Xiang Yu was not particularly familiar with Luo Ling, because it had always been Xiang Liang who kept in touch with him. But Xiang Yu knew that Luo Ling thought highly of him and had praised him many times for possessing the bearing of the Sage Kings.
Luo Ling sat upright beneath a tree, looking at the spirited, imposing Xiang Yu with a sense of regret. Xiang Liang was like a scabbard, capable of sheathing the exceptionally sharp blade that was Xiang Yu, keeping him from displaying his edge recklessly and even injuring himself.
"Finished speaking with the Duke of Chu? Come, sit."
Luo Ling beckoned Xiang Yu over. He was nearly ten years older than Xiang Yu and could more or less count as one of his elders.
Xiang Yu was fairly respectful toward Luo Ling, not merely because of his identity as a member of the Luo Clan, but chiefly because Luo Ling treated him kindly. At his words, he sat opposite Luo Ling and saluted. "Duke of Luo."
Luo Ling pondered for a moment. "With the Duke of Chu gone, you are the new Duke of Chu. I imagine all the Feudal Lords gathered in alliance will acknowledge you."
What standing Xiang Yu would assume before the Feudal Lords after Xiang Liang's death was an extremely pressing matter. He did not possess Xiang Liang's outstanding prestige, and his own reputation was not yet enough to unite Chu State's forces. He needed someone powerful to support him.
With those words, Luo Ling was telling Xiang Yu that he would support him wholeheartedly, and that afterward, Xiang Yu could begin contacting the Chu State forces under Xiang Liang's command.
"The dead have passed on, but the living must move forward. Both the Luo Clan and the Xiang Clan have