Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Liu Dingbang speculated about everything that had just happened. Although there were some discrepancies in certain details compared to the actual situation, his overall assessment was quite accurate. Xin Yi couldn't help but admire Liu Dingbang's observational and deductive abilities; it seemed impossible to deceive him. So, Xin Yi shrugged and said, "Alright, Mr. Liu, I admit that the assassin was indeed injured, but it wasn't our doing. At that time, I only saw a mass of colorful clouds drifting outside the window, and a fairy holding a clean bottle with a willow branch floated past the window. Then the assassin covered his palm and screamed loudly. I clearly saw a willow leaf embedded in his palm, and blood dripped down from it. After that, the assassin jumped out of the window and fled. When I looked again, that fairy had also disappeared. That's how it happened; I've been honest about it. If you still have doubts, there's nothing I can do."
After hearing Xin Yi's fantastical account, Liu Dingbang's face turned a deep shade of red. Just as he was about to speak, Li Jieyu beside him said, "Alright, Dingbang, why can't you change your habit of digging for details? That person saved both our lives; I don't care about your theories. Anyway, these two girls are my goddaughters now. Do you not trust your own daughters? Stop asking! If you keep asking, I'll get angry!"
Hearing Li Jieyu say this, Liu Dingbang's expression softened. He realized that if it weren't for Xin Yi injuring the assassin and causing him to retreat, the couple would have long been lost souls in the underworld. They had no right to question her further. He glanced at Xin Yi and said, "Actually, this incident is still my fault. The assassin failed this time, but his failure will definitely be counted against you. Since you've injured him, he will surely seek revenge. I think you will not find peace in the future because of me; I will take responsibility for resolving this matter."
"Listening to you makes me a bit scared," Xin Yi replied. "So how do you plan to resolve it? Do you think you can find that assassin and kill him?"
"I don't have that assurance," Liu Dingbang answered. "Besides, why should I go after someone who is merely a tool being used by others? I know who wants my life; as long as I can make the mastermind give up on wanting me dead, then this assassin is no longer a concern. However, I need your help for this plan."
"A tool—very accurate definition," Xin Yi said. "What exactly do you need us to do?"
"I would like to invite all three of you to return with me," Liu Dingbang said. "Of course, once we succeed, I will definitely not treat you unfairly. I can offer you some money or arrange a comfortable job for you. If you have any other conditions, feel free to mention them; as long as they don't violate major principles, I can consider them."
"Well, the question is why should we help you?" Xin Yi suddenly changed her expression and said. "Your deduction is correct; that tool you mentioned was indeed injured by me with chopsticks. So do you think I'm afraid he will come looking for trouble? Therefore, what you're saying about solving problems has nothing to do with us; this trouble is something you want to resolve yourself, right Mr. Liu?"
Liu Dingbang did not expect Xin Yi—who had always denied injuring the assassin—to suddenly admit it. Knowing what she did and hearing her acknowledge it were two different things; thus he paused for a moment before bursting into laughter: "Hahaha... Mr. Xin truly hides her talents! Indeed, this trouble is only directed at me; however, I am now earnestly requesting your help. What conditions would make you agree?"
"I don't need any conditions," Xin Yi replied. "I just think that while Mr. Liu wants us to help you, we don’t even know what exactly you want us to do or even your true identity. If it were you in our position, would you agree to such an inexplicable request?" Now Xin Yi increasingly felt that Liu Dingbang's identity was not simple; he had already admitted he was part of the Taiwan Military and that someone had hired professional assassins to kill a military person indicated that his status was certainly not that of an ordinary military leader but rather someone who held actual military power—a local warlord or high-ranking official—so she needed to clarify his true identity first.
"Alright then," Liu Dingbang said since Mr. Xin had brought this up and he genuinely hoped for her assistance. "I wasn't intentionally hiding my identity; I just thought my work in the military didn't need to be disclosed to you." He continued: "Actually, I am the commander of the Taiwan Military's Abayer Military District..."
Liu Dingbang then briefly explained his identity and why someone would hire professional assassins to kill him. It turned out that he was under General Gao Tingda's command and had followed General Gao in battles throughout his early years. When General Gao was forced to lead his troops alongside the Mingguo Party army to Taiwan due to circumstances beyond his control and found himself at odds with most high-ranking officials of the Mingguo Party because of his beliefs, he faced exclusion everywhere. The general had no intention of getting involved in the internal conflicts among Mingguo Party leaders; he just wanted to live out his remaining years peacefully. However, the high-ranking officials of the Mingguo Party did not see it this way; they feared General Gao’s substantial military power and loyalty among his officers and soldiers made them an undeniable iron army in battle—thus they were intent on eliminating him completely.
In the second year of the establishment of the Mingguo Party's regime in Taiwan, General Gao Tingda was assassinated at home by agents of the Heavenly Pride Nation. Of course, this was the official result announced by Taiwan, but those generals who had followed General Gao in his campaigns over the years knew that this was merely a conspiracy orchestrated by the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party and the Mei Organization. They were indignant about General Gao's fate and secretly conspired to rebel.
At that time, the young Liu Dingbang was also a division commander under General Gao. When the generals were secretly conspiring, they sought him out as well. However, Liu Dingbang did not share their views. Although he deeply hated the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party and the agents of the Mei Organization for using such despicable means to take General Gao's life, he opposed rebellion. Despite the strong combat capabilities of General Gao's former troops, since arriving in Taiwan, the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party had found various excuses to weaken their power and reduce their armaments, aiming to prevent them from rebelling. As a result, their combat capability had significantly diminished. Moreover, with General Gao already dead, although the other generals were still relatively united, they lacked a commanding officer who could strategize and lead them effectively. This would greatly diminish their ability to coordinate and maneuver as a unit. How could such a force compete with the well-equipped and numerous army of the Mingguo Party? Furthermore, since General Gao's assassination, the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party had used the pretext of rooting out Heavenly Pride Nation agents lurking within Abayir to mobilize three armies from the Abayer Military District stationed nearby, subtly encircling General Gao's troops. In such circumstances, attempting to rebel would be tantamount to seeking death.
Another reason Liu Dingbang was unwilling to participate in the conspiracy was that he did not want the Mingguo Party's army to engage in fratricide. When General Gao Tingda had prepared to resign and return home while still within Heavenly Pride Nation, the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party mistakenly believed he intended to rebel and dispatched a large force to intercept or eliminate him. In fact, with General Gao's military strength at that time, he could have fought back against the intercepting forces. While victory was not guaranteed, breaking through would not have been particularly difficult. However, General Gao did not do so. He knew that once he brought his troops to Taiwan, the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party would certainly hold grievances against him, yet he resolutely led his troops to Taiwan.
When General Gao made that decision, many generals, including Liu Dingbang, were by his side. They all urged him to rebel and break through. However, General Gao refused. He stated that whether it was the Mingguo Party or the newly emerging Proletarian Party, they were all descendants of Heavenly Pride Nation. Why must they resort to war for a fight to the death? Fighting amongst themselves would only be like using one hand to strike another or kicking one foot with another; even if one side won, it would still harm the entire Heavenly Pride nation. The years of civil war had already left vast and resource-rich Heavenly Pride Nation in ruins; he could not bear to see soldiers within the Mingguo Party turn against each other again as such fratricide held no meaning whatsoever. Therefore, General Gao preferred to follow his troops to Taiwan and become a target for exclusion or even assassination by the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party rather than allow his subordinates to rebel.
General Gao's predictions were correct; in the second year after arriving in Taiwan, he was indeed killed by underhanded means orchestrated by the upper echelons of the Mingguo Party. With his life, he exchanged for countless lives of soldiers in the Mingguo Party army. Thus, Liu Dingbang believed that even if General Gao were still alive, he would absolutely not agree to let his subordinates rebel and instigate a civil war.
Liu Dingbang expressed his thoughts to those conspiring generals; however, they could not understand his noble intentions and instead scorned him for being ungrateful and seeking comfort in his current life. They berated him harshly. Seeing that his earnest advice had no effect and knowing these generals would surely rally more like-minded former subordinates of General Gao to rebel together, Liu Dingbang realized that once war broke out, it would truly be too late to turn back. Not only would it wipe out what remained of General Gao's former troops but it could also potentially cause turmoil in Taiwan’s recently stabilized situation—ultimately harming only ordinary civilians.
Liu Dingbang felt it was his duty to prevent all this from happening; whether for General Gao's legacy or for the lives of soldiers or for ordinary citizens' stable lives in Taiwan, he should eliminate this threat before it could grow. It seemed futile to persuade these generals; Liu Dingbang was merely a division commander while General Gao's corps consisted of three armies. As just a division commander with little influence, how could he stop all this from occurring?
Comment 0 Comment Count