515 The Rise of Li Feihong 1 (1/2)
”Outstanding move, my lord. I didn't even think of that.”
Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu were impressed by Li Feihong's quick wits as the latter swapped modern bullet heads in the holes with musket shells. It disguised the scene that someone else used muskets inside the prison.
It was a pity that they couldn't forge the crime scene that Ma Chao broke out on his own. Still, it was enough to fool Cao Cao.
”You have 8 wings now. Why don't you just kill Cao Cao and Dian Wei?”
Ma Chao was also watching the monitors in Li Feihong's world. He was puzzled since Li Feihong had enough strength to kill Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, or Dian Wei. Yet, he chose to hide.
”Clan system. We can't kill members of the same clan. That's why we need you,” Zhuge Liang answered in Li Feihong's stead.
”I see. So, you need me to be your hitman.”
”That's correct.”
”Then, let's get this deal straight. I help you kill Te Langpu, and you'll set us free.”
”That's also correct.”
Ma Chao and Liu Bei's eyes glinted with hope. However, the former thought of his dead father, which foiled his mood. He recalled that he had to avenge for Ma Teng.
”If I want to kill Zhang He and Cao Cao, what do you want in return?”
This time, Ma Chao offered his service to get their help.
Li Feihong didn't like Ma Chao's goal since Zhang He might still be loyal to Tong, so he attempted to negotiate.
”Zhang He might be impossible since he's on our side. For Cao Cao, we can help you.”
Ma Chao was a bit disappointed, but getting rid of one of the targets was good enough. After all, he didn't have many choices.
”I'm fine with only killing Cao Cao. Then, what do you want in return?”
Li Feihong fell into deep thought for a while before he had an idea.
”Swear allegiance to me by empowering your voice with your immortal force.”
”That's it?” Ma Chao was surprised.
”That's it.”
Ma Chao sneered since the condition was so simple. However, before he could complete the oath, Liu Bei closed his mouth and stopped him.
Liu Bei didn't have enough power to contain Ma Chao, so the latter shook him off with ease.
”What are you doing?”
”No, it's you. What do you think you're doing!?”
”That's none of your business, Xuande!”
”Hey! I'm still your lord! Why are you swear allegiance to this guy!?”
”Ha! You're not my liege now. You're just a ”former” employer. You'd better be grateful that I dragged you out of that prison.”
”But I'm your emperor!”
*POW*
Ma Chao punched Liu Bei to the face. The latter was knocked unconscious.
Li Feihong had a complicated feeling as he watched his counterpart getting punched. He blinked several times and used his god eyes on Liu Bei's unconscious body to inspect his soul.
'I'm me, but that guy is just someone else.'
Li Feihong reminded himself that he was not this world's Liu Bei, so he should not hold compassion toward this stuck-up warlord.
”Tsk! Pathetic!” Ma Chao turned toward Li Feihong, ”[I swear that I'll work for you!]”
*RUMBLE*
Another oath was completed. Li Feihong could feel a sense of connection between him and Ma Chao as if they were sharing five senses.
Li Feihong could now locate Ma Chao's whereabouts without using his third eye or a spy monitor. Vice Versa, Ma Chao could also sense Li Feihong's presence and could see his true form.
Ma Chao realized that he might have been tricked into doing something irreversible. He wanted to lash and cuss Li Feihong, but he noticed something odd.
He could Li Feihong's other appearance beneath his souls.
”Why does your soul look like Xuande?”
”…”
Li Feihong didn't expect that his first karmic subordinate could see his alternate form. He looked back in astonishment.
Before Li Feihong could answer the question, Zhuge Liang laughed as he revealed the truth.
”That's because Lord Li Feihong IS Liu Xuande! He's the real one while that asshole is a fake! Do you think our previous lord is this pathetic as that fool? Our lord is the virtuous saint who sacrifices everything for his people! Look at this world and his farmlands. Look at yourself! Think of the past treatments that he had given you!”
Ma Chao's jaw dropped.
He didn't believe Zhuge Liang at first. But when he thought about Li Feihong's personality, speech, and behavior, it indeed resembled Liu Bei in the other timeline.
.
Liu Bei's character was kind and charismatic to commoners, so was Li Feihong as many civilians and nobles wanted to give their daughters and granddaughters to him in the past.
Liu Bei was a vengeful person who could move because of his anger, so was Li Feihong as he displayed in the battle of Hongnong, killing Zhang Fei and Pang Tong in cold blood.
Liu Bei was a flatterer who always avoided infighting conflicts by sheltering under a stronger powerhouse, so was Li Feihong who had been laying low under Tong and immediately surrendered to Medusa to save his life when he was threatened.
Liu Bei enjoyed socializing with gangsters, rangers, and hoodlums, such as the drunkard Zhang Fei and the narcissist Guan Yu. Li Feihong also ended up hanging out with the arrogant Lu Bu and the scary Zhang Liao in his early days.
And most importantly, Liu Bei was an ambitious man, who desired to be a free lord. In the case of Li Feihong, the secret town and his hidden soldiers in this dimension proved that the hidden ambition still lingered in his heart, but it was contained under Li Feihong's new personality.
His created skill, [Private Dimension], was the embodiment of Li Feihong's dark side, which desired a world for himself.
.
”Yeah, he's similar to THAT Liu Bei.”