Chapter 338 - - What does cooperation_1 mean?

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No one could refuse an invitation from Boss Du.

Zhang Yizhi pursed his lips, “Brother Du, what about Shi Pingchuan?”

“Are you doubting the ability of the second rank?” Duge glanced at him and said, “Yizhi, do you know why Shi Pingchuan is second and yet your reputation is not prominent?”

“Why?” Zhang Yizhi asked subconsciously.

“Being a nation’s Prime Minister seems to carry high status, and cooperating with him, you can play a greater role. But don’t forget, Shi Pingchuan’s position is high, he has too many people he can use.” Duge smiled, “Following him, it seems like cooperation, but in reality, it is obedience; he gives orders, and you carry them out. Even if he doesn’t use you, and switches to someone else, the result would be the same. Think about it, isn’t that the case?”

…

There was a rigid expression on Zhang Yizhi’s face.

“It’s different with me, I am in dire need of people. As long as you do something, it will be promoted and publicized for you, like Huangfu Yue, Gao Yanping, Huangfu Xing, Gou Heyi… Aren’t their reputations now known to everyone?”

Duge said, “This time, we’re going to fight Cao Lin. You’re in charge of luring Cao Lin to Yang River, and I’ll take care of him. This will be perfect teamwork. The promotional slogan I’ve thought of goes like this: Zhang Yizhi ingeniously lures the enemy, bravely He Xu captures Cao Lin. Your reputation will become known throughout the land in one fell swoop.”

Zhang Yizhi’s heart was stirred by what Duge had said, and he licked his lips again, “Can I do it? Cao Lin won’t kill me, will he?”

“Yizhi, you understand me.” Duge patted Zhang Yizhi on the shoulder, “Think about the outcomes of those who have been with me, and then think about the outcomes of those who have opposed me. Trust yourself, and trust me too.”

Those words seemed to inject boundless confidence into Zhang Yizhi, and he suddenly straightened up, “Brother Du, I’ll follow your arrangements.”

“What do you mean by arrangements, it’s cooperation,” Duge smiled, “And from now on, call me Imperial Master.”

“Hmm,” Zhang Yizhi nodded, and he looked at Duge, “Imperial Master, may I know what your attribute is?”

Duge turned to glance at Luo Shuang, then drew a rattan from behind his back and said with a smile, “Torture.”

“Torture?”

Zhang Yizhi’s eyes widened, and he involuntarily looked at the rattan with the words “Hit the dazed monarch above, hit the sycophantic officials below” written on it, which then filled him with endless confusion.

He couldn’t understand how Duge was able to cause such a big commotion with torture, even securing the top rank, while he and Shi Pingchuan had speculated that Duge possessed an attribute like revolution or a key word of that sort.

“Yes, torture. So, if I hit you with this rattan, don’t hold a grudge against me; it means I’m increasing my attribute,” Duge looked at Zhang Yizhi with a serious face, “When that time comes, just cooperate with me.”

“Hmm, I understand.” Zhang Yizhi smiled, “When the Imperial Master swings the whip from above, I’ll lift my forehead; when the Imperial Master swings the whip from behind, I’ll bend over and raise my behind; when the Imperial Master swings the whip from below, I’ll lift my soles…”

When he was with Shi Pingchuan, he was always anxious, feeling surrounded by crisis, but he felt unexpectedly liberated when he decided to follow Duge, and even his personality grew livelier.

As for being hit with a rattan?

Alien Warriors had thick skin and strong recovery abilities; a few hits felt no different than a few mosquito bites.

“Exactly, that’s the spirit. I knew you would understand cooperation!” Duge raised his eyebrows and said, “But that’s not enough; true cooperation means I give a look, and you know who to train or hit. When I say I want to kill someone, you should understand whether I really mean to kill them or just to intimidate them. Every word I say should have support, every action I take should have a response…”

Luo Shuang’s eyes grew wider as she looked at the Hit King Whip in Duge’s hand, slipping into deep thought.

…

Zhang Yizhi was stunned.

“Yizhi, there’s no rush for these things. This sort of cooperation needs to be gradually polished to cultivate an ultimate understanding.” Duge smiled, “The immediate concern is to take care of Cao Lin’s army.”

With that, he approached the map and pointed to the widest expanse of the Linjiang River, “I plan to set the decisive battle at Yang River. You go meet Cao Lin, use any reason to lead him here…”

Duge’s confidence was infectious; Zhang Yizhi’s concerns vanished, “Alright, I’ll make this journey, even if it costs me my life, I must lure Cao Lin here.”

“No need to risk your life, think about how I usually operate; use your brain. You have skills, the status of the Prime Minister’s mansion; it’s not difficult to lure Cao Lin,” Duge laughed, “If necessary, reveal your identity as the Heavenly Demon, as long as Cao Lin has plans, he won’t touch you.”

“Hmm,” Zhang Yizhi nodded firmly, “Brother Du, should I set off now?”

“The sooner, the better.” Duge extended his hand, patting him on the shoulder again, “Our victory in this battle depends entirely on you. You are only to succeed, not to fail.”

…

Zhang Yizhi left with Duge’s blessings and mission.

Duge let out a light breath, turned back, and looked at Luo Shuang, who’d been silent the whole time. He smiled and said, “Your Highness, if you have any questions, you can ask them now.”

“Master, your real name is Duge, right?” Luo Shuang blinked her eyes several times and asked.

“Yes,” Duge nodded.

“In your world, you must be someone very capable, right?” Luo Shuang asked again.

“More or less!” Duge smiled and humbly replied.

“So, there’s really no such thing as a great war between gods and demons, is there?” Luo Shuang asked. “You are just fighting over so-called rankings?”

“Yes, fighting over rankings!” Duge looked up at the sky and said melancholically, “Heavenly Demon… it’s merely a facade to decorate our identities. In the end, we’re nothing but a group of unwilling calamities…”

“Master, you’re not a calamity.” Luo Shuang felt Duge’s desolation, stood up, and walked over to him. Blinking her eyes, she said earnestly, “If it weren’t for you, Luo Shuang would’ve died long ago. I don’t care about your real purpose; you are Luo Shuang’s benefactor. If Master wants to fight for rankings, Luo Shuang will do her utmost to cooperate, even more than Zhang Yizhi did.”

“Cooperate with me?” Duge looked at Luo Shuang, who was standing before him, trying hard to comfort him, and shook his head, “You taking the throne of Qingwu Country is the best cooperation I could ask for.”

“Master, the cooperation I mean is that your cane could land on me at any time without needing any reason.” Luo Shuang’s face turned as red as an apple, she lowered her head, not daring to look at Duge, but her tone was exceedingly firm, “My status is high enough; if tormenting me can make Master stronger, then I am willing to be tormented by Master…”

“…”

Duge looked at Luo Shuang in astonishment.

What’s going on here?

Were the symptoms of Stockholm syndrome getting worse?

What exactly did she hear in his conversation with Zhang Yizhi?

Why is she so off track?

Thinking of his skill with ascending and descending effects, Duge couldn’t help but shiver and said sternly, “Your Highness, you don’t need to do this. As the ruler of a country, you should always be mindful of your image. What will the courtiers think if they see you like this?”

“Master, I was wrong. Please punish me!” Luo Shuang looked at Duge with a mischievous glance and quickly stretched out her hand with her palm facing up, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Damn!

Duge was stunned.

She had the prowess of a princess. If Zhang Yizhi had this sort of understanding, he would’ve rushed to cooperate long ago, right? Why waste over a month only to fail at making it into the top ten?

Smack!

The cane landed on the princess’s palm.

Duge said, “Your Highness, no matter what kind of gods, Buddha, or demons appear by your side, remember to always maintain your true heart. Only in this way can you be unaffected by external forces and truly protect and govern your country well.”

Luo Shuang withdrew her hand and sighed, “So, Master, you will eventually leave, right?”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t,” Duge replied, “Just like Leng Shi before. Before I came, I didn’t know whose body I would enter, and after I leave, I don’t know whether this body will still belong to me!”

“…” Luo Shuang frowned, “Master, I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to understand; to be honest, even now, there are many things I don’t understand myself.” Duge looked at her and said, “Luo Shuang, if one day you ascend the throne and you still want to know the truth, I will tell you.

But doing so might bring disaster to your world, negate all of our efforts today. And by then, I might not be able to help you any longer…”

“Okay,” Luo Shuang interrupted him without waiting for him to finish, and nodded seriously, “Master, there’s no need to explain further. I choose to know the truth, even if it brings disaster to the world. Although I don’t know who Master’s enemies are, I won’t let you fight alone…”

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