الشطرنج الخالد - Book 03 Chapter 116

“Damn Gu Hai! Bad Gu Hai! Super baddie!” After Long Wanyu ran out of the Southern Suppression Hall, she went to a small hill and kicked some stones. Anger and hate filled her face.

The group of people following Long Wanyu stopped nearby. They understood that with Long Wanyu feeling angry, anyone who went over would suffer. It would be fine as long as Long Wanyu was not in danger.

As Long Wanyu kicked stones, she continuously cursed Gu Hai.

Twice. I was fooled previously. Then, this time again. How is that a song for humans to listen to? To think he wanted me to listen to the end? Gu Hai is a big baddie!

Long Wanyu’s eyes remained bloodshot as she continuously cursed Gu Hai.

“Hahaha! Young lass, it was just one song, and you couldn’t endure it?” A voice suddenly rang out from within Long Wanyu. Only she could hear this voice.

“No one told you to poke your nose in, you damned demonic phantom!” Long Wanyu barked.

“Don’t you want revenge? All it takes is merging with me.” The demonic phantom’s voice rang out from within Long Wanyu’s body again.

“You are nothing good, either. Why didn’t you remind me earlier? Ah? You let me hear such a horrible song. Are you not embarrassed to say this?” Long Wanyu complained.

The demonic phantom: “…”

“Ah! I know now. You shut off your consciousness earlier and could not hear it?” Long Wanyu glared.

“Uh! It was too horrible to listen to, so…,” the demonic phantom said awkwardly.

“We agreed to go through thick and thin together, yet you hid? You did not even inform me and let me listen to that alone? You are nothing good!” Long Wanyu growled.

“Don’t you want revenge? Right now, you don’t have the ability to do that. Look, you can’t even deal with Gu Hai. How are you going to take revenge? Merge with me, and you will gain strength immediately—great strength. You will receive my memories as well. Let’s merge?” the

demonic phantom urged.

“Humph! You are nothing good, either. You can forget about it!” Long Wanyu said hatefully.

“Didn’t we already merge halfway previously? Think about it, who was the one who cajoled you since you were young? Wasn’t it me? I have been accompanying you, chatting with you and killing your boredom. How is merging with me a bad thing? I am the one who helps you see the future once every month. Our merger has plenty of benefits for you. You can take revenge. You can beat Gu Hai up. You can do whatever you want. You just need to merge with me!” the demonic phantom persuaded in a soft voice.

“Don’t even think about it!” Long Wanyu said hatefully.

“Why? You weren’t this determined previously?”

“I promised Elder Sister. I will definitely keep my word!” Long Wanyu’s eyes turned red again.

“Long Wanqing? She already died,” the demonic phantom said seriously.

“It’s none of your business! None at all! I’ll listen to my elder sister. You want me to merge with you? Only in your dreams! Not unless my elder sister comes back to life! Not unless my elder sister comes back to life!” Long Wanyu declared with determined red eyes.

The demonic phantom felt anxious. It could only advise, “Young lass, Long Wanqing’s words might not always be right. Otherwise, she would not have died. Her death proves that she is not always right. Furthermore, she already died. What do you want me to do?”

“You are not to speak badly of my elder sister. My elder sister is always right. Since we were children, she had only one request of me: not to merge with you. You can forget about that. That is my elder sister’s only request. I will honor it!” Long Wanyu insisted stubbornly.

The demonic phantom felt conflicted as it said bitterly, “But—”

“You are not to continue talking about my elder sister. Otherwise, I won’t speak to you ever again!” Long Wanyu glared.

“Alright. Pretend I never said anything. Pretend I never said anything. Hah! Why am I so unlucky?!” the demonic phantom sighed bitterly.

——

After Long Wanyu caused a commotion, there was no way for the banquet to continue. All that needed to be said had already been said. This meeting with Gu Hai was already sufficient for Prince Shenwu. After this, Sima Changkong and the others would be the ones interacting with Gu Hai.

Hence, Gao Xianzhi formally became the battalion commander of the Southern Suppression Army’s sixth battalion.

At Gu Hai’s lodgings:

Gu Hai went through the large amount of information that Sima Changkong sent over. Gao Xianzhi stood at the side.

Gu Hai slowly put down the information only after a while and looked at Gao Xianzhi.

“Gao Xianzhi, go take over the sixth battalion tomorrow!” Gu Hai said gravely.

“Yes!” Gao Xianzhi answered.

Gu Hai looked at Gao Xianzhi, and he smiled. “Earlier, Prince Shenwu bestowed a large reward on you. I believe he is trying to pull you over?”

“This official will forever be the Han Royal Dynasty’s First Corps commander!” Gao Xianzhi declared solemnly.

“It does not matter. We do not mind others trying to poach you. You are a smart person. If the Han Nation truly cannot provide for you sufficiently and others manage to poach you, it is our fault for being incapable. We will not blame you.” Gu Hai smiled.

Gao Xianzhi’s expression changed as he said, “Your Majesty, don’t worry. Right now, Gao Xianzhi is convinced of only Your Majesty and acknowledges only the Han Nation!”

“It does not matter. We recommended you be the Southern Suppression Army’s sixth battalion commander because we are confident that you will not get poached. This is a great opportunity to temper yourself. Grasp it well. In the future, the Han Royal Dynasty will require your First Corps to expand our territory. Take this sixth battalion as practice,” Gu Hai said indifferently.

“Yes! This official will not disappoint Your Majesty!” Gao Xianzhi smiled.

Using someone else’s army to train one’s commanders. Only Gu Hai would be so confident that Gao Xianzhi would not betray the Han Nation.

“Remember, when commanding this battalion, focus on gaining the hearts of the soldiers. We believe that your sixth battalion will enjoy victories and high morale all the way. However, I hope when you resign as the sixth battalion’s commander, you won’t return alone but will bring a batch of experts with you,” Gu Hai said.

“Yes! Gao Xianzhi will remember this!” Gao Xianzhi said.

“Alright. Go make your preparations!” Gu Hai instructed.

“Yes!” Gao Xianzhi left Gu Hai’s study.

After Gao Xianzhi left, Gu Hai looked through the information on hand again.

When evening arrived, Sima Changkong brought over some people with another batch of reports.

“Mister Gu, you read very quickly. To think that you managed to finish reading through so much information?” Sima Changkong exclaimed.

Gu Hai smiled faintly and said, “This humble one was just working hard. However, I do have something I need Mister Sima’s help with.”

“Oh?” Sima Changkong said, feeling some misgivings.

“I want to see Mo Yike!” Gu Hai declared seriously.

“Mo Yike?” Sima Changkong appeared somewhat shocked.

“That’s right. Your information indicates that Lu Yang is suspicious of Mo Yike,and is currently monitoring him. Mo Yike spends his day fishing in his residence and entertaining guests at banquets. Haha! I want to see him. Do you have a spy there that can get me a meeting with Mo Yike?” Gu Hai smiled.

“Why do you want to see Mo Yike?” This request somewhat startled Sima Changkong.

“Wouldn’t it be a good thing if we can persuade Mo Yike to surrender?” Gu Hai smiled.

“That’s impossible. Although Mo Yike is under suspicion, he is too ambitious. We thought of this once before. No, we even sent people to advise him to surrender. Unfortunately…” Sima Changkong shook his head.

“Even if we cannot get him to surrender, I would like to meet him. He used to be Lu Yang’s most trusted man. He is aware of many of Lu Yang’s secrets. I would like to ask him about some things,” Gu Hai said gravely.

“Oh?” Sima Changkong fell silent for a while, slightly startled.

Sima Changkong did not advise Gu Hai to avoid risk as he understood that Gu Hai had already considered it, and he did not need to remind Gu Hai about it.

“So, is it possible? Can your spy do that?” Gu Hai asked.

“Perhaps it is possible. However, we need to be careful.” Sima Changkong nodded.

——

Several days later, at Northern Lookout City, the city where Lu Yang was:

Lu Yang’s army camped here.

Gu Hai and Sima Changkong entered Northern Lookout City in disguise.

The Qian Nation’s spy might not have a high position in the Ying Royal Dynasty. However, bringing two people into a city with hundreds of millions of people posed no problem.

When evening came, Gu Hai and Sima Changkong applied some makeup and followed an official, heading to a banquet at Mo Yike’s residence.

With a few strokes of the makeup brush, Gu Hai and Sima Changkong looked like entirely different people.

During the evening, guests gathered at Mo Yike’s residence.

Even though Mo Yike had lost favor, no one dared to underestimate him. Who could guarantee that he would not suddenly be favored again? The emperor had not spoken yet. What was there to worry about?

Befriending Mo Yike now might bring future benefits.

Many officials politely attended the banquets at Mo Yike’s residence. Gu Hai and Sima Changkong followed behind one of the officials, looking for Mo Yike.

“Everyone, this way, please. Welcome to my humble abode!” Mo Yike stood at the entrance of a hall, welcoming guests.

“Mister Mo, many thanks for the invitation. Please excuse this humble one for being late. I brought two servants today. I hope that it will not inconvenience Mister Mo’s residence,” that official said respectfully.

Mo Yike felt startled. Two servants? Others brought servants and bodyguards, but they did not mention them. Why did you?

Mo Yike looked curiously at the two servants.

One of them was Gu Hai. He had drawn on eyebrows and grew out sideburns. This made him look quite different from before.

“Mister Mo, it has been a long time since we last met!” Gu Hai said with a faint smile.

Mo Yike’s pupils constricted. He nearly cried out when he recognized Gu Hai. He could not mistake those eyes.

Gu Hai sneaked in?

Mo Yike did not get angry. Instead, he appeared somewhat happy.

Then, Mo Yike looked at the other person before inhaling sharply. This is Sima Changkong? He is here as well?

“Lord Chen, your clothes got dirty? Men, bring Lord Chen in to change into some clean clothes!” Mo Yike instructed.

There was indeed a wet patch on the clothes of Lord Chen, who brought Gu Hai and Sima Changkong here. Gu Hai had done that on purpose to give Mo Yike an excuse to bring them in.

“Many thanks, Mister Mo!” Lord Chen answered.

Two servants came over to bring Lord Chen, Gu Hai, and Sima Changkong in to change clothes.

Mo Yike continued greeting guests as though nothing had happened.

After about two hours, the people who should have arrived more or less already did.

“The guests are all here. Close the doors and refuse further entries,” Mo Yike instructed.

“Yes!”

The doors to the Mo Residence closed.

“I’ll go and change my clothes. Properly entertain the guests,” Mo Yike instructed.

“Yes!” the servants answered.

Then, Mo Yike rushed off to another hall in the back of the residence.

Gu Hai, Sima Changkong, and Lord Chen were there, looking at the furnishings and decorations.

“Hahaha! Mister Gu, Mister Sima, how bold of you two! To think that you dare to barge into my residence?” Mister Mo laughed as he stepped into the hall.