Chapter 123: Subversion (End)

Liu Ji stood on high ground outside the city, watching everything unfold below. From the moment the mountain tribesmen seized the city gates, he knew half his plan had succeeded. As for his own role, it had already come to an end; the rest was now up to fate.

Because of the extreme time constraints, only ten days had passed from their arrival to the gathering of intelligence. That they had progressed this far was already an accident in itself—who could blame them, given their lack of communication and reinforcements?

Inciting the conflict between the tribesmen and the garrison, and stoking the power hunger of the good-for-nothing prince—these were merely parts of the whole, each complementary and indispensable. Now, with the mountain riots in full swing and the city having lost most of its leadership, it was in complete chaos. It was an excellent opportunity, but how could they, a group of barely twenty people, hope to manage it?

To avoid casualties, he had already withdrawn his men. Almost simultaneously, the mountain tribesmen had arrived outside the walls. Only Kang Laosi remained inside; his identity as a merchant made him less conspicuous, and his purpose was merely to confirm that everything was moving toward the intended goal.

For now, all he could do was wait—wait for the outcome in the city and wait for the possibility from another direction. Whether that possibility would occur, Liu Ji had little certainty, as they had lost contact for nearly a month. The inability to transmit news in real-time was his greatest grievance with this era.

Most of the time, one could only wait. Fortunately, it did not take long for the first result to arrive.

Kang Laosi ran toward them in a disheveled state, wearing clothes of unknown origin that were tattered and torn, looking exactly like the displaced refugees roaming everywhere. Brought over by Liu Ji's men, he didn't even catch his breath before reporting the news from the city.

"It... it's done."

"Don't rush. Speak slowly." Liu Ji helped him sit and handed him a waterskin.

Kang Laosi took a breath, drank some water, and pointed toward the city district. "They took the palace. Not a single person inside escaped; they are all dead."

"All of them?"

"Yes, those high-ranking Nepalese people, and what seemed to be their king. It was the same on the mountain tribesmen's side; men and women alike, all dead."

Kang Laosi recounted what he had seen. Liu Ji nodded. This outcome had been inevitable from the moment they decided to ambush the Tibetan tax collector. If the man named Timo hadn't stepped forward, other measures would have been waiting for them, and the result might have meant the destruction of the entire village.

Of course, the current situation was no better. A single incident, not entirely unexpected, had dragged all the nearby mountain tribes into the fray, completely fracturing this small state and creating the opportunity for their intervention.

There are no innocents in war. To those mountain tribesmen, whether they were Tibetan or Tang, both were invaders who had come to rule this land; there was no fundamental difference.

Perhaps only by becoming strong oneself could one avoid becoming a pawn for others. Liu Ji knew that this was only the first such incident, but it would certainly not be the last. His heart would grow increasingly hardened with each successive action.

The city of Kantipur below was in flames. Faced with blood debts, there was no room for reconciliation between the enraged mountain tribesmen and the equally furious local garrison; it could only end in a fight to the death. People were constantly fleeing from every city gate, spreading news of the chaos to all corners of the land.

This turmoil lasted for three days without any sign of subsiding. Liu Ji and his men waited outside the city, sending scouts in several directions. Within his group, only a handful of people knew what he was waiting for, and Kang Laosi was one of them.

Seeing the commander appearing calm on the surface, he felt restless. In the Qiankeng Garrison, Kang Laosi was an outlier. He hadn't expected that on this mission, Liu Ji would bring no one else but him.

"Should I take some men to provide support? It’s better than just waiting here."

"With so many directions, where would you go to provide support?" Liu Ji shook his head and explained, "Haste is useless. What is meant to come will come. If they truly don't make it in time, we lose nothing."

Hearing this, Kang Laosi felt there was some truth to it. He rubbed his head and chuckled. "It is I who was too impatient, almost ruining your plans."

"It could hardly be called ruining plans."

Liu Ji felt a measure of favor toward this Sogdian. The man was not crude; on the contrary, he possessed strong executive ability. Not only did he execute the assigned tasks beautifully, but he also often brought unexpected surprises. This eagerness reminded him of Zhang Wujia and others who were desperate to earn merit and rewards.

"Old Kang, with such impatience, are you short on money? Do you have gambling debts or other plans? Can you tell me about it?"

Kang Laosi was startled. Did this mean he was being treated as a confidant? It didn't quite seem like it, and he couldn't help but show an embarrassed expression.

"Commander, please don't tease me. I have followed you through fire and water and risked my life several times; what other plans could I have?"

"Why do you say that?" Liu Ji looked at him with surprise.

"Everyone in the team knows that I was cast out by the former High Commissioner. I just happened to be on the wrong side of his rival. For years, I’ve been living a half-dead existence, lucky just to have kept my life. You are the son-in-law of Commissioner Feng; I thought this time would be the end of me. Who would have thought I’d have these experiences? Since you asked, I have no other plans. If you find me displeasing, just let me go, and I will leave."

"You were an official under Fumeng Lingcha?"

Kang Laosi nodded. "Since you know, why ask? That is all in the past."

Liu Ji had never imagined there was such a twist. No wonder Kang Laosi acted differently from the others; he was nothing like a common garrison soldier.

Fumeng Lingcha was the High Protector before Gao Xianzhi. It was his promotion that allowed the latter to rise to prominence. Because his brilliance was too dazzling, there were always those who couldn't stand it, headed by Deputy Protector Cheng Qianli, including the adjutant Bi Sichen, officials Wang Tao and Chen Fengzhong, and the man before him, Kang Huaishun.

As a result, because Gao Xianzhi was favored by the Emperor for his conquest of Little Bolu, he directly replaced Fumeng Lingcha. These men were immediately thrown into a panic. Although Gao Xianzhi did not carry out mass reprisals to win over hearts, their positions could not be maintained. After all, a regional commander's adjutants were those who controlled his daily movements; they had to be trusted confidants—this was standard practice.

Thus, except for Cheng Qianli, the others were all relegated to remote areas. The one who fared best was Bi Sichen, who moved from Anxi to Beiting and was later sent to the capital by Wang Zhengjian, meeting with other fortunes. Among the rest, Wang Tao had become a garrison commander; although stationed in a remote place, he was at least comfortable.

Only he, unfortunately, was assigned under Liu Ji. Relying on his martial skills as a former elite guard, he became a "Mo Dao" swordsman in the team. Because of his courage, he earned the commander's trust, effectively starting his life over. He certainly didn't want to harbor any resentment due to the past.

The question was, what was this young commander's character really like? Kang Laosi could only gamble. If he could forgive a grudge like the one with Zhang Wujia, surely there was a chance, given that he and Liu Ji had no direct conflict.

Kang Laosi did not realize that if he hadn't brought it up himself, Liu Ji would never have known. And now that he knew, he would never let his relationship with Feng Changqing influence his judgment.

"No wonder you have such skills. My luck is good, Old Kang; your luck is also good." For such a useful jack-of-all-trades, Liu Ji did not mind explaining a bit more. A discerning person would see that following a rising star like himself was worth it.

Smart people don't need much explanation. With just this, Kang Laosi understood his meaning: the past is forgotten, and there is a future to look forward to.

Liu Ji ignored his look of surprise and rose from the stone, as a figure was rapidly moving toward them, soon appearing before their eyes.

Duguli was used to mountain paths; he had sprinted the whole way, yet his face was not flushed, and he was not panting.

"They're here!"

He pointed toward the road they had come from, speaking in the most concise terms.

Liu Ji let out a long breath. Though a bit late, it was better to have arrived than not.

What he was pointing at was the road leading to India.