I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

Chapter 377: Chapter 207: Pingxi

Zheng Xiu, Xie Yunliu, and Fan Yao formed a triangle, sitting in silence around a table set with tea.

When Xie Luohe heard her older brother had arrived, she rushed over to Mohe Pavilion, overjoyed. But the moment she saw the two nearly identical faces, most of her delight evaporated. The events of ten years ago had long since faded like smoke, and for a moment, Xie Luohe found it difficult to muster any killing intent. Now, she sat perched lazily on the counter, watching the two and a half men sit in silence. She gently stroked Little Feng Miao’s soft fur, making no move to go and catch up with Xie Yunliu.

"Heh." Fan Yao was the one to finally break the silence. He gave a sinister little laugh. "No need to be so tense. We are here under imperial orders, with a duty to perform." As he spoke, he placed a rolled-up military order on the table. With a smile, he gestured with open hands toward Zheng Xiu, indicating he was free to open and read it.

Zheng Xiu wasted no time, opening it for a look.

It was indeed a military order stamped with the Emperor’s Jade Seal. In just a few words, it stated a simple fact: Xie Yunliu had been given an exceptional promotion to "General of Pingxi," a rank second only to the four National Guardian Generals. It was an honor that would bring glory to his ancestors. Fan Yao, for his part, was to accompany the army westward in the capacity of "Military Governor."

After reading it, Zheng Xiu erupted in anger and ruthlessly tore the military order to shreds. "A thousand men! A thousand! He sent a measly thousand of you across the Great Desert to Richan Valley to defend the border? Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! Did the Emperor send you here to die?"

Apparently, at some unknown point, word had spread in the Central Plains that the Northern Barbarians and the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions had joined forces to invade the Daqian Dynasty. Upon learning of this, the newly enthroned Emperor had immediately appointed Xie Yunliu, ordering him to guard the lands west of the Great Desert and prevent the allied forces of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms from crossing it.

With the war in the north growing tense, this force of one thousand had been scraped together from various armies, some even pulled from the front lines. After crossing the Great Desert, their thousand-man contingent was now just over a hundred strong. One can only imagine how Xie Yunliu felt, suffering such a setback on his first mission as a true Grand General.

"No, that’s not it."

Once his anger subsided, Zheng Xiu suddenly grew calm. He glanced at Fan Yao.

Suddenly, as if sharing a single mind with Zheng Xiu, Xie Luohe moved with the speed of lightning. She produced a longbow from under the table, nocked an arrow, and silently aimed it at Fan Yao.

In an instant, a terrifying silence fell over Mohe Pavilion. Xie Luohe’s killing intent was so palpable it felt real. If Zheng Xiu were to so much as twitch a finger, she would shoot Fan Yao dead right then and there, without a shred of hesitation.

"Clever," Fan Yao said, calmly draining his teacup in one go. Even with Xie Luohe’s arrow pointed at him, his expression remained unchanged. He remarked, "Gongsun Mo, I am truly curious. Just who is the real you?"

Zheng Xiu stood up and said coolly, "You may never have the chance to find out."

"Indeed. None of us have a chance anymore," Fan Yao said with a smile. "I never intended to hide it in the first place."

Xie Yunliu, however, still hadn’t caught on. He thought Zheng Xiu and his younger sister were still holding a grudge from ten years ago and were about to start a fight.

Under Zheng Xiu’s piercing gaze, Fan Yao reached into his robes, took out another small scroll, and placed it on the table. Xie Yunliu was stunned for a moment, then quickly picked it up and opened it in front of everyone. His expression shifted several times, finally settling on a livid, purplish hue.

Fan Yao explained with a smile, "To think you could block the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions west of the Great Desert with a mere thousand men is utter nonsense. Even if Xie Yunliu knew of the Green River Trade Route, a force of a thousand would still suffer ninety percent casualties. Without the Green River Secret Passage, no army, no matter its size, can cross the Great Desert safely."

"So," Xie Luohe said, her voice turning cold as she too understood. "Your role as Military Governor isn’t actually to oversee the army’s resistance against the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions. It’s... to ensure the secret of the Green River Trade Route disappears completely. As long as no one knows about the trade route, any army from the Thirty-Six Kingdoms, no matter how large, will perish in the Great Desert."

"Indeed," Fan Yao said with a smile that turned into a laugh, growing ever louder. "This is the Secret Factory. This is my—Fan Yao’s—laughable life in this world, under the name Lou Mengkong!"

The implication of Fan Yao’s words was clear: he and Xie Yunliu had received the Emperor’s orders to cross the Great Desert at any cost, not to defend the border against invasion, but to slaughter everyone in Richan Valley and bury the secret forever!

This was the true purpose of the Secret Factory.

Xie Yunliu’s eyes were wide with fury. He snatched Fan Yao’s secret decree, tore it to shreds, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it furiously. After a moment, he collapsed onto the floor, his gaze unfocused. A cold, self-mocking laugh escaped him. "General of Pingxi? Heh! What a fine General of Pingxi! Grand General Xie! Heheheh! General Xie!"

’Just as I thought.’ Zheng Xiu had suspected the Emperor’s true intentions the moment he heard they were meant to defend the border with only a thousand men. There wasn’t a hint of surprise on his face. He gestured to Xie Luohe, who lowered her longbow. Her expression was placid as she resumed petting Little Feng Miao.

After a moment of silence, Zheng Xiu said, "Too late."

Fan Yao paused, startled. "Too late?"

Zheng Xiu nodded. "Too late."

Fan Yao fell silent and poured himself another cup of tea.

"Too late... That’s fine as well."

Fan Yao said, his face expressionless as he raised his teacup.

The three of them raised their cups.

"To hell with the goddamn Emperor."

The three men spoke in unison, then drained their cups.

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