576 Helper (2/2)

Gu Shenwei did not want a ”try”. He corrected his military counselor, ”Although it is a 'try', it must be successful and fast. You have three days. I have to see this person with my own eyes.”

Fang Wenshi's face turned a little red. This was the first time that the Dragon King had given him a compulsive order. He used to take the initiative to ask for tasks. ”Yes, sir,” he said walking to the door. Still, he felt that his guarantee was not clear enough and turned to say, ”If I fail to buy a traitor of King Kuari, I… I'll retire and no longer call myself a counselor.”

To the Military Counselor, this oath was as serious as promising his life. The word ”counselor” was of great significance to him. Removing it from his name was like taking away half of his life.

Gu Shenwei responded with a hum.

Maid Lotus stepped out of the corner and asked, ”Aren't you afraid he'll betray you?”

Although Fang Wenshi was not a person who talked about loyalty and principles, Gu Shenwei trusted him. This was because the Dragon King and the Counselor had something in common: both had worked very hard in their lives, but had never been treated with much respect by the highborn. Even after the seaside slope battle, and after they had taken the five countries of Xiaoyao Lake and the Land of Fragrance, they were still looked down upon.

To the Norland lords, one of them was a killer on the run and the other an unsuccessful scholar, and it would always be this way. They would never take such a team seriously. When they needed to forge an ally, Golden Roc Fort was always the first candidate in their minds.

The second wife of the Khan and King Rizhu came to the Dragon King for an alliance, but that was only an alliance in nominal terms. In fact, it was more like employment, and Gu Shenwei was uncertain if he would even be paid.

”I would rather that he betray me. It's better than being kept in the dark,” Gu Shenwei said.

The two helpers that King Rizhu had promised arrived in the late evening.

They came to the tent through a hidden passage that Gu Shenwei had set up for special visitors to see him without having to go past the guards.

As he had guessed, one of them was, indeed, Wildhorse. The other one was a young man Gu Shenwei had met before. On the day when Gu Shenwei went to King Rizhu's camp, he saw this young man cleaning Flame Foal with General Zhe Su.

”My name is Liman, son of General Zhe Su,” he introduced himself with a smile. He looked like a kind young man, curious to the world, and very different from his father, who was as sullen and strong as a black tower. ”We are both here at the Dragon King's disposal,” said Liman.

It was well known that Wildhorse, and especially Liman, were the subordinates of King Rizhu. King Rizhu sent them to participate in the assassination as proof to the Dragon King that he would not abandon him after the mission was completed.

Liman was not upset with this new identity, even though he was almost a hostage. He had only seen the Dragon King once, and had taken him as just an ordinary, pale young man until Flame Foal was stolen. Then he realized that he had underestimated the Dragon King, so he was very happy to have the opportunity to cooperate with him.

Wildhorse was not happy at all.

He held onto his hilt with his only remaining hand, stood at the door, and stared at the Dragon King with vigilance and coldness, the fierce killing intent emitting from every pore of his body.

Liman sensed the tension in the tent. One of his tasks was to ease the relationship between Wildhorse and the Dragon King. ”I heard that killers have no private hostility. Anyway, we are all in the same boat now. If there is no trust, I'm afraid that the ship will capsize,” he said.

Wildhorse softened and made several stiff gestures. Liman smiled in embarrassment. ”Sorry, I don't understand you,” he said.

Gu Shenwei understood part of it. Maid Lotus gave it an accurate interpretation. When she was in Golden Roc Fort, she had acted as an ”interpretor”. ”Let's have a duel on the day when the mission is completed, and the loser will have to die,” she interpreted.

”Okay. Let's hope it will be quick this time. One of us has to die,” Gu Shenwei answered.

The two had no deep hatred, but their mutual aversion grew worse and worse. Wildhorse was particularly uncomfortable about this alliance. As a killer, he preferred to act alone and felt he could handle Golden Roc Fort and complete the task without the help of the Dragon King.

However, his broken arm was his fatal flaw. King Rizhu preferred to let the Dragon King lead the mission, because he had been hunted for years, but only became stronger and stronger.

Liman seemed to not care about their pact. He said, ”Time is short. The Dragon King can give us an order now.”

”From today on, you and Wildhorse shall take orders from her,” Gu Shenwei said, pointing to Maid Lotus.

Wildhorse had no objection. He had a slightly better impression of Maid Lotus than Liman, who was hesitant. As a nobleman of Norland, he had always been contemptuous of women. It was hard to tell whether he was the same way towards the second wife of the Khan, as he had never talked to her directly. Still, he felt ashamed of being asked to take orders from Maid Lotus.

”O… kay,” he answered reluctantly.

With a few words, the Dragon King left the two to Maid Lotus, and then turned and walked out.

Now it was Liman's turn to have the feeling of ”contemption”.

”The first task for you two is to assassinate the granddaughter of the Supreme King,” Maid Lotus ordered. She had made an assassination plan that ensured that the Dragon King would not be connected.

Liman was stunned. He could not understand why they had suddenly become the instruments of the Dragon King when the original plan had been the other way around.