Chapter 1107 – In This Nine Provinces and Four Seas, I Want 100% (Part 6)
The servant noticed Xu Fei’s grim expression and felt a knot of anxiety in his own heart.
“Old… Lord?”
He was also fearing for his life, as the servants serving Xu Fei had been disappearing one after another, and now it looked like it was his turn. Desperate, he sought a way out.
If he didn’t do something, he wouldn’t escape death.
When he was at a loss, he accidentally overheard a brilliant idea from someone nearby, and he hurriedly presented it to Xu Fei.
Xu Fei sighed, “Liu Xi is indeed a suitable choice, but I have no relations with her.”
Upon hearing this, the servant’s heart leaped with joy.
He had his own ulterior motives, plotting away—if Xu Fei could successfully escape, he would be the credited strategist, and if not, at least it would buy him some time to discreetly find a way to divert attention and get away from Xu Fei.
“Lord, how could you not have relations with Liu Xi?” The servant carefully attended to him. “Back during the Huanshui Alliance, you and Liu Xi fought side by side, so that counts for camaraderie, right? She wouldn’t let you suffer without intervening, at the very least because of this old friendship!”
The servant thought he was making a solid argument, but Xu Fei’s expression only soured further.
He felt a shiver run down his spine, fearing he had set off a landmine.
After a long moment, Xu Fei said, “What you don’t know is that back at Huanshui Alliance, Liu Xi was much closer to Xu Pei.”
Although both of them were scheming for their own interests, it was an undeniable fact that Xu Pei had supported Liu Xi during the Huanshui Alliance.
If we’re talking about connections, Xu Fei was definitely not invited to the party.
The servant was dumbfounded; could it be that he offered a terrible suggestion?
Xu Fei darkly continued, “However, you have reminded me that Liu Xi is a good candidate. Though the hope is slim, it’s better than sitting here with my hands tied. No matter what, I will not submit to Xu Pei—not even if it costs me everything!”
The servant shivered at that.
He couldn’t understand; Xu Fei and Xu Pei were cousins from the same clan, their relationship should be amiable, so why was it like this?
Little did he know, because of their grandfather’s favoritism and protection, surpassing Xu Pei had become Xu Fei’s obsession.
Xu Fei could lose to anyone, but not to Xu Pei.
They were meant to fight, and only one would fall for it all to end.
“Go, summon Qin Gong at once,” Xu Fei said, immediately changing his mind, “Wait—first fetch me the vermilion ink and brush, then call Qin Gong. Do this quietly; if the word gets out, I won’t spare you!”
The servant broke out in a cold sweat, heart racing.
“Yes, I will take care of it right away.”
The servant tiptoed to the study to find the vermilion ink and brush, puzzled about why Xu Fei needed it.
He saw Xu Fei unfurling a bamboo slip on the table, then took a dagger and cut his palm, letting the hot blood drip into the inkstone. Once enough blood flowed, Xu Fei, undeterred, mixed the vermilion with it, then ground ink with the uninjured hand.
Is he writing a blood letter?
The servant’s eyes nearly popped out, and he trembled as he stepped back.
Xu Fei dipped the brush into the “ink,” his expression dark as he penned a letter to Jiang Pengji.
Being cherished by the old patriarch of the Xu clan, in addition to his childhood mischief, his talents were a bonus. His writing was taught and nurtured hand in hand by his grandfather. Compared to Xu Pei, who lacked literary flair, he seemed rather ordinary.
Xu Fei never imagined that one day, all his years of practice would be used to write a blood letter to garner sympathy from others.
Meanwhile, the servant took Xu Fei’s command to find Qin Gong.
“General Qin, the Lord requests your presence.”
Qin Gong was just returning from military drills, his youthful face tightly set, almost as if he wore a mask of vigilance.
Seeing this, the servant felt a pang of sympathy.
This Qin Gong was the youngest son of General Qin Ge, the first commander under Xu Fei.
To stay loyal to Xu Fei, Qin Ge held the rear and fought for a retreat, only to be riddled with arrows, dying without a complete corpse.
Qin Ge’s eldest and second sons had also died in subsequent battles, leaving the Qin family with only Qin Gong, who now bore the heavy weight of his family’s legacy.
The servant remembered that this Qin Gong used to be a chubby boy with a bright smile, but after taking on this heavy responsibility, he grew increasingly cold and stern. Following his father and brothers’ wishes, he was unwaveringly loyal to Xu Fei, training night and day without respite—
Suddenly, the servant felt an ominous premonition.
He had the nagging feeling that Xu Fei calling for Qin Gong didn’t bode well.
Upon receiving the letter from Xu Fei, Qin Gong seemed to sense his presence even when Xu Fei was not physically there, and he respectfully said, “Yes, I shall go now.”
Once Qin Gong was on his way, he suddenly caught a whiff of a faint, ominous smell of blood in the air.
Before long, his gaze sharpened as he identified the source of the scent—
“Lord—”
Xu Fei reassured him, “It’s alright, sit down first. I have something to instruct you.”
Upon hearing that there was something to discuss, Qin Gong didn’t dare sit down and immediately stated, “I’m listening!”
Xu Fei was not surprised; Qin Gong mirrored his father’s temperament—a naively straightforward boy who would quickly mature under the weight of responsibility.
“You will deliver this letter to Liu Xi at Wanzhou by the light of the stars,” Xu Fei instructed. “Be very careful not to let anyone find out.”
Qin Gong looked up, astonished, and blurted out, “If I leave, who will train the troops to ensure the Lord’s safety?”
Xu Fei laughed, “My life isn’t something your training can protect.”
Qin Gong’s complexion turned pale, his lips pressed tightly together.
“This letter is my only hope,” Xu Fei tied the two bamboo slips neatly, placing them into a tube, and handed it to Qin Gong. “I owe your father and brothers this much. Now—sigh, you must personally deliver the letter to Liu Xi as quickly as possible.”
“I will follow your command and will risk my life to fulfill the Lord’s request.”
Xu Fei smiled faintly, “Go now, I’ll be waiting for your good news.”
With his gaze cast downwards, Qin Gong noticed the white cloth wrapped around Xu Fei’s left palm, with faint blood seeping through, and his heart sank even further.
“Yes!”
Qin Gong tucked the tube with the two letters inside his clothing, under the cover of his armor, and left Xu Fei’s residence with a normal expression.
Back in his own house, he secretly arranged for several days of dried rations, a pouch of silver, and packed a few ordinary clean clothes.
In the dead of night, a lithe figure stealthily slipped out of the city.
To avoid attracting the enemy’s attention, Qin Gong climbed mountains and crossed ridges, choosing deserted paths.
When he finally arrived in Wanzhou territory after a long and grueling journey, summer had already come, a month having passed.
Squatting outside a teahouse, Qin Gong greedily drained a bowl of rough tea.
After satisfying his thirst, he also fed some to the horse he brought along.
“Hey, Young Master, over here—”
At first, Qin Gong didn’t realize the voice was calling him, until someone approached and blocked his view with their shadow.
He set the clay bowl down and wiped off the tea stains from his lips.
