Chapter 629: Negotiating a Deal

Chapter 629: Negotiating a Deal

The Helong Hall and the Royal Guards had stopped fighting properly. What started as a direct confrontation quickly devolved into a game of guerilla warfare.

They dashed from east to west, then back to east, and finally returned to the west. It became a back-and-forth melee—soldiers were left dazed, muttering under their breath, “Can’t you just fight straightforwardly? Why are we dashing everywhere?” After running around for hours and only having minor skirmishes, they’d retreat again.

This wasn’t a combat that killed; it was more like running people to death.

Considering the fatigue of the soldiers, both sides swapped out troops repeatedly, yet the chase never ended. Instead of claiming lives, they wore several soldiers out.

Lin Nuo observed the situation and thought, “This puppet is quite capable. It knows how to maneuver in guerilla tactics.”

He had met his match.

However, he didn’t step onto the battlefield himself, continuing to lead his troops away, while Luo Xiaoxue kept pace with him.

But dragging it out wasn’t a sustainable strategy. Luo Xiaoxue, recognizing the familiarity in the opponent’s tactics, felt she was up against a fellow expert and decided to act cautiously.

After some time locked in a stalemate, both sides had exhausted themselves without achieving a clear victory.

Lin Nuo, feeling confident, believed he could win despite having only a handful of men—yet after half the day, he hadn’t made a breakthrough.

Awkward, to say the least.

He even contemplated assassination, but that was risky; achieving victory through strategic means gave a sense of accomplishment.

Most importantly, casualties in battle meant soldiers would be lost, while an assassination attempt could very well cost him his life.

Of course, in a typical scenario without Su Kexin around, he wouldn’t expect to die.

This was the inevitable rule of the overwhelming protagonist vs. the villain.

So why couldn’t he even defeat Luo Yi?

Could she be a protagonist too?

Unlikely. He had even read the script—there was no protagonist in this world. In his previous life, he had committed countless heinous acts, and yet he’d never seen Luo Yi unleash her Great威天龙 to take him down.

He figured she had probably been kept on ice in the last life. A protagonist could never be frozen; they were always at the forefront.

Lin Nuo continued to waste time with the opponent, waiting to see who would last longer.

But dragging this out wasn’t wise. Eventually, both sides sought negotiations to see if they could come to terms.

Naturally, as a villain, Lin Nuo wasn’t going to negotiate honestly; during the negotiations, he planned to trap the puppet and directly threaten the opposition. Wasn’t that better than engaging in a long-winded discussion?

…

Twenty miles away, a camp of recently risen rebel troops led by Zhao Lei was preparing to seize territory.

Previously, they aimed to capture Huan Tian City, but upon encountering a genuine princess for negotiations, they feared a deceitful plot and retreated from the siege.

They’d been clever then; otherwise, they might have been flanked by the enemy.

Yet now, they faced a problem: the Helong Hall and the Royal Guards were formidable. Going against either was no trivial matter.

But seeing them engaged in combat provided an opportunity. His strategist, Hu Shu, quickly advised:

“Lord, now that the Helong Hall and the Royal Guards are engaged in battle, it’s the perfect time for us to strike. When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. We can reap the benefits as bystanders.”

“Hm, indeed. I feel the same. These two forces are inherently incompatible. There’s definitely going to be injuries. When that happens, we’ll seize the moment. When does Hu Shu think we should strike?”

“Currently, both sides are negotiating, and I believe there could be two possible outcomes: one, negotiations fail, and they continue fighting, which allows us to take advantage and defeat them. Two, the so-called negotiations succeed, with both sides feeling secure in their interests, but there’s no real cooperation. Each remains suspicious of the other, and when that happens, we can order our troops to attack, sow discord, and they’ll be filled with rage, leading to renewed conflict. That’s when we can take advantage.”

“Hm, alright, we’ll do as you say.”

Zhao Lei found this strategy quite appealing—provoking them and catching them off-guard felt splendid. It was like winning without bloodshed.

He believed Hu Shu’s analysis was correct. Clearly, these two weren’t going to reach a true peace or cooperation; each had their own agenda, and since they couldn’t be trusted, a renewed battle was inevitable.

Ambushing in the chaos was essential. They just needed to wait.

“Let’s prepare. We’ll scout thoroughly to avoid detection by the enemy and advance carefully.”

Zhao Lei commanded, and the rebel troops began to move out.

…

Lin Nuo and Mu Yiting were negotiating, with Mu Yiting representing them while he acted as her attendant, quietly observing and waiting for the right moment.

Since their opponents hadn’t revealed themselves, he couldn’t expose his identity. Let Mu Yiting handle it; after all, she was a leader—not unreasonable to send her to negotiate.

On the other side, Luo Xiaoxue was also arranging matters. She summoned her confidant, Han Xiao, to continue pretending to be the princess, while Luo Xiaoxue herself disguised as an attendant.

“Your Highness, it’s best if you personally handle this negotiation. I worry it might go awry.”

“Everything will be fine; I trust you. You’ve performed brilliantly in past negotiations, saving us lots of troops while we captured those cities. I’ll be there to provide guidance; just don’t panic.”

Luo Xiaoxue gently patted Han Xiao’s shoulder, smiling.

“Your Highness, this time it’s with the Helong Hall—the largest underworld organization.”

“Haha, to be honest, you have a better princess aura than I do. If I were the one negotiating, I might disgrace the Pu Han royal family. Don’t turn it down; it’s perfectly fine. Besides, I need to conceal my identity. I’ve instructed the troops to prepare, and I’ll always be on standby. If they try to attack you, I will undoubtedly step in to assist. Even if it costs me.”

“Your Highness, I couldn’t possibly… put you in danger…?”

“Last time, I couldn’t save you and let you fall into peril; this time, as your attendant, I absolutely must not let anything happen to you. Don’t worry; Lin the Knight gave me a protective charm that can deflect any weapons with ease.”

Luo Xiaoxue talked with Han Xiao for a while, and she could only agree.

Though she had dealt with various dignitaries, this was her first time negotiating with the underworld Helong Hall.

Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her composure.

Everything should go smoothly; they would reach an agreement.

Luo Xiaoxue and the others set off, bringing people along while keeping a close watch on the enemy’s actions.

The opposing side didn’t have many troops, and their weapons weren’t particularly strong, appearing to genuinely seek negotiations, while they seemed less sincere.

Regardless, the Helong Hall was treacherous; caution was necessary.

Their negotiation took place in a small room, simply decorated, with a long table at its center where the leaders of both sides sat across from each other.

Mu Yiting and her group arrived first and took their seats. Lin Nuo stood aside, acting as a servant, quietly watching the situation.

Curious about what this puppet was all about.

Soon enough, Luo Xiaoxue’s side appeared as well. The one leading was a girl in a long dress, her face obscured by a veil, leaving her features hidden from view.

Lin Nuo wondered why these people always covered their faces. Were they that ashamed to show their faces?

And among her attendants, one girl seemed particularly familiar.

Wait, isn’t that lackey here too?