Chapter 238: Suicide

After Yao Zizhan finished speaking, Miss Su froze where she stood. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that the group before her were not Jin people at all, but Yan people.

In the great war among the three states that had only recently ended, the people of Qian actually possessed a certain psychological advantage over the people of Jin.

Strictly speaking, Qian had not lost any territory, while two of Jin’s great clans had been destroyed, and half of the entire State of Jin had been swallowed by Yan.

They had both been beaten by Yan, yes, but Qian had endured the beating while Jin had not. So Qian could still stand there with a swollen face and mock Jin.

But the moment the Jin people before her became Yan people, the entire situation—and the feeling of it—changed instantly.

Zheng Fan rose and looked toward Yao Zizhan.

“Master Yao sees things clearly.”

Yao Zizhan replied politely, “What kind of man flees for his life while protecting his Young Master and still deliberately carries spices with him?”

Zheng Fan nodded.

“That was my oversight.”

“Might I ask who you are?”

“Zheng Fan.”

“Zheng Fan? The very Master Zheng who wrote *The Zheng Treatise on War*?”

“Uh… that would indeed be me.”

“This old man only recently had the honor of reading that military treatise. Master Zheng expresses profound principles in concise words. This old man admires it deeply. Please accept my bow.”

“I wouldn’t dare. I wouldn’t dare.”

“It is only proper. Only proper. That treatise is truly exquisite. Even an old fool like me, who knows nothing of warfare, felt as though enlightenment had suddenly poured over my head after reading it.

“And Master Zheng did not treasure your broom and keep it to yourself, but instead shared such an extraordinary book with the world. Such breadth of mind and spirit truly leaves one in awe.”

“That truly is too much praise.”

“Not at all. Not at all. It is deserved. Entirely deserved.”

“To tell you the truth, I only ever presented that book to my own emperor.”

“That was the Emperor of Yan. How could he dare…”

“Perhaps His Majesty simply hoped that Qian would produce a few more military geniuses like Master Yao who felt enlightenment pour over their heads after reading it.”

“…”

Yao Zizhan.

“Hahahahaha!”

After a moment of silence, Yao Zizhan immediately burst into laughter.

“This old fool has grown muddled. Truly muddled. Every profession is separated by a mountain. This old man has made a complete spectacle of himself.”

Put plainly, *The Art of War* was a good book, but it was certainly not some divine scripture.

It was rather like the *Testament of Yue Fei* in wuxia novels of later generations, exaggerated into something mystical beyond belief. Where in this world was there truly a military manual that guaranteed victory in every battle?

“Master Zheng, you really are an interesting fellow. This old man has decided to make you a friend. If I have leisure in the future, I would be willing to compose a lyric for Master Zheng and help spread your fame.”

That counted as offering him a benefit.

The old man might not be young, but he was sharp beyond belief.

Every era needed something like “publicity.” It was simply that in ancient times, publicity was limited by environment and class, and only those who truly possessed resources could promote themselves effectively. Unlike later generations, where the public had long since become numb to the entire concept.

Back then, a single remark from the Sword Saint of Jin had been enough to lift the Sword Saint of Chu onto the throne of the Four Great Swordsmen. That too was the power of publicity.

If Yao Zizhan truly returned home and wrote a lyric praising Zheng Fan—something roughly equivalent to “as handsome as Pan An, as gifted as Zhou Yu”—then Zheng Fan’s name would spread rapidly across the eastern lands.

Once a man had fame, many things became easier.

To borrow a concept from later generations, Yao Zizhan was essentially the number-one celebrity influencer on Weibo.

If he were willing to repost your name and accept a little public-relations fee, then turning you into “the finest commander beneath Yan’s two Marquises” would merely be a matter of time.

“Master Yao is being far too polite. You’re worried about your own safety, aren’t you? There’s no need. Hero Chen and I are old acquaintances. I won’t make things difficult for you.

“If Master Yao isn’t afraid of gossip, once we leave the mountains you could visit my Shengle City for a while.”

“Oh, no, no, no. That won’t do…”

“This junior has only just established himself there. We don’t have much, but we do have plenty of good food. Even the Marquis of Jingnan praised it endlessly.”

“Eh?”

Yao Zizhan’s eyes immediately widened.

“Truly?”

“Truly.”

“Could the matter perhaps… be kept secret?”

“It naturally can.”

As he spoke, Zheng Fan pointed toward Miss Su.

“Ah, yes, yes. Keeping it secret from outsiders is enough. She’ll only report it to the emperor. Even if His Majesty learns that this old man went to Shengle City to freeload for the sake of food, he won’t blame me.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Hero Chen had finished dealing with his wounds by this point and walked over.

“Are we leaving the mountains now?”

The Blind Man spoke instead.

“No hurry. No hurry. The matter isn’t finished yet, is it?”

Hero Chen frowned slightly.

“But Geda Mountain has already fallen, and Gesang clearly defected to the State of Dacheng long ago.”

The Blind Man clapped his hands.

“That does not mean the Helian Clan’s treasure vault has already fallen into the Situ Clan’s hands.”

“You know where it is?” Hero Chen asked.

The Blind Man shook his head.

“I don’t. But Master Yao certainly does.”

Yao Zizhan sighed.

“This old man truly does know.”

At that, Zheng Fan’s eyes immediately narrowed.

“But Helian Xiongbi was this old man’s friend. I can hardly stand by and watch all his family property fall into the hands of Yan people.”

A’Ming stood.

Fan Li stood.

Xue San stood as well.

Yao Zizhan looked at this silent tableau and smiled somewhat awkwardly.

“Didn’t you say you were inviting this old man to eat? We can leave right now.”

Hero Chen walked in front of Yao Zizhan.

Yao Zizhan reached out somewhat reassuringly and patted him on the shoulder.

“You’ll protect this old man, won’t you?”

Hero Chen nodded.

Then shook his head.

“Hmm?”

Hero Chen pointed at Zheng Fan.

“I owe you a favor. I owe him favors too. And I owe him more. So if he absolutely insists on attacking you, I will kill myself before he kills you.”

“…”

Yao Zizhan.

Master Yao immediately began to panic. He hurriedly turned toward Miss Su.

“Miss Su, can you protect this old man?”

Miss Su slapped her abdomen and drew out a flexible sword.

This sort of flexible sword was probably standard equipment for the Silver-Armored Guard. Zheng Fan remembered that quite a few members of the organization seemed to carry such weapons, much like the Embroidered Spring Sabers of the Brocade-Clad Guard in another world.

“Old Yao, relax.”

Miss Su always sounded extraordinarily confident when she spoke.

Then, just after sounding extraordinarily confident—

“Pfft!”

She suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Her body trembled.

Then she dropped to her knees.

Xue San lightly shook the dagger in his hand and grinned.

“I’ve disliked this shrew for a long time. If this were one of our old comics, I’d feel like my intelligence had dropped just from appearing in the same panel as you.”

Miss Su stared at Xue San in horror.

She knew perfectly well that she had been poisoned.

Hero Chen looked toward her.

He seemed about to speak, but stopped.

Xue San was perceptive. He knew Hero Chen’s identity was unusual, so he smiled and explained, “Don’t panic. It’s only snake venom I gathered while bored in the mountains earlier. It’ll merely prevent her from circulating her qi and blood for two or three days. It won’t kill her.”

Hero Chen released a long breath.

Yao Zizhan looked at Hero Chen.

Then at Miss Su, who was still kneeling on the ground.

Finally, he looked toward Zheng Fan.

“This old man will take you to the treasure vault! I know Helian Xiongbi’s character well. That man’s virtue was pure as frost and wind. He regarded money as nothing but dung. If he learned that I had lost my life for the sake of such filthy lucre, then once I reached the underworld, he would surely blame me!”

Zheng Fan stepped back two paces and cupped his hands respectfully toward Yao Zizhan.

“Admirable.”

Yao Zizhan actually nodded solemnly.

“Alas. This old man only just realized that truth. I nearly disturbed an old friend’s peace beneath the Nine Springs.”

“The treasure vault cannot be handed to Yan dogs! It must not—ah!”

Miss Su was still kneeling there, speaking with righteous fervor.

Fan Li kicked her over.

Her head struck the ground.

She immediately lost consciousness.

Perhaps even Fan Li could no longer stand listening to her.

“Master Yao, then let’s rest until dawn before setting out.”

“As you please. As you please.”

Everyone settled down to rest where they were.

Hero Chen walked over to Miss Su, picked her up, found some dead branches to cushion the ground, and laid her down so she could remain unconscious a little more comfortably.

Zheng Fan asked curiously, “You’ve taken a fancy to her?”

Hero Chen hesitated for a moment.

Then nodded.

“Seems so.”

“If you want a woman, I can introduce you to someone.”

“No need.”

“Heh. So you really did fall for her?”

Hero Chen pointed toward Miss Su lying below.

“She and I are somewhat alike.”

“…”

Zheng Fan.

At that moment, Yao Zizhan voluntarily moved closer to Zheng Fan.

The old man always gave people a strangely “lively” impression—not in body, but in mind.

“Master Zheng?”

“Master Yao, just call me Zheng Fan.”

“Little Brother Zheng.”

“Mm.”

“There’s something this old man has always been curious about. Before leaving Qian and coming to Jin, I once discussed it with our Minister of War. Why is it that Yan and the Situ Clan have suddenly begun living in peace?”

“Master Yao has come here to probe military intelligence?”

“Eh? Am I really being that obvious?”

“You aren’t exactly hiding it.”

“This old man has heard that over in the State of Dacheng, the savages have been making a great deal of trouble lately. The savages of the snowfields are very different from those in the Tianduan Mountains. Life there is even harsher. Every one of those people can wrestle wild beasts for food.

“Why doesn’t your Great Yan seize this opportunity to advance east and destroy the State of Dacheng along the way, unifying the Three Jin lands?”

Zheng Fan slowly replied, “Back then, whether it was Yan, Jin, Chu, or even Liang—the predecessor of Qian—all of them originally began as feudal states enfeoffed by the Son of Heaven of Great Xia.

“No matter how fiercely our own people fight, it is still a family matter.

“But the barbarians and savages are not our family.

“My Great Yan guarded the eastern lands against the barbarians for centuries without retreating a single step.

“Now the Situ Clan is facing savage incursions.

“How could my Great Yan possibly take advantage of their crisis at a moment like this?

“Do you truly think Great Yan is as shameless and despicable as Qian was under your Emperor Taizong a century ago?”

Yao Zizhan nodded.

“Emperor Taizong truly was disgraceful.”

“Heh.”

“But this old man does not believe your explanation.”

“Why?”

“Because it is too bright and honorable.”

“Hmm?”

“Far too bright and honorable. And if one takes the reason Little Brother Zheng just gave and reverses it, then the brighter that excuse sounds, the darker and more vicious the real reason must be…”

“The Marquis of Jingnan only recently defeated the Sword Saint of Jin. That should not count.

“The Marquis of Zhenbei only recently returned with his army to Beifeng Commandery. He probably does not count either.

“Then only one person remains—the one who has not moved from his place all this time.”

At those words, Zheng Fan’s heart suddenly gave a violent thump.

Yao Zizhan brought his aged face closer to Zheng Fan’s and lowered his voice.

“Little Brother Zheng, has something happened to His Majesty the Emperor of Yan’s health?”

Zheng Fan did not answer.

He merely smiled.

Yao Zizhan smiled too.

Then he waved a hand repeatedly.

“Just a blind guess for amusement. A blind guess. Don’t take it seriously. Absolutely don’t take it seriously. Hehehe.”

Zheng Fan smiled and nodded.

At the same time, he looked toward Hero Chen.

“Hero.”

“What?”

“Perhaps you should kill yourself first after all.”

“…”

Yao Zizhan.

[End of Chapter 238]