Kou Zhong swallowed his food. Sighing contentedly, he said, "Money is supposed to be spent; money that don't get to be spent is a waste. This is a ‘money in exchange of goods' society, if it is used properly, not only it could make you enjoy everything comfortably, it could also make your life more colorful, and could even earn you fame and profit, and power too, to such an extent that the Emperor's throne is not impossible to obtain.”
Shang Xiuxun was emotionally moved. "Turns out you want to be like others who vie for the throne. But the money you spent so far has been mine!”
As the spectator, Xu Ziling was able to see more clearly. He knew that Kou Zhong has been going all out to win Shang Xiuxun's heart, to make her happy, and thus greatly reduced the distance between the two, so that in the future this beauty would support him.
Against all expectation, Kou Zhong suddenly rose up to his full height and raised the gold high above his head. "Whoever can tell me what's going on in Jingling, this gold will become his!” he shouted loudly.
His voice was full of energy; it immediately subdued the clamor that the noisy restaurant gradually quieted down. Everybody's eyes were on him. As soon as they saw the glittering yellow gold high up in the air, seventy-percent of the people there shouted, "I know!” and then stood up hurriedly, so that the restaurant was in an uproar.
‘Ring!'
Kou Zhong pulled his Moon in the Well and waved it lightly; fast as lightning the treasured saber soared and embedded itself deep into the beam.
While the blade that was outside the beam was still quivering endlessly, Kou Zhong thundered, "I am Kou Zhong who cut off Ren Shaoming's bird [or pen1s] head. If anybody dares to babbling nonsense to deceive me, or perhaps simply giving me news that everybody already knew, I will immediately break his mother's egg.”
After this, one after another the people sat back, no longer made any noise. Right this moment, a middle-aged man in scholar attire stood up smoothly, with an unspeakable calmness.
Kou Zhong said, "Everybody continue eating, your Daye does not like to be looked at!”
Everybody kept quiet out of fear; they simply buried their heads in the dining table. The sound of laughing and chatting was greatly reduced as well.
Pointing to the middle-aged scholar, Kou Zhong called, "You, come here!”
And then, sitting pompously, he said to Shang Xiuxun, who was still laughing like a trembling stem of flower, "Interesting! This is the power of gold combined with the saber.”
Shang Xiuxun rolled her coquettish eyes to him, and swore under her breath, "A dead evil tyrant whose entire body is covered in copper stench.” But at the same time there was a peculiar feeling rising up in her fragrant heart.
All along, in the Flying Horse Ranch she was aloof and remote. Forget about playing or joking with others, she did not even have anybody with whom she could vent up to unload her mind. Yet the kid in her presence was able to make her bursting with joy, mixed with bashful and anger, which was difficult to differentiate.
It was undeniably a fresh and moving feeling.
She could not help shooting a quick glance toward Xu Ziling, who appeared to be deep in thought; a totally different type of person, yet was also able to pull her heartstrings.
The middle-aged scholar came to their table. The waiter hurriedly added a chair for him, while continuously blabbering ‘Kou Ye this' and ‘Kou Ye that' for fear that his service was unsatisfactory.
After the waiter withdrew, Kou Zhong put the gold in front of the scholar, and said with an indifferent laugh, "Let me hear first what makes you qualified to earn this gold.”
The scholar smiled and said, "Zaixia Xu Xingzhi, a public figure in Jingling; formerly I held an official post as the secretary of Duba Village's Right Vanguard Fang Daoyuan, and only this morning I came here by boat. Kou Ye, do you think this qualification is enough?” [Translator's note: different ‘Xu' surname from Xu Ziling's.]
The man spoke with grace, his demeanor calm and collected, neither servile nor overbearing. The three could not help sizing him up again.
Xu Xingzhi looked to be approximately thirty, his gaze ran deep without betraying his emotion, obviously he was well versed in martial arts and possessed considerable skills. His long eyes and straight nose, combined with his five-strand long beard, which matched very well with his delicate features, gave him the impression that he looked like a Taoist immortal.
Kou Zhong nodded, "No question about that,” he said, "Please continue!”
Xu Xingzhi looked up at the Moon in the Well stuck in the beam; he said slyly, "The first thing in military operation is to gain military intelligence. I wonder if Kou Ye would be willing to add another ingot of gold?”
While Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were looking at each other in disbelief, Shang Xiuxun already took out another ingot of gold and heavily dropped it on the table in front of the scholar. Letting out a cold humph, she said, "If what you say is not worth two ingots of gold, I will cut off your ear.”
Xu Xingzhi laughed aloud. He put the two ingots of gold into his pocket, and then calmly, without any sign of fear, he said, "Don't worry, I totally earn these two ingots of gold.”
A bit impatient, Kou Zhong said, "Speak up quickly!”
Xu Xingzhi was still calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos; he said slowly, "Right now Jingling has worries outside and trouble inside. On the outside is Jianghuai Army's massive military force besieging the city, cutting off the water and land transport. In the inside is gorgeous female demon causing internal strife, brothers are massacring each other.”
Kou Zhong and the others' countenance changed immediately; at the same time they felt that the two ingots of gold were money well spent.
Xu Ziling asked heavily, "Is that demon called Wanwan by any chance?”
This time it was Xu Xingzhi's turn to be astonished; he said, "This gentleman must be Xu Ye! How do you know that woman Wanwan?”
"Let's talk about that later,” Shang Xiuxun interjected, "Tell me Jingling's situation in details, don't miss anything at all.”
Xu Xingzhi said, "And id Zaixia is not mistaken, Miss must be the Flying Horse Ranch's Changzhu, Shang Xiuxun, because only she would be so concerned about Jingling, and only she would be so liberal with money.”
The three people were moved again; they had a feeling that this Xu Xingzhi was not simple at all. Naturally Shang Xiuxun's bossy demeanor [orig. order people around by pointing the chin] also contributed to give away her status as someone who was accustomed to boss people around, only Xu Xingzhi did not want to speak it out.
Kou Zhong asked, "So what happened in Jingling? And how did you know that Wanwan is a female demon? Because on the surface she is apparently a fairy.”
Xu Xingzhi smiled wryly and said, "Ever since she pretended to sleep without waking up, I have already warned Fang Ye that this woman's background is dubious, and did not conform to reason at all. But Fang Ye simply treated my warning as the wind passing his ear, just because he is obsessed with her beauty.”
Xu Ziling asked in wonder, "Didn't Fang Daoyuan know that Wanwan is Fang Zhuangzhu's woman?”
Xu Xingzhi sighed and said, "That was precisely the reason I warned Fang Ye. What happened between that female demon and Fang Ye, nobody knows. But the result is that Fang Ye was killed by Fang Zetao. Fortunately, knowing that disaster was hard to avoid, I already made preparation, hence the reason I was able to escape Jingling in timely manner. Now under Fang Zetao there is no more capable general, plus the morale of his soldiers was shaken. If I were Shang Changzhu, the best strategy right now is to immediately return to the Ranch to prepare your troops for imminent war, while at the same time make contact with other powers in the area, to resist the Jianghuai Army's invasion.”
The three people looked at each other; nobody expected that Jingling's situation has deteriorated to this condition. Wanwan has managed to make the originally as-steady-as-iron-bucket solid fort to collapse silly and became as precarious as a pile of eggs.
Kou Zhong asked, "How's the situation at Du Fuwei's side?”
Xu Xingzhi replied, "Du Fuwei personally led the seventy-thousand strong main force, besieging Jingling heavily, but deliberately open up the southeast road, in order to sway Jingling people's heart and crush their aspiration to defend their property to death. It is definitely a brilliant strategy. Right now Jingling's power is gone, the city's fall is just a matter between morning and evening.”
Shang Xiuxun coldly said, "The gold is yours.”
Xu Xingzhi understood that she was dismissing him. He was about to stand up and leave, when Kou Zhong's tiger-eyes gleamed with cold rays.
"Mister Xu, what's your future plan?” Kou Zhong asked with a smile.
Smiling wryly, Xu Xingzhi said, "I was thinking of taking refuge in Guangdong, but deep in my heart I am rather unwilling. Presently I have not made any decision yet.”
Kou Zhong probed further, "A talent such as Mister, any militia would be happy to employ. Why don't Mister go around to try your luck?”
Xu Xingzhi sighed and said, "In terms of fame and power, nowadays Li Mi is at the top; but in terms of long-term plan, the Li Clan's base at Guanzhong is the most advantageous. But I don't like Li Mi's biting the hands that feed him, and I never liked large and influential clan's style. The rest are not worth mentioning.”
Shang Xiuxun asked in astonishment, "Li Yuan's second son Li Shimin is talented and capable, plus he likes to befriend heroes and warriors from all over the world, he appoints talents appropriately, and washes away the degenerate custom of the rich and powerful family; why did Mister speak of him in such an inferior tone?”
Xu Xingzhi said, "If the Li Clan has Li Shimin in charge, he will be able to unify the Clan. Problem is that Li Yuan is a gutless muddle-head; unexpectedly he abandoned Li Shimin and set up his oldest son as the heir apparent. Although this man Li Jiancheng has high martial art skill, he is an obstinate and self-opinionated man, always suspicious and envy talents. Never mind! It looks like I'd better be looking for a quiet place and stay outside of the arena watching a bustling scene!”
Kou Zhong's eyes shone even brighter. Laughing aloud, he said, "Mister was born in this world, if you don't create a great undertaking, won't you just turn your back on the aspiration of your heart? If it were me, rather than feeling wronged all my life, I might as well follow a dead-end road to bring forth new ideas. Even if the horse inside the hide is a dead horse, it is better than gloomily and stuffily enduring life month after month, year after year.”
Xu Xingzhi was amazed, "Turns out Kou Ye harbors magnificent aspiration in your heart. But the world's great powers are already established, what else can we do?”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, "If we can find a suitable location, we can talk about it later. If I, Kou Zhong, be fated not to die in Jingling, I will see Mister in Luoyang.”
Xu Xingzhi's countenance changed, "You still want to go to Jingling?” he asked.
Shang Xiuxun seriously replied, "Fearing calamity and turning back, how could that be what we do?”
Xu Xingzhi pondered quietly for half a day, he also sized Kou Zhong up for a while; finally making up his mind, he said, "Merely based on Kou and Xu, two Daye's courage and insight is assassinating Ren Shaoming, I will wait for two gentlemen in Luoyang for three months.”
Immediately they decided on the secret mark with which they would contact each other; only then did Xu Xingzhi took his leave cheerfully.
After retrieving his Moon in the Well from the beam, Kou Zhong and the others rushed back to their boat. As soon as everybody was back onboard, they weighed anchor and sailed toward Jingling.