mouths were dry.

The thought of putting his ideas into action made his heart pound uncontrollably. Wang Ba's daughter, without any probing, stated directly: "There must be a traitor here. A third attack won't yield results. Rather than returning empty-handed and being used as a pawn, it's better to strike first. This traitor, if not He Ning, must be He Ning. Or perhaps you want Wang Hongtu or Wang Gongsun to return alive? This is a rare opportunity—"

What good would it do them if Wang Qi lived?

No.

What good would it do them if Wang Ba lived?

nor.

But with both of them dead, they gained many advantages.

Normally, Wang Ba kept a very strict watch on them, and apart from a few retainers, they had no other troops. Wang Qi was different; his elite forces alone were enough to make others envious. She swallowed hard, the candlelight in the tent reflecting the sinister and ruthless look on her face.

[Wang Hongtu raised us like trash, and Wang Gongsun won't treat us like human beings in the future either. We're doomed either way, so instead of living such a miserable life, let's take this opportunity to gamble—might as well go all the way! Dare to fight me?]

I share the same thought.

This was one of their few opportunities to come into contact with the troops.

Next time—

God knows when.

There was a mole in the city who tipped them off; instead of withdrawing during the day, they left in the middle of the night, leaving behind something to mislead the enemy's spies. The two had their own people in Dongxian, and since they planned to seize Dongxian while Wang Ba was away, the first person they needed to eliminate was He Ning.

"I've already given orders to have someone find an opportunity to distract He Ning." As Wang Ba said this, his son and daughter exchanged a glance, a cold smile playing on their lips. This meant that before even launching their attack, they had decided to seize the opportunity of having military power to launch a surprise attack on Dongxian.

Is there a mole within the organization?

Those are all excuses.

Taking away his trusted confidant actually made things easier for the two of them.

Some of the elderly left behind?

Ultimately, this is merely a conflict among Wang Ba's children; it's simply a family matter. Besides, Wang Ba was simply inheriting the political legacy of his former master, Yuan Cong, and wasn't entirely aligned with him. They only avoided a complete falling out because of shared interests. Over the years, conflicts of interest have intensified, and there are certainly those who secretly resent Wang Ba. These are the entry points they've used to bribe him.

I didn't expect you to be so well-prepared.

You're just as good.

He Ning was stationed in Dongxian and was very busy with his duties.

Whenever he had a moment of free time, a banquet invitation would arrive in his hands, and upon closer inspection, it was signed by one of his sworn brothers. This person had no conflict with He Ning, and had invited him because the estate had sent over some rare items. Thinking that there was no one to share them with, he invited a few close friends to a table.

He took the initiative to show goodwill and also gave He Ning a report.

His reasons for hosting the banquet were legitimate; he was not gathering people to plot a conspiracy.

Yuan Xie: "General He, are you going?"

He Ning said, "No banquet is a good banquet."

Yuan Xie greatly admired He Ning's keen insight: "But you should still go. Such a grand show can't be without General He."

If He Ning doesn't go, how can he continue singing?

"If my godfather knew, I wonder what he would think."

Yuan Xie: "I probably don't feel much about it."

He Ning's lips twitched, he put down his brush, stood up and said, "Let's stop here for today. Yuanjun, please be careful these next couple of days and don't get accidentally injured. I won't be able to explain it to Zhang Jun..."

Yuan Xie waved his hand: "What danger could I possibly face at the construction site?"

This is Dongxian's family matter.

As an outsider, Yuan Xie couldn't interfere much. At most, he could remind He Ning to be careful—if He Ning died, Dong Xian would be unsafe, and even Wang Ba and Wang Qi might be homeless. All Yuan Xie could do was leave with his guards a step ahead.

In hindsight, his reminder was unnecessary.

Even without his reminder, He Ning knew about Wang Ba's children's plans.

Isn't this a perfect example of "know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated"?

He Ning chuckled: "Alright, we'll invite Yuanjun again in a couple of days."

He didn't know what his adoptive father was thinking, but he knew very well that his adoptive brothers and sisters wouldn't let this opportunity slip by, and it was only a matter of time before they took action. As for long-term considerations like "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold"? They wouldn't have those, because in chaotic times, only the present matters, not the future.

He Ning went back and changed his clothes before going to the banquet.

He wore a wide robe over a soft armor.

Apart from the decorative sword at his waist, he had nothing else, and only two people accompanied him, appearing completely unprepared.

Looking at the faces, some familiar and some unfamiliar, he chuckled inwardly: "It's a pity my sworn brother isn't here today."

Wang Qi had been looking for an excuse to kill all these people for a long time.

What if my sworn brother finds out that we've missed such a golden opportunity?

He might be furious.

However, it's better if they don't come back.

We can't always do what he wants.

He Ning revealed a gentle, harmless, and humble smile.

"Brother, I'm late."

? ?|??w?`)

Yuan Xie: A whole nest of ghosts!