574 Trus (1/2)

”Can I have my horse back now?” King Rizhu asked. Although he did not want to make an alliance with the Dragon King, he had to accept it. He was well aware that if he did not do it, the second wife of the Khan would do it without him. Since they were allies now, he decided to make his first request as a friend.

”No,”Gu Shenwei said, shaking his head.

”Why not?” King Rizhu asked in surprise.

By then, there were only the two of them in the tent. The second wife of the Khan had left after she got what she wanted.

”As I told you before, I didn't steal your horse,” insisted Gu Shenwei.

”No, you didn't, but your people did,” King Rizhu said, quite upset. ”I've been honest to the Dragon King since the very beginning. I wish the Dragon King would be the same to me. That horse is very important to me. I need it to win the Tournament in two days,” he whined.

”Why do you want to win? Do you want to show the other lords your strength so that they will be appalled and have second thoughts about the assassination plot?” Gu Shenwei asked.

”It's obvious. It's the same reason I killed Golden Roc Fort's woman — to sabotage the enemy's deal and make them feel that they'd get little to no profit from it,” King Rizhu replied.

Gu Shenwei gave it a thought for a minute, and then shook his head again. ”No,” he said.

King Rizhu was known for being hot-tempered. He had been holding it in front of the Dragon King, but now he could not hold it in any longer. He asked the Dragon King furiously, ”Does the Dragon King really think he's that important and irreplaceable?”

”Many people can replace me. That's why I need to hold onto something that's not replaceable. If I had Flame Foal, I'd hold it until the deal was completed,” he said.

King Rizhu squinted at the Dragon King like a lion observing its prey, ready to pounce at any time. ”The Dragon King seems to like making enemies,” he sneered.

”Enemies help keep my mind clear,” Gu Shenwei said, returning the jewelry box to King Rizhu and walking to the door. He had examined the box. There was an interlayer, and the object in it was gone.

Before Shangguan Ru and Old Man Mu went missing, they had been here and had taken the Bone Shrivelling Pills. Now that King Rizhu would not admit that he had detained Shangguan Ru and Old Man Mu, Gu Shenwei would not admit that he had Flame Foal, either.

Gu Shenwei did like to make enemies. The more enemies he made, the more important people would think he was. He knew he was only regarded as a killer by his enemies. Some took advantage of him, some wanted to get rid of him, but none of them really saw him as an ally. Even the second wife of the Khan was just using him as a sharp sword, even though she was acting like a confidant.

Although killers did not pursue fame, sometimes fame was good for profit and power. In order to keep himself in a controlling position, Gu Shenwei decided to go directly into the center of trouble.

The more enemies the better. In fact, Gu Shenwei did not think he had enough enemies. He needed to make all his enemies reveal themselves, especially those who had been pretending to be neutral.

When Gu Shenwei returned to his encampment, daylight had just broken, and his excitement and safe feelings had gone away with the night. He was not sleepy at all, so he sat in his tent and scrutinized the plans for the next two days.

He needed to get rid of Shangguan Shaomin at once as a gift to his allies. As for King Kuari, actions would be made during the Tournament of the Royal Court.

Fang Wenshi lifted the curtain and was happy to see the Dragon King in the tent. ”I thought you might be back,” he said.

”Yeah. I just got back,” Gu Shenwei replied.

Fang Wenshi looked like he had not slept the whole night, either. He was not used to being up all night, like killers. His hair was a mess and his face was bloated.

”I've been thinking. I don't think the second wife of the Khan is trustworthy,” he said.

”I just met her,” said Gu Shenwei.

Fang Wenshi was surprised. ”What did she say?” he asked.

Gu Shenwei told him what Luo Ningcha, King Rizhu, and the second wife of the Khan had said. He omitted the part about Shangguan Ru and his father, Gu Lun, though.

”One hundred thousand Norland cavalry in exchange for the Dragon King's sword, three people to kill, and the third thing will remain secret for now,” Fang Wenshi summarized the deal quickly.

Gu Shenwei nodded and said, ”That's it.”

”Have you agreed?” asked Fang Wenshi.

”Yes,” Gu Shenwei replied.

”With all due respect, the Dragon King shouldn't have agreed so early. King Rizhu and the second wife of the Khan claim to be protecting the Khan. Who knows whether that is the truth or not? What if they are actually taking advantage of the Dragon King? Maybe after the Dragon King kills their enemies and they become the most powerful, they will still kill the Khan and frame the Dragon King for it,” said Fang Wenshi.

This was why Gu Shenwei needed a person like Fang Wenshi, who was always doubful and thinking ahead. In this way, Fang Wenshi not only helped him with new ideas, but also criticized his ideas from a different perspective.

”Keep going,” encouraged Gu Shenwei.

”Maybe there's not a third target. Maybe that's only a trick played they're playing to ease your mind. Maybe the only person they want to kill is King Kuari, and the death of the Supreme King's granddaughter is just collateral. The second wife of the Khan made us believe that we're a part of the big picture, but actually it's quite simple. It'll be over once King Kuari is dead,” theorized Fang Wenshi.

”That's possible,” said Gu Shenwei.

”I even suspect the woman you met was a fake. King Rizhu could've easily found a woman to pretend to be the second wife of the Khan. In Norland, a man like King Rizhu is not likely to work for a woman willingly,” Fang Wenshi went on.

Gu Shenwei did not agree with his military counselor on this point. ”It's really the second wife of the Khan,” he affirmed. Average people might be fooled by a fake, but not him. He was quite sure the woman he met was the one with the real power, which could not be faked easily.

”It's not important whether she is the real wife of the Khan or not. I just think it's weird. The way she and King Rizhu are protecting the Khan is suspicious. To put it bluntly, it's to kill the lord who is the most eligible to take the throne,” said Fang Wenshi.