The soldier stood frozen, unsure how to respond. Since Wang Kuang was still unconscious, he could only offer a wry smile and say, "I will report to the two lords before I can give the general an answer!"
"Go on!" Xing Daorong waved his hand. Among the men he brought were several Jinyiwei, making it easy to gather information. As for the real Xing Daorong, he knew exactly where he was hidden.
"Xing Daorong, Xing Daorong, your mistake was coming up the mountain. I am deeply indebted to the King of Chu and cannot let you live!" the fake Xing Daorong, Tang Er, clenched his fists and spoke coldly.
Only when Xing Daorong died could the alliance of the feudal lords be broken. Even if some forces were forcibly held together, they would not end well due to internal discord.
Before nightfall, Gan Quan arrived in a hurry, his smile forced. "I've long heard that General Xing is unparalleled in his bravery. I didn't expect him to be so decisive in handling matters. Truly, seeing is believing!"
"Tell me, what exactly do you want? Why didn't Wang Kuang come to see me!" Tang Er lay on the couch, speaking coldly. "Are you trying to bully me, Xing Daorong, a mere warrior, thinking you can trick me?"
"I tell you, this is not an insult to me. The one behind me will not let you go, absolutely not!" Xing Daorong said coldly. "If you know what's good for you, it's not too late to mend your ways now!"
That's right, he, Tang Er, was feigning ignorance, trying to cause trouble for himself. He, Tang Er, was not to be trifled with.
Gan Quan's face changed colors in an instant. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "General, what are you saying? It's simply that my lord was injured a few days ago, which is why we couldn't meet. Once he recovers, he will personally thank the general!"
"Can you make decisions for him?" Tang Er glanced at Gan Quan. "I heard you have defected to the King of Chu. Would Wang Kuang still listen to you? You should be thankful he hasn't killed you!"
Gan Quan's expression changed, and he quickly regained his composure, smiling. "Birds of a feather flock together. Why worry about these things? It's simply taking the king's salary and bearing the king's worries. I am still my lord's man and will naturally do my best!"
"What a loyal dog," Tang Er said, looking at Gan Quan with boredom. "If I'm not satisfied and want to slaughter, do you think anyone can stop this general!"
"The general is good friends with General Hua Xiong and General Pan Feng, so why would he take action? Besides, isn't the general here for us!" Gan Quan said with a fawning smile, speaking slowly. "If the general goes on a killing spree, how can he complete the king's mission!"
"As expected of a smart person!" Tang Er sneered. "Since you know this, why be indecisive? Leaving Xing Daorong behind makes things difficult for me!"
"This is a misunderstanding. Xing Daorong has already been pushed off the cliff. This way, the king will rely on the general even more, and both will benefit. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"
"What a bold Gan Quan, acting one way outwardly and another inwardly! This general will surely report to the king and have him deal with this!" Tang Er cupped his hands, facing north. "The king will absolutely not forgive you!"
Gan Quan's heart sank. He had to admit that all his moves were risky. If they were exposed, let alone these people, he himself would be in danger.
He had intended to sow discord between Tang Er, but he had underestimated Tang Er's loyalty. He could only show an embarrassed expression, cough lightly, and pretend to be oblivious. "What is the general talking about loyalty and schemes? I don't understand!"
"Where is Xing Daorong?" Tang Er tore off his pretense and shouted, "Hand them over, and these people can be spared. Otherwise, they will surely die!"
Gan Quan half-closed his eyes, as if resigned to his fate, and said, "Since the general can clearly investigate the truth of that day, you surely don't need me to point the way. Make your move."
"Why is this!" Tang Er did not understand. Gan Quan had clearly defected to the King of Chu, yet he was still planning for Wang Kuang.
"Taking the king's salary and bearing the king's worries. If I betray my lord and forget his kindness today for the sake of the King of Chu, then others might do the same to me in the future. At that time, how could the King of Chu trust me? It's better to die by the general's hand!"
Tang Er was stunned for a moment, then he moved his lips and said, "You may go. If you do anything to harm the King of Chu's interests, I will not forgive you. You can figure out the rest yourself!"
"Thank you, General, for sparing my life!" Gan Quan sighed. "I must also remind the general to be wary: when the birds are gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. Don't forget that a cunning rabbit has three burrows!"
"No need for your words, you may leave!" Tang Er, with a cold expression, sent Gan Quan away. As a member of the Jinyiwei, he was absolutely loyal to Ye Feng. However, today he only intended to warn Gan Quan. The rest of the matter would naturally be handled by Ye Feng.
"Someone!" Tang Er shouted. A mysterious Jinyiwei appeared before Tang Er. "What are the Thousand Commander's orders? We will obey!"
"Take a few brothers and follow me to kill Xing Daorong. Keep the noise down, and do not alert anyone!" Tang Er carefully ordered. Leaving Xing Daorong was a potential threat, but he hadn't expected that this action would lead him into Gan Quan's trap.
The Jinyiwei were also quick. Before long, more than a dozen men had gathered in the tent. "Thousand Commander, these are the chosen men. What are your orders!"
"Good, follow this general to kill someone. This time, we must win, not lose," Tang Er ordered righteously. "If anyone discovers this operation, apart from us brothers, all others will be killed without mercy, and none will be spared!"
"Yes!"
With the heavy snow sealing the sky, the presence of over a dozen Jinyiwei in the tent was not a major issue, and no one noticed. After a journey of several miles, a Jinyiwei pointed to a cave and said, "Thousand Commander, we heard clearly. Xing Daorong is inside. Should we charge in directly?"
"Good, are the brothers brought enough? First, look for any other exits and surround the cave to prevent anyone from escaping!" Tang Er ordered methodically. His eyes fell on a white horse not far away. To ensure no mistakes, he drew his bow and shot an arrow without hesitation. The white horse instantly collapsed on the ground.
"Who!" After a question, several black figures darted out, looking around. Tang Er marveled at Gan Quan's arrangements but did not hesitate to draw his bow and shoot. The figures in black all fell to the ground.
"Reporting to the Thousand Commander, the brothers have carefully checked. This cave has no other exits. We can proceed!" A Jinyiwei cupped his hands and reported!
"Good, tell the brothers to be careful, protect themselves, and absolutely do not cause any trouble. I don't want to see any brothers get hurt!" Tang Er stared at the cave with a frown. For some reason, he had a premonition of something ominous!
"Brothers, attack!" Tang Er led the charge, leading the Jinyiwei to storm out and surround the cave entrance. Seeing that there was no danger, Tang Er entered the cave alone. He saw Xing Daorong sitting on a tiger skin, his eyes half-closed.
"You've come!" Xing Daorong's voice was calm. "You've come to kill me? Hahaha!"
"I, Xing Daorong, roamed the four seas, and yet I am to die at the hands of an unknown junior. Whose man are you, and why do you insist on killing me!" Xing Daorong's tone was mournful as he asked several questions!
According to the booklet distributed by the Jinyiwei, Tang Er knew that villains died from talking too much. Holding his Xiu Chun Dao, he approached step by step. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you. It's the rule. But you can leave a last word!"
"I am already like this, what's the point of leaving a last word?" Xing Daorong let out a long howl to the heavens. "Unbelievable, unbelievable!"
Seeing that Tang Er was unaware, Xing Daorong leaned heavily to one side. In an instant, he triggered some mechanism. White doves flapped their wings and flew out. Tang Er's face changed drastically, and he quickly shouted, "Brothers, draw your bows and arrows, do not let a single pigeon escape!"
Arrows rained down instantly, but it was too late. Two or three pigeons escaped. "He was right after all. King of Chu, hahahaha," Xing Daorong sneered. "The feudal lords have already formed an alliance. It is impossible to stop them now. Ye Feng, Xing Daorong is waiting for you below."
Tang Er raised his Xiu Chun Dao without hesitation and ended Xing Daorong's life with a single strike. Seeing the pigeons flying away, his face turned cold, and he slammed his palm on the table. "I didn't expect to be defeated in this place in the end!"
"Thousand Commander, these are the notes on those pigeons!" A Jinyiwei cautiously handed the notes to Tang Er. As expected, they clearly stated Ye Feng's plan. This time, their efforts had failed!
Tang Er angrily threw the notes away, his face chilling. "I can't believe I was schemed against to this extent. Gan Quan, I will never forgive you!"
"Return to the camp and lead the men down the mountain!" Tang Er trembled with anger, but he still uttered these words. The Jinyiwei did not dare to provoke the Thousand Commander and hurriedly followed Tang Er back to the camp. Seeing that everyone had packed up, he only ordered them to descend the mountain.
"My brothers have worked too hard. I'm afraid they can't serve as the vanguard. I ask the lords to make the decision!" Tang Er's gaze shifted, and he added, "I have important matters to discuss with the envoy, so I ask for your convenience!"
Gan Quan emerged with a smile. He knew yesterday, after seeing the pigeons, that Tang Er had succeeded. However, his own plan had also been successful.
As for the vanguard, with the snow sealing the mountain, there were bound to be traps on the mountain, and it would require human lives to clear a path. Such tasks naturally fell to Wang Kuang's men.
Gan Quan walked up to Tang Er with a smile and said sarcastically, "I wonder what important matter General Xing is inviting me for. I myself don't understand. I ask General Xing to speak frankly."
Gan Quan emphasized the words "General Xing" heavily. Tang Er gritted his teeth in hatred and said coldly, "You are scheming against this general like this. Aren't you afraid the King will know? He will surely not forgive you!"
"The general's incompetence in his work, why push the responsibility onto me!"
"If you accidentally die on the road, I don't think the King will blame me!"