Chapter 303 - - 301 Who said loyalty has to be obedient_1

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Of course, survival comes first.

These assassins had been pursuing the princess for five or six days through desolate wilderness where not a soul could be seen.

Which means,

If they were to leave the forest, it would take them at least five or six days.

Pan-Universe Entertainment had changed the rules; out of three thousand people, more than two thousand survived, which was double the number of people who had originally fallen.

Plus, with the bad precedent he had set, everyone might just start being more reckless…

In five or six days, over two thousand warriors from the Alien Battlefield might wreak all kinds of havoc!

And his two keywords,

Besides earning loyalty points from Luo Shuang, were practically useless.

It was the same as giving others a five or six days head start.

In five or six days, with his efficiency, he could have built up a significant force…

Who knows what the outside world would be like by the time they emerged?

Still go to Qinglan Sword Sect?

Is that seeking death?

Damn it!

What a hellish start!

…

Looking at the silent Duge, Luo Shuang pulled out an elixir and popped it into her mouth, sighing, “I was indeed too naive. Mr. He, I know that going to Qinglan Sword Sect is a long shot, but it’s my only hope.

Inside Qingwu Country, there indeed are those loyal to the royal family, dissatisfied with Duke Dingguo, but my brothers were all killed, and after all, I am just a woman. Even if I call for support, how many would respond?”

She paused and then sighed, “If only I were a man.”

“A man?” Duge collected his scattered thoughts and looked at Luo Shuang, smiling, “When the heavens and earth first opened, and yin and yang separated, where is the distinction between strong and weak among men and women? Who says a woman can’t be an emperor? Your father and brothers were men, but didn’t Qingwu Country fall just the same?”

“…” Luo Shuang frowned. “You… do not have the right to criticize my father emperor.”

“Fourth Princess, please don’t take offense at my blunt words,” Duge shook his head and said, “Bitter medicine cures sickness, and harsh advice is true kindness. Naturally, I know how to sweet-talk and say things that are pleasing to hear. But are those useful? Can they help you take your revenge or restore the country?”

“…” Luo Shuang was stunned, her gaze shifting to Duge, seemingly unable to believe that an assassin would say such things.

“Fourth Princess, since I have pledged myself to you, I will wholeheartedly assist you,” Duge said earnestly to Luo Shuang, “In my view, Princess, you still have a long way to go.

For instance, just now, even though you didn’t trust my words and already had the intent to kill, you hid it for the sake of survival and pretended to believe me. Do you really think I couldn’t see through that? It’s only because I am loyal that I gave you a way out. If it had been someone else, you would have already lost a great opportunity.”

“…” The color drained from Luo Shuang’s face.

“Fourth Princess, your expression has changed again,” Duge said, shaking his head, “A ruler must keep emotions hidden and never show true feelings unless it’s intentional, for others to see.”

“Mr. He, I have learned my lesson,” Luo Shuang took a deep breath and said.

“Fourth Princess, you had better take it to heart. Our enemy is the powerful Duke Dingguo, or to be more precise, Qingwu Country. For the two of us to overthrow a country, to put it nicely, is as difficult as ascending to the heavens, or to put it unpleasantly, is the delusion of a fool.”

“If you don’t have a resilient heart, this path is untraversable; you might as well give up now. I could find you a respectable family, help you hide your identity, and you could live a stable life bearing and raising children, supporting a husband and teaching sons, spending your life in peace. As long as you don’t reveal your identity, I can assure you that no one will find you,” said Duge.

Luo Shuang was taken aback.

“Would you be willing to live such a life?” Duge asked, looking directly at Luo Shuang, his eyes full of encouragement.

“I naturally wouldn’t want to,” Luo Shuang’s eyes flickered.

“I must ask again, can the Princess truly persevere to the end?” Duge pressed on, “I don’t want all of my efforts to ultimately go to waste.”

“I can,” Luo Shuang said.

“Good,” Duge smiled, “Since that is the case, in the coming days, I will supervise the Princess with the most stringent requirements. It is said that ‘Heaven tasks those whom it will; first it strengthens their minds, works their sinew and bones, starves their bodies, empties their lives…’

If the Princess makes a mistake in word or deed, I will speak up to correct it; if the Princess grows lazy, I might even whip the Princess… If I offend the Princess in any way, please do not take it to heart.”

“I won’t mind,” Luo Shuang said blankly, looking at Duge. She saw the shadow of her father in him. Hadn’t her father been just as strict with her imperial brother?

At this moment,

All of Luo Shuang’s doubts about Duge disappeared.

“Princess, what I aim to be is a loyal official, not a sycophant,” Duge sighed softly and shook his head, “In the days to come, no matter how offensive my actions towards the Princess may be, even if the Princess comes to loathe me to the bone, I ask the Princess to bury that hatred in her heart. When the day comes that we successfully restore our country, and the Princess holds great power in her hands, then it will not be too late to take action against me.”

“Mr. He, what are you talking about?” Luo Shuang was immediately flustered, “I know Mr. He has my best interests at heart, and I am not so foolish as to bite the hand that feeds me.”

“There’s no need for the Fourth Princess to react this way,” Duge smiled, “Throughout history, which loyal official has ever met a good end? Having taken this step, I’ve prepared myself for the worst possible outcome and will have no regrets.”

“Mr. He…” Luo Shuang looked dazedly at Duge, suddenly tears streaming down her face.

After pondering for a moment, she reached into her bosom and took out her personal Jade Pendant, offering it to Duge with both hands, “Please accept this Jade Pendant, Mr. He. Luo Shuang swears that no matter what, she will not harm Mr. He. Should there come a day when Luo Shuang is muddled, Mr. He only needs to produce the Jade Pendant, and Luo Shuang will understand.”

Duge glanced at Luo Shuang with a smile, took the Jade Pendant, and said, “I thank the Princess for her trust in advance. Princess, get ready, we should head out. The scent of blood here is too strong—it might attract Demonic Beasts.”

“Mm,” Luo Shuang nodded.

Duge bent down and began gathering Silver Coins, food, and various other useful resources from the bodies of assassins and guards.

Luo Shuang followed closely and asked, “With such great talent, Mr. He, why would General Si Chen send you to infiltrate Chongming Country as a spy?”

“Does the Fourth Princess still doubt me?” Duge lifted his head and asked with a smile.

“No,” Luo Shuang said, “I’m just curious. With Mr. He’s abilities, he could have made his mark under General Si as well.”

“It’s right to have doubts,” Duge said, “If you didn’t, I would think less of the Princess. Our forces will grow larger, and inevitably we will come into contact with various people with ulterior motives. The Princess must always remain skeptical, think thrice before acting, to minimize her own mistakes.”

“Mm, thank you for the lesson, Mr. He,” Luo Shuang said.

“As for why I was sent here to spy,” Duge continued with a smile, “Since things have come to this pass, hiding or not has lost its meaning. Actually, our real goal is to overthrow the regime in Chongming Country.”

“Overthrow Chongming Country?” Luo Shuang’s eyes widened in shock.

“Correct, it’s a grand plan and I am but one participant. In the struggle of nations, who can say what is right or wrong?” Duge sighed, “Like me, there are many spies in Chongming Country. Unfortunately, Qingwu Country fell before the plan could even commence.”

Gulp!

Luo Shuang swallowed nervously, suddenly considering a possibility, and asked in a trembling voice, “Mr. He, can we make use of those spies?”

“While General Si was alive, they were certainly usable,” Duge said, “But now that the royal family is gone, it’s uncertain. Not everyone is as loyal to Qingwu Country as I am. Moreover, I don’t even know how to contact those people…”

“Oh,” Luo Shuang sighed in disappointment.

“Princess, don’t worry about it too much,” Duge said with a smile, “You have to eat your rice one bite at a time, and walk the road step by step. Once we’ve gathered our own people, built our own power, then we can raise the Princess’s banner. Just a call to arms, and those still loyal to Qingwu Country will naturally come to join us.”

“Is that possible?” Luo Shuang asked.

“What do you mean by ‘is that possible’?” Duge asked in return.

“Just the two of us, can we really reclaim Qingwu Country?” looking at the bodies on the ground, Luo Shuang asked pensively.

“I do not know if we can reclaim Qingwu Country, but I know that a single spark can start a prairie fire,” Duge stood up straight, his eyes shining bright as the stars, “The mountain is right before us, climbing may be difficult, but if we keep ascending, we have a chance to reach the peak. Stand still, and you’ll never make it up.”

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