The Reticent Blade-Chapter 302 - Unexpected Revelation

"Heh... Is that your trump card?"

General Bahu's heart skipped a beat when he heard the unshakable confidence in the martial artist's tone. Bahu realized that the brutal warrior hadn’t been swayed in the slightest. Narrowing his eyes, Bahu leaned back in his chair. "Calling it a trump card is too much, but this is my territory, so naturally, things are done according to my rules."

"What a coincidence." Xue Qiming chuckled. "I have rules of my own to share with you."

Bahu raised his thick eyebrows. "What rules?"

"My rules." Xue Qiming sat down in the chair opposite Bahu, propping his legs up on the table. "I’m no one special, just a wanderer known as the Unbound Bodhisattva. Someone offered five thousand gold taels for your head, but I have a rule when it comes to killing, so this matter isn’t necessarily non-negotiable."

Hearing that there was room for negotiation, Bahu's expression visibly softened. Spreading his hands, he said, "Please, speak, valiant warrior."

Xue Qiming grinned like a weasel, quickly taking his legs off the table. Rubbing two fingers together, he said, "My rule is this... Heh heh, I don't need much... just half is enough."

Xue Niang rolled her eyes hard at Xue Qiming and muttered, "Beggar..." Then, she turned her head away and refused to look at him anymore. Xue Qiming had used the same line on her mother all that time ago.

Bahu was momentarily stunned, his eyes filled with obvious confusion. "This... May I ask, brave one, what exactly do you mean by half?"

How dense can you be!" Xue Qiming scolded, leaning forward with his two fingers almost poking Bahu's face. "Everything that you have, I want half! Do you understand?"

Bahu nodded hurriedly. "That I understand, I understand!"

"Half!" Xue Qiming slammed the table. "Whatever wealth you have, hand over half. That's your ransom for your life!"

Bang!

Xue Qiming slapped the table hard, sealing the matter. "Do you want your money or your life? Make your choice!"

Bahu leaned back in his chair, his hand caressing the hilt of his saber. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Is that your rule, valiant warrior?"

Xue Qiming grinned. "Exactly. Regardless of who it is, the rule stays the same."

Bahu narrowed his eyes at Xue Qiming. "Do you even know how much wealth I have? It’s no small sum... Are you sure you can handle it?"

Fearlessly meeting his gaze, Xue Qiming waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t worry about that. I'm like a Pixiu. I’ve got a big appetite and won't let anything go to waste..."

"But this is my territory." Bahu shot up from his chair, looming over Xue Qiming by a full head. The Miao General looked down at him and declared, "Your rules won’t work here. We’ll follow my rules."

Xue Qiming slammed a palm against Bahu's chest, shoving him back into his chair. Raising one foot to rest on the chair, he glared down at Bahu menacingly. "What? You'd rather keep your money over your life?"

Bahu felt as though a mountain was crushing his chest, leaving him gasping for air. He frantically tried to pry Xue Qiming’s muscular arm away, but it didn’t budge an inch!

Bahu’s face turned bright red. Just as he was about to shout for the soldiers outside, Xue Qiming slapped him across the face, silencing him mid-breath. "Speak! Your money or your life!"

Bahu’s left cheek swelled visibly, with five distinct finger marks etched into his skin.

"You’re utterly unreasonable!" Bahu glared at Xue Qiming, both furious and shocked. "Not to mention that you can’t carry that much money away! Have you ever seen anyone fight a war and keep all their money on them?"

Xue Qiming paused, seemingly taken aback. "That... kind of makes sense..."

Bahu pressed on. "Think it over carefully. If you join me in our cause, it will bring you immense wealth! The little silver I can give you now is a mere drop in the ocean compared to that."

Slap!

Bahu’s words were cut off abruptly as Xue Qiming swung another slap to his right cheek. "Stop with the nonsense. Just admit you don’t have any money."

"You!" Bahu glared at him furiously.

Before Bahu could respond, Xue Qiming’s hand was already at his throat, a glint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. "If you don't have the money... then pay with your life—"

"Wait, wait!" Bahu truly panicked this time. He had not expected Xue Qiming to be so unyielding.

"Valiant warrior! Please, hear me out!" Bahu clung tightly to Xue Qiming’s arm.

Xue Qiming narrowed his eyes at Bahu, loosening his grip slightly. "These words might be your last."

Bahu gasped for air and spoke quickly, "Please, hear me out! I speak from the heart! The Ruen Dynasty’s fate is sealed. Chaos and suffering are inevitable. Even with your unmatched martial skill, valiant warrior, you can't escape unscathed. Only by aiding us can you secure safety and earn great riches. Why not seize the opportunity?"

Xue Qiming chuckled.

"How can you claim the Ruen Dynasty’s fate is sealed with the few of you?"

"That's not it!" Bahu responded immediately, "You don’t know the full picture, valiant warrior. The Ruen Dynasty is engulfed in chaos. The Northern Qiang are pressing south with great momentum, and all across the central plains, heroes are rising in rebellion. We Miao are merely one of the many factions."

Xue Qiming raised an eyebrow. "You just said it yourself. Your Miao forces are only one faction. The Ruen Dynasty might not even fall. You could get wiped out by other rebel armies first."

Bahu blinked repeatedly. "You don’t understand, valiant warrior. The uprisings across the land, including our Dark Miao rebellion now, have the same reason behind them."

Xue Qiming frowned. "Let’s hear it."

Bahu’s lips quivered. "There's... someone behind the scenes pulling the strings."

Xue Qiming’s frown deepened. "What do you mean by that?"

"Actually... as early as last year, before the Northern Qiang mobilized their forces..." Bahu swallowed hard. "Someone came to the Miao territories and approached our clan leaders, to talk about rebelling. Afterward, our chief united the Dark Miao clans and mobilized our forces to march north."

"Who was that person?" Xue Qiming asked.

"I don’t know," Bahu shook his head. Seeing Xue Qiming’s expression darkening, he quickly added, "But I do know that person told our chief that when the Miao rose in rebellion, many other regions in the Central Plains would rise up with us.

"By then, the Reun Dynasty would be in total chaos, and success would be within reach! As for whether the land would be governed together or divided among warlords after the dynasty fell, I don’t know. But I think that person must have made some kind of promise to the chief, otherwise, our chief wouldn’t have listened."

Xue Qiming fell silent, frowning in thought. After a long pause, he suddenly fixed his gaze on Bahu. "Wait a minute, are you saying that person knew the Northern Qiang would launch a large-scale invasion to the south?!"

Bahu was startled, murmuring, "I... I hadn’t thought of it that way, but now that you mention it... it does seem that way?"

Xue Qiming felt a suffocating frustration building up inside him. The Northern Qiang, the wars, the Ghostbane Association, and the Miao rebellion. It was as if there was an invisible thread tying them all together. Try as he may, Xue Qiming felt like he couldn't quite put his finger on the elusive thread.

Xue Qiming’s frustration deepened, but Bahu failed to notice. Tentatively, Bahu asked, "Valiant warrior, do you believe me now? Why not join me and—"

"Who exactly was that person?!" Xue Qiming roared as he gripped Bahu’s neck like an iron vise.

It was only then that Bahu noticed Xue Qiming’s bloodshot eyes and trembling muscles, as though he was enduring unbearable agony.

Bahu struggled to breathe, his eyes rolling back uncontrollably. With the last ounce of his strength, he gasped, "I... I remember now! That person said... their name was Dang Gui!"

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