jdhmnovel Chapter 113 Behave and stand up
Chapter 113 Behave and stand up
Kongming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a faint smile playing on his lips, but a barely perceptible chill lurked in his eyes.
"Steward Xu, what do you mean by this?"
Steward Xu continued to stare coldly at Kongming...
"Zhuge Kongming, I warned you before, how dare you ignore my words?"
Shopkeeper Xu pointed at Kongming's nose and shouted angrily.
Kongming flicked his feather fan; he knew his actions would provoke the man's anger, and he was already prepared.
"Steward, is there some misunderstanding? If there is any offense, please explain."
Kongming asked without changing his expression, though his tone revealed a hint of confusion.
Steward Xu sneered, glancing sideways at Kong Ming, clearly not taking this Foundation Establishment cultivator from outside seriously at all, and then said sternly.
"Zhuge Kongming, you actually dare to use the power of Lord Liu and the Sima family to your advantage! I think you're tired of living!"
"Steward, what makes you say that?"
Kongming asked with an innocent look on his face, knowing that he had to clench his teeth and not give anyone cause for gossip.
"Hmph! Don't think I don't know what happened to those cultivators from the four countries just now?" The innkeeper sneered and asked in a deep voice.
"Oh! So that's why the steward has come. I've only invited a few familiar fellow Daoists over for tea. Does the top-tier room not even have that much authority?" Kongming asked, waving his feather fan.
"I think you're just pretending to be confused. The guests of the Heavenly Rank are of noble status, and I naturally have no right to interfere with what they do. But don't you know how you got this Heavenly Rank? You're trying to use it to swindle and deceive, and to damage the city lord's reputation. If it weren't for Miss's prior warning, I would have killed you today!" Steward Xu said ruthlessly.
"Steward Xu, when I'm out and about, I like to make friends. The more friends I have, the wider my path will be. Could you please turn a blind eye to some things?"
Kongming calmly waved his feather fan and said, then directly took out five million gold notes and handed them over.
When Steward Xu's eyes met the thick wad of gold notes, a hint of greed flashed across them.
But then his anger was quickly replaced by rage: "Zhuge Kongming, are you trying to bribe me?"
"You flatter me, Steward. A mere five million gold notes is hardly worthy of your attention. As I just said, I simply enjoy making friends and have no other intentions!"
Upon hearing this, Steward Xu's expression softened somewhat, but he still cautiously said, "Zhuge Kongming, you're quite arrogant. This is five million gold coins, yet you give it away so casually?"
Kongming knew, of course, that this person was looking for a way out. Since he wanted to be a prostitute but also want to maintain a virtuous image, Kongming might as well grant his wish.
Kongming smiled faintly and said, "Steward Xu, gold notes are nothing but material possessions to me. To have a friend like you, Steward Xu, I would not hesitate to accept even fifty million gold notes, let alone five million! Besides, Steward Xu, you are a person of great stature. How could you possibly care about such a small amount of gold? If you are willing to do me the honor, please accept this humble gift!"
After hearing Kongming's words, Steward Xu was greatly pleased. He glanced at the gold notes in Kongming's hand and weighed the matter in his mind.
He was already somewhat tempted, but wanted to test Kongming's attitude. Now that he saw Kongming was so cooperative, he naturally took the opportunity to accept the gold notes with a laugh.
"Very well, Zhuge Kongming, since you're so sincere, then I, Xu, will accept this friendship. However, let me make this clear beforehand: if I find out you've used the Heavenly Jade Token for any illegal activities, don't blame me for turning ruthless!"
Seeing this, Kongming secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had passed this hurdle.
But his money isn't so easy to take. As for the humiliation he suffered today, there's plenty of time in the future...
So he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Steward Xu. I will keep it in mind."
After seeing Steward Xu off, Kongming's face instantly turned gloomy.
"Prime Minister..." Zhao Yun stepped forward, gripping his silver spear tightly, but hesitated to speak.
Kongming gently waved his feather fan, smiled slightly, and said, "Zilong, there's no need to worry, I'm fine!"
How could Kongming not know that Zhao Yun was still holding a grudge about the beating he had just received?
Ultimately, it all comes down to his own lack of strength. If he had the power to challenge those ancient aristocratic families of the Holy State, then even if he overturned this Holy City, no one would dare utter a single word of dissent...
……
Anshi's Three Prefectures.
This period was undoubtedly torture for An Lushan.
Having suffered such a huge loss in silence, he couldn't make a fuss, since he hadn't contacted the Biyou Sect about the matter of these warhorses from beginning to end.
The amount owed to Biyou Sect for offerings has now reached an alarming level, and a war is urgently needed to get them out of this predicament.
But now that their warhorses have been hijacked, they have to slow down.
The only thing that made him feel a little better was the news that Kongming was dead and Li Guangling had been deposed by the Yuding Sect.
The Tang Dynasty court is currently in a state of utter disarray over this matter. Five hundred million gold coins of military expenditure have been wasted, and they have even supported a wolf in sheep's clothing named Qu Qianchou.
The Tang Dynasty court was about to launch a military campaign to punish them.
Although Kongming seized the warhorses, it was ultimately a wasted effort. Instead, it caused turmoil within the Tang Dynasty, which was exactly what pleased An Lushan, since these warhorses were originally intended to be used against him.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Leizhou also withdrew all its cultivators and troops.
All of this stemmed from the death of Zhuge Liang.
"Young master, now that Zhuge Liang is dead, Li Guangling is no longer a threat. Why don't we take advantage of the Tang Dynasty's preparations for civil war and tear another piece of flesh from him?"
A general bowed to An Lushan and said this.
“Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. We can’t rush things. Let them fight amongst themselves for a while. If we don’t make a move, we won’t make a move at all. But if we do, we will definitely inflict heavy damage on our opponent. Small skirmishes are not for us!” An Lushan tapped his index finger lightly on the table.
"So, what are your plans next, young master?"
"I'll inform the Biyou Sect that I need to make another trip to Leizhou. Now that Zhuge Kongming is dead, their previous agreement is null and void. If I can persuade the Tianlei Sect, it will be of great help to the An family's three states."
An Lushan regained his composure and calmness, as if the anxiety and anger he felt earlier because of the hijacking of his warhorse had been deeply buried.
Temporary gains or losses do not determine the final outcome. The key is who can have the last laugh. Once Zhuge Liang is outlasted, it will be time to see who displays their true abilities...
Upon hearing this, the general immediately replied, "Yes, sir, I will make the arrangements immediately." With that, he turned and left the hall.
An Lushan sat alone in the hall, his gaze deep. He knew that the road ahead was long and required careful planning and meticulous strategizing...