Chapter 383
"And this sword is a fine weapon I acquired in my early years. Since ancient times, a fine sword has been paired with a hero. I hope Mister Zhongli will not find it offensive."
Zuo Xuanliao had seen Shi Lei at the General's Mansion before, but at that time he hadn't noticed what weapon Shi Lei used. He only vaguely remembered that the Female Lupo beside him used a sword. So he chose this as a gift, hoping to bet on the right person.
Shi Lei is often thanked and given gifts, and he's gotten used to it. If he refuses all gifts, the other party will most likely continue to give them.
So he turned his head to look at Texas, signaling with his eyes that he was asking for her opinion.
Texas is currently using weapons crafted by Shi Lei, which he finds very convenient to use.
No matter how sharp Zuo Xuanliao's sword was, she had no intention of replacing it.
Seeing Texas shake her head, Shi Lei understood:
"General, you're too kind. I don't usually need weapons, nor do I have a habit of collecting them. Giving me this divine weapon is truly a waste. How about this, you keep the wine, but take the sword back?"
Now that things had come to this, Zuo Xuanliao understood that continuing to insist would be of little use, so he went along with the conversation and replied:
"I see. That's a real pity. I know Mister Zhongli doesn't care about these material conditions. If you need Jade Gate's help in the future, just let us know. We will do our best to meet any request."
Whether Zhongli sought help or not is not important. What is important is that Zuo Xuanliao's attitude must be correct.
There's an old saying in Yan: "You can't hit someone who's smiling." Zuo Xuanliao first made sure the appearances were perfect, at least ensuring that no one would find fault with his manners.
"No need to be so polite. I didn't do anything outrageous. I hope General Zuo can maintain the status quo and not publicize what happened today."
"I understand, I understand."
The two chatted casually, but because they were not familiar with each other, the topics were rather awkward and stiff.
Later, Shi Lei mentioned that there were problems with the patrols in Jade Gate, Zuo Xuanliao quickly apologized.
His restrained demeanor made him look like an employee being scolded by his boss for doing something wrong; the atmosphere was anything but relaxed.
Texas, Mudrock, and Nian all watched with a spectator's mentality, waiting for the two of them to have an awkward conversation.
With four women present, Zuo Xuanliao felt it inconvenient to discuss sensitive topics. Seeing that they showed no sign of leaving for quite some time, he decided to call it a day.
"Mister Zhongli, it's getting late. I have some things to take care of back home, so I'll take my leave now."
Although Zuo Xuanliao was the garrison commander of Jade Gate Pass, he had absolutely no connection to the sealing of the Great Beast. Shi Lei didn't want to discuss these matters with irrelevant people, so he used them as a shield.
Seeing that the other party had taken the initiative to resign, he grinned and said:
"Oh, is that so? Shall I give you a ride?"
"No need, no need, you guys continue playing."
After Zuo Xuanliao left the inn, he sent Zuo Le to the military camp to supervise and look after the homeless people. He then rode in a cart pulled by pack animals back to the general's mansion.
The night was as dark as ink, and the spring breeze was bleak. The pitch-black sky was no different from when the entire route was covered by rocks.
Zuo Xuanliao returned to the general's mansion and, with the help of the Knave, removed his armor. Only then did he open the bedroom door, intending to take a bath before dealing with the city's affairs.
He had just pushed open the door when he saw a figure. He immediately took several steps back and asked sharply:
"Who?"
The Grand Tutor, who had not appeared for a long time, stood in the shadows. There was no light in the room, so his expression was unclear.
"Did Marquis Pingsui gain anything from his visit?"
"No."
Zuo Xuanliao identified the other person by their voice and knew who the "he" referred to was:
"However, he has a good relationship with those two women, so they might be Zhongli's weakness."
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There's an old saying in Yan: "Misfortune should not befall the wife and daughters, and the sins should not be borne by the parents." But this Morality standard only applies to ordinary situations.
If Zhongli's existence poses a serious threat to the Great Yan Dynasty in the future, even if it means enduring universal condemnation and defying the world, the Grand Tutor will still use all sorts of despicable means to clear obstacles from the country's path.
The best-case scenario is that Zhongli is a complete pacifist and maintains good relations with the Great Yan Kingdom. Once the Sui Beast is awakened and resealed, he will voluntarily withdraw from the heart of the Yan and never interfere in the politics of the Great Yan Dynasty again.
It's better to be safe than sorry.
Faced with the fate of the nation and the hundreds of millions of people of the Great Yan, the Grand Tutor always considered only the worst-case scenario and made preparations in advance.
Ideally, such a situation should not develop. If it does, then timely remedial measures should be taken to reverse the decline.
The worst outcome for the Grand Tutor now is not that Zhongli will have a direct conflict with the Great Yan.
Instead, after 'Sui' was awakened, he suddenly turned against them. At that time, the two joined forces to slaughter the people of Great Yan and avenge the thousand-year-old seal.
Until the very last moment, anything can happen. Especially when it comes to something as momentous as the fate of a nation, the Grand Tutor can never be too cautious.
A thousand years ago, the Great Yan True Dragon gathered all the talented and extraordinary people in the country. With the strong assistance of the Emperor, they killed or drove away all the Great Beast within their territory.
From that time onward, only when no deity reigns above can the Great Flame be considered a true Great Flame.
Looking back at the political changes on this land over the past 1,000 years, as well as the internal conflicts of other countries, the Grand Tutor learned a lesson from history.
There are no permanent friends, nor permanent enemies. Making important decisions based on so-called 'feelings' usually comes at a terrible price.
For example, Zhongli is currently friendly to the Yan, but this does not necessarily mean he will be friendly to the Great Yan Kingdom in the future. The past and present can also be different states.
The Grand Tutor, holding one of the Three Dukes, was in charge of managing the affairs of the realm. He had seen far too many hypocrites and sanctimonious individuals. He deliberately concealed his whereabouts to secretly guard against Zhongli.
When it comes to matters of national survival, one cannot base decisions on the premise that "I think" or "I believe" the enemy is an ally.
The Grand Tutor wouldn't gamble on such matters; he needed more concrete and reassuring evidence.
Whether or not to rebel is Zhongli's business.
But if he were to turn against the government and devise a strategy in advance, that would be the Grand Tutor's prerogative.
Now, just eliminating Sui, who is in a weakened state after the seal is broken, is enough to reduce the Great Yan's elite forces to less than three-tenths.
If the gamble goes wrong, the Yan will perish.
Just like Gaul did before, it will only become a topic of conversation and ridicule among people in other countries in the future.
Of course, the Grand Tutor wasn't a fool. He knew very well that finding someone's weakness was a double-edged sword. If Zhongli discovered it, the consequences would be unimaginable. It could very well push this powerful ally to the opposite side of the Great Yan.
Therefore, the Grand Tutor must keep this strictly confidential.
He instructed Liang Xun, the prefect of Shangshu, to deliver the letter and convey his intentions to Zuo Xuanliao without meeting him in person.
Going forward, we only need to keep the number of people in the know within a reasonable range to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
The Grand Tutor was extremely cautious, not even sending anyone to monitor Zhongli, but waiting for intelligence from the Left General. This method of investigation was slow, but it ensured safety.
"Marquis Pingsui, if there is any new information about Zhongli in the future, you can ask Prefect Liang to forward the letter. This matter is of great importance, and you should know the consequences of leaking secrets. This matter is known only to Heaven, Earth, you, and me. No one else in this world will know about it."
Upon hearing this, Zuo Xuanliao nodded solemnly.
A few days ago, he might not have realized the gravity of the situation. But after seeing the rock wall that could completely envelop the Jade Gate, he realized that Zhongli possessed an outrageous ability capable of destroying the Yan.
"Should I continue to have contact with him?"
Discovering that Zhongli has a close relationship with Lupo and the white-haired Sarkaz is far from enough. He only needs to provide some protection, and this intelligence will become worthless.
"Sure, but don't make it too deliberate."
Zhongli intervened and saved the local people from the devastating Catastrophe. As the garrison commander of Jade Gate, it was perfectly reasonable for Zuo Xuanliao to visit and express his gratitude. However, if this gesture was not handled carefully, it could easily backfire.
"Clear."
Seeing the Grand Tutor in the shadows, he didn't reply. Zuo Xuanliao immediately understood and closed the door.
Taking a bath can wait. Let's go to the study first and deal with the various trivial matters in the city.
April 5th, noon.
Zuo Xuanliao brought beautifully wrapped gifts and visited Xing Yu Inn once again.
He was dressed casually today and didn't bring his son, Zuo Le, with him. He was accompanied by only one bodyguard carrying things, much more low-key than the large group of people he had yesterday.
Upon hearing Zuo Xuanliao's invitation to a banquet at the General's Mansion that evening, Shi Lei's attitude remained unchanged, politely declining the offer.
"Now that the Catastrophe has passed, all industries need to be rebuilt. With so many eyes watching in the city, Tai He the General to keep coming here all the time, is it?"
Zuo Xuanliao's true intention was not the banquet itself; thanking Shi Lei was secondary. Seeing that Shi Lei was unwilling to attend, they simply decided to hold the banquet at the inn, taking advantage of the proximity.
Seeing that the other party was determined to treat him to a meal, Shi Lei couldn't refuse again and again. That evening, he set up a few tables at the inn to go through the motions.
Chongyue also received an invitation from Zuo Xuanliao, but he needed to keep an eye on Guan Ya and couldn't get away. So he asked Linghe Qiu Bai to attend the banquet in his place.
During the meal, everyone chatted about all sorts of things.
The only valuable intelligence for Shi Lei was that Jade Gate was heading to the Capital City at full speed. According to Zuo Xuanliao's conservative estimate, it would take about one or two months.
Once they arrive in the Capital City, they will officially begin discussing how to awaken and reseal the Sui Beast.
In fact, Jade Gate is only about a thousand kilometers away from the Capital City. But it is a Mobile Cities, and even at full speed, its speed is much slower than that of a land vehicle.
It took Shi Lei about 22 hours to fly directly from Liyue City to the Grand Knight Territory of Kazimierz. From Jade Gate to the Capital City, it probably wouldn't even take half a day.
He wanted to find more powerful individuals to assist him before sealing the Sui Beast, as this would increase his chances of success.
Let's do it!
Shi Lei was decisive and efficient; he flew away from Jade Gate that very night. Before leaving, he asked Texas, Ni Mudrock, and Nian to provide cover. He then quickly flew out of the heart of Yan to find help elsewhere.
Of all the people Shi Lei knew, the strongest helper he could call upon was 'Patriot' Broca.
His formidable personal strength definitely places him among the ranks of the Immortal Realm. Even if we don't know his exact upper limit, he's still far superior to others.
Looking Liyue City, Hegre excels in battlefield command, W and Ines excel in individual combat, and Sona and other former Pinecone Knights members excel in team combat.
Compared to ordinary people, they are all outstanding. However, in the battle against Great Beast, they are clearly not enough.
As for Syracuse, forget it. That cowardly Wolf Lord Zaro, would only make him cannon fodder if we called him over.
Shi Lei did not know any Immortal Realm experts in the countries Remupton Victoria, Letania, Sargon, Sargon, Bolívar, and Iberia.
Columbia was the only company he was familiar with, Rhine Lab, but that was a pharmaceutical company. Its role in resealing the Great Beast was quite limited.
On Kazimierz's side, the strongest person they could summon was the Blood Knight. However, his strength seemed to be only just approaching the Immortal Realm, so summoning him for help wouldn't be of much use.
Then there's Rhodes Island, roaming freely across this land, their whereabouts unpredictable. Their garrison is inadequate; their most formidable members are their Medical Department Operator.
However, Shi Lei wasn't very familiar with them and didn't know who to ask for help, so he simply didn't contact Amiya or the Doctor.
It wasn't until he arrived in Liyue City and discovered the graffiti left by the Emperor on the snow-white city walls in mid-air that he suddenly remembered the four colossal Great Beast that vanished with the setting sun.
They've lived for over a thousand years and are still thinking about dealing with the threat from the Sea Creatures, so their strength is definitely not weak.
Shi Lei immediately summoned Patriot and instructed him to hand over the affairs of the Qianyan Army to Hegre as soon as possible. He planned to travel together to the Capital City of Yan after he returned from his trip.
Shi Lei then flew to Lungmen without stopping and went to the headquarters of Penguin Logistics to find the boss.
Like Sunset Band, The Emperor is a member of Siren Records. He contacted their agent to inquire about their schedule and confirmed they had a commercial performance in Minoas.
This is the hometown of Croissant and Blood Knight, located a few hundred kilometers north of Sistag.
Shi Lei expressed his gratitude to his boss and then hurriedly flew off to an unfamiliar and unknown place.
Penguin Logistics, as the largest intelligence provider in Lungmen, possesses independent intelligence sources. The Emperor knew that his leave was related to the sealing of the Great Beast. However, it had no interest in participating and only instructed Shi Lei to be extra careful.
April 18, 1098.
Shi Lei had flown all the way from Lungmen to Minoas a week earlier and was staying near the commercial performance venue.
This is likely due to interoperability issues between signal providers in different countries. No matter how many times you call Aya and Alty, they go unanswered.
As the commercial performance date of April 20th approached, he finally managed to get through on the afternoon of the 18th.
Hearing that Shi Lei needed their help, Alty's tone was light and cheerful, as if she was very happy. She left her hotel address and arranged to meet in the lobby at eight o'clock that evening.
At 8 p. m., Shi Lei arrived at the appointment right on time.
As soon as she appeared, Alty, a busty mature woman with light pink hair, waved and called out to him:
Hey, over here!
When Shi Lei walked up to her, Alty took his arm, her eyes full of smiles.