Northern Liang's Sleeper Agent

"This is no small matter, my lord. In this humble official's opinion, we must report it to His Highness Prince Duan and discuss it together."

Dai Sheng looked at Yang Qing.

If that tattoo proved genuine, this would be a grave matter indeed.

A sleeper agent from Northern Liang had actually infiltrated Yan Prefecture City—and had remained hidden for so many years...

Dai Sheng felt a chill sweep across his neck.

"There is no need for such trouble. I am already here."

Just as they were speaking, a commotion sounded outside the door, and Chu Yifeng strode in.

"I am guilty, Your Highness. I allowed a villain to run rampant in Yan Prefecture without even knowing it."

Dai Sheng fell to his knees before Chu Yifeng, repeatedly knocking his forehead against the ground.

Although the tattoo had yet to be verified, Master Deng's origins were unknown, and he had spent all these years at Dai Sheng's side wearing another man's face without anyone noticing. That alone was already a dereliction of Dai Sheng's duty.

Chu Yifeng snorted coldly. "You are indeed guilty, and gravely so! However, I have no time to deal with you just now. Well? Lead the way!"

Dai Sheng scrambled up from the ground and, trembling with fear, kept himself turned deferentially sideways as he led Chu Yifeng and the others to the prison.

Yan Prefecture Prison

Master Deng was now tightly bound to a large wooden frame. All the clothing on his upper body had been stripped away, exposing a barely noticeable mark on his lower back.

"I have heard that among the Northern Liang people, boys are tattooed on the lower back from the day they are born, while girls are tattooed on the shoulder."

Chu Yifeng examined the mark on Master Deng's lower back and nodded. "It seems the rumors are true."

Then he looked at Master Deng again. "What were you after, going to such elaborate lengths to hide within my Yan Prefecture City?"

Master Deng laughed heartily. "The victor becomes king, the defeated a bandit. Since I have fallen into your hands, kill me or carve me up as you please."

Yang Qing looked at him. "You seem quite a man. But while you're standing so nobly on principle, aren't you going to spare a thought for your mother, who is over eighty?"

Master Deng's laughter stopped abruptly. He glared at Yang Qing. "You... what are you planning to do?"

"Nothing, of course. I merely intend to invite your mother to visit Yan Prefecture. After all, turning a sleeper agent who even brought his mother along to Western Chu shouldn't be particularly difficult."

"You... you despicable bastard!"

Master Deng struggled, trying to lunge at Yang Qing, but the many ropes around him pinned him firmly to the wooden post, leaving him unable to move.

He panted in harsh, rasping breaths, glaring savagely at Yang Qing as though he wanted to swallow him whole.

If not for this man named Yang, his ten-year mission as a sleeper agent would soon have reached a perfect conclusion. He would have become a hero of Northern Liang, revered by all its people.

Yet everything had changed after this man named Yang came to Yan Prefecture.

His control over Yan Prefecture had slipped away like a wild horse that had broken its reins, beyond all hope of reining it back in.

Whenever he thought of how his ten years of planning had turned to nothing in the blink of an eye, Master Deng wanted to tear the flesh from Yang Qing's body and drink his blood.

"Your Western Chu is nothing but a heap of loose sand! How could it possibly compare to our Northern Liang?"

"I fell into your hands today because I was no match for you. But don't celebrate too soon, Yang! One day, Northern Liang's iron cavalry will ride onto your Western Chu soil and claim it as our own!"

"Hahaha! When that day comes, I will be waiting in the Underworld to watch you bow your heads and submit to Northern Liang!"

Master Deng gave a loud cry, and his head slumped to one side.

Soon, streams of black blood began flowing from his mouth and nose.

Bu Er stepped forward, reached out to turn Master Deng's face toward him, and examined it before shaking his head at Yang Qing.

He had pulled out one of Deng's teeth earlier, never imagining that another poisoned tooth was still hidden in his mouth!

As he stared at the now lifeless Master Deng, Chu Yifeng's expression darkened terribly.

Only after a long silence did he address the personal guards behind him. "Send this man's corpse to Yan Pass at once and deliver it to General Chen. Order him to hang it outside Yan Pass for three days as a warning to others!"

"I want those Northern Liang people to take a good look. Those who trespass against Western Chu meet only one end—death!"

Watching Master Deng's corpse being dragged away, Chu Yifeng turned to Yang Qing. "I truly never expected the man controlling those ruthless bandits who have plagued Yan Prefecture City for years to be one of the Northern Liang people."

"Now that the mastermind is dead, how do you think we should deal with the remaining bandits?"

Yang Qing said, "Your Highness, with the Li Household destroyed and Northern Liang's sleeper agent lost, those bandits' hearts must be wavering. In my humble opinion, now is precisely the time to press forward in one vigorous push and wipe them out in a single stroke!"

"Good. I shall leave this matter to you!"

Yang Qing paused, then spoke again. "Northern Liang has been watching Yan Prefecture—and indeed all of Western Chu—with a tiger's hungry gaze for years. I believe they will certainly not let the matter of this sleeper agent rest. The Northern Liang people certainly won't let it go."

"The people of Yan Prefecture have suffered under these ruthless bandits for far too long. If we let them take part in this campaign, first, they will be able to vent the bitterness they have swallowed all these years. Second, we can use the opportunity to rally their spirits."

"We must let them know that even after these bandits are destroyed, a greater enemy still lurks beside us. We must never let our guard down!"

"Well reasoned!" Chu Yifeng nodded again.

Inside Yan Prefecture City

When the people saw the County Office's prefectural soldiers turn out in full force, carrying notices as they hurried throughout Yan Prefecture City, everyone began talking.

Once they read what the notices said, almost the entire city boiled over with excitement.

"His Highness Prince Duan's personal troops are lending a hand, and all the County Office guards are being deployed. They're serious about dealing with those bandits this time!"

"How much have we people of Yan Prefecture suffered at those bandits' hands? At last, the day we've been waiting for has come!"

"We only have so many prefectural soldiers in Yan Prefecture. Even His Highness Prince Duan's personal troops are helping us kill those bandits—we can't hold them back! We may not know how to kill bandits, but we can still go along and help!"

"Yes! You're right! We can help too!"

These words drew an enthusiastic response, and soon the people of Yan Prefecture surrounded the County Office so tightly that not a drop of water could have passed through.

Everyone chimed in, one voice following another, all talking about signing up to join the campaign against the bandits.

Dai Sheng had served as an official in Yan Prefecture City for nearly ten years, but this was the first time he had seen the people under his governance so eager to stamp out banditry.

Looking at the faces below him, flushed red with excitement, he felt a surge of heroic spirit slowly rise within his chest.

No longer caring about appearances, he planted one foot on the registration stand the Prefectural Soldiers had hastily erected and shouted to the people, "Friends and neighbors! This time, we must wipe those bandits out completely, so they will never dare come to Yan Prefecture to commit their crimes again!"

"My lord, give the order! Tell us what to do!"

Dai Sheng glanced back at Yang Qing and saw him give a slight nod. Instantly, he felt as though he had found his pillar of support, and he drew a deep breath.

Then he continued addressing the people. "Listen carefully, everyone! Those who want to come along and kill bandits, sign up with me!"

"Of course, how can anyone have the strength to kill bandits on an empty stomach? Those who wish to provide dry rations for our brave fighters, please sign up with Lord Yang!"

"Finally, since we are going to fight bandits, casualties may be unavoidable. If anyone should unfortunately lose their life, I will make certain their family is properly provided for, with support for the old and care for the young!"

"Good!" At these words, cheers erupted throughout the crowd in front of the County Office.