“Lu Ru?”
“He shouldn’t be named Lu, but Li, right?!”
In the main hall of the Lord’s mansion, Xia Tian’s single sentence made Li Ru’s expression change.
“Your Excellency’s insight is truly sharp. I am indeed Li Ru. The Li Ru who defected to Dong Zhuo and poisoned the Young Emperor!”
Li Ru gave a bitter smile.
Because this lord could actually see through his past, it seemed his luck today was not good.
He knew that the reason he had to live incognito, hiding among the refugees, was not only due to historical reasons but also other factors.
After arriving in the Eternal Land, Li Ru was fortunate enough to land near Qingfeng Stronghold, and naturally, he joined the stronghold.
Because of his attire, which was clearly that of a scholar or even an official, distinct from ordinary commoners and soldiers, he was immediately received by Zhaizhu Liu. With his eloquence and ability, Li Ru easily gained the other’s appreciation.
The two of them thus “colluded.”
Through their conversations, he learned that the relationship between Liu Gao and Hua Rong was not good.
Moreover, now that they were in this “Eternal Land” and free from imperial jurisdiction, Liu Gao feared that Hua Rong, with his martial prowess, would usurp his power or even overthrow him.
At this time, the incident of “evil spirits snatching children” happened to occur.
Li Ru immediately offered a plan: he suggested that Liu Gao use the surging public opinion to send Hua Rong away. This would not only utilize Hua Rong’s martial abilities to explore the unfamiliar surroundings but also allow Liu Gao to reorganize the army and win over the soldiers’ hearts while Hua Rong was away.
Once Hua Rong returned without success, he would then use “ineffective handling of affairs and dereliction of duty” as an excuse to completely strip him of his military command.
Li Ru’s plan was, in fact, flawless.
After all, the children snatched by evil spirits were, in theory, impossible to retrieve alive, meaning Hua Rong was destined to be outmaneuvered.
Furthermore, with the surrounding area being a vast jungle, the soldiers had nowhere else to go, and their families were still in Qingfeng Stronghold. Even if Hua Rong was dissatisfied and chose to rebel, his soldiers would not dare to follow him, and he wouldn’t be able to stir up much trouble!
However, he didn’t expect that Hua Rong not only returned but also rescued the children and even brought news of the “Human Sanctuary.”
Zhaizhu Liu Gao immediately panicked.
At this point, Li Ru remained calm and offered advice, telling him to lead people to surround Hua Rong’s residence under the pretexts of “spreading rumors, and being possessed by ghosts.”
Although, in Li Ru’s eyes, Liu Gao was in no way a person worth assisting or capable of achieving great things.
But he still had to rely on Liu Gao to survive in this jungle, so he diligently performed his duties from the standpoint of a strategist.
However, Li Ru could calculate human intentions but not foreign races.
He never imagined that Liu Gao would unluckily be killed by a jackal demon, who disemboweled him. His original plans and investments naturally became completely Abandoned, and he himself was forced to move to this “sanctuary.”
Because he had once planned for Liu Gao, Li Ru was even more afraid to reveal his identity. He only wanted to join the territory incognito and survive for now, then decide on further actions later!
He didn’t expect that he had no secrets whatsoever before “immortal magic”!
“…”
Xia Tian fell silent for a moment after hearing Li Ru confess his “crimes.”
He thought, if I told you that I didn’t know about those troublesome things you did in Qingfeng Stronghold, would you still be so anxious right now?
However, he truly lived up to his reputation as a “poisonous strategist.”
Upon arriving in the dangerous Eternal Land, his first thought wasn't to resist foreign races, but to engage in internal strife and eliminate his own people!
“You are quite frank. Since that’s the case, I will also be honest with you!”
“Defecting to Dong Zhuo and poisoning the Young Emperor might be unforgivable in some people’s eyes, but it has nothing to do with my territory, and I won’t dwell on it. However, Zhaizhu Hua is already a member of my territory. You helping Liu Gao deal with him, this matter…”
Xia Tian paused his words here.
With a tone that made people hold their breath, he said amidst Li Ru’s uneasy gaze:
“You must accomplish another task to make amends!”
“May I ask what task Your Excellency wishes Ru to perform? Ru will certainly do his utmost!”
A look of joy appeared on Li Ru’s face.
As an intelligent person, how could Li Ru not understand Xia Tian’s meaning? This was a typical case of “catching the small and letting go of the big,” which meant he had essentially accepted him, merely giving him a test to prove his abilities!
“How is your relationship with Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe?”
Xia Tian brought up the matter of the “Hero Challenge.”
From his conversation with Li Ru,
Xia Tian confirmed one thing: the main memories of these historical figures came from historical records.
However, their characteristics, talents, and even their external appearances were more derived from the most widely known content in “romances, and films.”
Therefore, Xia Tian not only told Li Ru some historical records about Jia Xu but also informed him of Jia Xu’s deeds in “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”!
After all, for a strategist, the more thoroughly they understood their target, the more precise their calculations would be.
At this moment, Xia Tian couldn’t help but once again thank the “Extensive Knowledge and Strong Memory” trait that the Eternal Land had condensed for him. If it were someone else, no matter how good their memory, it would probably be difficult to clearly remember the detailed information of a bunch of historical figures.
“Li Ru will certainly complete this ‘challenge’ and strive to bring Jia Wenhe to Your Excellency’s territory!”
Finally, Li Ru spoke with a determined expression and resolute tone.
Next, Xia Tian began to arrange for the other people preparing for the “challenge” to level up.
Because the training ground was used to house refugees, he called Wu Song, Hua Rong, Shen Lian, and Da Niu into the Lord’s mansion and taught them the “Five Animal Frolics”!
Wu Song’s physique had already reached the human limit, and his unarmed combat belonged to the grandmaster level, so he naturally mastered it with ease. Xia Tian only taught it once, and he easily grasped it.
Hua Rong was slightly slower.
However, the effects of his cultivation of the “Five Animal Frolics” were very significant. His physique increased from “6.9” to “7.5,” and his spirit even increased from “7.8” to “8.5”!
The reason for such obvious effects was that the “Five Animal Frolics” could train every part of the entire body. Cultivating the “Five Animal Frolics” was equivalent to helping Hua Rong strengthen and supplement the parts of his body that were originally lacking in refinement.
Therefore, Hua Rong directly advanced one rank, officially reaching the “Ninth Rank” level.
【Your territory resident ‘Hua Rong (Silver)’ has leveled up, territory luck +100.】
Compared to Wu Song and Hua Rong, Shen Lian’s mastery speed was considered relatively normal.
Because the “Five Animal Frolics” was far more complex than ordinary mortal-grade cultivation techniques, he could only imitate the external movements in a short time, but he found it difficult to grasp the most important “spirit and form” of this technique!
Fortunately, Xia Tian was also prepared. He picked up the “Sun Gold Bottle” and poured a drop of golden liquid onto a swaying “Clear Fragrance White Lotus” in the territory pond.
The latter quickly absorbed it, and then its petals withered from full bloom.
Next, the lotus pod swelled and grew larger.
Finally, it produced twelve “lotus seeds,” pure white, emitting a rich fragrance, and about the size of a finger.
Taking one out with two fingers and placing it in his mouth, he immediately felt a cool sensation rush to his brain, and his thoughts instantly became ten times faster.
After consuming two lotus seeds, Shen Lian also successfully mastered the “Five Animal Frolics” and likewise broke through to the Eighth Rank, providing 10 points of luck for the territory!
As for Da Niu, who also consumed two lotus seeds… “Sir, I still don’t seem to be able to learn it!”
Da Niu, who was already two meters tall, scratched his head, looking embarrassed.
The main reason was that the “Five Animal Frolics” simultaneously mimicked five types of creatures, requiring not only a resemblance in form but also a “resemblance in spirit.”
While Da Niu had a strong physique, his spirit had always been a weakness, and his intelligence was somewhat lacking. Even with the help of the lotus seeds, he couldn’t get started in a short time!
