As professional lackeys, they recognized that voice even better than their own mothers' voices.
The heir was here.
Oh no, had the heir heard them just now?
Their expressions unchanged, the two hurriedly stood straight and said respectfully, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
"Mm!"
Lin Yi glanced at them. These two bastards looked so meek and obedient now, yet they had actually dared to badmouth him behind his back. They were practically asking to die.
He looked at one of them and sneered. "Zhang Long, I just heard you speaking ill of me. It seems you're rather dissatisfied with me."
Oh no, the heir really had heard!
At those words, the two felt as though lightning had struck them, disaster looming over their heads. The heir had actually overheard what they had said. They were in serious trouble now.
Given the heir's status, there would be no problem even if he killed them both. After all, they were the ones at fault.
"You misunderstand, Your Highness. This lowly one would never dare. I've always revered you like a god. I would never speak ill of you," Zhang Long explained, swallowing hard.
Smack!
Lin Yi rewarded him with a slap and sneered. "Put that way, you do have a point. But since you talked about me behind my back, you only submit in words. In your heart, you're still defiant, then?"
He had not held back with that slap. When the assassination attempt happened, this bastard had actually abandoned him, the heir, and fled alone to save his own skin.
He was better off without a lackey like that.
"Boohoo, Your Highness, I submit wholeheartedly! I'm not defiant at all. I just have a loose tongue." Zhang Long was on the verge of tears. What the hell was all this? Why had the two of them stood around gossiping for no reason?
Lin Yi kept sneering. Just as he was about to speak, the system in his mind actually stirred.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for comprehending the true meaning of winning people over with virtue and successfully winning over your lackey Zhang Long. Strength enhancement obtained: right arm strength increased by 250 jin."
Holy shit!
The notification instantly made Lin Yi's eyes light up. If even this works, now you've got my attention.
His gaze turned to Zhao Hu. Your turn now.
Gulp!
Zhao Hu swallowed. Looking at Zhang Long, who had just been slapped, he was about to kneel and beg for mercy when his vision went black. Then a slap sent his entire body flying.
Lin Yi stared at him coldly and said, "So you were the one who lay on the ground playing dead, huh? It seems you have quite a grievance against me, your heir. You can't wait for me to die!"
"Boohoo! Spare me, Your Highness! I..."
Stars danced before Zhao Hu's eyes, and his face instantly swelled, but he did not dare resist in the slightest. He knew perfectly well that he had already committed a capital offense.
When a lord was humiliated, his subject deserved death!
The heir had faced an assassination attempt, yet he had played dead. The heir was already showing great magnanimity by not killing him.
Lin Yi sneered. "You still dare to speak? Seems you're defiant too, then?"
You even dare to cry!
Another slap landed, and Zhao Hu immediately fell silent.
"This lowly one wouldn't dare. I submit wholeheartedly too," he said pitifully, as docile as a kitten.
Although he did not know why the heir kept asking whether he submitted, with Zhang Long's example before him, he had better submit wholeheartedly.
Hmph, at least you know what's good for you!
Lin Yi kept sneering. Winning people over with force really was more reliable.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for winning people over with virtue and successfully winning over your lackey Zhao Hu. Reward: super left hand. Left arm strength increased by 250 jin."
Well, damn!
Two two-hundred-and-fifties!
Feeling the terrifying strength in his arms, Lin Yi could not help smiling a little more. Now this felt good.
Although his overall strength had not increased much, each arm had gained 250 jin of strength. He could practically feel the force in his hands, that surging sense of power.
Awesome!
Looking at his two aggrieved subordinates, he kept sneering!
Although these two lackeys had no other talents, they knew Northern Liang City like the backs of their hands. Keeping them around would surely prove useful in the future.
He smiled. "As my guards, you actually feared death and clung to life at the critical moment. Both of you should have died for that, but I will show you mercy beyond the law and give you a way to live!"
"A way to live?"
Zhang Long and Zhao Hu had still been trembling with unease. At those words, they immediately grew excited and finally sighed in relief. They would not have to die after all.
Both gazed pitifully at their heir. Where was this way to live?
They thought, He isn't going to make us find the assassins, is he? He might as well kill us. We can bully commoners, but asking us to deal with assassins is a bit too much.
Lin Yi saw the cowardice in their eyes at a glance and said gravely, "Your task is simple. Go find rock salt deposits, salt wells, and salt rivers, and buy them all for me."
Salt?
The two exchanged bewildered glances. What was going on? Why was the heir suddenly asking them to do something like this?
"What, is there a problem?"
"No, no, no! No problem!"
Their expressions changed drastically. Not daring to anger the heir, they hurriedly agreed and said solemnly, "Rest assured, Your Highness. We'll get it done!"
Compared to being killed by the heir, this task was simply far too easy.
If the heir told the prince about this, given how much the prince doted on him, the two of them would probably suffer a fate worse than death.
They secretly resolved to atone for their offense through meritorious service. They would not let the heir spend a single coin, and they would show him their sincerity.
Buy!
Not only would they buy, they would buy as much as they could.
They were just salt mines, weren't they? That stuff was poisonous anyway and worth practically nothing. They might as well pay out of their own pockets.
"Your Highness, as it happens, you have a sum of money in our keeping. This lowly one will go make the arrangements right away," Zhang Long said quietly.
"Mm, at least you know what's good for you!"
Seeing their expressions, Lin Yi could not help nodding to himself. These two were not completely stupid. They were even paying for the purchases.
Still, it was his shortage of people that had saved them. Otherwise, these two would undoubtedly have died.
Although he now had Ma Chao and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, these two were Northern Liang's local snakes. They were undoubtedly the best candidates for this task. After all, they knew their way around.
When the time came, sending a few Xiliang Iron Cavalry soldiers along with them would be enough to ensure that nothing went wrong.
"Your Highness, Han Song is here."
Haitang walked over just then and spoke quietly.
Hearing Haitang's words, Zhang Long and Zhao Hu could not help sighing in relief. At last, someone had come to share the heat. Your Highness, go scold him instead.
But when they saw the man behind Haitang, they could not help shuddering.
The man wore red armor, and the murderous aura on his face had not yet entirely faded. Clearly, he had just killed quite a few people. This was Han Song, commander of the guards at the Prince of Northern Liang's Residence. He commanded five hundred Northern Liang Guards and was extremely powerful.
He had taught the two of them plenty of lessons before. They had not expected him to come here to get scolded now too.
Han Song glanced at them, making no attempt to conceal the disgust in his eyes. These two were the ones who had led the heir astray.
Toward the heir, however, he did not dare show the slightest disrespect. Even as the guard commander, he was still nothing more than a servant before the heir.