Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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He walked out of the Auspicious Hall alone, following the direction the guards had just escorted Su Xu.
He was going to visit Su Xu in the prison.
“Host, why do you want to see Su Xu? Don’t you plan to just kill him?” the system asked.
“Not yet.” Li Yuebai bit his lip: “He’s still useful.”
“Do you know how many villainous bosses have said that…”
“What’s going on? System, you’ve even learned to make sarcastic remarks?” Li Yuebai laughed.
Indeed, in many movies and TV dramas, after capturing the protagonist, the villains never kill him directly, but instead try to use him to achieve a longer-term goal. Without exception, they dig their own graves, leaving the audience slamming their fists on the table, exclaiming: Why not just kill him?
Why not just kill him?
“System, right now, can you think of a safe way to deal with Yu Tianliu?” Li Yuebai asked rhetorically.
“Besides direct combat, I don’t know of any other way,” the system replied.
“Yu Tianliu is our biggest threat. I’m keeping Su Xu alive to use him against Yu Tianliu,” Li Yuebai sighed.
“That’s too dangerous. What if things go wrong?” the system worried.
The system quickly rattled off a bunch of trendy terms.
“The chances of things going wrong are slim,” Li Yuebai chuckled. “Su Xu, as I’ve mentioned before, is a typical example of someone who’s incompetent in external warfare but adept at internal warfare. Even if he escapes and gets to Yu Tianliu’s side, it won’t help Yu Tianliu’s attack.”
“Then how does the host plan to use him?”
“System, have you heard the story of Jiang Gan stealing the book[1]?” Li Yuebai said lightly. “To sum it up in one sentence, it’s about using Su Xu to transmit false information to Yu Tianliu.”
“Su Xu isn’t stupid. Will he believe the information you tell him?”
“Telling him directly, of course, he won’t believe it, but what if I let him deduce it himself…” Li Yuebai pondered for a moment: “Never mind, there’s no rush. Let’s think about it slowly.”
In the middle of Kunlun Immortal Mountain, there was a cave, which was later expanded into a prison.
The prison was damp and dark, with magical barriers everywhere. The iron bars shimmered with blue light, and cultivators strictly guarded entry and exit, making escape virtually impossible.
“Lord High Priest?” The guards were stunned when they saw Li Yuebai. “Why have you come here…?”
“To visit Pavilion Master Su,” Li Yuebai said with a smile.
“Wasn’t Pavilion Master Su just… locked up by you?” The guards exchanged glances.
“Yes, so I have a few words to say to him.” Li Yuebai sighed with heartache.
Su Xu had just been locked up and was still in a state of extreme emotional instability. He was locked in a solitary cell and was currently gritting his teeth, thinking of a way to escape. When he saw Li Yuebai appear outside the iron bars, he was stunned for a moment, and then immediately rushed towards him without any dignity.
“Lord Priest, please spare me this time!” Su Xu, his face full of remorse, lay prostrate on the cell floor, his posture extremely humble and submissive. He said, “I am not a wicked person, but I was momentarily blinded by evil… Fortunately, Lord Priest gave me a timely wake-up call, preventing a grave mistake. If Lord Priest is willing to forgive me this time, I will obey your every word and go through fire and water for you…”
Li Yuebai stood there expressionlessly, listening quietly to him finish, and then said, “What’s the use of begging me? Everything depends on the Immortal Lord’s will.”
“Immortal Lord?” Su Xu rolled his eyes, lowered his voice, and said, “Doesn’t the Immortal Lord listen to Lord Priest?”
“You’re courting death!” Li Yuebai immediately frowned and scolded in a low voice, “Su Xu, do you think you can talk nonsense just because you’re about to die? The Immortal Lord is the Immortal Lord of Kunlun, and everything I’ve done is only to assist the Immortal Lord.”
“Hahahaha…” Su Xu laughed, “High Priest, are you really convinced? The Immortal Lord is just an immature child, perhaps he’ll never grow up. Are you willing to be burdened by him for the rest of your life?”
During Li Yuebai’s “serious illness,” Su Xu was entrusted with important responsibilities by Yu Tianji and had much contact with him. During this time, Su Xu became increasingly convinced of a “fact”— Yu Tianji was indecisive and unambitious. His previous success in ascending to the position of Immortal Lord and in successfully repelling the Demonic Sect was entirely due to the High Priest’s strategies. Once he was free from the High Priest’s help, Yu Tianji would immediately revert to that dissolute and incompetent playboy. Su Xu believed that— given this, the High Priest could not possibly be loyal to Yu Tianji and would definitely seize the opportunity to harm Yu Tianji and establish himself.
As long as he expressed his stance in time, he might be able to gain a glimmer of hope.
“My Lord, with just your command, I will do everything in my power to assist you in achieving your goal.” Su Xu’s voice grew increasingly seductive: “Although Kunlun has been controlled by the Yu Clan for thousands of years, it is not unchangeable… The era of the Yu Clan can end in your hands.”
Li Yuebai stood motionless, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
Su Xu keenly caught a fleeting ambition in his gaze.
After a long while, Li Yuebai sighed: “Su Xu, you overestimate yourself.”
“Does My Lord look down on my abilities?” Su Xu panicked: “Although I am not talented, I am enough to relieve Your Lordship of any worries…”
“No, it is not that I look down on your abilities, but that I do not trust your loyalty.” Li Yuebai sneered: “I came here not to discuss any important matters with you— you are not worthy.”
Su Xu’s face turned pale.
“I came here.” Li Yuebai took a step closer, revealing a gentle smile: “Just to enjoy your despair before you die.”
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[1] In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the story of Jiang Gan “stealing the book” is a famous espionage trick during the prelude to the Battle of Red Cliffs. Jiang Gan volunteers to spy on his old classmate, the allied strategist Zhou Yu, but Zhou Yu feeds him a fake letter suggesting Cao Cao’s own naval commanders are plotting treason. Falling for the trap, Jiang Gan steals the letter and reports back to Cao Cao, who hastily executes his skilled commanders. This blunder leaves Cao Cao’s navy vulnerable and sets the stage for his defeat.
In Chinese culture, “Jiang Gan stealing the book” is a popular idiom used to describe a foolish person who thinks they are being incredibly clever, only to be easily manipulated into doing exactly what their enemy wants.
