Chapter 599: Chapter 599: Lian Wanzhen’s General Dream

Day after day, unswervingly practicing martial arts, he could endure great hardship, channeling all his energy and brute strength into his training.

Su Ran had hired several martial arts masters for him, one of which had a significant reputation in the martial world. Seeing his excellent aptitude, this master even imparted all his knowledge, but regrettably, he later died due to unforeseen circumstances.

Therefore, by his teenage years, Lian Wanzhen had already begun to show promise. He had bested all the escort masters from the local escort agency, and gradually became one with the other masters and escort leaders, forming a brotherhood.

Back then, he had taken Xiao Lian Hua to the escort agency a few times to watch him spar with the masters. Xiao Lian Hua was always extremely excited, constantly exclaiming in amazement and clapping in approval, which made him very proud.

When Su Ran found out, she was so concerned that her head hurt; she feared that Xiao Lian Hua would learn Lian Wanzhen’s ways and become even harder to discipline, so she forbade them from going again.

Later on, the owner of the escort agency even invited Lian Wanzhen to become an escort master. He was tempted and discussed it with his family.

Su Ran did not agree. The work of an escort master was inherently dangerous; one’s life was always at risk, literally tied to their waistband, and the silver earned was at the cost of one’s life. He was still young and impulsive, so Su Ran feared for his safety, reasoned with him, and set a test for him to pass if he wished to go. In the end, of course, Lian Wanzhen did not pass Su Ran’s test.

Nevertheless, Lian Wanzhen later felt that being an escort master wasn’t interesting, as it involved watching over goods and waiting for attacks by bandits—it lacked freedom in fighting. After hearing that joining the military was better, where one could charge into battle and protect the country, he decided to pursue a military career instead, aspiring to become a general to make his mother proud and live up to her upbringing.

Lian Wanzhen, since childhood, had ambitions unlike ordinary people. Knowing it was no use keeping him confined, Su Ran was very aware of this and sighed inwardly. In the end, they reached an agreement that after he turned eighteen, he could pursue his wish if he so desired. However, before that time, he had to master the use of battlefield weapons, the study of troop formations and military strategy, and also learn to adapt.

Having mere brute strength was not enough; becoming a general was far from easy. He had to learn many things, endure loneliness, and be humble enough to start as a pawn, obeying orders, and work his way up step by step.

Su Ran was a lady from the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s Mansion and had far more understanding of military strategies and battles than ordinary women. In order to ensure Lian Wanzhen’s safety and help him achieve his ambitions when he joined the army, Su Ran went to great lengths to have him learn various skills before he left.

Lian Wanzhen was very diligent about things he was determined to do. Although he usually got dizzy from reading books, he initially struggled with learning but made an effort to overcome it. Eventually, he even took pleasure in studying troop formation charts and military strategies.

Of course, he absolutely did not allow anything with written words to remain in his room, claiming that he might get a scare if he stumbled upon them unexpectedly, and that the thought of having books with words in his room would keep him from sleeping.

Unfortunately, the Lian Family later faced a drastic change, and Lian Wanzhen’s wish to join the army went unfulfilled, leaving the knowledge he acquired with no place to be put to use.

Lian Bao reflected on one side, thinking that now, as he looked back, his second brother’s temperament seemed to have been inherited from their grandfather—the Marquis of Zhenyuan. Had the grandfather still been alive, he certainly would have liked someone like his second brother.

Of the three brothers, the eldest pursued scholarly achievements, the second pursued martial skills, and he himself was the one with the least ambition of the three.

Meanwhile, Lian Wanzhen received affirmation and laughed heartily, quietly joking with Rash Ge, Skinny Monkey, and the others, creating a lively atmosphere.

This day, everyone had been busy and worried about Uncle Ma, so it was rare to have a moment of relaxation.

The matter of Uncle Ma’s capture was something Lian Bao had initially wanted to keep from his mother, but he eventually realized it was impossible to hide. Not to mention his use of Qian Chen—if Qian Chen knew, then Lih Qingshu would know, and Lih Qingshu would not keep it from his mother.

Asking for his second brother’s help was his mother’s decision. Otherwise, he would never have involved his second brother. With his second brother at home to protect their parents, he could have peace of mind.

With Sister Lih around, there should be no problems, and arrangements had also been made so that if trouble arose, those left behind could take their parents and Wang San with them to escape safely.

His mother, upon learning of Uncle Ma’s trouble, was very worried yet didn’t break down as he had imagined. Instead, she remained calm and analyzed Guo Neng’s personality with him, considering various possibilities.

The method of blackmailing Guo Neng made him very hesitant, it was his mother’s determined decision that drove him. He knew that she was taking the blame upon herself, should Uncle Ma not be rescued…

Today, his mother taught him that if the enemy is ruthless, then show them that you are even more ruthless, to truly rescue someone.

If this time they allowed Guo Neng to get the upper hand over them, it would not only lead to a failure to rescue Uncle Ma, but in the future, they might be led by the nose by Guo Neng, falling into complete passivity and danger.

Only by showing Guo Neng their determination to fight to the bitter end, could they instill fear in him.

His mother, born into a noble family, had a deeper insight into people like Guo Neng and the situation in the Capital than he did. She analyzed and judged that this was the best opportunity to rescue Uncle Ma. Guo Neng, with the Xue Family weighing him down in the imperial court, would be too preoccupied to fully act and would be wary.

If Guo Neng still refused to release Uncle Ma and harbored intentions to harm them, then it would be a contest to see who was more ruthless.

Those papers would be distributed near the Guo family’s residence, early the following morning, and in the afternoon, even farther away, step by step, putting pressure on Guo Neng to compromise. During this process, they would leave some leeway to avoid forcing Guo Neng into a desperate fight to the death.

Fortunately for them, Guo Neng was weaker than expected. As soon as the papers detailing the crimes were released, he sent a message, willing to go back and bring Uncle Ma for a new deal, still agreeing to meet in the same area southwest of the city.

This time, the positions in the trade were reversed; they took the initiative, while Guo Neng was put in a reactive position.

Inside the Imperial Palace.

He Hao was blindfolded and brought to a pitch-black room.

All along the way, he thought he was being led to a secret execution and was scared out of his wits, wailing loudly until his mouth was covered, and he could no longer make a sound.

Carried on someone’s back, turning left and right, he had no idea how far he had been taken. Finally, he was thrown into a room and the door was shut behind him.

He Hao lay on the ground, and it took a long while before he dared to move. He took the blindfold off to see that the room was pitch-black; he couldn’t see anything.

He Hao, who feared neither heaven nor earth—oh, he couldn’t say that now, that was in the past.

In the past, He Hao, who feared neither heaven nor earth, was only afraid of the dark!

In pitch-black places, ghosts were likely to appear, and he had seen them with his own eyes. That was when he was a child, and since then, he had been scared of the dark.

Now, he reached out trembling, asking, “Is there anyone there?”

By accident, he touched something and got startled, jumping back and bumping into a chair with a loud “bang,” which scared him again.

About to cry, he asked with a sobbing voice, “Is there anyone here, say something, don’t scare me…”

Thus, he talked to himself in the room trying to embolden himself; there was not a sound, and no matter how much he spoke, there was no response. He wanted to open the door, but it was locked from the outside, which made him increasingly frightened.

In the end, when the Shadow Guard silently opened the door with a “creak,” He Hao was so terrified that he wet his pants, collapsed to the ground with weak legs, and burst into tears.