socalfunplaces Chapter 161 Signs of National Demise
Chapter 161 Signs of National Demise
Bai Yifei felt a surge of warmth in her heart, but her expression remained as calm as a still well. She simply asked, "What is it?"
"Killing the King of Han".
"What?!" Bai Yifei's pupils shrank sharply as he stared intently at the other person, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, as if he were being choked by those two words.
A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind as he rapidly deduced the changing political landscape—if King Han An were to fall, Han Yu would most likely succeed him!
A flash of malice crossed his eyes as he took a step closer, his voice extremely low: "Can it work?"
"You must die."
"Who gave the order?"
"The State of Qin".
Qin? Bai Yifei sneered inwardly. The speed of their actions was no longer concealed—this weakened Han was probably about to be wiped out.
One person flashed through his mind instantly: Ying Zheng.
But Ba Linglong and Hei Bai Xuan Jian are clearly not under the command of the King of Qin; their infiltration of Han this time was aimed at assassinating the King! Could it be... that Hei Bai Xuan Jian is not Ying Zheng's man? But rather a weapon in Lü Buwei's hands?
Bai Yifei has always been meticulous. If he hadn't been so cautious and thorough, Yan Lingji would never have survived to see Lin Tian. This caution was ingrained in his very being.
His thoughts raced, and he quickly cut off his distractions: Hei Bai Xuan Jian and Ba Linglong must undoubtedly belong to Lü Buwei, and are definitely not Ying Zheng's henchmen.
Why did he remain in Korea instead of returning to Xianyang to report back? And why did he suddenly change course and turn to assassinate Korea? Bai Yifei was completely baffled.
"You know better than I do the best time to assassinate him." Hei Bai Xuan Jian said these words, and his figure disappeared without a trace, like ink melting into the night.
A breeze swept through the courtyard. Bai Yifei looked up at the sky and murmured to himself, "In this chaotic world, which path should I choose? Could it be... that I should really turn to that person?"
He paused, then uttered two words: "Lin Tian".
That name is as mysterious as a pavilion shrouded in mist.
From the moment Lin Tian appeared, Bai Yifei deployed spies to search for his whereabouts with all his might—but the results were increasingly perplexing: the territories of the seven kingdoms and the classics of a hundred schools of thought contained not a single word about this person.
Inside the Purple Orchid Pavilion, Lin Tian was unaware that a bloody storm was quietly gathering against the King of Han.
Last night, he destroyed the Eight Linglong and brought Liwu back to life, planting an unshakable divine mark in Nongyu's heart.
How should I describe it?
At this moment, in Nongyu's eyes, Lin Tian was the supreme being who created the world and controlled the cycle of life and death in ancient legends.
When it was time to rest late at night, Nongyu would always grab his sleeve and pester him to tell her some strange tales about their homeland.
Lin Tian came from the future and was used to sleeping in. With nothing to do, he simply dragged Nongyu to sleep in with him. She had woken up early, but he kept her up with his whining and coquettishness, so she could only smile and stay by his side.
At this moment, outside Lin Tian's room, Zi Nu stood alone, hesitant and unsure whether to go forward or retreat.
She raised her hand several times to knock, but her fingertips touched the wooden door and froze, hovering in mid-air, unable to fall.
Until Yan Lingji, with a green fruit dangling from her lips, strolled upstairs and saw Zi Nu standing at the door without knocking, she smiled and teased:
"Sister Zi Nu, you slept so soundly last night! I could hear it all through the wall—rustling and intermittent noises, it was quite a lively scene! You were right next door, and your hearing is even better than mine, so you must have slept even more soundly than I did!"
Zi Nu's eyes narrowed, her fingertips tightened suddenly, and she gave her a cold glare.
Her face seemed covered with a thin layer of ice, her brows were slightly furrowed, but her eyes were filled with shame and indignation at having her secret exposed, as well as a hint of sadness that she could not hide.
"Snapped!"
She raised her hand and slapped away Yan Lingji's outstretched wrist, her voice as cold as frost: "Get down and help Wushuang Ghost move goods."
"I came here specifically to lend a hand, and it turns out I'm being ignored?" Yan Lingji wasn't annoyed; instead, she laughed, raising an eyebrow as if she'd spotted some amusing trick. She then turned and lightly knocked twice on the door.
Boom, boom.
"Sister Nongyu, it's time to tell your husband to get up! Young Master Han Fei is coming to visit today; he has important matters to discuss with the master."
"Hmm... okay!"
Nongyu responded softly and lightly, her voice trembling slightly at the end, clearly blushing with embarrassment.
Lin Tian muttered something inside the room, full of dissatisfaction:
"What's all this fuss about? My eyelids aren't even fully open yet! Last night in the middle of the night..."
The words were abruptly cut off—Nongyu had already tiptoed and covered his mouth tightly with her soft little hand.
Outside the door, Zi Nu's face suddenly darkened. She turned and left, leaving behind only a chilling whisper: "You wait here."
Yan Lingji watched her departing figure, a slight smile playing on her lips, and sighed softly, "How lonely she is..."
Just as Han Fei lifted the carriage curtain, Zhang Liang was still by the carriage shaft when a fiery red figure swept past the steps like a gust of wind and rushed straight into the depths of the Purple Orchid Pavilion.
Honglian's clear voice instantly resounded throughout the hall: "Brother Lin Tian! I'm here! Quickly teach me kung fu!"
Han Fei sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead: "This girl, sigh..."
Zhang Liang's eyes were gentle, and he smiled slightly: "If we're talking about ways to repay debts, I do have an idea."
"Of course I know—but I can't exactly pawn my own sister for money, can I? Besides, Brother Lin is surrounded by beautiful women; why would he care about this little girl who hasn't even grown up yet?"
"Heh... Let's talk inside. How could I not see through Brother Han's thoughts? You're just reluctant to give in because you can't bear to part with her."
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they saw Zi Nu standing under the corridor, coldly instructing Wu Shuang Gui to carry several heavy boxes to the backyard.
Han Fei quickly cupped his hands and smiled, "Good afternoon, Miss Zi Nu."
"Get out of the way. I don't have time for you. If you're looking for someone, go inside and find them yourself."
Without even lifting her eyelids, her tone was sharp as a blade, leaving Han Fei frozen in place, like a kite pinned to the ground.
Zhang Liang remained calm, reached out and pulled him away, half-dragging and half-pulling him along.
Han Fei was on the verge of tears—who had angered her? This anger was hotter than the charcoal that had just been stoked in the stove!
At this moment, Lin Tian was having a meal in the hall, and Hong Lian was sitting next to him, chattering away.
He glanced up and saw Han Fei, his chopsticks stopping abruptly. He cut to the chase: "Let's get down to business. The meal isn't yours unless you pay back the money—800,000 gold, not a penny more, not a penny less, as agreed in last night's bet."
Eight hundred thousand gold coins!
Han Fei felt a buzzing in his head, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot.
Zhang Liang covered his mouth and chuckled softly behind him, his smile clear and undisguised, revealing his interest in watching the show.
"Brother Lin...please allow me a few more years!"
"Don't worry, brother, I've thought of everything for you—installment payments, a little bit each month, the amount is up to you. Want to delay payments? Then we'll use the old rule with extra interest: nine parts out, thirteen parts back, fair and square, isn't that fair?"
Seeing his miserable expression, Lin Tian felt relieved and even enjoyed his porridge more.
Han Fei suppressed the twitching at the corner of his mouth, looked around, and suddenly asked:
"By the way, where is Young Master Ying?"
"He took Gai Nie out a while ago, saying he was traveling around the mountains and rivers of Korea. But..." Lin Tian put down his bowl, his tone calm, "I think he's scouting locations and drawing maps, paving the way for the future annexation of Korea."
These words came out without any restraint, so frank as to be almost blinding.
Honglian was taken aback, frowned, but ultimately remained silent.
The others, however, remained calm, as if they were used to such a frank confession.
Han Fei sighed heavily and slumped into his seat: "Brother Lin, you really are... too straightforward."
"Then you could simply kill him with one stroke, or muster your troops and march back to Xianyang—what do you think?"
Han Fei was speechless, his face ashen like autumn leaves, and finally he slowly lowered his head.
The signs of a nation's demise are not a sudden collapse, but a silent, gradual infiltration.
Korea, the weakest of the seven kingdoms, was sandwiched between the iron walls of the great powers, as insignificant as sand and as lonely as a candle.