Chapter 662: Chen Zhibao

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Huyan Nao Nao, who enjoyed eating tiger brains, frowned. The short Yuzhou deputy general, the smallest among the Shu soldiers, did not look at the blind female zither player who had walked into their trap. Instead, he pointed at the "beauty railing" of the stilt house.

Then Dian Xiongnu saw a lean, small, child-like black figure suddenly dart out. It snatched the unconscious Western Shu Crown Prince, Su Su, and raced along the "beauty railing" of the stilt house. Just as it was about to leap out, Huyan Nao Nao's thrown Shu knife pierced a corridor pillar, its hilt instantly vanishing. The black figure, carrying Su Su, twisted into a contorted posture mid-rush, barely dodging Huyan Nao Nao's flying knife. It crashed through the railing with Su Su, launching into the air outside the building. In that instant, a volley of crossbow arrows, like pouring rain, erupted across the Lusheng field. The blind zither player Xue Songguan tilted her head slightly and plucked a string, as if tuning the instrument. Dozens of powerful crossbow bolts shattered in mid-air. Then, the zither player curled her little finger, hooking the first, deep and revered string. The string stretched into an aesthetically pleasing arc but did not release. At the same time, her left thumb fiercely strummed the other six strings. Fu Tao, the imperial son-in-law, and Wang Jiangwu, the former prince of Southern Tang, simultaneously stepped forward, each cleaving with a saber, their blade edges developing countless tiny, dense cracks.

Xue Songguan remained with her head bowed. Her curved finger, hooking the string, suddenly straightened. The taut string snapped back, and the zither player retracted her right hand, shaking her sleeve, and struck downwards across all the strings. The entire cobblestone-paved Lusheng field, with her as its center, began to rapidly crack outwards. Among the Shu soldiers, Huyan Nao Nao led the charge, the only one who advanced instead of retreating. This small general, now without his own saber, bent down and directly drew Dian Xiongnu's personal saber. With a savage grin, he covered nine meters in a single stride. Upon landing, he pushed off with his toes and moved sideways, the cobblestones at his landing spot completely shattering. Then Huyan Nao Nao tilted his head, and a splash of blood immediately appeared by his ear. Having a piece of his ear sliced off by the invisible zither music, Huyan Nao Nao smiled instead of raging, and continued to charge forward. After a few more steps, his body rolled sideways in the air. Five or six *zhang* behind him, Dian Xiongnu extended his palm, as if snapping a zither string. The fragmented strings still left several marks on his armor. Dian Xiongnu ignored the blood on his palm, his eyes fixed on the young, blind zither player, marveling.

Not every general can be an army of one, nor is it necessary. For example, Dian Xiongnu is widely acknowledged for his exceptional martial prowess, though he has only just entered the Second Grade. Yet, even setting aside his ability to command an army in battle, in terms of breaking enemy formations, it is likely that no Second Grade master in the martial world is as lethal as Dian Xiongnu. After all, skirmishes in the martial world rarely involve absurd mob fights, but breaking formations and killing enemies is different; it truly tests a warrior's ability to be aware of all surroundings. However, there are exceptions among military generals. Xu Longxiang, who made a name for himself in the raid on Northern Mang, is one such example, as are the famous Spring and Autumn generals Chen Zhibao and Yuan Zuozong. The same applies to Huyan Nao Nao and the currently unknown young man Che Ye in Western Shu. Especially the latter two, they are fully prepared and only lack the ideal opportunity—a grand battlefield large enough for them to showcase their abilities. In the Liyang imperial court, given the seniority system, it is incredibly difficult to stand out; one can only achieve it by enduring.

The woman, who was only modestly attractive, indeed possessed the demeanor of a grandmaster capable of holding a pass against an army. Even when facing their numerous and formidable elite soldiers, she maintained a calm and composed expression from start to finish. Even when Huyan Nao Nao's blade was less than nine meters from her, her hand posture on the strings showed no trace of haste. She didn't even raise her head to "look" at Huyan Nao Nao. She held the zither with one hand, while the other opened, palm upwards, extending beneath the strings. Her thumb and middle finger held the inner and outer two strings, like cupping water with one hand. Her voice was light, and a faint smile touched her face as she said, "A spoonful of water holds the taste of the ocean; a single flower blooms into the world."

Huyan Nao Nao's blade tip was just three *cun* from striking the guqin. When the blind zither player, like a blossoming flower, gently released her two fingers, Huyan Nao Nao, as if not daring to be greedy for achievement or prolong the fight, suddenly stopped. Yet, he still could not completely avoid it. Huyan Nao Nao's finely crafted armor instantly turned to dust. The fierce general was drenched in blood. At this moment, he caught a glimpse of a scene at the distant stilt house from the corner of his eye. Gritting his teeth, he gripped his saber with both hands, roared, and dashed towards the blind woman. Xue Songguan turned around, her entire being radiating a desperate resolve to fight to the death for the first time. However, her target was not the equally desperate Huyan Nao Nao, but the man who elegantly intercepted Su Su's path. From beginning to end, this man had not paid her any mind. He flashed away and stood on the roof of a slightly shorter stilt house, perfectly blocking the black figure and Su Su's retreat route. Xue Songguan allowed Huyan Nao Nao's saber to strike her shoulder, her ten fingers pressing the strings. The roof beneath the man's feet collapsed with a roar. Great sound is unheard; the strings were pressed, but no music was heard. Yet, the man remained perfectly still, and the murderous string vibrations snapped on their own. Xue Songguan quietly sighed, extended a finger, hooked and broke a string, and flicked it gently towards the man.

Left ignored, Huyan Nao Nao furiously drew his saber and cursed, "You wretched woman, how dare you look down on your Grandpa Huyan!"

Having personally broken one string, Xue Songguan successively broke the remaining five, using the force from each snapping string to block the five fierce saber strikes Huyan Nao Nao delivered from behind her.

Regardless of Xue Songguan's confidence in front of Huyan Nao Nao and the other Shu generals, the difference in her cultivation level compared to that man was as vast and insurmountable as the gap between her and generals like Dian Xiongnu and Fu Tao. Her finger pressed the last string, hesitant to break it.

The man stood suspended in the air, one hand gripping Su Su's shoulder, the other clutching the black figure's neck. The latter, appearing for the first time, was a dwarfish old man weighing no more than thirty kilograms.

Xue Songguan dared not break the string further, for at the moment the string broke, Su Su and that senior Manxi elder would surely lose their lives.

The next moment, the man returned to the "beauty railing" corridor and gently set down both Su Su and the old man, seemingly not intending to kill them. Xue Songguan looked puzzled. She leaped up, carrying her zither, and drifted across the roofs of the bamboo buildings. She stood at one end of the railing, confronting the man. But Xue Songguan knew very well that this was a helpless and futile gesture; even three of her would be no match for this person. Even if the blacksmith who once forged and presented swords for the Western Shu Sword Emperor were present, or if he allied with the dwarfish senior known as the "Co-ruler of the Thirty-Six Manxi" who was currently feigning death, it would still be meaningless. The man, exuding an extraordinary aura, glanced at the old man huddled on the ground and smiled, "Senior Meng Gu, isn't it unseemly to play the role of a junior in front of a junior like me?"

The dwarfish old man, eyes closed, mumbled, "Whoever's martial arts are better is the grandpa. Just pretend this grandson of yours is dead; don't bother with me!"

Huyan Nao Nao, infuriated by the blind zither player, charged along the rooftops. He leaped high, about to strike with his saber, when the man calmly said, "Shi Hu'er, stop."

Huyan Nao Nao reached out and grabbed the eaves, hanging in mid-air, reeking of blood and malice. But after the man spoke, he dutifully retracted his saber stance, lightly landed on the "beauty railing," and squatted there, sulking.

The man looked at the zither player, then spread his hands, indicating, "Wake him up; I have something to say."

Xue Songguan hesitated for a moment, then walked forward and gently woke Su Su.

The still-groggy Su Su finally grasped the situation. He stood up, shielding Xue Songguan, and said in a trembling voice, "If you want to kill or dismember, come for me! It has nothing to do with her!"

The dwarfish old man, feigning death on the ground, couldn't help but roll his eyes. Being a follower to such a young brat was truly disgraceful. If it weren't for Zhao Dingxiu's desperate pleas, he would never have agreed to get involved in this mess. Back then, he was almost flayed alive by that cat-man, and he truly wanted nothing more to do with Central Plains masters. Besides, this pathetic Western Shu Crown Prince was so disappointing; he was nothing like a wise ruler worth serving. He was timid and short-sighted, spending all his days wandering around pretending to be a great hero, never doing anything productive, just drifting along. Western Shu would be better off without such a Crown Prince, who returned from Northern Mang in glory; it would be less trouble.

Then Su Su asked a question that made Huyan Nao Nao's face twitch, "Who are you?"

The man paused, then chuckled softly, "Chen Zhibao."

Su Su stumbled back a step in fear, his legs weak. Fortunately, Xue Songguan supported him, preventing him from collapsing to the ground.

He was the "Little Butcher" of the Spring and Autumn Wars, the "White-Clad Military Immortal" in the current emperor's words, the Minister of War of the Liyang Dynasty after Gu Jiantang and before Lu Baijie, and now the King of Shu.

Chen Zhibao turned and looked towards the foot of the mountain, saying calmly, "The reason I'm not killing you, Su Su, is because I want to make a deal with Zhao Dingxiu. This deal was originally between Beiliang and you, but after I was granted the title of King of Western Shu, I cut off your connections. At most, Beiliang can now secretly send you some money; don't even dream of a single soldier or piece of armor crossing into Shu territory. Since Beiliang broke its promise first, you cannot be blamed for breaking yours later. Furthermore, your life is in my hands. If Old Master Zhao were here, he certainly wouldn't hesitate to make this deal."

Su Su, gathering his courage, asked, "Are you saying you want us to abandon Xu Fengnian and rebel in Nanzhao according to your wishes?"

At this, Su Su sneered, "Bah! It's true my martial arts are poor, but I'm not the ungrateful kind!"

The dwarfish old man, whose life hung by a thread, jumped up in anger and slapped the fool. Then he continued to lie on his back on the ground, not forgetting to furiously scold, "If you want to die, go die by yourself! Don't drag your Grandpa Meng Gu down with you!"

Chen Zhibao chuckled softly, "Ungrateful?"

Su Su, with newfound courage, reddened his face and retorted with a stiff neck, "I don't like Xu Fengnian, and I like people like you even less!"

Chen Zhibao didn't argue with him, muttering to himself, "Benevolence and righteousness in this world are categorized by public and private, and by magnitude. Just like these Miao people sheltering you, the exiled prince, it's because they benefited from Old Master Zhao's mercy in not killing them—a debt repaid. By estimation, they still owe you, Su Su, until their very last breath."

Chen Zhibao ordered, "Shi Hu'er, go kill. Kill them all."

Huyan Nao Nao drew his saber and leaped away. Soon, wails filled the Miao village, and blood splattered everywhere.

Chen Zhibao ignored the gnashing Su Su and asked, "As long as you say stop, I can make them stop."

Su Su was in an internal struggle. He closed his eyes, not daring to look at the Miao people who, only yesterday, had drunk heartily with him but were now lying in pools of blood. The young and strong Miao men in the village were almost entirely dead; next would be the unarmed women, children, and elderly.

Su Su turned his head, looking distraught, and asked Xue Songguan helplessly, "Will the Master agree?"

The blind zither player hesitated to speak.

Su Su lowered his head sadly and said, "He will. As long as it means restoring the kingdom, the Master will definitely agree."

Chen Zhibao calmly said, "I promise you, in the future, you may call yourselves kings elsewhere, but only in Western Shu can you be called Emperor."

Su Su choked out, "What does this have to do with me? I never wanted to restore the kingdom, never thought about those unattainable imperial reigns..."

Chen Zhibao smiled, "Unattainable? Your single moment of hesitation has already cost the lives of thirty-seven more Miao people, and more will continue to die. If you, Su Su, are truly an unredeemable waste, ignoring great benevolence and righteousness, then it seems you also disregard even small acts of kindness."

Su Su looked up and roared, "Stop!"

Chen Zhibao merely smiled, unmoved.

Su Su, red-eyed, charged at Chen Zhibao, raising his fist to strike. "I told you to stop! Did you hear me?!"

Without seeing Chen Zhibao make a move, Su Su was sent flying backward with a thud, caught by Xue Songguan.

Chen Zhibao raised his arm, and the slaughter in the village ceased.

Chen Zhibao narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance, and said mockingly, "What if I told you that Zhao Dingxiu approached me a month ago, proposing to abandon Beiliang and form an alliance with me? Would you believe it?"

Su Su, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, muttered dazedly, "Impossible, impossible..."

Chen Zhibao did not look at Su Su but turned to Xue Songguan, "Go tell Zhao Dingxiu that I agree. Western Shu will provide you with thirty thousand soldiers within half a year. Within one year, you will either conquer Nanzhao, and then we'll discuss further, or you will be absorbed by me."

Xue Songguan nodded, expressionless.

She helped Su Su leave the "beauty railing."

The dwarfish old man, who had narrowly escaped, chuckled as he stood up, dusting off his backside, also preparing to leave.

However, a voice came from behind him, "Meng Gu, when someone accompanied the late emperor on a tour of Shu and Zhao, did you perhaps call him 'Crippled Xu' during your assassination attempt?"

The old man froze, not daring to move an inch. He let out a dry laugh, "That's ancient history, I've long forgotten. King of Shu, you are a magnanimous man, just let me go like a fart, won't you?"

The next instant, Chen Zhibao held Meng Gu's head in one hand, while the old man's headless body slumped into the corridor.

Chen Zhibao casually tossed the head into the distance and smiled. "Chen Zhibao. His real name is Chen Zhibao (知报, 'knows how to repay'). What a fine example of knowing how to repay kindness."

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