Legend of Swordsman

The first choice was naturally Little Liang King.

The other party was likely a practitioner, and taking refuge with them could lead both of them onto the path of cultivation.

However, it seemed that the other party didn’t take them seriously at all.

Even if they sought refuge, now was not the time.

They needed to increase their bargaining chips first.

But now, they had reached a bottleneck in their development, and to progress further, they had to go to Langshan County.

First, they would submit to the Jiang Kingdom, demonstrate their usefulness, increase their bargaining chips, and then negotiate conditions with Little Liang King.

This was the only plan Jian Wushuang could think of.

He couldn’t openly share this with everyone.

Once he did, morale would plummet.

He knew that once these people learned the truth, they would undoubtedly become complacent, and if they failed to deliver results, they would squander their existing bargaining chips, resulting in a loss.

At that point, he and Xiang Yang would be left dumbfounded.

However, they had also planned a backup route, which was to head to the Eastern Tang Dynasty.

That was the pinnacle of the dynasty and a place frequented by practitioners.

If all else failed, they would simply abandon their posts and flee.

After pondering for a moment, Jian Wushuang said, ”Some things change over time. Initially, I suggested allying with Little Liang King because I believed we were useful to the Yue Kingdom, but now, as you all have seen, they don’t take us seriously. Moreover, we are all from Jiang Kingdom. Even if surrendering could bring peace, what use would it be? Eventually, we would face retribution!”

”What do you suggest?” Iron-Face Liangchen looked at Jian Wushuang.

Everyone else was watching as well.

Except for Iron-Face Liangchen, everyone else was concerned with their own interests.

Whether it was the mountain lords, the people of Qingshui Mountain, or Wang Lun and Yang Zaixing, they were all concerned about their own futures.

Who won or lost was irrelevant.

”Collaborate with the Jiang Kingdom and send troops to Langshan County. I will personally go to the royal city of the Jiang Kingdom to negotiate with them!”

This statement left everyone stunned; they hadn’t expected him to be so decisive.

”Sending troops directly, isn’t that a bit too fast?” Wang Lun hesitated.

The others were even more reluctant.

Especially Iron-Face Liangchen, who advocated taking refuge with Little Liang King, exclaimed, ”Brother Wushuang, have you considered how many people will die if we ally with the Jiang Kingdom?”

”Die?”

Jian Wushuang sneered, ”There’s no war without casualties. Moreover, we are doing this to resist the Yue Kingdom, which is understandable. If we’re afraid of death, we might as well disband early!”

These words left everyone speechless.

He realized that these people had grown complacent after some stability and had become somewhat timid.

Fortunately, most people agreed with this proposal.

Finally, a vote was held, and most people sided with Jian Wushuang.

The matter of recruitment was finally settled.

The next step was to integrate personnel and march on Langshan County.

In doing so, they put pressure on both the Jiang Kingdom and Little Liang King.

Jian Wushuang was preparing to take Xiang Yang to the royal city.

There was no need for people from the royal city to come; he would personally meet the current emperor of the Jiang Kingdom.

Three days later.

He and Xiang Yang, with the farewell of the crowd, set sail for the Jiang Kingdom.

This time, they didn’t bring many people.

Only One Ear and a few skilled individuals were responsible for protecting them, while the others stayed behind to prepare for the army’s departure.

After all, this hadn’t been discussed with the Jiang Kingdom yet.

They needed to wait.

Once Jian Wushuang negotiated with the Jiang Kingdom, they could make a decision.

Otherwise, if they went ahead, they would starve. The logistics and transport of provisions would require an enormous amount of manpower.

Binhai County didn’t have that many people available.

Therefore, he needed the Jiang Kingdom to send people to assist, at least to handle the

logistics.

These were essential conditions.

This time, he came to negotiate.

After sailing for three to five days.

They arrived at Jiangning County, the wealthiest county in the heart of the Jiang Kingdom.

The royal city was also situated next to Jiangning.

As soon as Jian Wushuang and his companions disembarked from the ship, they were greeted

by a squad of elite cavalry.

His name had already spread throughout the royal city.

A bandit with an army of a hundred thousand was no longer just a bandit.

Even if he didn’t call himself the Coastal Defense Army, others would bestow him with a title.

The official in charge of welcoming them, a second-rank officer, personally attended to them. Jian Wushuang and his companions were accommodated in a luxurious courtyard designated for foreign emissaries.

That evening, the official brought along various high-ranking officials to host a banquet in

their honor.

Jian Wushuang did not stand on ceremony; he accepted their flattery and received the gifts that were offered to him.

He had to do so in order to gain more advantages.

After the banquet, they finally got down to business.

After bidding farewell to the other high-ranking officials, the second-rank officer, Li Mi,

stayed behind.

The two of them leisurely drank tea in the pavilion, and Jian Wushuang changed the topic to inquire about the thoughts of the one in the imperial palace.

Seeing him initiate the serious conversation, Li Mi’s expression became solemn.

”There are some things I must speak frankly about. This time, regarding the emperor’s edict

to pacify your Coastal Defense Army, there have been some voices of opposition!” Li Mi said

calmly.

Upon hearing about the opposition, Jian Wushuang laughed.

Looking at Li Mi, he found the other quite amusing.

”Opposition? Could it be that some are advocating surrender to the Yue Kingdom?”

The Yue Kingdom had invaded the State of Jiang with the claim of annihilating it.

What benefit would surrender bring?

None at all, only exile overseas.

Li Mi spoke bluntly, ”Yes, and there are quite a few, though they can’t be killed off

completely!”

”Then they must oppose the conditions I proposed, right?” Jian Wushuang found the man somewhat untruthful.

He hadn’t even made any excessive demands yet, but it seemed like he was already making enemies. The key issue was whether these people were genuinely intent on surrendering or

just using this as leverage against him.

That’s why he spoke this way.

”There will indeed be voices of opposition, but you don’t need to worry. The matter of the pacification will be decided by the Protectorate Office. Tomorrow, you will meet the Emperor, receive your title, and the conditions you propose will also be agreed upon by the Protectorate Office. However, there is one thing you need to do!”

Hearing the straightforwardness of the other party, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows and

asked, ”What thing?”

”Killing!” Li Mi raised his head, his eyes deep and penetrating.

Upon hearing this, Jian Wushuang became even more puzzled.

He had just entered the royal city and was being asked to kill.

This was...

He frowned, pondering whether there was a trap.

He couldn’t let himself be fooled by the other party!

”My strength, you should know, and I only brought a few people this time. I really don’t

understand what you mean!” Jian Wushuang didn’t respond directly but subtly indicated his inability to perform the task.

Li Mi wasn’t in a hurry and continued, ”I’ve already investigated your influence. In the Coastal Prefecture, you can practically cover the sky with one hand, and you’ve made great contributions, so there’s no need to be so modest!”

”But that’s in the Coastal Prefecture; this is the royal city!”

”Precisely because of that, you need to do it. Once you do, the Emperor will be assured, and

you will become one of us!” Li Mi’s justified words left Jian Wushuang silent once again.

Finally, he asked, ”Who should I kill?”